It may seem lightyears away today, but we’re just four months away from the 2024 NFL Draft. Now, no one knows who the first overall pick will be, but most speculation points to USC’s Caleb Williams hearing his name called first.
Typically, quarterbacks dominate the top of the draft order, which has North Carolina’s Drake Maye touted as another potential top-five pick as the widely anointed second-best QB prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft class.
Yet, after the incredible season LSU’s Jayden Daniels has had, some wonder if Maye’s status as the second-best QB in the upcoming draft class is secure.
Daniels, who seems poised to win the Heisman Trophy after leading the nation with 50 touchdowns, is viewed as a rising star, but current draft projections are all over the place on the 22-year-old San Bernardino, California native.
Some suggest too much of Daniels’ success came against inferior competition, with some of his most eye-popping performances coming against the likes of Grambling State and Georgia State. In contrast, others see a prospect who improved drastically since arriving on campus at Arizona State as a four-star recruit in 2018.
According to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, no one should rule out the idea of Daniels surpassing Maye when evaluating the top QBs. Breer indicates Daniels could very well climb into the top five of the 2024 NFL Draft, especially when considering how many teams could be looking for a brighter future at QB.
Entering Week 14, you have teams like Chicago, New England, and Arizona all set to pick in the top five. Those are just the teams there right now. That’s not even counting the others who could get desperate for a big leap up the draft board like the Las Vegas Raiders, Atlanta Falcons, or Minnesota Vikings.
In other words, even though the consensus may not have Daniels as a top-five pick right now, that doesn’t mean he won’t see his stock soar in the pre-draft process. Or, maybe he gets picked apart with rumors and speculation causing his value to drop. That’s just the life of an NFL Draft prospect.
Related: 2024 NFL mock draft: Cardinals make surprise decision, Patriots get QB, Round 1 projections