2024 NFL mock draft: Jaguars add size in the trenches
Just four teams are left after the Divisional Round wrapped up Sunday night. The San Francisco 49ers will host the Detroit Lions in the NFC Championship while the Kansas City Chiefs will travel to face the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship.
For the other 28 teams, including the Jacksonville Jaguars, focus has shifted to the offseason.
While franchise tags, free agency, and salary cap cuts will re-shape rosters drastically in the next couple months, make no mistake — draft season is already in full swing. Senior Bowl practices are just a week away and the NFL Combine is just a few weeks after that.
With the countdown until the 2024 NFL draft now under 100 days, here’s an early projection of how the picks could shake out in April:
Chicago Bears (via Panthers): Caleb Williams, QB, USC
The Bears could either pick a quarterback at the top of the draft and presumably trade Justin Fields, or trade this selection and stick with their 2021 first-rounder. The first strategy seems more likely (and prudent) with a high-ceiling prospect like Williams at the top of the class and Fields’ rookie contract approaching its end.
Washington Commanders: Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina
Perhaps the Heisman Trophy winner, Jayden Daniels, will make this a tough decision, but for now it seems like a pretty easy one. While Sam Howell showed good things at times in 2023, it wasn’t nearly enough for the Commanders to pass on a passer as prototypical as Maye.
New England Patriots: Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU
The Heisman winner has made up serious ground on the top two quarterbacks. Even if he doesn’t crack the first couple selections, Daniels is a contender to land at a few spots in top 10, but the Patriots — who have clearly given up on Mac Jones — might not allow him to escape the first three picks.
Arizona Cardinals: Marvin Harrison Jr, WR, Ohio State
Kyler Murray is the Cardinals’ guy moving forward, so three straight quarterbacks at the top is a dream come true for the team. Now it’s time to give him more weapons to work with, because tight end Trey McBride was the only Cardinals player to record at least 600 receiving yards in 2023.
Los Angeles Chargers: Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia
A tight end this early is only a weird choice if you’ve never seen Bowers play. The three-time All-American was a dominant force at Georgia and would be an instant boost for a Chargers offense that let Justin Herbert down too often.
New York Giants: Malik Nabers, WR, LSU
There will be a lot of questions about Daniel Jones this offseason, but moving on won’t be easy after he signed a four-year, $160 million deal last year. Instead, the Giants could look to upgrade a deficient receiving corps by adding an explosive deep threat in Nabers.
Tennessee Titans: Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame
The Titans upgraded their offensive line last year by snagging left guard Peter Skoronski in the first round. Pairing him with a left tackle would go a long way toward giving Will Levis a chance to develop.
Atlanta Falcons: Bo Nix, QB, Oregon
The Falcons may be a team primed to go after a veteran quarterback like Kirk Cousins or Ryan Tannehill. For now, they look like a candidate to take the fourth quarterback of the draft class.
Chicago Bears: Laiatu Latu, EDGE, UCLA
Could the Bears really sit back at No. 9 overall and get the first defensive player off the board? With so many offensive weapons at the top of the class, that’s what happened here. Latu could be paired with Montez Sweat and potentially kickstart a Bears pass rush that has been anemic for a while.
Jets: Olumuyiwa Fashanu, OT, Penn State
The Jets need to figure out who will play quarterback after 40-year-old Aaron Rodgers hangs it up. But if they’re running it back with the same group, it makes more sense to find a player who can help Rodgers right away.
Minnesota Vikings: Jared Verse, EDGE, Florida State
Danielle Hunter had more than double the sacks of any other Vikings player in 2023. Regardless if Minnesota retains the impending free agent, the team needs to add more pass rushers to the mix.
Denver Broncos: Rome Odunze, WR, Washington
Odunze, who will make a strong case to be the second receiver off the board, might not be available outside the top 10. If he is, the Broncos probably wouldn’t hesitate to scoop him up.
Las Vegas Raiders: Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama
A lot of eyes will be on the Raiders’ pursuit of a franchise quarterback in April. It’d make sense if Las Vegas wanted to hop into the top 10 and snag one of the top four passers off the board. But with that quartet already gone, the 13th pick feels too early for a fifth passer. Instead, the Raiders improve their secondary with the first corner of the class.
New Orleans Saints: Dallas Turner, EDGE, Alabama
Only three teams had fewer sacks than the Saints in 2023. While Carl Granderson has developed into reliable starter for the Saints, Cam Jordan’s best days are behind him and the New Orleans pass rush needs a boost.
Indianapolis Colts: Nate Wiggins, CB, Clemson
The Colts have a ton of young cornerbacks, but it’d be hard to feel too confident about the trajectory of any of them other than JuJu Brents. In Wiggins, they’d get another rangy corner to round out the secondary.
