We presume two quarterbacks are locks for the first round in the 2024 NFL Draft: USC’s Caleb Williams and North Carolina’s Drake Maye.
In our first NFL mock draft, our Christian D’Andrea had Maye going first overall to the Chicago Bears and Williams to the Arizona Cardinals. There wasn’t a third quarterback taken in that first-round mock.
But maybe the hype and buzz around LSU’s Jayden Daniels has gotten huge. Because in USA TODAY Sports’ latest mock draft, Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz has the QB going to the Minnesota Vikings in the first round at pick No. 21. What’s the reasoning? Here’s what he wrote:
Is this the year that Minnesota finally snags a young quarterback to bring along? Being this far back in the first round might seem as though it would preclude such a move, especially in a class that lacks much certainty among the passing prospects beyond Williams and Maye. In this scenario, however, everything comes together for the Vikings. A wildly efficient pocket passer who can stress defenses with his running ability, the ascendant Daniels would make a lot of sense for general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, who has openly pontificated about what a signal-caller with a diverse skill set could do for this offense.
Make sure to check out our latest NFL mock draft from Christian D’Andrea!