2024 NFL Mock Draft, Volume 1

With yet another exciting NFL season in the books, it’s time to shift our focus to the draft once again! Arguably the best time of year, you and your friends can argue hypotheticals until you’re red in the face and loathe each other on a deep personal level, all due to your personal opinions on what your favorite team will likely do with their upcoming draft picks. What’s not to love???

As always with these early mock drafts, we’re not predicting trades, we’ll save that for the live podcasts where we can talk about what we think teams might really do, but for our mock purposes here, we’re operating under the assumption that every team will draft where they’re currently slotted (they won’t).

Let’s get into it, and as always, please let us know in the comments where you agree, disagree, think we’re geniuses, think we’re idiots, etc:

1: Chicago Bears (via CAR) – Caleb Williams, QB, USC

As we inch closer to the draft, it looks more and more like the Bears intend to part ways with Justin Fields and keep their window open with the comparatively inexpensive first overall pick contract, rather than shelling out the 40M/year some of these QBs are making nowadays, which becomes especially difficult to stomach if you’re not even sure you’ve got the right guy there in the first place. So the Bears make the obvious pick on consensus #1 overall talent Caleb Williams. The hard part is what they do next in order to help him succeed where Fields could not. For my money, that’s OL and some WR help.. but hey, what do I know? I’m just the head of the scouting department for the biggest fantasy football podcast in America (based on metrics I made up the other day).

2: Washington Commanders – Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU

The Commanders are still a prime trade partner for the Bears if they have any inclination to move off the 1.01 pick in this draft. The Commanders have enough future assets and picks in this draft that they could bundle together quite the haul for the Bears if they were to choose to ride it out with Fields. There’s also their recent addition of Kliff Kingsbury to the OC position that is supposedly a huge draw for Caleb Williams, so he may be trying to land in Washington over Chicago anyways. However, if Williams is off the board, I think Jayden Daniels is the next guy to go. Not because I think he is better or more pro-ready than Drake Maye, but because I believe he fits what Kingsbury will want to do offensively just a little bit better than Maye would. For what it’s worth, I think it’s a toss-up between the two.

3: New England Patriots – Olumuwiya Fashanu, OT, Penn State

I know a lot of people assume this will be a QB, because that’s what the Patriots are in dire need of more than anything else on their roster. However, Jerod Mayo has come in as HC and made it clear this team will be going in a new direction, and that their draft strategy will not be the same as it has been in the past. With all that being said, a rebuild is a rebuild, and one great way for teams to start a full-on rebuild is by building a solid OL. At 6’6″ and 317lbs, Olu Fashanu can be an immediate contributor to a Patriots OL that has lacked consistency and talent at the OT tackle position for far too long. Additionally, they need an infusion of youth on that OL, one of the older units in the league a season ago. I think a pick like this helps, and will be welcomed by whoever ends up under center in New England in 2024.

4: Arizona Cardinals – Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State

The guy everyone has been talking about for seemingly the last 3 years finally comes off the board. Perhaps a little mini “drop” for a guy who many thought could be the first player selected overall, but given the needs of the teams ahead of Arizona, it makes sense. The Patriots are likely the first true contender who may have wanted a shot at Marv, but the Cards will be happy he slid to them. Hopkins isn’t getting any younger, and they need more talent opposite him anyways. In Harrison you are immediately adding youth and talent to a team that expects to compete next year, assuming Kyler is fully healthy and returns to form.

5: Los Angeles Chargers – Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame

The Chargers have shown over the last few years that they are inclined to build their line through the draft, as they’ve taken a tackle and a guard in the first round in recent years. I think we see more of the same here from them, as they take Joe Alt, a gifted OL out of Notre Dame, and someone who can play from day one. Protecting Justin Herbert is priority numero uno, and new HC Harbaugh is a guy who likes to pound the ball down your throat, so a guy like Alt at 6’7″ and 322lbs is a match made in heaven.

6: New York Giants – Rome Odunze, WR, Washington

It’s equally likely to me that the Giants use this pick to go OL, but I think given their deficit at the WR position and the players who I have coming off the board prior to their pick, they will use this chance to snag Rome Odunze, a guy who can make plays at all levels, run a variety of routes, and when asked, he can go up and win a ball. A 6’3″ 215lb receiver is just what the Giants have been lacking in recent years, so Odunze should be a breath of fresh air for a fanbase who simply can’t go another year pinning all their hopes to Saquon Barkley running wild every single week just to have a shot to compete.

