2024 NFL Draft rumors roundup: Trade rumors, news ahead of first round

There is still plenty of uncertainty about the possible outcomes of the 2024 NFL Draft, even on draft day.

This year's draft begins with the first round on Thursday night. Going into that first round, the only outcome that appears certain is the Chicago Bears drafting Southern California quarterback Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick.

There will be plenty of opportunities for chaos, with so many quarterback-needy teams and four top quarterbacks projected to come off the board early. Several teams are rumored to be considering options to trade up, while certain teams with top-five picks may be weighing options to trade back.

Here are all of the latest rumors as of Thursday's start to the 2024 NFL Draft.

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2024 NFL Draft rumors: New England Patriots standing pat

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2024 NFL Draft rumors: Top picks near set

NFL Draft guru Todd McShay hears rumblings that the top three picks are all but locked in, which would mean three quarterbacks off the board immediately.

2024 NFL Draft rumors: Marvin Harrison jersey news

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2024 NFL draft rumors: Rams hoping to move up into top 10

According to a report from The Athletic, the Los Angeles Rams are making calls to try to trade up into the top 10 picks of Thursday night's first round.

Los Angeles has not had a first-round pick since 2016, when it picked quarterback Jared Goff with the No. 1 overall pick. The Rams are currently slotted in at the No. 19 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

2024 NFL draft rumors: Eagles "aggressive" in attempts to trade up

The Philadelphia Eagles currently hold the No. 22 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. As of Thursday afternoon, it's their only pick in the first round this year. The team also has two second-rounds picks and five picks on Day 3.

According to reporting from Bleacher Report, Philadelphia is calling around ahead of Thursday night's first round to try to trade up for a higher pick. "They're one of the more aggressive teams," a GM said according to the report.

One year after appearing in Super Bowl 57, the Eagles lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the wild-card round of the playoffs last season despite starting the year 10-1.

With former stalwarts Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox hanging up their cleats after last season, Philadelphia may be looking to trade up to continue building a new foundation of younger players for its roster.

2024 NFL draft rumors: Trade requests from Bengals players piling up

ESPN reported Wednesday afternoon that Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins requested a trade out of Cincinnati, claiming "there have been no contract talks with the team in over a year."

Higgins, who was the Bengals' second-round pick in 2020, accumulated 3,864 receiving yards and 24 touchdowns on his rookie contract. Cincinnati placed their franchise tag on the former LSU receiver earlier this offseason.

The news came moments after reporting that Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson requested a trade from Cincinnati in a search "for more long-term security."

2024 NFL draft rumors: Commanders appear set to draft LSU QB Jayden Daniels

Reports from both ESPN and The Athletic indicate that the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner is Washington's pick to be their next franchise quarterback.

This is not a surprise given the reports that have come out of the Commanders' front office as well as the status of Daniels as the betting favorite to be the second overall pick. Still, there was some doubt about the LSU signal-caller's willingness to go to Washington after the team's unorthodox method of bringing four quarterback prospects to Topgolf as part of their scouting process.

The Athletic reported that Daniels' "dream" scenario is reuniting with Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce – an Arizona State assistant coach while Daniels was there – in Las Vegas. In the end, both analysts and other teams still predict the Commanders will take the Heisman winner with the No. 2 pick.

2024 NFL draft rumors: Patriots will draft a QB, even if they trade back

The Athletic and ESPN were once again in lockstep with the report that the Patriots are still weighing their options about what to do with the No. 3 pick.

For now, with no deal in place or close, the reports say New England will likely stay put and draft a quarterback. Assuming Daniels is the No. 2 pick, North Carolina's Drake Maye is the most likely pick at No. 3, according to ESPN.

The Athletic also reported that the Patriots would wait to see who Washington picks at No. 2 before locking in a decision to trade down. In addition, if New England does trade down, The Athletic indicated there is a real possibility of the team trading back up to guarantee it ends Thursday night with a top quarterback.

2024 NFL draft rumors: Giants would like to draft Drake Maye

Though the Giants extended quarterback Daniel Jones last offseason, his performance in the first year of the extension was underwhelming. The team could be in position to draft a quarterback with the No. 6 overall pick or a trade up.

Both ESPN and The Athletic indicated the Giants are considering drafting a quarterback in the first round, especially if that quarterback is Drake Maye. ESPN reported New York has been among the "most active" teams looking to trade up to the No. 3 pick and is "very interested" in trading up for Maye.

The Athletic's reporting said the Giants would take Maye if he fell to the No. 6 pick, even if their intent was to let him sit and develop behind Jones as a rookie. If Maye isn't available with the sixth overall pick, New York would likely stay to take a top wide receiver instead, according to The Athletic.

2024 NFL draft: How to watch on cable TV and streaming

• When: April 25-27, 2024

• Where: Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza, Detroit, Michigan

• Cable: ESPN; ABC; NFL Network

• Streaming: NFL+; ESPN+; Hulu+ Live TV; fuboTV

HOW TO WATCH: Catch all seven rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft with a subscription to fuboTV

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL Draft Rumors: Last-minute trade rumors, news on draft day