Pick# | Team | Player | Position | College | Player Notes |
1 | Chicago Bears | Caleb Williams | QB | USC | This one feels like a bit of a foregone conclusion, and has felt this way for a while. For a guy people are referring to as a “generational talent”, Williams will have high hopes pinned to him early and often in Chicago. The consensus first overall pick will join a team that just shipped their only other viable QB option out of town, but who have also spent the offseason loading up with weapons for the rookie signal caller to use. |
2 | Washington Commanders | Jayden Daniels | QB | LSU | Another team that has recently shipped their QB out of town, Sam Howell, makes a move that we all see coming, and selects a QB at 1.02. However, the question remains whether it will be Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye here. For my money, I’m picking Daniels as the more likely pick, given that his play style syncs up with new OC Kliff Kingsbury just a little better than Drake Maye. Either way, I think Washington gets a solid QB with a lot of upside. |
3 | New England Patriots | Marvin Harrison | WR | Ohio State | The Patriots have been rumored to be trading this pick, then they’ve been tied to taking a QB, then they’ve been said to be interested in Marvin Harrison Jr…. the stories are all over the place. And they will likely continue to be until the Pats are on the clock at 1.03 on Thursday evening. All that being said, I think the wise move here is to add a once in a generation type of WR talent in Marvin Harrison Jr., a guy who seems like he was built in a lab to be a dominant NFL WR. A guy like this will also help them recruit a QB option in the future, support a rookie QB they could sign later in this draft or in future years, or even just help this year’s offense be semi-functional with Brissett under center. I think the flexibility that Harrison offers New England is worth taking a pick, and leaving later selections in this draft to take shots on a project QB. |
4 | Arizona Cardinals | Rome Odunze | WR | Washington | If Harrison comes off the board at 1.03, the odds Arizona trades this pick to a QB needy team skyrocket. However, putting together this mock without trades leaves me with one option… a WR. The Cards need to bolster their offensive weapons with a high tier WR after the departures of Hollywood and Rondale Moore this offseason, and it makes sense for the team to target a guy like Odunze, who has a bit more of that “alpha” build that fits so well in Arizona’s offense. Kyler Murray will surely be imploring his team to give him some weapons on the outside, and Odunze’s unique blend of size, speed, and agility should mesh well with what the Cardinals hope to do on offense in 2024. |
5 | Los Angeles Chargers | Malik Nabers | WR | LSU | LA has lost Mike Williams and Keenan Allen this offseason, and are currently relying on the services of Quentin Johnston, who struggled in his rookie year to find any consistent production, and Joshua Palmer, who no one is mistaking for a top tier WR in the NFL. Given this deficit in receiving talent, it would make sense for LAC to take a guy like Nabers, who has a very similar build and playstyle to Keenan Allen, a guy who was dominant for the Chargers for years and years. Nabers might not have the veteran savvy or polish of Allen quite yet, but he is surely a guy that teams will think can get to that level with the right coaching. |
6 | New York Giants | Drake Maye | QB | North Carolina | Yet another team in desperate need of a WR, I think you could seen the Giants actually attempt to move up and secure one of the top 3 WRs in this draft, given the very clear tier break after the top 3 guys, but if they don’t, and Drake Maye is still on the board, it would not shock me to see them pull the trigger on him, even given the Daniel Jones contract and the seemingly large amount of faith still shown in him by his coaching staff and front office. If they could lock up Maye and even let him sit and learn for a year, I would be excited about the Giants future for the first time in a long time. |
7 | Tennessee Titans | Olumuyiwa Fashanu | OT | Penn State | I know a lot of mocks have the Titans going with Joe Alt here, and I wouldn’t fault them for that pick at all, given the pedigree Alt brings to the position. However, I just simply think Fashanu is the better prospect here. He is by far the best pass blocking tackle in this draft, and although his run blocking grade could use some improvement, I think with the changes the Titans have made to their offense this offseason that they may be looking to head in an offensive direction that utilizes a pass blocking LT over a road-grading run block specialist. |