7: Tennessee Titans – Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State

Originally projected as a late first rounder, Fuaga has stormed up draft boards after a dominant 2023 season and a great Senior Bowl showing. He’s a behemoth who should be able to translate his game to the NFL, and for a team like Tennessee, who hopes to keep Derrick Henry running the ball and Will Levis protected under center, the fit could not be better. Fuaga should be a fixture of this OL in TEN for a long time to come.

8: Atlanta Falcons – Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina 

The Falcons could go a lot of directions with this pick, but if Maye really does last until 1.08 for them, I think he is too hard to pass up. The Desmond Ridder experiment from a season ago didn’t go all that well, even though he managed to quarterback them to some wins, it felt like they did so more in spite of him than because of him. Then they flipped to their FA signing in Heinecke, and he didn’t fare much better. I think a QB talent like Maye could be a solid fit in ATL, and with the pieces already at his disposal, he’ll land in Atlanta with a smile on.

9: Chicago Bears – Malik Nabers, WR, LSU

If Chicago takes Williams as their QB of the future, it only makes sense to get him a legitimate weapon to throw to (who isn’t named DJ Moore). At 6′ and 200lbs, there is a possibility the Bears pass on Nabers in favor of one of the larger WRs still on the board, but I think Nabers big play ability is going to draw Chicago in and mesmerize them, until they show up to camp and realize they have him and Moore, who both do more or less the same stuff on the field. Sometimes loser franchises are just gonna be loser franchises… sorry folks.

10: New York Jets – JC Latham, OT, Alabama

The Jets have struggled to keep their OL healthy over the last several seasons, so it makes sense to get some youth in there as well as add some depth, however when that young depth is JC Latham, you feel like you hit the jackpot. Out of Alabama, Latham is a guy who I think will feel most at home at RT in the NFL, though he has shown an ability to play off both sides in college. I would expect the Jets to keep Alijah Vera-Tucker at RT as long as they can, but he’s another guy who has struggled to stay healthy. On the reverse side, you have Mekhi Becton, who may not be ready for the start of 2024, if he’s even still on the team, given his own injury struggles. So a guy like Latham who can play both sides if asked, is a gem to add to a team with such a lack of stability on the OL, especially when you consider the fact that Aaron Rodgers will be playing QB again, coming off his own major Achilles tear. Keeping that man upright needs to be priorities A through Z for the New York Jets.

11: Minnesota Vikings – Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama

Minnesota looked like they made some marked improvements on defense in 2023, but they still have a long way to go to be a top of the league unit. Arnold helps them continue trending up and hopefully get there sooner rather than later. He and Quinyon Mitchell are likely the favorites to be the first DBs off the board this year, and as they are identical in size (6 feet 196lbs), I’m going with the guy out of Bama over the guy out of Toledo as the first corner picked.

12: Denver Broncos – Dallas Turner, EDGE, Alabama

At first blush, I would have said this is a QB all day long. However, there are reports leaking left and right that Russ Wilson could very well be staying in Denver and playing QB for them again in 2024. Couple this with the fact that Sean Payton has very infrequently picked a QB in the first round in his career, and I am taking the safe money and saying the Broncos will bolster their defense and take a freak athlete edge rusher in Dallas Turner at the 1.12 pick. 6 foot 4 and 252lbs is impressive enough, but when he shows up and runs a 40 time in the mid-to-low 4’s, don’t be shocked. It may end up being so impressive that he gets pulled off the board earlier than the 12th pick, mark my words.

13: Las Vegas Raiders – JJ McCarthy, QB, Michigan

The Raiders are a team with a lot of needs, but with newly appointed HC Antonio Pierce in the driver’s seat and in charge of his own destiny, I think he might want his own QB to start blazing that trail. And while I think JJ McCarthy isn’t necessarily the guy to lead teams to the promised land at the NFL level, I do firmly believe that he can game manage his way to success behind a strong defense and running game, both of which the Raiders are in position to have, if they make some good picks later in this draft. So while it might not be the flashy pick, and McCarthy may not even be as talented as some of the other QBs still on the board, I think the pick would make a lot of sense for all involved.

