We are less than two weeks away from the 2024 NFL draft, which means it’s time for Big Tong’s mock 1.0. I absolutely love the NFL draft and all of the surprises that come with it. I only projected two trades in my mock, but keep in mind that there were six trades during the first round of the 2023 NFL draft and nine in the 2022 NFL draft.
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1. Chicago Bears
Pick: Caleb Williams, QB, USC
This has been an obvious choice for months now. Caleb has the highest ceiling of any passer in this class, with some scouts anointing him as the best quarterback prospect since Andrew Luck. Caleb won the Heisman Trophy in 2022 and threw for 10,082 yards, 93 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions during his three years in college, adding 966 yards and 27 touchdowns on the ground. His ability to make plays outside the pocket with different arm angles has many comparing him to Patrick Mahomes.
2. Washington Commanders
Pick: Jayden Daniels, QB LSU
Although I prefer Drake Maye as a prospect, I think new offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury will prefer the rushing upside of Daniels. Daniels is the reigning Heisman Trophy winner after putting up insane stats in his final year of LSU, throwing for 3,812 yards with 40 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. Add in his 1,134 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground and it is clear why he won the most prestigious award in college football. Daniels has the best deep ball in the class and has five seasons of college football under his belt. Many scouts are concerned with his frame given that Daniels takes a lot of hits when he is scrambling, so he will need to learn to protect himself more in the NFL. Others are concerned how he will perform without two elite WRs in Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr.
3. New England Patriots
Pick: Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina
I have been watching a lot of Drake Maye clips, and damn this kid has arm talent. He has a very strong arm and hits his receivers in tight windows all over the field, proving that he can make NFL-caliber throws. He is a raw prospect who statistically regressed in 2023, but that was mainly due to the lack of talent on the UNC roster. He is simply too good of a talent for the Patriots to pass up here, especially after the failed Mac Jones experiment. It is a new era of Patriots football and they need a new face of the franchise at the most important position in all of sports. Although there are holes all over the offensive side of the ball, quarterback has to be the pick. If the rookie isn’t ready, Jacoby Brissett can be the bridge.
4. Arizona Cardinals
Pick: Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State
This is a popular trade up spot for a quarterback, but I think the Cardinals are dialed in on taking Marv. Rumors are that Arizona wants three 1st round picks to move out of this spot – is Minnesota willing to give up picks 11, 23, and a 2025 1st for McCarthy? Perhaps, but ultimately I think Arizona stays put and selects one of the top WR prospects in recent memory. Marv is a two-time consensus All-American and won both the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and Biletnikoff Awards in 2023. Wide receiver is a glaring need for Arizona after the departures of Hollywood Brown and Rondale Moore, and I’m sure Kyler Murray would be ecstatic with this pick.
5. TRADE: Minnesota Vikings
Pick: JJ McCarthy, QB, Michigan
Minnesota sends picks 11 and 23 to the Chargers to jump the Giants and select McCarthy. After the departure of Kirk Cousins, the Vikings need a quarterback to lead an offense that is loaded with talent. Jefferson, Addison, Hockenson, and Aaron Jones make up a phenomenal arsenal of weapons, while the offensive line has two stud tackles in Darrisaw and O’Neil. This is a great landing spot for McCarthy. For the Chargers, they have a lot of holes to fill with an expensive roster, so I think Harbaugh would be thrilled to move down to add a tackle and wide receiver later in the first round.
6. New York Giants
Pick: Malik Nabers, WR, LSU
There is a lot of talk that the Giants want to move up and get a quarterback (Giants beat reporters seem to believe Maye is their guy), and even though Giants owner John Mara gave his stamp of approval, I don’t see any of the top three teams in this draft trading back. Good news for the Giants is that Malik Nabers falls into their lap in this scenario, who some draft experts and scouts have ranked as the top wide receiver in the class. Nabers is an absolute burner who is elite after the catch. He ran a 4.35 40-yard dash at the combine, confirming his speed that was clear as day on tape. He had 1,569 yards and 14 touchdowns in 13 games last year at LSU, which was his junior season. The Giants would be wise to add a legitimate number one wideout to this offense, which has been a gaping hole since former LSU wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was traded to Cleveland back in 2019.