8 | Atlanta Falcons | Jared Verse | EDGE | Florida State | Originally projected as the top EDGE rusher off the board, Verse has recently been leapfrogged by Laiatu Latu in a lot of the mocks I’ve been seeing. To me, Verse is just as good as Latu, and doesn’t sport nearly the injury history that Latu does. If I am Atlanta, I am stoked to add Verse off the edge and start building a world-class defense behind his pass rush. |
9 | Chicago Bears | Joe Alt | OT | Notre Dame | If the Bears in fact take Williams as we expect at 1.01, it would make the most sense for them to move down here. However, in a mock with no trades, I’m forced to tell you that protecting their QB is the most important thing and what they should be looking to do next. We saw what Chicago looks like with a QB running for their lives every single play (go watch Justin Fields highlights) and it isn’t pretty. If they expect Williams to succeed where Fields failed, they need to keep him upright and protected while he makes his reads. A guy like Joe Alt fits exactly this bill, and the Bears should feel like they got him as a steal at pick 9. In a less top heavy class, Alt could easily have been a top 5 pick. |
10 | New York Jets | Brock Bowers | TE | Georgia | This is a pick based purely on best player and best fit available. The Jets have been hoping to hit on an elite TE for a few seasons now, starting with the signings of Tyler Conklin (whose contract is up this year) and CJ Uzomah, and more recently the selection of Kuntz in the draft. This time, they take a shot at quite possibly the most decorated college TE of all time, and certainly the most hyped since Kyle Pitts came out of college a couple years back. Bowers has a very refined and pro-ready game, and could fit in seamlessly with the Jets early on. Only problem is, Aaron Rodgers is notoriously hard to build trust with, and TEs have always been an afterthought in his offenses, nevermind rookie TEs. So while the NFL match might be sublime, how will this bode for fantasy? That remains to be seen. |
11 | Minnesota Vikings | Terrion Arnold | CB | Alabama | While I could easily see them going wit JJ McCarthy here, I am choosing to believe the coaching staff and front office who seem bought in of Sam Darnold and his ability to lead this Viking team this season. Instead, I have Minnesota doing what they need to do here, and finally adding some talent at the DB position. They have been a liability in the secondary for too long now, and need to get back to their roots and add some talent on the outside. Arnold is the perfect blend of size and speed at corner, big enough to shutdown the alpha WRs but fast enough to hang with the burners. He and Quinyon Mitchell are neck and neck in this draft, but one guy went to Bama while the other went to Toledo, so I know who I’m picking first 10 out of 10 times. |
12 | Denver Broncos | Dallas Turner | EDGE | Alabama | I think there is a real chance the Broncos go QB here (or even move up if they have their eye on someone else specific), however, with the recent addition of Zach Wilson to their team, it seems as though they may be content on rolling him out there in 2024. As such, I have them going another direction and taking Dallas Turner off the board, who is every bit the athlete of Laiatu Latu, without all the medical baggage. Jared Verse may have the more pro-ready game, but Turner is a freak athlete, who with a little coaching and the development of a couple new pass rush moves, could be a dominant force off the edge for the Broncos, and the stud talent they’ve been looking for since they shipped Bradley Chubb out of town a couple years back. |
13 | Las Vegas Raiders | JJ McCarthy | QB | Michigan | If he’s still on the board here and the Broncos don’t take him, it’s hard for me to see the Raiders passing up the chance to land JJ McCarthy. While I think they liked what they saw in flashes from Aidan O’Connell, and even with some high hopes pinned to Gardner Minshew, I think taking McCarthy is a smart move for the future, even if he sits a year before making an impact on the roster. For a team with a lot of needs, locking up a QB for the future could be a smart move, especially when you consider how electric this defense was a season ago…. if McCarthy can come in and effectively play the role of game manager, similar to what he did in college, he could see a lot of success. |
14 | New Orleans Saints | Taliese Fuaga | OT/OG | Oregon State | Fuaga is an elite run blocker and will be an immediate contributor to an NFL offense’s ability to run the ball, and what we saw from New Orleans a season ago was evidence that they need some big time help in that department. While they have their Tackle spots fairly locked up, I think Fuaga can slide into a Guard spot and instantly make an impact. In the future, he may even be able to develop into a standout RT in the NFL, which would work out nicely given Ryan Ramczyk starting the season on the wrong side of 30. If Trevor Penning can also continue to develop at the LT spot, the Saints could have the bookends to their OL set for years to come. |
