NFL

2024 NFL Draft: Complete Mock Draft for First Round

Scott Kacsmar23/04/2024 - 11:42 am

By Scott Kacsmar

Everyone is an NFL draft expert this time of year, and we are no different. If you were looking for a complete mock draft for the 2024 NFL draft, you came to the wrong place. But if you were looking for a complete mock draft for first round prospects, then you are in luck.

The 2024 NFL draft figures to be as unpredictable as any in recent years. Once USC quarterback Caleb Williams goes No. 1 to the Bears, all bets are off on what the rest of the night will bring.

Do we see an NFL draft start with four quarterbacks for the first time in history? Three wide receivers in the first six picks would also be historic. Do we see a ton of trades again, and does someone make the ultimate aggressive move like Houston did last year when it moved up to No. 3 to take Will Anderson Jr.

Will we finally see the Los Angeles Rams make a first-round pick? It hasn’t happened for them since Jared Goff in 2016, but they hold the No. 19 pick this year.

Thursday night should be fun, but we thought we’d put together our own mock draft for the first round. This is not a prediction of what is going to happen. This is a collection of reasoned thoughts and analysis of what this draft has available, what these teams should do, and we’ve even thrown in some trades for chaos and entertainment while still hopefully maintaining some shreds of logic.

Let the 2024 (mock) draft begin.

1. Chicago Bears – QB Caleb Williams, USC

Last year, the Bears decided to keep Justin Fields and bypassed drafting Bryce Young or C.J. Stroud with the No. 1 pick. This year, they traded Fields to Pittsburgh and are huge favorites to take USC quarterback Caleb Williams.

This is a no-brainer pick. Williams is the consensus-best quarterback in this draft, and the Bears have been trying to fill this position adequately since Sid Luckman retired over 70 years ago. They have rarely had the chance to land a prospect like this in the draft, but here we are.

Don’t worry about the nail polish and other nonsense people have written about Williams. Just give him a better defense than the trash he had in college, and he’ll have a solid supporting cast offensively with what the Bears have built here with getting D.J. Moore last year and Keenan Allen this year in a trade.

Let the Caleb era begin.

2. Washington Commanders – QB Jayden Daniels, LSU

There are certainly some red flags with Jayden Daniels from the way he takes big hits on his small frame and how his 2023 season looks like such a ridiculous outlier from his other four collegiate seasons at Arizona State and LSU. Not to mention he has a pair of wideouts that are going in this first round as well.

But Daniels is worth the risk for a Washington franchise that has been a joyless follow for fans ever since the salary cap era began in 1994. They need an exciting player, and Daniels’ dual-threat abilities should mesh well with what new offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury likes to do.

The other reason to think this pick is going to be Daniels instead of Drake Maye is the Commanders just finished with a North Carolina quarterback in Sam Howell. They probably don’t want his successor in college to be his successor in Washington too.

Let’s try another school for the Commanders, and LSU is a pretty good program to pick from.

3. New England Patriots – QB J.J. McCarthy, Michigan

Sure, I could have just put Drake Maye here and had J.J. McCarthy slide to the Vikings at No. 11 and called it a night. But some men just want to watch the world burn, and I wanted to inject some chaos into this mock starting with this pick.

While Patriots owner Robert Kraft is allegedly bashing Bill Belichick behind his back, we know he clamors for the golden days of winning in New England. He’ll be 83 years old this year, so how many seasons does he realistically have left to enjoy with this franchise?

Jerod Mayo is the new head coach, an internal promotion with a defensive mind, and he is going to need a new quarterback after the team traded Mac Jones to Jacksonville. But while you might assume Maye would be the pick here, what if the Patriots aren’t very high on a quarterback who tried to do too much at times last year?

Kraft might see another Tom Brady, a “winner” type in J.J. McCarthy, who just won a national championship at Brady’s alma mater, Michigan. McCarthy was 27-1 as a starter, and while he lacks the flashy plays of Williams and Daniels, he has some great situational stats, is highly coachable, and he could be just the right Brady successor the Patriots are searching for.

