Predicting the 2024 NFL Draft order: Who is going after Caleb Williams?
The 2023 NFL Draft has not yet taken place, but it’s never too early to start looking ahead to the next class. With that in mind, we’re going to attempt to predict the 2024 NFL Draft order more than a year before the event takes place. This should be fun to look back on over the course of the next eight months…
The top prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft include USC quarterback Caleb Williams — a Heisman Trophy winner — as well as North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye. Those two prospects at the game’s most important position make this particular NFL Draft class fascinating and certainly polarizing.
Will teams actively gut their rosters in 2023 in order to potentially “tank” for one of those players? Have teams been working toward that for years now? In the NFL, too many jobs are on the line for most people to have that kind of security, but given the talent level of Williams and Maye, it might not be out of the question…Let’s take a look at where teams are at now and what the 2024 NFL Draft order could look like. We will explain, briefly, why each team was placed where it was in the order.
Predicting the 2024 NFL Draft order
1. Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals have the worst roster in the league right now, and they haven’t done anything substantial to keep the ship afloat while Kyler Murray recovers from his major knee injury. A rookie coaching staff could struggle to stay afloat in year one.
2. Indianapolis Colts
After watching last season, a rookie quarterback coming in might actually infuse some life into this Colts team. Perhaps we’re underrating them with their pieces defensively and a healthy Jonathan Taylor.
3. Green Bay Packers
Moving on from Aaron Rodgers to Jordan Love could cause the Packers to bottom out in 2023. The question is, if they are this bad, what is the fallout?
4. Houston Texans
The Texans are clearly rebuilding, but I would almost be shocked if they were this bad in 2023, unless they are rolling with Davis Mills at QB again.
5. Chicago Bears
The Bears need to have a better season than this. After finishing with the worst record in the league in 2022, and passing on all QBs in this draft to stick with Justin Fields, winning will be expected or heads might roll.
6. Houston Texans (from Cleveland Browns)
The Cleveland Browns are a team that I need to see it to believe it before putting them anywhere near playoff contention. I realize they were solid at times in 2022 with Jacoby Brissett, but I’m not sold that the Deshaun Watson we once knew on the field is back.
7. Tennessee Titans
This is a team in transition. I don’t love the Titans’ roster, but Mike Vrabel seems to extract the best out of them annually. They could be in prime striking distance for a solid QB if they finish with this poor of a record in 2023.
8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Bucs might not be as bad as everyone thinks in 2023. I realize Baker Mayfield or Kyle Trask will be starting for this team at QB, but they have a lot of pieces coming back and they probably won’t have such bad injury luck this coming season.
9. Washington Commanders
We’ll see how big the addition of Eric Bieniemy at offensive coordinator can be for the Commanders. I am not sure why they are passing on Lamar Jackson, but with the combination of Sam Howell and Jacoby Brissett at QB, I think this is a team bound to pick in the top 10 of next year’s draft.
10. Pittsburgh Steelers
Mike Tomlin has never had a losing record as a head coach. Why am I going to be the idiot predicting it to happen for the first time in 2023? The primary reason is a lack of faith in Kenny Pickett’s ability to lead this team.
11. Las Vegas Raiders
Can Jimmy Garoppolo elevate this Raiders team? We’ll see how they fare in the 2023 NFL Draft with some much-needed investments on the offensive and defensive lines, but I don’t know how the Raiders will be that much better in 2023 than they were in 2022.
12. Baltimore Ravens
The question marks over Lamar Jackson have put the Ravens firmly in the “I have no idea about this team” category. This Baltimore team has been quite lucky in one-score games the last couple of years, so if their luck runs out in 2023, they could be picking close to the top 10.
13. Los Angeles Rams
The Rams’ roster has been somewhat gutted, hasn’t it? Their best offensive player is coming off of a season-ending injury. They don’t have a first-round pick. I think Sean McVay’s coaching keeps this team out of the top 10 of the NFL Draft.
14. Atlanta Falcons
For my money, the Falcons are one of the NFL’s most improved teams in the league in 2023 but them being in contention for the playoffs means they’re going to need a breakthrough from Desmond Ridder.
