2024 NFL Mock Draft 3.0

After months of speculation, mock drafts, and rumors we will finally have answers. The 89th NFL Draft will take place in Detroit, Michigan. While initially bristling at the idea of moving the draft out of New York City, I have to admit the idea of turning the draft into a weekend football festival is pretty fun. It will be fun to see how Detroit pulls it off.

The NFL Draft is an event like any other. It underscores the idea of hope springs eternal. Every year as Round One rolls around, hopes rise that this is the year or this is the player to turn things around. Anything is possible.

While last year there was a flurry of teams maneuvering up and down the draft board, this season has more of a definitely maybe feel to it. While the Minnestoa Vikings will be the team to watch in the Top 10, there are dark horse candidates like Denver, Las Vegas, and even Indianapolis that could make moves. At the bottom of the draft, should quarterbacks Michael Penix and Bo Nix still be on the board I wouldn’t be surprised to see someone jump up to take their guy.

In our final mock draft we have some surprises and some picks made consistently through the offseason. Lets get to it…

1. Chicago Bears: Caleb Williams, QB, USC
   • This pick has been locked up for months. Williams is already studying the playbook.
2. Washington Commanders: Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU
   • This is where the draft starts. If Washington is smart they take Daniels, and maybe it’s the hangover from the Dan Snyder era, but that feels like a big if.
3. New England Patriots: Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina
   • If Washington does that smart thing, the Patriots are left in a tough position. They should look to trade down, but if they can’t find the right deal we have Maye as the pick in our last mock draft.
4. Arizona Cardinals: Marvin Harrison Jr, WR, Ohio St.
   • This has been the pick all mock draft season. The only way this doesn’t happen is if the Cardinals receive an offer they can’t refuse, and even then it would be hard to turn down with a talent like Harrison on the board.
5. LA Chargers: Malik Nabers, WR, LSU
   • New head coach Jim Harbaugh has been talking about the trenches all offseason, and this may be where we see Joe Alt selected, but they have zero weapons for Justin Herbert.
6. NY Giants: Rome Odunze, WR, Washington
   • Three straight quarterbacks followed by three straight wide receivers. Why not? The G-Men had the second worst pass offense in the league last year and still have Daniel Jones’ albatross of a contract weighing them down. Expect a QB here next season.
7. Tennessee Titans: Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame
   • Another wire to wire pick over mock draft season. If Alt is gone at this point expect another offensive lineman – possibly Fuaga. The long story short is that Tennessee is still recovering from the back-to-back nightmare of Isaiah Wilson. Hopefully Ran Carthon’s new regime gets it right.
8. Atlanta Falcons: Jared Verse, OLB, Florida St.
   • This is a very interesting place in the draft. The first defensive player will come off the board here, but who? Turner? Murphy? Who knows, maybe even Quinyon Mitchell! But for our last mock draft we have Verse.
9. Chicago Bears: Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia
   • If the top wide receivers are gone, I wouldn’t be surprised if Chicago trades down. But we don’t mock draft trades and with that we have Bowers here. He doesn’t leave the Top 10.
10. NY Jets: Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon St.
    • The Jets landed Tyron Smith and Morgan Moses over free agency. If healthy, the Jets are set at tackle and Fuaga moves inside to play guard. That’s a big if however and Fuaga could kick back outside to tackle. That’s versatility the Jets need up front.
11. Minnesota Vikings: JJ McCarthy, QB, Michigan
    • We had this in our last mock. The Vikings hope they can stay put, land their (hopefully) franchise quarterback, and keep ahold of their draft assets. The biggest question is how aggressive will Minnesota be.
12. Denver Broncos: Dallas Turner, OLB, Alabama
    • A slight fall for Turner, but he lands in a great spot. Turner would be an instant impact player for the 30th ranked defense in 2023. He had 22.5 sacks in 3 seasons at Alabama.
13. Las Vegas Raiders: JC Latham, OT, Alabma
    • The Raiders will be interesting to watch. They are on their third brain trust over the last five years, and it will be GM Tom Telesco and head coach Antonio Pierece’s first season at the helm. Telesco pays attention to the trenches and I think he does so again this year.
14. New Orleans Saints: Olu Fashanu, OT, Penn St.
    • This pick has been the same in all our mock drafts. At this point, Fashanu is the best left tackle prospect on the board. He also has tremendous upside, the Saints luck out.
15. Indianapolis Colts: Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo
    • There’s been yo-yoing all draft season over which cornerback goes first – Mitchell or Terrion Arnold. We flip back to Mitchell. While the jump from Toledo to the NFL may be stark, it’s hard to ignore his ability or his stats – 37 pass breakups and six interceptions in two years.
16. Seattle Seahawks: Cooper DeJean, S, Iowa
    • This is less of a who I think they’ll pick or should pick, but Seattle has a knack for throwing curveballs in Round 1. Bruce Irvin? Rashaad Perry? In our last mock draft we have DeJean as the curveball. It may be high for him, but he could be a Day One starter for the Seahawks with how thin they are at safety.
17. Jacksonville Jaguars: Byron Murphy II, DT, Texas
    • One of the biggest mysteries is how long Murphy will be available. He could go Top 10, he could go much later. Time will tell, but this a dream scenario for the Jags. There is little depth along the d-line and they could use an infusion of talent.
18. Cincinnati Bengals: Brian Thomas, WR, LSU
    • We had Thomas here in our first mock draft. Tee Higgins issued a trade request and even if he hadn’t, he would have played the year on the franchise tag and left in 2025. The pipeline from Baton Rouge to Cincinnati is strong.
19. LA Rams: Laiatu Latu, OLB, UCLA
    • The last time the Rams made a first round pick Jeff Fisher was their head coach. True story. What they’ll do now is anyone’s guess. The loss of Aaron Donald will be a big and take a lot of people to try and pick up his level of production. Latu, injury concerns aside, is the arguably the best pass rusher in the class.
20. Pittsburgh Steelers: Troy Fautanu, OT, Washington
    • The additions of Russel Wilson and Justin Fields made headlines in the offseason. Now they need to protect them. Fautanu will be the bookend to last year’s first rounder Broderick Jones.
21. Miami Dolphins: Jackson Powers-Johnson, C, Oregon
    • Miami lost both Connor Williams and Robert Hunt in the offseason. Powers-Johnson could be a Day One starter at either guard or center, which bodes well for the Phins. The offense is the strength of their team and need to keep it that way.
22. Philadelphia Eagles: Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama
    • I don’t imagine this happening, but if it does what an absolute steal by Philadelphia. The Eagles secondary was putrid last year and needs a major haul. Arnold had 20 pass break ups and six interceptions.
23. Minnesota Vikings: Jer’Zhan Newton, DT, Illinois
    • Minnesota lost DJ Wonnum, Dean Lowry, and Khyiris Tonga over free agency and there is little depth behind them. Newton changes that. He racked up 13 sacks over the past two seasons proving he’s a three-down playmaker in the trenches.
24. Dallas Cowboys: Graham Barton, OL, Duke
    • The Cowboys have needs at left tackle and center, luckily for them Barton started at both positions over his time at Duke. Wherever he lines up for head coach Mike McCarthy, they are getting a Day One starter.
25. Green Bay Packers: Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia
    • Out of the Packers last four first round picks, GM Brian Gutekunst has selected three Georgia players. This year, he adds another Bulldog. Mims is a colossal tackle with immense talent, which is exactly what Green Bay need after the departure of stalwart David Bakhtiari and ascension of Jordan Love.
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Chop Robinson, OLB, Penn St.
    • If Tampa Bay wants to get back to the playoffs in 2024, they need to shore up their defense quickly. Former first-round pick Joe Tryon-Shoyinka is looking like a bust. Robinson is hyper athletic and just scratching the surface of his talent.
27. Arizona Cardinals: Darius Robinson, DE, Missouri
    • Robinson is the perfect five-technique for Arizona and their 32nd ranked rush defense. The Cards did bring in Justin Jones and Bilal Nichols to help bolster the trenches, but more is needed. Robinson’s arrow is pointing up after a breakout season where he had 8.5 sacks and 14 tackles-for-loss.
28. Buffalo Bills: Xavier Worthy, WR, Texas
    • Speed kills in the NFL and Worthy broke the NFL Combine’s 40-yard dash record. After the departure of Stefon Diggs, it’s no secret that the Bills will be targeting a receiver. Worthy has some question marks, but his speed will keep defenses on edge as soon as he hits the field.
29. Detroit Lions: Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama
    • The Lions struck gold last year with Brian Branch, so why not grab another Crimson Tide corner? Detroit had the 27th ranked pass defense in 2023. If they want to get back to the NFC Championship and go further, they need to bolster the secondary.
30. Baltimore Ravens: Tyler Guyton, OT, Oklahoma
    • Our final continuity pick of mock draft season, we keep Guyton to Baltimore. If they stalwart left tackle Ronnie Stanley can stay healthy for the season, the Ravens have a quality bookend in Guyton. If not, Guyton can flip to the left side.
31. San Francisco 49ers: Marshawn Kneeland, DE, Western Michigan
    • This is a bit a wild card, but the defensive line has been the hallmark of the Shanahan/Lynch era in San Francisco and they took hit in free agency losing multiple starts and impact players. Kneeland is raw, but ascending. He has the nastiness to thrive as a pass rusher.
32. Kansas City Chiefs: Jordan Morgan, OT, Arizona
    • The Chiefs enter with a lot of question marks. They need help at receiver, corner, among other positions. For our final mock, we have them selecting Morgan. The Chiefs didn’t resign last year’s starter Donovan Smith and now there’s an open hole on Patrick Mahome’s blindside.

