2024 NFL Mock Draft 2.0 (if you count the mocking draft)
This is my attempt at a mock draft coming after the Senior Bowl (and Shrine Bowl for that matter) and before the NFL Combine makes everyone start changing their mind because guys look awesomely athletic in shorts and tank tops. The Senior Bowl had some standouts like CB Quinyon Mitchell and WR Roman Wilson and while Mitchell locked down his first-round grade and Wilson likely made himself some second-round money, not too much changed. Michael Penix Jr. and Bo Nix were the big names at QB and while they were fine, they didn’t change their trajectories at all. Texas DT T’Vondre Sweat was a standout on the defensive line but he’s a specific type of player, a giant interior presence, which limits his NFL fits. Oregon C Jackson Powers-Johnson was awesome, he’s about as wide as he is tall and he’s a beast. DE Darius Robinson from Missouri probably vaulted himself up the board the most and he’s now a likely first round pick and will have a chance to move up in the round as this process moves forward.
1. Chicago Bears (from Carolina): Caleb Williams QB USC
For now, I’m going to assume the Bears trade Justin Fields and draft Caleb Williams, it’s the most logical conclusion to draw at this point. Resetting at QB gives them time to build around him and resets the rookie QB contract advantage for them. I can’t say I’m in favor of this move, I think Fields was making strides and while Williams is a huge talent, nothing is guaranteed. Williams has physical gifts you can’t teach, that we know for sure. His improvisation skills and off platform throws are incredible, however, in the NFL, your QB must be able to win from the pocket. Williams has a tendency to bail out of a situation quickly and go hero ball without letting the play develop. That works against college defenses quite a bit, it doesn’t work as well against NFL defenses. The Bears could auction this pick off for a quite a return if they don’t want to move on from Fields or trade down one spot with Washington if they prefer Drake Maye. The Commanders would love to get their hands on Williams.
2. Washington Commanders (4-13): Drake Maye QB North Carolina
The Commanders have a new owner, they just hired Dan Quinn as their new head coach, they have a new offensive coordinator, and now they need a new QB. They would love to get Caleb Williams since he is originally from the area. Since he goes first here, they take Drake Maye. Maye is my favorite QB and depending on how things go with Kliff Kingsbury calling the offense, this has the potential to be a good offense quickly. They have talent at the skill positions; WRs Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson, RB Brian Robinson, and TE Logan Thomas. They need to get help on the offensive line but this is a good offensive line draft so they can address that later. Maye is a big, athletic QB who doesn’t improvise like Williams but he’s excellent in the pocket and he uses his athleticism to get yards on the ground when he needs to.
3. New England Patriots (4-13): Marvin Harrison Jr. WR Ohio St.
The Patriots have so many needs on the offensive side of the ball they could take Harrison, they could take QB Jayden Daniels, they could take OT Olu Fashanu or Joe Alt, and I could justify them all. If Bill Belichick was still the coach, I would say don’t take Harrison because he would be cursed with the Belichick WR draft curse, that’s not a problem any more. Take the generational WR and start over on offense. I like Daniels but not enough to take him over Harrison, this is the best WR prospect I’ve ever seen. The Patriots will either find a QB later in the draft or grab a veteran free agent and wait for a QB next year (next year’s QB draft class has some good potential). Harrison and DeMario Douglas would be a nice start to rebuilding a WR corps that has sucked since the days of Randy Moss and Wes Welker (apologies to Julian Edelman but one man does not make a WR corps).
4. Arizona Cardinals (4-13): Malik Nabers WR LSU
The Cardinals absolutely need to address their defensive needs which span the entire defense, however, at this point there aren’t a lot of defensive players worth this pick. If Marvin Harrison Jr. goes before this pick they should look long and hard at trading back and picking up draft capital. If they can’t find a deal they like, Nabers is a great option. He’s not in the class of Harrison, no one is, but he’s an elite playmaker and Marquise Brown is a free agent at WR. Nabers would give them a great alternative to Brown and probably a more consistent performer. Nabers is a deep threat WR with electric speed and game changing ability.
