Led by Southern California signal-caller Caleb Williams, three quarterbacks proved to be the top three picks at the NFL Draft on Thursday night in Detroit.
Six quarterbacks were selected in the top 12 for the first time in NFL history. Each of the first 14 picks was an offensive player, which doubled the previous record of seven consecutive offensive picks to start the draft, a mark set in 2021.
After months of anticipation, the Chicago Bears made Williams the No. 1 overall pick. He became the second USC quarterback to be drafted with the top pick, joining Carson Palmer, who went first to the Cincinnati Bengals in 2003.
“To be able to be here, it’s an honor,” Williams said on NFL Network after the Bears called his name. “I’m very privileged.”
After winning the 2022 Heisman Trophy, Williams passed for 3,633 yards, 30 touchdowns and five interceptions for the Trojans in 2023.
The Washington Commanders followed by drafting LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels at No. 2. Daniels won the Heisman last season, when he passed for 3,812 yards, 40 touchdowns and only four interceptions while adding 1,134 rushing yards and 10 scores.
At No. 3, the New England Patriots turned down trade suitors and kept the pick to select North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye. The 6-foot-4, 230-pounder passed for 3,608 yards, 24 touchdowns and nine interceptions last season.
“Let’s go,” Maye said on the broadcast. “I’m ready to go compete. I’m ready to get to New England. We’re going to have a blast.”
The early sequence marked the fourth time in NFL history that teams selected quarterbacks with each of the top three picks. It also happened in 1971, 1999 and 2021, the latter time when Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson and Trey Lance went in the top three.
The Arizona Cardinals selected Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. with the fourth pick. Harrison, the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison Sr., has drawn comparisons to legendary Cardinals wideout Larry Fitzgerald Jr.
Harrison Jr. said he was confident that he would be the first wideout selected.
“I just had trust in my abilities,” he said on the broadcast. “I worked so hard to get to this point.”
At No. 5, the Los Angeles Chargers bolstered their offensive line by selecting Notre Dame left tackle Joe Alt. It marked the first pick under new coach Jim Harbaugh.
The New York Giants picked the second wideout of the draft when they added playmaker Malik Nabers from LSU with the sixth overall choice.
Alabama offensive lineman JC Latham went to the Tennessee Titans at No. 7. Latham, who stands 6-foot-6 and weighs 342 pounds, embraced NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in a giant bear hug and lifted him high off the ground.
“I let him know, man,” Latham said with a smile. “I had to let him know. A lot of excitement.”
The Atlanta Falcons provided the first big surprise of the evening by selecting Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8. The Falcons spent a first-round pick on a quarterback despite signing veteran signal-caller Kirk Cousins this offseason to a deal worth $100 million guaranteed.
The Bears used the ninth pick to select Washington wideout Rome Odunze, who will join Williams as part of a reinvigorated offense.
Odunze said he could not wait to team up with Williams.
“From the glimpses that I’ve been able to hang out with him, I can tell he has that determination, as do I,” Odunze said.
Next, the Minnesota Vikings traded up one spot in the draft to ensure that they got their target, Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy. The Vikings sent fourth- and fifth-round picks to the New York Jets and received a seventh-round pick in return as part of the swap, which prevented any other teams from swooping in to beat them to McCarthy.
The Jets used the 11th pick to grab Olumuyiwa Fashanu, an offensive lineman from Penn State. Fashanu should bolster a line looking to protect veteran Aaron Rodgers.
At No. 12, the Denver Broncos picked the sixth quarterback of the evening, Oregon’s Bo Nix. The Auburn transfer shined with the Ducks, passing for 4,508 yards, 45 touchdowns and three interceptions last season.
The Las Vegas Raiders added pass-catching tight end Brock Bowers from Georgia at No. 13, and the New Orleans Saints grabbed Oregon State offensive lineman Taliese Fuaga to make it 14 offensive players in a row.
The Indianapolis Colts finally put the spotlight on defense at No. 15. The Colts selected edge rusher Laiatu Latu from UCLA.
The next five picks featured the Seattle Seahawks selecting Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy II; the Vikings trading up for Alabama edge rusher Dallas Turner; the Bengals turning to Georgia offensive lineman Amarius Mims; the Los Angeles Rams taking Florida State edge rusher Jared Verse; and the Pittsburgh Steelers drafting Washington offensive lineman Troy Fautanu at No. 20.
