NFL Rumors: Drake Maye Favorite for No. 2 Pick in 2024 Draft; Commanders 'High' on QB

North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye "should remain the favorite as the second pick" to the Washington Commanders based on opinions around the NFL, according to The Athletic's Jeff Howe.

Howe reported the Commanders are "high" on him.

Maye is widely considered the second-best quarterback in the 2024 draft class, and he narrowly edges out USC's Caleb Williams for the top spot at the position in Bleacher Report's big board.

B/R's most recent mock draft projected a trade up to the No. 1 overall pick for Washington, with Williams getting the nod.

Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported the Chicago Bears "spent most of the week gauging interest around the league" in quarterback Justin Fields. Moving to the top of the first round might be tough if the Bears are increasingly coming around to the idea of dealing Fields and in turn finding a new starting QB.

The Commanders don't need to be overly aggressive to ensure they land a highly touted signal-caller. Assuming Williams goes to Chicago, Maye would be a viable alternative.

As a junior, he threw for 3,608 yards, 24 touchdowns and nine interceptions while completing 63.3 percent of his throws. He also displayed some mobility with the Tar Heels, running for 1,147 yards and 16 scores in his two years as a starter.

"Overall, Maye is a supremely talented passer," B/R NFL scout Derrik Klassen wrote his evaluation. "He has the athleticism, arm talent and baseline processing skills to become a weapon at the next level. All he needs to do is cut out some of the 'doing too much' plays. Maye has the skill set to fit in any system and develop into a star."

Klassen compared Maye to Los Angeles Chargers star Justin Herbert, with Howe reporting others have drawn the same parallel.

"He can throw the s--t out of the ball," one NFL team executive said of Maye.

The 6'4" quarterback might thrive in a Kliff Kingsbury-led offense.