The first round of the 2024 NFL Draft takes place Thursday at 8 p.m. in Detroit, a night that could alter the future of many franchises. The Chicago Bears, Washington Commanders and New England Patriots own the top three selections, and many speculate those picks going to quarterbacks, which has happened three other times, most recently in 2021.
USC signal-caller Caleb Williams is all but certain to go No. 1, so the intrigue officially starts with Washington. Which quarterback will the new general manager, Adam Peters, take? That’s just one of the many storylines to watch on ABC, ESPN or the NFL Network.
Nothing is guaranteed until NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell steps up to the podium and reads his name but, essentially, yes.
Williams, the consensus top prospect, threw for 3,633 yards, 30 touchdowns and five interceptions last season. He won the Heisman Trophy as the best player in college football the prior year after taking the Trojans from four wins to an 11-win team. Williams threw for 4,075 yards, 37 touchdowns and only four interceptions over 13 games in 2022.
He will join a retooled Chicago team that traded for six-time Pro Bowl receiver Keenan Allen and signed running back D’Andre Swift in free agency this offseason. Williams will also be able to throw the ball to rising stars in receiver D.J. Moore and tight end Cole Kmet.
Like the Bears, the Commanders have been desperate for a franchise quarterback for more than three decades. There was a glimmer of hope with Robert Griffin III, the 2012 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, but multiple injuries over the next seven seasons led to an early exit from the league. Will this finally be Washington’s chance to turn around the franchise?
