2024 NFL Mock Draft: Shedeur Sanders, J.J. McCarthy Crash the Top 10

Two quarterbacks are flying up the draft board after a strong start to the 2023 season.

Luke Easterling | Sep 22, 2023

2024 NFL Mock Draft: Shedeur Sanders, J.J. McCarthy Crash the Top 10 /

Heading into the 2023 college football season, the top of the 2024 NFL Draft's quarterback class was dominated by two names: USC's Caleb Williams and North Carolina's Drake Maye.

Those two still have a strong hold on the top spots, but there are some worthy challengers fast on their heels, something that's represented in the latest 2024 NFL mock draft from CBS Sports.

In this first-round projection, Williams goes No. 1 overall to the Arizona Cardinals (as usual), while Maye lands with the Chicago Bears at No. 3 overall.

Michigan's J.J. McCarthy is the next fast-rising quarterback off the board, heading to the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 7 overall, while Colorado's Shedeur Sanders goes to the Minnesota Vikings at No. 10 overall.

Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy — Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

A fifth signal-caller sneaks into the first round, and it's Duke's Riley Leonard, who lands with the Seattle Seahawks at No. 18 overall. That leaves other talented passers like Oregon's Bo Nix, Washington State's Cameron Ward, Florida State's Jordan Travis, and Washington's Michael Penix Jr. still on the board for Day 2.

This projection has two teams owning the first four selections, as the Cards take Williams and Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. with the top two picks, while the Bears opt for Maye and Penn State offensive tackle Olu Fashanu at No. 3 and No. 4 overall, respectively.

To check out the full first-round projection at CBS Sports, click here.

Published Sep 22, 2023

LUKE EASTERLING

Luke Easterling (he/him) has been covering college football and the NFL for more than two decades, with a particular focus on the nexus of both, the NFL Draft. Writing for some of the largest and most recognizable brands in sports media, Luke's experience and expertise in evaluating potential NFL prospects and evaluating team needs/fits has earned the appreciation of his readers, and the respect of his peers. Luke cut his sports journalism teeth at The Tampa Tribune before spending two years at Bleacher Report as a featured columnist covering the NFL Draft and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Luke then spent nearly seven years at USA TODAY Sports Media Group as editor of Draft Wire and Bucs Wire, building both into authoritative destination sites for their respective audiences. Now at The Arena Group, Luke covers the NFL and college football for Athlon Sports, and runs Sports Illustrated's FanNation site for the NFL Draft. A graduate of the University of South Florida, Luke has been a featured guest on ESPN Radio, CBS Sports Radio, Fox Sports Radio, SiriusXM and more. Based in Tampa, Florida (the true home of the Cuban sandwich), Luke plays the drums, loves 2000s pop-punk, watches way too many British murder mystery shows, and channels the energy of his deep-south Grammy and his full-Italian Nana in the kitchen. Twitter: @lukeeasterling Email: luke.easterling@si.com