Buying or Selling the Latest 2024 NFL Draft Buzz with Two Weeks to Go
The 2024 NFL draft is just over two weeks away, which means we're in the thick of smokescreen season.
Between now and April 25, rumors will continue to surface regarding how the early draft will unfold. Some reports will prove to be accurate, but some will be looked back upon as works of fiction—possibly constructed by teams as part of a pre-draft agenda.
Let's not forget about when an anonymous executive raised concerns about C.J. Stroud's S2 test score to Bob McGinn of Go Long last April. It seemed then that some team was trying to get the Ohio State product to fall in the draft—the Houston Texans took him at No. 2 anyway, and he had a rookie season for the ages.
Every piece of buzz should be taken with a grain of salt at this time of year, and there are plenty of rumors to sort through.
How do we view the latest NFL rumors with the draft only two weeks away? Let's take a look.
Giants Showing 'Strong' Interest in Quarterbacks
1 of 7
The New York Giants continue to keep their quarterback plans close to the vest. They could stick with Daniel Jones, who struggled in 2023 before suffering a torn ACL, and hope he rebounds. They could also look to use the No. 6 overall pick or trade up to take a signal-caller.
General manager Joe Schoen isn't letting it slip.
"People assume we're going quarterback, but we have other needs," he told Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated.
According to The Athletic's Dianna Russini, though, the Giants are "showing strong interest at the quarterback position." As she noted, New York might legitimately want a prospect like Drake Maye or J.J. McCarthy, or it could be trying to leverage the No. 6 pick in a trade with a QB-needy team.
Additionally, the Giants could be trying to get a QB-needy team to trade ahead of them so that one of the other top prospects falls to No. 6.
If New York was merely selling the idea of wanting a quarterback in order to create trade leverage, it would probably be showing more interest publicly. Sure, it has met with Maye, McCarthy and Michael Penix Jr., but teams regularly meet with prospects they don't intend to draft for information-gathering purposes.
The Giants do have other needs, but they also need to find an upgrade over Jones, who with a career 85.2 passer rating, hasn't shown enough to justify being New York's quarterback of the future.
If the right opportunity to draft or trade up to select a quarterback presents itself, the Giants will probably take it.
Verdict: Buy
Patriots Could Pass on a QB for a Receiver at No. 3
2 of 7
The Giants should be looking for their next long-term signal-caller, but the New England Patriots have to be.
New England traded 2021 first-round pick Mac Jones to the Jacksonville Jaguars this offseason and is set to turn to journeyman Jacoby Brissett in 2024.
The good news is that, with the third overall pick in the draft, the Patriots are poised to land one of the top three quarterbacks in this year's class, with USC's Caleb Williams presumably going to the Chicago Bears at No. 1.
According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, though, other teams are convinced that the Patriots could take a skill player like Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr. instead.
"It's not even a slam dunk they take a quarterback right now," Fowler told SportsCenter (h/t Bleacher Report's Joseph Zucker). "I have talked to a few teams that are drafting in the top 10-12 that wonder if the quarterback they want isn't there at No. 3 do they just take a Marvin Harrison Jr., stockpile some picks."
Harrison—the Bleacher Report Scouting Department's top-ranked prospect at any position—is certainly worth drafting third overall. But this is an impressive quarterback class, and New England's need is so great at the position, that it's hard to envision the Patriots simply passing on Maye, Daniels and/or McCarthy to take a skill player.
This is also a deep receiver class, so the Patriots could, theoretically, come back and grab a new top target on Day 2.
It feels far more likely that they are trying to generate some trade interest here. They could be trying to sell the pick to a QB-needy team before the Arizona Cardinals (No. 4) or Los Angeles Chargers (No. 5) do the same. More likely, they're looking to deal with the Cardinals or Chargers to get some free draft capital while still being in a position to grab a quarterback.
Verdict: Sell
Patriots Seeking More Than Three 1st-Round Picks to Trade Down
3 of 7
This rumor feels a bit more accurate, at least as it pertains to the Patriots trading down any substantial amount in the first round.