Seattle Seahawks: Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State
The Seahawks drafted Charles Cross and Abe Lucas in 2022 with the idea that they’d be book-end tackles. But Cross hasn’t looked like a top 10 pick and Lucas missed most of 2023 due to a chronic knee issue.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Jer'Zhan Newton, DL, Illinois
Interior offensive line help is probably top priority, but it’s not the only area of need for the Jaguars to address.
Despite having two double-digit sack pass rushers in Josh Allen and Travon Walker, the Jaguars finished 25th in sacks this season. There was a severe lack of interior push and the run defense was lacking late in the year, as well.
Solutions on both sides of the ball have to start from the inside out for Jacksonville.
In Newton, they’d get a 295-pound game wrecker with the versatility to play multiple spots and be a disruptor in both the pass and run game.
Cincinnati Bengals: J.C. Latham, OT, Alabama
While the Bengals compiled an impressive group of skill position players, they didn’t do enough up front and it caught up with them in 2023. If Jonah Williams ends up leaving in free agency, Latham could step in right away.
Los Angeles Rams: Bralen Trice, EDGE, Washington
Rookies Kobie Turner and Byron Young led the Rams in sacks last season, boding well for the future of the team’s pass rush. Still, the team was in the bottom half of the NFL in sacks and needs to keep adding skill at the position.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Cooper DeJean, CB, Iowa
It looks like the Steelers nailed it when they picked Joey Porter Jr. in the second round last year, but the other side was a problem.
Miami Dolphins: Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia
The Dolphins offensive line may crumble this offseason with guards Robert Hunt and Connor Williams both set to become free agents, and tackle Terron Armstead considering retirement. Even if Armstead doesn’t retire, landing a top young tackle is not a bad idea at all for Miami.
Philadelphia Eagles: Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama
It seemed like cornerback would be a need for the Eagles last year, but they managed to bring back both Darius Slay and James Bradberry. Now both players are on the wrong side of 30, Bradberry had a rough season, and Slay’s year ended with him getting carted off in a playoff game. Even if both players have a strong 2024, youth at the position is a must.
Houston Texans (via Browns): Brian Thomas Jr, WR, LSU
The Texans have an exciting duo of receivers in Tank Dell and Nico Collins, but a lack of depth at the position was easy to see after the former suffered a season-ending leg break. Continuing to support their budding star of a quarterback, C.J. Stroud, with weapons will likely be a priority for Houston.
Dallas Cowboys: Troy Fautanu, OL, Washington
Tyron Smith and Tyler Biadasz are both set to become free agents, and Terence Steele struggled at right tackle. The Cowboys need offensive line help and Fautanu is a versatile mauler who played left tackle for Washington, but may project best as a guard in the NFL.
Green Bay Packers: Byron Murphy II, DL, Texas
Only four teams allowed more rushing yards in the regular season than the Packers. It was a pair of Christian McCaffrey second half rushing touchdowns that ultimately doomed Green Bay against the 49ers. Landing the best run stuffer of the class this late would be a stroke of a luck for the Packers.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Troy Franklin, WR, Oregon
If the Buccaneers stick with Baker Mayfield at quarterback, he might not have Mike Evans as a target in 2024. Even if Evans is re-signed, he’s entering his 11th season and Tampa Bay could use more receiving depth, regardless.
Arizona Cardinals (via Texans): Chop Robinson, EDGE, Penn State
Cardinals linebacker Dennis Gardeck was the only player on the team to finish with more than four sacks and the team’s collective total of 33 sacks ranked 30th in the NFL. After getting a star receiver earlier in the first round, Arizona could look to the other side of the ball 23 picks later.
Buffalo Bills: Kamren Kinchens, S, Miami (Fla.)
Another run into the playoffs ended earlier than planned for Buffalo. If the Bills hope to keep that window open, they have to find young replacements for aging veterans. That includes the safety duo of Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde, who will both be 33 when the 2024 season begins.
Kansas City Chiefs: Keon Coleman, WR, Florida State
The Chiefs traversed a much rockier path than usual to reach the AFC Championship and a lot of the struggles had to do with receivers on the team failing to make plays. Rashee Rice looks like an exciting player, but reliable options for Patrick Mahomes are few and far between otherwise.
Detroit Lions: Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo
The Lions are in the NFC Championship for just the second time in the Super Bowl era, but their defense could certainly use some work. Detroit finished the regular season 27th against the pass and allowed more than 700 pass yards in two postseason wins.
San Francisco 49ers: Jordan Morgan, OT, Arizona
Trent Williams will turn 36 next season and the 49ers relied on solid, but unspectacular Colton McKivitz to handle right tackle duties after losing Mike McGlinchey in free agency. Drafting an offensive tackle to take over at either spot is logical.
Baltimore Ravens: Ennis Rakestraw Jr, CB, Missouri
There aren’t many needs that jump out for arguably the most complete team in the NFL. While the team’s pass defense has been stellar, the team’s bevy of pass rushers, elite duo of linebackers, and do-everything safety Kyle Hamilton deserve more credit than a group of cornerbacks that are good, but not great.
