Apr 24

Apr 24 2024 NFL Mock Draft

Welcome back to draft season, friends. Before we dive into the picks, here are a few big picture thoughts on this year’s class:

The top of this year’s draft will be dominated by offense. There has only been one time in the history of the draft where the first seven picks were all offensive players (2017). It’s very likely that the first 7 picks this year are on offense, and I wouldn’t be surprised at all if we see the top 8 picks all be offensive players for the first time in history.
Get ready to hear about a whole bunch of offensive lineman. Like so many. This class is absolutely loaded with top tier offensive line prospects, and with a bunch of teams having a need at the position, the beefy boys are going to be a hot commodity in round one.
This class is also really deep at wide receiver, and I’d expect a lot of pass catchers to be drafted in Round 1. The top three prospects (Harrison, Nabers, Odunze) are all elite talents worthy of a top 5 selection in any draft, and there is a lot of depth at the position as we move towards the back half of the first round.
And finally, our award for the Zane Beadles Memorial Stinky Offensive Lineman of the Year goes to:
- Matt Lee, Miami – Look at this absolute gem of a man. The hair. The beard. That cheeky little smile. We love him so much.
- Runner Up: Nick Gargiulo, South Carolina – Don’t even bother worrying about whether he’s going to steal your girl – he probably already has.

Enough with the pageantry, let’s make some picks.

1. Chicago Bears – Caleb Williams, QB, USC

Not much mystery here at the top. Williams has the sort of rare combination of arm talent, athleticism, and play making instincts that you simply can’t pass up. At his best, Williams is reminiscent of prime Aaron Rodgers with his ability to evade pressure and make unfathomable throws downfield. His final season at USC didn’t go as planned, and you can certainly criticize Williams’ tendency to hold onto the ball for too long. But considering how terrible USC’s defense was, it’s understandable that Williams was playing with desperation to try to generate big plays. With a solid supporting cast already in place, Williams should hit the ground running and be Chicago’s best hope at quarterback in decades.

2. Washington Commanders – Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU

Washington lands the franchise’s most exciting draft prospect since RGIII. Daniels is coming off one of the best statistical seasons in college football history, throwing for an astounding 3,812 yards and 40 TDs plus another 1,134 yards on the ground. The main concerns with Daniels are (1) his age and that it took him so long to break out in college, and (2) his lack of proven success delivering from the pocket when under pressure. Daniels has a tendency to immediately bail out and start running when pressured, and while this worked just fine at the college level it becomes a much more difficult proposition in the NFL, especially with the toll it will take on his slender frame to endure all those big hits. But Daniels is undeniably electric, and will bring an immediate dynamic threat both through the air and on the ground for the Washington offense.

3. New England Patriots – Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina

I personally prefer Maye over Daniels as a prospect. Maye is younger, has a bigger frame and stronger arm, and is also an excellent athlete and runner in his own regard. Maye was inconsistent in his final season with UNC, but that 2023 Tar Heels team was a mess, and I haven’t forgotten how dominant he was as a sophomore with better talent around him. Maye has dicey footwork that can lead to inaccuracy at times, but I feel like this can be quickly corrected with quality coaching. Maye still has loads of untapped potential and the skills to grow into a Josh Allen level talent, and he is also known to be a fantastic leader. The Patriots may be tempted by an offer to trade down, but Maye’s talent is too enticing to pass up here.

4. Arizona Cardinals – Marvin Harrison Jr, WR, Ohio State

If you were going to design a wide receiver in a laboratory, he would probably look a lot like Marvin Harrison Jr. He’s got the size (6’4”), speed, strength, and elite hands to dominate any match up. He was also highly productive in his time at Ohio State, proving impossible to slow down even with bad quarterback play last season. Arizona will explore trade down offers, but ultimately will stick here and select their next Larry Fitzgerald.

5. Minnesota Vikings (via projected trade w/ LA Chargers) – J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan

The Vikings made an aggressive move to obtain a second 1st round pick from the Texans, and pay a hefty ransom to the Chargers here to ensure that they get their QB of the future. McCarthy is a very tough prospect to evaluate. He’s undeniably talented, with a strong arm, athleticism, and winning pedigree. But it’s hard to ignore how little he was asked to do in Michigan’s offense, and his slender frame is also a concern. Fortunately for McCarthy, the Vikings are a pretty perfect landing spot for him. Kevin O’Connell is one of the smartest QB coaches in the game, and McCarthy is very well suited for his quick throw offense.

