The NFL Draft is one of sports’ greatest poker games.
It’s all about which teams can keep their cards close to their chest, win with a bad hand, and keep the opposition guessing. When the time is right, the best teams know when to push all their chips to the middle of the table.
No team can get by on being completely honest, especially when the other 31 are also searching for the next big star.
2024 NFL DRAFT TOP 10 LISTS: QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | EDGE
As we count down to the Chicago Bears officially being on the clock, the leaky faucet will be wide open, and sifting fact from fiction might as well be impossible.
How many quarterbacks land inside the top 10? Is the first round really going to be offense-heavy? Which teams are trading up and which ones can’t wait to trade back?
So many questions, so few answers. Soon enough, we’ll learn what was true and what wasn’t. Until then, Sporting News is rounding up all the latest and greatest buzz, rumors, and more ahead of Thursday night’s Round 1 in Detroit.
MORE: Big board top 200 | 7-round mock draft | Mock with trades
2024 NFL Draft rumors
Michael Penix Jr. to Falcons?
- Date: Sunday, April 21
- Source: ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler
After reports indicated that Penix is rising up draft boards, this link to the Falcons would represent a meteoric rise to No. 8. During an appearance on “SportsCenter,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler says that it may be “too rich,” adding that a pass-rusher would be a safer pick. The Falcons entire contingent did meet with Penix, however, fueling the fires. If the Falcons want to secure the services of Penix, they likely won’t have the luxury of taking him on Day 2 anymore, making this first- round selection an intriguing turning point in Round 1.
Jets could be leaning WR in Round 1
- Date: Sunday, April 22
- Source: ESPN’s Rich Cimini
The Brock Bowers hype has picked up in recent weeks, and while the Jets are still the favorite to select the former Georgia TE, it’s not a given, according to ESPN’s Rich Cimini. Bowers is certainly the leader in the clubhouse for the Jets at 10, but if Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, or Rome Odunze fall, the Jets might go the WR route. The team also reportedly hasn’t ruled out OT at No. 10, but Bowers certainly has the advantage right now.
Patriots ‘likely’ staying at 3
- Date: Sunday, April 21
- Source: ESPN’s Mike Reiss
While the Patriots are “open for business,” according to the team’s de facto GM Eliot Wolf, Reiss says his sources indicate the likeliest outcome is New England making their pick at No. 3. The Patriots won’t trade unless they get an offer they can’t refuse, so expect the team to walk away from night one with Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye or J.J. McCarthy as their QB of the future.
Michael Penix Jr. draft stock rising
- Date: Saturday, April 20
- Source: ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler
In an appearance on “SportsCenter,” Fowler said that the former Washington QB is believed to go in Round 1, according to multiple teams he spoke with. He said that teams are comfortable with the medical issues surrounding Penix, and he’s has been linked to the Raiders in what could be a first round that features six QBs.
Vikings looking to trade up
- Date: Thursday, April 18
- Source: ESPN’s Kimberley A. Martin
“They have been on the phone trying to actively move up,” Martin said on ESPN’s “Get Up. “In a perfect world, the Vikings would start Thursday with that top-five pick already in hand, but it’s not guaranteed yet, and their GM has to decide if they’re going to give up the kind of compensation that they need to get into the top five.”
It’s no secret that the Vikings would like to land the services of a top quarterback in this year’s draft following the departure of Kirk Cousins, but it does take two to tango. Depending on how high they go could tell us which player they’re targeting, though most rumors point toward J.J. McCarthy.