15 | Indianapolis Colts | Quinyon Mitchell | CB | Toledo | The Colts have to be sick and tired of playing in as many shootouts as they do, and oftentimes ending up on the losing side of them. Quinyon Mitchell is a no brainer here for me. He gets knocked because he played at Toledo, but as far as what he’s put on tape, he’s every bit as good as Arnold, Kool-Aid, or DeJean. He would join a team in Indy that is in dire need of DBs, especially when you consider some of the WRs who call the AFC South home. Mitchell has been such a lockdown defender in college that he ranks in the top 10 prospects for PFF, a sign that he might even be considered a steal if he falls to the Colts at 15 here. |
16 | Seattle Seahawks | Laiatu Latu | EDGE | UCLA | Seattle is spoiled for choice here, but I think we see them go after an edge rusher, a spot from which they haven’t been able to generate a ton of pass rush over the past couple seasons, at least on any consistent basis. Latu is arguably the best player at this position in the draft, but injury concerns may see him fall a bit. He was medically retired due to a neck injury just a couple years back, but since returning to football he hasn’t seemed to have lost a step. I think joining a Seahawks defense that has hit a lot on prospects in recent drafts makes a ton of sense, and he will be a day 1 contributor to boot. |
17 | Jacksonville Jaguars | Cooper DeJean | DB | Iowa | The Jags need help in the secondary. Right now, Ronald Darby is listed as their top CB. Now whether you view DeJean as a safety or a cornerback probably comes down to your personal definition, and each NFL team might see him in a different role, but what’s fortunate here for Jacksonville is that they need help at both positions. And if DeJean can bring some versatility and move around the formation sort of like Brian Branch did for the Lions last year… you could be looking at a true stud and a candidate for DROY in 2024. I saw a line on PFF that I thought was awesome so I just want to steal it and include it word for word here: “[DeJean] allowed a 37.6 passer rating into his coverage in 2023, lower than if a quarterback threw incomplete into the ground on every attempt”. Which is simply an amazing stat to be able to toss out there when he eventually gets picked in Rd 1, so feel free to share that with your friends! |
18 | Cincinnati Bengals | Nate Wiggins | CB | Clemson | A bit of a run on CBs here, but I think this is how it’s going to play out. There are really 4 or 5 top tier DBs in this draft who could all be first round picks, and once the top couple come off the board, I think you will see teams biting on the rest quickly. The Bengals are a bit spoiled here, but this pick could come down to whatever happens with Tee Higgins, who has been asking for a trade for quite a while now. Additionally, Trey Hendrickson has just asked to be traded as well, so if they move him they could easily be looking for a pass rusher to replace his production the last couple seasons. All that being said, I expect the Bengals to try to address the weakest part of their team at this pick, and that is surely the CB position. A guy like Wiggins coming out of Clemson will be used to matching up with against top talent, and his speed (4.28 40 time) will definitely get the attention of scouts who have seen the WRs in this league getting faster and faster. |
19 | Los Angeles Rams | Byron Murphy II | DT | Texas | Aaron Donald decides to hang up the cleats, so the Rams replace him right away with the best interior DL in this class. Murphy is an absolute stud inside, a guy who eats space and can plug up rushing lanes, but is also someone who can generate interior pressure on the QB and blow up the pocket on passing downs. If this player description sounds familiar… it’s because it is…. he is a perfect replacement for the guy who they just lost. The move makes so much sense… so it probably won’t happen. |
20 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Troy Fautanu | OT | Washington | Fautanu might be one of the most talented Tackle prospects in this class, but he lacks some of the traditional size that we see at the tackle position, capping out at about 6’4″. As such, people are immediately sliding him to a Guard spot, which I think is a mistake. His power and athleticism, combined with his top percentile length, more than make up for his deficit in height, and I believe he will make a fantastic NFL LT when it’s all said and done. He also plays a particulalry powerful style of tackle, which the Steelers fans will surely enjoy, given their hard-nose playstyle that has become synonymous with the city. |
