With the first (and nearly second) wave of free agency over, rosters around the NFL are beginning to take shape, and glaring holes are being filled. We now have a pretty good idea of where most teams' weaknesses lie and what positions they should target in the 2024 NFL Draft.
With that in mind, let's run a full first-round mock draft.
Unlike my other mock drafts, this one will be done according to what I would do if I were deciding for each team. And for the sake of simplicity, I did not do any trades.
Now let's get to the picks!
1. Chicago Bears: Caleb Williams - Quarterback, USC
This pick was already safe to pencil in. Now that the Bears have traded Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers, you can go ahead and write this one in with a permanent marker.
2. Washington Commanders: Drake Maye - Quarterback, UNC
While not as exciting as Caleb Williams, Maye's college resume is littered with success. He's a quarterback Washington can feel comfortable starting right away with hopes that he will quickly reach his sky-high ceiling.
3. New England Patriots: Marvin Harrison Jr - Receiver, OSU
While the Patriots need a new quarterback of the future, they unfortunately fall just outside of the Top 2 and won't be able to get either of the top quarterback prospects. Leaving the quarterback decision for later, I have them selecting a generational receiver here instead, though they may prefer to trade back if possible.
4. Arizona Cardinals: Malik Nabers - Receiver, LSU
With Marvin Harrison Jr gone, the Cardinals select the next best receiver on the board. Nabers is no consolation prize, however, and there's some who believe he's the top receiver in this class.
5. Los Angeles Chargers: Rome Odunze - Receiver, Washington
The run on receivers continues with the Chargers. After losing Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and Gerald Everett in free agency, they have to restock the cupboard for quarterback Justin Herbert. Odunze would immediately be the Chargers' top receiver and keep that passing attack potent.
6. New York Giants: JC Latham - Offensive Tackle, Alabama
Unfortunately for Daniel Jones and the Giants they miss out on the best receivers in this class, but they snap up the best right tackle in this draft class. Evan Neal, the 7th overall pick of the 2022 draft, has been a major disappointment for the Giants, and there have even been talks of moving him inside to play Guard. If that's the move they make, they could then slot in Latham at right tackle and keep Jones upright long enough to make plays. Many people will balk at selecting a right tackle this early in the draft, but just last year, the Bears selected Darnell Wright with a Top 10 pick, and that worked out great for them.
7. Tennessee Titans: Joe Alt - Offensive Tackle, Notre Dame
At 7th overall, the Titans are thrilled to select a generational left tackle. The Titans still have a lot of roster holes to fill, but one year after selecting the best offensive lineman in the class, Peter Skoronski, they do it again with Alt. With this pick, the Titans would suddenly have one of the best starting five of any offensive line in the league.
8. Atlanta Falcons: Dallas Turner - EDGE, Alabama
In back-to-back years, Alabama should produce the highest-drafted defender of the draft class. Turner picked up where Will Anderson Jr. left off, and while he was not quite as dominant as his predecessor, he put enough tape together to make any defensive coordinator leap at the chance to work with the young pass rusher. The Falcons have already revamped their offense through free agency, now a draft class focused on defense could make them true contenders in the NFC, especially in a relatively weak NFC South.
9. Chicago Bears (via CAR): Laiatu Latu - Defensive End, UCLA
As I mentioned above, this mock is done the way I would do things if I were in charge. Sadly, I don't believe Poles will consider Latu due to his medical history; Latu suffered a neck injury three years ago that nearly ended his career. But he's played two healthy seasons at UCLA since then and is, in my opinion, the best defender of the 2024 class and a perfect fit for Matt Eberflus' defense. He's got terrific size, technique, and a motor that never stops running. Pairing him with Montez Sweat would give the Bears one of the best pass-rush duos in the league.
10. New York Jets: Brock Bowers - Tight End, Georgia
After spending a lot of money in free agency beefing up their offensive line, the Jets have met their goal of protecting Aaron Rodgers. Now, they have to get Rodgers more weapons. Bowers is listed as a tight end but is more like a super-sized wide receiver because he can run routes and pick up yards after the catch. If they make this selection, I expect the Jets to be sneaky Super Bowl favorites.
11. Minnesota Vikings: JJ McCarthy - Quarterback, Michigan
I think it was a mistake for the Vikings to let Kirk Cousins go to Atlanta, but what's done is done. Looking ahead, they have to get their quarterback of the future because surely it's not Sam Darnold. I like McCarthy at this spot. He brings a lot of good things to the table, and with the plethora of weapons available in Minnesota, he should have sufficient help around him as he adjusts to the NFL. After this draft, the NFC North may feature the all-around best collection of QB talent by the end of the year.
