2024 NFL Mock Draft 1.0
Detroit, MI - The 2024 NFL draft is headlined by several elite athletes including Caleb Williams, Marvin Harrison Jr., and Drake Maye. The NFL Combine is set to start on Thursday, February 29th, and go through Sunday, March 3rd so this is the perfect time to generate the first version of my mock draft. This is where we will see some athletes shine and gather a relationship with the front office of various franchises. This mock draft will reflect my own personal thoughts prior to seeing the results from the combine. Now let’s get into the mock draft results.
#1 Chicago Bears (via CAR) - Caleb Williams, QB (USC)
I believe that the Chicago Bears will draft the former Heisman winner, Caleb Williams with the first overall pick. It is about re-starting the clock at the quarterback position and will likely see Justin Fields with a new team next season. Williams has a rare skill set in terms of arm strength, accuracy, mobility and throw on the run. Bears fans will be happy with this pick as Williams has a huge potential to be great.
#2 Washington Commanders - Jayden Daniels, QB (LSU)
I am sticking with my gut that the Commanders will take Jayden Daniels over Drake Maye with the second overall pick. Daniels fits well with the new offensive coordinator, Kliff Kingsbury. The pass-heavy offensive scheme and spread-type offense will suit Daniels perfectly as he loves to throw the ball down the field and scramble if need be. The Commanders have playmakers in McLaurin and Dotson so it will be up to Daniels to get them the ball.
#3 New England Patriots - Drake Maye, QB (North Carolina)
Simply put, this pick makes way too much sense. Drake Maye is the prototypical quarterback when you think of the New England Patriots. Mac Jones has had a significant decline in quarterback play since his rookie year and the Patriots need a big-time quarterback to compete in the AFC East. He has a cannon of an arm and is extremely accurate.
#4 Arizona Cardinals - Marvin Harrison Jr, WR (Ohio State)
Marvin Harrison Jr. has the potential to be an all-pro wide receiver right out of the gate. Some analysts believe that he even has the potential to be greater than his father, Marvin Harrison Sr. Harrison is going to be the go-to guy for Kyler Murray. Although, there have been some rumors that teams could trade up to grab Harrison.
#5 Los Angeles Chargers - Joe Alt, OL (Notre Dame)
Joe Alt is the top-ranked offensive tackle in the 2024 NFL draft class. The Chargers need an offensive tackle to go across from Rashwan Slater. He has the skill and talent to become a starter Day 1. He is a pure run blocker which will benefit the new offensive game plan that Jim Harbaugh is looking to implement.
#6 New York Giants - Malik Nabers, WR (LSU)
Daniel Jones did not have the help on offense that he needs to do well in this league. The Giants need a new wide receiver one, they have too many number two or three types of receivers. Nabers is the ultimate playmaker and will immediately start making plays for this offense. I also considered putting Rome Adunze here, but ultimately, I feel Nabers fits better within this offense.
#7 Tennessee Titans - Olumuyiwa Fashanu, OL (Penn State)
The Titans need some help protecting their future quarterback, Will Levis. Fashanu only allowed a single sack and eight total pressures in 21 college starts. They drafted Peter Skoronski in last year's draft so they would have two great, young offensive tackles to protect their quarterback.
#8 Atlanta Falcons - Dallas Turner, Edge (Alabama)
The Falcons finished last in pass rush win rate (30.9%) last season so Dallas Turner would be the start of the solution for the Falcons. He is the top edge rusher in this class so the Falcons could really use him. He finished with 10 sacks last season for the Crimson Tide, and he has a huge ceiling in the NFL.
#9 Chicago Bears - Rome Adunze, WR (Washington)
This will be the Bears’ second pick in the first round, and I believe they will use it to draft another offensive weapon. Adunze caught 92 passes for 1,640 yards and 13 touchdowns last season. The 6’3 wideout pairs nicely along with DJ Moore and Cole Kemet as the main offensive threats in this offense. I could see Nabers and Adunze flip-flopping draft picks as they both are great wide receivers.