7. Tennessee Titans
Pick: Joe Alt, T, Notre Dame
This pick just makes way too much sense. The Titans had terrible offensive line play last season, and if Levis is going to develop into a reliable starter, he will need more time to throw and progress through his reads. Pairing Alt, who is a great athlete and stands at 6 ‘8”, with 2023 first round pick Peter Skoronski on the left side of the offensive line would be huge for the Titans. Alt only gave up one sack, two quarterback hits, and two quarterback hurries in 368 pass-blocking reps last season.
8. Atlanta Falcons
Pick: Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo
This was such a tough pick for me given that Atlanta has needed pass rushing help for years now, so Dallas Turner was very intriguing. Ultimately, I went with Mitchell to pair with A.J. Terrell to form a great young cornerback tandem. Mitchell has shot up draft boards after a lockdown performance at the Senior Bowl, winning PFN’s Defensive Player of the Week award. He has 4.3 speed and amassed six interceptions and 45 pass breakups in three years as a full-time starter.
9. Chicago Bears
Pick: Rome Odunze, WR, Washington
Slotting Odunze in next to DJ Moore and Keenan Allen would form the best wide receiver trio in the NFL. All three receivers would be big, physical, and display phenomenal route running ability. Allen seems more like a rental for me given his age and contract, but giving Caleb Williams this trio with a solid offensive line and Swift in the backfield would be the strongest supporting cast for a #1 overall pick quarterback in NFL history. That is how you set your young quarterback up for success. Taking a pass rusher to pair with Montez Sweat was tempting, but Odunze is too good to pass up here. Odunze racked in 1,640 yards and 13 touchdowns last year for the Huskies.
10. New York Jets
Pick: Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia
The Jets are in win-now mode with Aaron Rodgers, adding veterans Mike Williams, Tyron Smith, and Morgan Moses to fill holes at wide receiver and both tackle spots. The best player on the board here is Bowers, who is one of the best tight end prospects to enter the draft in recent memory. Although tight end is not a premium position, he gives the Jest the biggest boost to win next year and he has the pedigree to be an elite player in this league for a decade. Selecting a non-premium position player in the top ten is always risky, but Bowers is a blue chip prospect that could help this offense become a top five unit in the league next year.
11. TRADE: Los Angeles Chargers
Pick: Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State
Jim Harbuagh wants to win in the trenches. Everyone knows this. By trading back six slots, he can grab the best run-blocking tackle in the class. Fuaga is a mauler and an elite athlete for the position. In 700 snaps last season, Fuaga gave up 12 quarterback hurries, 2 quarterback hits, and no sacks. Pairing him with Rashan Slater to protect franchise quarterback Justin Herbert would be a great way to start the Jim Harbaugh era.
12. Denver Broncos
Pick: Dallas Turner, EDGE, Alabama
I know there is a lot of talk of the Broncos taking a quarterback here, and I get it with Jarrett Stidham slotted in atop the depth chart right now, but I just don’t think Michael Penix or Bo Nix are worth the pick here. What makes this even more difficult to project is that Denver’s next pick after this isn’t until 76th overall, so it will be difficult for them to move up to take a quarterback. I decided to select Turner here to add some juice to the defensive front, which is a huge need for Denver. Turner was a beast at Alabama, stepping in for Will Anderson Jr. this past year and totaling ten sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss.
13. Las Vegas Raiders
Pick: JC Latham, OT, Alabama
The Raiders are another team that could use an upgrade at quarterback, but there are a lot of other holes on this roster, particularly along the offensive line. Latham was a stud at Alabama. In 29 games, he allowed 28 pressures and only two sacks. The Raiders need to replace Jermaine Eluemunor, who signed with the Giants in free agency. Latham would be a great building block to help protect the future franchise quarterback in Las Vegas.
14. New Orleans Saints
Pick: Olumuyiaw Fashanu, OT, Penn State
The Saints desperately need an upgrade at left tackle, with former first rounder Trevor Penning failing to live up to his draft status. Fashanu is an elite pass protector, allowing zero sacks in 365 pass blocking snaps last season, winning the Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year Award in the process. Fashanu may have the highest ceiling of any tackle prospect in this class. Derek Carr would be pumped with this pick.
15. Indianapolis Colts
Pick: Xavier Worthy, WR, Texas
I absolutely love this spot for Worthy. There are rumors that the Colts want to add more speed to the offense to aid the development of Anthony Richardson, and who better than the dude that broke the 40-yard dash record with a 4.21. The Colts were wise to lock up Michael Pittman Jr. with an extension and I am a big fan of Josh Downs in the slot. Worthy is the missing element to this passing attack, and Anthony Richardson sure as hell has the arm to find him downfield. People underestimate how good of a route runner Worthy is as well.
16. Seattle Seahawks
Pick: Jared Verse, EDGE, Florida State
This is a sneaky quarterback spot for me, as I am not a Geno Smith believer at all. The Seahawks’ ceiling with Geno at the helm is the divisional round in my opinion. However, I think they add to the defensive front here with Verse, who was getting buzz last year as a potential top ten pick before deciding to return to Tallahassee. Verse logged nine sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss last season after recording nine sacks and 17 tackles for loss in 2022.
17. Jacksonville Jaguars
Pick: Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama
The Jags have a hole at corner opposite Tyson Campbell after the departure of Darious Williams, so Arnold would be a welcomed addition in a division that has some potential high powered offenses in Houston and Indi. Arnold is a great athlete and still only 21 years old. He had five interceptions and 12 passes defended last season for the Crimson Tide.
18. Cincinnati Bengals
Pick: Brian Thomas Jr., WR, LSU
Tee Higgins has requested a trade, and although he said last week he anticipates playing the 2024 season in Cincinnati, the Bengals may look to find a cheaper replacement (watch out for Tee Higgins being moved on draft night). Enter Thomas, who led the country with 17 touchdowns last season on 1,177 receiving yards. He is built like AJ Brown and ran a 4.34 40-yard dash at the combine. Fellow Tigers Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase would be stoked.
19. Los Angeles Rams
Pick: Laiatu Latu, EDGE, UCLA
I love this fit. The Rams need more juice up front after the retirement of Aaron Donald, and Latu is the most polished pass rusher in this class according to several draft pundits. The red flags with Latu are his medical history and age (he will be a 24-year-old rookie), but he was phenomenal for the Bruins last year, totaling 13 sacks and 21.5 tackles for loss. Latu stays in LA.
20. Pittsburgh Steelers
Pick: Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia
The Steelers need to get back to being the Steelers and fix this offensive line. I am a fan of Broderick Jones at left tackle, so let’s add his former Georgia teammate in Mims to play the right side. Mims is a monster at 6’7”, 340 pounds, and although he only started one season for the Bulldogs, he was a mauler in the run game and elite in pass protection. He did suffer several nagging injuries last year, which is never a good sign for an offensive lineman his size, but the talent is there. Neither Russell Wilson nor Justin Fields will succeed in this offense if the protection isn’t upgraded.
21. Miami Dolphins
Pick: Nate Wiggins, CB, Clemson
We all know Miami loves speed. Wiggins is speed. He ran an absurd 4.29 at the combine, and his tape shows that run was no fluke. Wiggins had three interceptions over the last two seasons, returning two of them for touchdowns, while also adding 19 passes defended over that timeframe. Miami needs to replace Xavien Howard opposite of Jalen Ramsey, and Wiggins has elite cornerback traits. His biggest question mark is his willingness to be physical and lower his shoulder to make a tackle. The training camp videos of Wiggins running step for step with Tyreek Hill would be fun to see.
22. Philadelphia Eagles
Pick: Cooper DeJean, DB, Iowa
The Eagles are loaded, but the secondary is still the weakness of this team. Philly ranked 31st in the league in passing defense last year, which should never happen with the talent along the defensive line. Both Darius Slay and James Bradberry are getting older, and although the Eagles took Kelee Ringo in the 4th round in 2023, added Eli Ricks as an undrafted free agent in 2023, and brought back Chauncey Gardner-Johnson after a year in Detroit this past offseason, they still need more competition in the secondary. DeJean is an elite athlete who ran a 4.46 at his pro day. He had seven interceptions, returning three for touchdowns, with 13 passes defended over the last two seasons for the Hawkeyes.
23. TRADE: Los Angeles Chargers
Pick: Adonai Mitchell, WR, Texas
If I were a Chargers fan, I would be pumped with this haul. Instead of staying put at five and taking Nabers, Odunze, or Alt, they move back and add a mauler in Fuaga and an extremely talented WR in Mitchell to plug two holes in the offense. Mitchell is another freak athlete with 4.34 speed standing at 6’2”. He played his first two seasons at Georgia before transferring to Texas last season, where he had 845 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. Mitchell could be the top wide receiver on the Chargers’ depth chart by September.