5. Los Angeles Chargers (5-12): Brock Bowers TE Georgia
Now that the Chargers have a new head coach in Jim Harbaugh it’s a little easier understanding where they might go in the draft. I can make a very compelling argument they should take an OT to play opposite Rashawn Slater but I think Harbaugh will figure that piece out later. Harbaugh had some really impressive TEs at Michigan and he really knows how to use them in his offense, there isn’t a more impressive TE than Brock Bowers. Bowers is more than a TE, he’s an offensive weapon you can deploy all over the field. At Georgia, he ran routes inside and out and he ran the ball on end arounds and other plays. Gerald Everett is a free agent and Bowers would be a serious upgrade and take a l of pressure off the other pass catchers.
6. New York Giants (6-11): Jayden Daniels QB LSU
The Giants still have Daniel Jones but last season wasn’t going well even before Jones got hurt and while they owe him a lot of money it may be time to move on if they have a shot at a new QB like Daniels. Daniels had an incredible year at LSU both passing and rushing the ball and won the Heisman. He’s an elite athlete who has a ton of starting experience in college after starting three years at Arizona St. before transferring and starting two more at LSU. He’s 6’4 but he’s just over 200 lbs. so he’s a bit thin and that may be worrisome for a guy who likes to run as much as he does. Daniels has a chance to be the third pick in this draft if New England wants a new QB or if a team really likes him and trades up for him.
7. Tennessee Titans (6-11): Olu Fashanu OT Penn St.
Beauty will be in the eye of the beholder when it comes to the top OT on the board. Fashanu is a big, powerful, athletic freak who played LT at a high level at Penn St. He’s my top OT and he’s an immediate starter and upgrade at LT for the Titans who tried numerous bad ideas to fill the spot last season. There will be teams that like Joe Alt from Notre Dame or JC Latham from Alabama as their top OT but the Titans have to fix the LT spot one way or another. If new head coach Brian Callahan plans to turn Will Levis into a legitimate NFL starting QB he needs to help hm out up front first and foremost. That said, Callahan comes from Cincinnati where they put big playmakers around Joe Burrow before fixing their offensive line so it’s possible, they take Rome Odunze here. I think GM Ran Carthon is more likely to lean towards fixing the offensive line and he’s in charge here.
8. Atlanta Falcons (7-10): Dallas Turner Edge Alabama
Raheem Morris is the new head coach of the Falcons and while the team needs a new QB I just don’t think Michael Penix Jr or Bo Nix are worth this high of a pick. The team is going to need some help at pass rusher with Calais Campbell and Bud Dupree both scheduled to be free agents. Turner isn’t an elite speed rusher like you would normally see go this high but he’s an effective player and can bring pressure and play both ways. I think this team looks for a veteran solution at QB before the draft and then looks for a younger guy later. I’m not in favor of Penix or Nix anywhere close to being this high of a pick.
9. Chicago Bears (7-10): Laiatu Latu DE UCLA
I’m going back and forth between Latu at DE or Rome Odunze at WR to pair with their new QB. There is more WR depth in this draft than DE depth so they take Latu to pair with Montez Sweat moving forward. The defense improved immensely once they traded for Sweat and actually had a pass rush. Yannick Ngakoue is a free agent so they need someone opposite Sweat to continue their defensive improvement. Latu is a top-level edge player with elite hand fighting and he’ll be a great complement opposite Sweat.
10. New York Jets (7-10): Joe Alt OT Notre Dame
This would be the dream scenario for the Jets because there is no team that needs an OT more than they do. They were terrible at tackle all season and they have three free agents (Mekhi Becton, Duane Brown, and Billy Turner) that they shouldn’t even consider bringing back. They have to protect Aaron Rodgers if they want the offense to work at all. Alt came into the season as a probably first round pick and then played like a top ten guy all season. He’s long, athletic enough and has elite technical skills. Alt would be a day-one starter at LT and seriously improve their offense up front.
