By Sam Morris
Sam Morris is from Madison Heights, Michigan, and is an undergraduate student at BGSU majoring in Sports Management. He has a passion for sports writing and journalism. In his free time, he also performs, writes, and produces his own raps for the music industry club at BGSU.
April 24th, 2024
Overview
The 2024 NFL Draft will be held in Detroit, Michigan this year from April 25th through April 27th at the Hart Plaza. The event will feature Detroit-style concession stands, Motown music, youth activities, and a Play 60 Zone. Like recent drafts before it, the 2024 NFL Draft should be watched nationwide with considerably high ratings as NFL fans everywhere aren’t only excited to see who their team will pick but also what the rest of the league will do to improve their rosters.
As I did last year, in this mock draft I will predict who each first-round pick will be. I will also provide analysis and statistics as to why each player was selected at the spot they were taken and why it made sense for that specific team to draft that player into their organization. This mock draft won’t include any draft day trades and will be using rosters updated as of April 23rd.
Without further ado, the Chicago Bears are on the clock!
1. Chicago Bears
top team needs: QB, OT, DE
QB Caleb Williams USC
Chicago finished last year with a 7-10 record but ended up getting the top pick in this year’s draft from Carolina due to the DJ Moore trade last year. Along with Moore, the Bears also picked up WR Keenan Allen in a trade with the LA Chargers this offseason, further bolstering their weapons for a future QB. After trading QB Justin Fields to the Steelers, the Bears will certainly be picking a QB with this 1st overall pick, and USC QB Caleb Williams is a clear frontrunner. Williams had a 3,633 yard, 42 total TD stat line in 2023 and an even better 4,537 yard 52 total TD stat line in his 2022 Heisman season. Williams’s arm strength and accuracy should make an immediate impact in Chicago’s rapid rebuild next season, but will he be enough to silence the Justin Fields loyalists?
2. Washington Commanders
top team needs: QB, OT, DE
QB Jayden Daniels LSU
One of the quickest risers up draft boards, LSU’s Jayden Daniels is easily the most versatile and athletic QB in this year’s draft class. Daniels was an Arizona State transfer before going to LSU and he ended up playing 5 years of collegiate football, giving him valuable experience. Last year was by far his best season, throwing for over 3,800 yards and rushing for over 1,000. He also had a spectacular TD/INT ratio, getting 50 total TD’s while only throwing 4 interceptions. Daniels should immediately improve Washington’s offense that has no #1 option at QB after sending Sam Howell to the Seahawks.
3. New England Patriots
top team needs: QB, OT, WR
QB Drake Maye North Carolina
It is highly likely that there will be three QB’s drafted with the top three picks in this year’s draft. This would be only the 4th draft in NFL history that this would occur, only after the 1971, 1999, and 2021 drafts. Like the Bears and Commanders, the Patriots traded away their previous young QB (Mac Jones). Jones will land as a backup QB to fellow 2021 draft class pick Trevor Lawrence while the Patriots are left with no true option at QB. After a failure to make a move for either Kirk Cousins or Russell Wilson in the offseason, it is evident the Patriots will take a QB at 3. The question is whether they will take JJ McCarthy or Drake Maye at this spot if the top 2 picks are as I predicted. Despite New England being known to pick Michigan QB’s, I’m giving Maye the slight edge over McCarthy in that he is bigger, stronger, slightly more agile, and has been able to showcase his arm talent more at the college level. While not his fault, McCarthy played in a run-heavy offense. Maye’s UNC offense on the other hand ran through him and he rose to the occasion; amassing over 3,600 yards and 33 TD’s.
4. Arizona Cardinals
top team needs: WR, DE, CB
WR Marvin Harrison Jr. Ohio State
The Cardinals badly need a wide receiver in their struggling offense. Their current depth chart has no true #1 wide-out as they have Michael Wilson, Greg Dortch, and Chris Moore listed as their current presumptive starters. Marvin Harrison Jr. out of Ohio State is heads and shoulders above the rest of the 2024 wide receivers as a draft prospect and the Cardinals shouldn’t even hesitate on picking him here. Harrison Jr. was a 2023 Heisman finalist and put up back-to-back 1,200+ yard seasons while also getting 14 TD’s in each season! That type of production is unheard of through a 12 game schedule and the Cardinals would be getting a potential future superstar if they were to select him.
