The 2024 NFL draft is quickly approaching and the No. 1 overall pick shouldn’t be much of a surprise.
Quarterbacks are at a premium in this year’s draft, which kicks off in Detroit next week, and USA TODAY Sports’ latest mock draft predicts four of the first five names off the draft board will be quarterbacks. The 2024 draft class includes a pair of Heisman-winning quarterbacks in USC’s Caleb Williams (2022) and LSU’s Jayden Daniels (2023), in addition to Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy, North Carolina QB Drake Maye and Oregon QB Box Nix.
The 2024 NFL draft will begin with the first round on Thursday, April 25 (8 p.m. ET). The second and third rounds will be held Friday, April 26 (7 p.m. ET), followed by rounds four through seven on Saturday, April 27 (noon ET).
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The Chicago Bears will be on the clock first, followed by the Washington Commanders, New England Patriots, Arizona Cardinals and Minnesota Vikings. Here’s everything to know about the first overall pick:
Who has the No. 1 pick?
The Bears have the No. 1 pick this year after acquiring it from the Carolina Panthers last year.
The Panthers traded two first-round picks and receiver DJ Moore to the Bears last year in exchange for the No. 1 pick of the 2023 NFL draft, which Carolina used to select quarterback Bryce Young first overall. The Panthers went on to the finish 2023 season with a league-worst record of 2-15. That means the 2024 first-round draft pick that Carolina traded away to the Bears in 2023 will be a No. 1 pick this year.
The Bears have the opportunity to make two top-ten selections this year — Chicago also has the No. 9 pick.
Who will the Bears draft with the No. 1 pick?
The Bears are expected to draft USC star and 2022 Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams first overall. Chicago even appeared to make room for Williams by trading 2021 No. 1 draft pick Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers last month.
Williams is fairly confident he will hear his name early in the night.
“I don’t think I’m not going to be No. 1,” Williams said at the league’s annual scouting combine in March. “I put in all the hard work. All of the time, effort, energy into being that. I don’t think of a Plan B. That’s kind of how I do things in my life. I don’t think of a Plan B. Stay on Plan A and then when things don’t work out find a way to make Plan A work.”
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What is the 2024 NFL draft order?
The Bears have the first overall pick in the first round. Here’s the full 2024 NFL draft order.
Every No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft
A quarterback has been taken first overall in seven of the last 10 drafts. Here’s every first overall pick since the inaugural draft in 1936:
- 2023: Bryce Young, QB, Alabama | Carolina Panthers
- 2022: Travon Walker, DE, Georgia | Jacksonville Jaguars
- 2021: Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson | Jacksonville Jaguars
- 2020: Joe Burrow, QB, LSU | Cincinnati Bengals
- 2019: Kyler Murray, QB, Oklahoma | Arizona Cardinals
- 2018: Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma | Cleveland Browns
- 2017: Myles Garrett, DE, Texas A&M | Cleveland Browns
- 2016: Jared Goff, QB, California | Los Angeles Rams
- 2015: Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State | Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- 2014: Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina | Houston Texans
- 2013: Eric Fisher, OT, Central Michigan | Kansas City Chiefs
- 2012: Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford | Indianapolis Colts
- 2011: Cam Newton, QB, Auburn | Carolina Panthers
- 2010: Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma | St. Louis Rams
- 2009: Matthew Stafford, QB, Georgia | Detroit Lions
- 2008: Jake Long, OT, Michigan | Miami Dolphins
- 2007: JaMarcus Russell, QB, LSU | Oakland Raiders