6. New York Giants – Malik Nabers, WR, LSU

The Giants may very well be looking to trade into the top 4 to draft a Daniel Jones replacement, but they still land an elite player here at 6. As special as Marvin Harrison Jr. is, some scouts have Nabers rated as their WR1. Nabers is absolutely lightning fast, and is a threat to take every single catch to the endzone. On top of being quick as a wink, Nabers is also really strong and hyper competitive. Every coach and quarterback dreams of having a big play deep weapon like Nabers on the roster who is a threat to take it to the house every time he touches the ball.

7. Tennessee Titans – Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame

Alt is an absolute monster of a man at 6’9” and 320 lbs, and is incredibly quick and nimble for this size. The Titans’ offensive line was an absolute garbage fire last season, so they’ll be sprinting to the podium to draft their left tackle of the future to protect Will Levis.

8. Jacksonville Jaguars (via projected trade with Atlanta) – Rome Odunze, WR, Washington

If Odunze is sitting here available at #8, I really think a wide receiver needy team is going to trade up to snag him. Atlanta is happy to accrue more draft capital and move down to take a defensive player later in the draft. Odunze excels at using his size at 6’3” to win jump balls and come down with just about every pass thrown his way. His combine performance with a 4.45 second 40 time proved that he’s plenty fast for his size, and he also has incredibly strong hands and is known for his insane work ethic. The Jags finally get an elite WR weapon for Lawrence here.

9. Chicago Bears – Dallas Turner, Edge Rusher, Alabama

The Montez Sweat trade looks like a big win for Chicago, but the Bears still need more pass rushing options. Turner is a crazy athlete with 4.46 speed, and is coming off a very productive 10 sack season for the Tide. He’s a bit underweight and raw in his technique, but he certainly has the athletic traits and motor to be an elite NFL pass rusher.

10. New York Jets – Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia

With an old quarterback, old owner, and coach firmly on the hot seat, the Jets are all in for 2024. I’m generally opposed to taking tight ends this early, as they often take 3-4 years to develop and struggle to produce on their rookie contract. But Bowers is undeniably a special tight end prospect. He was incredibly dominant during his time at Georgia, and was the focal point of their offense. He’s super versatile with the ability to also line up in the backfield and out of the slot, and has rare talent in running with the ball after the catch. He’s undersized for the position at 6’3” and 240lbs, but the Jets will fall in love with the idea of giving Aaron Rodgers a super dynamic arsenal of weapons in Breece Hall, Garret Wilson, and Brock Bowers on offense.

11. LA Chargers (via projected trade w/ LA Minnesota Vikings) – JC Latham, OT, Alabama

You know Jim Harbaugh is going to want to build through the trenches, and I could see him falling in love with the massive Latham to anchor the right side of his offensive line. Latham has sumo wrestler strength at 6’6” and 242 lbs and is a total wrecking ball in the run game, and has the elite athleticism to develop into a very good pass blocker as well.

12. Denver Broncos – Olumuyiwa Fashanu, OT, Penn State

The Broncos have needs at pretty much every single position on the roster (including most prominently at quarterback of course), so they could really go any direction here. With no quarterback on the board worthy of the #12 pick, the Broncos turn to the offensive line. Fashanu is a hyper athletic tackle prospect, with a long 6’6” frame and fantastic footspeed. He still needs to get stronger to further develop in the run game, but is already an advanced pass protector and has all the talent you could want in a tackle prospect. With Garret Bolles entering the last year of his contract, Fashanu can be brought along slowly and then be the heir apparent left tackle of the future in Denver.

13. Las Vegas Raiders – Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo

The Raiders secondary was a nightmare last season, so they are excited to grab the best cornerback in the draft here. Mitchell has 4.33 speed at 195 pounds, and plays an aggressive ball hawking style. An ideal blend of size, speed, physicality, and ball skills makes Mitchell a very worthy pick here for Vegas.

14. New Orleans Saints – Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State

The Saints are in dire straits at the offensive tackle position with Trevor Penning looking like a bust and Ryan Ramczyk facing a potential career ending injury. Fuaga is strong as an ox at 6’6” and 324 lbs, and brings a nasty demeanor to the run game. He has the size and athleticism to excel at tackle, but may ultimately move to guard if his footspeed isn’t quite quick enough for the NFL level. Whether at guard or tackle, Fuaga can anchor the offensive line moving forward for the Saints.

15. Indianapolis Colts – Brian Thomas Jr., WR, LSU

The Colts would pounce on Brock Bowers if he were available here, but are very happy to grab the best wide receiver left on the board. Thomas has incredible speed and explosiveness for his size at 6’4”, and is coming off an insanely productive season at LSU where he snagged 17 touchdowns and averaged 17.3 yards per catch. He’s not the most refined route runner, but Anthony Richardson will love adding this big play threat to the Colts’ offense.