5. Los Angeles Chargers
top team needs: WR, DE, OT
WR Rome Odunze Washington
Although the Cardinals got the first and best WR off the board in Harrison Jr, the Chargers are by far the team that needed a WR the most out of this draft. LA is losing both Keenan Allen and Mike Williams in the offseason and will go into this draft with arguably the worst WR room in the league. I believe it will be between Rome Odunze and Malik Nabers with this pick but I went with Odunze, the Washington prospect, because he’s a taller, slightly faster option for Herbert to throw to over the top. While maybe not as good a route runner as Nabers, Odunze still put up a 1,640-yard, 13-TD season at Washington last year and will make a much-needed immediate impact in LA for Justin Herbert’s offense.
6. New York Giants
top team needs: OT, QB, WR
OT Joe Alt Notre Dame
The Giants have the first “big decision” in this year’s draft. While the pick selections are up for debate in the top 5 picks the position should be pretty set in stone. However, when it comes to the Giants at 6, the rest of the draft could be determined by which route they decide to go. The two main options are to take a QB as Daniel Jones’ contract will run out or take an O-Lineman to help rebuild one of the league’s worst protecting units to help Jones. Although I could see them going either way with this, I think they will more likely pick the first offensive lineman off the board here. They paid Jones so much money and still have faith in him as an organization that he can win in the future. Alt will be an enormous (literally) help for the Giants to protect Jones. He is 6 ft 8, 315 pounds, and is extremely agile and quick on his feet. Although Alt is the big name O-Lineman in this draft, there are about 5-7 at the position that are of his caliber; this draft class is loaded with talented offensive lineman.
7. Tennessee Titans
top team needs: OT, CB, WR
OT JC Latham Alabama
Speaking of offensive lineman, JC Latham becomes the first Crimson Tide player to come off the board in Nick Saban’s final year. Latham will immediately improve the worst-graded offensive line in the league with his 6 ft 6, 360-pound frame. He could easily slide in as the week 1 left tackle to protect Will Levis. The other direction Tennessee could go with this pick would be at CB, but at this high, I don’t think a CB in this draft is that talented to be justifying drafting them in the top 10. While Latham isn’t the flashiest brand-name player in the draft, I think 5-10 years down the road Tennessee fans could look back at the draft and be extremely happy with this pick.
8. Atlanta Falcons
top team needs: DE, LB, OT
DE Dallas Turner Alabama
After signing Kirk Cousins, Darnell Mooney, and Ray-Ray McCloud in the offseason, Atlanta is quietly becoming a top offense in the NFC South. Their biggest struggles will be on the defensive side of the football, particularly in the fact that they have one of the weakest front 7 in the NFL. To combat this, Dallas Turner could make a mini-Alabama run in the draft here and help Atlanta out with his versatility to play both the defensive end and linebacker position. Turner is a fierce competitor who had a whopping 53 tackles, 2 forced fumbles and 10 sacks last season as a junior. Turner is neck and neck with Verse and Latu as the top front- 7 player in the draft but Turner’s high ability to sack the QB will be enough to sway Atlanta to select him over the others.
9. Chicago Bears
top team needs: OT, DE, G/C
OT Olumuyiwa Fashanu Penn State
At 6 ft 6, 320 lbs, Fashanu is slightly smaller than Alt and Latham, but strong in his own right. The Bears drafted RT Darnell Wright out of Tennessee with the 10th overall pick last year and he has solidified the right side of the line. However, in order to help the future QB on both sides, the Bears will need a LT of the future as Braxton Jones is seen as more of a temporary placeholder until his contract expires to free agency. Fashanu could be a great value pick at #9 for this future LT spot and he has all the intangible skills to succeed for Chicago.
10. New York Jets
top team needs: OT, TE, QB
TE Brock Bowers Georgia
The Jets need another offensive weapon for Aaron Rodgers next season. They just got Mike Williams from the Chargers and have a plethora of running backs who can catch well, but the receiving core is still mediocre with just Garrett Wilson and Williams on the outside. Multi-talented, two-time national champion TE, Brock Bowers, would fit perfectly with this offensive makeup. Bowers would be able to help on inside, crossing, outside, and deep routes, and would be able to help protect Rodgers as a blocker as well, something that current TE Tyler Conklin has struggled with as part of his game. Bowers brings to the table three straight 700 + yard seasons as a TE and 31 total career TD’s in college.