14: New Orleans Saints – Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia

Alright here’s where we start to reach. But Bowers is exactly the type of TE talent that goes earlier than people expect. And I think the Saints would be a good spot for him to land. If not, the next team picking, the Colts, would make a ton of sense as well. But I look at what the Saints did this year, bringing in the corpse of the ancient Jimmy Graham, and having him play meaningful snaps for the team. I can’t picture a world where anyone considers this to be a viable long term plan, so why not go and get yourself a Brock Bowers, a guy who can be the cornerstone of your TE spot for the next decade? Makes too much sense.

15: Indianapolis Colts – Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo

With Terrion Arnold off the board, it’s only a matter of time until Mitchell gets picked. And a team like the Colts, who are fairly set on offense if their QB of the future can stay healthy, would be wise to start stacking up defensive talent. Indy’s secondary has long been their weakness, so it would be nice to see them address this and maybe limit opponent’s scoring a bit, so Anthony Richardson doesn’t have to win in a shootout every single week.

16: Seattle Seahawks – Byron Murphy II, DT, Texas

This would be a significant slide for Byron Murphy (not the defensive back, different guy, same name), but I can’t see the Seahawks turning down a chance to land him. Their strength on defense is in the secondary, and then at the LB and EDGE positions, while they remain fairly weak up front, only with Jarran Reed as a true Nose Tackle. A guy like Murphy could usurp him from early on, or at least be able to play in rotation with him, as we see so many teams do nowadays. This would surely limit opposing teams ability to run the ball up the middle, which then helps in so many other areas of the game. This pick is a no-brainer to me.

17: Jacksonville Jaguars – Jared Verse, EDGE, Florida State

You’ve seen what a dominant pass rush can do for a team, and I think the Jags keep building in that direction. They don’t have a lot of weaknesses on either side of the ball, so I think they take one of the best players available here in Verse, who should be an immediate contributor off the edge, and a guy who can play in rotation with the other talented members of the Jacksonville defensive front.

18: Cincinnati Bengals – Tyler Guyton, OT, Oklahoma

Tyler Guyton is 6’7″ and 328 pounds. He is a guy I would want as the anchor on my OL every day of the week. Jonah Williams is up for a contract, so slotting in Guyton as the RT would be a much less expensive option, and quite frankly, could end up being the better option anyways. Williams has struggled to stay healthy, and even when he’s been on the field, Burrow has been taking a beating. Might be time to switch things up for Cincy’s OL.

19: Los Angeles Rams – Nate Wiggins, CB, Clemson

As much as I don’t love Clemson, I do love what Wiggins does for them at CB. He’s a long and rangy guy at 6’2″, and could be just what the Rams need to start improving their secondary. He also shocked a lot of people this year by massively improving his run support and tackling, an area where he struggled just a season ago. So I think a lot of NFL teams will take note of his coachability and desire to improve areas where he is showing flaws/weaknesses. I choose to view this as a big plus, and I think NFL teams will do the same.

20: Pittsburgh Steelers – Cooper DeJean, CB, Iowa

The first white corner to play in the NFL since 2002???? And he goes in the first round???? Can it be??? Cooper DeJean, out of Iowa, is, IN FACT, The Great White Hope. The Steelers have been slowly improving their secondary, while simultaneously getting younger, which is just what you want to see for a rebuilding team. Last year they took Joey Porter Jr. and that ended up being a great pick, this year they will take Cooper DeJean and I think he will be equally successful. You add both these guys behind CB1 Patrick Peterson, give them another year or two to learn underneath him, and then he rides off into the sunset, leaving your secondary in vey capable hands. It’s the perfect play, and it’s why guys like Mike Tomlin stick around in one spot for so long, they know what they’re doing long-term and they don’t overreact to short term problems or struggles.

