2024 NFL Mock Draft: Offensive Players Dominate Round 1

The NFL draft is here & we’ll be looking at a mock draft in the hours leading up to the draft. Assuming no trades are made in this draft, we’ll be looking at who each team is slated to pick. 

#1: Chicago Bears: QB Caleb Williams, USC

The Bears traded away Justin Fields with all signs pointing to Caleb Williams being the #1 overall selection. Williams is the most pro-ready of the quarterbacks from this class, but there’s cause for concern that the Bears will give Williams the same treatment that they gave Fields and not invest the time into him.

#2: Washington Commanders: QB, Drake Maye, UNC

Washington drafts another North Carolina quarterback after they just had Sam Howell. Drafting a quarterback here is not the right move as Sam Howell was not the problem. The problem was poor management and a league worst offensive line. If Maye lands with Washington, we unfortunately expect a rookie season riddled with injuries with the pressure he’s about to face. 

#3: New England Patriots: QB, JJ McCarthy, Michigan

New England found their gem at quarterback with Tom Brady from Michigan and hope JJ McCarthy can continue that Michigan quarterback trend for them. The Patriots moved on from Mac Jones and are looking for the quarterback of the future as they don’t trust Bailey Zappe with the job. McCarthy isn’t flashy but that’s not something that New England goes for.

#4: Arizona Cardinals: WR, Marvin Harrison Jr, Ohio State

With Marquise Brown off to Kansas City, the Cardinals are in need of a wide receiver #1 and the best prospect in this class falls right into their lap at #4 in Marvin Harrison Jr. Cardinals walk out of this draft feeling much better, especially quarterback Kyler Murray. 

#5: Los Angeles Chargers: T, Joe Alt, Notre Dame

The Chargers offense is going to look completely different this year with Ekeler, Allen, Everett, & Williams all departing. It would be the smart choice to draft Malik Nabers or Rome Odunze here, but the Chargers aren’t smart and decide to get another offensive tackle in Joe Alt. Alt is the best tackle in the class, but it’s not what the Chargers need as they continue to waste Herbert’s talent. 

#6: New York Giants: QB, Jayden Daniels, LSU

The Giants just gave Daniel Jones a big paycheck last offseason and look where they are now. The quarterback got hurt and benched during the season for Tommy DeVito. The Giants are not sold on Daniel Jones and with Saquon Barkley out of the picture, the time is now for the Giants to get a mobile quarterback. The Giants should move on from Jones and bring in someone like Daniels if they want to keep the fans happy. 

#7: Tennessee Titans: WR, Malik Nabers, LSU

Despite signing Calvin Ridley this offseason, the Titans could add another weapon to their arsenal with the addition of Malik Nabers. A trio of Ridley, Hopkins, and Nabers could help 2nd year quarterback Will Levis take his talent to the next level. 

#8: Atlanta Falcons: EDGE, Dallas Turner, Alabama

The Falcons committed to revamping the offense and did just that this offseason. Next they need to focus on the defense and have their pick of the litter, but we think they land on EDGE rusher Dallas Turner out of Alabama.

#9: Chicago Bears: WR, Rome Odunze, Washington

The Bears need to learn from their mistakes and commit to giving the new quarterback in town plenty of talent to work with from the get-go and they do that by giving Caleb Williams a rookie wideout in Rome Odunze. Odunze could learn from veteran wide receivers DJ Moore and Keenan Allen and eventually make his way into the #2 spot with Allen’s age. 

#10: New York Jets: TE, Brock Bowers, Georgia

The Jets land the best tight end in the class in Brock Bowers making Aaron Rodgers ecstatic. The Jets offense is going to be a powerhouse with Garrett Wilson, Brock Bowers, Mike Williams, Breece Hall, and a healthy Aaron Rodgers. 

#11: Minnesota Vikings: QB, Michael Penix Jr, Washington

After not trading up to get a quarterback, the Vikings decide to settle for Michael Penix Jr. at the #11 spot. The Vikings brought in Sam Darnold who should compete for the starting job with Penix Jr. This feels like a bit of a reach getting Penix Jr at this post, but after missing out on the first wave, the Vikings had to make this move. 

#12: Denver Broncos: EDGE, Jared Verse, Florida State

We could easily see the Broncos moving up from this spot to select a quarterback, but assuming they don’t, the Broncos have a plethora of options that they can make with this spot. With how broken this organization is, we think they’ll opt for defense rather than fixing many of their offensive problems. 

#13: Las Vegas Raiders: OL, JC Latham, Alabama

The Raiders have a lot of question marks on their team, but playing it safe with an offensive lineman would be their best bet. They haven’t had the best luck with drafting offensive lineman in the past, but we think Latham is a safe option that should be a day 1 starter for them. 

#14: New Orleans Saints: OL, Taliese Fuaga, Oregon State

The Saints don’t have a lot of weaknesses but more so areas of improvement. They were an average run of the mill team last year and one area that would help is with their interior line play. We think Oregon State tackle Taliese Fuaga can slot in as a center or guard if need be for the Saints and be a solid versatile option for them. 

#15: Indianapolis Colts: DB, Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo

The Colts stay idle and land the best defensive back in the class with Quinyon Mitchell. The Colts could use the secondary help, especially with the receiving weapons across the AFC South. 

#16: Seattle Seahawks: EDGE, Laiatu Latu, UCLA

The Seahawks land a home run in Latu all the way down at #16. Latu was the Lombardi Award winner for best lineman in college football and should bolster the defensive front for the Seahawks from the get-go.

#17: Jacksonville Jaguars: DB, Cooper DeJean, Iowa

Despite missing a portion of the season to a broken fibula, DeJean was still a first-team All-American and a finalist for the Jim Thorpe award. DeJean would help fill a gap on the Jaguars defense which they struggled late in the season with. 