11. Minnesota Vikings
top team needs: QB, CB, DT
QB J.J McCarthy Michigan
The first of two picks in this year’s draft for Minnesota, the Vikings will be picking McCarthy as the 4th QB taken off the board. Minnesota had a very disappointing 2023 season finishing tied with the Bears in the division after winning the NFC North the previous year. As disappointing as the regular season was, the offseason may be looking even worse for Vikings fans right now as Kirk Cousins is now an Atlanta Falcon. On the bright side, Minnesota signed Aaron Jones to be the next starting RB and the WR duo of Jefferson and Addison is one of the best in the league. McCarthy will be able to help with this offense as he could either start over the newly acquired QB Sam Darnold or start on the bench and become the starter of the future. While the defense needs help in all three levels, a top 4 QB is urgent for Minnesota with a poor current QB room. McCarthy brings agility, underrated arm strength, and arguably the best accuracy in this 2024 draft class as he only threw 11 interceptions COMBINED in his three-year career at Michigan. This lack of turnovers will pay dividends in the NFL and will likely be the reason McCarthy goes in the top 5 QB’s drafted.
12. Denver Broncos
top team needs: QB, DE, DT
DE Jared Verse Florida State
There may not be a team (besides the Panthers) in a worse draft position than the Denver Broncos. Denver was essentially forced to let go of QB Russell Wilson so they will no longer be able to say “Broncos country, let’s ride.” Wilson’s absence means the QB room currently includes Jarrett Stidham as the QB1 and Zach Wilson as QB2. The dilemma for Denver is that by picking #12 they will most certainly have the #5 QB in the draft class if they were to select one. Denver also needs help pretty much everywhere in the front 7 on defense as well. Weighing these options, I believe that come draft night Denver will trade down in the draft and gain additional assets as opposed to staying and reaching for a QB at 12, such as Michael Penix Jr or Bo Nix. However, since I’m not doing trades in this mock draft, I believe Denver could also pick a talented Defensive end to help out with their atrocious run defense, and that player would be Jared Verse. Verse’s determination and work ethic are unmatched in this draft class as he skyrocketed from the University of Albany to Florida State in just 2 years. Verse put up monster numbers once he was in the ACC, getting 9 sacks each of the last two seasons, with 88 tackles combined between the two years. Verse will have a big impact on Denver’s run defense scheme.
13. Las Vegas Raiders
top team needs: CB, DT, QB
CB Quinyon Mitchell Toledo
Another team potentially vying for a QB, Las Vegas has officially moved on from Jimmy G and straight into Aidan O’Connell. Poor DaVante Adams isn’t even playing with his Fresno State teammate Derek Carr anymore and instead has locked himself into a situation with a rocky QB battle. While many Raiders’ fans want the organization to look for a new franchise QB, O’Connell didn’t do too badly last year in the short sample size, and it is believed that he will continue to be tested this upcoming year, especially because they pick down at #13. With this being said, the Raiders need major help in their secondary (as they often do) and will do so by picking the speedy CB out of Toledo, Quinyon Mitchell. In a class loaded with CB talent, Mitchell stands out in that he ran a 4.33 40-yd dash while having exceptional route coverage skills to back up the speed. The concern with Mitchell is the lesser MAC competition, but the on-field skill should speak for itself and I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he was the first CB off the board.
14. New Orleans Saints
top team needs: WR, DE, OT
WR Malik Nabers LSU
The Saints need another weapon for Derek Carr to throw to as their offense became stagnant down the stretch of the season, causing them to have a mediocre 9-8 record and to miss the playoffs. Nabers would be a steal in the middle picks and he would compliment Chris Olave perfectly in this spread-out New Orleans offense. Nabers had back-to-back 1,000 + yard seasons in 2022-2023 and had 14 TD’s in 2023 as well. His collegiate production will hopefully translate to the NFL as a lanky red zone target for Carr to throw the ball up to in contested tight window situations.
