2024 NFL Draft: 3 first-round prospects who could face Will Levis fate and slide to second round feat. Bo Nix
The 2024 NFL Draft is on April 25 in Detroit. The draft is always one of the most important events of every offseason, especially when it comes to picking the right prospects in the first round. A failure to do so can be detrimental to any team's outlook, particularly when they are seeking a new franchise quarterback.
As each draft approaches, all the prospects in the draft class receive different expectations of where they may be selected. In the 2024 NFL Draft, the class is loaded with highly ranked quarterback prospects who could be selected in the first round.
Having first-round expectations doesn't always mean that things will play out that way. Certain prospects fall well below their projected round every year for many reasons. Will Levis is one of the most recent examples, as he fell all the way to the second round in last year's draft after being projected as a top-ten pick.
When the 2024 NFL Draft eventually kicks off, this type of situation is almost definitely going to happen again. The tricky part is figuring out which prospects will be the ones to slip significantly past their draft projections.
Here are three candidates that could go in the first round but may also be in danger of suffering a similar fate to Will Levis.
2024 NFL Draft prospects who could slip, like Will Levis
#1 JJ McCarthy, Michigan Wolverines
While targeting a college football National Championship winner at quarterback is often wise, JJ McCarthy enters the 2024 NFL Draft with some uncertainty.
His leadership helped the Michigan Wolverines win a championship, but their success was more about dominant defense and a reliable rushing attack under Jim Harbaugh.
McCarthy failed to record a touchdown in the National Championship game and the Big Ten Conference championship game. In fact, he recorded just four touchdowns across his final seven games.
His polarizing results could lead to him being a top-10 pick, but he could also fall completely out of the first round, like Will Levis last year.
#2 Bo Nix, Oregon Ducks
For much of the 2023 college football season with the Oregon Ducks, Bo Nix was favored to win the Heisman Trophy. He was eventully beat out by Jayden Daniels, but Nix still had a spectacualr season, including being named the Pac-12 Conference Player of the Year.
Nix is a bit of a late bloomer in his college football career, but his move to Oregon from the Auburn Tigers appears to have unlocked his potential. His 74 touchdowns passes in two years with the Ducks nearly doubles his three-year total with Auburn.
His recent success could make him a first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, but the fact that he will already be 24 when he enters the league could be a big enough red flag to force teams to avoid him early on.
#3 Michael Penix Jr., Washington Huskies
Like Bo Nix, Michael Penix Jr.has also been a late bloomer in his college football career.
While he also transferred schools and received a massive boost in production since then, his story is more about a ton of infortunate injuries. All four of his seasons with the Indiana Hoosiers were cut short by major injuries, including two each to his shoulder and ACL.
Over the last two seasons since joining the Washington Huskies, Penix has been one of the most productive passers in the country, including 74 total touchdowns in just 28 games.
His accuracy and arm talent are attractive assetts in the 2024 NFL Draft, but he's understandably a risky pick in the first round. That comes as a result of his alamring injury history and the fact that he will already be 24 in his rookie season.