In the first version of our mock draft, three quarterbacks went with the first three picks, then Marvin Harrison Jr. got picked, and then, the fun started. With the 2024 NFL Draft taking place on Thursday, we decided to run back a mock in which, well, the exact same thing happened.
Having said that, there are some differences, as a new QB breaks into our top-3, and in a change from last time, trades got projected out. As resources, we used Pro Football Network’s mock draft tool, along with the trade value chart from DraftTek. And in our final change, Robby took the odd picks in this one, while Bill took the even ones. Let’s begin.
1) Chicago Bears (from Carolina): Caleb Williams, QB, USC
There’s no surprise at the top, where the Bears will do what they’ve been expected to do for months. Williams isn’t a perfect prospect, but he certainly has the tools and upside to become a top-tier quarterback in the NFL. That’s not something the Bears have ever really had, and the chance to get one has Chicago fans understandably excited. Williams can absolutely spin it, has great movement skills, and improvises as well as any QB we’ve seen at the college level. The question, for me, is how he’ll fare in structure where he was at times hesitant to make throws he’ll have to at the NFL level, because you can’t build the whole plane out of the scramble drill. It will help him that he’s a rare No. 1 pick going to a team that’s got a solid infrastructure around him (thanks to the Panthers), with Keenan Allen, DJ Moore, and Cole Kmet as an already solid trio of pass catchers and D’Andre Swift now in the backfield in Chicago.
2) Washington Commanders: Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU
Daniels really blossomed over the last few years at LSU, to the point that he won the Heisman Trophy last year. The accuracy all over the field — he can dink-and-dunk teams, or he can take the top off — helped him get to that point, as did his freakish ability to run the ball. There are real questions about whether his frame can take the beating that would come from getting hit in the NFL, but between his ability on the field and his reputation for being a leader and a hard worker, he’s worth a pick for a team like Washington that desperately needs a franchise quarterback.
Read our pre-draft interview with Jayden Daniels here.
3) New England Patriots: Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina
There’s some scuttle that the Patriots could go McCarthy here or even trade back. They’d need quite the haul to do that, and I think by the time they’re on the clock they’ll make the pick and go with the UNC quarterback. Maye has prototypical size and his tape is incredibly fun to watch. He will need some time to put it all together, as there are some bad habits in terms of decision-making that still need to be worked out and growing pains are likely as he transitions to the NFL. That said, the upside is there to be a very good quarterback at the NFL level and the Patriots are in a position to be patient as he works through rookie mistakes.
Read our pre-draft interview with Drake Maye here.
4) Arizona Cardinals: Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State
A trade seems possible here with how aggressive Monti Ossenfort is willing to be, but ultimately, the best player in this class at a position where the Cardinals need a ton of help fell to them at No. 4. Harrison is one of the best receiver prospects we’ve seen, a great athlete with sure hands and the kind of polished game that can only come from being Marvin Harrison’s son. He’ll be Kyler Murray’s favorite target right away.
5) Minnesota Vikings (from LAC): JJ McCarthy, QB, Michigan
PROJECTED TRADE: LAC sends 5 to MIN, MIN sends 11, 23, and 2025 second to LAC
All indications are that someone is trading up for a quarterback at some point, and Minnesota went out and got the No. 23 spot for a reason. The value chart would say 11 and 23 would work here, but top-5 picks for QBs tend to cost more, so I expect a future pick to be attached (here we’ll say a second). The Vikings went out and signed Sam Darnold so they can give McCarthy some time to develop before throwing him into the fire. That’s probably the ideal kind of situation for McCarthy, who has great tools but just doesn’t have a lot of reps where he was asked to do a lot. Michigan didn’t need him to carry them to win, but a year (or part of a year) practicing and watching from the sidelines would be very helpful in getting him ready to take advantage of his gifts as a passer and athlete.
6) New York Giants: Malik Nabers, WR, LSU
There has been some smoke indicating the Giants could try to trade up for JJ McCarthy. Instead, they sit here and immediately improve one of the worst receiver rooms in the league. Some folks think Nabers is the best receiver prospect in this class, as he’s an explosive and fluid athlete who looks the part and backs that up with crazy production — he set the LSU record for career receiving yards, which is not an easy thing to do considering the receiving talent that came through the school. Regardless of whether the Giants view Daniel Jones as a long-term answer under center, they need a WR1, and they’d get that here.
