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.
Could Marvin Harrison Jr. be the surprise pick at No. 1?
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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
