Last-minute NFL draft buzz: Everything you need to know
The 2024 NFL draft kicks off with Round 1 on Thursday night (8 p.m. ET on ESPN/ABC), and our insiders are gathering all of the latest intel on how things might play out. When will the quarterbacks come off the board, and in what order? Which teams could surprise? Who are the late-rising prospects to watch? And what about Days 2 and 3 -- how will teams build up their rosters?
Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano have spent the past few days making calls to people around the NFL, including execs, coaches and scouts. Here's all of the last-minute buzz they've heard on the 2024 draft.
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Fowler: The Commanders conducted high-level personnel meetings early this week to begin finalizing plans for the three-day draft, including what to do at second overall. The expectation from other teams picking in the top 10 is that Washington will go with LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels.
He's considered the overwhelming favorite for the pick, though it hasn't appeared to be the smoothest process. Agent Ron Butler's retweet of a Pro Football Talk post suggested Daniels' camp was not happy Washington brought in four different quarterbacks for "top 30" visits last week. Commanders brass had significant one-on-one time with each player during their trips, but the event was not exclusive to any one player. In total, Washington had more than 20 players in its building, and the sense is that Daniels was surprised by the large gathering.
Regardless, Washington spent significant time scouting Daniels, and its actions suggest it has zeroed in pretty firmly. The Commanders do like Michigan's J.J. McCarthy, too, but that would be a pretty big upset pick.
Graziano: While Washington seems set on staying put and selecting a quarterback -- as Jeremy said, most believe it'll be Daniels -- at No. 2, the Patriots are legitimately considering all options with the No. 3 pick. They could absolutely stay at No. 3 and take their favorite quarterback still on the board, but they've also made it clear they're willing to listen to offers from teams looking to trade up to that spot.
The key thing to watch is how far back they're willing to go. Patriots ownership seems to have a strong preference to come out of the first round with a quarterback, so moving back to, say, No. 11 with Minnesota or No. 12 with Las Vegas might be too precipitous a drop for the Patriots to still ensure their ability to do that. But if they were to move back only three spots in a trade with the Giants, who pick sixth, they could still be in position to pick a quarterback in the first round and add multiple extra premium picks.
Washington's Michael Penix Jr. was among the quarterbacks with whom the Patriots visited in the pre-draft process, and people I've spoken to say that visit was to gather information on the lefty quarterback in case they decided to trade down. I believe they're high on him, though I don't think he's a consideration if they stay at No. 3.
Fowler: "Common sense says the Patriots need a quarterback," a team source told me. My sense after asking around to several sources is that the Patriots have Daniels rated ahead of North Carolina's Drake Maye in the pecking order but still like Maye's upside. McCarthy would fall somewhere after that, though I was reminded Tuesday night to not totally discount Robert Kraft's affinity for Tom Brady, who might see shades of himself in McCarthy, a fellow Michigan product. The Patriots could trade back and acquire McCarthy with a later pick.
Take a look at the top plays from Drake Maye during his time at North Carolina.
The Patriots have fielded trade calls but haven't been wowed by a potential deal yet. They are open to offers, but signs point to them staying put. Should New England select a quarterback at No. 3, don't be surprised if it seriously considers a wide receiver at No. 34, assuming the options it likes are available. The Pats could swing a trade for a wide receiver, but it would be shocking if they didn't come out of the draft with a pass-catcher somewhere relatively high.
Fowler: While the Cardinals at No. 4 can effectively serve as the draft's pivot point for a trade, teams I've spoken to believe the Chargers are eager to trade back at No. 5, too. "The Chargers have made that clear -- they want to move back," an NFL executive said. "They probably want an [offensive] tackle."
One thing to keep in mind: New Chargers GM Joe Hortiz has a long-standing relationship with Jets GM Joe Douglas from their days together in Baltimore. And Douglas, who picks 10th overall, has proven a willing trade partner, though the Jets aren't hunting for a quarterback and might be less inclined to move. The Cardinals and Chargers both need receiver help big-time, and if Arizona stays put, most teams I've talked to believe Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr. would be the favorite there.
