The final countdown is on. Months of scouting, hundreds of mock drafts, and various big boards all leading up to the main event that will be the 2024 NFL Draft. It can be dangerous buying into all the rumors during the final week (hello, Will Levis), but it’s time to decipher what’s real and what’s smoke.
Here is my final mock draft for this class where I attempt to predict all 32 selections in Round 1.
1. Chicago Bears (Via Carolina Panthers)
Caleb Williams, QB, Bears
The equivalent of a “free space” in bingo, this one is a lock. Williams should be the favorite for offensive rookie of the year as he takes over what is expected to be an exciting offense.
2. Washington Commanders
Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU
It’s clear Daniels prefers other destinations, but I don’t think that will be enough to stop this from happening. The Commanders have recently started over everywhere from ownership, to the front office, to a new coaching staff, now they get what they hope is their quarterback of the future.
3. New England Patriots
Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina
There are rumblings New England would love to get more draft capital through a trade, but it’s obvious ownership wants a quarterback out of this draft. I think they play it safe and stay put, taking Drake Maye to sit and develop behind Jacoby Brissett.
4. Arizona Cardinals
Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State
The most likely trade scenario for the Cardinals would be a small flip to the Giants, which hold the No. 6 overall pick. Trading with New York would allow them to still get a high octane wide receiver (Harrison Jr. or Malik Nabers), but in this mock they just keep it simple and take who I think is the best player in this draft.
RELATED: Is Marvin Harrison Jr. the next A.J. Green?
5. Los Angeles Chargers
JC Latham, OL, Alabama
I don’t think there is a “consensus” No. 1 tackle across NFL front offices compared to how the media views Joe Alt. This makes Latham in play for the Chargers at No. 5, where he plugs in at right tackle and fits the mauling style Jim Harbaugh and Joe Hortiz crave.
6. New York Giants
Malik Nabers, WR, LSU
I’m completely buying that the Giants would make a move for Drake Maye, but the noise around J.J. McCarthy feels manufactured to me. Assuming they can’t go up and get Maye, Nabers is a massive boost to this offense and a long-term, explosive No. 1 wide receiver.
7. Tennessee Titans
Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame
The Titans will certainly take calls and I could see them trading back if an offer blows them away, but in this situation they solve a massive hole at left tackle with one of the best players in the draft.
8. Denver Broncos (via trade with Falcons)
J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan
The Broncos avoid paying an absurdly high cost of getting into a top five pick and still get what they believe can be their franchise quarterback of the future.
9. Chicago Bears
Rome Odunze, WR, Washington
There is late buzz on the Bears looking to add defense, but they already have a strong unit on that side of the ball. Loading up for the short and long term to aid the success of their new quarterback makes sense. Good luck stopping three wide receiver sets of Odunze, D.J. Moore and Keenan Allen.
10. New York Jets
Taliese Fuaga, OL, Oregon State
There are so many different directions the Jets could go here, including trading up for a playmaker, trading down and recouping a Day 2 selection or even drafting Georgia TE Brock Bowers. Yet, I’m buying in that they prioritize capitalizing on a great offensive line class. Fuaga would compete to be a day one starter as he is arguably the best run blocker in the draft.
11. Minnesota Vikings
Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington
The Vikings are consistently connected to Maye and McCarthy because they acquired an extra first-round pick, but I don’t believe they feel that they have to move up. It has surprised me how overlooked the fit of Penix Jr. in this offense is.
RELATED: Connor Rogers’ “If I were GM” Mock Draft
12. Atlanta Falcons (via trade with Broncos)
Dallas Turner, EDGE, Alabama
The Falcons get extra capital and still land the player of their choice on defense. Turner’s athleticism would allow Raheem Morris to use him in a lot of different ways.
13. Las Vegas Raiders
Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo
The Raiders are absolutely in on this quarterback class, but they probably need to move from this selection if they want one of the top five. Mitchell is an excellent cover corner with the desired play strength and speed for success.
14. New Orleans Saints
Olu Fashanu, OT, Penn State
From a position group perspective, the Saints are one of the easiest teams to figure out: they need a tackle. The real question is who makes it to No. 14 and which do they prefer? I see this debate coming down to Fashanu vs. Georgia’s Amarius Mims.
15. Indianapolis Colts
Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia
Bowers is one of the hardest players to predict in any mock draft because he is a top five-ish talent. There is so much buzz around him and the Jets that there’s a chance a team leapfrog’s them in fear of missing out. In this scenario, he goes to his floor spot in the Colts.