21 | Miami Dolphins | Jackson Powers-Johnson | C | Oregon | JPJ will fit perfectly into Miami’s zone blocking scheme, and can play Center or either Guard spot with equal proficiency. With Mike McDaniel’s desire for flexibility on his OL, JPJ is a perfect fit, all the while being the best Center in this class. For a team that ran the ball as well as the Fins did a season ago, they will be looking to continue to build on that success and maintaining a strong OL is the key to making sure the success is repeated. |
22 | Philadelphia Eagles | Brian Thomas Jr. | WR | LSU | With the continued AJ Brown drama, I am choosing to do this mock under the assumption that he complains his way right out the door in Philly, and for the second time in his career, AJ Brown will be on the move in a big trade during the middle of the an NFL draft. With this being the case, the Eagles will want to replace his production, and to do so, they will be in on Brian Thomas Jr out of LSU. At 6’4″ and 205lbs, he will immediately bring another body type to the Eagles WR room, but also sporting a 4.33 40 time should have Philly fans excited about what the future will hold for Thomas and DeVonta Smith lined up opposite one another. Talk about a matchup nightmare for defenses! Thomas will surely need some time to develop as a NFL caliber route runner, but fortunately in this situation, Smith can pick up the slack while Thomas comes along. |
23 | Minnesota Vikings | Chop Robinson | EDGE | Penn State | This is Minnesota’s second pick in the first round, and I had them take a CB with the first. I’m going to continue to load up on defense for the Vikings with the selection of Chop Robinson here. While not the most refined pass rusher, what the lacks in technique he makes up for with insane athletic ability and a motor that never stops. After the departure of Danielle Hunter, the Vikes will need to find someone who can generate consistent pressure on opposing QBs, and I think Robinson is the perfect guy to fill that role. He also comes into the league much the same way Hunter did… and if the coaching staff in MIN can have similar success with polishing up Chop’s game, he could find himself as a standout in this draft class. |
24 | Dallas Cowboys | Graham Barton | OT/C | Duke | A tackle in College at Duke, Barton will likely find himself as a G or C in the NFL, and I think Dallas will most likely slide him into the Center role, as that’s something they’ve been missing dearly over the last couple seasons. Barton gives off a very Travis Frederick type of vibe, and we know how sorely missed he has been in Dallas since his early retirement due to a nerve disorder. Barton could slide in and remind the ‘Boys fans of the good old days, and lord knows they’re going to need the help on the OL if they’re trotting out Rico Dowdle as their top RB as we head into the season. |
25 | Green Bay Packers | Kool-Aid McKinstry | CB | Alabama | Another season of me mocking a CB to be drafted by the Packers and it’ll likely be another season of me looking like a fool… but here we are nonetheless. I say it every season, but the Packers NEED a viable DB playing opposite Jaire Alexander. If they go with Kool-Aid at this spot, they should be thrilled in the player they’re drafting this late. McKinstry was the one getting all the preseason hype in Alabama before Terrion Arnold stole the show, but Kool-Aid will be top notch CB in the NFL given his ability to stick to his man like glue. He’s big, strong, and plays a physical game at DB while still managing to stay off the officials radar all too often. If that game translates to the NFL, the Packers will be getting a steal of a player. |
26 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Ladd McConkey | WR | Georgia | A tricky pick here no doubt, but the Bucs WR options are aging quickly, and Chris Godwin is up for a contract soon, meaning they will want to do 2 things in this draft.. 1. Go for broke. Try to win it all this year and make it all worth it. And 2. Get younger at a position of need by adding a versatile WR like McConkey who will also benefit from learning under two very skilled veteran WR options in Evans and Godwin. I like what Ladd brings to the table, and think he can contribute to a lot of NFL teams in a variety of ways. It also wouldn’t surprise me to see the Bucs go after a RB to take some stress off Rachaad White here, but it would be a reach and I’m trying to avoid too many reaches in this mock, so I’m fighting off the urge to pull that trigger. |