On a separate note, teams really are split on Harrison vs. LSU's Malik Nabers for WR1. It's all about preference: Harrison's polish vs. Nabers' explosion. Washington's Rome Odunze is considered such a pro-ready prospect that he's right there with them.
Graziano: The Giants have been tough to get a handle on. A month ago, many in the league believed their favorite quarterback in the class was McCarthy. If that were true, things have changed. The rumblings early this week: The Giants' guy is Maye.
I've been told the Giants and Vikings are the two teams that have been most active in discussions with the Patriots about the No. 3 pick, and that if Washington takes Daniels at No. 2, the Giants would be very interested in trading up to No. 3 for Maye. I've also been told in recent days that the Giants like Penix and might even be willing to take him as high as No. 6. There's a lot of chatter flying around, but what is clear is that the Giants have done significant work on the quarterbacks and are very open, if not desperate, to come out of Thursday night with one of them.
EJ Manuel and Damien Woody debate whether the Giants should select a quarterback with the sixth overall pick in the NFL draft.
Daniel Jones is owed $36 million in guaranteed money in 2024 but none after that. So if the Giants were to take a quarterback who might need time to develop -- such as Maye -- they're positioned to start Jones and work to develop the draft pick in 2024.
Fowler: The Vikings have actively worked the phones with teams in the top 10, according to multiple league sources, giving themselves options at the quarterback spot. As Dan points out, New England is among the teams they've called. "I think they pull it off," an AFC executive said about Minnesota moving up to secure a passer. "They've probably been the most active team as far as potentially moving up."
Teams are split on whether Minnesota's target would be Maye or McCarthy or someone else (slight lean to Maye, based on my attempts at an informal poll). The Vikings are in a precarious spot, with two first-rounders (Nos. 11 and 23) but zero Day 2 picks. They are counting on additional third-round picks in the 2025 draft due to the compensatory pick formula, so perhaps that gives them more flexibility Thursday night. The belief among some team executives I've spoken to is that Minnesota doesn't want to part with both of its first-round picks in a trade, which makes a major move up an arduous task. Perhaps that's just posturing, but the Vikings appear nimble.
"I could even see them taking the best player available at 11, like a corner, and then figuring out quarterback at 23," an executive from a team picking high in the draft said. "Feels like all options are on the table for them."
It's worth noting that the Vikings had a positive experience in the pre-draft process with all five of the QBs stacked behind USC's Caleb Williams, which means Penix and Oregon's Bo Nix could also be options.
Graziano: The Raiders would love to be able to get up high enough to take Daniels and reunite him with coach Antonio Pierce, who was on the Arizona State coaching staff back when Daniels began his college career there. But they know they might not be able to do that, especially if Washington has decided on him at No. 2. The Raiders have talked with the Cardinals about what it would take to get to No. 4, but Arizona has said it wants to wait until it is on the clock (i.e., see which quarterbacks went in the first three picks) before considering trade offers. The Raiders' interest in the No. 4 pick would, I believe, cool off significantly if Daniels is among the top three picks, as expected.
The Raiders are also thought to be high on Penix, and if the quarterback market starts drying up quickly and they feel they need to trade up in order to avoid being shut out, the Chargers at No. 5 and the Titans at No. 7 are two teams that people believe are willing to trade down.
Fowler: I've also heard Daniels has interest in playing for Pierce and the Raiders. That interest is mutual, though as Dan said, Las Vegas moving up from No. 13 to No. 2 just isn't very plausible right now. Penix, Nix and even South Carolina's Spencer Rattler could very much be in play for the Raiders down the board.
Dan Graziano, Mike Tannenbaum and Dan Orlovsky explain the complexities of the Raiders trying to trade up for Jayden Daniels.
Fowler: Multiple people have told me this week that they believe the Falcons like Penix a lot. Enough to take him No. 8? That's hard to say. But he'll likely be long gone by the time the Falcons are on the clock again at No. 43.
Quarterback isn't an on-paper need for Atlanta after the Kirk Cousins signing. But general manager Terry Fontenot hasn't drafted a quarterback in the first two rounds of any of his first three drafts. Falcons brass, including Fontenot and coach Raheem Morris, flew all the way to Seattle to watch Penix work out for a few hours, then flew home. No dinner, no stay
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5 of May 2024
