There are three days until the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft kicks off Thursday night in Detroit, which means the rumors and subterfuge are kicking into high gear.
USC quarterback Caleb Williams, the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner, is considered the Chicago Bears’ consensus first overall pick. Williams is the only college quarterback to throw 30 or more passing touchdowns and rush for 10 or more rushing touchdowns while throwing five or fewer interceptions in multiple seasons since 2000.
However, an NFL head coach who doesn’t need a quarterback wouldn’t take Williams first overall. This coach wouldn’t even take North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye overall, a player many consider to be the second-best quarterback in the 2024 draft. He would opt for fifth-year LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels, the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner, over Williams and Maye if his team had control of the No. 1 overall pick.
“It’s a no-brainer for me,” an unnamed head coach said, according to ESPN. “Jayden seems like the best guy in this draft.”
There’s a good chance, according to Caesars Sportsbook, that Williams will be selected first overall by Chicago because he has -20,000. That’s 99.5% that Williams will be a Bear. The current odds for which quarterback will be the second player off the board Thursday against the Washington Commanders are much tighter. Daniels is currently -170 to be the second player selected, which is a 63% chance, but Maye’s odds are increasing. He had +200 odds to be the second overall pick last week, but the Tar Heels quarterback now has +140 odds, a 41.7% chance he’ll be the next quarterback -back of Washington.
Here’s a deeper dive into the Daniels vs. Maye battle to become the Commanders’ second overall pick..