With the NFL playoffs in full swing, the first three-fourths of the 2024 NFL Draft order is set. While there’s no shortage of quarterback talent, which teams will take big swings in this 2024 NFL Mock Draft?
2024 NFL Mock Draft
1) Chicago Bears (From CAR): Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina
I’m holding steady at the top with a caveat. Chicago fired offensive coordinator Luke Getsy on Wednesday, and his replacement will have a say in who the Bears draft at the top. It’s likely that Justin Fields will get moved for picks as the Bears seek to reset their rookie quarterback timer and utilize more payroll elsewhere.
Drake Maye is the most consistent in-phase passer in the draft and fits well with the playmakers the Bears currently possess.
2) Washington Commanders: Caleb Williams, QB, USC
Once again, Caleb Williams, the highest-upside passer in the draft, falls to Washington here. Williams is the consensus top quarterback, but in looking at more film, his tendency to drift backward in the pocket is a slight concern.
Still, he can make any throw and really showcased his ability to make things happen with his legs. He has superstar upside, and the new regime in Washington would have the ability to work everything around Williams.
3) New England Patriots: Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU
Jayden Daniels displayed high-end NFL traits during his Heisman season, and it certainly doesn’t hurt his QB3 case that Lamar Jackson, a guy some have used as a pro comparison for Daniels, had yet another MVP-caliber campaign.
Daniels would bring a high football IQ, excellent athleticism, and elite deep-ball accuracy to a team that has struggled to push the ball down the field and create plays from the quarterback position.
4) Arizona Cardinals: Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State
If the board falls this way, the Cardinals must run Marvin Harrison Jr.‘s name to the podium. Elite body control, polished route running, and high-level athleticism make Harrison nearly a lock to be the first receiver off the board and the highest-drafted wideout since Amari Cooper in 2016.
5) Los Angeles Chargers: Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame
The first change in this version, the Chargers go with positional value, drafting Joe Alt fifth. Alt was as steady as they come in college, allowing just one sack in his final two seasons.
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Alt has fantastic feet for his size and excellent bend. He’ll need to add some strength but has upside as a cornerstone left tackle.
6) New York Giants: Malik Nabers, WR, LSU
If the board falls like this for New York, it’s a foregone conclusion that the pick will be a receiver, it’s just a question of which receiver the Giants rank second on their board. For now, I have them going with Malik Nabers.
Nabers has the ability to be an alpha in a young, talented receiver room. He’s elite at the top of his routes, which should transform a budding WR group.
7) Tennessee Titans: Olumuyiwa Fashanu, OT, Penn State
In this edition, the Titans don’t get Alt, who is my top offensive tackle in the class. However, Olu Fashanu would be the best OT in most recent classes.
His technique — specifically how he uses his hands — is quite refined, and he projects as an immediate starter at left tackle on a team that has struggled to replace Taylor Lewan.
8) Atlanta Falcons: Dallas Turner, EDGE, Alabama
The Falcons could go one of two ways here: either Atlanta takes the best available — at a position of need — in Dallas Turner, or the Falcons swing for a quarterback, likely Michael Penix Jr. or Bo Nix.
Until a head coach is announced, I’m projecting Turner to the Falcons. Turner’s first step is elite, and his hand usage improves every week. He’s mature as a pass rusher and gives Atlanta a skill set it hasn’t had in years.
9) Chicago Bears: Rome Odunze, WR, Washington
Rome Odunze seems to be creeping up draft boards, and with Chicago likely to pair a rookie receiver with their rookie quarterback of choice, Odunze makes sense here.
He’s not the speediest guy (at least on the field), but he’s one of the best contested catch receivers to enter the draft in the past decade. Odunze turns 50-50 balls into 80-20 balls, making him a rookie QB’s best friend.
10) New York Jets: Keon Coleman, WR, Florida State
With the top two offensive tackles off the board, the Jets could look to Alabama’s JC Latham, but I have them going with a height-weight-speed receiver in Keon Coleman.
Coleman is going to test really well and should be in the elite range for his RAS (Relative Athletic Score). He can beat defenses deep or at the catch point, giving New York another offensive weapon.
11) Minnesota Vikings: Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama
This is the third mock I’ve done for Minnesota and the third different DB I’ve given them. Terrion Arnold has the arms, hips, and frame to be elite in man coverage and is a guy that the Vikings can leave on an island. Minnesota loves to blitz, so that’s an important part of the defense.
Arnold has grown tremendously in college and will likely get better as he gets older.
12) Denver Broncos: Jer’Zhan Newton, DT, Illinois
One of my favorite prospect-team pairings in the first round, Jer’Zhan Newton stays with Denver in version 2. The big, strong, quick defensive tackle was ultra-productive in college and should generate interior pass rush.
13) Las Vegas Raiders: Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington
Let’s throw a curveball here. Michael Penix Jr. has all the arm talent in the world, and one uncharacteristically poor game in the national championship doesn’t change that.
The injury concerns are real, but Penix has elite accuracy and velocity over the middle, giving the Raiders their first quarterback in years that truly scares defenses.
14) New Orleans Saints: Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia
I’m usually a huge proponent of positional value in the draft, and there are certainly more important positions than tight end in today’s game. However, if Brock Bowers falls, teams would be crazy not to scoop up the best TE prospect in years.
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Bowers has the blocking ability of some of the better blocking tight ends and the hands and route-running ability of a receiver.
