With what appears to be a deeper quarterback class, as many as six passers could hear their names called in the first round. Could some surprising teams end up selecting a rookie passer? I think the answer is a resonding yes, simply because no one knows what's going to happen and the NFL Draft is always a huge mystery.
Besides the top three teams and their likely QB selections, everything else, and I mean everything, is up in the air. And that's what makes this so much fun. Well, focusing on just the QB position for a second, all of Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, Bo Nix, JJ McCarthy, and Michael Penix Jr could go in the first round.
Could there be a few surprising teams who could come away with a first-round QB in 2024?
3 surprising teams who could chase a first-round QB in 2024 NFL Draft
1. Seattle Seahawks
I don't think Seattle taking a QB in the first round should be out of the question. They have two quarterbacks on the roster in Geno Smith and Sam Howell, and both QBs are not good. It's really simple when you look at it more, actually. The team is in the first year of new head coach Mike Macdonald, and Smith's regression in 2023 was obvious.
Sam Howell was a total disaster in 2023 as well, so there is all the reason in the world for Seattle to take a swing on a QB in the first round, even with other pressing needs, like along their offensive line.
2. Los Angeles Rams
Folks, Matthew Stafford is 36 years old. He's not playing more than a few more years, if I had to guess. The Los Angeles Rams were a breakout team in 2023, winning 10 games and making the postseason. They nearly took down the Detroit Lions in the Wild Card Round, and with the amount of young talent this roster has, they can make a huge run in 2024.
However, while both sides of the ball do have a good bit of young talent, the QB room doesn't, and there is no clear long-term QB option, With the 2025 QB class looking quite poor as of now, the Rams might have to make the decision to select one in preparation for the future.
3. Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers made some of the most notable moves this offseason, completing redoing their QB room by trading for Justin Fields and signing Russell Wilson for the veteran minimum. However, let's face it, both quarterbacks aren't franchise QBs for various reasons. Justin Fields has been a bottom-five QB through his three years in the NFL, and Wilson just appears to be washed up, unfortunately.
Wilson / Fields can surely work for 2024, but beyond that, neither player is under contract, and like I mentioned before, the 2025 QB class doesn't appear to be that strong, so while Steelers fans can get excited that Russell Wilson or Justin Fields can provide a spark at the position, neither player is a viable long-term option.