15. Indianapolis Colts
top team needs: DE, CB, WR
CB Nate Wiggins Clemson
The Colts were one of the most surprising teams last season because they finished with a winning record without their top draft pick QB Anthony Richardson. Eager to build upon this success, Colts fans may want them to double down on offense here and build more of a receiving core. If Nabers doesn’t go a pick earlier I think Indianapolis would pick him here, but there is an enormous drop off from the top 3 WR’s in this class and the Colts still need another CB badly. Wiggins is the only CB to run a faster 40 yd dash time than the aforementioned Quinyon Mithcell at 4.28. This pick would help solidify two quality starters in the Colts secondary and allow them to build a back end of the defense based on speed and aggressiveness to match the powerful front 7 they already have in place.
16. Seattle Seahawks
top team needs: DE, DL, G/C
DT Byron Murphy II Texas
Byron Murphy II is one of the most fun-to-watch defensive players in this draft and his attitude perfectly encapsulates what the Seahawks have branded their defensive style as. At 300 pounds, he is big enough to take on NFL offensive linemen, but he is only 6 ft so he will definitely be playing on the interior in the NFL. That means this pick makes even more sense for the Seahawks since they have only 1 nose tackle on their entire active roster as it is currently constructed. If he is still available when Seattle picks, I would be shocked to see them pass him by (although this is what I said about Jalen Carter last year and they let him slip to Philadelphia, so what do I know?).
17. Jacksonville Jaguars
top team needs: WR, OT, DE
OT Taliese Fuaga Oregon State
Jacksonville will be picking the 4th offensive tackle of the draft with this pick in Taliese Fuaga. Fuaga is 6 ft 6, 325 lbs, and has just over a 5-second 40-yard dash. One of the quickest o-lineman prospects, he will be able to efficiently protect Lawrence’s right side while Cam Robinson continues to protect his blind side. Last year’s first-round pick, RT Anton Harrison, struggled at times last season and could get moved into his natural position of interior guard. Adding Fuaga as an extra offensive line piece to a decent line already would give Lawrence and the Jags a huge advantage against other teams in the AFC South.
18. Cincinnati Bengals
top team needs: OT, DT, CB
DT Jer’Zhan Newton Illinois
Newton will be filling a much-needed hole in the Bengals defense at nose tackle. A Sheldon Rankins – BJ Hill duo is probably not sending fear into many opposing QB’s eyes as their speed and agility just are not there. Newton would be able to improve this core defensive tackle group with his ability to sack the QB at a high clip. Newton collected 18 total sacks over 4 years at Illinois and he also had 112 total tackles. I foresee Newton in a rotation with Rankins as the starting nose tackle opposite BJ Hill.
19. Los Angeles Rams
top team needs: CB, G/C, OT
CB Cooper DeJean Iowa
Coming off a surprising wild card playoff appearance in a supposed rebuild year, Sean McVay and the Rams are right back in the NFC hunt. The biggest issue last year in the regular season and in their playoff loss to Detroit was their secondary’s route coverage ability. Highly talented CB Cooper DeJean out of Iowa would help the Rams with this problem as a week 1 slot cover nickle-back type of starting CB.
20. Pittsburgh Steelers
top team needs: CB, OT, G/C
OT Troy Fautanu Washington
The o-lineman trend continues with the Steelers as Fautanu will become the 5th offensive tackle already picked up off the board. The Steelers have a need at CB opposite last year’s draft pick Joey Porter Jr. This is especially true after trading Cam Sutton to the Lions last year (who I will be talking about later). Despite these secondary struggles, I think the left tackle position is the most urgent. Dan Moore Jr. just hasn’t been cutting it when protecting Kenny Pickett, and now that Russell Wilson and Justin Fields are in Pittsburgh, the Steelers will need a better option to protect for long scramble packages and designed runs. Fautanu presents a better option as he did just the thing for Michael Penix Jr’s designed runs and QB scrambles on deep fade routes.
