We’re hitting the ground running with another 2024 NFL Mock Draft for the coming cycle. As we shift gears to the 2024 NFL Draft, what kinds of potential outcomes might we see within the first 32 picks? Here’s another look.
2024 NFL Mock Draft
1) Atlanta Falcons (From ARI via HOU): Caleb Williams, QB, USC
With control of the top of the board, the Cardinals can demand a king’s ransom for Caleb Williams. There will be many suitors, and Atlanta will be in that group if they’re picking sixth overall. Williams’ transcendent talent completes a playoff-ready Falcons roster.
2) Arizona Cardinals: Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State
The Cardinals are stuck with Kyler Murray for the foreseeable future, whether they like it or not. To make the best of an unideal situation, they can bolster his receiving corps. Marvin Harrison Jr. performs all functions of receiving at an absurdly high level, and all at 6’4″, 205.
3) Indianapolis Colts: Maason Smith, DT, LSU
This is how high Maason Smith can go if he’s back to full health and on top of his game in 2023.
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The last time he was healthy in 2021, Smith was levying long-arm, cross-chop, and rip counters from 5-tech at 6’6″, 310 pounds, using burst and ankle flexion to breach the pocket. At his best, he brings shades of Stephon Tuitt.
4) Washington Commanders (From TEN): Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina
If the Commanders are picking in the top 10, odds are Sam Howell isn’t the guy. In a cruel twist of irony, he’s replaced by the guy who replaced him at North Carolina here. Regardless, Drake Maye has superior raw tools with his effortless arm talent and high-energy athleticism.
5) Chicago Bears: Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia
The Bears have tight ends Cole Kmet and Robert Tonyan up for contracts in 2024. But even then, Brock Bowers isn’t a one-to-one replacement. Bowers isn’t just a TE — he’s a weapon. And his elite explosiveness and RAC can serve Justin Fields well.
6) Arizona Cardinals (From ATL): Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama
Garrett Williams and Kei’Trel Clark could very well be future starters in the 2023 NFL Draft class. But the Cardinals complete their CB room with a potential blue-chip talent in Kool-Aid McKinstry — who has the length, physicality, rapid feet, and ball skills to lock down one side.
7) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan
The current odds have the Buccaneers well inside the top 10. A finish like this likely means a regime and QB change. Picking this high, it’s hard not to be enticed by J.J. McCarthy’s tools. He’s volatile, but his athleticism and arm talent combination is truly rare.
8) Tennessee Titans (From WAS): Olumuyiwa Fashanu, OT, Penn State
Peter Skoronski will be a foundational piece at either tackle or guard, and Nicholas Petit-Frere has potential. But the Titans’ line is surprisingly unsettled outside of those spots. Olumuyiwa Fashanu can lock down the left side long-term with his dominating profile.
9) New England Patriots: JC Latham, OT, Alabama
With Trent Brown scheduled to be a free agent in 2024, the Patriots will have a hole at right tackle. Who better to fill it than JC Latham — a 6’6″, 335-pound behemoth who moves with the short-area quickness of a blocker 30 pounds lighter? Like Darnell Wright, Latham is a natural RT with top-10 upside.
10) Los Angeles Rams: Dallas Turner, EDGE, Alabama
The Rams added Byron Young in Round 3 of the 2023 NFL Draft, granting a slight boost to their EDGE rotation. But they need more. Much more. With Dallas Turner, Los Angeles gets an explosive, bendy pressure-generator at 6’4″, 240 pounds, with elite length and pursuit speed.
11) Green Bay Packers: Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame
I’ve done three 2024 NFL Mock Drafts (Yes, I know I have a problem), and in each one, I’ve taken Joe Alt for Green Bay. If Alt is here, it’s simply too good of a fit and value to pass up, especially with both starting tackles set to leave soon. Alt’s athleticism at 6’8″, 315 pounds is jaw-dropping.
12) Chicago Bears (From CAR): Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State
That’s right, we’re giving all the weapons to Justin Fields in this 2024 NFL Mock Draft. The Bears are set to lose either Chase Claypool or Darnell Mooney in 2024. Emeka Egbuka gives them an explosive RAC threat who brings impressive utility as a pass catcher and route runner.
13) Pittsburgh Steelers: Kalen King, CB, Penn State
The Steelers ideally have their boundary CB group set for the next couple of years with Joey Porter Jr., Patrick Peterson, Cory Trice, and Levi Wallace. Kalen King gives them an amped-up, uber-physical ball hawk who can play the slot at a high level, and he reunites with Porter.
14) Minnesota Vikings: Quinn Ewers, QB, Texas
The current odds aren’t high on Minnesota’s chances to build off of their 13-4 2022 campaign. If this is the year the Kirk Cousins era fizzles out, they’ll no doubt target a QB in Round 1. Quinn Ewers needs to take the leap, but he has the live arm to distinguish himself here.
15) Las Vegas Raiders: Andrew Mukuba, DB, Clemson
Andrew Mukuba is an early candidate to be one of the most versatile prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft. At 5’11”, 185 pounds, he has the foot speed, elastic athleticism, and off-man technique to play the nickel spot, but he can also rotate back to safety and play two-high and single-high if needed.
16) Houston Texans: Jared Verse, EDGE, Florida State
Jared Verse is more of a chisel, while Will Anderson Jr. is more of a jackhammer, but those tools opposite one another can be deadly for offensive linemen.
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At 6’4″, 249 pounds, Verse has the combined burst, bend capacity, power generation, hand quickness, and precision to routinely splice his way around the edge.
