Three 2024 NFL Draft Picks Who Could Breakout During Their Rookie Season

A new season means a clean slate, a fresh start, and a chance to see some of football's most talented youngsters take to the field for the first time as professional players.

Anyone looking to bet on 2024 NFL games online profitably will already be scouring the various markets for value. The 2024 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year is one market that often presents value for would-be bettors. This year could be one of the best on record for rookies because the Class of 2024 has several potential footballing superstars, including this trio of young men.

Caleb Williams - Quarterback - Chicago Bears

The game's worst-kept secret was the Chicago Bears selecting Caleb Williams as the first overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. The former Oklahoma Sooners and USC Trojans quarterback was one of the most sought-after college players in football history, and the Bears beat everyone to his signature. Having Williams on their roster will cost the Bears a fully guaranteed $39.4 million over four years, but Williams has the potential to rise to the very top.

Williams left Gonzaga College High School as the highest-rated quarterback of his class despite the COVID-19 pandemic canceling his senior season. He committed to the University of Oklahoma but spent only a single season with the Sooners before entering the transfer portal and reuniting with head coach Lincoln Riley at the University of Southern California.

During his first USC Trojans season, Williams won the Heisman Trophy thanks partly to throwing 4,537 yards and 42 passing touchdowns. Williams declared for the 2024 NFL Draft after three college football seasons with 9,782 passing yards and 93 touchdowns, a 66.9% pass completion, and an additional 966 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns.

The Bears have already announced Williams is the team's starting quarterback for the upcoming season, so he is guaranteed game time, at least during the campaign's early stages.

Jayden Daniels - Quarterback - Washington Commanders

The Washington Commanders have been crying out for a top-tier quarterback for as long as recent memory stretches, and they look to have filled that position in the shape of Jayden Williams. The 6 ft 4 in California native joined the Commanders as the second overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, with many pundits considering Daniels a better prospect than the highly-rated Caleb Williams.

Daniels is a superb all-around athlete who excelled in football and track sports during high school. Some 25 college football programs sought his signature, but he chose Arizona State University's Sun Devils and enrolled in January 2019.

Daniels transferred to the LSU Tigers in 2022 after spending three seasons with Arizona State. He won the Tigers' football MVP award during his first season at LSU but was even better during the 2023 season.

After becoming the first player in the Football Bowl Subdivision to pass for 350 and run for 200 yards in a single game, Daniels won several awards, including the Heisman Trophy, in 2023. He finished 2023 with a 208.0 passer rating (the highest-ever), 3,812 passing yards, and 40 touchdowns, plus 1,134 rushing yards and ten touchdowns.

He finished his college career having played 55 games over five seasons, throwing 12,749 yards and 89 touchdowns, running 3,307 yards, and scoring 34 touchdowns.

Daniels will be the Commanders' starting quarterback for the 2024 season. Expect Daniels to forge an exciting understanding with wide receiver Terry McLaurin.

Marvin Harrison Jr. - Wide Receiver - Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals finished 26th in the league for passing yards (3,144) in 2023, with none of the team's wide receivers breaching the 600-yard barrier. Tight end Trey McBride finished top of the Cardinals' receiving charts with 825 yards from 81 receptions. Saying the Cardinals needed a wide receiver was the understatement of the year, especially when they have a quarterback as talented as Kyler Murray pulling the strings. The team now has that wide man, with the Cardinals selecting Marvin Harrison Jr. as the fourth overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft.

Harrison's father is a Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver who spent 12 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts from 1996 to 2008. There is every chance Harrison Jr. will become a better wide receiver than his dad.

He stands 6ft 4 tall and weighs 205 pounds, so he has the physicality many wide receivers lack. After struggling for game time during his first season with the Ohio State Buckeyes in 2021, Harrison Jr. became a starter in 2022. Through 13 games, he received 77 passes for 1,263 yards and 14 touchdowns. Harrison Jr. started 12 games the following season and enjoyed 1,211 yards (17.6 average) and another 14 touchdowns, earning him the Fred Biletnikoff Award.

Cardinals fans are excited about Murray finally having someone to throw to. Harrison Jr should not only be one of the Cardinals' starting wide receivers but quickly become WR1 and the focus of Murray's attention.

Forget About J.J. McCarthy

Many bettors had J.J. McCarthy firmly in their sights after the Minnesota Vikings selected the former Michigan Wolverines quarterback tenth in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Vikings lost Kirk Cousins to free agency at the end of the 2023 season, so there was every chance McCarthy would have been given time to shine despite the addition of Sam Darnold to the roster.

McCarthy made his Vikings debut against the Las Vegas Raiders in preseason on August 10, competing 11 of his 17 passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns. However, three days later, McCarthy underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee after reporting soreness. Although the surgery was successful, the tear was worse than first feared, and he will miss the entire 2024 campaign while he recovers from a full meniscus repair.