Ask Madden 24: Exploring the NFL Draft QB Multiverse

The concept of the multiverse is all the rage these days. Superhero movies have made enough of a meal of out of the idea to spawn a sequel to Into The Spider-Verse and bring back Michael Keaton as Batman in The Flash.

At its core, the multiverse implies that there are alternate worlds in which things are similar and yet slightly different than the world we live in and know. When it comes to the NFL Draft, teams make huge decisions at the quarterback position for their franchise every year and are often left wondering what would have happened if they took a different QB with their top pick instead. What does the alternate universe look like in which they chose someone else to be the cornerstone of their future? Is it better? Worse? Is it about the talent of the player, the situation they’re dropped in, the coaching, or a mix of all of the above that leads to a QB failing or succeeding?

In an effort to get a glimpse into these alternate universes, let’s enter the multiverse ourselves through the power of Madden 24 and look at how the 2023 season of franchises could have potentially unfolded differently this season if they had simply swapped meaningful picks from recent drafts. If you’re old enough and/or don’t watch superhero movies, you may want to think of this as the Sliding Doors scenario instead.

2023 Draft

The Original Picks

#1 Carolina Panthers – Bryce Young

#2 Houston Texans – C.J. Stroud

The New Picks

#1 Carolina Panthers – C.J. Stroud

#2 Houston Texans – Bryce Young

2023 Season Stats

• C.J. Stroud – 2-15 record (last in division), 58% completion percentage, 2,854 yards, 15 TDs, 11 INTs, 278 rushing yards, 33 sacks
• Bryce Young – 10-7 record (division winners) 66% completion percentage, 3,803 yards, 28 TDs, 16 INTs, 248 rushing yards, 24 sacks

Analysis: It looks as if the fates of these teams would remain on roughly the same course for at least one season if these top two picks from the most recent NFL draft were swapped. C.J. Stroud would struggle behind a porous offensive line in Carolina just as Bryce Young has this season.

Meanwhile, Young would make good use of the weapons at his disposal in Houston, even managing to lead the Texans to a division title in his first year there.

2021 Draft

The Original Picks

#2 New York Jets – Zach Wilson

#3 San Francisco 49ers – Trey Lance

The New Picks

#2 New York Jets – Trey Lance

#3 San Francisco 49ers – Zach Wilson

2023 Season Stats

• Trey Lance – 5-12 record (tied for last in division), 58% completion percentage, 3,095 yards, 21 TDs, 35 INTs, 344 rushing yards, 36 sacks
• Zach Wilson – 11-6 record (division winners), 65% completion percentage, 3,036 yards, 26 TDs, 10 INTs, 233 rushing yards, 28 sacks

Analysis: What a difference a change of scenery can make. If Zach Wilson were under the tutelage of Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco and supported by a potent rushing attack, he might look like an entirely different quarterback. His 26 touchdowns to 10 interceptions ratio would make him enough of a savvy game manager to keep the 49ers atop the NFC West this season. If Jimmy Garoppolo could do it, then why not Zach?

Were Trey Lance to be the starter for the Jets, it would somehow make for a more disastrous offense than the one being led by Wilson this season. With Lance at the helm instead, the team would be stuck in the AFC basement, largely due to Lance’s tendency to turn the ball over with an astronomical 35 interceptions.

The Original Picks

#11 Chicago Bears – Justin Fields

#15 New England Patriots – Mac Jones

The New Picks

#11 Chicago Bears – Mac Jones

#15 New England Patriots – Justin Fields

2023 Season Stats

• Mac Jones – 10-7 record (division winners), 66% completion percentage, 3,211 yards, 15 TDs, 13 INTs, 183 rushing yards, 23 sacks
• Justin Fields – 3-14 record (last in division), 63% completion percentage, 2883 yards, 13 TDs, 20 INTs, 381 rushing yards, 38 sacks

Analysis: Is it possible it’s the Patriots that are so bad this year that they are just dragging down Mac Jones with them? With Mac on the Bears instead, Madden 24 sees him lighting up the league to the tune of a 10-7 record and, more importantly, leading the Bears to an elusive NFC North crown. The numbers aren’t exactly pretty though, with Jones somehow only throwing 15 TDs to 13 interceptions, but you can’t argue with the results in the win-loss column.

On the other hand, Justin Fields and the Patriots would have been a match made in hell that sees the team win just 3 games. Could this potentially have been the thing that got Belichick fired?

2020 Draft

The Original Picks

#5 Miami Dolphins – Tua Tagovailoa

#6 Los Angeles Chargers – Justin Herbert

The New Picks

#5 Miami Dolphins – Justin Herbert

#6 Los Angeles Chargers – Tua Tagovailoa

2023 Season Stats

• Justin Herbert – 9-8 record (2nd in division), 68% completion percentage, 3,792 yards, 35 TD’s, 8 INT’s, 371 rushing yards, 36 sacks
• Tua Tagovailoa – 10-7 record (2nd in division), 62% completion percentage, 3,539 yards, 25 TD’s, 9 INT’s, 359 rushing yards, 28 sacks

Analysis: Here are two picks where a swap might not have impacted the future of the franchises involved as much as some of the others on this list. Both teams would end up with winning records and in the thick of the playoff hunt, which looks to be where both the Dolphins and Chargers are heading this year anyway. While Tua might lead the Chargers to a slightly better record than Herbert’s Dolphins, it does appear as if Herbert would end up with the gaudier numbers in terms of yards and touchdowns.

The Original Picks

#26 Green Bay Packers – Jordan Love

#53 Philadelphia Eagles – Jalen Hurts

The New Picks

#26 Green Bay Packers – Jalen Hurts

#53 Philadelphia Eagles – Jordan Love

2023 Season Stats

• Jalen Hurts – 13-4 record (division winners), 67% completion percentage, 3,477 yards, 38 TDs, 8 INTs, 432 rushing yards, 27 sacks
• Jordan Love – 9-8 record (2nd in division), 70% completion percentage, 3,979 yards, 28 TDs, 13 INTs, 406 rushing yards, 27 sacks

Analysis: As you might expect, these outcomes are only going to make the Packers’ front office kick themselves even harder for not selecting Jalen Hurts instead of Jordan Love when they had the chance. A Hurts-led Packers team would become one of the elite teams in the league, running away with the NFC North division. His 38 passing touchdowns have him ahead of everyone else in the league in the category, giving him plenty of opportunities to enjoy a Lambeau Leap or two throughout the season.

Love would put up respectable numbers in Philadelphia though with a nice supporting cast, putting up a 9-8 record that sees them squeaking out a Wild Card playoff berth. The big question is, would he still be able to run the Brotherly Shove play as well as Hurts?