2024 NFL Draft - Pro Football Rumors

WR Xavier Worthy Declares For 2024 NFL Draft

January 4th, 2024 at 11:30am CST by Adam La Rose

Not long after falling just short of a national title game appearance, Xavier Worthy has decided to turn pro. The Texas wideout announced he has declared for the NFL draft (video link).

Worthy enjoyed a highly productive three-year run with the Longhorns, establishing himself as a major part of the team’s offense as a freshman. He posted 62 catches for 981 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2021, demonstrating his potential and securing multiple school records along the way. Over the following two seasons, Worthy remained a notable contributor to the team’s attack.

The 6-1, 160-pounder took a step back statistically in terms of receptions and yards last year, but he still managed to find the end zone nine times. In 2023, he rebounded with a 75-1,014-5 statline. Those totals helped him earn first-team All-Big 12 and third-team All-American honors while contributing to Texas’ conference championship. Despite a quiet showing in the Sugar Bowl (only 45 yards scoreless yards on two catches), he is one of many wideouts on the first-round radar.

Worthy’s decision to forgo his senior season puts him alongside the likes of Marvin Harrison Jr. (Ohio State), Malik Nabers (LSU), Rome Odunze (Washington) and Keon Coleman (Florida State) as receivers likely to hear their names called on Day 1 of the draft. Worthy is ranked 25th on The Athletic’s consensus big board (subscription required). Likewise, the speedster is slated at the No. 19 spot in ESPN’s Matt Miller’s latest mock draft.

In a draft dominated by blue-chip prospects at the quarterback, receiver and offensive tackle positions, Worthy could find himself being selected behind a number of other offensive prospects and pass-catchers. Still, his big-play ability and potential shown in terms of yards after catch ability will make him an intriguing addition to any interested NFL team. He should be able to make an impact at the pro level as a rookie and for years to come after that.

Georgia TE Brock Bowers To Enter Draft

January 2nd, 2024 at 7:17pm CST by Sam Robinson

Widely regarded as the top tight end prospect eligible for the 2024 draft, Brock Bowers made it official Tuesday night. The Georgia pass catcher announced (via Instagram) he will leave school early and prepare for the NFL.

Bowers has been an impact player at Georgia for three years, helping the Bulldogs win back-to-back national championships as an underclassman. Mel Kiper Jr.’s ESPN.com big board slots Bowers at No. 5, putting him in position to potentially be the second skill-position player — behind wideout Marvin Harrison Jr., assuming he declares — selected in 2024.

Putting together a prolific resume during his three seasons at Georgia, Bowers is poised to become the latest tight end to be drafted in the top 10. Only Kyle Pitts and T.J. Hockenson have accomplished this over the past nine drafts.

The 6-foot-4 tight end scored 26 touchdowns during his run at the SEC powerhouse. Bowers topped 700 receiving yards in each of his three seasons, doing so in 2023 despite missing time with an ankle injury. As a freshman in 2021, Bowers scored 13 TDs and posted 882 receiving yards. As a sophomore, he produced a career-high 942 yards.

Although Darnell Washington became a third-round Steelers draftee last season, Bowers resided as the Bulldogs’ top tight end throughout his career. None of Georgia’s wideouts during the two national championship-winning seasons rivaled Bowers’ place in the aerial pecking order, either. College tight ends do not make a habit of being their team’s unquestioned top target, but Bowers led the Bulldogs in receiving by more than 150 yards in 2021 and ’22. Bowers’ October ankle surgery, from which he returned later in the season, did not prevent him from leading the Bulldogs in receiving for a third straight year. He will be a sought-after player early in the 2024 draft.

Alabama’s Dallas Turner To Enter 2024 Draft

January 1st, 2024 at 9:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

Following Will Anderson‘s climb from SEC Defensive Player of the Year to No. 3 overall pick in the draft, one of his former Crimson Tide pass-rushing sidekicks will leave school early as well.

Co-SEC Defensive Player of the Year this season, Dallas Turner, said after Alabama’s overtime loss to Michigan tonight he will enter the draft early, ESPN.com’s Alex Scarborough tweets. Considering the likelihood of Turner becoming a first-round pick, this is an unsurprising choice.

