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          2024 NFL draft: Caleb Williams and top picks welcomed to new cities

          • ESPN staffApr 26, 2024, 01:44 AM

          The inevitable was confirmed on Thursday night when the Chicago Bears selected Caleb Williams with the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

          Williams has been the presumptive top pick since his Heisman-winning campaign in 2022, when he led the USC Trojans to a 11-1 regular-season record. He threw for 93 touchdowns in his college career, also adding 27 on the ground.

          He'll now be tasked with helping the Bears to their first winning season since 2018. A number of Chicago's sports teams and athletes took to Twitter to share their excitement for the pick once Williams' selection was confirmed:

          Jayden Daniels, this season's Heisman winner, landed with the Washington Commanders at No. 2 overall. Daniels rocketed up draft boards this past fall at LSU, with 50 total touchdowns against just four interceptions in the 2023 season.

          Magic Johnson, who is part of the Commanders' ownership group, was among the personalities to react to Daniels' big moment:

          After the New England Patriots took Drake Maye with the third pick, the Arizona Cardinals became the first team to select a non-quarterback, picking Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. at No. 4.

          Harrison Jr. was the consensus top wideout on the board, having posted back-to-back seasons with 1000+ receiving yards in Columbus. His father, Marvin Harrison Sr. is a Hall of Fame wide receiver himself, plying his trade for the Indianapolis Colts. Harrison Jr.'s new quarterback, Kyler Murray, led the reactions to his selection:

          The surprise pick of the first round came at pick No. 8, when the Atlanta Falcons selected Washington Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The 23-year-old helped the Huskies reach the national title game this season, throwing for nearly 5,000 yards in the process. The pick wasn't without controversy, though, given the Falcons just signed veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins to a four-year deal just last month.