It appears to be a two-horse race for the No. 1 pick at the 2024 NFL Draft between the Chicago Bears and Arizona Cardinals.
The Bears have the Carolina Panthers to thank for their perch atop the draft board with two games remaining in the regular season. Back in March, Chicago sent their No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft to the Panthers for wide receiver DJ Moore along with Carolina’s 2024 first-round and 2025 second-round picks.
While the Panthers came away with perceived franchise quarterback Bryce Young, they have the NFL’s worst record at 2-13 this season, and that No. 1 pick that would normally be theirs now belongs to Chicago.
Should the Panthers remain in that spot, the Bears are expected to draft a quarterback, which would spell an end to the Justin Fields era in Chicago after just three seasons. Fields hasn’t developed past mediocre in the NFL, completing 60.1% of his passes while averaging 2,086 passing yards per season with 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
That bodes well for the likes of USC’s Caleb Williams, long believed to be the No. 1 pick in the draft as long as a team that needs a quarterback holds the top spot.
But if the Cardinals come away with the league’s worst record, these odds could potentially shift drastically. Kyler Murray is under team control through at least the 2027 season with an option for 2028 and is still likely the team’s franchise quarterback.
They would have to lose both of their remaining games, however, just to have a chance at that. If it were to happen, then a talent like Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. could hear his name called first this spring.
Here is how the current odds look heading toward Week 17:
2024 NFL Draft No. 1 pick odds
- Caleb Williams, QB, USC: -500
- Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina: +400
- Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State: +2000
- Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU: +3500
Odds courtesy of FanDuel. For more, click here.