#18: Cincinnati Bengals: DL, Byron Murphy II, Texas

After missing out on DJ Reader in free agency, the Bengals are in the market for an interior lineman to strengthen their line. The Bengals gave up the 2nd most yards per game last season, so having a rock on the line would be huge. 

#19: Los Angeles Rams: EDGE, Chop Robinson, Penn State

After the surprise retirement of future Hall of Famer, Aaron Donald, the Rams are in sudden need of a new EDGE rusher. Nobody will be able to replace Aaron Donald, but trying to solve the problem sooner rather than later will help get them back on track. The Rams decide to get the best EDGE available in Chop Robinson after missing out on Dallas Turner or Laiatu Latu falling to them. 

#20: Pittsburgh Steelers: OL, Troy Fautanu, Washington

The first order of business for the Russell Wilson led Steelers is to protect Russell Wilson or get him some weapons and they opt to get him protection which they so badly need. The Steelers get a stud lineman in Fautanu out of Washington.

#21: Miami Dolphins: OL, Graham Barton, Duke

The Dolphins are very tempted to reach for Xavier Worthy here to bring in the speed, but opt for the safer choice in getting some interior line help with Graham Barton who can slot in at center, guard or tackle. Especially with Terron Armstead’s plans to retire in the near future, the Dolphins need to invest in their line now. 

#22: Philadelphia Eagles: DB, Terrion Arnold, Alabama

One area of weakness for the Philadelphia Eagles was their secondary. They struggled to keep up with teams late in the season and in the playoffs. The Eagles shouldn’t use this pick on anything other than a secondary. The only exception would be if a top lineman slid down this far to replace Jason Kelce. 

#23: Minnesota Vikings: DL, Jer’Zhan Newton, Illinois

With the Vikings addressing their quarterback situation earlier in the draft, the Vikings look to fix another big problem with the 2nd best interior lineman in this class with Jer’Zhan Newton out of Illinois. The Vikings had a clear weakness on the front and this will help bolster their run defense.

#24: Dallas Cowboys: WR, Brian Thomas Jr, LSU

The Cowboys look to help Dak out with bringing in a true wide receiver #2 to line up alongside CeeDee Lamb. Brandin Cooks is a solid option at receiver but is aging and declining into a wide receiver #3 / #4 options. The Cowboys need another offensive playmaker if they’re looking to make a run at the Super Bowl in the future. 

#25: Green Bay Packers: OL, Amarius Mims, Georgia

The Packers did well in their first year of the Jordan Love era and are looking to expand on that. They have a good receiving corps and brought in Josh Jacobs as an upgrade to Aaron Jones. Unfortunately, David Bakhtiari is unlikely to play for the Packers again and if he does, injuries would be a concern. The Packers need to find a replacement for him and explore looking at someone that can help keep Josh Jacobs healthy to bolster the run game. Amarius Mims checks both of those boxes and is a good fit for the new era in Green Bay.

#26: Tampa Bay Buccaneers: DB, Nate Wiggins, Clemson

After trading Carlton Davis III to Detroit, the Buccaneers are in need of a cornerback to step up. The Bucs are set at safety with standout Antoine Winfield Jr, but with getting a round 1 cornerback like Nate Wiggins in a deep class, the Buccaneers can have a nice 1-2 punch in the secondary. 

#27: Arizona Cardinals: EDGE, Darius Robinson, Missouri

It wouldn’t be a bad idea for the Cardinals to double down and get another wide receiver here after Marquise Brown left in free agency and they traded away Rondale Moore. The Cardinals aren’t the organization that would be wise enough to do that and instead fill another need on the other side of the ball with either an EDGE rusher or cornerback and opt for the best option available between the two which is Darius Robinson. 

#28: Buffalo Bills: WR, Adonai Mitchell, Texas

No team saw a greater loss at the receiver position this offseason than the Buffalo Bills. The Bills lost both Gabe Davis and Stefon Diggs. Their current wide receiver corps is led by Curtis Samuel, Khalil Shakir, and Justin Shorter. The Bills need a true wide receiver #1 and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them trade up from this spot to get one of the top receivers in this class. Assuming they don’t decide to do that, landing Adonai Mitchell here would be a solid option to not sacrifice any other draft capital later on. 

#29: Detroit Lions: OL, Olumuyiwa Fashanu, Penn State

The Lions made a surprise appearance in the NFC Championship last season and improved in the offseason. The Lions are here to stay and just need to make a few more additions including an interior offensive lineman or a wide receiver #2 alongside St-Brown. With how deep of a wide receiver class this is, being able to get Fashanu this late in the 1st is an opportunity that the Lions can’t pass up. 

#30: Baltimore Ravens: OL, Tyler Guyton, Oklahoma

Losing three starting offensive lineman in one offseason is a brutal blow. The Ravens main focus in this draft should be getting two day 1 starters with their first being interior lineman Tyler Guyton. 

#31: San Francisco 49ers: WR, Xavier Worthy, Texas

With Brandon Aiyuk’s future in San Francisco up in the air, the 49ers need to prepare for a future without him and that future needs to include a top 10 rookie receiver. The 49ers take a chance on speed demon Xavier Worthy who can be a deep threat for Brock Purdy.

#32: Kansas City Chiefs: WR, Xavier Legette, South Carolina

With the legal troubles surrounding breakout receiver Rashee Rice and Travis Kelce’s age, the Chiefs should look to add some talent to their receiving group. They brought in Hollywood Brown, but will he be enough for the Chiefs to get another Super Bowl title? The Chiefs have a couple areas to address, but they would be reaching for those other positions and getting a receiver here would be a wiser choice.