2024 NFL Mock Draft: Projecting Round 1 With Insight From League Sources on Top Prospects

The Picks are about to be in ...

Image via USA TODAY Sports

In a matter of hours, Roger Goodell will step to the podium in Detroit, announce that Caleb Williams is the No. 1 overall pick to the Chicago Bears, and the NFL Draft will finally begin in earnest.

One of the most anticipated days on the sports calendar has arrived, and, as you’re reading this, you might know just about as much about how things will play out than the people occupying war rooms across the country do.

“The one thing about the NFL Draft that I have to tell people every year,” an NFL head coach told me by phone. “Is that nobody knows how it’s going to play out. Unless you’re the team picking first, there’s too many variables to know anything for sure. You have to trust your evaluations and hope that you get a really good player who’s a really good fit for your system and schemes.”

While that might likely be true, there are a few certainties about the 2024 NFL Draft, one of which being that this is a loaded offensive class filled with special talent at quarterback, wide receiver, and offensive tackle that teams will be thrilled to build around.

“There’s a good chance you’ll see a record-breaking number of offensive linemen and wide receivers taken in the first two rounds,” a prominent agent with multiple potential first-round picks on his client roster tells me. “There’s no doubt the depth is great along the offensive line. But, think about how poor offensive line play was across the league last year, and you’re going to see that reflected in how teams operate during this draft.”

Here is my lone mock draft for this year, compiled along with insight gleaned from conversations with coaches, executives, and scouts from across the league to get a feel for the potential of some of the top prospects as well as to get a sense of what direction teams might be heading on Thursday night.

1. Chicago Bears: Caleb Williams, QB, USC

There won’t be any drama when it comes to the Bears’ selection with the No. 1 overall pick. General manager Ryan Poles has spent the past two offseasons ensuring a soft landing for Chicago’s next franchise quarterback, and the Bears land Williams who has elite escapability, arm strength, and deep-ball accuracy that should bring out the best in receivers D.J. Moore and Keenan Allen.