According to NBC Sports Boston's Tom Curran, New England would require more than three first-round picks to move down in a trade with the Minnesota Vikings, which own the 11th and 23rd overall selections.
"From what I'm hearing, it's going to take a lot more than that for the Patriots to be moved off their spot, because they, as a team, collectively understand the opportunity that these three quarterbacks represent at the top of the draft," he told the Patriots Talk Podcast (h/t Bleacher Report's Julia Stumbaugh).
Now we're getting somewhere. The Patriots likely do understand the value at the top of this year's quarterback class, and they're probably not interested in passing on a signal-caller barring an offer that is simply too great to ignore.
As noted, it feels far more likely that they are trying to trade back a spot or two, allowing the Cardinals or Chargers to move up for Harrison or LSU's Malik Nabers and still getting a top-four QB in the process.
Of course, this doesn't mean New England won't consider moving back so that a team like Minnesota, New York or the Las Vegas Raiders can go up for its quarterback. However, it's probably going to cost more than three first-round picks to make it happen.
If the Patriots were truly interested in trading out of range for a signal-caller—and therefore willing to take a couple of early draft picks in return—we'd probably be hearing more about how much they love this year's quarterback class.
Verdict: Buy
.png?w=256)
.jpg?w=256 "Cardinals Draft Love Football")
J. J. McCarthy Could Go No. 2 Overall
4 of 7
Of course, there's no telling which quarterbacks will still be available at No. 3 because the Bears and Washington Commanders hold the first two selections.
Chicago is still widely expected to take Williams, but Washington is a bit more of a wild card.
According to ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller, there's a real chance McCarthy could be the Commanders' pick:
"If this was one or two people saying it, I'd probably dismiss it as the usual April draft buzz that doesn't come to fruition. But enough sources around the NFL are whispering that McCarthy could very well be the second quarterback off the board that it has to be considered possible at this point."
We're going to dismiss this one, at least for now. While the Michigan product has the baseline tangibles to develop into a solid pro, he's the fourth-rated quarterback on the B/R board for a reason. He's a project, and not one likely to generate immediate excitement.
The Commanders are looking to turn the page on years of mediocrity under former franchise owner Daniel Snyder, and the new ownership group will be looking to make a splash. The high upside of Maye or the playmaking, Heisman-winning ability of Daniels are much more likely to do that.
Is there a chance Washington takes McCarthy at No. 2? Sure, but it doesn't feel likely. The continued rise of his draft stock feels like the product of a team or teams looking to A) get a prospect like Maye or Daniels to fall or B) someone trying to sell McCarthy as a trade target at a later spot.
Hey, if he's good enough for Washington to consider at No. 2, he's worth a couple of first-round picks at No. 4 or No. 5, right? Maybe not, but one can buy the intended logic. I'm not buying McCarthy as the second player off the board.
Verdict: Sell
Drake Maye Viewed as Having Highest Upside Among QBs
5 of 7
One reason why it's hard to buy into McCarthy being QB2 is the upside of Maye. He's the No. 1 quarterback on the B/R board, even above Williams, and other teams may share that belief.
"Drake Maye, I've heard from multiple league execs he has the most upside of any of the quarterbacks in this draft, maybe any player in this draft," Fowler told SportsCenter last month (h/t Bleacher Report's Zach Bachar). "He's got that Josh Allen, Justin Herbert build—I'm not saying he's them but he's got some of those shades."
This isn't the freshest bit of buzz on this list, but it's worth examining now because, while prospects such as McCarthy are seeing their draft stock rise—at least publicly—things have been neutral-to-negative regarding Maye.
"Maye is the kind of player that will get you fired," NFL analyst Merril Hodge told WCCO's Henry Lake (h/t Chris Schad of Athalon Sports).
It doesn't seem like anyone is actively trying to get the 21-year-old to fall, as appeared to be the case with Stroud last year, but the lack of buzz surrounding the North Carolina product might be telling.