Mel Kiper Jr.’s most recent ESPN big board slots Turner 11th overall. These placements regularly change between the end of a season and the draft, but Turner is coming off a strong junior season. The ex-Anderson wingman finished with 10 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss this season, becoming an All-American. Turner, who forced two fumbles this season, posted a sack in Alabama’s CFP semifinal loss tonight.

Turner’s DPOY honor gives Nick Saban’s program four such achievements over the past four years. Anderson and Patrick Surtain collected the honor from 2020-22, with the former being named as such twice. Turner, UCLA’s Laiatu Latu and Florida State’s Jared Verse reside as the early top-tier edge defenders in the 2024 class. Both the Bruins and Seminoles standouts have already declared for the draft.

Turner combined for 60 QB pressures from 2021-22, doing so as Anderson accumulated 130 during his dominant run that led to his move to Houston. As a freshman in 2021, Turner totaled 8.5 sacks. The 6-foot-4 edge defender finished the regular season 12th in Division I-FBS pressure rate. Alabama’s 2020s draft imprint has skewed a bit more toward offense, despite Surtain and Anderson’s arrivals, but Turner will likely check a box on the defensive side upon being chosen in Round 1 come April.

Updated 2024 NFL Draft Order

January 1st, 2024 at 7:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

It took the Bears until Week 18 for the No. 1 draft slot to become a reality; the Panthers did not make them wait that long this year. Carolina’s struggles will give Chicago the No. 1 overall pick for a second straight year. How the Bears will proceed with that pick will become one of the NFL’s defining 2024 storylines.

The Cardinals’ unexpected conquest in Philadelphia knocked them down two slots in the 2024 draft order. As a result, the Commanders — who resided in the fourth position before the Patriots’ Christmas Eve upset ended the Russell Wilson era in Denver — hold the No. 2 pick going into the regular season’s final Sunday.

The Commanders benched Sam Howell in back-to-back weeks and were set to, prior to a midweek Jacoby Brissett setback, shelve him for Week 17 as well. The Ron Rivera era is in its final days, with front office changes likely as well. A Commanders-Caleb Williams connection has emerged, which would make Washington quite interested in what Chicago does at No. 1 overall — or key another round of Bears talks about dropping from 1 to 2, which took place with the Texans this offseason. With the Bears likely considering another Justin Fields season and the Cardinals having Kyler Murray tied to a $46.1MM-per-year contract, the Commanders are suddenly a team to watch regarding a QB investment.

Bill Belichick is also perched as a key 2024 domino, but with the legendary HC not eager to leave New England, one of the most important decisions in franchise history awaits Robert Kraft. Belichick or his replacement could hold a top-three pick in 2024, though another Pats win — they have the Jets in Week 18 — would complicate an effort to land a top-tier QB prospect.

Entering Week 18, here is how the 2024 draft order looks:

Chicago Bears (via Panthers)
Washington Commanders: 4-12
New England Patriots: 4-12
Arizona Cardinals: 4-12
New York Giants: 5-11
Los Angeles Chargers: 5-11
Tennessee Titans: 5-11
New York Jets: 6-10
Atlanta Falcons: 7-9
Chicago Bears: 7-9
Las Vegas Raiders: 7-9
Minnesota Vikings: 7-9
New Orleans Saints: 8-8
Denver Broncos: 8-8
Seattle Seahawks: 8-8
Cincinnati Bengals: 8-8
Arizona Cardinals (via Texans)
Pittsburgh Steelers: 9-7
Green Bay Packers: 8-8
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 8-8
Indianapolis Colts: 9-7
Jacksonville Jaguars: 9-7
Los Angeles Rams: 9-7
Buffalo Bills: 10-6
Kansas City Chiefs: 10-6
Philadelphia Eagles: 11-5
Detroit Lions: 11-5
Houston Texans (via Browns)
Miami Dolphins: 11-5
Dallas Cowboys: 11-5
San Francisco 49ers: 12-4
Baltimore Ravens: 13-3

Bears Clinch Top Pick In 2024 Draft

December 31st, 2023 at 6:34pm CST by Ely Allen

The playoffs are not yet set, and we still have a week left to play in the 2023 regular season, but today it was determined that the Chicago Bears will own the No. 1 overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft this coming April. The Bears’ claim to the top overall selection is a result of two games that they had no part in today. It was a Panthers loss and a Cardinals win that ultimately determined the fate of the No. 1 pick.

