Barring another blockbuster trade, the Los Angeles Rams are scheduled to pick in the first round for the first time since 2016. That’s big news for a team that could be on the search for a franchise quarterback in 2024 if Matthew Stafford only plans to play one more season.
Sure, they drafted Stetson Bennett, but he’ll already be 26 this year and he doesn’t exactly have the skill set of a decade-long starter in the NFL. And if the Rams have another poor season in 2023, they could find themselves picking in the top 10 with a franchise quarterback sitting on the board.
That’s exactly what happens in Draft Wire’s early 2024 mock draft. At No. 6 overall, the Rams select North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye – one pick after USC’s Caleb Williams goes to the Broncos.
Williams is the quarterback every Rams fan has been clamoring for but it’ll take a really bad season for Los Angeles to have a shot at him. Though Williams goes fifth overall in this mock, he’s the favorite to be drafted No. 1 in 2024.
Maye would be a great consolation prize. He’s 6-foot-4, has good athleticism and a big arm, making him the consensus No. 2 quarterback in the 2024 class. Obviously, things can and will change over the course of the next 12 months, but Maye looks like a blue-chip prospect.
In his first season as a starter in 2022, he completed 66.2% of his passes for 4,321 yards and 38 touchdowns with just seven interceptions. He also rushed for 698 yards and seven touchdowns, dominating in the ACC.
Even if Stafford plans to play in 2024, the Rams could still draft a quarterback early to groom for the future. Maye would certainly warrant consideration if Los Angeles is picking near the top of the draft.