This should be Daniels if he is available since the Patriots could use a mobile quarterback to stay up with the times in the NFL. But since he’s not available in this mock, we are going against the grain and taking McCarthy before Maye, setting off a bunch of phone calls for teams interested in moving up after the first shock of the night.

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

The Cardinals take as many calls as they can for teams possibly moving up for Maye, but in the end, no one offers what they want in return. So, they stay put and take Marvin Harrison Jr., the consensus pick for the best wide receiver in this draft.

We will not have a draft start QB-QB-QB-QB for the first time in NFL history.

The Cardinals lost Marquise Brown to the Chiefs, so wide receiver is a big need if they are going to get any good play out of quarterback Kyler Murray. Harrison Jr. obviously has the genes with his father having a Hall of Fame career with the Colts, and maybe he can have a Larry Fitzgerald type of impact on this franchise.

Meanwhile, those phones keep ringing with the Chargers on the clock.

5. Minnesota Vikings – QB Drake Maye, North Carolina

VIA TRADE WITH LOS ANGELES CHARGERS

The Vikings were hoping McCarthy would fall to them at No. 11, but they made a big move after seeing Drake was still available. They didn’t want the Giants to get him at No. 6, so they traded with the Chargers to move up to No. 5 and take Maye.

The team has to do something significant after letting Kirk Cousins go to Atlanta. Kevin O’Connell’s system combined with the availability of Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson should do wonders for Maye staying within structure and not forcing the ball too much.

Our new NFC North is looking fun with Caleb Williams (Bears), Jordan Love (Packers), Jared Goff (Lions), and Drake Maye (Vikings) at quarterback.

6. New York Giants – WR Malik Nabers, LSU

The Giants feel bummed out after realizing they are stuck with Daniel Jones at quarterback for another year. But at least they could get him a better receiver as Malik Nabers is available from LSU.

Nabers should be the best wideout the team’s had since Odell Beckham Jr., who was also a star at LSU. But Nabers had a better college career than him and could step in immediately as the new No. 1 in New York.

7. Tennessee Titans – OT Joe Alt, Notre Dame

New coach Brian Callahan takes over in Tennessee, and we know his dad Bill, who is on his staff this year, is an offensive line guru. Everything about this pick reeks of an offensive lineman, which fits the franchise’s history when you think of those great Oilers teams with Bruce Matthews and Mike Munchak up front. Give Will Levis some blind side protection and someone for Tony Pollard to run behind.

Even last year, the Titans used their top pick on guard Peter Skoronski. Now, they have a chance to get a franchise left tackle with Joe Alt, the top-rated offensive tackle from Notre Dame.

In Cincinnati, Callahan’s offense was criticized for not protecting Joe Burrow better up front. He’ll try to remedy that right away in Tennessee for Levis by getting Alt.

8. Atlanta Falcons – Edge Dallas Turner, Alabama

It took eight picks, but we finally have a defender off the board. The Falcons already made the splashy move by getting Kirk Cousins in free agency. They already have a solid collection of skill players.

The Falcons need building blocks on defense for new coach Raheem Morris. Dallas Turner is the best edge rusher in this draft and we know Alabama has been a reliable producer of NFL talent in the Nick Saban era.

A corner is also possible here, but pass rush should take prominence for the Falcons.

9. Los Angeles Chargers – WR Rome Odunze, Washington

VIA TRADE WITH CHICAGO BEARS

Jim Harbaugh, you have our full attention on draft night. Just when you thought the Chargers were staying put at No. 11 after their earlier trade, they jump back ahead of the Jets to take Rome Odunze to give Justin Herbert his new No 1 receiver.

Remember, the Bears already got Keenan Allen from the Chargers, so they may not be looking at Odunze anyway with this No. 9 pick despite fans wanting them to go all out for Caleb.

In the end, Harbaugh gets a favor from the team that drafted him into the NFL in 1987, and he ensures Chargers fans they do still plan on throwing the ball this year after adding a stud wideout in Odunze.

10. New York Jets – OT J.C. Latham, Alabama

Remember when the Packers drafted Aaron Rodgers in 2005 and never drafted a wide receiver or tight end in the first round during his tenure? Well, the Jets are going to keep it up after they passed on tight end Dalton Kincaid in last year’s draft.

