As we get closer and closer to the 2024 NFL Draft, there are more moves in free agency that you have to take into account. There are a couple of trades here and a few players are being released there. There is so much to unpack but I’m still here to give you my latest thoughts on where the top prospects will land in this updated mock draft:
- Chicago Bears – Caleb Williams – QB – USC
The trade that went down on Saturday with Justin Fields being sent to Pittsburgh for a bag of potato chips has made this selection as close to a guarantee as possible. - Washington Commanders – Jayden Daniels – QB – LSU
All signs and reports point to the Commanders drafting Daniels with the second overall pick since Williams will get taken first. Washington also needs to take a quarterback as Marcus Mariota is their current starter. - Minnesota Vikings – Drake Maye – QB – North Carolina
The Vikings loaded ammo on Friday when they traded with the Texans for the 23rd overall pick. They could pair that pick with the number 11 selection to trade up to number three to take someone like Maye. - Arizona Cardinals – Marvin Harrison Jr. – WR – Ohio St.
The Cardinals have moved on from multiple receivers over the last few days. That gives them the perfect opportunity to take the number one wide receiver prospect with the first of their two first-round picks. - Los Angeles Chargers – Malik Nabers – WR – LSU
After some thought, there is for sure a world in which Jim Harbaugh skips out on the top offensive lineman in the draft and decides to take Nabers, who is regarded as the second-best receiver in the draft. - New York Giants – Rome Odunze – WR – Washington
Even though Harrison Jr and Nabers are off the board, it’s not preposterous to think the Giants would take the next best pass catcher on the board. - Tennessee Titans – Joe Alt – OT – Notre Dame
Slight change with this one. I think Tennessee will still take a lineman, but with them releasing Dillon Radunz, that opens the door for them to take the top tackle in the class if he’s available. - Atlanta Falcons – Dallas Turner – ED – Alabama
No real need to change this pick. Atlanta still could use some help and youth on the edge. - Chicago Bears – Byron Murphy II – IDL – Texas
Keenan Allen and DJ Moore at receiver with Cole Kmet at tight end are great weapons for Caleb Williams to work with. Now you can work on the interior of the defensive line. - New York Jets – Brock Bowers – TE – Georgia
This isn’t where I would normally go with these picks for the Jets. The fact that they keep addressing their big needs keeps throwing me off so now I have them taking one of the best prospects at 10. - New England Patriots – Bo Nix – QB – Oregon
BOOM! Out of nowhere comes Bo Nix and it’s very fair with how he played at Oregon in 2023. New England has to go quarterback early in the draft. - Denver Broncos – J.J. McCarthy – QB – Michigan
Denver still needs to go QB here. They should still sign a veteran but either way, you can’t go into week one with the quarterback room they currently have. - Las Vegas Raiders – Michael Penix Jr. – QB – Washington
Six quarterbacks taken in the top 12 may sound crazy and I agree. However, it’s not that these players will get taken at this exact spot, but I think these teams will likely select this position with their early selections. - New Orleans Saints – Taliese Fuaga – OT – Oregon St.
I switched it up a little for this Saints selection. I’m still going with an offensive tackle but this time Taliese Fuaga. He’s more built to be a tackle in the NFL and Fautanu is. - Indianapolis Colts – Quinyon Mitchell – CB – Toledo
No more Bowers for Indy but that’s okay. This gives them a chance to take one of the top corners in the draft. - Seattle Seahawks – Laiatu Latu – ED – UCLA
Latu would give the Seahawks some much-needed pass-rushing ability and affect NFC West QBs like Brock Purdy and Kyler Murray. - Jacksonville Jaguars – Terrion Arnold – CB – Alabama
The Jags could use another player in the secondary. Arnold could use a little work but he’d likely start for this team by the time the regular season rolls around. - Cincinnati Bengals – Nate Wiggins – CB – Clemson
Same thing with Cincinnati and Wiggins. The Bengals are looking a little thin at corner and getting one of the better ones for cheap could help. - Los Angeles Rams – Jared Verse – ED – Florida St.
I would’ve gone defensive tackle here with Aaron Donald retiring but Verse has taken enough of a fall in this mock. - Pittsburgh Steelers – Olumuyiwa Fashanu – OT – Penn St.
Pittsburgh tends to take offensive players early on in drafts and here is a perfect opportunity to do so and beef up the offense line. - Miami Dolphins – Brian Thomas Jr. – WR – LSU
Thomas is a big-time field stretcher who does much of what Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle already do but in a bigger body. - Philadelphia Eagles – Chris Braswell – ED – Alabama
Even though Fletcher Cox is retired, the Eagles already drafted his replacements in Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis. Now you can plan for Brandon Graham’s retirement. - New England Patriots – Adonai Mitchell – WR – Texas
In this hypothetical, New England already got their new quarterback. Now get him one of the best receivers in the class as you need playmakers on the outside. - Dallas Cowboys – Keon Coleman – WR – Florida St.
The Louisiana product jumped into the first round this time as I think he can be one of the first receivers off the board. Also, someone needs to replace Michael Gallup. - Green Bay Packers – JC Latham – OT – Alabama
The Packers are doing their usual Packer thing and not addressing many needs in free agency. Latham would replace what is lost with David Bakhtiari being released at the start of the new league year. - Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Koo-Aid McKinstry – CB – Alabama
Carlton Davis got dealt to Detroit early in the offseason and leaves a hole in the secondary that Tampa has yet to address in free agency. - Arizona Cardinals – Jer’Zhan Newton – IDL – Illinois
The two defensive tackles the Cardinals signed look to me to be more depth pieces than anything else. Newton would sure up that part of the defense a little more. - Buffalo Bills – Tyler Nubin – S – Minnesota
Buffalo has addressed safety a little bit by bringing in Mike Edwards but are we sure that he and Taylor Rapp will be the starting safeties in week one? - Detroit Lions – Chop Robinson – ED – Penn St.
Despite Cam Sutton being released for what’s going on off the field, Detroit being able to get Robinson would be scary with Aidan Hutchinson on the opposite side and Marcus Davenport rotating in. - Baltimore Ravens – Cooper DeJean – CB – Iowa
The Ravens have been able to keep their front seven intact for the most part but you can’t say the same for the secondary, more specifically at the cornerback position. DeJean falling to the end of the first round gives Baltimore the perfect chance to take him here. - San Francisco 49ers – Troy Fautanu – OT – Washington
Same as before with the Saints, Fautanu has the ability and build to play inside and work well in a similar zone scheme in San Francisco that he was a part of as a Huskie. - Kansas City Chiefs – Amarius Mims – OT – Georgia
Now that the Chiefs have their number two receiver on the outside, this allows the back-to-back champs to add depth and a potential future starter on the offensive line.