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I collaborated with Audible Sports Cast to make this 2024 first round mock draft. You can follow him on twitter @AudibleSC as well as on Instagram and Tik Tok @audiblesportcast, and YouTube. He has some great football content, so if you are a football fan, I recommend giving him a follow. This is a no trade mock draft, though we both are under the assumption that the top 4 QBs will be off the board by Pick 6. We think some movement in the top 10 is possible with the Cardinals, Chargers, and Bears, as possible trade down candidates.
Chicago Bears Pick 1 QB Caleb Williams: This was the easiest pick of the mock draft. Over his 3 year college career, Caleb threw for over 10k yards and had 120 total touchdowns, to only 14 interceptions while completing 67.5% of his passes. He won the Heisman trophy in 2022 and is seen by many, myself included, as a generational prospect. I hold him in higher regard as a prospect than Trevor Lawrence, and would take him number 1 in a draft with Joe Burrow as well.
Washington Commanders Pick 2 QB Jayden Daniels: Jayden is coming off of a fantastic Heisman winning season. He totaled 50 touchdowns to only 4 interceptions last season at LSU, while passing for 3,812 yards and a 72.2% completion rate. I think that Jayden is a QB that will fit Kliff Kingsbury’s air raid system well. Kliff said in his introductory presser that he liked a QB with mobility, and Jayden fits that description a lot more than Maye. Drake Maye is my QB2, but Jayden is currently the betting favorite to be the 2nd overall pick and we expect him to be the pick for Washington.
New England Patriots Pick 3 QB Drake Maye: This is the ideal pick for the Patriots. I think Drake Maye is a future multiple pro bowler and franchise QB. He started 2 seasons at North Carolina completing 65% of his passes and threw for over 8k yards. He had 79 total touchdowns to 16 interceptions. Drake has drawn comparisons to Chargers QB, Justin Herbert. He has a slightly smaller frame than Herbert, but I think with the right coach you could see success with the traits that Drake has. With having Jacoby Brisset, I’m not against sitting Drake Maye year one, having him learn from the sideline. I would peg NE as the worst situation of the top 3 teams picking QBs and it may benefit to sit Maye year one of NE is the destination.
Arizona Cardinals Pick 4 WR Marvin Harrison Jr: This was the second easiest pick of the mock. Harrison is the best WR in the draft; the Cardinals biggest need at the moment is WR. He is coming off of back to back 1200+ receiving yard seasons and 14+ touchdowns. I think it is in the cards for Arizona to explore a trade but Marvin will be the pick if they stick at 4. It’s not often to be able to walk away with the second best player in the draft picking outside of the top 3.
Los Angeles Chargers Pick 5 OT Joe ALT: The Chargers are another candidate for a trade up spot for a QB if the Cardinals do pick at 4. I think the Chargers will have as much trouble passing on Alt as Arizona will Marvin Harrison Jr. Alt was PFF’s highest graded offensive lineman in 2023, with a 90.3 PFF grade and only gave up 4 sacks in his 3 years at Notre Dame. Harbaugh wants to build a strong offensive line, and Joe Alt is a blue chip player that will make an impact upfront immediately.
New York Giants Pick 6 WR Malik Nabers: The Giants are desperate for a playmaker on offense. Their leading receiver last season was Darious Slayton with 770 yards. Yikes. Wan’Dale Robinson, selected 43rd overall in the 2022 NFL Draft, has only combined for 752 receiving yards through his first 2 seasons and by all accounts, is a bust. Rookie selection, Jalin Hyatt, played all 17 games last year and only managed to total 373 yards. Malik Nabers is coming off of a 1,569 receiving yard season with 14 touchdowns and 89 receptions. He ran a 4.35 40 at the combine and will give the Giants ailing offense a much needed boost.
Tennessee Titans Pick 7 OT Olu Fashanu: The Titans biggest need right now is tackle. They could use help on both the left and right side. Olu is the second best tackle in the draft and a stud pass protector. He gave up 0 sacks at Penn State on 1,349 offensive snaps. Olu needs to improve in the run game, which I think he will continue to do at the next level. He’s only 21 years old. I think the ability he has to make an impact as a pass protector is worth the investment for the Titans when protecting the QB is the highest priority.
Atlanta Falcons Pick 8 LB Dallas Turner: Falcons offense seems to be complete after adding QB, Kirk Cousins, via free agency. We’re pretty confident that their selection will be on the defensive side of the ball. Turner is coming off of a 10 sack season at Alabama and had 22.5 over his 3 year college career. Turner seems to be the name continuously connected to ATL if they look to add a pass rusher. I would not be surprised if they picked a CB to pair with A.J. Terell, but Turner ultimately is the most likely selection.
Chicago Bears Pick 9 WR Rome Odunze: The Bears need to do all they can to help Caleb Williams. What better way than to pair him with the WR 2 of the draft? Rome caught 92 balls for 1,640 yards and 13 touchdowns last season at Washington. He can run every route with ease. He ran a 4.45 40 at the combine. His catch radius is impressive; adding him would give the Bears the best WR trio in the league.