Oddsmakers and fans want tight end Brock Bowers here, but tight ends usually slide in the draft, and Rodgers is much more into throwing to wide receivers anyway.

But remember how the Bills were on his ass every snap before he tore his Achilles last year? That’s why we think the Jets stick to the trenches and take J.C. Latham from Alabama. He could play at guard this year and move out to tackle when the veterans the Jets have get injured or move on after the year.

It’s not a flashy pick, but the Jets need the offensive line help. It’s why they couldn’t run the ball a lick last year despite having Breece Hall back.

11. Chicago Bears (via Chargers and Vikings) – DT Byron Murphy, Texas

This pick has moved around a lot tonight, but finally the Bears use it to take Byron Murphy, the best defensive tackle in the draft.

This is your classic Bears pick. Cue Chris Berman talking about Steve McMichael, who is going into the Hall of Fame this year and was a long-time DT for the Bears in 1981-93.

It’s not a flashy pick, but the Bears need defensive help too, and it will help them get more interior pressure.

12. Denver Broncos – Edge Laiatu Latu, UCLA

Sean Payton sees your quarterback requests and tells you he can find a guy later. Even Drew Brees was the first pick of the second round in 2001 for the Chargers.

The Broncos may have missed out on the top quarterbacks, but they can get a very productive pass rusher and disruptor in Laiatu Latu. They really haven’t had this type of player since Von Miller left, and Latu can certainly be better than Bradley Chubb ever was if he lives up to his potential.

If you’re going to beat Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert in this division, you have to get after them. The Broncos get their pass rusher at No. 12 as we start to finally see a run on defenders.

13. Las Vegas Raiders – CB Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo

A lot of people see the Raiders going for an offensive linemen, but this is a new era with Antonio Pierce taking over as the coach. He wants to win with his defense, and corner is a position he really could use an upgrade at.

At No. 13, the Raiders have their choice of cornerbacks, and they take Toledo’s Quinyon Mitchell, a gifted athlete and someone who plays with a lot of confidence. He should fit right in as the Raiders hope to start building up that secondary to match what Maxx Crosby brings up front.

14. New Orleans Saints – OT Olumuyiwa Fashanu, Penn State

The Saints drafted tackle Trevor Penning in the first round in 2022 and it just hasn’t been working out. When Derek Carr isn’t comfortable, his play dramatically gets worse. The Saints will look to build up the trenches again and take what they hope is a franchise left tackle in Penn State’s Olumuyiwa Fashanu.

15. Indianapolis Colts – TE Brock Bowers, Georgia

What have we seen from the last two dynasties in the NFL with the Patriots and Chiefs? It’s the tight end position that can be so valuable when you get the right one to pair with a quarterback who can always find that security blanket like Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady have done with Travis Kelce and Rob Gronkowski. Those duos are unstoppable.

For the Colts, they need to worry about keeping Anthony Richardson healthy first and foremost. But he also needs more weapons than just Michael Pittman Jr. being reliable. Give him Brock Bowers from Georgia, the only elite tight end prospect in this draft, and suddenly the Colts have a weapon at that position that they really haven’t had since prime Dallas Clark in the 2000s.

16. Seattle Seahawks – Edge Jared Verse, Florida State

While an offensive tackle could certainly work here, the Seahawks need defense. It’s the unit that nearly kept them out of the playoffs in 2022, and it’s the unit that did not help them return to the tournament in 2023.

With new coach Mike Macdonald coming over from an incredible job in Baltimore, he’s going to want to rebuild the defense to his liking. You start that process by taking a top edge rusher in this class in Jared Verse. He can try to be the Jadeveon Clowney in this defense to compare to a player Macdonald had last year.

17. Jacksonville Jaguars – CB Terrion Arnold, Alabama

The Jaguars got burned on a wide receiver trade (Calvin Ridley), so they may want to avoid using resources on that position right now. They also just spent a lot of money to keep Josh Allen up front on the defensive line, but the secondary is lacking.

