RADIO
One, two, three, four?
Never in the modern history of the NFL have four quarterbacks consecutively been taken at the beginning of the draft. Caleb Williams is a lock to go number one. Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye are the favorites at picks two and three (although New England is waffling about their commitment to staying put). Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy is moving up draft boards as quarterback-needy teams search for their next face of the franchise.
Arizona is currently slated to select fourth meaning a trade will need to happen for the above scenario to come true. But there are a handful of teams willing to make that move.
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Minnesota Vikings
The rest of the Minnesota offense stacks up as one of the more talented units in the league. Justin Jefferson is at worst a top-three receiver. Jordan Addison is an elite second option. Like Jefferson, tight end T.J. Hockenson is one of the best at his position. Aaron Jones and Ty Chandler round out the skill players.
Quarterback is the question mark. Kirk Cousins departed for Atlanta. The team acquired Sam Darnold, who currently sits atop the depth chart. At best, he’s a short-term answer.
Former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh has been talking up McCarthy’s Pro Day, saying “Literally, it was the best I’ve ever seen." Apart from wanting his former college quarterback to succeed, he has ulterior motives in his campaigning. The Chargers pick fifth. If four quarterbacks are selected first, Los Angeles gets their pick of the rest of the player pool.
New #Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh notes “there is talk of four QBs going in the first four picks.” That would mean No. 5 “is like the first pick of the draft.”
Clearly excited about the options at his draft slot. “We know we got a great player that’s gonna be there.”
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 25, 2024
Whether Minnesota is buying into the propaganda or not, they’ve acquired some ammo to jump the line. Earlier this offseason, the team traded selections with Houston to acquire a second first-round pick. They’ll be able to package the 11th and 23rd picks (with future capital) to secure the fourth selection.
Denver Broncos
The opposite of Minnesota, Denver does not have the supporting cast to help McCarthy or another quarterback transition into the NFL game. Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy is now a Cleveland Brown. Rumors of Courtland Sutton also being shipped away have been fluid throughout the offseason. Tim Patrick and Marvin Mims Jr. are the receivers atop the depth chart if a trade comes to fruition.
Then again, the Broncos are arguably worse off than the Vikings at quarterback. Jarrett Stidham would be the starter if the season kicked off tomorrow. He’s played for three teams in four seasons, has a 1-3 record, and has a one-to-one touchdown to interception ratio in his career.
From The Insiders at the Annual League Meeting: #Broncos coach Sean Payton views it as “realistic” that his team trades up in the NFL Draft. pic.twitter.com/E48G3x7EtQ
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 25, 2024
A new era in Denver is among us regardless of whether the Broncos decide to make a splash in late April. The 12th pick, future assets, and possibly current stars will be the starting point for Denver’s potential move into the top four.
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders somewhat squashed their quarterback problem when they brought in veteran Gardner Minshew. Unlike Darnold and Stidham, he started the majority of games last season and nearly led Indianapolis to the postseason. Still, he's not a long-term solution. The Raiders are eyeing a quarterback.
Antonio Pierce has Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy in his top 3 QBs of the 2024 class:
"You’re talking about a National Champ, a winner. So I don't know how he's not in the top three, if you want to be honest."
pic.twitter.com/mhKKIpjgwj— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) March 25, 2024
Davante Adams is the ultimate insurance blanket for any rookie quarterback who enters the league. Even fourth-round rookie Aidan O'Connell strung together some wins and respectable fantasy performances.
The Las Vegas defense took massive leaps forward at the tail end of the 2023 season and they got better by adding defensive tackle Christian Wilkins. First-year coach Antonio Pierce has this team ready to win now and a quarterback is one of the few missing pieces.
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