The Chicago Bears chosen Southern California quarterback Caleb Williams with the No. 1 choose in the NFL draft Thursday in Detroit. He was followed by the Washington Commanders’ assortment of LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels and the New England Patriots’ alternative of North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye.
Six quarterbacks — Williams, Daniels, Maye, J.J. McCarthy, Michael Penix Jr. and Bo Nix — had been taken in the 1st 12 picks. In whole, 23 offensive players listened to their names named, the most in NFL draft heritage.
Williams, the consensus top prospect, threw for 3,633 yards, 30 touchdowns and 5 interceptions final season. He gained the Heisman Trophy as the ideal participant in school soccer the prior year right after he took the Trojans from a four-gain crew to an 11-acquire team. Williams threw for 4,075 yards, 37 touchdowns and only 4 interceptions above 13 games in 2022.
The Bears have been able to pick Williams many thanks to a major trade in advance of the 2023 draft. Chicago — which owned the No. 1 pick at the time — sent it to the Carolina Panthers in return for receiver DJ Moore, 2023 initially- and next-spherical picks, a 2024 initial-spherical decide on and a 2025 second-round decide on. That 2024 initial-spherical choose would later develop into the No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft.
Williams joins a retooled Chicago group that traded for six-time Pro Bowl receiver Keenan Allen and signed managing back D’Andre Swift this offseason. The Bears also have soaring stars in Moore and tight conclude Cole Kmet.
The Commanders selected LSU star Daniels at No. 2. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound quarterback received the 2023 Heisman Trophy soon after one of the most electrifying seasons in college soccer background. He threw for 3,812 yards, 40 touchdowns and only 4 interceptions whilst incorporating 1,134 yards and 10 touchdowns on the floor.
Maye was selected No. 3 by the Patriots. At 6-foot-4 and 230 lbs, he boasts the prototypical dimensions for the position and has drawn comparisons to Los Angeles Chargers sign-caller Justin Herbert. Maye — the 2022 ACC Rookie of the Calendar year and ACC Player of the Year as a sophomore — threw for 3,608 yards, 24 touchdowns and 9 interceptions last season in his junior 12 months.
The major shock arrived at No. 8, when Michael Penix Jr. was selected by the Atlanta Falcons. Not only was that better than most had expected the Washington quarterback to be taken, it also came from a workforce that signed veteran signal-caller Kirk Cousins to a four-calendar year, $180 million agreement with $100 million guaranteed this offseason.
“It was a significant shock. We had no notion this was coming,” Cousins’ agent, Mike McCartney, mentioned in a text to the NFL Community. “The reality is the whole league had no idea this was coming. We got no heads up. Kirk acquired a phone from the Falcons when they had been on the clock. That was the 1st we read. It hardly ever came up in any conversation.”
