2024 NFL Draft day insider notes: History maker Xavier Worthy drawing Colts' attention, Raiders' Jayden Daniels chase still on
The 2024 NFL Draft starts in less than 24 hours, and there’s still plenty of mystery as to what will happen, as there always is. Teams are looking to trade up for certain players, while some players could see a bump in where they end up. Here are the latest news and rumors before Round 1.
NFL Draft 2024: Why Xavier Worthy could be the Colts' pick in Round 1
Many were surprised by my entry of Xavier Worthy to the Indianapolis Colts with the 15th pick in my recent mock draft. The Colts are looking to use their first pick on an offensive playmaker and will try to move up for tight end Brock Bowers. If they can’t, the signs point to Worthy in the middle of the first.
I’m told the record-breaking 4.21-second 40 time Worthy ran at the combine didn’t move the needle for the Colts one bit. The franchise was hot on the receiver long before the league descended to Indianapolis for the annual workouts. Detractors wonder if Chris Ballard would be willing to take Worthy that early in Round 1, yet most feel he’s the perfect weapon to further the development of quarterback Anthony Richardson.
NFL Draft 2024: Antonio Pierce still pushing hard for Jayden Daniels
Earlier this week, I reported that Jayden Daniels is the player Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce desires more than any other. Pierce believes Daniels is a Day 1 starter and will be the Raiders' signal caller of the future, never mind the fact that Pierce and Daniels were at Arizona State together and the coach has had an intimate relationship with the family for several years.
The quest for Daniels has not ended, and people close to the situation tell me Pierce is trying to scheme ways to make the quarterback the Raiders’ top pick. This includes trying to work with Daniels to find a way to get the Heisman Trophy winner to Las Vegas. While this wreaks of tampering at face value, Daniels is not under contract with any team, hence it would not qualify.
In the end, no one thinks this will work unless something completely unforeseen happens, as Daniels is the player the Commanders intend to select with the second pick.
NFL Draft 2024: Marshawn Kneeland getting late first-round buzz
Could Marshawn Kneeland end up as a first-round pick? It’s a definite possibility.
Kneeland has built a lot of momentum for himself in recent weeks, and as I previously reported, he made more than a dozen official-30 visits. So who could Kneeland end up with in the initial frame?
One source points to Tampa Bay and possibly Detroit. Also keep Minnesota on the back burner if they can’t package their two first-round picks to move up for a quarterback. They like Kneeland, and it’s a possibility the Vikings trade down from the 23rd pick if they don’t come away with a quarterback.
In my final two-round mock draft, I had Kneeland going to the Indianapolis Colts in the second round.