The 2024 NFL draft is almost here with the first round on tap for Thursday night.

The NFL draft has been around since 1936, and it has grown immensely over the years. Nowadays, fans can see every player hear their name called and immediately head to social media to comment on how they believe their team performed in the draft.

With the numerous amount of mock drafts and predictions made over the past few months, there is a lot of anticipation building for tomorrow’s event. Due to all the excitement, Fanatics has some gear available for the 2024 NFL draft and will roll out jerseys for the first round draft picks over the next couple of days.

Key Points

• When: April 25 – April 27
  • Day One, Thursday, April 25: 7 p.m. CT
  • Day Two, Friday, April 26: 6 p.m. CT
  • Day Three, Saturday, April 27: 11 a.m. CT
• Where: Detroit, Michigan (Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza)
• TV: ESPN, ABC, and NFL Network

First round expectations

The NFL draft has surprises every year, as players will fall or rise on draft boards and get picked unexpectedly. Due to the immense amount of offensive talent in this year’s draft, many people are expecting a large number of quarterbacks to be taken in the first half of the opening round tomorrow night. Since the Chicago Bears traded their starting quarterback Justin Fields this offseason, nearly everyone is expecting them to select quarterback Caleb Williams with the first overall pick.

Unlike previous drafts, the picks are uncertain after the projected Williams selection. There are numerous wide receivers that are highly talented and expected to go in the first round, but the order is unclear. Standout Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. is supposed to be the first player drafted from his position, but LSU’s Malik Nabers and Washington’s Rome Odunze are also possibilities.

Numerous NFL teams are also in need of offensive lineman, and there are quite a few options that are going to be first round picks. Alabama offensive tackle JC Latham and Notre Dame offensive tackle Joe Alt should be off the board relatively early, and they should be able to contribute well during their rookie seasons.

Although the first round of the 2024 NFL draft will likely have an offensive focus, the defensive talent is still high. Alabama has three possible first round defensive selections, including cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry, linebacker Dallas Turner, and cornerback Terrion Arnold. There are some more defensive players that have first round talent, including Iowa cornerback Cooper DeJean and UCLA defensive end Laiatu Latu.

Fans have plenty of reasons to be excited for this year’s draft, and it should be exciting to watch the order of picks unfold. As the first round selections transpire tomorrow, Fanatics will be releasing jerseys of the first round picks and make them available for fans to purchase. Currently, Fanatics has some team hats and T-shirts available for fans.