New York Jets Pick 10 TE Brock Bowers: Brock Bowers is the best TE prospect that I have ever seen. He is coming off of a 714 yard season last year at Georgia, with 56 receptions and 6 touchdowns. He has elite speed and YAC ability and can make a play wherever you decide to line him up. The Jets need to look past the stigma around picking a TE high in the draft. The TE position becomes more of a weapon every year. Bowers has the ability to have a Sam Laporta type rookie year if he gets similar targets.
Minnesota Vikings Pick 11 QB JJ McCarthy: The Vikings look to add their QB of the future to replace Kirk Cousins and they do with JJ McCarthy. McCarthy played 3 seasons at Michigan, 2 as the starter, and totaled 56 touchdowns to only 11 Interceptions. He threw for 6,226 yards over his 3 seasons, and had a career completion rate of 67.6%. He won the National Championship last season, going 27-1 as a starter at Michigan. My comp for McCarthy is Daniel Jones. I’m not as high on him as many are; I think he’s a 2nd round graded player. Just like the Giants reached for Daniel Jones, the Vikings will reach for McCarthy.
Denver Broncos Pick 12 CB Terrion Arnold: The Broncos are a team void of talent at the moment. Arnold should be the first CB off the board and would pair nicely with former Alabama teammate, Patrick Surtain II. In a division where you have to go up against Justin Herbert and Patrick Mahomes each twice a year, you need to have a well built secondary. Arnold had 6 interceptions at Alabama, 5 of which came last season.
Las Vegas Raiders Pick 13 OT Taliese Fuaga: The biggest need outside of QB for the Raiders right now would be RT. Fuaga is a pure RT that would slide in easily onto the Raiders offensive line. He was a 2 year starter at Oregon State and he gave up 0 sacks on 1,565 offensive snaps. Even more impressive than his pass blocking numbers is his run blocking ability. Fuaga was PFF highest rated tackle in run blocking last season and he has the ability to play in both a zone-based run scheme or gap blocking scheme due to his speed and agility.
New Orleans Saints Pick 14 OT JC Latham: The biggest need for the Saints right now is an offensive tackle. Latham was a 2 year starter at Alabama and only gave up 2 sacks on 1,891 offensive snaps. He is a powerful run blocker and can give the Saints offensive line a much needed boost. profootballnetwork.com ranked the Saints as the 23rd best offensive in the NFL entering the 2024 season.
Indianapolis Colts Pick 15 CB Quinyon Mitchell: With so many opportunities to add a pass catcher in the later rounds, it serves the Colt’s best interest to add a CB to strengthen their secondary. I think it’s likely that Mitchell is the second CB off the board. Combining six interceptions and 27 pass breakups in the last 2 seasons, he is very good in zone coverage.
Seattle Seahawks Pick 16 C Jackson Powers Johnson: The Seahawks are very thin on the interior of the offensive line. They only have one linemen between both the C and G position with more than one NFL start. Powers Johnson played both C and Guard at Oregon. He took 430 combined snaps at guard between 2021 and 2022 and was the starting center last season playing 820 snaps. He took 1,355 offensive snaps at Oregon and did not allow a sack. Powers Johnson is the best C in the draft and Seattle should look to improve the interior of their offensive line.
Jacksonville Jaguars Pick 17 WR Brian Thomas Jr: With losing Calvin Ridley to their division rival, the Tennessee Titans the Jags look to find Trevor Lawrence a playmaker. Brian Thomas is one of the most underrated players in the entire draft. In a different draft I would expect him to be a top 10 pick. He is coming off of a 1,177 yard receiving season where he had 68 receptions and 17 touchdowns. Thomas ran a 4.33 40 at the combine and will quickly upgrade the WR room for Jacksonville.
Cincinnati Bengals Pick 18 DT Johnny Newton: DT is the Bengals biggest need at the moment. Newton is the best DT in the draft and will help bolster up the defensive line after losing Dj Reader to free agency. Over his 3 seasons at Illinois, Newton totaled 15 sacks, 29 QB hits, and 73 hurries. Newton played in various alignments at Illinois but is viewed as a 1 technique DT at the next level.
Los Angeles Rams Pick 19 DT Byron Murphy II: The Rams are looking to replace future hall of famer, Aaron Donald on their defensive line. Is Murphy going to be as good as Donald? No, of course not; but the Rams are still getting a highly productive player and great value with their pick. Over his 3 seasons at Texas, he totaled 9 sacks, 5 QB hits, 62 hurries, and 15 tackles for loss. Murphy II is quick and strong and is seen as a 3 technique DT at the next level.
Pittsburgh Steelers Pick 20 OT Amarius Mims: The ideal pick for the Steelers would be Brian Thomas Jr. With him off the board and on his way to Jacksonville, the Steelers pivot to the offensive line. Pittsburgh has drafted 3 players from Georgia in the past 2 years: George Pickens, Broderick Jones, and Darnell Washington. The Steelers can continue this trend selecting Mims. Mims has a ton of upside, but injuries attributed to him to only starting 7 games in 3 years for Georgia, and playing only 803 snaps in that period. He may not be ready to start year one, but the traits and talent that he has could be worth the investment.