21: Miami Dolphins – Jackson Powers-Johnson, C, Oregon

This was one of the harder picks for me, mostly because we don’t know what the Fins are going to do to get better from last year, where they looked like a powerhouse and then sputtered out at the worst time. I think the safe money is on OL here, and Jackson Powers-Johnson is actually ranked as the best OL in this class according to a lot of different places you can look to find that info. So if they could land a guy in the mix as the best of the bunch at pick 21, I think they’d be thrilled. On top of that, he has played all 5 spots on the line in his career, and would be at home in the NFL at any of them. At 6’3″ 320lbs, he’s likely a little undersized to play tackle in the big leagues, but his athleticism and footwork may just be good enough to get him over that hurdle. However, I would expect him to play Center if drafted by the Dolphins, maybe OG, but most likely C.

22: Philadelphia Eagles – Keon Coleman, WR, Florida State

Ok so I know they have AJ Brown and Devonta Smith. I get that. But we have seen AJB acting like a bit of a diva lately, so his welcome could be wearing thin in Philly. Flip side, even if he stays in Philly with Smith long term, it never hurts to have a third option, and right now the options after Brown/Smith aren’t that sexy. Coleman however, stands 6’4″ and weighs in at 215lbs, so he brings something a little bit different, purely from a stature perspective, that the Eagles may find intriguing. He’s also shown a proficiency in the return game, which teams always like to see, and is rare for a guy of his size.

23: Houston Texans (via CLE) – Chop Robinson, EDGE, Penn State

For a team coached by Demeco Ryans, I feel safe in saying that you can never have too many dominant players off the edge. And they nailed the Will Anderson pick last season, who looked fantastic as a rookie all year long. If they go take Chop Robinson, I’m comfortable in saying they will be battling at the top of the AFC South in 2024. Having guys get after the QB has long been objective number one in the NFL, and the two of these guys do it at such a high level it’s a joy to watch. There is surely a world where the Texans go DB here, but I think EDGE takes this spot.

24: Dallas Cowboys – Edgerrin Cooper, LB, Texas A&M

For a team that underperforms every year, you’d think they’d have tons of holes and mock drafting for them would be a piece of cake. Well it ain’t! On paper, they are still one of the more solid teams in the league, and it’s not like they’re going to draft a QB at 24th overall. So I’m giving them my best available, and the guy I believe to be the best LB prospect in this draft, Edgerrin Cooper. He’s 6’3″ and 230lbs, and already has a 4.52 forty yard dash under his belt. That’s a guy you can plop in the middle of your defense and have cover sideline to sideline. He’s also shown some ability as a pass rusher, so you can move him around to some different spots on the field, and maybe even free up Parsons to play a looser role and not have to be a pass rusher every single down. I think the versatility he himself offers, and the versatility he offers to your defense based on what he can do, should not be overlooked by Dallas here.

25: Green Bay Packers – Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama

We ask this question every year, who plays DB opposite Jaire Alexander in GB? Well for once, I think the Packers have a shot to make that answer a household name, by drafting one of the Kool-est names to come through the draft in quite some time. McKinstry is 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds, so he’s got prototypical CB size for the NFL, but he plays much bigger than that, just give his highlight reel a look some time and you’ll see him blowing up much larger opponents with ease. His speed has been called into question, so a good combine showing may be crucial for the kid to go this high, but if he posts a 4.3-4.4 40-time, his stock could skyrocket.

26: Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Bo Nix, QB, Oregon

I struggled with this pick, and I’ve been on record calling Nix a Day 2 pick numerous times, but if the Bucs can’t get a deal done to extend Baker, or if they simply don’t want to, Nix would make a lot of sense. This is a pick I am sure will change as we creep closer and closer to the draft, as more info becomes available and the Bucs roster becomes more finalized, but for now, I think Nix would be a decent pick for the Bucs, a team with plenty of weapons all over the field, just in need of someone to get the ball to them.

27: Arizona Cardinals (via HOU) – Jer’Zhan Newton, DT, Illinois

The Cardinals need help on the defensive side of the ball, and Newton is the guy to give it to them. He’s currently ranked as the 2nd best DL prospect in this draft, so if he falls to the Cards at 27, it should be viewed as a steal for them. He was the anchor on the Illini defense a season ago, and he will look to play the same role in the NFL. Good defense starts up front, and Newton can be the building block for Arizona’s future success.