17) Denver Broncos: Malik Nabers, WR, LSU
The Broncos drafted an able speed threat in Marvin Mims, but more change may be on the way for that WR corps. If Jerry Jeudy or Courtland Sutton is traded, it would make sense to add a nuanced speed threat like Malik Nabers, who also has elevation ability at the catch point.
18) Los Angeles Chargers: Cooper DeJean, CB, Iowa
With Michael Davis hitting free agency, the Chargers target one of the most well-put-together CBs in this 2024 NFL Mock Draft. At 6’1″, 209 pounds, Cooper DeJean is a high-energy athlete who accelerates at a different pace, and he’s an absolute playmaker when the ball comes his way.
19) Seattle Seahawks: Donovan Jackson, G, Ohio State
The Seahawks may need a guard in 2024 with Damien Lewis hitting free agency. Donovan Jackson is a former five-star recruit who has reasonable athleticism. But the brunt of his appeal comes from his elite combination of natural leverage and length at 6’4″, 320 pounds, with arms nearly 36″.
20) New York Giants: Xavier Worthy, WR, Texas
Xavier Worthy is an outlier at 6’1″, 163 pounds, but he has the tools to be an exception to the rule. Not only is he a true field-flipping weapon, but he also has the route variability and ball-tracking ability to convert on his traits. He and Jalin Hyatt bring a devastating speed element.
21) New Orleans Saints: Rome Odunze, WR, Washington
Just the aesthetic of Rome Odunze and Chris Olave playing alongside one another in Saints uniforms is pristine. But beyond the conceptual appeal, Odunze is legitimately a good football player. He’s a complete three-level threat at 6’3″, who’s reportedly bulked up in preparation for a big send-off in 2023.
22) Miami Dolphins: J.T. Tuimoloau, EDGE, Ohio State
J.T. Tuimoloau’s range is fairly wide right now, like many other prospects. He has the five-star talent to go early in Round 1, but he does still need to refine his pass-rushing arsenal, and he doesn’t quite have elite bend. Still, at 6’4″, 277, he has the size, power, and motor in pursuit to win over the Dolphins.
23) Jacksonville Jaguars: Graham Barton, OL, Duke
The Jaguars may stand pat with Ben Bartch at guard in 2023, but when his contract expires, it could be prudent to explore the 2024 NFL Draft for other options. Graham Barton is an All-ACC performer who has the blocking range, core strength, and finisher mentality to translate well inside.
24) Baltimore Ravens: Tony Grimes, CB, Texas A&M
The Ravens left their cornerback spot relatively unsettled heading out of the 2023 NFL Draft. Tony Grimes is still a bit of a projection at this point, but he has the physical tools to be a first-round pick at his maximum, with his gliding brand of athleticism, proportional length, and ball skills.
25) Detroit Lions: Michael Hall Jr., DT, Ohio State
The Lions added a nose tackle in Brodric Martin in the 2024 NFL Draft, but now, they could use a dynamic 3-tech to play alongside him and Alim McNeill. At 6’2″, 290 pounds, Michael Hall Jr. brings elite burst off the snap and heavy hands at contact — all accelerated by his natural leverage.
26) Green Bay Packers (From NYJ): Bralen Trice, EDGE, Washington
Acquiring this pick from the New York Jets (assuming Aaron Rodgers plays 65% of the snaps in this scenario), the Packers add another big, powerful, explosive EDGE alongside Lukas Van Ness with Washington’s Bralen Trice — a sack artist whose heavy hands can be dominating.
27) Dallas Cowboys: Jer’Zhan Newton, DL, Illinois
Two years, two Big Ten defensive linemen. It’s fun to think about how Mazi Smith and Jer’Zhan Newton can play off of one another.
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Smith can isolate one-on-one matchups for Newton, who has the athleticism, bend, and violent hands to capitalize. But Newton can also play as far outside as 5-tech and beyond.
28) Buffalo Bills: Blake Fisher, OT, Notre Dame
Across from Alt at Notre Dame, right tackle Blake Fisher is another OT prospect worthy of early-round consideration in the 2024 NFL Draft. Fisher is an athletic specimen at 6’6″, 327 pounds, and he’s reportedly cut weight in preparation for what could be a breakout 2023 campaign.
29) Cincinnati Bengals: Oronde Gadsden II, WR, Syracuse
The hope is that the Bengals extend Tee Higgins, but even if they do, Tyler Boyd is also a free agent in 2024. Oronde Gadsden II, at 6’5″, 216 pounds, can function as a dynamic big-slot weapon for Cincinnati, with the play pace to separate, and vice-grip hands to capitalize on contested opportunities.
30) Philadelphia Eagles: Princely Umanmielen, EDGE, Florida
Princely Umanmielen will need to take a leap to rise this high up the draft board, but the 2024 NFL Draft EDGE class is wide open for a player of his talent to capitalize. Umanmielen has superlative explosiveness on the Florida front, and he couples it with eye-catching length and bend capacity.
31) San Francisco 49ers: Bo Nix, QB, Oregon
Kyle Shanahan essentially has nothing left to prove except that he can win a Super Bowl. He’s never had the QB talent available to take his team over the top. Bo Nix might just be an incredible fit in the San Francisco offense with his extension ability, high-level arm talent, and accuracy.
32) Kansas City Chiefs: Ruke Orhorhoro, DT, Clemson
At 6’4″, 300 pounds, with stellar length, Ruke Orhorhoro fits the mold of a traditional 3-tech. But he has the elite explosiveness and searing lateral athleticism to line up all across the front and wreak havoc, or generate menacing speed-to-power from NASCAR alignments.
