2024 NFL Draft Preview

The NFL draft is a three-day period in late April that can make or break a franchise’s future. Franchises such as the Detroit Lions and Houston Texans have been able to springboard their teams with the selections of key players over the past few drafts. However, franchises such as the Las Vegas Raiders and Washington Commanders have set themselves back countless times due to draft mismanagement. The horror stories of Jamarcus Russell and Robert Griffin III, serve as stark reminders for any teams and young players entering the draft this year. If you’re a fan, the draft is either a time of jubilation or sickness, depending on who your team picks to be the future of their franchise. So, without further ado, here is who we think will be the faces of the NFL for years to come. 

Bears - Caleb Williams (QB - USC) 

There is very little question surrounding who the Bears will take with the first pick of the draft. Caleb Williams is considered a generational quarterback and the entire Bears franchise is ecstatic to land him. They have been making a plethora of offseason moves to customize their team to fit a rookie quarterback. They signed D'Andre Swift at the running back position to take some pressure off of Williams during his rookie year. The formula for success for every great rookie quarterback comes with a great running back. This allows the quarterback to ease into the role and not be forced to be relied on every single moment of the game. They re-signed Matt Pryor and Coleman Shelton to their offensive line to give Williams even more time to get used to the fast-paced NFL, and allow for more time in the pocket. They also have a very dangerous receiver room with D.J. Moore and Keenan Allen. Those are great targets to throw to for any quarterback new and old. Williams has had a heck of a college career. During his Sophomore year in 2022, he passed for 42 touchdowns, set a school record for 4,537 in a single season, and to put the icing on the cake, he won the Heisman trophy. Williams is considered more of a mobile quarterback, so he will look to capitalize and hurt defenses on his feet. Overall, Williams is a clear number-one pick, and we are all looking forward to seeing what he does with this stacked Bears offense.

Commanders - Jayden Daniels (QB - LSU) 

The Commanders could go a variety of ways here but new General Manager Adam Peters will want to make a splash in his first draft with the Commanders. Quarterback, and current Heisman Trophy holder, Jayden Daniels, is exactly that. While there are some questions about his longevity in the NFL due to his more run-based style of play, he is still an explosive player who could soon be on the same level as Lamar Jackson or Jalen Hurts. Daniels also fits the profile of the type of player the new offensive coordinator, Kliff Kingsbury, has previously worked with such as Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray. It is also a possibility that the Commanders go with Drake Maye here, but Daniels is a far more NFL-ready prospect than the North Carolina quarterback. Insiders such as Adam Schefter also back up this pick at number two, as the Commanders have done extensive work on Daniels, having several private workouts and dinners with the man they hope to be their franchise quarterback. 

Patriots - Drake Maye (QB - UNC)

The Patriots are in a bit of an iffy situation, for the last 20 years they have run the NFL, but since Tom Brady's departure, they have become one of the worst teams in the NFL. There is a new sheriff in New England, and he goes by the name Jerod Mayo. He is looking to shake things up after longtime Patriots coach, Bill Belichick, parted ways with the franchise this past season. There is a lot of pressure on him from Patriots owner, Robert Kraft, because he wants things to go back to the way they were; winning their division, winning the AFC championship game, and winning Super Bowls consistently. There is no better way to start this process than finding a great quarterback to run your offense. The Patriots are currently sitting at the third pick, and the two picks in front of them will be quarterbacks. They are looking at taking the third-best quarterback in this stacked class, and that would be Drake Maye. Maye played for two seasons at UNC. His size and arm strength jump right off the tape. He can make any type of throw an NFL player would need to make, but the problem is he might make attempted throws that he shouldn't and could end up as interceptions. That's his only downside. In 2022 he threw for 38 touchdowns and 4,321 yards. He also won Atlantic Coastal Conference (ACC) Player of the Year and Offensive Rookie of the Year. He built off of that in his 2023 season and settled into the starting role. He is a boom-or-bust pick, but the Patriots are banking on him being the next big thing.

Cardinals - Marvin Harrison Jr (WR - Ohio State) 

After focusing on protecting quarterback Kyler Murray during free agency and last year’s draft, the Cardinals can now focus on getting him some offensive weapons. In the 2024 draft, Marvin Harrison Jr. is at the very top of that list, after tearing up college defenses for the past two seasons at The Ohio State University. Son of Hall of Fame wide receiver Marvin Harrison, his son’s unparalleled athleticism, above-average size, and elite ball tracking make him the most NFL-ready receiver in this class by a mile. After struggling with having any real options to throw to since the departure of DeAndre Hopkins, and the disaster of a trade for former college teammate Hollywood Brown, Kyler Murray gets a number one option for the foreseeable future with this pick. 