11. Minnesota Vikings (7-10): Terrion Arnold CB Alabama
The Vikings are going to have some major needs if they don’t re-sign some of their own guys in free agency. It seems like they might move on from Kirk Cousins but they need to bring back Danielle Hunter at DE because they have three free agents there and he’s one of their best players. DE is a distinct possibility for this pick but they have to address the secondary, especially CB. Arnold was a late rising prospect during the season as his teammate Kool-Aid McKinstry was the more highly regarded player coming into the year. Arnold has proven he can excel both inside and out and was more impressive than McKinstry throughout the year. He starts on day-one and is probably CB1 on this team pretty quickly.
12. Denver Broncos (8-9): Jared Verse DE Florida St.
The Broncos will be looking for a new QB for Sean Payton but I still don’t like the idea of taking Penix or Nix this high. There are better prospects who can really help this team and they aren’t a QB away from competing. The defense was seriously lacking last year and they should take the best defensive prospect left. That could be a CB but I think it’s Jared Verse. Verse is one of the only impact edge rushers in this class and they need someone to get pressure up front. Verse can also fit multiple fronts as either a DE or and OLB and his versatility will be useful to Denver.
13. Las Vegas Raiders (8-9): JC Latham OT Alabama
Another team that needs a QB but should really pass in favor of building up the roster overall. The Raiders have needs at interior offensive line, interior defensive line, offensive tackle, corner, and QB. Latham is a beast at RT and would pair quite nicely with LT Kolton Miller to make a set of bookends for the offensive line. Antonio Pierce got the job as the full-time head coach and he’s a culture setting type of guy. He was a LB as a player and I think he wants this team to be tougher, especially in the trenches. No one is nastier than Latham and he’ll bring an edge the team hasn’t had up front for quite some time.
14. New Orleans Saints (9-8): Rome Odunze WR Washington
A third team in a row that will probably take a hard look at QB but should ultimately pass. The Saints are in cap hell as usual but they will likely finagle their way out of it but restructuring deals with aging guys like Cameron Jordan, Ryan Ramczyk, Demario Davis, and maybe Derek Carr. One guy they will almost assuredly let walk is WR Michael Thomas. Also, because of their cap situation they might lose guys like OL Andrus Peat and restricted free agent WR Rasheed Shahid. If Thomas and Shahid are gone, Chris Olave will need a new running mate. I can’t believe I have Odunze falling all the way to 14th but it just happened that way. He’s a freak and a gamebreaker at WR. He’s big, physical, and fast and he and Olave would be incredible together. He should be a top ten pick, he’s a massive steal if he falls this far.
15. Indianapolis Colts (9-8): Cooper DeJean CB Iowa
The Colts have some important free agents to re-sign like WR Michael Pittman Jr. and CB Kenny Moore and while they have plenty of cap space, they could lose one of them. Pittman seems like he’s major priority because he’s their #1 WR and with Anthony Richardson returning at QB they will want to give him his top playmaker. Even if they re-sign Moore, CB is a still a need, if they don’t, it’s a major need. Moore is best as the nickel corner so they need someone to play opposite JuJu Brents on the outside. Enter Cooper DeJean, the all-everything defensive player. DeJean can play outside corner, he can play the nickel, he can be used as a safety, and he could line up as an undersized coverage LB and he’ll be fine everywhere. Oh, he’s also an electric punt returner. DeJean is flying a bit under the radar at the moment because he missed the end of the year with a broken leg. If he’s healthy and ready to work out at the Combine, this projection might be low. He’s going to show off some elite athleticism that no one knows is coming except those of us who have been watching him for three years.