The reason these two games affected Chicago comes from last year’s trade that enabled Carolina to draft rookie quarterback Bryce Young with the first overall pick in 2023. Chicago had possession of the draft’s top pick last year, as well. Having just selected quarterback Justin Fields with the 11th pick in 2021, the Bears didn’t feel the need to stay at No. 1, where Young was the heavy favorite to be selected, deciding instead to shop the pick for additional assets.

They found buyers in Carolina who sent a haul of draft assets to the Bears. In addition to shipping wide receiver D.J. Moore, who has quietly been one of the NFL’s more consistent receivers, the Panthers sent Chicago the Nos. 9 and 61 picks of the 2023 draft, their first-round pick in 2024, and their second-round pick in 2025. The Bears flipped the No. 9 pick for the No. 10 pick from Philadelphia, which they used to draft their starting right tackle Darnell Wright, as well as a 2024 fourth-rounder. They paired the No. 61 pick with a 2023 fifth-round pick in order to move up to No. 56 and draft University of Miami cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, who has started every game but one this year and recorded his third and fourth career interceptions today.

The key part of that trade now, though, appears to be the 2024 first-round pick that, thanks to the Panthers league-worst 2-14 record, will end up being the top overall pick in the draft. The Patriots, Commanders, and Cardinals held some hope of securing that draft slot coming into the week, with New England and Washington needing the Panthers to win out in order to have any chance, but today’s loss put Carolina out of reach of both teams. The Cardinals could’ve still had a chance next week if they hadn’t shockingly beaten the Eagles today, moving them out of range, as well.

What’s interesting is that the Bears will find themselves in a very similar position to last year. Once again, a quarterback, USC’s Caleb Williams, is the consensus favorite to be the first player selected in the draft. There were some questions about Fields throughout the team’s 14-game losing streak dating back to last year, but since ending the streak, the Bears have gone an impressive 7-5 with Fields going 5-2 as a starter. The Bears may once again decide that they believe in Fields as their quarterback of the future and decide they don’t want Williams at No. 1. Now, they could simply decide to pivot and not select a quarterback, opting to bring in Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. or shocking the world by selecting Georgia tight end Brock Bowers at No. 1. Much more likely, Chicago may, once again, put the pick up for grabs to the highest bidder.

There are going to be a number of quarterback-needy teams heading into the draft this year. The Patriots have effectively moved on from former first-round pick Mac Jones in favor of Bailey Zappe. The Raiders are starting fourth-round rookie Aidan O’Connell over free agent acquisition Jimmy Garoppolo. Kirk Cousins is currently on the road towards free agency in Minnesota. The Falcons and Buccaneers have options that may not inspire much confidence moving forward. And the Commanders and Giants entered the year thinking they had answers at quarterback that they may be questioning now.

Regardless, the No. 1 overall pick is the Bears to decide what to do with. They may decide to add to their offensive line or bring in a weapon for Fields, they could decide to bring in some competition for Fields, or for the second straight year, general manager Ryan Poles may flex once again and flip the pick for a massively improving haul. Time will tell, but Chicago’s fate is currently in its own hands, thanks to Carolina.

Georgia T Amarius Mims Declares For 2024 NFL Draft

December 31st, 2023 at 5:56pm CST by Ely Allen

The Georgia Bulldogs continue to churn out top-tier NFL talent. Following the team’s blowout 63-3 victory over Florida State in the Orange Bowl, giant human and Georgia offensive tackle Amarius Mims has officially declared for the 2024 NFL Draft, per ESPN’s Pete Thamel, forgoing his senior year of eligibility. Widely considered a top-five tackle prospect, Mims is expected to be a Day 1 pick come April.

Mims came out of Bleckley County HS (GA) as a five-star offensive tackle, enrolling in Athens a semester early in order to get a head start on his development. Mims failed to crack the starting lineup as a freshman, sitting behind future NFL draft picks Warren McClendon and Jamaree Salyer. With future first-round draft pick Broderick Jones set to replace Salyer at tackle in 2022, Mims made the decision to explore his options in the transfer portal. He would visit FSU before ultimately deciding to withdraw his name from the portal and remain at UGA, knowing that he would once again be serving in a reserve role.

