2024 NFL mock draft: QBs go off the board fast, tackles galore
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made the divisional round of the playoffs in 2024, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t holes to fill.
The Bucs have some glaring needs on the roster, including at interior offensive line and tackle. There are a lot of talented prospects coming out of college this year (as there always is), so general manager Jason Licht has a few options for how he could improve the Bucs in 2023 and make it back to the playoffs.
This is Bucs Wire’s first mock draft for the entire first round, with no trades this time around. See who we have the Bucs selecting down below:
Chicago Bears: USC QB Caleb Williams
There’s been some talk of whether or not Justin Fields will be a Bear next season, and that’s looking less and less likely going into April. With that in mind, the Bears make an obvious choice and select Williams to be their signal-caller of the future, trading Fields away somewhere else.
Washington Commanders: North Carolina QB Drake Maye
Maye will go to Washington when Williams is picked, and the Commanders will be plenty fine with that. Maye has showcased some serious talent at UNC, and the Commanders have the most cap space in the NFL to build a team around him.
New England Patriots: LSU QB Jayden Daniels
The Patriots could go a number of different ways here, but a new era will likely come with a new signal caller. Daniels was a Heisman Trophy winner in 2023 and could develop into a multi-faceted weapon at the quarterback position next year.
Arizona Cardinals: Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr.
Considered one of the more surefire prospects in recent memory, Harrison Jr. is an easy pick for any team picking high that doesn’t need a quarterback — that includes the Cardinals, who can pick up a lethal weapon for QB Kyler Murray.
Los Angeles Chargers: LSU WR Malik Nabers
Nabers is considered by many to be the second-best WR prospect behind Harrison Jr. (although some prefer Huskies wideout Rome Odunze), and if the Chargers need anything, it’s more weapons for Justin Herbert. Keenan Allen is getting old and Quentin Johnson’s rookie year didn’t look promising.
New York Giants: Notre Dame T Joe Alt
The Giants have time to figure out what the plan is at quarterback, but before they do, they can get someone to protect whoever it is. Alt is a massive tackle who projects there at the next level and would be a strong addition to any team in need of one to shore up the offensive line.
Tennessee Titans: Penn State T Olumuyiwa Fashanu
The same principle applies here. The Titans seem set on quarterback Will Levis, and with that in mind, the logical next step is to get a player who can protect him. Fashanu is one of the better tackle prospects in this year’s draft and can certainly do that.
Atlanta Falcons: Alabama EDGE Dallas Turner
The Falcons’ sack leaders were both Calais Campbell and Bud Dupree at 6.5 sacks each. Drafting an EDGE seems like a logical next step for Atlanta to improve their roster, and Turner is widely regarded as the best of the class after a 10-sack season at Alabama.
Chicago Bears: Georgia TE Brock Bowers
Wideout would be a good move here too, but the result is the same — the Bears get a weapon for Caleb Williams. Bowers was a world-beater at Georgia throughout his tenure there and it would immediately give Williams a reliable target at a position that is hard to fill.
New York Jets: Washington WR Rome Odunze
Odunze is another widely-regarded wideout after his tenure in Washington with Michael Penix Jr. Aaron Rodgers is going to want some serious weapons to throw to in New York, and pairing up Odunze with Garrett Wilson could be a horrifying combo for opposing defenses.
Minnesota Vikings: Iowa CB Cooper DeJean
An excellent corner during his time at Iowa, DeJean offers flexibility as a defensive back and can play safety and slot as well. The Vikings could use all three of those things on defense, so he would be a smart pick to shore up the unit.
Denver Broncos: Clemson CB Nate Wiggins
Wiggins is a talented defensive back who could slot in well for Denver. The Broncos have an unbelievable talent at corner in Patrick Surtain II, but the addition of Wiggins could strengthen the secondary on both sides.
Las Vegas Raiders: Illinois DL Jer'Zhan Newton
The Raiders need help just about everywhere, but they could certainly do to shore up their defensive line. Newton was dominant at Illinois with a 7.5-sack season and a defensive coach in Antonio Pierce could make this a good match for Las Vegas.
New Orleans Saints: Oregon State T Taliese Fuaga
New Orleans had a strong tackle in Ryan Ramczyk, but a cartilage defect in his knee has left his future in New Orleans uncertain. Enter Fuaga, who can fill in that role and help protect Derek Carr with the Saints next season.
Indianapolis Colts: Alabama CB Terrion Arnold
The Colts are another team that could spring for a number of different needs here. They are thin at corner, though, and even with some other notable defensive backs off the board, they’d still be satisfied with the short-area quickness and instinctual play of Arnold.
Seattle Seahawks: Florida State EDGE Jared Verse
Seattle addressed the defense last year with the excellent pick of Devon Witherspoon, and Verse could make his job easier on the edge. He was a tyrant in the pass rush at Florida State and defensive head coach Mike Macdonald would be pleased to add him to the fold as a Seahawk.
