The 2024 NFL draft order is starting to take shape as we hit Thanksgiving. There will be seven more weeks before we know exactly what the top 10 will look like and how the teams will stack up, but we at least have a decent idea right now of which teams will be in the mix. After all, six still have three or fewer wins through Week 11 of the 2023 NFL season and might have an eye to the future. Luckily, this draft class is loaded with upper-tier talent, including a few quarterbacks who should come off the board very, very quickly.
With all that in mind, we decided to take a quick spin through the top 10. NFL draft analysts Matt Miller, Jordan Reid and Field Yates debated which prospects make sense for each team projected to have an early selection. Which teams need quarterbacks? Who could get an elite receiver? And which franchises will look closely at the defensive prospects? Reid, Miller and Yates discussed each franchise's options and needs before arriving at a consensus pick in each spot. Finally, they wrapped it all up by each naming a team to watch from the list of franchises outside the top 10.
Note: For the draft order, we used the ESPN Football Power Index's projections (FPI) through Week 10 -- not Week 11. That puts the Bears (via the Panthers) on the clock to get us started.
Jump to a pick:
CHI (via CAR) | NYG | ARI | NE | CHI
WSH | TEN | GB | LV | NYJ
Wild cards to watch
1. Chicago Bears (via 1-9 CAR)
Yates: We might look back at Chicago's decision to trade down with Carolina in March as one of the most impactful of recent years. Not only did the Bears bring in extra picks and a WR1 in DJ Moore, they also landed this projected No. 1 pick in 2024 -- a massive coup. And while quarterback Justin Fields has had moments of promise, our FPI projects the Bears' own pick to be No. 5 overall. If that happens, it's unlikely Fields showed dramatic improvement over the rest of the season, meaning a reset at quarterback is probably in play.