15. New York Giants
I think what we saw from the Giants in 2022 was at least a little bit of fool’s gold. This team was good, but will they continue to be good? They should be right around 7 or 8 wins in 2023.
16. New England Patriots
With some drama surrounding whether or not the Patriots actually like Mac Jones, I don’t know how far this team can really go moving forward. They seem to be in NFL QB purgatory at the moment.
17. New Orleans Saints
I love the addition of Derek Carr for the New Orleans Saints. If their defense can maintain a high level of play after a bunch of big losses on the front seven, they should finish much better than this.
18. Los Angeles Chargers
Will the Chargers be everyone’s AFC Dark Horse again in 2023? Or will reality finally set in? This Chargers team seems destined to underachieve yet again in 2023. But Justin Herbert might get a ton of money.
19. Denver Broncos
The addition of Sean Payton should put the Denver Broncos in playoff contention, finally. This is a huge leap for them based on being one of the worst teams in the NFL last year, but the Broncos have a solid roster and now they have a good head coach whose teams were rarely not in playoff contention.
20. Chicago Bears (from Carolina Panthers)
The Carolina Panthers might be the most improved team in the NFL in the 2023 offseason. Their coaching staff is phenomenal. They have the top pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. I think we’re going to see them take a big step forward this coming season, perhaps even winning the NFC South.
21. Green Bay Packers (from New York Jets)
Aaron Rodgers can help end the Jets’ playoff drought, but getting to the postseason hasn’t been the issue for Aaron. Can being so desperately “wanted” by the Jets get Rodgers another Super Bowl win?
22. Seattle Seahawks
Seattle just does a little bit of everything well. They score a ton of points, they create a lot of turnovers, and now their roster is going to be much better than the team that made the playoffs last year.
23. Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings probably weren’t as good as their record indicated last year, which is why we saw an early exit from the playoffs. Now, add in a little QB drama with Kirk Cousins in the final year of his contract.
24. Miami Dolphins
If Tua Tagovailoa can stay healthy, the Dolphins are just too good not to be contenders in the AFC. The addition of Vic Fangio to Mike McDaniel’s coaching staff is absolutely massive. Maybe the most underrated move of the 2023 offseason.
25. Jacksonville Jaguars
Doug Pederson came into Duval County and turned this Jaguars ship right around. It’s amazing how different this team was with him at the helm vs. Urban Meyer. The Jaguars are legit.
26. Detroit Lions
Am I overrating the Detroit Lions here? Maybe, but this offense in Detroit is for real and the defense got way better over the second half of last season. With all of the new pieces coming in, this team should prove to be one of the best in the NFC in 2023.
27. Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys find themselves firmly in “contender” status again in 2023. Does this team have what it takes to win in January and February? I’m not sure. Additions of Stephon Gilmore and Brandin Cooks could pay huge dividends.
28. San Francisco 49ers
QB questions loom large for this 49ers team, but I don’t hate the idea of them rolling with Brock Purdy and Sam Darnold if Trey Lance is truly on the block. Kyle Shanahan always has one of the most explosive offenses in the league and this defense was absolutely elite in 2022.
29. Buffalo Bills
The final three AFC teams could borderline be tied for one spot. They are all elite. The Bills are as good as it gets and are every bit the Super Bowl contender the Chiefs and Bengals are.
30. Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals are once again primed to make a run at the AFC Championship in 2023, and that’s exactly what I think they’ll do. With Joe Burrow, you can’t count this team out of any games.
31. Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles are the best team in the NFC, but like every NFC team (really all except for the Cowboys), this team has some major question marks after losing both coordinators (Shane Steichen, Jonathan Gannon), as well as Javon Hargrave. I’m guessing they’ll find a way to be just fine.
32. Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs deserve so much respect after losing Tyreek Hill last offseason and then winning the Super Bowl. That loss was supposed to have a massive impact on their offense, and it actually did nothing. The Chiefs still had the best offense in football. Will they repeat as champions?