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Where do things stand with just over two weeks before the NFL Draft?
There’s just over two weeks until the 2024 NFL Draft and, honestly — we don’t really have any idea where things stand. This has been one of the quietest pre-draft periods in history with very little leaking that wasn’t clearly planted by agents trying to boost the stock of their clients.
At this point it’s very safe to assume Caleb Williams will be the No. 1 pick of the Chicago Bears, but what happens from there? 15 days out here’s what I think will happen when we finally hit draft weekend.
No. 1: News of Drake Maye’s demise will be greatly exaggerated
When the dust settles all this doubt around Maye will be lies. He will end up being one of the first players off the board and any hopes of a slide won’t materialize. Maye is just too good, and as dumb as NFL teams can be — they won’t be this dumb.
No. 2: The Cardinals will hold the keys to the draft
That No. 4 spot is the biggest pivot point of the first round. It also potentially means losing out on Marvin Harrison Jr. Still, with defensive coach Jonathan Gannon and a savvy front office I see the Cardinals being the ones to make a big move back, then wheel and deal all draft long to get talent throughout their roster.
No. 3: The J.J. McCarthy hype will cool significantly
In this case we’re not talking about him falling out of the first round or anything dumb like that, but I think McCarthy will end up on the Vikings or Broncos, and neither team will trade up to do it.
No. 4: Brock Bowers is going to go lower than he has any business going
Tight end is this weird position in the NFL where all the great teams have an elite one, but nobody wants to invest in drafting one. Bowers is going to be an incredible player, and he’s a Top 10 talent, but it’s tough to find a home for him early. He’ll end up sliding and going to a team that has no business getting so much talent in the back-end of the first round.
No. 5: Trenches will reign supreme
We’re going to see an unbelievable number of offensive and defensive linemen go in the first round of the draft. The talent is deep and teams right now are rushing to stock the shelves and get ready for the return of Big Boy Football. It wouldn’t stun me to see 12 linemen go in the first round.
No. 6: Michael Penix is going to shock some people
I can’t peg a home for him yet, but something tells me Penix is going to be taken in the first round. Teams love proven production and in that 20-to-32 range someone is going to roll the dice.
No. 7: Xavier Worthy is going to be taken higher than he should
When you set the record in the 40 there’s always someone salivating about the potential. I think Worthy is an interesting upside guy but instead of going in the 4th or 5th round, he’s going to go on Day 2.
No. 8: The Panthers get froggy
Without their first round pick the team needs to wait until No. 33 to make their first selection, and all signs point to WR. It wouldn’t shock me to see them try and move up into the 20s to ensure they get someone like Ladd McConkey.
No. 9: Chicago leaves Day 1 as the winners
The way this class keeps shaking out it looks like the Bears will get Caleb Williams at No. 1 and Rome Odunze at No. 9. If that happens it will be a home run, franchise-altering draft for Chicago.
No. 10: There won’t be a draft-day shocker in the trade market
The amount of movement leading up to free agency was wild, which is why I think the first round will be relatively quiet when it comes to player movement. For the most part I think teams stay pat, don’t look to mess with their current rosters, and simply take the best players available.
No. 11: Bo Nix will be a “slider” we all saw coming
There is no planet in which Bo Nix is a first round pick. He won’t be a first round pick. Despite this people will act like it’s “shocking” Nix is on the board after Day 1.
No. 12: Joe Alt will be a “steal” wherever he’s taken
In a normal draft Joe Alt would be a lock as a top 5 pick. This year with all the QB-needy teams I think he could slide around that 7-to-13 spot. It will be a steal, because he’s excellent.
No. 13: The run on WRs might take longer than we thought, but it’s going to be PRONOUNCED
Marvin Harrison Jr. could wait a little longer than he expected to hear his name, but when the run starts it’s going to be dramatic. Harrison Jr, Malik Nabers, Rome Odunze, Brian Thomas, Adonai Mitchell and Keon Coleman all have traits teams will fall in love with.
No. 14: The DB value is going to be wild
When you look at the top two defensive backs it’s really Terrion Arnold and Kool-Aid McKinstry and then a cliff. Neither guy is perfect, so there’s a very real chance both fall into the 20s and become incredible value picks for playoff teams.
No. 15: The Raiders will do something dumb
Sorry, I needed one of my predictions to be accurate when the dust settles.