RELATED: Best landing spots for Brock Bowers debated
16. Seattle Seahawks
Troy Fautanu, OL, Washington
Fautanu can truly play any spot on the offensive line at a high level. The best part is that Seahawks offensive coordinator knows that because he coached Fautanu at Washington the last two years.
17. Jacksonville Jaguars
Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama
The Jaguars seem likely to take a cornerback, leaving many to wonder if another corner-needy team (like the Eagles) jumps over them. I think there’s good depth in this group and Arnold is a pretty easy fit with this secondary.
18. Cincinnati Bengals
Byron Murphy, DL, Texas
Murphy has a lowkey chance to be the first defensive player taken, but the run on offense pushes him to the Bengals here.
19. Los Angeles Rams
Brian Thomas Jr., WR, LSU
The Rams’ duo of Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp can carve teams up in the intermediate area of the field, now throw in a true alien deep threat in Brian Thomas Jr.
20. Pittsburgh Steelers
Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia
The Steelers have other needs at center and wide receiver, but it’s hard not to be confident they can address those quite well on Day 2. In this scenario they have their tackle duo for the long-term in the Georgia tandem of Mims and Broderick Jones. Every coach and scout I’ve talked to loves the makeup of Mims and what he will eventually develop into.
21. Miami Dolphins
Jared Verse, EDGE, Florida State
This has been a really popular landing spot for Duke offensive lineman Graham Barton, but the value of Verse outside of the top 20 is tremendous. With both Jaelen Phillips and Bradley Chubb coming off of significant season-ending injuries, there’s a clear fit here.
RELATED: Connor Rogers’ NFL Draft EDGE rankings
22. Philadelphia Eagles
Nate Wiggins, CB, Clemson
If the Eagles aren’t comfortable with the trio of Wiggins, Cooper DeJean and Kool-Aid McKinstry in this range, I think they will get aggressive for Quinyon Mitchell or Terrion Arnold. Wiggins needs to get stronger, but not a lot of corners have the movement skills he possesses to cover on an island.
23. Minnesota Vikings (via Houston Texas)
Jer’Zhan Newton, DL, Illinois
The Vikings walk out of the draft with a potential franchise quarterback and a player I think is one of the best defenders in the entire class. That’s an impressive haul considering they didn’t even need to move from either slot.
24. Dallas Cowboys
Tyler Guyton, OT, Oklahoma
The Cowboys are potentially in no man’s land for their need at tackle. Guyton has all of the traits of a starter, but he might need some time to develop (he was a one-year starter for Oklahoma at right tackle). For a win-now team, it’s a fascinating scenario.
25. Green Bay Packers
Cooper DeJean, CB, Iowa
DeJean can handle so many different roles in the secondary and has the athletic profile the Packers crave.
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Laiatu Latu, EDGE, UCLA
Without his medical past, Latu easily goes in the top 15 picks. He still has a shot to do that, but here he has a mini fall to a team that needs a pro-ready pass rush.
27. Arizona Cardinals
Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama
The Cardinals continue their high floor trend in Round 1 with McKinstry, a no doubt starter on the outside at corner. He doesn’t have the pure speed or ball skills of the top guys, but he’s highly competitive and sticky underneath.
28. Buffalo Bills
Xavier Legette, WR, South Carolina
This one might surprise some people, but Legette is getting legit Round 1 buzz. The Bills will most likely debate between him, Adonai Mitchell and possibly even Xavier Worthy. While Legette doesn’t have the speed and upside the other two possess, he plays a more consistent game.
RELATED: Connor Rogers’ NFL Draft Big Board: Top 301
29. Detroit Lions
Chop Robinson, EDGE, Penn State
Robinson is raw but his pure explosiveness to pin his ears back and fire off the ball could work in Detroit across from Aidan Hutchinson.
30. Baltimore Ravens
Graham Barton, OL, Duke
The Ravens lost both of their starting guards in free agency, but they always seem to have a plan on how to turn over talent in the trenches. Barton, like Fautanu, has position versatility and premium athleticism to plug right in.
31. San Francisco 49ers
Mike Sainristil, CB, Michigan
Another surprise pick! Sainristil’s ability to create takeaways and impact the game from the slot is highly coveted by NFL teams. With the offensive line run going in front of San Francisco in this scenario, the 49ers beef up their secondary instead.
32. Kansas City Chiefs
Adonai Mitchell, WR, Texas
Mitchell’s inconsistencies on tape can be frustrating, but if a team is going to unlock the best version of him it’s the Chiefs. At a minimum, he’s a dynamic red zone threat from day one.
