Ricky Dimon
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The 2024 NFL Draft barely more than a week away. We probably don’t have to wait that long to know that Caleb Williams is going #1 overall to the Chicago Bears, but things could get more interesting immediately following that selection. Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye are the favorites to go #2 and #3, but the order is uncertain — and it’s not even a lock that those 2 will round out the rest of the top 3.
Maye, who was North Carolina’s starting quarterback for the past 2 seasons, has long been expected to be 1 of the first 3 quarterbacks (and first 3 overall picks, for that matter) off the board in the NFL Draft. However, J.J. McCarthy of Michigan has been making a late charge up various big boards and could throw a wrench into equation. There other positions to be considered, too, such as wide receiver (Marvin Harrison Jr.) and offensive tackle (Joe Alt).
Where will Maye be selected next Thursday? Let’s take a look at the odds and the best bet to make.
2024 NFL Draft #3 pick odds
Odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing.
- Drake Maye (-130)
- J.J. McCarthy (+200)
- Jayden Daniels (+250)
- Marvin Harrison Jr. (+2000)
- Joe Alt (+7500)
- Bo Nix (+7500)
- Michael Penix Jr. (+7500)
- Malik Nabers (+7500)
Drake Maye NFL Draft odds
Odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing.
- Drake Maye #1 pick (+3000)
- Drake Maye #2 pick (+215)
- Drake Maye #3 pick (-130)
- Drake Maye #4 pick (+600)
- Drake Maye #5 pick (+1200)
Drake Maye NFL Draft best bet
Drake Maye to be the #3 pick (-130)
As mentioned above, there is no real shot of Maye — or anyone else — going ahead of Williams at #1. Nothing from the Bears suggests that they have any other target. If they weren’t sold on Williams, they probably wouldn’t have given up on Justin Fields in the form of shipping him off to Pittsburgh in exchange for next to nothing.
The second selection, which belongs to the Washington Commanders, is where things heat up. It appears to be a battle between Daniels and Maye, although McCarthy has also thrown himself into the mix. The upside is higher with Daniels, and the Commanders surely want to make a splash for their fanbase after failing to do so with their head-coaching hire (Dan Quinn). Daniels is coming off an otherworldly season at LSU, where he won the Heisman Trophy after throwing for 3,812 yards with 40 touchdowns and only 4 interceptions. He also rushed for 1,134 yards and 10 scores.
Maye was awesome over the last 2 seasons at UNC and is a dual threat, himself. He also has great size at 6’4” and 230 pounds. His ceiling may not be as high as Daniels’ (or Williams’), but I think he is on a different level from McCarthy. The New England Patriots probably feel the same way.
