Who will be the No. 1 pick of the 2024 NFL draft? Who's on the clock first? What to know.
2024-12-24 08:07:32source:category:Invest
The 2024 NFL draft is quickly approaching and the No. 1 overall pick shouldn't be much of a surprise.
Quarterbacks are at a premium in this year's draft, which kicks off in Detroit next week, and USA TODAY Sports' latest mock draft predicts four of the first five names off the draft board will be quarterbacks. The 2024 draft class includes a pair of Heisman-winning quarterbacks in USC's Caleb Williams (2022) and LSU's Jayden Daniels (2023), in addition to Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy, North Carolina QB Drake Maye and Oregon QB Box Nix.
The 2024 NFL draft will begin with the first round on Thursday, April 25 (8 p.m. ET). The second and third rounds will be held Friday, April 26 (7 p.m. ET), followed by rounds four through seven on Saturday, April 27 (noon ET).
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The Chicago Bears will be on the clock first, followed by the Washington Commanders, New England Patriots, Arizona Cardinals and Minnesota Vikings. Here's everything to know about the first overall pick:
Who has the No. 1 pick?
The Bears have the No. 1 pick this year after acquiring it from the Carolina Panthers last year.
The Panthers traded two first-round picks and receiver DJ Moore to the Bears last year in exchange for the No. 1 pick of the 2023 NFL draft, which Carolina used to select quarterback Bryce Young first overall. The Panthers went on to the finish 2023 season with a league-worst record of 2-15. That means the 2024 first-round draft pick that Carolina traded away to the Bears in 2023 will be a No. 1 pick this year.
The Bears have the opportunity to make two top-ten selections this year — Chicago also has the No. 9 pick.
Who will the Bears draft with the No. 1 pick?
The Bears are expected to draft USC star and 2022 Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams first overall. Chicago even appeared to make room for Williams by trading 2021 No. 1 draft pick Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers last month.
Williams is fairly confident he will hear his name early in the night.
“I don’t think I’m not going to be No. 1,” Williams said at the league’s annual scouting combine in March. “I put in all the hard work. All of the time, effort, energy into being that. I don’t think of a Plan B. That’s kind of how I do things in my life. I don’t think of a Plan B. Stay on Plan A and then when things don’t work out find a way to make Plan A work.”
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What is the 2024 NFL draft order?
The Bears have the first overall pick in the first round. Here's the full 2024 NFL draft order.
Every No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft
A quarterback has been taken first overall in seven of the last 10 drafts. Here's every first overall pick since the inaugural draft in 1936: