2024 NFL Mock Draft 2.0- Final Mock
The 2024 NFL Draft is less than 48 hours away! Earlier in the off-season I did my first mock draft before free agency to get a sense of where teams could focus their draft plans and since then things have become more clear. Even though we know what positions teams might target, I believe there is little to no certainty of what could happen this year with the exception of one thing, Caleb Williams will be the first overall pick by the Chicago Bears. After that, all bets are off and we could see a wild Thursday night. With thing being said, here is my final mock draft as we head into draft night:
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Put this selection in ink, Caleb Williams will be the new QB of the Chicago Bears. The USC star has been one of the best college QB prospects in the last few years and will look to bring some excitement and winning back to Chicago.
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Washington has done work on every QB not named Caleb Williams and they will land on LSU’s Jayden Daniels. The dual threat QB has a ton of experience in college and with a Heisman Trophy on his resume should be a fun selection for the Commanders.
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The Patriots are in a new era following the departure of future Hall of Fame HC Bill Belichick and no better way to start a rebuild than get a fresh QB in Drake Maye. The North Carolina passer has the prototypical size that teams look for in a signal caller and has as much upside as any QB in the class.
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Arizona is sticking with QB Kyler Murray so why not get him a top flight weapon in WR Marvin Harrison Jr. The Ohio State prospect is arguably the best WR prospect since Ja’Marr Chase and would be the top target with the Cardinals from the start.
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TRADE! Minnesota traded earlier this year for another first round pick and use it in a package to trade into the top 5 for QB JJ McCarthy. The Michigan prospect and national champion has been the hottest topic of late and is gaining steam as a sure-fire top 10 pick. The Vikings need a QB of the future behind Sam Darnold to develop and McCarthy seems to be that guy.
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The Giants could look in the QB market but if they strike out, getting Daniel Jones a weapon like Malik Nabers is a great option. The explosive playmaker is excellent after the catch and would be a huge upgrade in New York for HC Brian Daboll.
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There is no secret that the Titans are giving second year QB Will Levis his shot at being their franchise QB and get him a long term blocker in Joe Alt. The towering lineman is a force in the run game with tons of experience and should step in as the team’s week 1 LT.
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The Falcons invested heavily in free agency on their offense and shift to the defense in the draft for their pass rusher in Dallas Turner. The Alabama defender is only 21 years old with nothing but potential ahead of him and could be a fun addition for the future in Atlanta.
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Chicago got their QB with Caleb Williams and grab him another target in WR Rome Odunze. Not only have the duo connected this off-season, including taking the same flight to the draft, but Odunze would get to learn from star veteran Keenan Allen, forming one of the best WR trios the Bears have ever seen in their long history.
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The Jets need more firepower for QB Aaron Rodgers returning from injury and get him a versatile TE in Brock Bowers. Bowers can line up all over the field and give New York a tremendous duo with Bowers and WR Garrett Wilson.
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Los Angeles gained value draft capital and still made upgrades on their OL with J.C. Latham who is a massive RT from Alabama, will start right away, giving the Chargers and HC Jim Harbaugh a strong OT duo.
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The Broncos are in need of more pass rush and get a powerful defender in Jared Verse. The Florida State defender could’ve been a first rounder in last year’s draft but gained more experience by returning to college and will be a great addition to the Broncos defense.
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Las Vegas could use more nastiness on their OL, especially at RT, which brings a welcome addition of Oregon State’s Tailese Fuaga. Fuaga is a mauler of a lineman who should be someone HC Antonio Pierce loves and will bolster the OL for whoever is under center in 2024.
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In this scenario the Saints sprint to the podium and get great value in Penn State’s Olu Fashanu, who is widely regarded as the draft’s top pass blocking OT. With question marks at both OT spots in New Orleans with Trevor Penning’s development and Ryan Ramcyzk’s health, Fashanu would be a home run pick.
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The Colts have holes in their secondary and plug one of them with CB Quinyon Mitchell. The standout from Toledo put on a show at the Senior Bowl and has risen alot of draft boards to the point he is the top CB of the board in this final mock draft.
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Seattle could look to add on defense but they have big needs in the interior OL and get great value with Troy Fautanu. The Washington lineman has the makeup of an NFL OT with immense athleticism for his size but could slide in at OG if needed, giving the Seahawks a versatile chess piece on their OL for the future.
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The run on CBs continues with the Jaguars getting the best man coverage CB in the draft in Terrion Arnold. Jacksonville could add another weapon on offense but in this spot they opt to get a quality defender and someone to build in the secondary with CB Tyson Campbell.
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Cincinnati needs a game wrecker in the middle of their DL to stop the run and grab a massive lineman in Jer’Zhan “Johnny” Newton. The Big Ten lineman finished with 7.5 sacks in 2023 as an interior DL and has 4 years of playing experience which should give the Bengals a legit big 3 with Newton, Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard.
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The Rams could look to address their OL but cant pass up on the best pass rush technician in the draft in Laiatu Latu. The UCLA edge rusher is the draft at his position in the draft but with massive health concerns, the Rams cant accord to let him slip any longer and bank on his medicals working out in the long run.
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Pittsburgh upgraded at OT last year with Broderick Jones and this year upgrade their interior OL with Duke’s Graham Barton. Barton is a savant at playing OL and has the versatility to play all 5 positions which will be extremely appealing to the Steelers who continue to upgrade their OL for veteran QB Russell Wilson.
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The Byron Murphy III slide ends at 21 with the Miami Dolphins who will love this selection after losing Pro Bowl DL Christian Wilkins in free agency. Murphy has seen his name rise up draft boards in recent weeks and could even be a top 15 pick but in this scenario lands in South Beach.
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Philly is known for upgrading their DL in the draft but decide to focus on their secondary with CB Cooper DeJean. Darius Slay and James Bradberry are both over 30 years old and adding a sure tackler like DeJean could give the Eagles a great top 3 as they fight to return to the playoffs once more in 2024.
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The Chargers addressed their OL with J.C. Latham and get luck out by getting QB Justin Herbert, a bonafide playmaker in WR Brian Thomas Jr. The LSU prospect may be overshadowed by teammate Malik Nabers but that shouldn’t take away from the 6-3 Thomas Jr. who is a vertical deepthreat and will certainly be a welcome addition to their lackluster WR group.
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Dallas lost future Hall of Fame OT Tyron Smith in free agency and get a massive project in OT Amarius Mims. The mammoth lineman (6-8, 340 lbs.) has primarily played RT at Georgia but has the size and potential to play either spot for the Cowboys if needed. Owner Jerry Jones is known for making big moments and he certainly would here with the addition of Mims.
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The Packers saw great development from QB Jordan Love but could use more protection and enter OT Tyler Guyton. Guyton is a consistent pass blocker with potential to develop his run blocking skills and would add competition to the Packers OT group from the start.
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After the retirement of C Ryan Jensen the Buccaneers have been searching for a viable replacement and reach just a little for Jackson Powers-Johnson. Not often do we see C prospects being drafted in the first round but Powers-Johnson is well deserving of this rare accomplishment and has the experience to start his rookie season for Tampa Bay.
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HC Jonathan Gannon coached up one of the best pass rush groups in recent memory during his time in Philadelphia but since being hired in Arizona he hasnt had that freak on defense like he had in Philly. This is solved with the addition of Penn State edge rusher Chop Robinson. The 6-3 pass rusher is a specimen of an athlete who shined at the Combine and could remind Gannon of a former Eagle, Haason Reddick.
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The Bills made a big decision to trade star WR Stefon Diggs, opening up a big hole in their WR room. While they could look at Texas speedster Xavier Worthy, they decide to add some size with his teammate, Adonai “A.D” Mitchell. The once Georgia WR had a breakout season in 2023 with the Longhorns and has size that the Bills desperately lack especially with the departure of WR Gabe Davis.
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Detroit could use more pass rush opposite Aidan Hutchinson and could decide between two prospects, Western Michigan’s Marshawn Kneeland and Missouri’s Darius Robinson. In this scenario the Lions opt for size with Robinson who has great upside and could wind up being a steal in the back end of the first round.
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The Ravens lost OT Morgan Moses in free agency and find a potential long term replacement in Patrick Paul. The Houston lineman has as much experience as anyone in the draft (over 2,500 snaps) which bodes well for the Ravens if they need Paul to see the field early in 2024.
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San Francisco has maybe the best LT in the game in Trent Williams but outside of him, the 49ers have alot of question marks on their OL. It wouldn’t be surprising if they trade up to get more options at OT but instead stick at their pick and select athletic lineman Jordan Morgan from Arizona. The Pac-12 lineman had a good showing at the Senior Bowl and would have a decent chance at competing for a starting spot on the 49ers OL.
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Rounding out the first round is the Kansas City Chiefs who get another weapon for QB Patrick Mahomes in Georgia’s Ladd McConkey. The smooth route runner is one of the best at his position and with the impending suspension of Rashee Rice, the Chiefs could use more insurance in their WR room.