16. Seattle Seahawks (9-8): Jackson Powers-Johnson C/G Oregon
The Seahawks have a new head coach and while he’s a defensive guy it’s pretty obvious where the team is lacking, the interior offensive line. Mike Macdonald was brought in because of his defensive prowess and the Seahawks have some good players to work with on the defensive so they look to solve a major problem on offense first. Once they get Charles Cross and Abe Lucas back healthy at OT, they are fine there but the interior of the offensive line was bad and all three starters are free agents; LG Damien Lewis, C Evan Brown, and RG Phil Haynes. Lewis is probably worth re-signing but the other two have to be replaced. Powers-Johnson is the first guy here who truly improved his draft stock at the Senior Bowl. He’s big, powerful, and showed his elite blocking ability against the best competition at Senior Bowl practices. At 6’3 330 lbs. he’s a big man who moves like a smaller one. He’s an immediate starter and massive upgrade at center or right guard for the Seahawks.
17. Jacksonville Jaguars (9-8): Taliese Fuaga OT Oregon St.
The Jaguars have to get better on the offensive line and while they need help on the interior and Fuaga is technically an OT, I think they can make it work. Fuaga was a RT at Oregon and he has great size for the position but he could be used inside. The Jaguars traded for LG Ezra Cleveland at the deadline last year and he’ll be a free agent while RG Brandon Scherff is a possible cap casualty. Given how bad they were on the line last season, they need upgrades. Anton Harrison was a rookie playing RT and Cam Robinson was his usual unreliable self at LT. Fuaga gives them some versatility to find the best five they can put on the field. He may end up at LT, if he can show he can handle it. Or he ends up at RT and Harrison kicks over to LT while Robinson moves inside. Or Fuaga just ends up playing guard until Robinson leaves in a year and then they figure out if he’s an OT or an OG. Either way, he’s an upgrade, and they need an upgrade.
18. Cincinnati Bengals (9-8): Bryan Thomas Jr. WR LSU
The Bengals gave Joe Burrow a massive extension last year and they are going to have to give Ja’Marr Chase a massive extension next season which means somebody isn’t getting paid and that somebody is probably Tee Higgins. Higgins is a WR1 and someone is going to pay him like one and while it’s possible the Bengals franchise tag him to keep him one more year, I think they are too cash poor to do so. Tyler Boyd is also a free agent and I think it’s far more likely they re-sign him and RT Jonah Williams and look for a Higgins replacement in this draft. Oh, and look, here’s one right here. Bryan Thomas might be considered the “other” LSU WR this year but he was just as awesome as Malik Nabers when it comes to production. He’s a big, fast, downfield threat who will keep Joe Burrow and the Bengals offense humming right along.
19. Los Angeles Rams (10-7): Quinyon Mitchell CB Toledo
The Rams did an excellent job restocking their defense with mid and late round draft picks last season. They also had a handful of veteran castoff free agents who did well like Ahkello Witherspoon at CB. Unfortunately, Witherspoon is a free agent again and while they could bring him back there is no guarantee he plays like he did last season. They need help all over the secondary and Mitchell is a guy who is just getting started. He comes from Toledo so his experience against top competition is limited but he more than held his own at the Senior Bowl, in fact, he thrived. Mitchell has prototypical size and speed, and while he played a lot of zone at Toledo, he can stick to his man in man-to-man coverage. It’s a big bet on potential but that’s what the Rams did with last year’s draft class and Mitchell is an even safer bet.
20. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7): Tyler Guyton OT Oklahoma
I’m tempted to give the Steelers Bo Nix here but taking another QB at 20th overall in the first round might be a bit much for the Steelers to stomach. I think the team re-signs Mason Rudolph and lets him and Kenny Pickett fight it out to start. One thing that would help this team is to improve the offensive line. They drafted Broderick Jones last year and they need to move him to LT and let him settle in, that would open the RT spot. Tyler Guyton is a long, athletic OT prospect with great upside and just needs some time to develop. He would give them a guy to help solidify the edges and protect whichever QB they go with. Guyton would also give them a chance to improve the run game which is where I’m sure new OC Arthur Smith will go often given his QB situation.