12. Denver Broncos: Bo Nix - Quarterback, Oregon
The Broncos have dug themselves a deep hole at quarterback, but now they can begin the climb out of it. Nix is QB4 in this draft class, but there's still a lot to like about his game and how it translates to the NFL. He may not start right away, but given sufficient support, I think he offers a high floor and a comfortable ceiling.
13. Las Vegas Raiders: Olu Fashanu - Offensive Tackle, Penn State
The Raiders just missed out on this year's top quarterback talents, so they choose to punt on that decision for now. Instead, they select one of the safest prospects at any position group in this draft class. Fashanu could have been an easy Top 10 pick in last year's draft had he declared, but he returned for one more college season. This actually hurt his draft stock a little, but only because of all the quarterbacks and receivers that rose to the top of the board. Make no mistake, he is a steal at 13th overall.
14. New Orleans Saints: Amarius Mims - Offensive Tackle, Georgia
The Saints need a lot of help all across the board, but they're most lacking along the offensive line. They miss out on the very best offensive lineman in this draft class but Mims can hold his own as a 1st round pick. Mims is a giant on the field, measuring 6-foot-8 and 340 pounds at the combine, along with 36" arms and 11.25" hands. He has limited starting experience and will need good coaching to get him to the top of his game, but his sheer size and athleticism will give him a much larger margin for error than normal.
15. Indianapolis Colts: Terrion Arnold - Cornerback, Alabama
The Colts have been linked to trade talks with the Chiefs for cornerback L'Jarius Sneed lately, but it sounds like that move will fall through. If it does, I have Chris Ballard sprinting to the podium to select Arnold, the best cornerback in this draft class. He wasn't the most athletic corner at the NFL Combine, but his tape and ball production speaks for itself. The Colts have a gaping hole in their secondary, and Arnold would close it up nicely.
16. Seattle Seahawks: Johnny Newton - Defensive Tackle, Illinois
The Seahawks selected an Illinois defender last year, Devon Witherspoon, so I have them returning to that well. While they don't necessarily play side-by-side, I love the idea of pairing these former teammates together again. Besides that connection, Newton is, in my opinion, the most dominant interior defender in this draft class. Despite less than-ideal size, he's got tremendous power and athleticism and was the 2023 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.
17. Jacksonville Jaguars: Brian Thomas Jr - Receiver, LSU
In a surprise move earlier this month, Calvin Ridley signed a massive 4-year deal with AFC rival Tennessee Titans, leaving the Jaguars with a need at receiver. They did sign Gabe Davis, but they'll need more help than that. Thomas has flown up draft boards in the past couple of months, and Chris Simms actually listed him as the second-best receiver in this year's draft. I wouldn't put him that high, but at 17th overall, I think it's a home-run pick for the Jags.
18. Cincinnati Bengals: Jared Verse - Defensive End, Florida State
At this point, I was shocked to realize that Verse was still available, but that's just how this mock draft went. At 18th overall, the Bengals get the steal of the draft and add a dynamic pass rusher to their defense. Playing in the AFC, with its abundance of elite quarterbacks, makes a solid pass rush a necessity to serious playoff contenders, and Verse would go a long way to giving Cincy that fearsome pass rush.
19. Los Angeles Rams: Quinyon Mitchell - Cornerback, Toledo
After the retirement of Aaron Donald, the Rams' defense will need a lot of help. There's no true replacement for Donald in this draft, so I have them beefing up their secondary. Mitchell has great size and showcased blistering speed at the Combine, running a 4.33-second 40-yard dash. A willing and able tackler, he also racked up six interceptions in his last two college football seasons.
20. Pittsburgh Steelers: Taliese Fuaga - Offensive Tackle, Oregon State
The Steelers have completely turned over their quarterback room. Gone are Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph, and Mitch Trubisky. New to the team are Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. Their top two quarterbacks both have spent their careers near the top of the league in time-to-throw, which means the Steelers' offensive line is going to need some serious muscle to hold onto their blocks. That's where Fuaga comes in. While his technique will need work, he's one of the meanest offensive linemen in this draft class and will make his job of protecting the quarterback personal.
21. Miami Dolphins: Byron Murphy II - Defensive Tackle, Texas
The Dolphins lost their stud defensive tackle Christian Wilkins in free agency but have a chance to get a suitable replacement in the draft. Murphy is projected to go higher than this by some analysts, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him slip down to the back half of the first round. He's a little undersized and that may limit his ceiling in the NFL, but there's a lot of power in that frame.