After an injury to McClendon late in the year, though, Mims was asked to step up to start in a College Football Playoff game and the team’s victorious National Championship game. McClendon would be drafted in the fifth round this past April, opening the door for Mims to finally enter the season as the Bulldogs’ starter. After three starts, Mims suffered a high ankle sprain and was forced to undergo tightrope surgery. It would take nine weeks for Mims to finally get back on the field. Following his return, Mims would exit the team’s loss in the SEC Championship Game early and was not dressed yesterday against the Seminoles.

While in limited time Mims has graded out well, with Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranking him as college football’s 52nd best offensive tackle, most of his first-round hype is based on projection. In three years at Georgia, Mims started only eight contests. Still, listed at 6-foot-7 and 340 pounds on the Bulldogs’ roster, Mims is an absolute, physical specimen, serving as a potential development prospect with incredible upside. The Athletic slotted Mims in as the 19th-best overall prospect (and the fourth-best offensive tackle) in Dane Brugler’s midseason rankings. ESPN’s Mel Kiper put Mims at 23rd overall, ranking him as the draft’s fifth-best offensive tackle.

There aren’t many examples of offensive tackles with so little starting experience being drafted so highly, but that likely won’t stop a team with desperate offensive line needs from taking a chance on the big-bodied 21-year-old. Interested teams will likely be paying close attention in interviews, the Scouting Combine, and Georgia’s pro day. While his lack of experience and recent injury history will pose a hurdle on his road to the NFL, his freakish size and immense potential should overshadow any doubts.

QB Jayden Daniels Climbing Draft Boards

December 29th, 2023 at 10:09pm CST by Ely Allen

For much of the past year, it has been a two-man race at the top of the quarterback prospect rankings for the 2024 NFL Draft, with USC’s Caleb Williams sitting at a commanding 1 and North Carolina’s Drake Maye trailing at 2. Don’t look now, but LSU quarterback, and now the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, Jayden Daniels is reportedly gaining steam in the race for the top-two, according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated.

Daniels is fairly new to this conversation. The fifth-year starter spent three seasons at Arizona State before finding his way to LSU. After an impressive freshman year that saw him throw for nearly 3,000 yards and 17 touchdowns to just two interceptions, COVID-19 limited Daniels and the Sun Devils to only four games in 2020, in which he would throw five touchdowns and only one interception. He would also add four scores on the ground as a sophomore, an improvement in only four games over his three-touchdown total as a freshman. His final year in Tempe saw Daniels struggle, throwing only 10 touchdowns and rushing for six, but throwing a career-high 10 interceptions.

Daniels would transfer to LSU the following year and immediately show the promise from his freshman season, with almost identical passing stats of nearly 3,000 passing yards, 17 touchdowns, and three interceptions, while adding on 885 rushing yards for 11 more scores on the ground. Daniels would elevate things to a whole new level in his Heisman-winning campaign. Utilizing his extra COVID year of eligibility, Daniels returned to throw for 3,812 yards, completing 72.2 percent of his passes for an outstanding 40 touchdowns to only four picks. He elevated his rushing, too, racking up 1,134 yards for 10 more touchdowns.

Now this certainly isn’t a consensus decision, but all it takes is one team to believe in what Daniels has to offer over Maye in order to secure his status as a top draft pick in April. According to Breer, at least one NFL executive is feeling that way. Breer explains that he was tasked with determining if Daniels has a chance at all to catch Maye as the second-best quarterback in the draft.

An AFC executive replied that it’s already happened, saying, “It might be going in the opposite direction. Jayden is pulling away from Drake for me…He makes every throw, his deep accuracy is rare, he’s explosive as a runner but is a pocket passer. It’s like (Deshaun Watson).”

Others maybe weren’t ready to go that far but offered the sentiment that, even if Daniels hasn’t quite reached Maye’s level, there isn’t much separation between the two, though the quarterbacks are considered “different types of players.” An NFC executive agreed, saying that the gap is “not big anymore,” and that if a team is willing to build around his skillset, like the Colts are trying to do with Anthony Richardson, he could end up going just as early.

