The NFL Draft is where dreams come true for hundreds of players as they bid farewell to their college careers and enter into the highest level of competition. 

It is also a place where general managers make their franchises look brilliant or leave them as the league’s laughingstock. This year’s draft went generally as expected but did have a few surprises.

No. 1 overall: Caleb Williams (Chicago Bears)

The 2022 Heisman winner was expected to be a high pick ever since his debut in the 2021 Red River Rivalry when he came off the bench and helped Oklahoma overcome a 28-7 deficit on their way to victory. 

He transferred to USC the following year and won the Heisman Trophy in an 11-3 season for the Trojans. 

This past season, USC went just 7-5 with Williams as a starter, but it was the defense, not Williams, who was to blame.

The Bears also took former Washington Huskies star receiver Rome Odunze with the ninth pick, adding to a receiving core that already has Keenan Allen and D.J. Moore. 

Williams will have some growing pains in Chicago, but he is the first Bears quarterback in decades who has a serviceable team around him, and he may actually succeed. It is still Chicago, so Bears fans be leery.

No. 2 overall: Jayden Daniels (Washington Commanders)

Daniels, being the second Heisman winner drafted in as many picks, started his career at Arizona State but spent his last two seasons in Baton Rouge playing for the LSU Tigers. 

Similar to Williams at USC, LSU’s defense prevented the team from performing better than it could have. However, Daniels led the Tigers to the 2022 SEC Championship.

Washington got the top dual-threat quarterback in the draft, as Daniels is a quality pocket passer who can also be effective in the run game and scramble drill.

The 2023 Heisman winner will have solid weapons around him and will hopefully receive good coaching from the Commanders’ new but experienced head coach, Dan Quinn.

No. 3 overall: Drake Maye (New England Patriots)

Halfway through his redshirt freshman year at North Carolina, many analysts believed Drake Maye could be a Heisman winner, but he never ended up being a finalist.

The Tar Heels started 9-1 in 2022 but lost their final four games, two of which they were favorites in. 

The following season, Maye’s stats were not what they were the year before, and his spotlight dimmed due to the lack of competition Carolina played along with their struggles against lesser teams.

Nonetheless, NFL teams see potential in Maye. Fresh off of trading 2021 first-rounder Mac Jones, the Patriots took Maye with the third overall pick. 

With a thin roster, the Pats could have gone elsewhere, especially considering they have a decent quarterback in Jacoby Brissett, but they elected to take a true pocket passer in Maye. 

The Patriots added Rome Odunze’s partner in crime, Ja’Lynn Polk, in the second round, along with a pair of offensive linemen later on, so they appear focused on building around Maye, should he earn the starting job.

Surprise pick: Michael Penix Jr. (Atlanta Falcons)

After recently signing Kirk Cousins to a four-year, 180 million-dollar contract, the Falcons elected to draft his backup rather than build around him. However, the pick is not as confusing as it may seem.

Cousins is nearing the end and may fall off before the end of his contract. Should that time come, Atlanta will throw in a quarterback who played college football for six years and has sat behind a veteran NFL quarterback for some time. It’s really not an awful pick. 

The only thing about it is that the Falcons don’t have a stacked roster, so they could have used that pick to fill some needs.

Draft Loser: Minnesota Vikings

Minnesota is not the only loser of the draft, but they’re fun to pick on for not only picking J.J. McCarthy in the top ten, but trading up for him. 

Sure, McCarthy went 27-1 as a starter at Michigan, but there are few instances where he was the reason why the Wolverines won a game. 

To his credit, he did save the Wolverines season in the 2023 semifinal against Alabama when he led them to a game-tying drive late in the fourth quarter to tie the game. 

However, he did not throw a pass in overtime as Blake Corum got the handoff back-to-back plays, scoring on the second. 

In the national championship, the Wolverines scored four touchdowns. All four were running plays. 

McCarthy went an uninspiring 18-10 for 140 yards. He has upside, but he has not had many moments where the game was on his shoulders. 

McCarthy could turn out to be a star, but to trade up for him and take him in the top ten is highly questionable, especially after not seeing much stellar play from him.

Demetri Manousos is a reporter. Contact him at [email protected].