NEWSLETTER
We decided to hold off on this week’s 2024 NFL Mock Draft until the end of the week, and wow was that the right decision! With NFL free agency kicking off on Monday we knew a whole bunch of roster movement was incoming, and that’s exactly what we got all the up until last night when the Chargers traded Keenan Allen to the Bears. A lot of roster moves are in the books and the NFL Draft selections appear to be narrowing. Let’s get to our latest mock.
2024 NFL Mock Draft
1. Chicago Bears: QB Caleb Williams – USC
The market for Justin Fields has apparently gone completely dry, but I don’t think that stops Ryan Poles from taking his quarterback first overall. After the additions of Keenan Allen, D’Andre Swift, and Gerald Everett, the offense is in a really good spot for a rookie QB to step into. The Bears still have to figure out what to do with Justin Fields, but Caleb Williams stepping into this Bears offense all of a sudden feels like a phenomenal situation for a rookie, let alone one as talented as Caleb.
2. Washington Commanders: QB Drake Maye – North Carolina
I think Washington will be incredibly active in trying to move up to first overall to select Caleb Williams, but right now, I’m just not sure if they will meet the Bears’ “historic haul” of an asking price. Whether it’s Williams, Drake Maye, or Jayden Daniels, the Commanders will take their top quarterback left on the board and reset the most important position in the game for their new head coach and offensive coordinator. It wouldn’t shock me if Daniels moves up into this spot, but as of now I still think the Commanders lean toward Drake Maye.
3. New England Patriots: QB Jayden Daniels – LSU
Three quarterbacks in a row! The Patriots have been rumored as a team willing to trade back in the draft to stockpile picks, but I think as we get closer and closer, they’ll realize how badly they need to take a shot on a quarterback. They did bring back Jacoby Brissett, but I’d be stunned if that had any effect on how they use the third pick. Whether it’s Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye here and number three, I think New England will make the move to bring in a new QB and inject some life into the franchise.
4. Arizona Cardinals: WR Marvin Harrison Jr – Ohio State
The Cardinals fall to the fourth overall pick but still end up with arguably the best player in this draft. Kyler Murray is very likely back for another year, so Arizona goes with the best player available to get a big-time weapon on the outside.
5. *TRADE* Minnesota Vikings (via Chargers): QB J.J. McCarthy – Michigan
Kirk Cousins is out the door and officially an Atlanta Falcon. The Vikings have a really solid roster but still have a big hole at quarterback. I think we could see a real bidding war between the Vikings, Broncos, and Giants for this pick but the Vikings just can’t afford to lose it given where their roster is and how desperate they are for a QB. Minnesota even started to load up on assets this morning by acquiring Houston’s first-round pick at 23rd overall. The Chargers need A LOT of help offensively and they could certainly hold onto this pick, but moving back and picking up assets makes a lot of sense here.
6. New York Giants: WR Malik Nabers – LSU
After missing out on the top four rated quarterbacks in this draft, the Giants have to pivot so they go with the next best thing and draft an electric wide receiver in Malik Nabers. The former LSU Tiger gives New York a number one target on the outside and a playmaker that they desperately need especially after Saquon Barkley left for Philly. They still have holes on offense and need a big bounce back from Daniel Jones, but Nabers is a great start in rebuilding the offense.
7. Tennessee Titans: LT Joe Alt – Notre Dame
The Titans need help on both lines of scrimmage. Joe Alt was outstanding at Notre Dame, and he came away as one of the big winners at the NFL Combine. The farther along we get in the draft process, the more momentum Alt seems to gain. While we kind of knew he was a great athlete, his Combine performance confirmed that and then some. Tennessee grabs the former Fighting Irish standout to anchor their OL.
8. Atlanta Falcons: EDGE Dallas Turner – Alabama
The Falcons have their quarterback, now it’s time to address the other side of the ball. Kirk Cousins walks into a solid situation in Atlanta with a decent amount of weapons surrounding him. Defense is the pick here for Atlanta and taking the top EDGE rusher on the board makes the most sense. Dallas Turner is likely that guy, and he finds a new home in Atlanta.
9. Chicago Bears: WR Rome Odunze – Washington
After the addition of Keenan Allen, the Bears all of a sudden have a great 1-2 punch at wide receiver. Having said that, Allen is going to be 32 years old in week one and in the last year of his deal. He’s a great player, but a short-term option. If Odunze is still there at the ninth pick, I still think you have to grab him. It makes your wide receiver room one of the best in the NFL, and it gives you a more secure long-term outlook at the position.
10. New York Jets: LT Olu Fashanu – Penn State
The Jets go ahead and grab the next best tackle on the NFL Draft board to help protect Aaron Rodgers and his repaired Achilles! Well, some people’s boards. Oregon State’s Taliese Fuaga is rising fast, but he’s primarily played the right side. I think the Jets still roll with Fashanu here. Even with a healthy Rodgers this season, the Jets would have had an uphill climb with their instability on the offensive line. Grabbing Olu Fashanu with the 10th overall pick gives the Jets a massive upgrade at a premier position heading into a very important 2024-25 season.
