Six quarterbacks were selected in the top 12 for the first time ever, while the first 14 picks all came on offense. For NFL executives, if you hit on your first-round quarterback, you set up your city and organization for future success. If you whiff, you'll be out of a job soon enough.
In an exciting quarterback class, there was a clear-cut top three. Caleb Williams out of USC was a Heisman Trophy winner with ridiculous arm talent that was viewed as the favorite to go No. 1 overall. Behind him was Jayden Daniels, another Heisman Trophy winner who established himself as an electric playmaker during his final season at LSU.
The other quarterback in the running to go No. 1 overall was Drake Maye out of North Carolina. However, the former ACC Player of the Year wasn't able to build on his 2022 success, as his Tar Heels finished 8-5 in 2023. This Thursday, two stars from the 2024 NFL Draft in Williams and Maye will face off in what is one of the most highly anticipated "Thursday Night Football" games in recent memory.
Let's go back in our time machine to that draft two years ago, and re-draft the top 10. Is Williams still the No. 1 overall pick? Was Maye at No. 3 overall a steal?
The Chicago Bears shouldn't regret their pick at No. 1 overall. Maybe fans doubted it for a few moments. Jayden Daniels led the Washington Commanders to the NFC Championship game as a rookie, while Drake Maye made it to the Super Bowl in Year 2.
Williams has not reached those heights just yet, but I think he can. In 2025, Williams led the Bears to an 11-6 record, a division title and a playoff victory over the rival Green Bay Packers. He threw for a franchise-record 3,942 yards and made enough highlight-reel plays that landed him on the cover of "Madden." Williams was one of the biggest stories in the NFL last season, even though his 58.1% completion percentage ranked No. 32.
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