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The QB ripple effect of the 2024 NFL Draft

jason fitz
Analyst

Yahoo Sports’ Jason Fitz explains why there's so much intrigue surrounding the 2024 NFL Draft and why the QB rush at the top of the 1st round could mean we see six QBs taken and other top talent pushed to later in the round.

Video Transcript

JASON FITZ: You could make an argument that the 2024 NFL draft is the most interesting draft we've seen in years. And largely, that's because of quarterbacks. Now, we all know that, according to every mock that you read, quarterbacks are expected to go one, two, and three. We all expect Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, and Jayden Daniels in some order to be the top three picks. But it's not just them. JJ McCarthy is widely regarded as somebody that is going to be selected in the top five. It might take a trade to do that, but that's going to happen.

So now you're looking at four quarterbacks that will go in the top 10. That doesn't even include Bo Nix and Michael Penix Jr., two other quarterbacks that people are talking about. So when you have the Bo Nix conversation, if you talk to insiders around the league, they tell you he's more highly regarded than we think. There's a real shot that we could see as many as five or six quarterbacks go in the first round and as many as five or six go in the first half of the first round.

Now, the trickle-down impact of that is that great players are going to fall lower than ever before. Marvin Harrison Jr. in many years would be the top overall pick in the draft. Joe Alt, the tackle, in many years would be a consideration for top overall pick in this year's draft. Those are the types of players that are going to be available later than ever, simply because of the obsession right now we have with quarterbacks.

This will be an unprecedented year in the draft, not just because of the quarterbacks but because of the other players impacted by it, and because there are several teams desperate to move up to the draft if that's what it takes in order to get a solution at the most important position in all of sports.

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