24. Dallas Cowboys
Pick: Troy Fautanu, OT, Washington
The Cowboys need to replace Tyron Smith at left tackle, and I would prefer to leave Tyler Smith at guard given how good he has been there. Fautanu is an experienced tackle who will be 24 by the time the season starts, but he was a brick wall for the Huskies last season. In 623 pass blocking snaps for one of the most pass-heavy teams in college football, he allowed only two sacks and 23 pressures.
25. TRADE: Las Vegas Raiders
Pick: Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington
The Raiders give up picks 44, 77, and 148 to move up and select the gunslinger from Washington. The Packers roster is in a great spot and I had difficulty finding a fit for them, so I decided to move back to add depth across the offensive line and secondary on day two. Aidan O’Connell is not a starting caliber quarterback in the NFL and Gardner Minshew is a bridge player for this season. Penix would be an exciting addition in Vegas with his arm talent and ability to push the ball downfield to Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers. The medical red flags are a real concern, and I have my worries about Penix throwing under pressure at the next level, but hopefully the addition of JC Latham at pick 13 will aid in the development of Penix. Penix finished 2nd in Heisman voting last year after throwing for 4,903 yards and 36 touchdowns.
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Pick: Chop Robinson, EDGE, Penn State
I love this fit for the ultra-athletic Robinson. The Bucs desperately need help at pass rusher after parting ways with Shaq Barrett. Pairing Chop with Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey would create an awesome defensive line. Robinson didn’t really stuff the stat sheet as a Nittany Lion, logging only 9.5 sacks and 17.5 tackles for loss in 22 games, but he has all the physical tools. Robinson ran a 4.48 40-yard dash at the combine.
27. Arizona Cardinals
Pick: Byron Murphy II, DT, Texas
The Cardinals have the worst defensive front in football and desperately need to add talent there if they are going to compete in the NFC West. Murphy won Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the year in 2023, totaling five sacks and eight tackles for loss in 2023. His impact is felt way more than the box score indicates, as he has the tools to become an elite player along the interior of the Cardinals defensive front.
28. Buffalo Bills
Pick: Ladd McConkey, WR, Georgia
The Bills desperately need a wide receiver in this draft after trading Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans. A depth chart of Khalil Shakir, Curtis Samuel, and Mack Hollins is not good enough to compete in the AFC. McConkey never put up gaudy stats at Georgia, but he is a route technician who has really good quickness and burst. McConkey doesn’t have many flaws in his game and he could be a guy that could give Josh Allen between five and seven catches per game as a rookie.
29. Detroit Lions
Pick: Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama
I was tempted to add another weapon to this offense and go wide receiver here, but the Lions desperately need help on the back end of their defense. Let’s go back to the well here for Detroit, selecting an Alabama defensive back for the second year in a row after an encouraging rookie season from Brian Branch. McKinstry started multiple seasons for the Crimson Tide and has great length. An added bonus is that he is a phenomenal punt returner.
30. Baltimore Ravens
Pick: Graham Barton, OL, Duke
Barton will definitely be drafted in the first round, and this just seems like a great fit with the Ravens needing to replace both Kevin Zeitler and Morgan Moses along the offensive line. Barton started at center as a 17-year-old freshman at Duke before playing guard and tackle in his time as a Blue Devil. Versatility is so valuable in the league and Barton’s ability to play all five positions may give him the nod over other quality tackle prospects.
31. San Francisco 49ers
Pick: Tyler Guyton, T, Oklahoma
The right side of the Niners offensive line was exposed in the playoffs last year, so they added veteran Jake Brendel to play center in the offseason and will kick Jon Feliciano over to right guard, who had a great season a year ago. There is still a gaping hole at right tackle as Colton McKivitz has not developed into a quality player. Enter the mammoth of a man Tyler Guyton, who stands at 6’7” and 320 pounds. Guyton is very strong in pass protection due to his great length and size, but has only started one season at right tackle.
32. Kansas City Chiefs
Pick: Keon Coleman, WR, Florida State
The Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl last year despite leading the league in drops. Rashee Rice had a very good rookie year but now finds himself in legal trouble. Skyy Moore has looked decent at best, while Kadarius Toney has worn out his welcome in Kansas City already. I love the addition of Hollywood Brown, so let’s pair his skillset with that of Keon Coleman. Coleman, a former basketball player at Michigan State, stands at 6’3”, 213 pounds and has elite athleticism. He has fallen down draft boards after a 4.6 40-yard dash time at the combine, but he clocked the fastest speed during position drills, so I am not that worried. Coleman has also shown elite short area quickness for a man his size and even returned punts for the Seminoles.
1 Comment
Great read!