8 Pressing Draft Questions with the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine Underway
This week, collegiate prospects continue on a road to the pros at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, where they will showcase their physical tools and get familiar with personnel from all 32 teams.
Players will lift, jump, run, throw and catch in front of talent evaluators. Some of them need to impress coaching staffs in sit-down interviews and on the whiteboard as well.
For many prospects, the scouting combine could be a make-or-break event for their draft stock with on-field performances, interviews and medical records that can impact their standing on big boards.
In Indianapolis, teams will gather information to make the best decisions through seven rounds of the 2024 draft between April 25 and 27 in Detroit.
Before the on-field workouts start on Thursday, let's go through the biggest draft questions that will be major topics of discussion during and after the combine.
What Will the Bears Do with the No. 1 Overall Pick?
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The Chicago Bears will set the table for the 2024 draft with the No. 1 overall pick.
They could take Caleb Williams with the first selection or create chaos by trading the pick. If the Bears plan to build around quarterback Justin Fields or prefer another rookie signal-caller, they could accept a blockbuster trade offer for the top pick from a team that's willing to sell the farm for Williams.
While most mock drafts have linked the Bears to Williams, NBC Sports' Peter King presented an opposing viewpoint.
"I suppose the Bears are going to trade the top pick," King wrote. "I know nothing, but that seems to be the way the wind is blowing."
On Tuesday, general manager Ryan Poles suggested he would make a deal to trade Fields before free agency if the team intends to draft a quarterback with the top selection in the draft.
If Poles stays true to those comments, we will be able to narrow down the possible scenarios for the No. 1 overall pick, but outsiders may still question what Chicago will do with its first selection even if the team trades Fields.
Poles has addressed speculation that Williams may not want to play for the Bears, but he has "no concerns" about those rumors. Keep in mind that Williams grew up in the Washington, D.C. area, and the Washington Commanders have the No. 2 overall pick.
Williams spoke to ESPN's Pete Thamel about the possibility of going to Chicago or elsewhere.
"If I get drafted by the Bears, I'll be excited," Williams said. "If they trade the pick, and I get drafted by someone else, I'm just as excited. Speaking about Chicago, they have a talented team, a talented offense and defense. For anyone to be in that situation, I think they'd be excited."
Should the Patriots Consider Wide Receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. with No. 3 Pick?
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For the first time in nearly 25 years, Bill Belichick isn't running the show for the New England Patriots as the head coach and de facto general manager. New England promoted inside linebackers coach Jerod Mayo to take over the head coaching position, and Eliot Wolf will have the final say on the team's 2024 draft, though he's not the official general manager of the team.
The Patriots must find a solution at quarterback after they benched Mac Jones for Bailey Zappe in the final six games of the 2023 season.
ESPN's Dan Graziano talked to people around the league who believe New England will address the position in free agency and trade its top pick.
"The Patriots also need a quarterback, but there are people around the league who believe they are open to trading the No. 3 selection, moving back in the draft and addressing the quarterback position in free agency," Graziano wrote.
Brent Sobleski, who's part of Bleacher Report's scouting department, made a compelling case that the Patriots "can't pass" on wideout Marvin Harrison Jr., even for a top quarterback.
For transparency, Harrison is B/R's top-graded rookie in the 2024 draft class.
Sobleski's take may become a reality. The Athletic's Chad Graff noted that the Patriots could take Harrison over a quarterback if they're not impressed with how the top signal-callers interview at the combine.
"The other question for the Patriots is how Daniels will interview and how he'll test when they run him through plays on the whiteboard. How Daniels (and Maye) do this week will go a long way in determining whether the Patriots draft a quarterback or wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. with the third pick."
While the Patriots may surprise some people if they pass on a quarterback, remember, their offense ranked 31st in scoring and 30th in total yards last season. By the way, the offense doesn't have a dynamic playmaker on the perimeter.
Does J.J. McCarthy Have the Most to Gain Among the Quarterback Prospects?
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Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye won't throw at the combine (h/t The Athletic), which means the projected second-tier quarterbacks could shine in Indianapolis in the passing drills.
Among the signal-callers who will throw at Lucas Oil Stadium, McCarthy may be the most intriguing prospect, because he's coming off a national title victory and has modest passing numbers (in volume) compared to the other second-tier passers in the class.
In two years as a full-time starter at Michigan, McCarthy threw for 5,710 yards, 44 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
Yes, Bo Nix and Michael Penix Jr. made a lot more collegiate starts than McCarthy. But in just the previous two years, Penix threw for 9,544 yards, 67 touchdowns and 19 interceptions while Nix threw for 8,101 yards, 74 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
The Wolverines didn't ask McCarthy to carry the offense, which may lead to questions about how much he can handle on the pro level. While his on-field workouts won't do much to address those concerns, he can still showcase upside through his physical traits to increase his draft stock and garner consideration as a top-15 draft pick.
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Will Chargers Take a Blue-Chip Prospect or Trade Down to Load Up on Draft Capital?
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This offseason, the Los Angeles Chargers brought in a new regime, hiring head coach Jim Harbaugh and general manager Joe Hortiz. Harbaugh added Greg Roman to run the offense.
We're familiar with the Harbaugh-Roman connection from their time together with the San Francisco 49ers between 2011 and 2014. The 49ers ranked within the top 10 in rushing for each of those terms.
As a first-time general manager, Hortiz is the wild card in the Chargers' roster-building process, though he's served as the Baltimore Ravens' director of player personnel while Roman held the offensive coordinator position with the club.
Based on what we've seen from Harbaugh's hard-nosed teams in San Francisco and Michigan and from Roman's synergy with Horitz in fielding run-heavy offensive attacks in Baltimore, Los Angeles will likely go through an identity shift.