In the AFC, you better have a solid corner to compete with the best passing teams. The Jaguars will jump at the chance to land Terrion Arnold, the Alabama corner some believe is the top corner in this draft.

18. Buffalo Bills (via Bengals) – WR Brian Thomas Jr., LSU

VIA TRADE WITH CINCINNATI BENGALS

The Bills see the teams coming up in the draft and get nervous they won’t be able to land Brian Thomas Jr., the big and speedy LSU wideout who could give them a mix between the receiving talent they lost this year in Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis.

We know the Bills are definitely using a high pick on a wide receiver after the Diggs trade. Waiting to see if Thomas lasts until No. 28 when the Steelers are coming up is a bold move, and even the Bengals at No. 18 could think about that pick if they don’t intend to lock Tee Higgins up to a long-term deal.

This trade is Buffalo’s chance to lock in the No. 4 wideout in this class, and when you have Josh Allen at quarterback, you have to give him weapons.

19. Los Angeles Rams – OT Taliese Fuaga, Oregon State

The Rams are picking in the first round for the first time since 2016. You know Sean McVay, who joined the team in 2017, is going to relish the opportunity and go with an offensive player.

Taliese Fuaga is an offensive tackle many are mocking higher than this, so it could be a different pick here. But we think offensive line will be the pick, and Fuaga happens to be the highest prospect on the board.

20. Pittsburgh Steelers – OT Amarius Mims, Georgia

The Steelers are very much a team of tradition. Last year, they took Georgia tackle Broderick Jones in the first round and were satisfied with the job he did at right tackle. They also took Georgia tight end Darnell Washington, who can serve as a sixth offensive lineman.

This year, the Steelers are going to double up on Georgia tackles and take Jones’ teammate Amarius Mims. They can improve on Dan Moore at left tackle, so they’ll go with another Georgia pick to get it done.

21. Miami Dolphins – OT Troy Fautanu, Washington

The run on offensive linemen with versatility continues. The Dolphins see Troy Fautanu still out there and jump on the chance to add him to a line that lost a few starters. They’ll appreciate his versatility, experience, and tenacity.

22. Philadelphia Eagles – CB Cooper DeJean, Iowa

The Eagles had an embarrassing secondary last year, and it wasn’t all about the failures on the coaching staff. Corner James Bradberry regressed significantly from the 2022 Super Bowl year, and Darius Slay isn’t getting any younger.

Cooper DeJean should be available at No. 22, giving the Eagles a starting corner and a potentially great punt returner too.

23. Minnesota Vikings – CB Nate Wiggins, Clemson

Assuming the Vikings did not deal this pick in their trade up from No. 11 to No. 5, they stay put and take Nate Wiggins, the corner from Clemson. The secondary has a lot of holes in Minnesota, so this fits a need and Wiggins just happens to be the No. 23 ranked prospect at NFL Mock Draft Database’s consensus big board.

24. Dallas Cowboys – OT Tyler Guyton, Oklahoma

The Cowboys let long-time left tackle Tyron Smith go this year. They could stand to get younger at that position anyway, so Tyler Guyton from Oklahoma would be a logical pick at No. 24. He grew up a Cowboys fan too.

25. Green Bay Packers – OL Graham Barton, Duke

The Packers had such a young offense last year, but Jordan Love figured things out and led the team to the playoffs. But they officially said goodbye to left tackle David Bakhtiari after years of injury, and they also lost Jon Runyan Jr., leaving some holes on the offensive line.

Graham Barton from Duke can fit in at guard or center, giving Love some consistency up front for years to come.

26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Edge Demeioun “Chop” Robinson

The Buccaneers did a nice job of bringing most of their 2023 roster back, but they did lose edge rusher Shaquil Barrett to the Dolphins. He was past his prime anyway, but Todd Bowles’ defense still needs a good edge rusher to truly work. Most of the team’s pressure came from the interior and safety Antoine Winfield Jr. last year.

Chop Robinson is like a poor man’s Micah Parsons from Penn State, but if he is half as good as Parsons in the NFL, then the Buccaneers will be content with that this late in the first round.