28: Buffalo Bills – Bralen Trice, EDGE, Washington

Buffalo has taken pass rushers and hit on some while they’ve missed on others over the last few years, but I think they go to the well again in 2024 and this time, they will hit on Trice. You have Von Miller who could very much decide he is done with football, you have Greg Rousseau who did not play up to expectations last year, and then you have AJ Epenesa who out-performed what people thought he was capable of. If you add a talented EDGE like Bralen Trice to that mix, you not only get younger at a position of need, but you add extra depth and security in the event of a surprise retirement or an injury. This is a move that makes perfect sense for player and team.

29: Detroit Lions – Brian Thomas, WR, LSU

I know they have Amon Ra and Jameson Williams has started to emerge, but we saw the costly drops by Josh Reynolds in the NFC championship game, and I think the Lions will look to add a great 3rd option at WR. Now, they do have Sam LaPorta, so they’re not in dire need of pass catchers, but with who is left on the board, I could see them going this route and taking Brian Thomas, a guy that measures in at 6’4″ tall and plays big. You have St. Brown and Williams, who while talented, don’t possess the stature of a Brian Thomas, and don’t offer the same options to the QB in the red zone. They get open based on skill, route running ability and shiftiness… Thomas gets open by being huge. A guy like Goff will love having an option like Thomas down in the scoring area.

30: Baltimore Ravens – Adonai Mitchell, WR, Texas

Another big WR off the board here, Adonai Mitchell out of Texas is an absolute specimen. We saw the Ravens hit on Zay Flowers a year ago, and I think they will look to catch lightning in a bottle for a second time with Mitchell here. He offers a lot more size than Zay, but the two of them can surely co-exist, given the very different roles they will both play. This also allows the Ravens to let Odell or Bateman or Agholor walk if they won’t play ball and sign reasonable contracts, so the draft pick works for the franchise on multiple levels. And last but not least, it will go a long way toward appeasing Lamar Jackson, who has not had a lot of WR weapons at his disposal thus far in his career. Continuing to surround him with talent is the best way to keep him happy and give yourselves a shot at the ever-elusive SB.

31: San Francisco 49ers – Troy Fautanu, IOL, Washington

I think there is a case to be made for the Niners going defensive back here, since that’s one of their weaker areas, but being that I don’t love a ton of the guys left on my board at the position for a draft pick this early, I decided to go OL. And while Fautanu played for Washington as a standout LT, I think he will be shifting to the interior of the offensive line as he moves to the pros, and this is what the Niners need. As they continue to build their offense around the running abilities of CMC, offensive linemen will always be a priority for this team, and I think they will show that by taking yet another one here.

32: Kansas City Chiefs – Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia

This reasoning is a bit simpler than the Niners, as the Chiefs LT Donovan Smith is on an expiring contract, and their highly paid RT Jawaan Taylor has been one of the most inconsistent and penalized RT’s in the league. Taking a guy like Amarius Mims gives you the flexibility to play hardball in negotiations with Smith, and also gives you the ability to push Taylor in camp, given Mims history playing on both ends of the line. It’s a great pick, and one you get to make at a discount as the Super Bowl Champs.

**Bonus: Here are a couple other guys I think who could sneak into the first round with good pro days and solid combine outings:

Graham Barton, OG/OT, Duke – Just wishing he didn’t go to Duke and we saw him against more talented opposition, however a lot of mocks have him going in the first already. Definitely a guy to keep your eye on.

Laiatu Latu, EDGE, UCLA – This will come down to team’s medical screenings on Latu. His on the field performance has been nothing short of stellar, but a neck injury actually shut him down for a while back in 2021 (I think), until he re-emerged on the scene the last two seasons posting great campaigns. But this will boil down to a team’s tolerance for the risk he brings, and that may slide him to a Day 2 or 3 pick.

Darius Robinson, DL, Missouri – One of the more interesting prospects in college football. 6 foot 5 and 295lbs with every pass rush move in the book, but also with the ability to be a space-eater. I think his draft stock will come down to his interviews with teams, and if they want him to remain an athletic specimen or if they want him to bulk up and add some size and play inside, and his willingness to fill multiple roles for a team. Could shoot up boards with a good combine, or could plummet with a bad one.

Well folks, that will do it for the first of what I’m sure will be many mock drafts between now and draft day! Let me know what you think, and we’ll be sure to have a bunch more of these out as we get closer and closer to the big day!