In just 11 days the 2024 NFL draft will commence in Detroit. Thirty-two picks will be made Thursday night and all the sports writers and experts are beginning to conclude their final predictions. Here is my second mock draft that does include projected trades.
- Chicago Bears (From CAR): Caleb Williams, QB, USC
The Bears moved off of Justin Fields by trading him to the Steelers and now the NFL’s worst-kept secret is that Bears GM Ryan Poles will be selecting Williams No. 1 overall.
- Washington Commanders: Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU
After months of public debate, I believe that the Commanders have settled on Daniels to lead their franchise into a new era. OC Kliff Kingsbury gets a shiny new QB going into the season. Daniels is coming off a Heisman Trophy win in 2023.
- New England Patriots: J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan
The conversation for the new brass in New England will be which QB they should hand the keys to as they enter a new era of football. After months of conversations, they settle on McCarthy.
- TRADE (From ARI): Minnesota Vikings: Drake Maye, QB, UNC
After Kirk Cousins left the Vikings for Atlanta, Minnesota now looks to the future. They did acquire Sam Darnold via free agency but that will not be enough. Vikings will get aggressive and make the move trading up for Maye.
- Los Angeles Chargers: Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame
HC Jim Harbaugh wants to build through the draft and play through the run game. The Chargers add the best offensive linemen in the draft and put together a dominant tandem of LT Rashawn Slater and Alt on the outside.
- New York Giants: Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State
Daniel Jones and Brian Daboll will finally acquire a No. 1 receiver for that offense. It is do-or-die time for Jones as the Giants do have a way out of his massive contract in the 2025 offseason. Now the consensus best WR in the draft Harrison Jr. falls right into their lap.
- Tennessee Titans: Olu Fashanu, OT, Penn State
Alt would have been the pick if he were still available, but the Titans settle for the close second in Fashanu. Fashanu is the best pass protector in the draft and did take strides in the run game. This pick solidifies the left side of the offensive line with Fashanu and G. Peter Skoronski.
- TRADE (From ATL): Arizona Cardinals: Rome Odunze, WR, Washington
Arizona, after trading down with the Vikings, sees an opportunity to jump other teams and select the WR of their choosing, selecting Odunze. The cost to trade up is significantly less than what they acquired from Minnesota and still get a weapon for Kyler Murray.
- Chicago Bears: Malik Nabers, WR, LSU
Chicago adds Nabers to an already loaded WR room that consists of Keenan Allen and D.J. Moore. This puts their rookie Williams in the greatest situation a top QB prospect has ever gone to with the first overall pick.
- New York Jets: Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State
After adding veteran protection to help Aaron Rodgers stay healthy, the Jets lack youth on the offensive line. They add a versatile, hard-nosed rookie into that room who will learn from veteran leadership and eventually take over.
- TRADE (From MIN): Atlanta Falcons: Dallas Turner, DE, Alabama
- Denver Broncos: Jared Verse, DE, FSU
- Las Vegas Raiders: JC Latham, OT, Alabama
- New Orleans Saints: Byron Murphy II, DT, Texas
- Indianapolis Colts: Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia
- Seattle Seahawks: Troy Fautanu, OT, Washington
- Jacksonville Jaguars: Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama
- Cincinnati Bengals: Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia
- Los Angeles Rams: Laiatu Latu, DE, UCLA
- TRADE: (From PIT): Buffalo Bills: Brian Thomas Jr., WR, LSU
- Miami Dolphins: Graham Barton, C, Duke
- Philadelphia Eagles: Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo
- TRADE (From CLE): Arizona Cardinals: Johnny Newton, DT, UIUC
- Dallas Cowboys: Jackson Powers-Johnson, C, Oregon
- Green Bay Packers: Cooper Dejean, S, Iowa
- TRADE (From TB): Kansas City Chiefs: Adonai Mitchell, WR, Texas
- Arizona Cardinals (From HOU): Chop Robinson, DE, Penn State
- TRADE (From BUF): Pittsburgh Steelers: Keon Coleman, WR, FSU
- Detroit Lions: Darius Robinson, DE, Missouri
- Baltimore Ravens: Troy Franklin, WR, Oregon
- San Francisco 49ers: Tyler Guyton OT, Oklahoma
- TRADE (From KC): Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama
