The best and worst NFL Draft prospects every top-5 team could take

While each team picking inside the top five in the 2024 NFL Draft has plenty of opportunities to make a great pick, what happens if they screw the pooch so badly? Yes, for every team that lands a franchise cornerstone inside the top five, there seems to be another who makes a bad decision that sets the team back for years. Sadly for the most part, this has happened to every NFL team before.

So what I am going to do today is take a look at the teams currently picking inside the top five and figure out the best and worst-case scenario in the upcoming draft. Since I am only concerned with teams picking inside the top five, I am only talking about the Chicago Bears, the Washington Commanders, the New England Patriots, the Arizona Cardinals and the Los Angeles Chargers, in that order. That's it.

Before I begin with this exercise, let me be perfectly clear that there is nothing wrong with any of these prospects. If a team were to draft my worst-case scenario for them, I could be proven wrong in the end. However, I would be much happier about the pick if the team in question were to trade back to take him a few picks later. At this part of the draft, value is about as important as it is anywhere in it.

Without further ado, Chicago Bears, you are officially on the clock. Who are y'all taking No. 1 overall?

Best case for Chicago Bears at No. 1: USC QB Caleb Williams

Don't make this difficult. Just take Caleb Williams No. 1 overall out of USC and put all of your focus and attention on what to do at No. 9, Chicago Bears. Historically, this franchise finds a way to thumbscrew itself over more often than not. Fortunately for Bears fans, this is a no-brainer, much like the formerly toothless Cincinnati Bengals taking Joe Burrow No. 1 overall out of LSU four years ago.

This is the best-case scenario for Chicago because not only is Williams the most talented player in the draft, but even if another first-round quarterback ends up being a better pro than him, nobody is going to question the Bears' decision-making process here. You don't make draft picks in hindsight; you do them in the here and now. At this moment, I cannot justify the Bears taking anyone else here.

Thankfully, this is going to be the pick for the Bears, even though we're probably living in a simulation.

Worst case for Chicago Bears at No. 1: North Carolina QB Drake Maye

God, what if the Bears pulled a fast one on all of us? If that were the case, expect nobody in Chicagoland to give general manager Ryan Poles the benefit of the doubt under any circumstances ever again. While I think any of the first four quarterbacks expected to come off the board have a great shot of success in this league, I think taking Drake Maye first out of North Carolina is a disaster.

Of the four first-round quarterback locks, Maye is my least favorite prospect. I don't see him being able to elevate the talent around him. When the going got tough, he got going. LSU's Jayden Daniels is the better pick for the Bears over Maye because of his mobility. And honestly, because Michigan's J.J. McCarthy is from Chicagoland, he might just will this bad team to be halfway decent anyway.

Passing on Williams for Maye would ensure that Poles will never have a job in the NFL ever again.

Best case for Washington Commanders at No. 2: LSU QB Jayden Daniels

Don't be silly. Caleb Williams to Washington is not happening. Even though he is a D.C. native, Chicago is not moving off that No. 1 pick, and he knows it. Thus, I am not going to pontificate about the Bears taking anyone else, mostly because they won't. For my money, the Washington Commanders' best option at No. 2 has to be last year's Heisman Trophy winner in Jayden Daniels out of LSU going away.

It would be like getting a mulligan on the Robert Griffin III pick. While they are both mobile Heisman winners, Daniels has something Griffin struggled massively with during his NFL career in Washington, which is self-awareness. Given that Kliff Kingsbury offenses like to use a combination of run and throw, as well as the quarterback position being a focal point of Dan Quinn teams, this will be the pick.

Again, passing on potentially the next Lamar Jackson would be devastating for the Washington team.

Worst case for Washington Commanders at No. 2: Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy

It would be so freaking Commanders if they did this. For Kingsbury, Quinn and Adam Peters reasons, I don't think they would do it. However, everybody seems to be utterly infatuated with Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy for some unbeknownst reason. Again, I think he can have great success in the NFL, maybe even with the Commanders. The problem is Washington failed to read the board.

With so many teams picking outside of the top five salivating like Pavlov's dog for McCarthy, use that to your advantage. If Washington were to trade back even a few spots for McCarthy, that is certainly more justifiable. However, taking him at No. 2 when you have guys like LSU's Jayden Daniels, North Carolina's Drake Maye and even Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. on the board is awful.

Washington needs to take either Daniels or Maye with the No. 2 overall pick, or it should trade back.

Best case for New England Patriots at No. 3: North Carolina QB Drake Maye

I have come around on Drake Maye going to the New England Patriots at No. 3 quite a bit. Of the six potential first-round candidates, I still believe he has the greatest bust potential, as I don't know if he has that dog inside of him. However, the opportunity to back up a pro's pro in Jacoby Brissett for a year and fully learn Alex Van Pelt's offensive playbook gives Maye great success with the Patriots.