11. Los Angeles Chargers (via Vikings): TE Brock Bowers
Still a lot of different directions Los Angeles can go here with several holes offensively, but I just keep coming back to Brock Bowers being a perfect fit for Jim Harbaugh and Greg Roman’s offense. Tight End has proven to be a massively important position in any offense, and Bowers can be an incredibly good one. With the top receivers off the board and letting Gerald Everett walk in free agency, trading back AND picking up Brock Bowers to help out Justin Herbert would be a big win for the Chargers.
12. Denver Broncos: EDGE Jared Verse – Florida State
The Broncos still need a quarterback but instead of reaching for one with the 12th pick, Sean Payton takes the top EDGE defender left on the board to sure up his defense. It’s still uncertain what route they’ll go at quarterback, and they could try and trade back and reach for one here. But with the amount of needs they have, reaching at 12 for a question mark QB doesn’t make sense. Going the safer route with a high-ceiling EDGE does.
13. Las Vegas Raiders: OT Taliese Fuaga – Oregon State
After bringing in Gardiner Minshew on a two-year deal to be their quarterback and solidifying their defense with the massive Christian Wilkins addition, the Raiders make a pick to strengthen their offensive line which needs some help. Taliese Fuaga is a rock-solid option at right tackle and feels very similar to where Darnell Wright was at last year’s draft. Going that route might not be the flashy pick we’re accustomed to seeing the Raiders make, but it’s probably the right one here.
14. New Orleans Saints: OT Amarius Mims – Georgia
The Saints need help on both sides of the line of scrimmage. I think they’ll go offensive line in this spot, given what’s left on the board. Amarius Mims was one of the big winners at the NFL Combine with his 40-yard dash and shuttle times to go along with his massive frame. He’s a bit of a risk in terms of durability, but I think with how he performed in Indy the Saints will grab him here and take that chance.
15. Indianapolis Colts: CB Terrion Arnold – Alabama
While Kool-Aid McKinstry was for most of the year seen as the top cornerback in this year’s NFL Draft, he now might not even be the top CB selected from his own team! Terrion Arnold is rising up draft boards quickly thanks to his tools and incredibly high ceiling. He might be a riskier pick than McKinstry, but the potential is incredibly high for Arnold, and the Colts roll the dice on him here.
16. Seattle Seahawks: OL Troy Fautanu – Washington
Fautanu has been fast-rising up NFL Draft boards so far this offseason, and his fit with the Seahawks seems too perfect. He was a tackle at Washington but probably projects more as an interior lineman at the NFL level. The Seahawks can give him a look at multiple positions and see where he fits best. Fautanu feels like a lock to be a rock-solid NFL offensive lineman, just feels like a matter of where.
17. Jacksonville Jaguars: CB Nate Wiggins – Clemson
The Jags collapse was a brutal one down the stretch, and it really amplified their NFL Draft needs. They most certainly need a little more help on offense, but defensively, the team struggled mightily in the last few weeks. Taking a true playmaker at the cornerback position can inject some life into a defensive unit that lacked big-play ability and consistency down the stretch.
18. Cincinnati Bengals: OT JC Latham – Alabama
The Tee Higgins trade demand throws a wrench into this pick, but Cincinnati still really needs to bolster that OL to protect Joe Burrow. They began addressing the offensive line last offseason, but it still needs some help as we saw during the 2023 season. JC Latham is the best tackle left on the board at this point, and I think he’s the logical pick no matter how the Higgins situation plays out in Cincinnati.
19. Los Angeles Rams: EDGE Laiatu Latu – UCLA
With multiple positions they could address at this spot, the Rams make the pick for an impact player at a high-value position. They still need help at cornerback and on the offensive line, but given who is left on the board I think going with Latu at 19th would be the right call. With Aaron Donald announcing his retirement, the Rams really need a playmaker on the defensive line. Latu gives them a chance at one.
20. Pittsburgh Steelers: CB Quinyon Mitchell – Toledo
The cornerback order in this year’s draft seems to be one of the more volatile of the position groups. After his impressive performance at the combine, I think the Steelers select Quinyon Mitchell out of Toledo. Mitchell was one of the top cover corners in college football last year, and now that he impressed at the combine, I think we’ll see him go off the board earlier than expected. It’s not hard to see teams selling themselves on that 4.33 40-yard dash time, plus he’s got a ton of experience and upside.
21. Miami Dolphins: C Jackson Powers-Johnson – Oregon
Miami desperately needs to add help along the offensive line. It’s been a rough offseason for the Dolphins as they’ve seen a lot of talent depart. This might not be the sexiest pick for them in the first round, but it goes a long way in starting to solidify their offensive line which has been a roller coaster over the last few seasons.