2024 NFL Mock Draft 1.0

There is no season better than draft season. The NFL Draft is like Christmas for NFL fans and this year should bring a lot of surprises. There has been a marked up tick in draft day trades over the past two years, with 15 deals conducted – nine in 2022 and six in 2023. The way this offseason is shaping up I wouldn’t be surprised if we hit double digits. It’s so likely, that we’ve even factored in our first mock trade ever.

The driving force behind the trade market is the quarterback class, which is so rich we could very well see QBs go off the board with the first four picks. First overall is all but formerly announced with the Bears selecting Caleb Williams from USC. But the run on QBs will ultimately be set by Washington and their second overall pick.

So, who will it be? Lets take a look with our first mock draft of the season.

1. Chicago Bears: Caleb Williams, QB, USC
   • Trading Justin Fields solidified this move, but top wide receiver DJ Moore was vocal about keeping Fields. Williams will have to prove the trade was the right move and prove it quickly.
2. Washington Commanders: JJ McCarthy, QB, Michigan
   • It’s undoubtedly a quarterback here, but the question is which one? It’s likely between the Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels and McCarthy, who has seen his stock rise considerably this spring.
3. New England Patriots: Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU
   • With McCarthy off the board, the Pats runs this pick up to the podium. A dynamic playmaker who could help turn the page for first-time head coach Jerod Mayo and New England.
4. Arizona Cardinals: Marvin Harrison Jr, WR, Ohio St.
   • GM Monti Ossenfort manipulated the first round masterfully last year by trading out of and then back into the Top 10. Arizona could very well pull of something similarly this year, but for now we have them selecting the wide receiver they desperately need.
5. Minnesota Vikings: Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina***
   • After acquiring the 23rd overall pick from the Houston Texans, the Vikings all but signaled their intentions to move into the Top 10, presumably for a quarterback. Denver and Las Vegas could be in the market for a QB, but a divisional rival won’t make that trade possible.
6. NY Giants: Malik Nabers, WR, LSU
   • The G-Men have done their homework on the top quarterback prospects, but unless they trade up I don’t see them landing one. As a result, they take Nabers. An explosive weapon that the Giants have needed since OBJ left down in 2018.
7. Tennessee Titans: Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame
   • Tennessee’s top two needs for the past three years have been offensive tackle and cornerback. Over that time they have spent a wealth of draft capital and seen ZERO returns. They addressed corner in free agency and will now, hopefully, land their left tackle for the next decade in Alt.
8. Atlanta Falcons: Dallas Turner, OLB, Alabama
   • The Falcons addressed the offense in free agency. Now they must turn their attention to the defense, especially with defensive-minded head coach Raheem Morris steering the ship. Turner was the SEC Defensive Player of the Year last year.
9. Chicago Bears: Jared Verse, DE, Florida St.
   • The overall weak class of pass rushers this year helps boost Verse’s stock. Making the jump from the University of Albany to Florida State is a big step up in competition and Verse made the leap with ease, racking up 18 sacks and 29.5 tackles-for-loss in two years for the Seminoles.
10. NY Jets: Rome Odunze, WR, Washington
