The Chicago Bears led off the 2024 NFL Draft by selecting Caleb Williams out of USC as expected with the Washington Commanders taking Jayden Daniels at No. 2 and the New England Patriots also taking a quarterback at No. 3 in Drake Maye.

There were a NFL draft record 23 offensive players selected in the first round:

• Six Quarterbacks

• Seven Wide Receivers

• Nine Offensive Linemen

• One Tight End

2024 NFL Draft Results (First Round)

1. Chicago Bears: Caleb Williams, QB, USC

2. Washington Commanders: Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU

3. New England Patriots: Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina

4. Arizona Cardinals: Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State

5. Los Angeles Chargers: Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame

6. New York Giants: Malik Nabers, WR, LSU

7. Tennessee Titans: JC Latham, OT, Alabama

8. Atlanta Falcons: Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington

9. Chicago Bears: Rome Odense, WR, Washington

10. Minnesota Vikings: J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan

11. New York Jets: Olu Fashanu, OT, Penn State

12. Denver Broncos: Bo Nix, QB, Oregon

13. Las Vegas Raiders: Brock Browers, TE, Georgia

14. New Orleans Saints: Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State

15. Indianapolis Colts: Laiatu Latu, Edge, UCLA

16. Seattle Seahawks: Byron Murphy II, DT, Texas

17. Minnesota Vikings: Dallas Turner, Edge, Alabama

18. Cincinnati Bengals: Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia

19. Los Angeles Rams: Jared Verse, Edge, Florida State

20. Pittsburgh Steelers: Troy Fautanu, OG, Washington

21. Miami Dolphins: Chop Robinson, Edge, Penn State

22. Philadelphia Eagles: Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo

23. Jacksonville Jaguars: Brian Thomas Jr., WR, LSU

24. Detroit Lions: Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama

25. Green Bay Packers: Jordan Morgan, OT, Arizona

26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Graham Barton, C, Duke

27. Arizona Cardinals: Darius Robinson, Edge, Missouri

28. Kansas City Chiefs: Xavier Worthy, WR, Texas

29. Dallas Cowboys: Tyler Guyton, OT, Oklahoma

30. Baltimore Ravens: Nate Wiggins, CB, Clemson

31. San Francisco 49ers: Ricky Pearsall, WR, Florida

32. Carolina Panthers: Xavier Legette, WR, South Carolina

The Los Angeles Chargers received trade inquiries on Justin Herbert from the New England Patriots and Minnesota Vikings.

Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz confirmed Thursday that he fielded inquiries about Herbert but did not specify which teams contacted him, adding "they were quickly shot down."

"Justin who?" Hortiz said with a smile. "No. No, at the combine I had some people ask me would we consider it, and they were quickly shot down. No, that is never an option."

The Chargers would have had to take on a $63.5 million salary cap charge for 2024 if they traded Herbert. The Chargers signed Herbert last July to a five-year, $262.5 million extension that included $133.7 million in full guarantees and $193.7 million in injury guarantees.

New England selected Drake Maye at No. 3, while the Vikings picked J.J. McCarthy at No. 10. 

Kirk Cousins was amongst the observers stunned by the decision by the Atlanta Falcons to spend a first round pick on quarterback Michael Penix Jr. out of Washington. 

The Falcons made the pick despite signing Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract last month in free agency.

Cousins' agent, Mike McCartney, told ESPN's Pete Thamel that the Falcons only notified the QB that they'd pick Penix while the team was on the clock. McCartney said there is frustration and confusion coming from Cousins' camp because Atlanta did not use its first-round pick to make the team better in 2024.

Penix, himself, said he was surprised when he got the call telling him he was the pick.

"I'm not going to say I knew it was coming," Penix said. "But I knew once the phone call came through."

The Minnesota Vikings traded up to No. 10 with the New York Jets to select J.J. McCarthy.

The Vikings sent the No. 11 pick as well as a fourth rounder and a fifth rounder for No. 10 and the No. 203 pick.

McCarthy was the fifth quarterback selected Thursday night, following Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye and Michael Penix Jr.

A.J. Brown and the Philadelphia Eagles have agreed to a three-year, $96 million extension. The $84 million is the most guaranteed money in NFL history for a wide receiver, surpassing the $77 million guaranteed that Amon-Ra St. Brown recently received from the Detroit Lions. 

Brown's $32 million average annual value is also the highest for any receiver in the NFL.

Earlier this month, the Eagles signed DeVonta Smith to a three-year extension worth $75 million with $51 million guaranteed.

The NFL has announced it will open an NFL Academy in Australia in September 2024 to service the Asia-Pacific region.

The league continues to invest in long-term global football development efforts and pathways for international talent.

The academies are a global initiative by the NFL offering athletes the opportunity to combine full-time education alongside intensive training in American football.

The NFL Academy will be based at A.B. Paterson College in south-east Queensland on Australia's Gold Coast.

The Dallas Cowboys are meeting with Ezekiel Elliott's representative, according to a report.

ESPN previously reported that there is mutual interest in a potential reunion. The Cowboys lost Tony Pollard to the Tennessee Titans in free agency.

The Cowboys drafted Elliott with the fourth overall pick in 2016.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins has reaffirmed his desire to be traded, according to a report.

Higgins first made it known that he was requesting a trade back in March as his representation continues to push for a long-term contact extension. 

He recently told local media that he anticipates playing for the Bengals this season.

"We'll see. I do anticipate (playing for the Bengals in 2024)," Higgins said. "I've grown a love for Cincy that I didn't think I would. Looking forward to it."

The Pittsburgh Steelers are not expected to pick up Justin Fields' $25 million fifth-year option, according to league sources.

A first-round draft pick in 2021, Fields was traded to the Steelers by the Chicago Bears last month for a conditional sixth-round pick.

The Chicago Bears have unveiled a nearly $5 billion proposal for an enclosed stadium next door to their current home at Soldier Field as part of a major project that would transform the city's lakefront.

The plan calls for $3.2 billion for the new stadium plus an additional $1.5 billion in infrastructure.

The team and the city said the project would add green and open space while improving access to the city's Museum Campus and also could include a publicly owned hotel.

"This is not an easy project, but Chicago doesn't like it easy," Bears president Kevin Warren said.

The team said last month it was prepared to provide more than $2 billion in funding toward a publicly owned stadium in the city.