There are still others who don’t quite see Daniels encroaching on Maye. An AFC scout gave his evaluation, stating that he sees a floor of Dak Prescott and a ceiling of Justin Herbert for Maye, claiming he projects as a potential Pro Bowler. On the flipside, he sees Daniels as more of a system quarterback with a ceiling comparison of Jimmy Garoppolo or Kirk Cousins. That scout praises Daniels’ athleticism but doesn’t hold the same esteem for his abilities as a passer.

It’s a common argument that we’ve seen time and again. Regardless of the dissenting opinions, it appears that Daniels has done enough in Baton Rouge this year to put himself in the conversation. Once considered a likely Day 3 draft pick, Daniels is having his name tossed around with a potential top-five pick. If he keeps it up through the NFL Scouting Combine and his pro day, Daniels could end up in the top few picks among Williams and Maye.

Commanders Could Be In On USC QB Caleb Williams

December 29th, 2023 at 8:50pm CST by Ely Allen

While several items concerning the 2024 NFL Draft are still up in the air, the fact that USC quarterback Caleb Williams is considered a top prospect seems to have been set in stone for a little over a year now. With plenty of speculation leading into the new calendar year, Dan Graziano of ESPN reports that “there’s some thought around the league that Washington is very interested in Caleb Williams.”

Now, Williams is a popular bet to be the first name called in the draft as the No. 1 overall selection, a pick that the Commanders (4-11) are not currently in the position to make. That pick is currently owned by the Bears, who are in possession of the Panthers’ (2-13) first round selection. Carolina does not have the league’s worst record wrapped up, though. The Cardinals (3-12) could lose out and take the top spot should Carolina win a game. If Carolina wins out and Arizona wins a game, the Commanders and Patriots (4-11) could lose out and create a logjam at 4-13.

In the case that all four teams end up with the same record, the first tiebreaker is based on strength of schedule, with the team possessing the weakest strength of schedule getting the highest draft pick. Currently, the Commanders hold the weakest strength of schedule of those four teams, but with remaining games against the 49ers and Cowboys (the strongest remaining schedule in the league), that could change. Still, Washington holds an outside shot at possessing the top draft selection naturally.

If that doesn’t pan out, though, the Commanders could still attempt to acquire the pick in a trade. We saw the Panthers give up a bundle in order to obtain the top draft pick just last year. That bundle included a top player (D.J. Moore), two first-round picks (2023 & 2024), and two second-round picks (2023 & 2025). A similar bundle would be necessary in order for Washington to move up, though trading another top-five pick could help sweeten the pot on its own. The Commanders traded away a couple of top defenders in Montez Sweat and Chase Young before the deadline, so they’ve stocked up a few assets that they could deploy if necessary.

The bigger question comes with the team’s current quarterback situation. It was initially thought that the picks acquired in the above-mentioned trades would be used to build around second-year passer Sam Howell, whom most tabbed as the team’s next franchise quarterback. A month and a half later, though, and Howell has now been benched in two straight contests in favor of veteran Jacoby Brissett.

It’s become the popular opinion that Washington will be pursuing an addition to their quarterbacks room in the offseason. Many have called to watch the final two weeks of the regular season as an indicator for Howell’s future. Well, with Brissett set to start in Week 17, we may be seeing the end of Howell’s opportunity in Washington.

Enter Williams. A native of Washington, D.C., Williams has nearly guaranteed that he will be the top passer off the board, if not the top player off the board. It seems like, given the available options, the Commanders could certainly be all in on Williams given the chance. If Washington is unable to obtain the top pick and Williams is selected before they have a chance to draft him, North Carolina quarterback, and Howell’s former college teammate, Drake Maye would likely be the next top quarterback available in the draft, creating an interesting scenario in its own right.

WR Keon Coleman Declares For 2024 NFL Draft

December 28th, 2023 at 8:59am CST by Adam La Rose

The 2024 NFL draft is expected to feature a number of high-profile wideouts, and the list of options available at the position has grown. Florida State’s Keon Coleman has declared for the draft, as noted by ESPN’s Jordan Reid.

