The Super Bowl is finally in the books, and it's time to fix our eyes completely on the offseason. NFL Free Agency is just about a month away at this point, and the 2024 NFL Draft looms with every team in the league trying to do what they can to dethrone the dynasty that is the Kansas City Chiefs. As we look through another 2024 NFL mock draft scenario, is that going to be possible for anyone?
It feels like the 2023 Chiefs may have been the "worst" version of the team in the Patrick Mahomes era. That didn't matter at all, did it? The Chiefs have assembled something truly special, and as we're going to find out in this mock draft, they have a chance to get even better.
Free agency will obviously change a lot regarding how teams approach the NFL Draft, but let's take a look at how the first three rounds could go, predicting some trades and player/team fits along the way.
2024 NFL Mock Draft: 1st round
1. Chicago Bears: Caleb Williams, QB, USC
At this point, everybody expects the Chicago Bears to move on from Justin Fields and Caleb Williams, but there’s always a chance they overthink it…
The justification for drafting Caleb Williams here is pretty simple. If the Bears believe he can be a franchise quarterback, what has Justin Fields really done these past three years to cause them to pass?
The Bears have been made fun of for the last seven years for passing on Patrick Mahomes when they had the second overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. They passed on the chance to draft Rookie of the Year CJ Stroud in 2023. Can they seriously justify passing on Caleb Williams and this QB class with the information we have on Justin Fields?
I just don’t see how Ryan Poles continues to hitch himself to a wagon he didn’t even draft.
2. Washington Commanders: Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU
At this point in the offseason, who knows how legitimate some of the buzz is? There have been rumors that teams might end up liking LSU quarterback and Heisman winner Jayden Daniels more than Drake Maye, who was once considered by some to be a superior overall prospect than any other QB in this class.
And some people still believe that he is.
But Jayden Daniels is fascinating as well. He’s obviously got playmaking ability and a big arm, and this is the type of player at the quarterback position we’ve traditionally seen working with Kliff Kingsbury, who is now the OC in Washington for head coach Dan Quinn.