With the 2024 NFL draft quickly approaching many NFL teams’ trajectories will change. For better or worse. The draft is one of my favorite days in all of the sports world, and the speculations and rumors will all come to a head on Thursday April 25th. For now, though I am going to speculate some more, making my predictions of how the draft will end up shaking out. I will try to make this a balance of what I think will happen, and also a bit of what I think should happen as I obviously have no idea what these teams are thinking.
#1 Overall Pick: Chicago Bears (Via Carolina)
QB: Caleb Williams, USC
The easiest pick to mock in the whole draft, this has been the pick since the end of week 16 last season when the Bears were locked into the first spot. Caleb Williams is generational, and the Bears will be looking to end their QB curse with Caleb Williams.
#2 Overall Pick: Washington Commanders
QB: Jayden Daniels, LSU
My pick at number 2 has changed from Drake Maye, as it seems like the NFLs opinion of him has changed a bit and Jayden Daniels has been rising fast. The Heisman winner is a great choice here and is more ready to start right away than Maye, so the pick makes sense.
#3 Overall Pick: Minnesota Vikings (Via Mock Trade with New England)
QB: Drake Maye, UNC
Although I do think the Patriots are likely to stay at 3 and take whichever QB falls to them, I think a trade back is definitely in play with the right offer. There may be a situation to where the only first round caliber QBs left on the board are JJ McCarthy and Drake Maye and the Patriots might look at Maye as a project who they aren’t ready to develop with how terrible their roster is. I think if they trade back and grab 11, 23 and next year’s Minnesota first, they can gear up to pick high again next year and take a QB then. The Vikings seem desperate to move up and if they have the chance to grab one of the top 3 guys, I think they will jump at it with an aggressive trade offer.
#4 Overall Pick: Arizona Cardinals
WR: Marvin Harrison Jr., OSU
This is the easiest non QB pick in the draft, the best receiver prospect we have seen in years and with the trade up already happening at pick 3 I think the Cardinals are more than happy to stay at 4 and take Harrison.
#5 Overall Pick: Los Angeles Chargers
WR: Malik Nabers, LSU
I think the Patriots trading back will switch up a lot of teams plans and that will include the Chargers. I think they will just have to look at their board and take the best player available which will be the 6-foot-tall speed demon. WR is a big need for the Chargers and even though it isn’t the chalk Harbaugh pick, the Chargers desperately need weapons for Justin Herbert to throw too.
#6 Overall Pick: New York Giants
WR: Rome Odunze, Washington
The draft ends up shaking up very uniquely with 3 QBs going top 3 and then 3 WRs going 4-6. The Giants were a tough pick the mock as they could go J.J. McCarthy here, however I don’t think the Giants like McCarthy very much and plan on letting Daniel Jones play a bit longer on his huge extension. New York understands they won’t be all that competitive next year, so there’s no need to rush the QB position. The Giants have been lacking a real number one receiver for many years so this is the perfect pick to try and give Daniel Jones some help.
#7 Overall Pick: Tennessee Titans
OT: Joe Alt, Notre Dame
Maybe the most chalk pick in the draft this year outside of Caleb Williams, the Titans have a huge need at Tackle and Joe Alt is the best Tackle in the draft. The Titans will need to protect Will Levis if they want him to develop at all.
#8 Overall Pick: Atlanta Falcons
EDGE: Dallas Turner, Alabama
The Falcons have gone offense many years in a row and after signing Kirk Cousins to a huge contract this offseason it seems like they have that unit where they want it to be finally, so now it’s time to focus on the defense, Dallas Turner may be the best defender in this class and can help strengthen a weak Atlanta Defensive Line.
#9 Overall Pick: Indianapolis Colts (Via Mock Trade with Chicago)
TE: Brock Bowers, Georgia
The Colts were very quiet once again during free agency this year, signing only a few outside players despite having some of the most cap space in the league. The rest of the division made plenty of moves, so this trade helps the Colts keep up by adding another playmaker to their offense, this time in the form of Bowers who is one of the best Tight End prospects we have seen in many years. The Bears will also be more than happy to move out of this pick and stock up more draft capital as they only have 4 draft picks this year.
#10 Overall Pick: New York Jets
OT: Olumuyiwa Fashanu, Penn State
After a very rough season last year highlighted by Aaron Rodgers going down with a ruptured Achilles in the first game of the season the Jets have an opportunity to pick in the top 10. The Jets line has some clear holes in it and if they want Rodgers to lead them to the promised land he’s going to have to stay upright. Fashanu has been one of the best tackle prospects for years and would have gone maybe even higher if he would have declared for the draft last year.
#11 Overall Pick: New England Patriots (Via Mock Trade with Minnesota)
EDGE: Laiatu Latu, UCLA
Unfortunately for the Patriots their whole roster is miserable, there is not one position on this depth chart that I can look at with confidence which is why I just went best player available. Latu is 6’5” 240 pounds with a lot of explosiveness, and has a limitless ceiling, the only concern is his injury history but with the state of the Patriots now they can give Latu the time needed to be able to develop into the player he can.