21. Miami Dolphins (11-6): Graham Barton OL Duke
The Dolphins have some holes to fill on their offensive line. All three starters on the inside are free agents to be, and they may not want them back, while LT Terron Armstead may contemplate retirement. While the quick strike nature of the Dolphins’ passing attack helps them up front, they need improvements everywhere but RT. Barton is a highly skilled, experienced player who has played both LT and center and may best be suited to play OG in the NFL. He has limited center experience but he could move there and likely flourish. He’s playable at LT if Armstead retires or per usual, gets injured. Barton’s versatility will get him drafted higher than most people think and the Dolphins need options on the offensive line because they are over the cap and can’t afford to re-sign all their OL free agents, and they shouldn’t want to.
22. Philadelphia Eagles (11-6): Nate Wiggins CB Clemson
This might be a little out of the ordinary for Eagles GM Howie Roseman as he’s prone to drafting offensive and defensive linemen in the first round more often than secondary players. However, it’s hard to ignore the play of the Eagles secondary last season as James Bradberry’s play dropped off significantly and Darius Slay’s age is starting to show. Wiggins is a tall, lanky CB with great coverage skills and while he’s a bit thin, he’s competitive as hell. He may not be from Georgia’s defense (another Roseman favorite lately), he’s better than Georgia CB Kamari Lassiter.
23. Houston Texans (from Cleveland): Kool-Aid McKinstry CB Alabama
The Texans excellent draft class last season helped them reach the playoffs way sooner than anyone thought and now they have a chance to add to their collection of good young players. This is the last first round pick they get from Cleveland from the Deshaun Watson trade so they should make the most of it. McKinstry came into the year as the top CB prospect but didn’t even finish the year as the top CB prospect on his own team (hello Terrion Arnold). That doesn’t mean he’s bad, it just means he’s not as good as people thought he might be. McKinstry still has great size, he’s an excellent athlete, and he was a multi-year starter at Alabama under Nick Saban. DeMeco Ryans will know everything there is to know about McKinstry and this team has some free agents at CB. While they might re-sign Steven Nelson, he is 31 and he’s not a long-term solution opposite Derek Stingley Jr.
24. Dallas Cowboys (12-5): Zach Frazier C/G West Virginia
There’s always a surprise pick in the first round of the draft and this would be that surprise. Frazier is an excellent center and while centers aren’t always valued this highly, the Cowboys have done something like this before. They once drafted Travis Frederick in round one and while it was a bit shocking at the time, it worked out quite well. Tyler Biadasz is a pending free agent and this would be an upgrade. Frazier is big, powerful, and experienced, everything you want in a starting center. The Cowboys have other needs but they aren’t afraid to spend first-round picks on interior offensive linemen; Frederick, Tyron Smith, Tyler Smith, Zach Martin.
25. Green Bay Packers (9-8): Amarius Mims OT Georgia
The Packers have a very young offense and this pick would make it even younger. I think there’s a good chance the Packers cut David Bakhtiari in order to save against the cap. Bakhtiari has been injured a lot lately and they could use the cap space. Mims is a freakish athlete with all the size and skills you want in an LT, he just hasn’t played much. He’s a lottery ticket and if he lives up to his potential, he could be one of the best LTs in the game. He only really played RT at Georgia and he didn’t even play that much due to some injuries but he’s young and just scratching the surface.
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-8): Chop Robinson Edge Penn St.
The Buccaneers won their division and made the playoffs after coming into the year with pretty low expectations. Baker Mayfield played well for them and while he’s a free agent again, the marriage between him and the Bucs is one they are both probably looking to extend. One thing this team has to do better if they want to improve their record and stay ahead in the NFC South is get to the QB. Shaq Barrett is getting older, Joe Tryon-Shoyinka hasn’t been very productive, and Yaya Diaby was a nice rookie but not a star. Robinson can be an elite edge rusher and should fit in quite well on this defense. He has a quick twitch to him off the line and while he’s not the toughest run defender, that would be less of a worry at OLB instead of being a DE.
27. Arizona Cardinals (from Houston): Darius Robinson DE Missouri
The Cardinals need defenders and here they get one of the rising players coming out of the Senior Bowl. Robinson played most of his career inside at DT until he had to play on the edge at Missouri this past season. He was a major part of Missouri’s defense being good this year as he took to the edge quite well. Then he went to the Senior Bowl and showed everyone just how athletic he is and at 6’5 and over 290 lbs., he’s an absolute freak. This spot may be too low when it’s all said and done, he could easily climb draft boards when compared to the other DEs in this class. The Cardinals would be lucky to have him.
28. Buffalo Bills (11-6): Keon Coleman WR Florida St.
Gabe Davis is a free agent and the Bills shouldn’t be in a hurry to re-sign him. Stefon Diggs keeps making noise about getting out of Buffalo and after the poor second half of the season he had, they may want to move on too. Coleman is a big, physical target with good speed and penchant for making plays. Josh Allen needs more reliable receivers after Diggs and Davis both had disappointing years. Coleman is getting lost in the shuffle a bit with the four guys above him being monster WR prospects but he has legitimate #1 WR upside, especially if he’s playing with a QB like Josh Allen.
29. Detroit Lions (12-5): Kamari Lassiter CB Georgia
Detroit has two big needs and they are both on defense, CB, and edge rusher. This isn’t a great class to need either one of those two spots this late and Lassiter is the best one left. He’s 6’0 180 lbs. so he’s on the thin side and that might hurt him against physical WRs and in the run game but he can cover. He has scheme versatility because he’s an intelligent player with a lot of experience. Lassiter is probably never going to be a CB1 but he’s a massive upgrade over most of the guys the Lions have. If they want to take a shot at a pass rusher, they would probably be better off taking a DT with some pass rush skills like Jer’Zhan Newton or Byron Murphy II.
30. Baltimore Ravens (13-4): Byron Murphy II DT Texas
The Ravens aren’t in the worst shape cap wise but they don’t have a ton of room without some cap gymnastics to move some money around. They do have a ton of guys from their defense who can be free agents including; DL Justin Madubuike, OLB Jadeveon Clowney, LBs Patrick Queen and Kyle Van Noy, and others. Madubuike had a breakout season and he’s priority #1 to re-sign. They don’t have a ton of depth up front and Brent Urban is also a free agent. Murphy was an interior lineman at Texas who was quite good at pushing the pocket. He’s not the biggest guy to be a true DT so he would fit the Ravens odd front well and take some focus off Madubuike. Murphy can push the pocket and still hold up on the edge against the run.
31. Kansas City Chiefs (11-6): Adonai Mitchell WR Texas
The Chiefs have two major needs on offense, LT and WR. At WR, they need more than one addition to make a difference, they need to overhaul the unit. Rashee Rice is the only WR they have that they shouldn’t be looking to replace. Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Skyy Moore, and especially Kadarius Toney should all be replaced. Mitchell is 6’4 with an incredible catch radius and the ability to get downfield like Valdes-Scantling, the only difference is he can actually catch. They could look to replace Donovan Smith at LT right here but the WRs offer better value than the OTs still left. Also, they need a couple of WRs so they should grab one here.
32. San Francisco 49ers (12-5): Kingsley Suamataia OT BYU
Suamataia is a big, athletic OT who fits the 49ers play style and they need to look to upgrade at RT over Colton McKivitz. He can also be a nice hedge against Trent Williams’ age. Williams is still the premier LT in football but he’ll be 36 next season and he can’t play forever. Suamataia could handle the LT spot in the future and keep the 49ers offense rolling for years. If there was a great safety available here, that would make sense and so would a nice CB prospect but none of the ones left are better than getting a new OT with some serious upside.
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