The Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings both used top 10 picks on a quarterback during the first round of the 2024 NFL draft, adding immediate intrigue to a division already featuring ascending star Jordan Love and former No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff.
The Bears took USC’s Caleb Williams at No. 1, as expected. Nine picks later, the Vikings traded up one spot and selected Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy at No. 10.
Williams will be expected to start right away in Chicago. The Bears have surrounded him with D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen, ninth overall pick Rome Odunze, D’Andre Swift and Cole Kmet.
McCarthy might not be an instant starter in Minnesota. The Vikings signed Sam Darnold as a bridge starter in free agency, likely giving McCarthy at least a year to develop.
Can Williams bring the Bears back to relevance? Can McCarthy develop into a winner at the NFL level?
Both teams are chasing the Packers, who caught fire down the stretch in 2023 and were minutes away from playing in the NFC title game, and the Lions, the reigning division champs who were close to the winning the NFC last season.
For the first time ever, five quarterbacks were selected in the first 10 picks of a draft. The Packers will face two of them twice a year for the next several seasons.