- 2006: Mario Williams, DE, North Carolina State | Houston Texans
- 2005: Alex Smith, QB, Utah | San Francisco 49ers
- 2004: Eli Manning, QB, Ole Miss | San Diego Chargers
- 2003: Carson Palmer, QB, USC | Cincinnati Bengals
- 2002: David Carr, QB, Fresno State | Houston Texans
- 2001: Michael Vick, QB, Virginia Tech | Atlanta Falcons
- 2000: Courtney Brown, DE, Penn State | Cleveland Browns
- 1999: Tim Couch, QB, Kentucky | Cleveland Browns
- 1998: Peyton Manning, QB, Tennessee | Indianapolis Colts
- 1997: Orlando Pace, OT, Ohio State | St. Louis Rams
- 1996: Keyshawn Johnson, WR, USC | New York Jets
- 1995: Ki-Jana Carter, HB, Penn State | Cincinnati Bengals
- 1994: Dan Wilkinson, DT, Ohio State | Cincinnati Bengals
- 1993: Drew Bledsoe, QB, Washington State | New England Patriots
- 1992: Steve Emtman, DE, Washington | Indianapolis Colts
- 1991: Russell Maryland, DT, Miami (FL) | Dallas Cowboys
- 1990: Jeff George, QB, Illinois | Indianapolis Colts
- 1989: Troy Aikman, QB, UCLA | Dallas Cowboys
- 1988: Aundray Bruce, LB, Auburn | Atlanta Falcons
- 1987: Vinny Testaverde, QB, Miami (FL) | Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- 1986: Bo Jackson, HB, Auburn | Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- 1985: Bruce Smith, DE, Virginia Tech | Buffalo Bills
- 1984: Irving Fryar, WR, Nebraska | New England Patriots
- 1983: John Elway, QB, Stanford | Baltimore Colts
- 1982: Kenneth Sims, DE, Texas | New England Patriots
- 1981: George Rogers, HB, South Carolina | New Orleans Saints
- 1980: Billy Sims, HB, Oklahoma | Detroit Lions
- 1979: Tom Cousineau, LB, Ohio State | Buffalo Bills
- 1978: Earl Campbell, HB, Texas | Houston Oilers
- 1977: Ricky Bell, HB, USC | Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- 1976: Lee Roy Selmon, DE, Oklahoma | Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- 1975: Steve Bartkowski, QB, Cal | Atlanta Falcons
- 1974: Ed Jones, DE, Tennessee State | Dallas Cowboys
- 1973: John Matuszak, DE, Tampa | Houston Oilers
- 1972: Walt Patulski, DE, Notre Dame | Buffalo Bills
- 1971: Jim Plunkett, QB, Stanford | New England Patriots
- 1970: Terry Bradshaw, QB, Louisiana Tech | Pittsburgh Steelers
- 1969: O.J. Simpson, HB, USC | Buffalo Bills
- 1968: Ron Yary, OT, USC | Minnesota Vikings
- 1967: Bubba Smith, DE, Michigan State | Baltimore Colts
- 1966: Tommy Nobis, LB, Texas | Atlanta Falcons
- 1965: Tucker Frederickson, HB, Auburn | New York Giants
- 1964: Dave Parks, WR, Texas Tech | San Francisco 49ers
- 1963: Terry Baker, QB, Oregon State | Los Angeles Rams
- 1962: Ernie Davis, HB, Syracuse | Washington Commanders
- 1961: Tommy Mason, HB, Tulane | Minnesota Vikings
- 1960: Billy Cannon, HB, LSU | Los Angeles Rams
- 1959: Randy Duncan, QB, Iowa | Green Bay Packers
- 1958: King Hill, QB, Rice | Chicago Cardinals
- 1957: Paul Hornung, HB, Notre Dame | Green Bay Packers
- 1956: Gary Glick, DB, Colorado A&M | Pittsburgh Steelers
- 1955: George Shaw, QB, Oregon | Baltimore Colts
- 1954: Bobby Garrett, QB, Stanford | Cleveland Browns
- 1953: Harry Babcock, E, Georgia | San Francisco 49ers
- 1952: Bill Wade, QB, Vanderbilt | Los Angeles Rams
- 1951: Kyle Rote, HB, SMU | New York Giants
- 1950: Leon Hart, E, Notre Dame | Detroit Lions
- 1949: Chuck Bednarik, C/LB, Penn | Philadelphia Eagles
- 1948: Harry Gilmer, HB/WR, Alabama | Washington Commanders
- 1947: Bob Fenimore, HB, Oklahoma A&M | Chicago Bears
- 1946: Frank Dancewicz, QB, Notre Dame | Boston Yanks
- 1945: Charley Trippi, HB, Georgia | Chicago Cardinals
- 1944: Angelo Bertelli, QB, Notre Dame | Boston Yanks
- 1943: Frank Sinkwich, HB, Georgia | Detroit Lions
- 1942: Bill Dudley, HB, Virginia | Pittsburgh Steelers
- 1941: Tom Harmon, HB, Michigan | Chicago Bears
- 1940: George Cafego, HB, Tennessee | Chicago Cardinals
- 1939: Ki Aldrich, C, TCU | Chicago Cardinals
- 1938: Corbett Davis, FB, Indiana | Cleveland Rams
- 1937: Sam Francis, FB, Nebraska | Philadelphia Eagles
- 1936: Jay Berwanger, HB, Chicago | Philadelphia Eagles