    • If Aaron Rodgers is to succeed in New York, he needs someone to throw to beside Garrett Wilson. Odunze exploded for a 92/1,640/13 stat line last year. A trio of Wilson, Odunze, and veteran Mike Williams would be quite formidable.
11. LA Chargers: Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia***
    • A masterclass in manipulating the draft board, the Bolts trade back and still land their guy. The Chargers have lacked a strong tight end since Antonio Gates retired, but Bowers could put an end to that. And at a perfect time too, with Los Angeles moving on from both Keenan Allen and Mike Williams this offseason.
12. Denver Broncos: Byron Murphy II, DT, Texas
    • Given their needs and the way the draft board has shaken out in this mock draft, it would be wise to move down, but Murphy is the man to help Denver’s 30th ranked rushing defense.
13. Las Vegas Raiders: Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon St.
    • Left tackle Kolton Miller has proved to be a quality starter, but the Raiders need a bookend right tackle. Fuaga’s stock is rising and for good reason. He could be a Day One starter on the right side.
14. New Orleans Saints: Olu Fashanu, OT, Penn St.
    • New Orleans has had solid success with drafting tackles in recent years – Terron Armstead, Ryan Ramczyk, and Andrus Peat. The outlier is 2022 first-rounder Trevor Penning. With Peat a free agent, Ramczyk dealing with injuries, and Penning looking like a bust reinforcements are needed.
15. Indianapolis Colts: Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama
    • Make no mistake about it, Arnold is a Top 10 talent however with the run on QBs, WRs, and OTs, Arnold slips a bit. GM Chris Ballard brings in a physical playmaker with six interceptions and 20 pass breakups over the past two years.
16. Seattle Seahawks: Graham Barton, OL, Duke
    • Pete Carroll may no longer be head coach, but he is still technically an advisor. Carroll and GM John Schneider have proven to swim against the tide on draft day and with that Barton goes earlier than anticipated. He’ll likely be a Day One starter at guard or center.
17. Jacksonville Jaguars: Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo
    • Another Top 10 talent pushed down the draft board, I wouldn’t be surprised if Mitchell is the first corner off the board or breaks in the Top 10. He’s that good.
18. Cincinnati Bengals: Brian Thomas, WR, LSU
    • The Tee Higgins saga isn’t looking too good at the moment and I think it’s pretty safe to say 2024 will be his last year in Cincinnati. Enter Thomas. A year to get familiar with the offense and then he’ll be off to the races with fellow LSU tigers Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase in 2025.
19. LA Rams: Jer’Zhan Newton, DT, Illinois
    • The Rams had a thin defensive line rotation last year and then lost Aaron Donald to retirement and Jonah Williams in free agency. Newton has a similar build and game to Donald and should help bolster the defensive line.
20. Pittsburgh Steelers: Troy Fautanu, OT, Washington
    • Last year’s first round pick Broderick Jones was expected to land the left tackle spot, he didn’t. Adding Fautanu gives the Steelers a training camp battle at the tackle spots between Jones, Fautanu, and Dan Moore.
21. Miami Dolphins: Laiatu Latu, OLB, UCLA
    • Miami’s edge rushers were hammered with injuries last year, seeing Bradley Chubb go down with an ACL and Jaelan Phillips go down with an Achilles. Those are long term injuries. They brought in veteran Shaq Barrett but more is needed. Latu comes with his own injury history (he was once medically retired) but has a nonstop motor and more importantly a clean bill of health.