21. Miami Dolphins
top team needs: OT, DE, G/C
DE Laiatu Latu UCLA
The Dolphins were one of the NFL’s hottest teams in the first three quarters of the season. However, once the calendar hit December, the usual winter curse plagued Miami. The Dolphins ended the season horrifically, especially with their run defense, and ended up not winning the division and losing 26-7 to the Chiefs, while their run defense struggled once more. Latu will be a quality addition to the defensive line and will hopefully for Miami fans get to Josh Allen and Aaron Rodgers. Latu’s a big, strong, 6 ft 5, 265-pound man whose strength and speed allowed him to get double-digit sacks in each of the last two seasons, including 13 last year.
22. Philadelphia Eagles
top team needs: DE, CB, S,
DE Chop Robinson Penn State
Fletcher Cox’s absence in the front 7 of the Eagles’ defense will be sorely missed for Philadelphia. This, along with the fact that Brandon Graham will probably be next to go means that it’s time to find the next generation of defensive lineman for Philadelphia. The first d-lineman for the Eagles should be picked in the first round because they got CJ Gardner – Johnson and Darius Slay back for the secondary. Chop Robinson is an intriguing Penn State prospect that has experience and a versatile run/pass defensive coverage skillset to match perfectly with Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter’s lack of experience. I think Robinson will be a big steal for Philadelphia this low in the draft.
23. Minnesota Vikings
top team needs: QB, CB, DT
CB Terrion Arnold Alabama
Since I have Minnesota taking a QB with their first pick, I believe that they will go on the opposite end of the spectrum with their second pick to address their many needs in the secondary, particularly at CB. With Mitchell, Wiggins, and DeJean off the board, Terrion Arnold becomes one of the next logical players to choose. While Arnold isn’t quite as fast as the previous three defensive backs already off the board, he was just as productive in the college game with a 5-interception, 63-tackle 2023 campaign.
24. Dallas Cowboys
top team needs: RB, G/C, DT
RB Jonathon Brooks Texas
Dallas came up short in the playoffs again and they have one glaring positional weakness heading into this year’s offseason: running back. Their current #1 RB on the depth chart is Rico Dowdle, with 5 ft 6 Deuce Vaughn as his backup. I know it’s the first round and teams don’t usually pick RB’s that high, but Dallas NEEDS the best RB they can find from this draft. That RB is fittingly enough a Texas player, Jonathon Brooks, who had a massive 2023 season. Brooks had over 1,100 rushing yards, 286 receiving yards, and 11 total touchdowns. His ability to be a power runner while also being able to catch the ball out of the backfield will be invaluable to the Cowboys now that Pollard is with the Titans.
25. Green Bay Packers
top team needs: CB, S, G/C
S Tyler Nubin Minnesota
It was another disappointing end to the season for the Packers in 2023 that came at the face of a familiar foe, the 49’ers. However, last year felt different for Green Bay fans. They were surprised at the success QB Jordan Love had and the young team as a whole improved as the season went on. Fans went into the offseason hopeful and ownership delivered more hope with a Josh Jacobs signing. The biggest holes left in this quick rebuild are at safety and left tackle. I think Green Bay will end up going the safety route however as they would now be picking the 6th left tackle off the board, whereas they could get the best safety now and a decent offensive lineman later. Additionally, current left tackle Rasheed Walker is only 24 years old and could get another year or two to see if he improves. Minnesota prospect Tyler Nubin is the safety I think Green Bay lands. Nubin is worlds ahead of any other safety in this draft class with 13 interceptions over 5 years in college, 204 total tackles, 11 pass deflections, and 3 forced fumbles. The turnovers are especially what I think will stand out to the Packers as their secondary has been towards the bottom of the league in this category in recent years.
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
top team needs: DE, QB, CB
DE Chris Braswell Alabama
I think Tampa Bay will aim to get either Penix Jr or Nix in round 2 as a future QB to backup Baker Mayfield, but for now Mayfield has been doing fine, and he led them to a playoff win last season. Where Tampa Bay needs the most help is in their defensive line depth. Chris Braswell, yet another Alabama player, will definitely be able to make an impact with the Bucs out of the gate as he played every year in college at a high level. Braswell totaled 76 tackles in his 3 years, 4 forced fumbles, and 11 sacks (including 8 of them in the last year). Braswell is a threat to opposing offenses because he can be set up for Tampa Bay on the edge of the d-line or as an outside linebacker as well.