Jacksonville Jaguars: UCLA EDGE Laiatu Latu
Verse and Latu may not last this long, but if they do, the Jaguars will take advantage. With pass rusher Josh Allen entering free agency, Jacksonville either finds a nice replacement with Latu or re-signs Allen and combines the two on what could be a deadly defensive line.
Cincinnati Bengals: Alabama T J.C. Latham
Tackles are always in demand given their importance on the gridiron. The Bengals have had a suspect line around QB Joe Burrow for a while, and they’ll continue to try and address that by landing Latham, one of Alabama’s many projected first-rounders in this mock.
Los Angeles Rams: Toledo CB Quinyon Mitchell
Mitchell has been a bit of a late riser in the draft process, but he’d be a valuable addition to the Rams’ secondary. The team is still lacking after losing Jalen Ramsey to the Miami Dolphins, and if Mitchell can live up to his athleticism and ball-playing skills, the Rams could fill a big need.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Georgia T Ardarius Mims
Teams in quarterback fluxes can always use an offensive tackle. Regardless of whether or not Justin Fields, Kenny Pickett or someone else is taking snaps in Pittsburgh, Mims’ comically large frame and strength could be a big boon to Mike Tomlin’s Steelers.
Miami Dolphins: Oregon C Jackson Powers-Johnson
The Dolphins have plenty of weapons at just about every skill position, so they take Powers-Johnson here to elevate the offense to the next level. The more protection Tua Tagovailoa gets, the more open speedsters like Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle can get, and Powers-Johnson is a bonafide center who can slot into the Dolphins offense right away.
Philadelphia Eagles: Alabama CB Kool-Aid McKinstry
Defense will be the way to go for a Philadelphia team who is already plenty talented on offense. McKinstry isn’t a perfect prospect, but his athleticism and ball-playing skills could be too good for the Eagles to pass up here.
Houston Texans: LSU WR Brian Thomas Jr.
Nabers is the higher-regarded LSU wideout of the two, of course, but Thomas Jr. is no slouch. He still caught 17 touchdowns for 1,177 yards in 2023 and could be a valuable addition to Houston’s wide receiving corps with Tank Dell and Nico Collins. C.J. Stroud would be pleased with this pick.
Dallas Cowboys: Oklahoma T Tyler Guyton
If the Cowboys pick in the first round and don’t pick an offensive lineman, did it really happen? All jokes aside, Guyton has played well at the tackle position at Oklahoma and could well be a young replacement for impending Cowboys free agent Tyron Smith.
Green Bay Packers: Texas DL Byron Murphy II
The Packers could be a sneaky contender to make a deep playoff run in 2024, and Byron Murphy II could help make that happen. He’s a bit short, but his explosiveness off the line could be a good piece for Green Bay’s defensive line going forward.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Alabama EDGE Chris Braswell
Braswell is the fifth Alabama player selected in this mock, and he fills a big need for the Bucs. Tampa Bay’s pass rush has been mediocre for the last two seasons, but Braswell could replace an aging Shaq Barrett and matchup with up-and-comers in Yaya Diaby and Calijah Kancey to make a fearsome defensive line. Todd Bowles would likely be a big fan of the strength and high-motor play Braswell brings to the table.
Arizona Cardinals: Oregon WR Troy Franklin
Yes, picking two wideouts in the first round may be unlikely, but Arizona needs a complete revamp of their wide receiving corps and this could be how they do it. While Harrison Jr. weighs over 200 pounds, Franklin is a smaller receiver who offers a lot of elite speed and could complement Harrison Jr. well as a No. 2 receiver.
Buffalo Bills: Arizona T Jordan Morgan
Another tackle here. Morgan did well for himself by increasing his stock at the senior bowl, and any more protection for QB Josh Allen could do well to open up Buffalo’s offense even further next year.
Detroit Lions: Missouri CB Ennis Rakestraw Jr.
Rakestraw Jr. is another late riser that may not be here. The Lions would love to take him if he is, though, as boosting their secondary that served as one of the NFL’s worst in 2023 could propel them back to an NFC title game with ease next year. The only thing to watch with Rakestraw Jr. is his rough injury history.
Baltimore Ravens: Georgia WR Ladd McConkey
With Ravens wideout Zay Flowers currently in the middle of an off-field investigation, McConkey would make sense as either a replacement for him or as someone who could compliment him and further open up the Ravens’ passing game with Lamar Jackson.
San Francisco 49ers: Washington T Troy Fautanu
Trent Williams obviously serves as perhaps the league’s best tackle, but adding one on the other side would help protect Brock Purdy even further. Fautanu could be a nice piece for a 49ers team that wants for very little heading into the offseason.
Kansas City Chiefs: Florida State WR Keon Coleman
The Chiefs are in dire need of weapons for Patrick Mahomes, and Coleman could be an imposing wideout to help out the offense. Coleman’s big size could serve as an effective one-on-one target for the Chiefs, but questions remain about his ability to separate at the point of attack.
