2024 NFL Draft: What We Expect for Day 1

Caleb Williams | Credit: Kirby Lee

Bruce Matson Posted On April 25, 2024

The NFL Draft is here. The wait is over, and we are finally going to get some NFL action. From a dynasty perspective, this is a very impactful draft since it is loaded at the wide receiver position, and we are looking at another volatile pool of quarterbacks. The situation is going to be huge for the running backs since we don’t have any top-tier backs like we did with Bijan Robinson and Jamyr Gibbs last year.

It’s important to note that this draft is deep at the offensive line. Due to the sheer depth of the position groups, several teams could pivot to the offensive line spot more than we liked.

Dynasty gamers will also need to manage their expectations for the wide receivers because not all of them are going to hit, and not all of them are going to land with teams with desirable situations for their skill sets.

With all that being said, let’s get primed for the 2024 NFL Draft.

QUARTERBACK

We all know that Caleb Williams will be the first quarterback selected and has a 99.9 percent chance of getting selected by the Bears. Outside of a generational Godfather offer, he’s locked in as the face of the franchise for Chicago. It was a bumpy road to get here. From the Justin Fields trauma to Williams receiving backlash for painting his nails.

True chaos happens after Williams comes off the board. The next quarterbacks off the board will be either Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye. There’s a huge dichotomy between the two, and it’s quite prevalent if you pull enough mock drafts. The Washington Commanders will have their choice between the two quarterbacks. The quarterback they don’t draft will get the chance of getting drafted by the New England Patriots. If, for some reason, they decide to pass on the QB3 of the draft, there will not be much of a fall for the third quarterback off the board.

There will be plenty of drama around Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy. Will the rumors be true, and we see him getting drafted as one of the top players in the draft? Or does he get the Will Levis treatment and fall down the board? Ohio State fans and those who enjoy chaos are rooting for the latter. There are plenty of Minnesota Vikings fans who are hoping he falls to them. If the rumors are true, we could see a team trade with the Chargers or Cardinals to move ahead of the Giants to make sure they get their quarterback.

Then there’s Bo Nix and Michael Penix. These are the wildcards of the quarterback class. When the hot girl turns you down at the prom, you have to resort to one of your sister’s friends to make it to the dance. That’s what Big Draft is saying about getting the ancillary prize of either Penix or Nix in the draft. They are both cheaper options, but you aren’t thrilled to take them to the Olive Garden.

There’s a good chance one of these quarterbacks gets drafted in the middle to late portion of the first round. McCarthy coming off the board early would be the catalyst for either one of them coming off the board prematurely. There’s also a chance that both quarterbacks fall in the second round, but teams need a quarterback, and they are drafting in different ranges of the draft.

The rest of the quarterbacks aren’t exactly quarterbacky enough to sneak into the first round, but an option I’m watching closely on day two of the draft is Spencer Rattler. He’s a developmental quarterback with a lot of upside. He was a big-time recruit out of high school and looked the part early in his collegiate career at Oklahoma. He could be the Cinderella story of this year’s draft.

Quarterbacks to watch in the first round:

Caleb Williams
Drake Maye
Jayden Daniels
JJ McCarthy
Bo Nix
Michael Penix

WIDE RECEIVER

This year’s wide receiver class is deep with talent. It all starts at the top of the class with Marvin Harrison Jr. and Malik Nabers. We will see both of those wide receivers come off the board as top-ten picks. They are garnered as generational talents and are one of the first players selected in rookie drafts. Right now, the Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Chargers, and the New York Giants are trendy landing spots for the top wide receivers. This could change if the NFL decides to make some trades at the top of the draft.

The next wide receiver who should be coming off the board is Rome Odunze. He is a very polarizing wide receiver prospect and would be considered the WR1 in last year’s class. There’s a chance he could get drafted earlier than expected and get selected in the top ten of the draft. Many mock drafts have him predicted to get selected in the 10-15 range.

Once the big three wide receivers come off the board, it could be a free-for-all for the next set of wide receivers. We could see a bunch of them get selected in the first round, or we could see a few teams sit on their hands, knowing they could find quality receivers in the second and third rounds of the draft.

Brian Thomas Jr. Is pegged to get drafted in the first round. He could get drafted anywhere from the middle of the first round. Thomas is not as talented as Odunze, Nabers, and Harrison Jr., but he’s going to fall to a range of the draft that could allow him to land in a very favorable situation with a good quarterback.

Adonai Mitchell has plenty of speed to stretch the field and has proven to be a nuanced route runner. He could find himself selected in the later part of the first round. Mitchell has been gaining steam all draft season long. He will be in striking distance for a team like the Buffalo Bills to draft if they don’t trade up for a wide receiver.

Both the Buffalo Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs will be in heavy need of a wide receiver this year. The Bills shipped off Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans a few weeks ago and are lacking a true WR1. The Chiefs just picked up Marquise Brown, but Rashee Rice has a possible suspension looming over his head. Also, the rest of the receivers did not perform well last year. There’s still a chance they address the wide receiver position early in the draft considering the backend of the depth chart.

Wide Receivers to watch in the first round:

Marvin Harrison Jr.
Malik Nabers
Rome Odunze
Brian Thomas Jr.
Adonai Mitchell

RUNNING BACK

Nobody expects a running back to be drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft. If one does get selected, it would be one of the biggest errors in all sports, considering this year’s class lacks talent at the top end of the running back position. We could see a running back get drafted in the middle of the second round at the earliest this year. Most of the top running backs will get drafted on day two, with the rest of them getting drafted early on day three.

TIGHT END

Brock Bowers is the only tight end we are expecting to get drafted on Thursday night. His skill set is world-class and is deserving of a top-ten pick. There are a lot of teams that could use his services, making the odds of him falling in the draft highly unlikely. Look for him to get drafted within the first ten picks of the draft. Since we are more than likely going to see a few trades in the top ten picks of the draft, it’s hard to predict which team will draft him.

The next tight end will get drafted in the second round. We should see a run of tight ends get drafted on day three. After Bowers, the position pool gets very shallow, and teams are going to want to address the position early if they want to build at the tight-end spot.

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Bruce Matson

Contributor at Dynasty League Football

I'm a financial counselor for a hospital in South Central Ohio. I graduated from Muskingum University with a bachelor's in business while minoring in Economics and Accounting. I won my first fantasy football title with Jake Plummer as my quarterback.