22. Philadelphia Eagles: Jackson Powers-Johnson - Center, Oregon
Earlier this month, long-time Eagles' Center Jason Kelce announced his retirement. Luckily for the team, this draft board fell in such a way that they immediately select his replacement. While it's a tall order to fill the shoes of a guy who's a lock to be inducted into the Hall of Fame on his first ballot, Powers-Johnson looks to be as good of a prospect at Center as we've seen in years. He's built like a wrecking ball, which is exactly how he plays. If Philly can select Powers-Johnson here, they should continue to enjoy their nearly 100% success rate on the 'Tush Push' play.
23. Minnesota Vikings (via HOU): Cooper DeJean - Defensive Back, Iowa
After selecting their quarterback of the future, the Vikings return to the draft board to boost their defense, which needs a lot of help in the secondary. DeJean is listed as a cornerback but can play just about any position. He also brings serious ball production to the table, hauling in seven interceptions over his final two seasons of college football. Lastly, DeJean is also an experienced punt returner, adding value to whoever drafts him on both defense and special teams.
24. Dallas Cowboys: Troy Fautanu - Offensive Tackle, Washington
The Cowboys have been quiet in free agency, losing more impact players than they've gained. There's a big hole on their offensive line left by departed offensive tackle Tyron Smith, making the best remaining tackle a no-brainer. An unrefined but violent prospect, Fautanu will need proper coaching to get him to his ceiling, but there are no major red flags to his game.
25. Green Bay Packers: Nate Wiggins - Cornerback, Clemson
This pick was tough. The Packers desperately need offensive tackle help, but I didn't love the options available to them here, especially not once Fautanu went to Dallas. I have them going with Wiggins instead. They still have Jaire Alexander, but their cornerback depth is murky. Adding Wiggins here will significantly raise the floor of their secondary and take pressure off of the front seven.
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Chop Robinson - Defensive End, Penn State
The Bucs are free to target the best player available in the draft after bringing back Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans, and Chris Godwin. At 26th overall, that's Chop Robinson. He's young and will need plenty of mentoring and coaching on his pass-rush moves, but his athleticism is off the charts, and he demonstrates a lot of power. Robinson, if coached up to his ceiling, has the potential to be the biggest steal of this year's defensive draft class.
27. Arizona Cardinals (via HOU): Kool-Aid McKinstry - Cornerback, Alabama
After juicing up their offense with their first pick, the Cardinals now turn to the defense, which needs a lot of help. McKinstry entered the 2023 CFB season as arguably the top cornerback, and while he slipped quite a ways down big boards, he's still an easy first-rounder. He likely has the highest floor of any cornerback in this year's class after three years of consistent, high-level play at Alabama against good competition. He may never be among the best in the NFL, but I think he will routinely be featured in the Top 10.
28. Buffalo Bills: Xavier Worthy - Receiver, Texas
After his record-setting 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, Worthy is a lock to be a first-round pick, and I can think of no better place than Buffalo. While the Bills did bring in Curtis Samuel in free agency, they still need to put as many weapons as they can around quarterback Josh Allen. Allen is an alien at quarterback and can throw the ball as deep as anyone, and that's where speedy Worthy comes in. I foresee several 60+ yard touchdowns being tossed his way in Buffalo.
29. Detroit Lions: Kamari Lassiter - Cornerback, Georgia
The Lions don't have many holes on the roster, but the secondary is definitely one of them. They miss out on the best cornerbacks of this draft class but Lassiter should help raise the floor of that group significantly. His stats don't jump off the page, but he didn't give up much in the passing or running games, either. A safe pick for Detroit as they try to get over the hump for their first Super Bowl berth.
30. Baltimore Ravens: Keon Coleman - Receiver, Florida State
With OBJ confirming that he won't return to Baltimore in 2024, the Ravens again need serious help at wide receiver. Coleman looks like he was built in a lab with his incredible combination of size, speed, and athleticism. He finished his final season in college with a career-high 11 touchdowns on just 50 receptions.
31. San Francisco 49ers: Tyler Guyton - Offensive Tackle, Oklahoma
Every year for the past few seasons, it feels like the 49ers can simply go best-player-available in their draft. The roster just doesn't have many holes, if any at all. However, you can never have too much help at the offensive line, so I have them spending their first-round pick on the best remaining offensive lineman.
32. Kansas City Chiefs: Adonai Mitchell - Receiver, Texas
I hate how perfect this matchup is for the Chiefs. I have them taking advantage of a deep receiver class and snagging a guy who could arguably go at least 15 picks earlier in any other draft class, giving the defending champions a serious jolt of energy. Patrick Mahomes has shown he can win championships even with a collection of unimpressive receivers, and adding Mitchell just confirms that the Chiefs will once again be betting favorites to win the Super Bowl.
