With the 2024 NFL Draft right around the corner, I wanted to put out an article discussing some teams that I think will determine the path of the first round. There is a consensus groupthink on who will go first overall (Caleb Williams) but after that, a lot is up in the air. With that in mind, I think there is room for plenty of chaos to ensue on Thursday, April 25th, and the majority of teams could go any number of directions with their first-round selections. Below I have listed 5 teams that stick out to me as far as intriguing options for what they can do in the first round. Leave a comment below with your thoughts on the first round, and what directions you think these 5 teams will go.

Team #1: The Minnesota Vikings

I think it is fair to say that the Vikings have one of the more talented offenses in the NFL. Had it not been for the injury to Kirk Cousins last year, they were on a path to make the playoffs and compete for the #1 spot in the NFC North. With Cousins now in Atlanta, the Vikings have brought in Sam Darnold as his “replacement.” Within the last few months, the Vikings made a move to acquire pick #23 in the draft, while still holding onto their selection at #11. The majority of people believe the Vikings are prime trade-up contenders, as they could package picks #23 and #11 (and potentially more) to move up in the draft, with some experts suggesting they could move up as high as pick #3. I believe this to be the most likely option, and probably in their best interest to do so. There have been talks, however, of the Vikings rolling with Darnold as their starter for the 2024-25 season, loading up other positions in the 2024 draft, and taking a QB in FA or the Draft in 2025. There would be serious implications behind this strategy, primarily with star WR Justin Jefferson who, as of April 16th, has yet to sign a long-term deal with the franchise. If they roll with Darnold in 2024 and the team struggles, would Jefferson request a trade out of Minnesota? No clue. But if I were the Vikings, that would be a scenario I would not toy around with.

My prediction: The Vikings trade up with Arizona and draft QB JJ McCarthy at pick #4.

Team #2: The Washington Commanders

I know that some of you might be wondering how the Commanders could be a team to watch out for in Round 1. Pretty much every draft expert knows that the Commanders are going to more than likely stay put at #2 and select a QB. I am not debating that, and I think they are a team to watch based on WHAT QB they end up taking at #2. With Sam Howell being traded to Seattle, and a brand-new regime at HC and OC: it is a no-brainer that the Commanders will take a QB with the #2 overall pick. Which QB will they take? For the longest time, the overall belief was they would take Drake Maye. However, Maye seems to be slipping down the board a bit within the draft community over the last few weeks. Since he’s a UNC guy, would just be another Sam Howell type player? I certainly don’t think so. The rumor coming out of the NFL Owner’s meeting last month was that the Commanders were leaning toward taking J.J. McCarthy at pick #2. McCarthy has had essentially the opposite happen to him over the last few weeks compared to Drake Maye, as he went from a borderline first rounder to a potential top 3 pick. There is also a surge in experts who believe that QB Jayden Daniels might be the selection at #2. With this in mind, there is an additional rumor that Jayden Daniels does NOT want to go to Washington, as him and his agency were not impressed with how his visit to the team went. In the end, the Commanders are going to take a QB, but which QB they’re going to take remains anyone’s guess.

My prediction: The Commanders select QB Drake Maye at Pick #2.

Team #3: The Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals hold the #4 and #27 overall pick in the first round of the NFL Draft. The consensus among experts is that the Cardinals will either remain put and select the best player available or trade back to acquire additional picks. If they remain put at #4, I believe the likely selection would be WR Marvin Harrison Jr. However, the Cardinals have a lot of holes on their roster, including DL, CB, and WR. Would it make most sense to acquire more GOOD players rather than one GREAT player in MHJ? That is a question for the front office to answer. Now, another scenario that I believe to be highly unlikely (albeit possible) is the Cardinals taking a QB at pick #4. Let’s say one of Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye fall to the Cardinals at pick #4, is there any chance they pull the trigger? Like I said, I highly doubt this, and their GM has expressed supreme confidence in QB Kyler Murray. I still believe Kyler is the long-term answer at QB for the Cardinals, but still a fun scenario to consider.

My prediction: The Cardinals trade back to #11 with the Minnesota Vikings, and select WR Rome Odunze

Team #4: The Denver Broncos

Out of all of the teams I have discussed so far, the Broncos are the one team I am truly remised as to their long-term plans. They hold pick #12 in the first round, and only 6 picks overall in the entire NFL Draft. With Russell Wilson’s departure, there is a massive hole at QB on the roster. As of today, Jared Stidham would be the starting QB as they didn’t add a QB in free agency. One situation that is not out of the realm of possibility is the Broncos packaging picks + players to move up in the draft to select a QB. This would be a risky scenario that would leave them with very few picks to work with in this year’s draft, and likely without their first-round pick in next year’s draft. With this in mind, there are a lot of other needs on this roster that need addressing other than QB. They need help at the Edge position, and they also need another corner opposite of superstar Patrick Surtain. With their lack of picks, I could also see them trading back in order to acquire more picks and load up on positions of need throughout the rest of the draft. With Sean Payton going into his 2nd season with the team, there are expectations that they will see improvement, and the draft is the perfect time to set the roster up to do so.

My prediction: The Broncos select CB Quinyon Mitchell at Pick #12.

Team #5: The Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys hold pick #24 in the first round of the NFL Draft after their blowout loss to the Packers in the Wild Card round of the NFL Playoffs in 2024. The running joke during free agency surrounded the Cowboy’s lack of additions during the free agency period. This happens to be extremely accurate, as the Cowboys lost some key players and didn’t make any notable additions. With this in mind, they also have some star players who are due top of the league contracts at their respective positions, including CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons. In addition, they also have to figure out what to do with QB Dak Prescott who has a $55 million cap hit in 2024 and will become a free agent in 2025. Will they Cowboys extend Dak, trade him, or let him walk in free agency? There is one major void year on his contract in 2025, with a dead cap hit of $40 million, making it more difficult to let him walk. This is likely the main concern of the team, as well as signing Lamb and Parsons to long-term deals, which could be the underlying reason as to their lack of moves in free agency. With this in mind, what will be their draft strategy in the 2024 NFL Draft? I believe there are two likely scenarios: stay put at #24 or trade back to acquire more picks. The Cowboys have 7 total picks in the draft and could potentially trade back to acquire more. However, I believe they most likely scenario would be to stay put at pick #24, which is what I believe will happen on draft night.

My prediction: The Cowboys select OL Tyler Guyton at Pick #24.

Conclusion

The 2024 NFL Draft is going to be filled with chaos and is going to be awesome. It is easily one of the best, most exciting nights of the year for NFL fans, and everyone is anxious to see who their team will select. There are so many teams that are up in the air as far as what direction they are going to go, which makes the draft that much more exciting. This is one of those drafts where seemingly everything after pick #1 is a mystery, which always leads to more excitement and big moves. I will round out this article by stating I am by no means a draft expert, but these are my best guesses as to what the teams above will do. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the directions you think these teams will go in the draft!