2024 NFL Draft: Six quarterbacks taken in the top 12, setting draft record

A 41-year-old record has been tied.

Six quarterbacks were taken in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, tying the record set in 1983. That year, John Elway went first overall to the Broncos, followed by Todd Blackledge at seventh to the Chiefs, Jim Kelly at fourteenth to the Bills, Tony Eason at fifteenth to the Patriots, Ken O’Brien at twenty-fourth to the Jets, and Dan Marino at twenty-seventh to the Dolphins.

This year’s six were off the board by the time only two had been selected in 1983.

Three of those six quarterbacks ended up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, along with a combined 10 appearances in the Super Bowl. 

Here are the quarterbacks taken this year, along with their draft slot and the team selecting them.

First overall: Caleb Williams (USC) to the Chicago Bears

Second overall: Jayden Daniels (LSU) to the Washington Commanders

Third overall: Drake Maye (North Carolina) to the New England Patriots

Eighth overall: Michael Penix Jr. (Washington) to the Atlanta Falcons

Tenth overall: J.J. McCarthy (Michigan) to the Minnesota Vikings

Twelfth overall: Bo Nix (Oregon) to the Denver Broncos

• This was the second time in the common draft era that six quarterbacks were taken in the first round (1983), tying the record for the most; this is also the first time we’ve seen six quarterbacks taken in the first 12 picks.
• This was the first time in the common draft era that four quarterbacks were taken in the first eight picks.
• This was the first time in the common draft era that five quarterbacks were taken in the top ten picks.
• This is the fourth time in the common draft era that the first three overall picks were quarterbacks (2021, 1999, 1971).
• With Caleb Williams going first overall, USC now has the most first-overall picks of any school all-time with six — breaking a tie with Georgia, Notre Dame, and Oklahoma.
• The first 14 picks were offensive players, the most consecutive offensive picks to start a draft in the common draft era; the previous record was seven.
• The first round finished with 23 offensive players, the most take in a single draft in the common draft era; the previous record was 19.
• Seven wide receivers got taken in the first round, tying the record for most taken in a single draft in the common draft era (also happened in 2004).

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