Although the idea of putting Jayden Daniels on the Patriots could be a lot of fun, I am afraid that he is going to be forced into action early. They are going to run him and he may not develop as a passer playing here. J.J. McCarthy can succeed playing for the Patriots, but the lack of talent around him probably limits what his ceiling could be at the NFL level. Y'all just moved off Mac Jones, didn't you?

Any of the three quarterbacks projected to come off the board soon after Caleb Williams work here.

Worst case for New England Patriots at No. 3: LSU WR Malik Nabers

Since Bill Belichick is no longer calling the shots, I am crossing off any notion of the New England Patriots taking a triple-option pulling guard out of a Division III school with the No. 3 overall pick. They should take a quarterback, but come somewhat justify taking a wide receiver, or even an offensive tackle. Honestly, if no quarterback does it for you, just move back and don't reach on a Malik Nabers.

This is all about value. Nabers should be the second wide receiver taken this spring behind obviously Marvin Harrison Jr. out of Ohio State. Again, there is nothing wrong with Nabers as a prospect, but it will be very difficult for the Patriots' brass to justify taking the second-best wide receiver in the draft over the first, as well as the two of the four best quarterback prospects remaining. This is not ideal.

The Patriots are a potential trade-back candidate at No. 3, but they cannot take just anyone third.

Best case for Arizona Cardinals at No. 4: Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr.

We have arrived at one of the most likely trade-back candidates across the entire first-round in the Arizona Cardinals picking at No. 4. If they stand pat, the most advantageous move is to take wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. out of Ohio State. He should be the first non-quarterback taken in the 2024 NFL Draft. He has tremendous NFL pedigree from his Hall of Fame father. This is so obvious...

Arizona needs to get its franchise quarterback Kyler Murray some weapons. They have two picks in the first round, so coming out of it with a wide receiver is so beyond paramount. Although the Cardinals should definitely hear out any potential trade offer from teams looking to move up to No. 4, they would be justified with taking the best wide receiver in the draft in Harrison with this selection.

Arizona does not need to be forced into trading back if the Cardinals are that in love with Harrison.

Worst case for Arizona Cardinals at No. 4: Washington WR Rome Odunze

This would make people pull out all the remaining hair atop their noggins like Homer Simpson finding out he is about to have yet another kid with Marge. While I would attest that Washington star wide receiver Rome Odunze is certainly worthy of being a top-10 pick, I cannot in good faith take him over Marvin Harrison Jr. under any circumstances. I would have a hard time taking him over Malik Nabers.

Odunze should be the guy who catches passes from Caleb Williams in Chicago. That would make the most sense to me, but again, I am not Ryan Poles and I don't work for the Bears. What doesn't work for me is Arizona squandering a tremendous opportunity at No. 4. The Cardinals have so much leverage with that draft selection. To me, they either take Harrison fourth or trade back and get more capital.

Odunze could be a great pickup for the Cardinals, but not for the fourth overall pick in the NFL Draft.

Best case for Los Angeles Chargers at No. 5: LSU WR Malik Nabers

The Los Angeles Chargers are another team I could see trading out of the top five. While most people have their eyes on Washington, New England or Arizona possibly moving back, keep an eye on the Bolts. If they do not get an offer to their liking, I would go with LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers at No. 5. He was Jayden Daniels' favorite target and would be a welcomed addition to their receiving corps.

This is all about setting up Justin Herbert for success in Los Angeles. For as much as I would love to see Georgia tight end Brock Bowers go to the Chargers, Los Angeles can trade back a few picks and still might be in a position to get him. Nabers is probably off the board before the Atlanta Falcons are picking at No. 8. Marvin Harrison Jr. could fall to the Chargers at No. 5, but I am not counting on that.

While I like Bowers and Notre Dame offensive tackle Joe Alt quite a bit, Nabers have to be the pick.

Worst case for Los Angeles Chargers at No. 5: Oregon State OT Taliese Fuaga

As it is with every potential pick any of these five teams in question could make, it all comes down to value. There are a few offensive tackles worthy of going inside the top 15 this year, including Taliese Fuaga out of Oregon State. To me, I would have him third on my board behind Notre Dame's Joe Alt and Penn State's Olu Fashanu. Again, I wouldn't hate any of these three picks. This is all about value!

Thus, I cannot justify the Chargers reaching on Fuaga when potentially there is a fourth high-end quarterback still on the board. I would suspect the No. 2 and No. 3 wide receivers would still be there, as would be the best tight end in the draft in Brock Bowers out of Georgia and the best defensive prospect in the draft in Alabama edge rusher Dallas Turner. Joe Hortiz cannot screw this draft up.

If the Chargers traded back to No. 11 with the Minnesota Vikings, then picking Fuaga is justifiable.