REPORTS:NFL Draft 2024: Football’s Future Unveiled for Beginners…

The Athletic has continuous coverage of the NFL Draft. Join us on our NFL Draft live blog to read Dane Brugler’s in-depth draft guide, “The Beast,” and his evaluation of the top 300 prospects.

Something shifts beneath the football world every year at the same moment.

Enjoy your return to the NFL Draft.

The quarterback class of 2024 will be among the greatest and most competitive in recent memory, and the draft will be webcast live from Detroit on Thursday night. However, it is not all. Not even near. Trade rumors have been going around for months, and this draft has a ton of talented spots. Will the first four picks include four quarterbacks? Who is the front-runner? Which teams intend to switch players around? Who will remain steadfast?

Come on, let’s catch up..

In the draft, who is the top pick?

The Panthers obtained picks 9 and 61 from Chicago in March of last year, and with that pick, they selected Alabama quarterback Bryce Young with the first overall pick in the 2023 draft. Carolina also contributed wide receiver DJ Moore, a second-round selection in 2025, and a first-round selection in 2024. However, they had the worst record in the league (2-15) at the end of Young’s rookie campaign, meaning Chicago received their first pick back.

A dependable quarterback with the power to change the course of a game is something the Bears will be able to add with it that they haven’t had since the Super Bowl era.

In 2023, Chicago made great strides after finishing the league with the worst record just a year earlier. The Bears appear prepared to embrace a rookie quarterback after selecting Jaylon Johnson, a fantastic cornerback, and building toughness along the offensive line through the choice. (To be precise, which one? We’ll take care of that shortly.)

Bears general manager Ryan Poles made it plain this spring where he intended to go with the pick when he traded Pittsburgh Steelers first-round pick Justin Fields for a 2021 sixth-round pick, thus resolving a sticky scenario. The Bears, who finished the regular season with seven wins, including four in their last six games, appear to be just one quarterback away from fielding a strong enough team to make the playoffs. We’ll see if they can land one this week.

 

In the NFL Draft, who has the most (and least) picks?

The most draft capital is in Arizona. In addition, the Cardinals are the team with the best chance to advance significantly in this draft. They not only have 11 selections overall, but an astounding seven of them are in the top 104, with three of them ranking in the top 40. Arizona, which is still winning with quarterback Kyler Murray, may also be in line to receive a significant trade haul from a club that wishes to advance and needs a quarterback. (In the first round, the Cardinals own choice No. 4.)

Arizona has the opportunity to be aggressive offensively while continuing to add solid depth to a young team that is already very promising, much like the Houston Texans did a year ago. GM Monti Ossenfort has a great opportunity.

On the other hand, this year’s draft capital belongs to the Cleveland Browns the least. They will not select until No. 54 and are still bearing the consequences of their 2022 blockbuster Deshaun Watson trade, as Houston now owns Cleveland’s first-round position. This year, the Browns only had two selections in the top 150.

Who will be selected first overall in the draft?

USC quarterback Caleb Williams is a wise selection. Right now, Williams—a 6-foot-1, 215-pound native of Washington, D.C.—is the face of collegiate football’s NIL era. He is a multimillionaire who doesn’t mind showing off how wealthy he is, and he has a special combination of pocket mobility, arm talent, and spatial awareness. He’s a mobile quarterback in the pocket, but he always has his eyes up, which leads to a lot of his big plays going bad. When it comes to maintaining plays while receivers reset, he is the best in this class.

Williams was noticed as soon as he stepped onto the collegiate field. He has the same aptitude for improvisation that Patrick Mahomes has.

Though there are many excellent quarterbacks in this class, particularly the best players, Williams stands out for other reasons besides his ability to pull hat tricks. It has to do with his skill at handling the ball. Despite his 33 career fumbles, which suggest he takes many risks, he had a touchdown to interception ratio of 93 to 14 during his more than 1,000 college attempts.

The biggest question right now is who will go to number two, followed by number three, as Williams is almost a lock to start at number one. Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. is a wild card, but Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy, LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels, and North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye are the clear favorites. LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers might also be.

Expect a rush on quarterbacks in the first four picks, as there are a lot of teams at the top (and throughout) that need quarterbacks. On many NFL boards, though, Harrison and Nabers will both be ranked among the top three prospects.

Are deals going to occur?