22. Philadelphia Eagles: CB Cooper DeJean – Iowa
The Eagles’ collapse down the stretch of the season was certainly something to behold. I still think they have a very talented roster. However, defensively their glaring need for help in the secondary got exposed. Unfortunately, the offseason has seen some shakeups along their defensive line as well. It still feels like the defensive backfield is the bigger need, though. Cooper DeJean can step in on day one and provide consistency as well as versatility to a position group that needs help fast.
23. Los Angeles Chargers (via Vikings): OT Graham Barton – Duke
The Chargers grabbed Brock Bowers with the 11th pick to give their offense a big-time playmaker, now with the 23rd pick they take Graham Barton from Duke to solidify their offensive line. The Vikings just traded for the 23rd pick from Houston, and if they want the 5th overall pick they’ll have to send the 23rd to the Chargers most likely. Los Angeles gets the best of both worlds in the first round, one of the most talented players in the draft in Bowers plus a versatile OL in Barton, and both help out Justin Herbert.
24. Dallas Cowboys: OT Jordan Morgan – Arizona
The Cowboys will have a few moving parts on their aging offensive line, so grabbing the versatile Morgan here makes a lot of sense. He can play inside or outside, and given the uncertainty of that unit for Dallas, bringing in Morgan alongside 2022 first-round NFL Draft pick Tyler Smith gives them a solid foundation on the offensive line.
25. Green Bay Packers: EDGE Chop Robinson – Penn State
Lukas Van Ness hasn’t really worked out like the Packers had hoped. Chop Robinson had a great year at Penn State and at certain points was projected to be the first EDGE off the board. While Green Bay probably still wants to add to the OL, Robinson may have too high of a ceiling to pass up on in this spot. The Packers get some serious value with him at 25th overall.
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: CB Kool-Aid McKinstry
The Bucs have their quarterback Baker Mayfield back in the fold. Mike Evans was brought back with a brand new deal as well. Tampa could go with some OL help here, but they need some playmakers defensively as well. McKinstry is dealing with a foot injury, but he should be fine by his pro day. He was at one point the top-rated corner in this draft and he’s got an incredibly high ceiling. He presents some serious value for the Bucs here with the NFL Draft’s 26th overall pick.
27. Arizona Cardinals (via Houston Texans): DT Byron Murphy II
The Cardinals need help just about everywhere on defense, and they get a piece they can plug in on the defensive line with Byron Murphy. Sure, it’s not the most premier position, but when you need as much help on the defensive side of the ball as the Cardinals do, it’s never a bad idea to grab the best player available. Murphy could go as high as the middle of the first round if the chips fall in a certain way, so if he makes it to Arizona here I think they grab him.
28. Buffalo Bills: DL Jer’Zhan Newton – Illinois
The Bills will need help at receiver and on the interior of their defensive line. Jer’Zhan Newton is a high-ceiling player who falls a bit thanks to positional value. The good news for him is that he lands in a nearly perfect situation with Buffalo. The playoff loss to the Chiefs showed they definitely need help in the middle, and Newton provides that. DaQuan Jones is back, but given his age and injury last year, Buffalo still needs to get stronger up the middle. This NFL Draft pick lets them do that.
29. Detroit Lions: CB Ennis Rakestraw Jr. – Missouri
While the defense flashed at times, ultimately, that side of the ball let the Lions down in the worst way against San Francisco. When they needed stops in the NFC Championship game, they just couldn’t come up with them. Ennis Rakestraw Jr and his physical style feel like a perfect fit for an aggressive Detroit team that really needs to boost their secondary.
30. Baltimore Ravens: WR Brian Thomas Jr. – LSU
Once we get toward the back half of the first round, the order in which the remaining receivers go will be intriguing. There are so many options after the top three go off the board, and the order will just be based on who falls in love with whom throughout the draft process. While Xavier Worth and his 40-time stole the show, Brian Thomas Jr impressed in a big way in Indy and ran a 4.33 40. With his size combined with that speed, Baltimore gets a steal here late in the first round of the NFL Draft.
31. San Francisco 49ers: OT Tyler Guyton – Oklahoma
The right tackle position is still very much one of need for San Francisco in the NFL Draft, and while they need to add some help in the secondary as well, the talent left on the board at tackle makes Tyler Guyton the logical pick here. Guyton has a ton of upside; he can start on day one, and whenever Trent Williams calls it a career (not that that’s happening immediately), Guyton can get a look on the left side as well.
32. Kansas City Chiefs: WR Xavier Worthy – Texas
At the wide receiver position, it seems the Kansas City Chiefs have a type. They like shifty, fast wideouts who can take the top off the defense and open things up for Travis Kelce in the middle. Worthy was already a possible NFL Draft 1st-round pick prior to the NFL Combine, then he ran a record-setting 40-yard draft. Even with the addition of Marquise Brown via free agency, Worthy feels like a player Kansas City would run to the podium for if he was still available. The rich get richer.
