It’s all but assured that the Chicago Bears will select Caleb Williams with the first overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. Who will be the first player selected after Williams? That’s a lot less certain on Thursday night than it was on Wednesday.
On Wednesday, LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels was -330 to be the No. 2 pick (held by the Washington Commanders), while North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye was +270. By late Thursday afternoon, it had moved to Daniels at -180 with Maye at +130 — and things only got more narrow from there.
As of Thursday night, both Daniels and Maye were listed on DraftKings (per the Action Network) at -115 to be the No. 2 overall pick.
So, what gives?
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk noted the timing coincided with both quarterbacks being part of a group of four brought in by the Commanders for a visit.
“The development comes after the Commanders brought Daniels, Maye, J.J. McCarthy, and Michael Penix Jr. in for a visit on the same day,” Florio reported. “Daniels’s agent reacted on X, and word is now spreading that perhaps Daniels doesn’t want to go to the Commanders.”
Even with a presumptive No. 1 pick, the buildup to this draft has been anything but boring.
[Action Network on Twitter/X, Pro Football Talk]