Miami Dolphins Pick 21 OT Troy Fantanu: I would say like many teams, the biggest need for the Dolphins is the offensive line. Fantanu played 2,143 snaps at Washington over 3 seasons, starting 2 of them. He only gave up 3 sacks and has the ability to play G. That versatility is definitely attractive and will be an ideal pick for Miami.
Philadelphia Eagles Pick 22 CB Cooper Dejean: This would be the dream pick for new defensive coordinator, Vic Fangio. Fangio likes to run many different coverages and schemes; I believe Dejean is the most versatile CB in the draft. He started 2 years at Iowa and had 7 interceptions, 2 of which returned for touchdowns. He was the punt returner at Iowa last season and ranked 2nd in the BIG 10 with 240 return yards and a touchdown. Dejean ran a 4.42 40 at his pro day and is PFF highest graded CB in the draft.
Minnesota Vikings Pick 23 OT Graham Barton: The Vikings need to bolster up the interior of the offensive line; Barton will help them do that. He was a starting LT at Duke for 3 seasons, giving up 10 sacks on 2,139 offensive snaps. The consensus seems to be that Barton will be an NFL G or C. His versatility to play anywhere on the offensive line is what teams like a lot about him.
Dallas Cowboys Pick 24 OT Tyler Guyton: The Cowboys look to replace Tryon Smith; and they find their guy in Tyler Guyton. There is a lot to like; he only gave in 2 sacks in college on 1,091 offensive snaps. He played right tackle at Oklahoma, but the athleticism he has has many thinking he could move and play LT in the NFL. Due to injury, Guyton only started 13 games combined in the last 2 seasons. If he had stayed healthier, I would have expected him to be a higher pick.
Green Bay Packers Pick 25 CB “Kool-Aid” McKinstry: The Packers consistently like to add defense early in the draft, and with drafting Iowa edge Lukas Van Ness a year ago, they opt to add to their secondary. Kool-Aid was a 3 year starter at Alabama, which is an impressive feat. Kool-Aid had 2 career interceptions and 3 touchdowns there.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Pick 26 DE Laiatu Latu: It would be an insanely valuable pick if the Bucs walk away with Latu at 26. Latu is the best edge in the draft, having 27 sacks and 19 QB hits over his last 2 seasons at UCLA. I would not be surprised if Latu is picked well before 27, but also won’t be surprised if he’s available. Latu transferred to UCLA from Washington after being medically retired by their staff, having sustained a neck injury that required surgery. He’s been healthy at UCLA, and would be guaranteed a top 10 pick if there were not questions about his long term health and durability.
Arizona Cardinals Pick 27 CB Nate Wiggins: Besides WR I would say the biggest need for Arizona would be CB. They signed Sean Murphy-Bunting in free agency, but they still need a lot of help. Nate Wiggins will help strengthen the Cardinals secondary. He played in 23 games at Clemson, had 25 pass deflections, and 3 interceptions. Wiggins is a freak athlete, but is undersized, weighing in at only 173 pounds.
Buffalo Bills Pick 28 WR Adonai Mitchell: The Bills need to address WR after trading superstar Stefon Diggs to the Texans. I would not be surprised if they moved up to take one of the top 4, but if they stick at 28, I think Adonai Mitchell is the pick. He had 93 receptions for 1,407 yards and 18 touchdowns in his 3 years at Texas. Some have Mitchell as high as WR 4, ahead of Brian Thomas Jr, but most slot him in as WR 5.
Detroit Lions Pick 29 DE Jared Verse: The Lions here go BPA here, and select the falling edge, Jared Verse. Verse would pair nicely with Aiden Hutchenson, creating a dynamic duo and a nightmare for opposing QB’s. Verse played 3 years at Florida State, totaling 27 sacks and 30 QB hits. Verse is a top 15 talent I think but with the draft being so talented on the offensive side of the ball that Verse falls outside of the top 20.
Baltimore Ravens Pick 30 OT Jordan Morgan: The Ravens have open positions at both RT and G. Morgan played LT in college at Arizona, but it’s believed that he may be a better G. Morgan started 37 games, giving up 8 sacks. I think he’s quick enough and his pass protection is good to be a starting T.
San Francisco 49ers Pick 31 DT Braden Friske: This may seem like a reach to some, but Friske is going to be a great NFL player. He had 18 sacks, 14 QB hits, and 77 hurries in his 3 year college career. His athleticism and speed is what stands out the most with him. He ran a 4.78 40 at the Combine and won player of the week at the senior bowl.
Kansas City Chiefs Pick 32 WR Xavier Worthy: The Chiefs added Hollywood Brown in free agency, but we think their offense could still use a boost. Worthy is the definition of a burner. He broke the 40 record at the combine, running a 4.21. In 3 years at Texas, he had 2,752 receiving yards on 196 receptions and 25 touchdowns. Worthy is at least an average pass catcher and a skilled, speedy route runner. Put that all together, and you have a nightmare created for opposing defenses.
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