The 2024 NFL Draft is about to get underway, as all 32 NFL teams prepare to add players to their roster.
While some of this year’s picks (like the Chicago Bears’ No. 1 selection) don’t carry much surprise, while others feel definitely up in the air at this point in the juncture.
What about some bold predictions for how this year’s first round might go? We’ve compiled five bold takes for five moves that would raise plenty of eyebrows on Thursday night, including some quarterback action for some teams and a couple of huge trades that would get everyone talking.
Here they are, from the Bills making a pretty dramatic move up the draft board to the Rams stunning everyone with a selection you might not see coming.
1
The Bills make a deal with the Bears to move up for a wide receiver
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The Bills desperately need help at wide receiver, and the Bears need more draft picks. If any deal is going to shake up draft night exponentially, it could be Buffalo sending a bevy of picks to Chicago to move up to pick No. 9 and take someone like Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze if he’s available. Maybe even Buffalo would make a move like that for someone like LSU’s Brian Thomas Jr. Either way, this could be like when the Atlanta Falcons famously traded up to take Julio Jones in 2011. Buffalo needs this draft to go well, and making an aggressive move like this might work.
2
The Falcons draft an offensive player at pick No. 8
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The Falcons haven’t taken a defensive player with a first-round pick since 2020 (cornerback A.J. Terrell). The general assumption is that Atlanta will draft one of this year’s best defensive players, but what if it goes offense for a fourth year? One of this year’s best receivers, like LSU’s Malik Nabers (above) or Odunze, might be available when the team picks at No. 8. What if the team loves a quarterback, like Washington’s Michael Penix Jr.? The Falcons did spend a ton of money on signing quarterback Kirk Cousins, but don’t count out them adding a successor.
3
The Vikings don't take a quarterback in the first round
Jamie Sabau/USA TODAY Sports
It’s very possible that the Vikings trade up for a quarterback during Thursday’s first round. Given that they have two first-round picks, it’d be doable to move up the board and snag their signal-caller for the future, like North Carolina’s Drake Maye or Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy. However, what if Minnesota can’t make make a deal to draft one of those guys? Don’t be shocked if the team stands pat in the first round and builds out its roster to draft someone on day two or just stick with Darnold in 2024 and find the quarterback of the future in 2025.
4
The Rams draft a quarterback in the first round
Sarah Stier/Getty Images
The Rams haven’t picked in the first round since 2016, when quarterback Jared Goff went to Los Angeles with the top selection. Could the Rams repeat history with quarterback Matthew Stafford at 36 and possibly needing a replacement in the next couple of years? While coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead have this first-rounder, they might consider someone like Penix (above) or Oregon’s Bo Nix as a long-term developmental option.
5
The Jaguars trade pick No. 17 to the Bengals for Tee Higgins
The Enquirer
Here’s our bold pick for a draft-night trade. The Jaguars add a top-flight wide receiver in Cincinnati Bengals star Tee Higgins, and Jacksonville sends Cincy its first-round pick in return. If the Bengals don’t intend to pay Higgins his deserved contract extension, getting a first-rounder for him now instead of a compensatory pick down the road might be the best bet.
