Sports Illustrated Names No. 1 Prospect For The 2024 NFL Draft
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 10: (L-R) Quarterback Stetson Bennett of the Georgia Bulldogs, Quarterback Max Duggan of the TCU Horned Frogs, Quarterback C.J. Stroud of the Ohio State Buckeyes and Quarterback Caleb Williams of the USC Trojans pose with the Heisman Trophy after a press conference prior to the 2022 Heisman Trophy Presentation at New York Marriott Marquis Hotel on December 10, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
It's been about a month since the 2023 NFL Draft and the analysts have been hard at work trying to predict who will be hearing their name called first in the 2024 NFL Draft.
On Wednesday, Sports Illustrated's Matt Verderame released his projection for who will go first in next year's draft. As with so many other analysts, Verderame has USC quarterback Caleb Williams as his top prospect in 2024.
"Williams is a generational talent who won the Heisman Trophy in his first year with the Trojans, throwing for 4,537 yards on 9.1 yards per attempt, with 42 touchdowns against five interceptions. He’s the consensus top pick for almost every prognosticator, showcasing an elite blend of size at 6'1" and 218 pounds, along with arm talent and athleticism," Verderame wrote.
It's hard to argue with the analysis. Williams was by far the best player in college football last year and the Heisman Trophy vote pretty much reflects that.
It seems pretty much impossible that Williams won't wind up being the No. 1 overall pick next year. The only real question is which team will either have a bad enough record to pick him or trades up to that coveted top pick.
Of course, Caleb Williams wouldn't be the first quarterback to slide with the emergence of some other quarterback or once-in-a-lifetime talent who rises through the ranks during a college football season.
Is Williams already the top pick or will another player emerge as the frontrunner at some point?
