Buccaneers land quarterback of future in early 2024 mock draft

USC quarterback Caleb Williams is expected to be selected first overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, but the signal-caller class is deep and UNC's Drake Maye isn't a terrible alternative.

While there's still plenty of time until the start of college football, let alone the NFL Draft, ESPN's Jordan Reid has published an early first-round mock. Since the draft order won't be set until the 2023 season concludes, Reid used ESPN's Football Power Index to determine team positions in his exercise.

The Arizona Cardinals landed the first two picks in Reid's mock thanks to its trade with Houston during the 2023 draft, where it acquired the Texans' 2024 first-rounder. After penciling in Williams and Ohio State wideout Marvin Harrison Jr. as the Cardinals' selections, Reid has the Tampa Bay Buccaneers using the No. 3 overall pick to draft Maye. 

"[Maye] is an extraordinarily accurate deep passer, completing 63 passes thrown 20-plus air yards last year," Reid wrote. "Scouts want to see a stronger finish this year -- Maye closed his sophomore campaign with 6 total touchdowns, 4 interceptions and 14 sacks in four consecutive losses -- but he has clear next-level starter tools. His combination of deep-ball touch and mobility makes him someone the Bucs could build around." 

After the retirement of Tom Brady, Tampa Bay finds itself holding a less-than-ideal quarterback competition this summer between 2021 second-rounder Kyle Trask and former No. 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield. The jury’s still out on Trask, as he has attempted just nine career passes, but Mayfield has already proven he is not a franchise’s long-term solution at the position. 

The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Maye, who former ESPN analyst David Pollack dubbed "Justin Herbert 2.0," would be an excellent choice to fully usher in the post-Brady era. Last season, Maye led the ACC in passing yards (4,321) and touchdowns (38) while throwing just seven interceptions, which earned him first-team all-conference honors.