2024 NFL Mock Draft: Bears' Big Surprise at No. 1, Caleb Williams Tumbles

This early projection for the 2024 NFL Draft is full of surprises.

Luke Easterling | Dec 10, 2023

2024 NFL Mock Draft: Bears' Big Surprise at No. 1, Caleb Williams Tumbles /

At this point in the season, early projections for the 2024 NFL Draft have already started to crystalize at the top of the board, with the first few picks looking similar across the board most of the time.

That's not the case in the latest 2024 NFL mock draft from Draft Wire, which has some big surprises that start with the Chicago Bears at the No. 1 pick.

This mock has the Bears passing on the top quarterback prospects in this class, instead choosing to roll with Justin Fields and pair him with Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. as the first pick in next year's draft.

Not only do the Bears pass on USC quarterback Caleb Williams, but the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner falls out of the top five completely, landing with the New York Jets at the No. 6 pick. That means Chicago passes on Williams not just once, but twice, opting for Illinois defensive lineman Jer'Zhan Newton at No. 5 instead.

Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. — Could Marvin Harrison Jr. be the surprise pick at No. 1? / Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports

North Carolina's Drake Maye is the first quarterback off the board in this mock, landing with the New England Patriots at the No. 2 spot. He's joined in the first round by fellow signal-callers Williams, Washington's Michael Penix Jr. (No. 11, Las Vegas Raiders), Oregon's Bo Nix (No. 19, Atlanta Falcons), and LSU's Jayden Daniels (No. 21, Minnesota Vikings).

Daniels going outside the top 20 might be just as surprising as Williams falling out of the top five, as the Bayou Bengals' star is coming off a Heisman-winning season of his own, and is routinely getting top-10 projections at this point in the process.

Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy is another top quarterback who often shows up in first-round projections, but he falls to the second round in this mock, landing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the No. 42 pick.

To check out the full two-round projection at Draft Wire, click here.

LOOK | Latest 3-Round Projections for the 2024 NFL Draft

Published Dec 10, 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