The 2024 Free Agency period has turned the entire NFL landscape directly on its head. From Giants running-back, Saquon Barkley, heading to Philadelphia to the Buffalo Bills clearing cap room at a significant pace, several household names will be dawning new color schemes in the next outing.
The quarterback position hasn’t exactly gone quiet, either, with Minnesota’s field general, Kirk Cousins, flying south to Atlanta. Plus, the Pittsburgh Steelers have picked up Russell Wilson from the Denver Broncos.
Before the dust picks up again, here are a few teams that will most likely draft their next quarterback of the future in the upcoming NFL Draft, starting with the NFC.
NFC Teams Currently Primed to Draft a Quarterback
Washington Commanders
Washington Commanders quarterback, Sam Howell, will head out west to Seattle for 2024; another cog in the rebuild machine in D.C. Though it is easy to predict the Commanders looking into the draft for their next quarterback, other positions will need to be addressed. The center and middle linebacker positions are lacking significant depth, and the running back roster will need more names if Brian Robinson, Jr. goes down with an injury.
Hopefully, Marcus Mariota will get the ground running in the meantime. Head coach, Dan Quinn, and the new front office have their hands full, to say the least.
Minnesota Vikings
With the departure of Kirk Cousins, as previously mentioned, finding his successor will be easier said than done. Needless to say, neither Sam Darnold, Nick Mullens, or Jaren Hall sounds like a long-term solution for the Purple and Gold. Not to mention Joshua Dobbs is now an unrestricted free agent.
The Vikings currently hold the 11th and 23rd overall picks in the upcoming draft, and it will be interesting to see whether or not they opt to leverage their way to a better position to snag a coveted quarterback prospect.
New Orleans Saints
Derek Carr, age 32, has had a rough go since joining the New Orleans Saints in 2023. Carr may have the starting job in the Big Easy, but backup, Jameis Winston, has migrated north to Cleveland to join the Browns. With age catching up to Carr, New Orleans will need to find a solution quickly. Not to mention Taysom Hill is 33 years old and more of a utility player than a pure signal caller.
Finding the quarterback of the future in the Superdome will be easier said than done, however, as the Saints currently sit with the 14th overall pick in a quarterback-loaded draft.
Chicago Bears
With the number one overall pick and lots of radio silence, the Bears have garnered a major chunk of the attention around professional football. The trade scenario(s) for quarterback Justin Fields has all but faded into obscurity, especially when Kirk Cousins was announced as the new man under center for the Atlanta Falcons. Though one potential pitch has begun to surface, the lack of trade talks still looms over the Windy City.
Several experts speculate that Chicago will be going after Caleb Williams in the upcoming draft. But perhaps trading the first overall pick again is not completely off the table. Hopefully, the positions that benefit both Fields and the Bears will come to fruition.
Check back next week as we look at the AFC teams who most likely take a quarterback in the upcoming draft.
Main Image: Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports
