The 2024 NFL Draft is just a few days off and like many years, we’re sure of just one pick, No. 1. There is no doubt the Bears are taking Caleb Williams as their new quarterback, but after that, we are still very much in the dark as to what will happen with pick No. 2 and onward.
Washington Commanders No. 2 overall pick
The rumor mill has had Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels going to the Commander and that appears to still be the scuttlebutt. It does at least appear that Daniels would like to play for Antonio Pierce, his old college coach, in Las Vegas, but ESPN insider Adam Schefter believes the Commanders want him and will take him at No. 2.
Will the Patriots trade out of the No. 3 pick?
New England has at least sounded willing to trade out of their Top 3 pick, but as usual, reports say they would need a huge haul. Schefter believes they could end up trading back, but then trading again to grab a quarterback. But in the end, most insiders believe the team will take whichever quarterback falls to them out of Drake Maye and Daniels. Sure, J.J. McCarthy is in the mix of possibilities, and Albert Breer reports there are people that like him in New England, but he believes they would choose Maye over McCarthy if it were to come to that.
Will the Broncos trade up for QB J.J. McCarthy?
Denver appears to be all in on taking a quarterback in this year’s draft, but will they trade up for McCarthy or if they’re lucky, Maye or Daniels, or will they grab Bo Nix or Michael Penix later? The only way they can assure getting McCarthy would be to trade up with the Cardinals, who are likely to pick WR Marvin Harrison Jr. if they don’t trade.
Sean Payton reportedly likes McCarthy and he’s traded up in the draft in the past, while the Cardinals were very active traders in the last draft. Payton talked about trading up being a realistic possibility, while also going out of his way to say they met with McCarthy for 4-5 hours early on in the draft process, per Zac Stevens.
If the Cardinals are set on Harrison Jr., the Chargers would be next on the trade up list and would probably be more inclined to trade, as they have multiple needs. The Broncos would likely be competing with the Vikings and possibly the Raiders to move up, so trying to predict what actually happens is probably a fool’s errand.
Rashee Rice is set to be suspended, could that push Kansas City toward WR?
“Rice is expected to be disciplined by the NFL, resulting in at least a multigame suspension,” per Schefter. When and for how long that suspension is won’t be known by draft time, but Kansas City is now more likely to prioritize wide receiver in the draft. Xavier Worthy is a player Breer says Kansas City is looking hard at, and would be a great weapon for Patrick Mahomes.