It seems inevitable that the top three picks in the 2024 NFL Draft will be used on quarterbacks. But will the teams that currently own those selections keep them or trade them away?
All eyes are on the Chicago Bears, Washington Commanders, and New England Patriots, who own picks 1-3, respectively. And a new report offers insight into how each team currently feels about the possibility of trading down in the first round.
NFL Draft Rumors: How Patriots, Bears, and Commanders Feel About Trading Top Picks
Of the three teams, the Bears appear the least likely to trade their pick. After moving Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Chicago seems destined to select USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the first overall pick.
But what about the Patriots and Commanders? How do they feel about the next tier of QB prospects, which includes Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, and J.J. McCarthy?
In his column published Monday, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer wrote about what last week’s Vikings-Texans trade means for McCarthy. In case you missed it, Minnesota sent Houston two second-round picks and a sixth-rounder for a first- and seventh-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The deal leaves the Vikings with two first-round picks, Nos. 11 and 23.
“That Vikings trade gives us all a window into where J.J. McCarthy now stands in the eyes of NFL teams,” Breer wrote. “And that’s not to say that they all love him.
“It is to say that, assuming the Bears, Commanders and Patriots stay put and draft quarterbacks — zero of the three have shown an appetite for trading one of those picks –McCarthy is not just worthy of being, at worst, the fourth QB off the board, but maybe someone worth moving up for.”
Breer added: “For now, what we know is Williams will almost certainly be a Bear. We also know that North Carolina’s Drake Maye and LSU’s Jayden Daniels are likely to go at No. 2 and 3, in some order.
“Maybe Washington or New England pulls a shocker and takes McCarthy over one or both, but, for now, any team investigating a trade up to No. 4 or 5 with the Cardinals or Chargers has to be comfortable with McCarthy, as well as the other two, since there’s no guarantee of anything past the likelihood Williams won’t be there.”
Breer’s report is the latest that indicates that neither the Patriots nor Commanders are interested in trading their first-round picks. New England has been the subject of many pre-draft rumors, but multiple league insiders insist the Patriots plan to use the third pick to select a quarterback.
Still, it’s fair to wonder whether Minnesota could present a trade offer that blows away the Patriots or Commanders.
Vikings Becoming Biggest X-Factor Ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
Minnesota is sending a very unambiguous message that it wants to aggressively pursue a quarterback in this year’s draft.
With Kirk Cousins now an Atlanta Falcon, the Vikings’ top quarterback is Sam Darnold, who signed a one-year contract in free agency. If the season started today, Darnold would be the starter.
But the Vikings have the ammunition to move up further in the draft. Consider what the NFL Draft value chart says about Minnesota’s first-round assets compared to New England’s.
Vikings (Nos. 11, 23): 603 points
Patriots (No. 3): 514 points
Those two picks alone likely won’t be enough to convince the Patriots to trade their pick. But it’s a great start, especially if New England believes in someone like Michael Penix Jr., who could be available later in the first round or even on Day 2. However, it’s not just about the Patriots.
Here’s a quick refresh on the top 11 draft order:
- Chicago Bears
- Washington Commanders
- New England Patriots
- Arizona Cardinals
- Los Angeles Chargers
- New York Giants
- Tennessee Titans
- Atlanta Falcons
- Chicago Bears
- New York Jets
- Minnesota Vikings
You could make cases for the Cardinals, Chargers, Titans, Falcons, Jets, Patriots, and Bears (at No. 9) all being open to a trade. But if the Vikings are committed to drafting a quarterback, they might want to push for a trade before the draft starts.
If Minnesota trades up to No. 4, it will be guaranteed a chance to draft one of the top four QB prospects. But trading to a spot any lower would open the door for all four quarterbacks to be off the board by the time Minnesota is on the clock.
Thankfully, these questions will finally get answered when the 2024 NFL Draft starts on Thursday, April 25.
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