The NFL Draft begins on Thursday, April 25, and there will be plenty of speculation leading up to draft night. The Chicago Bears own the top pick once again after last year’s trade with the Carolina Panthers. After moving on from Justin Fields, it is set in stone that the Bears will select Caleb Williams with the No. 1 pick.
There will be plenty more to debate leading up to draft night. Who will be the second quarterback off the board? What team lands Marvin Harrison Jr.? We will be incorporating trades in this mock, as it’s no secret the Minnesota Vikings have the ammunition to move up and take a quarterback.
Here is the third of several mock drafts, with some analysis to follow.
No. 1: Chicago Bears (7-10) — via Carolina Panthers (2-15)
Team Needs: QB, CB, WR, DT
Selection: Caleb Williams, QB, USC
No. 2: Washington Commanders (4-13)
Team Needs: QB, OL, EDGE, LB
Selection: Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU
No. 3: New England Patriots (4-13)
Team Needs: QB, EDGE, WR, OT
Selection: Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina
No. 4: Arizona Cardinals (4-13)
Team Needs: WR, DL, CB, OL
Selection: Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State
No. 5: Minnesota Vikings (7-10), projected trade with Los Angeles Chargers (5-12)
Team Needs: QB, RB, IOL, CB
Selection: J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan
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: EDGE, CB, WR
Selection: Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo
No. 9: Chicago Bears (7-10)
Team Needs: QB, CB, WR, DT
Selection: Rome Odunze, WR, Washington
No. 10: New York Jets (7-10)
Team Needs: OT, DL, WR, LB
Selection: Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia
No. 11: Los Angeles Chargers (5-12), projected trade with Minnesota Vikings (7-10)
Team Needs: CB, RB, WR, DL
Selection: Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State
No. 12: Denver Broncos (8-9)
Team Needs: QB, EDGE, WR, IOL
Selection: Laiatu Latu, EDGE, UCLA
No. 13: Las Vegas Raiders (8-9)
Team Needs: QB, DB, IOL, LB
Selection: Bo Nix, QB, Oregon
No. 14: New Orleans Saints (9-8)
Team Needs: DL, OT, QB, TE
Selection: Olumuyiwa Fashanu, OT, Penn State
No. 15: Indianapolis Colts (9-8)
Team Needs: DL, CB, OL, WR
Selection: Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama
No. 16: Seattle Seahawks (9-8)
Team Needs: EDGE, IOL, LB, QB
Selection: Troy Fautanu, OL, Washington
No. 17: Jacksonville Jaguars (9-8)
Team Needs: IOL, CB, EDGE, S
Selection: Cooper DeJean, CB, Iowa
No. 18: Cincinnati Bengals (9-8)
Team Needs: OT, DL, TE, S
Selection: JC Latham, OT, Alabama
No. 19: Los Angeles Rams (10-7)
Team Needs: OL, EDGE, CB, DL
Selection: Dallas Turner, EDGE, Alabama
No. 20: Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)
Team Needs: IOL, LB, CB, QB
Selection: Graham Barton, OL, Duke
No. 21: Miami Dolphins (11-6)
Team Needs: OL, TE, DL, LB
Selection: Jackson Powers-Johnson, C, Oregon
No. 22: Philadelphia Eagles (11-6)
Team Needs: CB, LB, S, WR
Selection: Nate Wiggins, CB, Clemson
No. 23: Los Angeles Chargers (5-12), projected trade with Minnesota Vikings (7-10)
Team Needs: CB, RB, WR, DL
Selection: Adonai Mitchell, WR, Texas
No. 24: Dallas Cowboys (12-5)
Team Needs: RB, WR, DL, LB
Selection: Brian Thomas Jr., WR, LSU
No. 25: Green Bay Packers (9-8)
Team Needs: OT, S, DL, RB
Selection: Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia
No. 26: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-8)
Team Needs: OL, TE, CB, EDGE
Selection: Chop Robinson, EDGE, Penn State
No. 27: Arizona Cardinals — via Houston Texans (10-7)
Team Needs: WR, DL, CB, OL
Selection: Byron Murphy, DL, Texas
No. 28: Buffalo Bills (11-6)
Team Needs: DB, WR, LB
Selection: Xavier Worthy, WR, Texas
No. 29: New York Giants (6-11), projected trade with Detroit Lions (12-5)
Team Needs: QB, WR, LB, CB
Selection: Michael Penix, QB, Washington
No. 30: Baltimore Ravens (13-4)
Team Needs: OL, CB, WR, DL
Selection: Tyler Guyton, OT, Oklahoma
No. 31: San Francisco 49ers (12-5)
Team Needs: CB, IOL
Selection: Jordan Morgan, OL, Arizona
No. 32: Kansas City Chiefs (11-6)
Team Needs: WR, DL, OL
Selection: Jer’Zhan Newton, DL, Illinois
Notes:
It seems all but certain that the top three picks will be quarterbacks, but the fun starts at No. 4 with the Cardinals. They could take the best player available in Marvin Harrison Jr. and fill a huge need. There are also two scenarios I can see involving the Cardinals and Vikings: Arizona trades back for two-first round picks from Minnesota, or the Cardinals trade Kyler Murray to the Vikings and take J.J. McCarthy with their top choice. In this mock, Arizona holds steady and it’s the Chargers who make the deal with Minnesota.
Offensive players make up the first seven picks and 24 of my top 32 picks. Offensive line is extremely deep this year, accounting for 10 choices in the first round. I’m projecting six quarterbacks to be selected in the first round.
The Ravens are certainly looking for offensive line help this draft and land Oklahoma’s Tyler Guyton at No. 30. He would become an instant starter at right tackle after the trade of Morgan Moses.
Biggest Reach: Michael Penix Jr. to Giants
The top three choices make sense in the first round, but I don’t think J.J. McCarthy, Bo Nix and Penix are first-round talents. Nix and Penix have third-round grades in my eyes, but desperate teams will make the move to acquire them. The Giants give up draft capital to move back into the first round in this mock, which I have down as the biggest reach.
Best Bargain: Dallas Turner to Rams
Many have the Falcons as the ideal landing spot for Turner, but I have cornerbacks Quinton Mitchell and Terrion Arnold ranked higher. Turner would give the Rams a jolt along a defensive line that is now without future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald.
Ideal Fit: Marvin Harrison Jr. to Cardinals
The pairing makes too much sense. Arizona allowed Marquise Brown to walk this offseason knowing it was in prime position to land Harrison. Harrison instantly becomes the No. 1 receiver for Kyler Murray. A repeat of Justin Jefferson’s historic rookie season is a possibility with this duo.
Photo Credit: Jon Baker/OU Athletics