7) Tennessee Titans: Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame
The Titans have been linked to offensive line throughout the process, and Alt is best offensive tackle in this class. It’s possible he’s gone by now if the Chargers stay put at No. 5, but I’d be fairly shocked if he makes it past the 7th pick. Alt is an incredible athlete and has a great combination of footwork and powerful hands. His punch is elite and once he gets his mitts on a defender, he is able to lock out his long arms and control the action. He’s still working on refining his game, and at 6’9 leverage is always the question mark, as his pad level is naturally high. Still, he is as good as it gets in a loaded tackle class, and the Titans will happily pencil him in as the left tackle for the next decade-plus.
Read our pre-draft interview with Joe Alt here.
8) Atlanta Falcons: Dallas Turner, EDGE, Alabama
Atlanta just does not get to quarterbacks. Raheem Morris is one of the best defensive minds in the NFL, and he’s now their head coach, so we’re willing to bet that he’s going to want to get the guy he’ll build his entire pass rush around. Turner is the best edge rusher in this class, as he mixes looking the part (6’3, 247 pounds with long arms and big hands) with serious production and athletic gifts that make him a handful for offensive tackles. The Falcons have not had anyone reach double-digit sacks in a season since 2016, and Turner should be able to change that sooner rather than later.
9) Chicago Bears: Rome Odunze, WR, Washington
The Bears could go a number of ways here, but if one of the top-3 receivers is still on the board, they might have a hard time not taking one to pair with Williams. Yes, they traded for Keenan Allen, but he’s 31 and they could grab their future No. 1 receiver in Odunze to develop chemistry with Williams immediately. Odunze is the best contested ball catcher in this draft, and with the way Williams plays, that’s a useful skill. He’s more than just a jump ball guy, though, and I think the Bears would love to pair these two up in the top-10, plus it sure seems like there’s something brewing here with Williams and Odunze.
Read our pre-Super Bowl interview with Rome Odunze here.
10) New York Jets: Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State
The Jets are running it back with Aaron Rodgers, and priority number one has to be keeping him upright. In Fuaga, the very mean Oregon State standout, they have someone who can play at either tackle spot right away and add a level of toughness and physicality they can really use, particularly because their options at tackle are a pair of 33-year-old offseason acquisitions in Tyron Smith and Morgan Moses. Fuaga’s an exceptional run blocker, too, and we’re confident Breece Hall will love having this dude help open up holes for him. A pass catcher could be the pick — they miss out on the elite WRs here, but Brock Bowers makes sense.
11) Los Angeles Chargers (from MIN): Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia
The Chargers have a number of needs around Justin Herbert, and by trading down they can address a few. Early in the process they were connected to Bowers at 5, but with Bowers’ stock dropping a touch, they could slide back and still get him. He is an elite receiving tight end and while not a great in-line blocker, he’s willing to battle and could give them some juice in the passing game out of the multiple tight end sets Greg Roman loves to put on the field. If they move back and miss out on the top-3 receivers, Bowers would make a ton of sense as the kind of ball player Jim Harbaugh and Roman would want in their offense.
12) Denver Broncos: Byron Murphy II, DT, Texas
Could Denver swing for the fences and take Bo Nix here? With no second-round selection and Nix being a good fit for what Sean Payton wants in a QB, they might say screw it and hope they can get their signal caller of the future. But instead, the Broncos opt to shore up the middle of their defense with the Texas standout. Murphy plays with some real nastiness against the run and the pass, and he’s able to mix twitchiness, explosiveness, and strength in such a way that he might not even make it to No. 12. Fortunately for the Broncos, he’s there in our mock.
13) Las Vegas Raiders: Olu Fashanu, OT, Penn State
This is the best offensive line class in years, and there’s a chance the run on lineman starts earlier than this as there’s buzz that a bunch of teams are considering trading up to get one. Given how many legit guys there are at tackle, I’m a tad skeptical we’ll get a trade bonanza, but we will see a ton come off the board in the middle of this first round. The Raiders have a number of needs, but Antonio Pierce will want to beef up the line play and Fashanu would have claim to the top tackle spot in a lot of drafts. He’s big, strong, and moves well. There’s some footwork stuff to clean up, but that’s most any young tackle and the upside is tremendous.
14) New Orleans Saints: JC Latham, OT, Alabama
If the Saints cannot get an offensive tackle in the first round, it would be a catastrophe — few teams have a bigger need than the Saints do at tackle. Latham is a mountain of a man who has freakish strength, and while he primarily projects as a right tackle, New Orleans could certainly use one of those. He needs polish, above everything else, as Dane Brugler pointed out in his annual breakdown “The Beast” that he got called for 18 penalties across two years as a starter.
15) Indianapolis Colts: Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo
The Colts could target a receiver to add weaponry around Anthony Richardson, but I think at this point if a corner hasn’t gone off the board they’ll nab their choice at that position. I’ll go with Toledo’s Quinyon Mitchell here, as he can fly, was super productive breaking up passes for the Rockets, and then dominated Senior Bowl week. There will be time to grab a good receiver on Day 2, and the Colts can get some big-time secondary help here.