#10 New York Jets - Taliese Fuaga, OL (Oregon State)
Fuaga is a tenacious run-blocker standing at 6’6 335 pounds. He is a great pass blocker as well as he only allowed one sack over the past two seasons. They need to protect their future Hall of Famer, Aaron Rodgers once he is back and healthy. There is a possibility that Brock Bowers could be drafted in this spot, but I do believe that Fuaga is the right pick for the Jets.
#11 Minnesota Vikings - Cooper DeJean, CB (Iowa)
DeJean is the ultimate athlete. Unfortunately, he is still recovering from a broken leg suffered back in November. He still managed to get seven interceptions over the past two seasons. The Vikings did not have a great pass defense last season and DeJean will fill an important role.
#12 Denver Broncos - Terrion Arnold, CB (Alabama)
The Broncos are a difficult team to read. They need a lot of positions filled including the most important position, the quarterback role. There are a lot of experts who believe JJ McCarthy could be drafted in this spot, but I am not high on him. Therefore, I believe they will go with Arnold to go across from Patrick Surtain II, a former Alabama corner.
#13 Las Vegas Raiders - Bryon Murphy II, DL (Texas)
Murphy has the highest upside of the interior defensive lineman. He finished with five sacks to go along with 33 quarterback pressures in his last season at Texas. The Raiders are in need of someone else who can pressure the quarterback as Maxx Crosby is the only prominent pass rusher on the current roster.
#14 New Orleans Saints - JC Latham, OL (Alabama)
The Saints struggled to protect Derek Carr last season and are in need of an offensive lineman. Trevor Penning had an awful season at the tackle position and Latham has the potential to start in that role. This NFL draft is deep in the OT position and the Saints should draft the best available in this spot.
#15 Indianapolis Colts - Quinyon Mitchell, CB (Toledo)
Mitchell is one of the best cornerbacks in this draft class. The Colts need someone besides Kenny Moore II who has the capability to pick off passes. He was a shutdown player for the Rockets, picking off six passes while allowing quarterbacks to complete just 35.2% of their throws against him in coverage over the past two seasons.
#16 Seattle Seahawks - Jackson Powers-Johnson, C (Oregon)
Powers-Johnson is a strong and athletic interior offensive line prospect. He won the Rimington Award as the best center in the country. He does have experience playing at the guard position, so the Seahawks do have the option to move him around if they choose to do so.
#17 Jacksonville Jaguars - Jared Verse, Edge (FSU)
Verse has the capability of being a three-down edge rusher. He finished with 18 sacks over two seasons with Florida State and he also developed the required run-stopping skills needed at his position. There is a possibility that Josh Allen leaves in free agency so Verse would be a great replacement.
#18 Cincinnati Bengals - Brock Bowers, TE (UGA)
Yes, I do have Brock Bowers falling late in the first round. This draft class has lots of talent in the OT, CB, QB, and WR positions so it is difficult to take a TE that early in the draft. Bowers is a phenomenal athlete and will provide the Bengals with the offensive talent they have sought out for at the TE position.
#19 Los Angeles Rams - Nate Wiggins, CB (Clemson)
The Rams are in desperate need of a big-time cornerback. This will be the team’s first-round draft pick since 2016. Wiggins has elite speed and has the determination to finish every play through. With two interceptions, two forced fumbles, and a sack, he showed up all over the Tigers' 2023 tape.
#20 Pittsburgh Steelers - Zach Frazier, C (West Virginia)
The Steelers just cut their starting center, Mason Cole, so they are in need of someone to fill this position. Frazier is 6’3 314 pounds so he has the mold to be a starting NFL center. The Steelers struggled to run the ball last season so this improvement to the offensive line will help the run game.
#21 Miami Dolphins - Graham Barton, OL (Duke)
Barton played left tackle at Duke for three seasons, but many believe that he can convert to the center position. At 6’5, he is technically sound in both pass and run blocking. He did suffer some lower-body injuries in his time at Duke otherwise he would be gathering some more buzz around the league.
#22 Philadelphia Eagles - Payton Wilson, LB (North Carolina St.)