#12 Overall Pick: Denver Broncos
EDGE: Jared Verse, FSU
I did think hard about J.J. McCarthy here, but I think the Broncos are in a similar situation with the Patriots and the Giants where they understand the chance of being very competitive next year is low. Again, this roster is very shaky, the best part about it is the offensive line and receiving core, which by any means isn’t great. I think again the best player available is the pick with the uber athletic Jared Verse.
#13 Overall Pick: Las Vegas Raiders
QB: J.J. McCarthy, Michigan
McCarthy won’t fall all the way to the second round like Will Levis did last year, but I think he will definitely go a lot later than people anticipated leading up to the draft. The Raiders roster also isn’t very good, but they have yet to embrace the rebuild, still keeping around Davante Adamas and his big contract instead of trading him away this offseason. This team has no resemblance of a reliable QB on the roster so taking a chance on a young QB with some tools while your playoff window is closing isn’t a bad idea, it will also be fun to see McCarthy face off against his former college coach twice a year in the AFC West.
#14 Overall Pick: New Orleans Saints
OT: Taliese Fuaga, Oregon State
With Ryan Ramczyk being out for the entirety of the next season and looking like he will be out of the NFL sooner than back on the field on Sundays, the Saints need to find his replacement and with the way the draft has shaken out the saints will happily pick up the best run blocker in the draft in Fuaga.
#15 Overall Pick: Chicago Bears (Via Mock Trade with Indianapolis)
OC: Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon
After trading back for more capital earlier Chicago has their second pick in the first round. I think the bears need to knock this draft out of the park and the safest pick here is Jackson Powers-Johnson. Even though centers rarely go as high as 15 the Bears need a center bad and should be looking towards keeping a good Offensive line for Caleb Williams. Don’t be surprised if we see JPJ go higher than a lot of the other tackle prospects in the first round.
#16 Overall Pick: Seattle Seahawks
OT: J.C. Latham, Alabama
Seattle’s roster is looking pretty good going into the 2024 season with a lot of really great weapons on offense, Geno Smith coming back who hasn’t been one of the best QBs in the league but has been very solid. This offense has potential to be in top 8-10 territory next season, but their Offensive Line is currently holding them back a bit. Charles Cross is a very good young left tackle, but the right tackle position is a mess. The Seahawks can draft Latham and plug him in to hopefully give the playmakers on this team more time to work downfield.
#17 Overall Pick: Jacksonville Jaguars
CB: Terrion Arnold, Alabama
The first Corner finally goes off the board in the second half of the first round, the Jaguars need a Corner after a very disappointing end to the 2023 season. They can plug Arnold in on the opposite side of Tyson Campbell and go into next season eying a super bowl once again, hoping that offense can figure it out more and maybe see the Trevor Lawrence jump we were promised when he was drafted.
#18 Overall Pick: Cincinnati Bengals
CB: Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo
Back-to-back corners go as the Bengals are on the clock with a desperate need at corner. The Bengal’s offense looks very good with Joe Burrow returning healthy next season, but the defense is starting to reveal some large holes and I think the biggest of those is Cornerback. The uber athletic Mitchell can come in and play well in Cincinnati’s zone system while honing in some of his skills.
#19 Overall Pick: Los Angeles Rams
DT: Byron Murphy II, Texas
There is now an obvious need for an interior defensive line with the retirement of one of the greatest to ever do it, Aaron Donald. While Byron Murphy isn’t going to fill the shoes of Donald he will be a very solid replacement bringing some great run defense and a pass rushing threat from the interior as he is in my opinion the best Defensive Tackle in the draft.
#20 Overall Pick: Pittsburgh Steelers
OT: Amarius Mims, Georgia
The Steelers were somehow able to again pour it on late and go 10-7 last season despite once again looking like they were in line for a bad season. This is a playoff team but was definitely the worst team in the playoffs and they lost pretty handedly. This roster isn’t great but with the additions of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields they have a bit of optimism. I think the best pick here is to just improve that Offensive Line more with a very good tackle in Mims. While Mims only started 8 total games in college his talent and ability are apparent and there is no doubt that in 2-3 years Mims could be one of the best Tackles in the league
#21 Overall Pick: Miami Dolphins
EDGE: Chop Robinson, Penn State
The Dolphins were one of the biggest disappointments last season, after starting the season off very strong they fell apart late, losing the division to the Bills once again and getting made quick work of in the first round of the playoffs. However, when I look at this roster I see a lot of strengths with minimal holes, I think the biggest areas to target is in the trenches, with Jaelen Phillips coming off a significant injury last season and weak pass rushers across from him I think Robinson is the pick. Robinson is a bit raw and will need to time to hone in his skills, but he is uber athletic and has all the potential in the world
#22 Overall Pick: Philadelphia Eagles
CB/S: Cooper Dejean, Iowa
Following it up with the biggest disappointment last season, the Philadelphia Eagles. After starting a dominating 10-1 Philly completely fell apart, winning just 1 of the last 6 games and getting dog walked by the 9-8 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This secondary is really bad and is without a doubt their biggest hole. I think you draft the versatile Dejean and put him wherever you need too as Dejean is probably already better than 90% of your secondary.