16) Seattle Seahawks: Troy Fautanu, OG/OT, Washington
This is a popular pairing in mocks, as Fautanu went to Washington and might be an interior offensive lineman in the NFL despite playing tackle in college (he could certainly stick there, too). The Seahawks, meanwhile, could stand to shore up the middle of their offensive line for new OC Ryan Grubb, who came to the team after coaching Fautanu in college. He might be a plug-and-play guy on day one as a guard, which Geno Smith would surely appreciate.
17) Jacksonville Jaguars: Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama
The Jaguars, like the Colts, could be looking receiver here with Calvin Ridley leaving but they also need some corner help. Arnold is a guy I absolutely love. While he’s not quite a flyer like Quinyon Mitchell and Nate Wiggins, he’s got good functional speed and is a ballhawk (five INTs last year). Also, I’ll always take my chances on an Alabama defensive back that played for Nick Saban to be ready for the NFL level.
18) Cincinnati Bengals: Brian Thomas Jr., WR, LSU
The weirdness hanging over the team with Tee Higgins means Cincinnati can be in the market for a replacement, and Thomas would be one heck of a replacement. Another LSU standout to pair with Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase, Thomas burst onto the scene last year as a huge receiver with special athleticism — he ran a 4.33 second 40-yard dash at the Combine at 6’3. If Thomas gets better at building out his route tree, look out, because he is going to be a superstar.
19) Los Angeles Rams: Jared Verse, EDGE, Florida State
This is not exactly stepping out on the limb as there are a lot of mocks pairing the Rams with Verse, but that’s because it makes sense. The Rams need help on the defensive line and Verse is a strong, powerful pass rusher that would help them replace some of the pocket pressure void created by Aaron Donald’s retirement. They’ll want to address the interior of the line as well at some point, but Verse would be great value at this point and fill a need for L.A.
20) Pittsburgh Steelers: Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia
Banking on offensive linemen from Georgia is usually a pretty good idea — Pittsburgh did this last year with Broderick Jones at RT — and Mims is the latest big fella to come out of Athens to the NFL. He has long arms and big hands, which he uses to keep edge rushers at bay. While he hasn’t played a ton of football and played on the right side of the line in college, Mims looks the part and is talented enough to be a star at left tackle with a bit of seasoning. Pittsburgh has to keep Russell Wilson and/or Justin Fields upright, and if Mims hits, they’ll never have to worry about their blind side.
21) Miami Dolphins: Laiatu Latu, EDGE, UCLA
There are mocks that have Latu going as high as No. 8 overall, and it really comes down to how comfortable teams are with the medicals because the production and talent are incredible with the UCLA product. Teams in the top half of the first round might be a bit scared off, but at this point it’s worth adding a player with top-10 talent. Latu had 34 TFLs and 23.5 sacks over the last two years at UCLA, and he’s simply a menace coming off the edge. The Dolphins added Shaq Barrett in free agency and already have Bradley Chubb, but you can never have too many pass rushers and Latu brings a different element as a speed rusher.
22) Philadelphia Eagles: Nate Wiggins, CB, Clemson
I really wanted to pick Cooper DeJean here, and he still very well might be the pick. But because it’s not 100 percent clear if he’ll be a corner or a safety at the next level (imo: play him at corner, the position where he was a unanimous All-American), let’s go with Wiggins, who can really play, stands 6’1, and can absolutely fly — he ran a 4.28 40 at the Combine. He needs to put a little more meat on his bones, as he was only 173 pounds at the Combine and is going to get bullied in run support and by stronger receivers, but he’s a fluid athlete with good coverage skills. Philly needs help all over the defensive backfield and gets it here.
23) Los Angeles Chargers (from Cleveland through Houston and Minnesota): Tyler Guyton, OT, Oklahoma
The Chargers still can land some tackle help later in this first round, and while they don’t get Alt they do get another mammoth tackle in the form of Guyton. The 6’8 Oklahoma product has some work to do in refining his technique and can play too high (as tends to happen with tackles that tall), but when he keeps his base solid he’s dominant. We know Jim Harbaugh wants to build inside out, and with Guyton and Bowers the Chargers get some real talent in areas they covet.
24) Dallas Cowboys: Graham Barton, IOL, Duke
There are some major questions about the building blocks of this team — Jerry Jones said this week that he’s staying patient with contract talks for CeeDee Lamb, Micah Parsons, and Dak Prescott. But instead of drafting a successor for any of them, Dallas uses this pick to bolster the middle of their offensive line, as Barton (who mostly played left tackle at Duke) can start on day one at guard or center. He’s very strong and very smart, and would fill a major position of need that the Cowboys have right now.
