College football's passing TD leader falls to second round in latest mock draft

The 2024 NFL Draft may turn out to have more quarterback talent than any others in recent memory with several QBs expected to be selected in the first round. 

However, CBS Sports' Kyle Stackpole believes college football's 2023 leader in passing touchdowns will not be taken early in his latest mock draft.

Stackpole has Oregon's Bo Nix falling to the Minnesota Vikings at pick No. 42 in the second round. 

Nix led college football with 45 passing touchdowns in 2023 while adding six more scores on the ground. He also protected the football very well, throwing just three interceptions on 470 attempts.

The 24-year-old is one of the more intriguing prospects following his breakout season, but Stackpole still doesn't think it was enough to surpass some of the others in the draft class.

Five quarterbacks are taken before Nix in the mock draft, including USC's Caleb Williams (No. 1), LSU's Jayden Daniels (No. 2), UNC's Drake Maye (No. 3), Michigan's J.J. McCarthy (No. 13) and Washington's Michael Penix Jr. (No. 39).

Williams, Daniels and Maye are among those expected to first hear their names called in the draft. However, McCarthy, Penix Jr. and Nix continue to be unknown pieces to the puzzle.

Nix currently ranks as Pro Football Focus' fifth-best quarterback and No. 35 overall prospect on its big board behind McCarthy and ahead of Penix Jr. Stackpole seems to believe Nix be the last of the six drafted, however.

Although falling to the second round is not what Nix is hoping for, it could put him in the best spot to have success right away.

The Vikings have a ton of talent on offense, including wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison and tight end T.J. Hockenson.

Of course, Minnesota will likely only target Nix if it lets veteran QB Kirk Cousins walk in free agency, but Stackpole seems to believe that's how things are going to play out.

The NFL Draft begins on April 25 in Detroit.