Payton Wilson, this past season's Butkus Award winner, is exactly what the Eagles need. Wilson completed his fifth season with the Wolfpack with 92 tackles and 31 assists. While in coverage Wilson had three interceptions and an outstanding QB rating when targeted at 47.2. The Eagles have plenty of pass rushers so they will use Wilson as a coverage linebacker.
#23 Houston Texans - Laiatu Latu, Edge (UCLA)
Latu is a difficult prospect to read. He medically retired from playing football in 2021 when he was at Washington. During his time at UCLA, he did everything for the Bruins on the defensive side of the ball. He had 112 pressures and 23.5 sacks in the past two seasons. He will be a great addition across from Will Anderson Jr and opposing quarterbacks will be under pressure constantly.
#24 Dallas Cowboys - Troy Fautanu, OL (Washington)
The Cowboys are likely to part ways with offensive tackle Tyron Smith as he is going to be a free agent. Fautanu started 28 games at left tackle for the Huskies, so he has plenty of experience to compete for a starting job. Due to his 6’4 frame, there is potential that he could move inside to the guard position if need be.
#25 Green Bay Packers - Amarius Mims, OL (UGA)
This is the last offensive lineman I see being drafted in the first round. With David Bakhtiari being as injury-prone as he is, the Packers need someone to slide into the left tackle position. Mims being 6 '7 340, he has the frame to be an elite offensive tackle as he allowed zero sacks and just five total pressures across 372 career pass blocks. The only downside to him is that he only started eight games in three seasons at Georgia due to injuries and other elite offensive linemen that were drafted during his time.
#26 Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB (Alabama)
The Buccaneers ranked 29th in passing yards (248.9) per game last season. McKinstry is a versatile player as he matches well with both man and zone defense. He is very twitchy which shows his elite athleticism. Watching his film, it is very obvious that he has a natural feel for the game. He also returned punts for Alabama so that is a bonus for the Bucs.
#27 Arizona Cardinals (VIA HOU) - Jer’Zhan Newton, DL (Illinois)
Newton is my projected second interior defensive lineman to be drafted in the first round. Arizona finished last in allowing rushing yards (143.2) per game. Newton is 6’2 295 and uses his combination of strength and speed to get to opposing backfields. He is slightly undersized which could potentially cause some issues.
#28 Buffalo Bills - Brian Thomas Jr., WR (LSU)
The Bills are looking for a new number two receiver as Gabe Davis is set to enter the free agency market. He has a very similar style to Davis as they both love to go deep and grab the long ball. He caught 68 passes for 1,177 yards and led the FBS with 17 touchdowns in 2023. His unique 6’4 frame will be a great counterpart to Stefon Diggs.
#29 Detroit Lions - Tyler Nubin, S (Minnesota)
Detroit finished 30th in passing yards (3,081) allowed to receivers. Nubin logged 43 tackles, 15 assists, and made 13 stops. In coverage, Nubin had four pass breakups, with five interceptions, and surrendered an elite QB rating when targeted at 17.5. He might not start right away, but he has the talent to make a difference for this Lions defense.
#30 Baltimore Ravens - Troy Franklin, WR (Oregon)
I believe that Franklin will provide the Ravens with another quick, elusive offensive threat. The 6’3 180 pounder has an innate talent to dodge defenders which contributes to his elite yards after catch ability. He is an amazing athlete who will be able to do whatever the Ravens ask of him.
#31 San Francisco 49ers - T.J. Tampa, CB (Iowa State)
Tampa is an under-the-radar type of talent in this draft. He played over 900 snaps during his time at Iowa State so he is very experienced and will be able to contribute to the 49ers’ defense. He only allowed three touchdowns in his last two seasons, so he has the opportunity to compete for a starting spot.
#32 Kansas City Chiefs - Keon Coleman, WR, FSU
It’s no secret that the Chiefs receiving core needs an upgrade. They just recently let go of Marquez Valdes-Scantling, their vertical deep threat. Coleman has the body type and skills to fulfill this role. The 6 '4 wideout excels in contested catch situations as the talent to make defenders miss. He scored 18 touchdowns in his last two seasons between Michigan State and Florida State, so he is a proven playmaker and exactly what the Chiefs need.