#23 Overall Pick: New England Patriots (Via Cleveland Through Houston Through Minnesota Via Mock Trade)
OT: Tyler Guyton, Oklahoma
Maybe not the draft Patriots fans will be expecting come draft night, but being able to pick up a potential cornerstone edge rusher and tackle this year can be huge for New England. In this Mock the Pats are getting at least the Vikings first rounder next year and will be looking forward to picking high once again next year. If you want to build a winning culture with a young QB down the line, he has got to be able to come in and stay upright.
#24 Overall Pick: Dallas Cowboys
WR: Brian Thomas Jr., LSU
After the top 3 receivers there is quite the lull at the position but It will come to a halt here with the Cowboys. A very disappointing end to the season last year as the 7 seed Packers completely dominated Dallas for 60 minutes with the game being all but over at halftime. The Boys did next to nothing in free agency this year and need to be looking to retool for a run next year. This receiving core has been weakening over time and it showed last year. In my opinion one of Dallas’s biggest issues in that game was that CeeDee Lamb was the first read on every play, and it limited their ability to get anything going, if you have a guy like Brian Thomas Jr. on the other side it makes this offense much more dynamic.
#25 Overall Pick: Buffalo Bills (Via Mock Trade with Green Bay)
WR: Adonai Mitchell, Texas
Back-to-back receivers go off the board as Buffalo moves up to get their guy and provide a “number one” for Josh Allen. AD Mitchell will be looking down some huge expectations this year, as when I look at this receiving core, he is far and away the best in the building, if the Bills want any success this season they are going to need more than just Mitchell but he is a great start, and paired with Allen may be a dark horse to win Offensive Rookie Of The Year.
#26 Overall Pick: Denver Broncos (Via Mock Trade with Tampa Bay)
QB: Michael Penix Jr. Washington
While the Broncos may not have been planning on getting a QB they see the talent of Penix falling and decide to go up and get him. The 23-year-old can come in and compete for the starting spot right away in a very lackluster QB room.
#27 Overall Pick: Arizona Cardinals (Via Houston)
CB: Nate Wiggins, Clemson
After picking up their receiver at 4 the Cardinals will pick again late in the draft and fill another hole with the Clemson Corner. Wiggins Is a polarizing prospect as his combination of length and speed absolutely impress, however his skinny frame can sometimes get him into trouble. I think the Cardinals will be able to stick Wiggins on the outside though, where he can play to his strengths and wont have to come down and make a ton of tackles.
#28 Overall Pick: Green Bay Packers (Via Mock Trade With Buffalo)
S: Tyler Nubin, Minnesota
The packers clearly value safety as shown when they gave Xavier McKinney a 4 year 82 million dollar contract this offseason. The safety position in Green Bay is always a strong one but it is in a transitional period right now with a lot of departures. You can draft Nubin here and look to lock up that group for the next 5 years.
#29 Overall Pick: Detroit Lions
CB: Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama
Detroit has done an incredible job with their rebuild, making the NFC Championship game last year, however it isn’t over yet and this roster still has some big holes, with the biggest being Corner. It was always talked about last year how weak the Detroit Corners were, and the group may be even weaker now after some departures. McKinstry can come in and immediately make an impact after starting at Alabama and being a top corner in the country for multiple years.
#30 Overall Pick: Baltimore Ravens
WR: Ladd McConkey, Georgia
Weapons, Weapons, Weapons, it’s been all that’s talked about for the Ravens drafts in the Lamar Jackson era. Last year they were able to snag their deep threat with Zay Flowers who had an exceptional rookie season, but this offense’s number 2 option in an AFC Championship game was a backup tight end. This roster is incredible, and the defense might be the best in the league currently so its time to give Lamar as much help as they can. McConkey can work as a dep threat while also playing the short and intermediate game with his great route running. I think McConkey will be a first round pick this year despite it maybe coming as a shock on draft night.
#31 Overall Pick: San Francisco 49ers
CB: Max Melton, Rutgers
The 49ers just need to fill some holes in this draft to try and go for the super bowl once again next season. The Secondary on this team is starting to show some holes so Melton can fit in perfectly. The senior has experience playing at the college level for a long time and should be able to come in and immediately make an impact for this defense.
#32 Overall Pick: Kansas City Chiefs
WR: Xavier Worthy, Texas
The defending super bowl champ obviously don’t have a ton of glaring needs on their roster, they lost some players this offseason with the most notable being superstar Corner L’Jarius Sneed, however the story all of last season was the receiving core and the lack of production. While the Chiefs just got their deep threat with Hollywood Brown I think the chiefs will take a shot on Worthy who turned heads at the combine setting a 40 yard dash record at 4.21 seconds.