15) Indianapolis Colts: Laiatu Latu, EDGE, UCLA
Despite picking six slots earlier than the last version, I still have the Colts taking Laiatu Latu, who was ultra-productive at UCLA. Latu isn’t a ton of help in the run game but has the upside to be a top pass rusher, either with his hand in the dirt or as a stand-up pass rusher.
16) Seattle Seahawks: JC Latham, OT, Alabama
In this mock, JC Latham falls as most of the teams above pass on the best pure right tackle to come out in several years. He’s a mauler and instantly makes Seattle’s offensive line one of the better units in the NFL.
17) Jacksonville Jaguars: Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama
If Kool-Aid McKinstry falls to Jacksonville at 17, he’s the likely pick. McKinstry had absurd numbers in college from a rate standpoint, allowing less than a yard per coverage snap with just three touchdowns allowed in three seasons.
18) Cincinnati Bengals: Cooper DeJean, CB, Iowa
The run on corners continues as the Bengals target the guy who might be the most complete defensive back in the draft. Cooper DeJean has experience at multiple positions and is a plus-run defender, a must in the AFC North. He could play safety or corner and would give Cincinnati the perfect complement to Dax Hill and Jordan Battle.
19) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Troy Fautanu, G, Washington
Troy Fautanu has experience at both guard and tackle, but projects as an interior guy at the next level. That being said, the Buccaneers need help everywhere along the offensive line, so getting a guy who is cross-trained is a plus.
Baker Mayfield’s play earns him the right to start next year, so let’s see what he does with a better line.
20) Los Angeles Rams: Chop Robinson, EDGE, Penn State
In the last version of this mock, I also had the Rams taking an edge rusher. This time, Chop Robinson falls as teams take players at other positions.
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Robinson is the next freakishly athletic edge rusher to come out of Penn State, a school that seems to place guys like this in the league every other year.
21) Pittsburgh Steelers: Nate Wiggins, CB, Clemson
While the Steelers have other holes on their roster, I’ve given them a corner for the second straight mock. Nate Wiggins is physical and fits well with Pittsburgh’s defense in a division with several bigger, stronger receivers.
22) Miami Dolphins: Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State
While the interior of the Dolphins’ line is in worse shape, I have them taking Taliese Fuaga here. A massive and explosive tackle, Fuaga’s technique is fairly refined, and he has Day 1 starter traits.
23) Houston Texans (From CLE): T’Vondre Sweat, DT, Texas
Let’s introduce a new name to the first round. T’Vondre Sweat is a massive human being with surprising quickness on the interior of the defensive line. Always a plus-run defender, Sweat added 31 pressures as a senior in the passing game.
24) Dallas Cowboys: Cooper Beebe, G, Kansas State
I’m going to continue to put Cooper Beebe in the first round until the NFL or someone else with authority convinces me to change. Beebe is big, nasty, and extremely well-balanced. He’d be an immediate plug-and-play guard for Dallas.
25) Green Bay Packers: Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia
Packers fans have to be excited about the direction of the franchise after their historically young receiving corps came on strong at the end of the year. It’s now time to help Jordan Love with a massive offensive tackle with nearly unlimited raw potential in Amarius Mims.
26) Arizona Cardinals (From HOU): Jared Verse, EDGE, Florida State
Arizona keeps seeing its pick drop as Houston continues its improbable run. Here, it doesn’t hurt the Cardinals, as concerns about Jared Verse‘s versatility cause him to fall.
Verse is a great edge rusher but can become a bit one-dimensional. Still, at his best, he’s borderline unblockable.
27) Philadelphia Eagles: Brian Thomas Jr., WR, LSU
Whatever happens in the weird A.J. Brown saga, the Eagles could use another weapon on offense. Brian Thomas Jr. works incredibly well in tight spaces despite his excellent size, a combination that makes him an elite red-zone threat.
28) Kansas City Chiefs: Xavier Legette, WR, South Carolina
I really wanted to give Kansas City Xavier Legette in the last version, but with Thomas available, opted for the latter. Legette will put up ridiculous Combine numbers and has an alpha mentality and athleticism that the Chiefs have missed since trading Tyreek Hill.
29) Buffalo Bills: Kamren Kinchens, S, Miami (FL)
The Bills need secondary help at multiple positions, and Kamren Kinchens could reasonably fill any one of them. Kinchens is typically around the ball and has extensive experience at a host of back seven positions.
30) Detroit Lions: Adonai Mitchell, WR, Texas
If there’s a top receiver available, don’t be surprised if the Lions snatch him up. In this case, Adonai Mitchell falls, and Detroit is able to take him.
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Mitchell has elite athleticism but only ran a full route tree once he got to Texas. He may take half a season to really pick it up, but should have a nice NFL career.
31) San Francisco 49ers: Graham Barton, G, Duke
Once again, I’m mocking Graham Barton to the 49ers in one of my favorite schematic fits of the draft. Barton is an exceptional zone blocker with experience at both guard and tackle, either of which he could play along the 49ers’ front.
32) Baltimore Ravens: Kalen King, CB, Penn State
While I’m not quite as high on Kalen King as some of my colleagues, he’s a solid corner that could thrive in Baltimore. He’s consistent in coverage and is fairly physical for his size, a great fit with the Ravens.
All the 2024 NFL Draft resources you need — the draft order, the top QBs, the Top 100 prospects, and the full 2024 Big Board — right at your fingertips at Pro Football Network!