16. Seattle Seahawks – Byron Murphy, DT, Texas

Murphy is the best interior pass rusher in this class, even despite being undersized for the position at 6’1” and 297 lbs. He’s extremely quick and explosive with 4.87 speed, and plays with a motor that never stops. His quickness allows him to excel as a pass rusher, but he also holds up very well against the run for his size. The Seahawks need more pass rushing juice, so Murphy is a perfect fit.

17. Atlanta Falcons (via projected trade with Jacksonville) – Laiatu Latu, Edge Rusher, UCLA

Latu might be the best pure pass rusher in the class, coming off an excellent 13 sack season for the Bruins. He has an elite arsenal of pass rushing moves that is extremely rare for a college prospect, and constantly wins with a mixture of technique and tenacity. There are some serious medical concerns with Latu however, as he had to medically retire from football for a season due to a severe neck injury. But he’s coming off two healthy and highly productive seasons at UCLA, so Atlanta is willing to ignore the medical red flags and add a potentially elite pass rusher here.

18. Cincinnati Bengals – Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia

At 6’8” and 340 lbs with great movement skills, Mims might just be the most physically gifted offensive lineman prospect in this class. The problem with Mims, however, is lack of experience as he only played a total of 8 games in college. Cincinnati is a perfect landing spot for Mims, where he can sit behind Trent Brown for a season before taking over in 2025.

19. LA Rams – Adonai Mitchell, WR, Texas

The Rams unbelievably haven’t had a first round pick since 2016. While there are a lot of needs on the defensive side of the ball, I think Sean McVay won’t be able to resist taking a dynamic offensive playmaker here. Mitchell put up one of the best athletic testing performances in the history of the combine, running a 4.34 second 40 at 6’3” and 205 lbs. His route running and effort level can occasionally leave something to be desired, but he’s a big play receiver and dynamic deep threat, averaging 15.4 yards per catch last season for the Longhorns. While the Rams may seem set at receiver with Kupp and Nucua, Mitchell would bring a new field stretching element to their offense.

20. Pittsburgh Steelers – Troy Fautanu, OT, Washington

Fautanu might be the best athlete at offensive line in this class, showcasing elite footwork and quickness matched with tenacious power. He has the size to play tackle at the NFL level, but also excelled playing guard at times for the Huskies. Fautanu might end up going as high as #10 overall, but there are some minor medical concerns that could cause him to drop a bit. Pittsburgh’s offensive line remains a work in progress, so they would happily snag Fautanu if he fell to them here.

21. Miami Dolphins – Graham Barton, OG, Duke

The Dolphins lost starting guard Robert Hunt in free agency, and currently have a gaping hole at both center and guard. Barton excelled playing all five positions across the offensive line at Duke, starting at center before becoming their left tackle. He’s probably best suited to play guard in the NFL due to his shorter arm length, but the Dolphins will love Barton’s versatility and can plug him in wherever is needed across their o-line.

22. Philadelphia Eagles – Jared Verse, Edge Rusher, FSU

While you can point to needs elsewhere across the Eagles’ roster, Howie Roseman has rarely strayed from his preference to take either offensive or defensive lineman in the first round. Verse is a big-bodied bulldozer of an edge rusher at 6’4” and 254 lbs. He’s coming off two dominant seasons at Florida State, logging 62 pressures and 9 sacks in 2023. He’s an older prospect and isn’t great in the run game, but he has the motor, speed, and strength to be a highly productive NFL pass rusher.

23. LA Chargers (via projected trade with Minnesota) – Xavier Worthy, WR, Texas

While the Chargers have had some good wide receivers in recent years in Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, they have never provided Justin Herbert with a real speedster to take the top off of defenses. With Allen and Williams now gone there is a gaping hole at wide receiver for the Chargers, and the lightning fast Worthy could finally provide Herbert with the downfield weapon he’s been lacking. Worthy’s 4.21 second 40 time was the fastest ever recorded at the combine, and he is also a great playmaker after the catch. His hands can be a bit inconsistent however, so he’ll need to work on this trait at the next level.

24. Dallas Cowboys – Tyler Guyton, OT, Oklahoma

After losing their longtime All Pro left tackle Tyron Smith in free agency this offseason, the Cowboys have a hole at the left tackle position. Guyton is raw and a bit inexperienced, but he has all the athletic traits you look for in an elite tackle prospect at 6’8” and 322 lbs with great arm length and quickness. Tyler Smith is capable of holding down the fort at left tackle for the Cowboys until Guyton is ready, so he’s a perfect pick for Dallas here.