27. Arizona Cardinals
top team needs: WR, DE, CB
DE Austin Booker Kansas
Like Minnesota earlier, I think Arizona will elect to go with the offense’s biggest need first and then turn to the defenses. For the Cardinals, the defensive line pass rush is by far their biggest need. I picked them to get Will Anderson Jr. last year before there was the draft trade that gave the Texans the 3rd pick and Arizona this one because they needed defensive line help last year as well. Since it went un-addressed, it is important they get someone they can count on right away. I believe Booker can be that person for Arizona. Booker is 6 ft 6, 245 pounds. He is extremely agile laterally and he had a massive 56 tackle, 8 sack, 2 forced fumble stat line last year.
28. Buffalo Bills
top team needs: WR, CB, S
WR Brian Thomas Jr. LSU
Although all levels of the secondary, the interior defensive line and the interior offensive line are points of weakness with the Bills, it is their usual strong suit – wide receiver – that needs the most immediate attention. Stefon Diggs is now in Houston and Gabe Davis is in Jacksonville. With the top 3 WR’s gone so far, Buffalo needs to get someone at the end of the first round that other people may be sleeping on that they see #1 WR potential out of. For me, Malik Nabers’ LSU counterpart Brian Thomas Jr. is this “sleeper pick” that I would take if I was Buffalo’s GM. Despite playing second fiddle to Nabers, Thomas Jr still had a 68 reception, 1,177 receiving yard season with 17 touchdowns, the most by a WR in this mock draft. At 6 ft 4, Thomas Jr. will be a huge red zone presence for Buffalo for the upcoming future.
29. Detroit Lions
top team needs: CB, DT, G/C
CB Kool-Aid McKinstry Alabama
The second Alabama CB on this list, Kool-Aid McKinstry, will provide much-needed help at the CB spot for the Lions next year. I would be shocked if Detroit doesn’t pick a CB with their first-round pick considering Sutton and CJ Gardner-Johnson are gone now. McKinstry is a little slower laterally than some other CB’s higher up in this draft board, but he is still a terrific coverage guy, and he rarely gets stuck in one spot on a route. The Lions need a young and talented CB like McKinstry because their secondary has been slow in recent years and is just now reviving back up.
30. Baltimore Ravens
top team needs: LB, DT, OT
LB Junior Colson Michigan
Wow, talk about an offseason! It was a crushing loss to Kansas City in last year’s AFC Championship game for the Ravens, but to everyone’s surprise, they went out and got Derrick Henry from Tennessee for the next year. While Henry was a major addition to the team, Patrick Queen was a major subtraction to the linebacker core. Junior Colson is my pick for Baltimore because he is the top-rated true linebacker in the draft and because of the Harbaugh connection between brothers Jim and John that has brought many Michigan players to Baltimore in the past.
31. San Francisco 49’ers
top team needs: OT, DT, WR
DT Braden Fiske Florida State
San Francisco still has one of the deepest rosters in the league, but they do have a few glaring weaknesses that they need to address through the draft. If Aiyuk leaves, they will definitely need another WR, they need an offensive tackle to eventually replace future hall-of-famer Trent Williams, and they need to replace Arik Armstead in the interior of the defensive line. I think the interior defensive line is the most important to address first for the 49’ers because they run their heavy number of blitz packages through the nose tackles. Braden Fiske is someone whose energy level and attention to detail match what the 49’ers culture of accountability tries to teach its players. Fiske will be able to bring more pressure to the QB than the current Arik Armstead replacements would. He has 191 collegiate career tackles and 19.5 career sacks.
32. Kansas City Chiefs
top team needs: WR, OT, S
WR Ladd McConkey Georgia
Chiefs fans and the media are going crazy on the rumor that Kansas City wants to end round 1 by picking Xavier Worthy of Texas as a “Tyreek Hill part 2” with his world record 40-time. However, I don’t see Worthy helping the Chiefs’ real problem. Their problem is that the wide receivers that they do have can’t catch the ball and/or run routes correctly. Ladd McConkey fits this mold more. McConkey went to Georgia where his coach was always making sure he ran routes and caught properly, so he’d be perfect for Patrick Mahomes to throw to in the open field.
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