27 | Arizona Cardinals | Jer’Zhan Newton | DL | Illinois | The Cards need DL, and we’ve seen them try to add a couple in FA this offseason, but I think they would like to get a bit younger at the position and a guy like Newton checks off a ton of boxes. He is versatile and can move around on the line to practically any position and still generate pressure. He also ran a 4.78 40 time, the fastest in his interior DL positional group, and speed is something the Cardinals have shown to place value on in their last couple drafts. I think this pick works for the Cards on multiple levels and sets them up to get back into contention in their division in 2024. |
28 | Buffalo Bills | Adonai Mitchell | WR | Texas | With Diggs and Davis both leaving town, the Bills need to add WRs in this draft, it all just boils down to which one. I think Adonai Mitchell is the guy, at least in this mock with who has come off the board already. But with a 4.34 40 at 6’4″ 196lbs, it’s tough not to like this pick. He could immediately play the new Gabe Davis role, and the hope would be that he develops into a replacement for Diggs as well, but it would also be a good move for the Bills to add someone with a slightly different body type than the the guys they have on the roster already in Khalil Shakir (6ft 190lbs) and Curtis Samuel (5’11” 194lbs). A bigger target for a guy like Josh Allen would be much appreciated, I’m certain of it. |
29 | Detroit Lions | Darius Robinson | EDGE | Missouri | Are the Lions the new Eagles? The team that has studs at every position and just gets to pick best available and create a wagon? It looks like it! Surely there is a world where they trade out of this pick to add more capital and depth later in this very deep draft, but assuming they actually make a selection here, I would have to say they go with Darius Robinson to add to their fairly stacked front. I could also see them going after a LB like Payton Wilson out of NC State, someone who could anchor that defense in the middle for years to come, but I think it’s tough to turn down the talent Robinson offers you off the edge, especially working opposite Aidan Hutchinson. The pressure these two could create would be astounding. |
30 | Baltimore Ravens | JC Latham | OT | Alabama | The Ravens are a run first team, no matter how you cut it. And while I agree that they need to add some additional help at the WR position in this draft, as Zay Flowers can’t do it all alone, they are going to do what the Ravens always do, which is build from the trenches outward. And after losing Morgan Moses in FA, they are hurting for a new RT. Insert JC Latham, who is ready to play RT in the NFL right now. He will be a day one starter for Baltimore and his downhill style of mauling anyone in his path will be a great fit, not only for Baltimore but for their new RB in town, Derrick Henry. If I’m a defender with 6’6″ 360lb JC Latham and Derrick Henry running at me… I’m going down with a fake injury right away. |
31 | San Francisco 49ers | Adisa Isaac | EDGE | Penn State | Once more the Niners find themselves in a wonderful position to draft from, without a otn of need on their team. I think they could use a CB, but with the top guys off the board already, I think they will hold off. Instead, I think they draft another standout edge rusher, and with the way they use their front 7 so interchangeably, I think it makes a lot of sense for them to go this direction. Adisa Isaac is a guy out of Penn that is going to be a playmaker out the gate, and if he lands with SF, he will be able to give 100% on every play he’s out there, since they filter guys in and out so often to keep them all fresh. It’s a great fit for both team and player. |
32 | Kansas City Chiefs | Keon Coleman | WR | Florida State | Rounding out the first round, seemingly as always, we have the Chiefs. And normally we mock them taking a RB, but I think they’ve finally found their guy with Pacheco, so this year I will instead be sending them Keon Coleman. Part of this pick is the Rashee Rice news, but the other part is that they need a WR with some size out there who can bring a different element to the passing attack. Xavier Worthy is a guy who might even get some looks, but they already have Hollywood Brown as their burner, they don’t need two of them. Coleman is 6’4″ 215lbs and draws Michael Pittman comparisons all the time, and if you were to throw him into the mix in KC, I think we are talking about a guy who could thrive. Even with Rashee Rice still on the field, all the mouths in KC will be fed. Might make it a little trickier from a fantasy perspective, but from an NFL standpoint, this pick would make the rich even richer. |