25) Green Bay Packers: Cooper DeJean, CB/S, Iowa
DeJean is just a football player. The Iowa corner ran well enough at his pro day that he could certainly get a look at playing outside. That said, I trust him to make plays no matter where you line him up — outside, in the nickel, or at safety — and that versatility would be welcome in a Green Bay secondary that needs help. DeJean was dominant for the Hawkeyes, seemingly always finds ways to make a big play, and also brings some big time upside as a returner.
26) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Chop Robinson, EDGE, Penn State
The Bucs have a potential star off of one edge in YaYa Diaby, and now, they have the opportunity to go get his bookend in Chop Robinson. While he would have to transition from a 4-3 end to a 3-4 OLB in Todd Bowles’ defense, that shouldn’t be a huge problem so long as he’s pinning his ears back and getting to quarterbacks. He is a bit undersized but fires out of a cannon when the ball is snapped, and if any team would embrace a player who looks like they fire out of a cannon, it’s probably the Bucs. Robinson makes a ton of sense as Shaquil Barrett’s successor.
27) Arizona Cardinals (from Houston): Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama
The Cardinals simply need talent on their roster, and after adding some big-time talent in the form of Marvin Harrison Jr. on the offensive side, we’ll get them a DB to match in Kool-Aid McKinstry. He’s physical (and sometimes can get a bit handsy and might need to work on avoiding penalties), while also being fluid as a mover. He might not be as flashy or twitchy as the top guys, but he’s rock solid in coverage and the Cardinals could use a trustworthy cover man on the outside.
28) Buffalo Bills: Adonai Mitchell, WR, Texas
I desperately want Buffalo to trade up and try to nab one of the elite pass catchers in this class, but we couldn’t quite figure out how to make that happen. Instead, they sit here and get a high-upside receiver with the hopes that he can turn into a WR1. He has all the tools you want, but he has to get stronger and more consistent. If he can, Josh Allen’s going to love throwing him the ball. No matter what, if a guy who needs a little more seasoning like Mitchell is the pick, Buffalo should consider taking a guy with a higher floor later in the weekend, too.
29) Detroit Lions: Johnny Newton, DT, Illinois
After locking down Penei Sewell and Amon-Ra St. Brown, this pick seems like a lock to go on the defensive side of the ball. Newton is a favorite of draft folks, but might slide a bit with so much focus on the offensive lines in this year’s class. That’d be great news for the Lions that could use some more juice on the interior of their defensive line and get a guy who can absolutely wreck games in Newton. He took over at times for the Illini, and while you’d like to see maybe a touch more consistency from him, he just seems like a Dan Campbell type of guy.
30) Las Vegas Raiders (from Baltimore): Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington
PROJECTED TRADE: BAL sends 30, 130 to LV, LV sends 44, 77, 2025 4th to BAL
Baltimore’s biggest need (wide receiver) is something they can address a little later, so here, they stockpile some more picks while the Raiders go get their quarterback of the future — and for the sake of transparency, after we threw this together, there started to be a whole lot of smoke about Penix going to the Raiders with their pick at 13. Penix isn’t much of a runner, but he has an electric arm, he’s tough as nails, and when he’s on, he’s accurate to all parts of the field. His bad tape is gross and there are real injury concerns that will hang over him, but considering the state of their QB room, the Raiders should take that risk. If you can live with his bad days — the ones where his feet get a little sloppy and his radar is a bit off — you’re going to love his good ones, especially when he’s chucking the ball down the field perfectly into the arms of Davante Adams.
31) San Francisco 49ers: Kingsley Suamataia, OT, BYU
The Niners could go all over with this pick, but we saw last year that tackle depth probably needs to be addressed at some point. Whether they want to do that here or just go BPA remains to be seen, but you could do worse than bringing in Suamataia to compete on the right side opposite Trent Williams (and serve as some insurance as they struggled mightily when Williams was injured). He’s big and strong and moves well as a puller if needed. He’s not the most laterally quick tackle, which is one of the reasons he’s going later in this class, but he feels like a high floor guy on the right side.
32) Kansas City Chiefs: Xavier Worthy, WR, Texas
Patrick Mahomes could really use another weapon — Travis Kelce is getting older and while Rashee Rice is promising, the rest of the team’s receiving corps leaves a lot to be desired. In Worthy, the Chiefs acquire a player with game-breaking speed who can take the top off of a defense. He’s not the strongest dude (which he will need to work on), but he is the fastest (seriously, no one has ran a faster recorded time in the 40), and that first deep ball he catches from Mahomes will be a work of art.
