2024 NFL Draft Buzz: Latest league news, rumors from ahead of Thursday's Round 1

Trade talk is abuzz as the start of the 2024 NFL Draft is just hours away.

From the Arizona Cardinals at No. 4 throughout the remainder of the opening round, conversations, rumors and reports are abundant.

One club that’s a contender to select a quarterback and potentially make a move is the Denver Broncos, who sit at No. 12 overall. However, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reiterated Thursday on Good Morning Football that he believes the Broncos could trade down.

Likely without the capital to move into to the top four, the Broncos could move down to take a pass rusher or perhaps Oregon quarterback Bo Nix, Pelissero opined.

Here’s what else we’re monitoring on ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft, which kicks off tonight at 8 p.m. ET:

• Patriots most likely to land Drake Maye. An hour out from the start of the 2024 draft, the dust seems to be settling on the New England Patriots‘ pick at No. 3 overall. There’s been months now for the Pats to listen to and find an offer that convinced them to move back — especially if their favorite options are gone after the first two selections of the night — but all signs now point toward New England sticking it out in its current slot and picking, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported Thursday. Pelissero added that the belief within the league is that the pick will most likely be North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye. Such a decision would help kick off the Jerod Mayo era for a team still looking to find its QB solution after half a decade worth of drafts without Tom Brady.
• McCarthy bound for Broadway? Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy has become perhaps the draft’s most captivating prospect. His stock has risen and speculation as to where he’ll land has run wild. Might McCarthy go from maize and blue to Big Blue? Good Morning Football‘s Peter Schrager believes it’s possible the New York Giants could take McCarthy at No. 6 despite Daniel Jones entering the second year of a four-year extension with a $35 million base salary due. “Don’t sleep on the Giants at No. 6,” Schrager said on GMFB. McCarthy’s landing spot will remain a major talking point until he finally touches down, of course, as Schrager said he could see the reigning national champion ultimately finding his way to the Giants, Broncos or Vikings.

• Where will Penix land? Much like McCarthy –the QB he faced in the College Football Playoff title game — Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. is a name to watch tonight. Pelissero said on NFL Draft Kickoff that he has spoken to people who have rated Penix as high as the No. 2 QB on their board and as low as No. 7 after South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler. A reason for the variance? It will be a question for teams to figure out how to fit Penix, who is predominantly a pocket passer, into their system. Another question: How much of Penix’s success last season was based on his stellar supporting cast?
• Will WR depth alter Bills’ plans? After trading wide receiver Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans this offseason, the Buffalo Bills‘ draft plans at No. 28 overall would seem to be set for another wideout. Not so fast, says Pelissero. Pelissero believes the draft class’ depth at the receiver position could lead to Buffalo waiting perhaps until the second round to snatch a wideout, potentially adding a defensive player in the first round, instead.
• Could injury questions drop Latu? UCLA edge Laiatu Latu is NFL Media draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah’s 16th-ranked prospect. However, Latu missed two years of college football and was forced to medically retire at one point while at Washington due to a injury. He’s since rebounded and was a force at UCLA, but Schrager said Thursday that “teams are split on the medical.” Will talent and potential win out for Latu, or will health concerns cause a drop? It could be a storyline to monitor on Night 1 of the draft.

• Cameron Jordan unsurprisingly wants Saints to draft defender. In the eyes of most draft prognosticators, the New Orleans Saints using pick No. 14 on an offensive tackle is about as much of a given as the Chicago Bears taking Caleb Williams at No. 1. Well, eight-time Saints Pro Bowl defensive end Cam Jordan is hoping they’re all wrong. Jordan’s hoping general manager Mickey Loomis and Co. bolster his defense, noting that he loves the “juice” Alabama cornerback Kool-Aid McInstry brings, but he’s really pulling for Florida State’s Jared Verse or Texas’ Byron Murphy II. If the Saints feel they must go on the offensive side of the ball, though, Jordan still doesn’t want an offensive tackle. Nope, he’s hoping Georgia tight end Brock Bowers is still around. Jordan has 117.5 career sacks, so perhaps it shouldn’t be a surprise he’s not a fan of offensive tackles.
• Sauce Gardner tosses out his preferred prospects for Jets. Gang Green has recently struck gold in the first round — selecting OROY and DROY winners in the 2022 draft — and star CB Sauce Gardner seemed to offer his preferred draft candidates for New York when the Jets are on the clock at No. 10. Time will tell if one of the five standouts mentioned below joins Sauce in Florham Park.