While Ohio State phenom Marvin Harrison Jr. is widely regarded as a top-three prospect, Coleman is one of several receivers who are expected to hear their names called on Day 1 this April. The latter flashed potential in his sophomore season with Michigan State, totaling 798 yards and seven touchdowns on 58 catches. Upon transferring to Florida State, expectations were high for the 2023 season.

Coleman did not disappoint in his first and only campaign with the Seminoles. Early in the season in particular, he showcased his basketball background and skillset as a jump-ball specialist. After Florida State lost quarterback Jordan Travis for the season, the team’s offense took a step back and Coleman’s production suffered as a result. Still, he posted 50 receptions, 658 yards and an ACC-leading 11 touchdowns across 12 games.

Those totals – along with his 6-4, 210-pound frame – have put Coleman firmly on the first-round radar. The Athletic currently has him rated as the No. 17 overall prospect, and fourth amongst receivers (subscription required). Likewise, ESPN’s Matt Miller slots Coleman 11th overall, behind the same trio of WR prospects (Harrison, Washington’s Rome Odunze and LSU’s Malik Nabers).

By declaring for the draft, Coleman joins fellow Seminole Jared Verse in making the decision to turn pro. The latter is seen as one of the top edge rushing prospects in the 2024 class, giving him a strong chance of being a Day 1 selection. The same is true of Coleman, who will profile as a top option on 50-50 balls and in the red zone right away upon entry into the NFL.

Updated 2024 NFL Draft Order

December 26th, 2023 at 8:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

While the Panthers, Cardinals and Commanders continued their losing ways in Week 16, the Patriots’ effort in Denver shook up the top of the 2024 draft. New England has dropped from second to fourth in the ’24 order.

In a strange spot in which Broncos fans and and undoubtedly many Pats supporters wanted the Russell Wilson-driven comeback to succeed, Chad Ryland‘s 56-yard game-winning field goal dropped New England out of the No. 2 spot, injecting doubt about the team’s ability to nab a top-flight QB prospect without trading up next year.

The Bears (via the Panthers) remain atop the table, holding a one-game lead on the Cardinals. Carolina closes its season with two games against eight-win teams — the Jaguars and Buccaneers. Arizona will face Philadelphia and Seattle, and with Carolina’s strength of schedule at .522 and Arizona’s at .561, the draft-order tiebreaker reaffirms the Bears’ placement on the doorstep of entering a second straight offseason holding a No. 1 overall pick. The Justin Fields matter remains an important big-picture NFL topic, but GM Ryan Poles is close to having his pick of the 2024 QB prospects.

It is not clear if the Commanders will be interested in a quarterback in the first round, but they will have a new regime running the show. The last time Washington held a top-three pick (2020), it passed on Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert due to having drafted Dwayne Haskins in the 2019 first round. With Sam Howell struggling as of late, Josh Harris‘ next set of decision-makers may want to bring in their own prospect. The Cardinals could stand in the Commanders’ way, via another trade in the top three, but suddenly Washington could be a player for a 2024 first-round QB.

Ahead of Week 17, here is how the 2024 draft order looks:

Chicago Bears (via Panthers)
Arizona Cardinals: 3-12
Washington Commanders: 4-11
New England Patriots: 4-11
New York Giants: 5-10
Los Angeles Chargers: 5-10
Tennessee Titans: 5-10
Chicago Bears: 6-9
New York Jets: 6-9
Atlanta Falcons: 7-8
New Orleans Saints: 7-8
Green Bay Packers: 7-8
Las Vegas Raiders: 7-8
Denver Broncos: 7-8
Minnesota Vikings: 7-8
Arizona Cardinals (via Texans)
Pittsburgh Steelers: 8-7
Cincinnati Bengals: 8-7
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 8-7
Indianapolis Colts: 8-7
Seattle Seahawks: 8-7
Jacksonville Jaguars: 8-7
Los Angeles Rams: 8-7
Buffalo Bills: 9-6
Kansas City Chiefs: 9-6
Dallas Cowboys: 10-5
Houston Texans (via Browns)
Detroit Lions: 11-4
Miami Dolphins: 11-4
Philadelphia Eagles: 11-4
San Francisco 49ers: 11-4
Baltimore Ravens: 12-3

2024 NFL Draft News & Rumors