The Michigan Wolverines have won the College Football Playoff national championship, signaling an end to the college football season and shifting the focus of the nation’s elite prospects to the 2024 NFL Draft.
The NFL Draft is scheduled to begin on April 25 and there will be plenty of discussion leading up to draft night. The Chicago Bears own the top pick once again after last year’s trade with the Carolina Panthers. Will they take a quarterback with the top pick this time or trade back again and continue to build around Justin Fields? The Bears’ decision will shake up how the draft plays out.
There will be plenty more to debate leading up to draft night. Which quarterback will be the first off the board? If the Bears do trade back, who moves up? What team lands Marvin Harrison Jr.? We will not be incorporating trades in these mocks. Free agency is sure to change team needs, but we are going to assume that Fields is gone in this mock draft.
The first 18 picks have been set, while the remaining 14 will be decided in the playoffs. For the sake of this piece, we will use each team’s regular season record to determine the remaining draft order. That makes the Baltimore Ravens the last pick of the first round as the team with the best record.
Here is the first of many mock drafts with some analysis to follow.
No. 1: Chicago Bears — via Carolina Panthers (2-15)
Team Needs: QB, CB, IOL, DT
Selection: Caleb Williams, QB, USC
No. 2: Washington Commanders (4-13)
Team Needs: QB, OL, EDGE, LB
Selection: Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina
No. 3: New England Patriots (4-13)
Team Needs: QB, EDGE, WR, OT
Selection: Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU
No. 4: Arizona Cardinals (4-13)
Team Needs: WR, DL, CB, OL
Selection: Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State
No. 5: Los Angeles Chargers (5-12)
Team Needs: CB, RB, TE, DL
Selection: Olumuyiwa Fashanu, OT, Penn State
No. 6: New York Giants (6-11)
Team Needs: QB, WR, LB, CB
Selection: Malik Nabers, WR, LSU
No. 7: Tennessee Titans (6-11)
Team Needs: OL, WR, CB, S
Selection: Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame
No. 8: Atlanta Falcons (7-10)
Team Needs: QB, EDGE, CB, WR
Selection: Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington
No. 9: Chicago Bears (7-10)
Team Needs: QB, CB, IOL, DT
Selection: Dallas Turner, EDGE, Alabama
No. 10: New York Jets (7-10)
Team Needs: OT, DL, WR, LB
Selection: JC Latham, OT, Alabama
No. 11: Minnesota Vikings (7-10)
Team Needs: QB, RB, IOL, CB
Selection: Bo Nix, QB, Oregon
No. 12: Denver Broncos (8-9)
Team Needs: QB, EDGE, WR, IOL
Selection: Jared Verse, EDGE, Florida State
No. 13: Las Vegas Raiders (8-9)
Team Needs: QB, DB, IOL, LB
Selection: Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama
No. 14: New Orleans Saints (9-8)
Team Needs: DL, OT, QB, TE
Selection: Jer’Zhan Newton, DT, Illinois
No. 15: Indianapolis Colts (9-8)
Team Needs: DL, CB, OL, WR
Selection: Rome Odunze, WR, Washington
No. 16: Seattle Seahawks (9-8)
Team Needs: EDGE, IOL, LB, QB
Selection: Laiatu Latu, EDGE, UCLA
No. 17: Jacksonville Jaguars (9-8)
Team Needs: IOL, CB, EDGE, S
Selection: Nate Wiggins, CB, Clemson
No. 18: Cincinnati Bengals (9-8)
Team Needs: OT, DL, TE, S
Selection: Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia
No. 19: Green Bay Packers (9-8)
Team Needs: OT, S, DL, RB
Selection: Cooper DeJean, DB, Iowa
No. 20: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-8)
Team Needs: OL, TE, CB, EDGE
Selection: Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia
No. 21: Arizona Cardinals — via Houston Texans (10-7)
Team Needs: WR, DL, CB, OL
Selection: Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama
No. 22: Los Angeles Rams (10-7)
Team Needs: OL, EDGE, CB, QB
Selection: Chop Robinson, EDGE, Penn State
No. 23: Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)
Team Needs: IOL, LB, CB, QB
Selection: Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo
No. 24: Miami Dolphins (11-6)
Team Needs: OL, TE, DL, LB
Selection: Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State
No. 25: Philadelphia Eagles (11-6)
Team Needs: CB, LB, S, WR
Selection: Kamari Lassiter, CB, Georgia
No. 26: Kansas City Chiefs (11-6)
Team Needs: WR, DL, OL
Selection: Keon Coleman, WR, Florida State
No. 27: Houston Texans – via Cleveland Browns (11-6)
Team Needs: LB, DL, TE, RB
Selection: Leonard Taylor, DT, Miami
No. 28: Detroit Lions (12-5)
Team Needs: CB, IOL, DL
Selection: Kalen King, CB, Penn State
No. 29: Buffalo Bills (11-6)
Team Needs: DB, WR, LB
Selection: Adonai Mitchell, WR, Texas
No. 30: Dallas Cowboys (12-5)
Team Needs: RB, DL, LB
Selection: Denzel Burke, CB, Ohio State
No. 31: San Francisco 49ers (12-5)
Team Needs: CB, IOL
Selection: Graham Barton, OL, Duke
No. 32: Baltimore Ravens (13-4)
Team Needs: CB, WR, DL, IOL
Selection: Ennis Rakestraw Jr., CB, Missouri
Notes:
We should see quarterbacks go with the first two picks again this season, regardless of who ultimately ends up at the top of the draft. The question marks start with the third pick, as the Patriots are in dire need of a quarterback.
While I have the Bears taking the top pick in this mock, I think the Patriots are the most likely team that moves up to No. 1 to land Caleb Williams. That would give Chicago additional draft capital and the opportunity to select Marvin Harrison Jr. to build around Fields. It all comes down to what Chicago’s final decision is with the current quarterback.
This is a deep class at cornerback and offensive line, two of the biggest needs for the Ravens this offseason. They’ll have plenty of options to choose from at No. 32, but don’t be surprised if Baltimore is looking for trade partners. Teams covet that fifth-year option for quarterbacks and some team could trade up into the first round to land Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy. Any of the teams from picks 24-32 are realistic trade options for any team looking to add McCarthy.
Biggest Reach: Michael Penix Jr. to Falcons
In a perfect world, Atlanta holds steady and Jayden Daniels falls into their lap at No. 8. But even if the Patriots do trade up for Williams or Drake Maye, Daniels could still land with the Giants. The Falcons need to find an answer at quarterback with so much young talent on offense, but Penix should be a mid-to-late first-round pick instead of a top-10 choice. I believe Atlanta should be in the market for a veteran like Kirk Cousins or be the team to pony up the draft capital to acquire Fields.
Best Bargain: Brock Bowers to Bengals
Bowers is all over the place in mock drafts, ranging from a top-five to top-20 pick. It wouldn’t shock anyone if he’s drafted higher than No. 18, but the Bengals are likely to lose Tee Higgins to free agency this offseason so Joe Burrow will need another reliable pass catcher.
Ideal Fit: Marvin Harrison Jr. to Cardinals
Arizona will be rooting for the first three picks to be quarterbacks and land arguably the best player in this class. Former Ravens wide receiver Marquise Brown is a free agent this offseason, and even if the Cardinals do bring him back, pairing Brown with Harrison gives Kyler Murray more weapons.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Mizzou Athletics