The Minnesota Vikings’ acquisition of an additional first-round pick from Houston, following the loss of quarterback Kirk Cousins to the Atlanta Falcons in free agency, is precisely the kind of move that suggests a team is ready to advance in the draft in search of a quarterback. Minnesota is ranked No. 11 and No. 23 in the first round.

How far, though, can the Vikings ascend? The Commanders, the Patriots, and the Bears—three teams in need of quarterbacks—have the first, second, and third picks in the draft. Though Eliot Wolf, the team’s new top executive, is a product of the Green Bay school and knows better than to start a rebuild without a quarterback, New England is the best choice among those three teams in terms of a trade down. Owner Robert Kraft is ready to have a new star passer to lead the team into the post-Bill Belichick era as well.

Arizona, ranked number four, may be the team attempting to change its standing, although none of those two results is a given. The Cardinals don’t need a quarterback because they already have an abundance of draft picks. If the Cardinals stay in place and select a top receiver (Harrison or Nabers), Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers would have the upper hand in a trade-down at No. 5.

The Broncos may enter the contest as a team looking to improve. The Raiders still need a quarterback. Whatever happens, it is hard to imagine any of the top four quarterback prospects—Maye, Williams, Daniels, and McCarthy—staying in the top five.

 

What draft order is it currently?

 

The Round 1 draft order for Thursday night, as of April 23:

You can get the complete draft order, with all 257 scheduled picks, here. A complete seven-round mock draft was issued last week by Dane Brugler of The Athletic for those who wish to delve even further.

NFL Draft prospects to keep an eye on in 2024

“The Beast,” a scouting guide by Dane Brugler, is the best resource for practically every name you will hear drafted this year. Here are ten noteworthy prospects to keep an eye on in addition to quarterbacks.

1. Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State

Harrison’s Hall of Fame father Marvin Harrison is perhaps the best NFL comparison, although Harrison’s son is bigger and stronger. In the last ten years or so, Harrison is among the most polished receiving prospects we have seen. Harrison spent his two years as a starting quarterback for the Buckeyes showcasing his remarkable ability to track off-target tosses. Marvin Harrison Jr. is a versatile runner. He can be successful near the line of scrimmage, at the top of his route, and in the air. In any offensive, he can play any receiving position. His hands are strong and solid.

He came into Ohio State’s program with a big-time rep, saw more garbage coverage than any other receiver in the country, and yet occasionally carried the offense for the Buckeyes. Having been a professional athlete in college, he will be primed and ready to go on Day 1.

2. Malik Nabers, WR, LSU

Teams where Nabers is ranked higher than Harrison will exist; this is not an insult to Harrison, but rather an acknowledgement of Nabers’ better skill. During his three years at LSU, the 6-foot, 199-pound lightning bolt caught 189 passes for 3,003 yards and 21 touchdowns. Daniels’s Heisman run from the previous season was virtually sponsored by Nabers. The receiver possesses extraordinary qualities, such as explosiveness at the line of scrimmage and second-level acceleration from a dead stop.

On LSU’s pro day, Nabers ran a 40-yard sprint in 4.38 seconds and set a record for a 42-inch vertical jump. Nabers is only 20 years old, but he already has Harrison’s power and stature. He is a potential star in the making because of his explosive speed and steady route running.

Rome Odunze, WR for Washington, is also very good. Expect Harrison, Nabers, and him to be in the top 10.

3. Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia

Bowers was a three-year dynamo at Georgia as a receiver and blocker, and he was the model tight end of today. Bowers was one of the few collegiate tight ends who was physically prepared for the NFL as a true freshman. He is able to block both in and out of line. With steady, strong hands, he can win in the slot, outmaneuver some safeties and corners in press, and get to almost anything in the air.

Great route runner with genuine space speed, Bowers’ post-catch play is more akin to that of a running back or receiver than a typical tight end.

Bowers is prepared to contribute significantly to any offense at a crucial position. Tight ends are, of course, often not as valuable in the draft as receivers are, so a team in the teens might be getting a real steal.

4. Graham Barton, OL, Duke

This is a talented group of offensive linemen with depth at the bottom and prospects like Olu Fashanu and Joe Alt at the top of the draft class. However, there are also several versatile lineman with bright careers ahead of them, and Barton may be one of the best.

After enrolling at Duke as a center, he was named a freshman All-America player in 2020. He later switched to left tackle, where he was named to the second team and made 32 consecutive starts outside. Barton is an uncommon five-position candidate for an offensive line since he is athletic and big enough to do whatever he wants up front. He may be the best center in the group.

5. Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama

There is a lot of emphasis on attack in this draft, and there may be a heated discussion about the best defender until Thursday night.

In this draft, Arnold, an Alabama sophomore in his third year, has a strong argument to be the most complete cornerback—and possibly the most complete defender overall. As a lockdown corner for the Tide last season, Arnold shown excellent footwork and overall intelligence. He is a strong, courageous tackler in space. He is a really smart player with a ton of football character and the swagger required to fill the role.

We will see if he finishes first overall or if Dallas Turner, Arnold’s teammate from Alabama and a super-athlete, can take that title. Quinyon Mitchell of Toledo has all the physical attributes of Arnold, but he plays faster, therefore it is not a certain that Arnold will be selected as the first cornerback.

6. Ladd McConkey, WR, Georgia

Almost never taking a mistake step throughout a route, McConkey makes his outside releases with a hiccup. He is the most QB-friendly wide receiver in a draft class full of them. Using route finesse to set up and beat bigger, faster defenders, McConkey is one of this draft’s most skillful athletes. He is a full-body route runner who works back to the ball and resets if his quarterback is having difficulties.

He is the best friend of a quarterback. Since there are so many rookie quarterbacks in the NFL right now and will soon be more, dependable targets like McConkey are extremely valuable.

7. Mike Sainristil, DB, Michigan

Sainristil is the most distinctive prospect from Michigan’s national championship-winning squad from the previous season. He was a two-time captain and a Wolverine who played offense, defense, and special teams. After three years at wide receiver, he played the final two in the secondary.

As a member of the top defense in the country in 2023, Sainristil played a number of roles, including nickel, safety, outside corner, and active box play. Sainristil exudes confidence, always appears to be around the football, and is a fearless presence. He is probably the class’s most physically assured defensive back and exceptionally clever.

There was a lot of talk about Harbaugh’s turnaround at Michigan towards the end of his career. The player that made the biggest impact on changing the locker room culture was Sainristil. Any team that signs him will quickly understand that he will improve others.

8. Bo Nix, QB, Oregon

Following an incredible three years at Auburn as a five-star recruit and two years at Oregon as a polished leader, Nix enters the NBA following an incredible collegiate career. His two stops were very different from one another in terms of his performances. In his two years at Oregon, Nix tossed for more over 8,000 yards and 74 touchdowns with just 10 interceptions.

Nix completed almost 77 percent of his passes in a college-style, fast-paced system last year, even though the majority of them were underneath throws. Nix is skilled in practically everything, but he doesn’t have any truly remarkable traits. If he gets selected in the draft by a team with a potent running game and offensive line, don’t be surprised if he becomes noticeable.

9. Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington

the NFL Draft’s most contentious player in 2024. Penix’s draft stock range for this year has been discussed; it begins in Round 1 and ends at the bottom of Round 3. Although it is difficult to obtain enough data to evaluate a player like McCarthy, who captained a team that was always in the lead, our cup runneth over with Penix, who completed about 1,700 college passes in six years of collegiate competition.

Penix, who is almost 24 years old and has already experienced several season-ending injuries, has written a story of tenacity and fortitude.

With the most exquisite deep ball in the country, Penix’s career passing total as a collegiate player was over 13,000 yards. However, there are certain limitations. Given that Penix is a stiff athlete with minimal body twitch, concerns should be raised about more than just the injuries. The best three wide receivers in college football often came through for him since he is an unreliable thrower. He is unconfident when he throws the ball across the center, which causes him to miss layups.

But wager against him at your own peril. You should not test his mental toughness.

10. Jackson Powers-Johnson, OC, Oregon

The Rimington Trophy, given to the best center in college football, is frequently given to a seasoned player who has occupied the spot for a while. not the earlier campaign. Powers-Johnson, who is twenty years old, won, displaying both his remarkable athleticism as a guardian and his strength as a run-runner. Powers-Johnson played defensive tackle and guard on the side early in his Oregon career. But he moved to center last season, and he was named a unanimous All-American and the finest center in college football. He was a complete dominator of the senior competition at the Senior Bowl in February.

A true experience component is at work here, which has caused some assessors to back off of Powers-Johnson. Powers-Johnson is a first-round talent, though, and many teams would prefer to have a new player on their roster to snap the ball. To what destination is he heading?