Under former head coach Brandon Staley, Los Angeles relied heavily on quarterback Justin Herbert's arm in the passing game. The Chargers ranked within the top three in pass attempts every year between 2021 and 2023.
Going forward, the Chargers may develop a reliable ground game, which may lead to changes along the offensive line, especially with center Corey Linsley likely to retire, and in the backfield as running back Austin Ekeler prepares to test free agency.
As of Thursday, Los Angeles is $25.6 million over the cap space threshold. With limited cap flexibility, the club could use its draft capital to transform the offense. If so, the Chargers could trade down from the fifth spot and add more draft capital to retool the roster.
On the other hand, the Chargers can also take Brock Bowers, who's Bleacher Report's No. 2 overall prospect in the class.
Bowers isn't a tight end who's going to make an immediate impact with his blocking, but the Chargers have two oft-injured wide receivers in Keenan Allen and Mike Williams and a need at tight end with Gerald Everett on an expiring contract.
Bowers is a supremely talented pass-catching tight end who could become a safety blanket for Herbert in the passing game.
Will the Raiders Move into a Top-10 Spot for a Quarterback?
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With the No. 13 overall pick, the Las Vegas Raiders are a wild-card team in the draft order.
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Raiders "have been in the market" for a quarterback, and they could make an attempt to move up for a prospect at the position.
Though Rapoport also noted that the Raiders could consider free-agent quarterbacks, they may have not many starting-caliber options if the Minnesota Vikings re-sign Kirk Cousins and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers retain Baker Mayfield.
The Denver Broncos need to resolve their situation with Russell Wilson, but as a former Super Bowl-winning quarterback coming off a year with decent passing numbers (3,070 yards, 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 15 starts), he will likely garner several suitors.
Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal believes the Raiders will be "hyperfocused" on quarterbacks at the combine.
If general manager Tom Telesco and head coach Antonio Pierce have that level of urgency to find competition for Aidan O'Connell, the Raiders could make strong offers to teams like the New England Patriots (No. 3), Arizona Cardinals (No. 4) and New York Giants (No. 6) to land their target.
One way or another, the Raiders will add to the quarterback room with Jimmy Garoppolo's likely departure after the league handed him a two-game suspension for a performance-enhancing drug violation (h/t ESPN's Adam Schefter) and Brian Hoyer going into his age-39 term.
At the least, the Raiders need to see O'Connell compete for the starting job, and they may have their sights set on a potential competitor who's going to perform at the combine. Telesco will probably take a lot of notes on J.J. McCarthy, Bo Nix and Michael Penix Jr.
Will There Be an Early Run on Top Offensive Linemen?
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Bleacher Report's scouting department ranked five offensive linemen within the top 20 prospects in its post-Super Bowl big board with tackles Joe Alt and Olumuyiwa Fashanu as two of the top-six graded players in the class.
Many expect to see quarterbacks in the top five spots with wideout Marvin Harrison Jr. mixed in, though offensive tackles could be in high demand within the first 10 selections.
The New England Patriots (No. 3), New York Giants (No. 6), Tennessee Titans (No. 7) and New York Jets (No. 10) all have glaring needs along their offensive lines.
After teams take the top quarterbacks and Harrison off the board, the Giants or Titans could pick Alt or Fashanu, which may create urgency for other clubs with needs at tackle. As a result, JC Latham, Tyler Guyton and Amarius Mims could slide into the top 15.
By the way, don't rule out Troy Fautanu, who played left tackle at Washington but may have the versatility to play guard, and interior offensive lineman Jackson Powers-Johnson as potential first-rounders.
Who's the Top Running Back in the 2024 Class?
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The running back class hasn't generated a palpable buzz in the early stretch of the draft season. Only one prospect at the position, Trey Benson, ranks within the top 50 on Bleacher Report's big board.
With that said, teams can still find a running back who can become a difference-maker from this year's class.
Most teams use a rotation of tailbacks out of the backfield because of the increasing number of specialists at the position with high-level pass-catchers, change-of-pace ball-carriers who have elite speed or agility and third-down guys who can pick up tough blocking assignments.
Overall, Benson may be the top running back with his elite speed and rugged run style, though teams that prefer a more productive pass-catcher at the position may rank Bucky Irving higher than him on the draft board.
Over the past two years, Irving has hauled in 87 passes for 712 yards and five touchdowns. He should be able to contribute on third downs if he's able to help out in pass blocking and blitz pickups.
As lead ball-carriers at their respective schools, Jonathon Brooks (Texas), Audric Estime (Notre Dame) and Braelon Allen (Wisconsin) could challenge Benson for the top spot among the running backs. We could see some separation within this group at the combine.
Who Wins the Battle for Top Cornerback Between Terrion Arnold and Quinyon Mitchell?
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The battle for top cornerback in the class may come down to Terrion Arnold and Quinyon Mitchell.
Coming out of Alabama, Arnold has the school pedigree working in his favor, though Mitchell made a lot of plays on the ball at Toledo. Over the past two years, both cornerbacks have racked up pass breakups and the same number of interceptions (six) as standouts with sticky coverage.
Bleacher Report's scouting department handed out the same grade (8.5) to Arnold and Mitchell, though the former lists two spots higher among overall prospects on the big board.
As B/R scout Cory Giddings suggests, Mitchell seems more suited for a zone-heavy scheme, though he has the ability to play in man coverage. Arnold's versatility as a capable boundary and slot defender may give him the edge over Mitchell, though.
With the heavy use of nickel defenses across the league, teams may prefer a cornerback who can move around the secondary as a chess piece if necessary.
College football statistics are provided by cfbstats.
2024 NFL draft order information is provided by Tankathon.
Maurice Moton covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.
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