Preseason

The frenzy of mock drafts across the NFL landscape for Brock Bowers included a handful of teams, but few, if any, included the Las Vegas Raiders. The uber-athletic TE fell out of the top 10 and was drafted by Vegas at pick No. 13 as the best player available, despite a clear need for a QB.

Bowers will be part of a rebuild for the Raiders as a highly versatile pass-catcher while they still search for their franchise signal caller.

Rounds 2 and 3 of the 2024 NFL Draft saw plenty of fantasy-relevant players join their first NFL teams, with some boasting the possibility of immediate production and others landing in rough spots to emerge in 2024. With the new crop of athletes heading to their first NFL jobs, we also see some veterans come out winning due to a lack of investment in rookies at their positions.

The 2024 NFL Draft began last night. The second and third rounds will be held today (Friday) while the remainder of the draft will finish up on Saturday (12 p.m. ET).

The first round of the NFL Draft resulted in a whopping 14 offensive skill players being selected, with a large chunk possibly having an immediate fantasy impact. Or maybe not. Rookies are perenially unpredictable, but we do our best to digest what went down in Round 1 and assess their landing spots for fantasy purposes.

With the first overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears select Caleb Williams. The former USC Trojan will help to continue an offensive ascension on his new team, offering the Bears their first look at a franchise quarterback in decades. On top of the real-life implications of having a top-flight option throwing the ball, Williams will offer the type of fantasy upside for his pass-catchers that we’ve been yearning for from a Chicago signal-caller.

It's time to submit the final answers to the test. The 2024 NFL Draft should be a wild ride. The quarterbacks at the top add an intriguing layer to this year's event, and groupthink inside the top 10-12 is stronger than ever. That's never a good thing. I also agree with the sentiment that NFL teams and employees are more cognizant of the betting environment these days, and leaks are increasingly frowned upon.

The 2024 NFL Draft begins at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, April 25rd with the first round. The second and third rounds will be held on Friday (beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET), while the remainder of the draft will finish up on Saturday (12 p.m. ET).