Vikings (Via Projected Trade With Chargers) - JJ McCarthy (QB - Michigan)

While there are several smoke screens surrounding the Vikings and what they are going to do, they will inevitably trade up. After getting an additional first-round pick from the Texans in a pick swap, the Vikings will try to trade up to find a replacement for the departing Kirk Cousins. They probably won’t be able to trade up to three with the Patriots, the Chargers will be more than happy to trade down and gain more draft capital in the process of rebuilding their team. JJ McCarthy is the fourth-best quarterback prospect on many draft boards and is, in essence, just a younger Kirk Cousins. A five-star recruit out of High School, McCarthy helped lead now Chargers’ head coach, Jim Harbaugh, and the Michigan Wolverines to the College Football Championship earlier this year. However, his talent is still questionable due to the incredibly Quarterback-friendly offense the Wolverines ran under Harbaugh. McCarthy doesn’t have the arm strength of the previous three quarterbacks, he often struggles when reading the field, and lacks the correct timing on passes allowing defenders more time to get to the ball. A few of these holes in his game could be fixed by sitting behind Sam Darnold for a year and learning from him and head coach Kevin O’Connell. but whether or not he’ll be NFL-ready even next season is still a concern for all those who watched his college tape. 

Giants - Malik Nabers (WR - LSU) 

The Giants have the worst offense in the NFL. There’s no nice way to say it. You have receivers who should be retired, none of which have reached a thousand yards since they traded Odell Beckham Jr. They lost their key superstar running back Saquon Barkley in free agency, and replaced him with the painfully average Devin Singletary, taking the only bright spot away from this offense. The walking cap hit that is Daniel Jones will affect Brian Daboll’s rebuild of the squad for another year, so picking up a receiver who can catch the ball may be the best option. Malik Nabers, coming off a career year at LSU, will be the perfect plug-and-play receiver for Daboll, ensuring that they don’t finish rock bottom of the NFL this season. 

Titans - Joe Alt (OT - Notre Dame)

The Titans have made waves in free agency to set up second-year quarterback, Will Levis, for success. After selecting him at the top of the second round in last year’s draft, the Titans struggled with not only protecting Levis but giving him weapons to throw to. The signings of wide receiver Calvin Ridley from the Jaguars and Tony Pollard from the Cowboys provide Levis with plenty of weapons, but his protection is still an issue. However, the protection for Levis is still yet to be addressed. The consensus number-one offensive lineman in this year’s draft, Notre Dame’s Joe Alt, should fall right into their lap at number seven. Alt, along with the new weapons added in free agency, should give Levis the best chance to succeed in his sophomore season. 

Falcons - Dallas Turner (DE - Alabama)

After signing quarterback Kirk Cousins in free agency, the most glaring need for the Falcons is their pass rush. At the eighth pick, it is the Falcons’ pick between the best two edge rushers in the class: Florida State’s Jared Verse or Alabama’s Dallas Turner. The better of the two is Turner, who has consistently put out top performances for the Crimson Tide over the past three seasons. With his above-average size and agility, as demonstrated at the NFL combine, Turner has shown great athletic ability and weighs in at two-hundred-forty-seven pounds. Other highlights include his speed to get to the quarterback, NFL-like finesse moves against offensive linemen, and his hand drive, all culminating into the profile of a deadly pass rusher. Turner is exactly what the Falcons need on their defense and can easily start day one on the edge for new head coach Raheem Morris. 

Bears - Rome Odunze (WR - Washington) 

The Bears are taking Caleb Williams with the number one pick of this year's draft, but they want to add to the already strong receiving core to give Williams the best offensive weapons in the league. Rome Odunze fits the profile for Chicago flawlessly. Odunze has great size and elite ball skills and easily dominated his competition in college. While most NFL wide receivers tend to capitalize on separation or beat the defender on speed, Odunze seems to relish jump balls and contested catches. In high school, he was a decorated sprinter, so speed will also not be an issue for this young star. Odunze in 2022 posted 1,145 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. In 2023, Odunze put up 1,640 receiving yards and thirteen touchdowns. Odunze will without a doubt be a day one starter and a serious contributor to this rejuvenated Bear offense.

Jets - Taliese Fuaga (OT/G - Oregon State) 

The Jets saw what happened last year with Aaron Rodgers getting no protection and can’t take any risks this year. While they traded for an experienced offensive lineman Morgan Moses and picked up Tyron Smith in free agency, they still need depth. Out of Oregon State, Taliese Fuaga can play anywhere across the offensive line, giving them plenty of options if injuries do strike mid-season. Fuaga, who measures in at six foot five and three-hundred-twenty-four pounds, was named a second-team All-American in 2023 and has been a powerful run blocker for Oregon State the last three years. Concerns about his average athleticism and wingspan are valid, but Fuaga makes up for it with his physical presence and high football IQ. This pick could easily help the Jets secure their offensive line for years to come in the post-Aaron Rodgers era in New York. 

Those are our picks for the destinations for the future stars of the NFL. While we can’t predict all the drama that will unfold on draft night, it makes it all that more intriguing to watch come April 25th. Between the trades, reactions, and overall insanity that will take over Detroit, we encourage you all to tune in to witness one of the greatest nights of the year in all professional sports.  

By Luke Birch and Avner Belsky