27. Las Vegas Raiders (via Cardinals) – QB Michael Penix Jr., Washington

VIA TRADE WITH ARIZONA CARDINALS

We know over 4.5 quarterbacks in the first round is favored to hit, and Michael Penix Jr. has taken over as the odds-on favorite ahead of Oregon’s Bo Nix to be QB5. We also know the Raiders are the favorite team to land him, and they might not be able to wait until the 44th pick in the second round to get him.

It’s also just convenient for us to make this the Penix pick as the final five spots don’t make sense for him. The Cardinals are a team doing a soft rebuild and will appreciate the extra draft picks.

The Raiders need to make a splash move at the most important position, because you are never beating Patrick Mahomes again with Aidan O’Connell not completing a pass after the first quarter. That was a fluke.

Bring Penix to Vegas.

28. Cincinnati Bengals (via Bills) – C Jackson Powers-Johnson

After trading down to No. 28, the Bengals take Oregon center Jackson Powers-Johnson to give Joe Burrow a long-term fixture. The team’s current projected starter, Ted Karras, is 31 years old and will be a free agent after the season. We know the Bengals want to keep improving the line for Burrow to keep him upright after two season-ending injuries in four years.

29. Detroit Lions – WR Adonai Mitchell, Texas

Let’s face it. Josh Reynolds cost the Lions dearly in the NFC Championship Game loss with his dropped passes in the third quarter. The Lions are mostly stacked on offense, and this would be a luxury pick, but Adonai Mitchell would be an upgrade and could be really good in an offense that has Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta for defenses to deal with. Not to mention that loaded backfield.

The Lions might settle for someone in the trenches since that’s more apt to eating kneecaps, but this would be a fun addition to see.

30. Baltimore Ravens – DE Darius Robinson, Missouri

While some Ravens fans scream for another wide receiver, that is a position the team has invested a lot of first-round picks in, including Zay Flowers last year. Instead, we’ll go with a boring but possibly beneficial pick in Missouri edge rusher Darius Robinson. He had 8.5 sacks last year and could be part of the pass-rushing rotation for a defense that lost Jadeveon Clowney’s 9.5 sacks.

31. San Francisco 49ers – WR Ladd McConkey, Georgia

The nice thing about having a stacked roster is you could pretty much pick what you want with the 31st pick in the draft. The 49ers don’t have many glaring needs. They could get younger at left tackle, and you can never have enough corners in this league.

But this is a spite pick. This is San Francisco taking Ladd McConkey just to make sure the Chiefs, picking next, don’t beat them in another Super Bowl after McConkey is left wide open on little option routes all day long. Don’t let the guy go to Kansas City.

Also, we see Deebo Samuel’s injury history and the murmurs of a trade involving Brandon Aiyuk, so the 49ers may not be as loaded at wideout for the long term as we once thought.

Kyle Shanahan would love a player like McConkey in his offense.

32. Kansas City Chiefs – CB Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama

Yeah, you probably expected me to take Xavier Worthy and bring the latest speed demon with his 4.21 40-yard dash (combine record) to the Chiefs. The real Tyreek Hill replacement, or at least a luxury version of Mecole Hardman.

But this is my mock, and I think the Chiefs are crazy enough to think everything is fine at wide receiver, even with Rashee Rice’s pending discipline and Travis Kelce about to turn 35 at tight end. Hell, GM Brett Veach still believes in Kadarius Toney.

It’s a very deep wide receiver class, so the Chiefs will find someone on Day 2. But to close the first round, they cannot pass up the chance to add a heady, reliable corner like Kool-Aid McKinstry from Alabama. They lost L’Jarius Sneed to the Titans, so this is a need, and it’s a classic Kansas City move of reloading a position they are good at coaching up in coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s scheme.

The Chiefs just won a Super Bowl after leading the league in dropped passes and with a rookie as their best wideout. They’ll be fine. They brought in Marquise Brown too. Good corners are harder to find, so we’ll go with an Alabama pro to aid in the three-peat attempt in Kansas City.

I have never done a mock draft like this before, so don’t hate me if I go 0-for-30 on the last 30 picks here. But I think this would be a fun Thursday night, a lot of moves that make sense, and a great way to set up the 2024 season.

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