No player had done more for his draft stock than Jayden Daniels, who went from Day 3 prospect to likely first-rounder in the span of a few months -- months which also saw him rightly win the Heisman Trophy. The player, you could argue, who was just as deserving? Michael Penix Jr., the Washington QB who in two years for the Huskies has looked like a completely different player than the one who transferred from Indiana.
Both players deserve to be in the QB3 conversation. And given that quarterback evaluations are more art than science, and that different teams have different ideas of what the ideal quarterback looks like, we could see any combination of Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, Daniels and Penix by the time we get to April 25, the first day of the 2024 NFL Draft.
For mock draft 5.0, I have the Bears trading down one spot with the Commanders, who move up for Williams, who has been my QB1 since the summer and that hasn't changed. The cost is prohibitive -- and certainly more than what the Bears paid in 2017 to go from No. 3 to No. 2 for Mitch Trubisky. But demand outstrips supply when it comes to drafting QBs, and if you fall in love with a prospect -- especially a franchise quarterback -- you're going to have to pay for the opportunity to draft him.
For this mock, the Commanders send No. 2, No. 41 and a 2025 first-rounder to the Bears for No. 1 overall pick. (Incidentally, that 41st pick was the one Chicago sent to Washington at the trade deadline for Montez Sweat.) In return, Washington, with a new head coach and general manager, get their franchise QB, and Chicago keeps Fields, drafts Marvin Harrison Jr., and gets Sweat some help with their second first-rounder, the No. 9 overall selection.
And while this looks great on paper for the Bears, this is one enormously important caveat:
OK, let's get to all 32 picks -- and note, the first 18 are set now that the regular season has ended.
For more draft coverage, you can hear in-depth analysis twice a week on "With the First Pick" -- our year-round NFL Draft podcast with me and former Vikings general manager Rick Spielman. You can find "With the First Pick" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, etc. Check out the latest episode below!
The 2024 NFL Draft will take place from April 25-27 in Detroit. More draft coverage can be found at CBSSports.com, including the weekly updated draft order and a regularly available look at the eligible prospects.
2024 NFL Mock Draft: Bears trade down, stay with Justin Fields; Patriots, Giants start over with top-10 QBs - CBS Sports
Read More
No comments:
Post a Comment