22. Philadelphia Eagles: Chop Robinson, OLB, Penn St
    • Philly’s defense was an absolute mess last year. Head coach Nick Sirianni narrowly kept his job, but an overhaul of the defense was conducted. Enter Vic Fangio. A defensive mastermind, Fangio runs a 3-4 defense loaded with pass rushers. After the departure of Haason Reddick more of those pass rushers are needed.
23. LA Chargers: Ennis Rakestraw, CB, Missouri
    • The Bolts pass defense was in shambles last year and while they add Kristian Fulton in free agency more is needed. Rakestraw is a physical corner who can play in the slot or on the outside.
24. Dallas Cowboys: JC Latham, OT, Alabama
    • For years, the strength of the Cowboys has been the offensive line, but this year they lost future hall-of-famer Tyron Smith and starting center Tyler Biadasz. Factor in the injuries and aging state of things, it’s clear to see reinforcements are needed. Latham is a colossus who can continue to keep o-line a strength.
25. Green Bay Packers: Cooper DeJean, S, Iowa
    • Whether he plays safety or cornerback, it doesn’t really matter for Green Bay. They need help at both positions and DeJean is an impact playmaker wherever he lines up in the secondary.
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Edgerrin Cooper, LB, Texas A&M
    • The team lost captain Devin White over free agency. Franchise legend Lavonte David resigned and is still a strong contributor but is getting older. Behind David, the cupboard is pretty bare. That’s not a good thing when you run a base 3-4.
27. Arizona Cardinals: Jackson Powers-Johnson, C, Oregon
    • The offensive line has been a problem for the Cardinals for years, but it looks like they’re finally addressing things – drafting Paris Johnson in Round 1 last year and signing former-first rounder Jonah Williams this offseason. Adding JPJ, would be a benefit to quarterback Kyler Murray but also their Top 5 rushing attack from 2023.
28. Buffalo Bills: Troy Franklin, WR, Oregon
    • After the Stefon Diggs trade, the Bills basically do not have a wide receiver room. At least not one befitting a team in the midst of a Super Bowl window. Keep in mind, it was two years ago when a frustrated, franchise-tagged star receiver was traded in the middle of night one of the draft. Could Tee Higgins follow AJ Brown’s footsteps?
29. Detroit Lions: Darius Robinson, DT, Missouri
    • The Lions made a massive leap in 2023. Now they need to build on that success. Adding Robinson would do just that. Capable of playing inside and outside, Robinson would give Dan Campbell and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn a chess piece in the trenches.
30. Baltimore Ravens: Tyler Guyton, OT, Oklahoma
    • Guyton has a lot of similarities to former-Sooner and former-Raven Orlando Brown Jr. Guyton not only gives them a bookend to stalwart Ronnie Stanley, but also a successor to Stanley down the road.
31. San Francisco 49ers: Xavier Worthy, WR, Texas
    • Speed gets you drafted and Worthy broke the 40-yard dash record at the Combine. This is a luxury pick after building one of the best rosters in the NFL. Good luck to the defensive coordinator that has to game plan for Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle, and now Worthy.
32. Kansas City Chiefs: Adonai Mitchell, WR, Texas
    • In the latest episode of problematic Kansas City Chiefs, Rashee Rice caused a six-vehicle crash in Dallas and now his availability for the 2024 season is up in the air. Rice’s off-field issues aside, the receiving corps was still barebones. They added Marquise Brown in free agency but more is needed here