When a team truly loves a prospect, it isn't going to rush out and tell the rest of the NFL. And it's easy to believe some teams do love Maye's ceiling, perhaps even more so than that of Williams.
"Maye has the skill set to fit in any system and develop into a star," Derrik Klassen of the B/R Scouting Department wrote.
It shouldn't come as a surprise if Maye is one of the first two quarterbacks off the board and was, quietly, his new team's top target all along.
Verdict: Buy
Michael Penix Jr. Likely to Be 1st-Round Pick
6 of 7
McCarthy isn't the only quarterback getting a late boost in draft stock. Following a stellar pro day—one that saw him run a sub-4.6 second 40-yard dash—Michael Penix Jr. is reportedly building some serious first-round buzz.
"I've talked to multiple teams who say they do not expect him to be there where they pick in the early-to-mid second round," Fowler told SportsCenter (h/t Stumbaugh).
I can buy the idea that the Washington product will land in the first round, but not necessarily because he warrants the draft range. He carries a considerable injury history and is the sixth-ranked quarterback on the B/R Scouting Department's board.
The Scouting Department graded Penix as a third- or fourth-round pick and behind Maye, Williams, Daniels, McCarthy and Oregon's Bo Nix.
However, it's entirely possible we'll see a team like the Giants, Denver Broncos or Las Vegas Raiders position itself to draft Penix late in Round 1, either by trading down or trading up out of Round 2.
The reason is the fifth-year option. Prospects selected in the first round come with it, but those drafted after Round 1 do not. That's important when quarterbacks are involved because building around a rookie QB contract is a great way to forge a contender.
Of course, Penix's building buzz may simply be the product of a team trying to trade down in the middle of Round 1. As Fowler noted, the 23-year-old has already met with the Raiders and Broncos and has privately worked out for the Vikings.
The Vikings, Broncos and Raiders own the 11th, 12th and 13th overall picks, respectively. If a team looking to trade out of the bottom of the top 10 is looking to trade down, hyping Penix as a first-round talent would theoretically be a way to generate a market.
Right now, though, it's hard to believe a team will bite.
Verdict: Buy and Sell
Bears, Jets Candidates to Trade Down
7 of 7
Which teams could be looking to trade out of the top 10? According to ESPN's Field Yates, the Bears and Jets are believed to be interested.
"When I ask team personnel about intriguing opponents picking in the top 10, two that come up often are the Chicago Bears and New York Jets. Why? The potential of a trade down," he wrote.
There's reason to believe both teams could be interested in acquiring more draft capital. The Jets don't have a second-round pick because of last year's Aaron Rodgers deal, and while Chicago has the first and ninth selections, it only has four total picks.
However, it's much easier to believe the Bears are interested in trading down than it is for the Jets.
Chicago general manager Ryan Poles showed last year when trading the No. 1 overall selection that he isn't afraid to prioritize draft capital. After grabbing their quarterback of the future at No. 1, the Bears could well look to add some picks to move out of the No. 9 spot.
With trade acquisition Keenan Allen on an expiring contract, Chicago might be interested in a receiver at No. 9, and it's a deep draft class at the position. It could, theoretically, move down a few spots and still land a pass-catcher or offensive lineman to help said signal-caller.
The Jets, however, feel a lot more desperate to win now. Rodgers' debut season in New York was cut extremely short, and both head coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas could be on the hot seat if Year 2 of the Rodgers experiment isn't substantially better.
If a player who can immediately help New York—such as Nabers, Washington receiver Rome Odunze, Georgia tight end Brock Bowers or Toledo cornerback Quinyon Mitchell—is sitting at No. 10, it's hard to imagine Douglas passing on him.
Teams may view the No. 9 and No. 10 spots as potentially obtainable assets, but if a franchise is looking to move into that range, its first call should be to Chicago.
Verdict: Buy Chicago, Sell New York
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=480 "Cardinals Draft Love Football")
.jpg?w=480 "Cowboys Commanders Football")
.png?w=600 "Who Will Panthers Take at No. 9 ? 🤔")
.jpg?w=600 "WWE NXT Results & Grades 🔠")
