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• The Bears may very well be in line for a prime receiver to fall to them at No. 9: A large receiver room that already options D.J. Moore and Keenan Allen may develop into elite with a participant like Rome Odunze.
• The Vikings ought to have J.J. McCarthy on their radar: Whether or not it requires a trade-up or the Michigan signal-caller falls to No. 11, Minnesota must be focusing on McCarthy.
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A primary-round choose within the NFL draft may be transformative for the crew that invests it correctly. Having two first-round picks supplies a crew with the power to do one thing particular.
Three groups are sitting there with this chance within the 2024 NFL Draft as of now — the Chicago Bears, Arizona Cardinals and Minnesota Vikings — with two of the three seemingly to make use of a kind of picks on a quarterback. Solely the Vikings appear more likely to bundle these picks to go after a single participant, sitting as they’re with the eleventh choose in a draft the place 4 quarterbacks could also be chosen earlier than they’re on the clock.
We’re going to current the best-case state of affairs for every crew with two picks, beginning with the highest choose of the draft.
Chicago Bears (Decide Nos. 1 and 18)
Caleb Williams to the Bears with the highest choose of the draft isn’t a shock, however that’s as a result of it’s the right choose and the most effective they will do. Williams is the most effective quarterback prospect on this draft, and top-of-the-line to enter the league in a number of years. Williams has a uncommon skill to make performs exterior of construction however can also be much better inside rhythm than he’s given credit score for. He can execute an NFL offense to a particularly excessive commonplace after which add a layer of magic on prime when issues break down, one thing only a few quarterbacks can hope to match.
It’s no assure Williams will work out, however the Bears have already taken strides to make sure that he has the assistance round him that Justin Fields didn’t have, buying and selling for Keenan Allen to pair with DJ Moore earlier than the draft.
With Williams on board, Chicago may go in many various instructions at No. 9, and the arrival of Allen means the crew doesn’t must chase any improve in receiving expertise, but when one of many “large three” receivers falls, the Bears couldn’t do higher than snagging him. On this state of affairs, that’s Rome Odunze, an outstanding composite of bodily instruments and playmaking skill — and arguably extra uncooked than Marvin Harrison Jr. and Malik Nabers. Odunze may very well be a right away playmaker for the Bears and study to spherical out his sport from Moore and Allen.
Arizona Cardinals (Decide Nos. 4 and 27)
The true best-case state of affairs for Arizona may arguably function a trade-down from their prime spot, relying on the desperation of quarterback-needy groups under them. However assuming they persist with their choice, drafting the most effective receiver accessible is a no brainer. Regardless of us reaching the “overthinking Marvin Harrison Jr.” portion of the pre-draft course of, he’s nonetheless arguably the most effective participant on this class, no matter place.
Harrison sheds contact by defenders extra simply than any receiver I can keep in mind getting into the draft, and he averaged 3.44 yards per route run final season regardless of an unsightly quarterback state of affairs for the Buckeyes in a post-C.J. Stroud panorama. Harrison would instantly develop into the crew’s greatest receiver and a prime goal for Kyler Murray.
With the Cardinals’ second first-round choose, the crew ought to take a look at the most effective defender accessible. Laiatu Latu has the potential to slip within the draft due to his medical historical past and the way he compares to different prime prospects athletically. It’s not that Latu is a nasty athlete, it’s simply that he isn’t particular in the way in which Alabama’s Dallas Turner or Penn State’s Chop Robinson are. Latu is, nevertheless, considerably extra productive than anybody else on this draft and has peerless method. Final season, he recorded an impressive 26.2% pass-rush win charge, notching 62 quarterback pressures from solely 304 pass-rushing snaps.
Minnesota Vikings (Decide Nos. 11 and 23)
At this stage, I’d be shocked to see Minnesota use each of its first-round picks. I anticipate them to bundle these picks to maneuver up within the draft to get their most well-liked quarterback. If they’re prepared to commerce up for McCarthy, then an absolute dream state of affairs is that they don’t should and he falls to them at No. 11 as a substitute. McCarthy’s analysis is hard as a result of Michigan’s offense coupled with the crew’s dominance final season meant that we hardly ever received to see McCarthy put the crew on his again. He tried simply 116 passes within the second half of video games, however he has the instruments and demeanor of a franchise quarterback within the making.
The Vikings would safe their future and have the bridge in Sam Darnold that permits them to carry McCarthy on slowly.
After McCarthy, the Vikings want so as to add an impression defender to a crew that was making issues work with smoke and mirrors on that aspect of the ball in 2023. Ultimately, that plan was foiled and the protection was gashed late within the 12 months. Terrion Arnold has among the slickest man protection expertise of any draft prospect in years, and whereas most groups within the league play zone much more typically, the Vikings beneath Brian Flores nonetheless covet man cowl expertise greater than anything on the again finish.
In single protection this previous season, Arnold broke up 11 passes and recorded three interceptions from solely 43 targets, permitting only a 41.0 passer ranking into his protection.
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