25. Green Bay Packers – Cooper DeJean, CB, Iowa

The Packers struggled mightily in defending the pass last season, so are keen to grab a top rated cornerback here. DeJean was dynamite during his time with the Hawkeyes, showing off his elite playmaking skills in coverage with 7 interceptions over the past two seasons (including three returned for touchdowns). He’s an explosive athlete with 4.4 speed and good size at 6’1”, and he also excelled as a punt returned. DeJean’s ability to thrive at corner, safety, and as a returner on special teams will make him a very enticing option for the Packers here.

26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Jackson Powers-Johnson, Center, Oregon

Powers-Johnson won the Rimington Trophy as the best center in college football in 2023, and he’s the top center prospect in this draft class as well. Built like a dump truck at 6’3” and 330 lbs, JPJ plays with excellent power and frequently blocks defenders straight into the dirt. He’s a bit of a wild bronco, and plays with a salty demeanor and super fierce competitiveness. The Bucs lost Ryan Jensen this offseason who was their longtime stalwart at center, so they will be pleased to plug in Powers-Johnson as their center of the future.

27. Arizona Cardinals – Chop Robinson, Edge Rusher, Penn State

The Cardinals have needs all across their defense, so they are happy to select a highly skilled pass rusher at this slot. Chop Robinson is an elite athlete with top level quickness for the position, and has one of the quickest first steps you’ll ever see. He posted a 4.48 second 40 time at 6’3” and 254 lbs, which puts him in the 93rd percentile of athletic testing for the position. However, Chop’s talent rarely translated into much production during his time at Penn State, where he disappointedly only had 4 sacks in 2023. But the Lions coaching staff will be confident that they can harness Chop’s immense potential, and his athletic traits will be too enticing for them to pass up here.

28. Buffalo Bills – Xavier Legette, WR, South Carolina

The Bills are desperate for wide receiver help in the wake of losing Stefon Diggs. They may be tempted to even trade up for one of the top receivers in the class, but are able to grab a potential high-level WR1 weapon for Josh Allen here in Legette. Coming off a massive breakthrough season in 2023 where he logged 71 catches for 1,255 yards, Legette is a late bloomer with elite size and athleticism. He opened a lot of eyes at the combine where he posted a 4.39 second 40 time with his bigger frame at 6’1” and 221 lbs. Legette’s blend of size and speed makes him a perfect new target for Josh Allen and the Bills offense.

29. Detroit Lions – Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama

The Lions’ secondary was their achilles heel last season, so they are excited to grab their top cornerback on the board here. Arnold is a coverage maestro with fantastic ball skills, snatching 5 interceptions and 13 pass breakups for the Tide in 2023. His 40 time was a little bit slower than expected (4.5 seconds), but watching his film leaves little doubt about his play speed and coverage skills against the best receivers in the SEC.

30. Las Vegas Raiders (via projected trade w/ Baltimore) – Michael Penix Jr, QB, Washington

There is a palpable buzz that the Raiders are absolutely smitten with Penix. Their slot at #13 would be too rich to pick Penix, but they’d be happy to make an aggressive move back into the first round to grab him here. Penix is coming off a magical season at Washington where he consistently showcased his big play ability. He’s got a rocket launcher of an arm and a quick release, and excels at throwing deep bombs downfield. However, there are a few major red flags with Penix. He’s an older prospect, and has a worrisome history of serious injuries. He also doesn’t tend to throw accurately over the middle of the field, and rarely runs or moves outside the pocket. But with his massive arm, big play ability, and fantastic leadership skills, the Raiders are ecstatic to grab him as their QB of the future here.

31. San Francisco 49ers – Kingsley Suamataia, OT, BYU

Right tackle was a position of weakness for the Niners last season, so they’ll be looking to add the top offensive lineman on their board here. Suamataia has a long frame at 6’5” with 34” arms, and is a fantastic athlete with quick feet and an aggressive demeanor. He’s still raw in his development, and can tend to get beat by power rushers at times. But the athletic traits at his size are extremely hard to come by, and the Niners are happy to invest in him as their right tackle of the future.

32. Kansas City Chiefs – Ladd McConkey, WR, Georgia

McConkey has been typecast as a Wes Welker sort of miniature slot receiver, but I think he has far greater upside than this perception. McConkey has good size at 6’1”, and has flashed his fantastic separation speed with a 4.39 second 40 time. He’s also very sure handed and more dynamic than he gets credit for, averaging 16 yards per catch in 2023. The Chiefs’ wide receiver room was already looking dicey even before the Rashee Rice arrest, so it feels like they must address the WR position here (though offensive tackle is also a significant area of need). I could see McConkey immediately becoming Mahomes’ second favorite target, and putting up huge numbers in the Chiefs offense.