Well, now that the Kansas City Chiefs have won the Super Bowl, every other NFL team sees just how high the bar has been set. This means every team has to take a close look at their rosters and hope they can strike gold in the 2024 NFL draft.
With the Super Bowl in the rearview mirror, we have updated our big two-round mock draft that includes a lot of new faces in the first round.
We have decided to give in and not only make USC quarterback Caleb Williams the top pick but even project the Bears will trade away Justin Fields to make it happen. If Williams’ ceiling is Patrick Mahomes as some speculate, you just can’t pass on him.
A new regime in Washington means Sam Howell will be out and we think Drake Maye is the guy who can come in and utilize the talent on the Commanders roster and help this team win early like C.J. Stroud did in Houston.
The rebuild in New England begins and the centerpiece of head coach Jarod Mayo’s offense should be LSU’s Jayden Daniels. If they are willing to build an offense around him ala Lamar Jackson in Baltimore, he will be a star.
Whenever I mock a quarterback to the Cardinals the Kyler Murray Stans come out strong so here we go. Another year of Murray at quarterback and we give him the best offensive weapon in the draft to throw the football to.
This could be a pivot point in the first round for some big trades with the top offensive tackles left on the board but we are standing pat and giving the Chargers former LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers to give Justin Herbert an elite weapon.
There are plenty of spots the Giants could target here but Notre Dame’s Joe Alt is easily the top offensive tackle in this draft and an All-Pro sooner rather than later.
Big surprise pick here for the Falcons. They need a quarterback and there’s no guy moving up draft boards faster than Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy. Teams love his confidence, high football acumen and overall skill set.
This could be a spot where the Vikings shock everyone and take a quarterback but instead we go with something a little safer in Iowa do-it-all defensive back Cooper DeJean.
It’s crazy to think the Broncos could have their pick of the best edge rushers in the draft at No. 12 overall. We favor Dallas Turner because he’s got more experience dropping into coverage as a 3-4 outside linebacker.
If Taliese Fuaga impresses in offseason workouts, he could easily overtake Olu Fashanu and be the second offensive tackle off the board. For now he sticks at No. 3 and lands with the Raiders who need lots of help.
This is another prime spot for the fifth quarterback to come off the board or a trade back for the Saints. But if they can land an explosive edge defender like Jared Verse, they would just stay put.
There’s a lot of uncertainty with the Colts at multiple spots but cornerback is near the top of the list. It’s rare when one of the top two cornerbacks is still on the board in the middle of the round so Indianapolis doesn’t hesitate to select Nate Wiggins out of Clemson.
Seattle loves big, fast cornerbacks who thrive in man coverage and Terrion Arnold definitely fits the bill. We look for Arnold to have a huge offseason of workouts and keep climbing up boards.
Another prime spot for a quarterback pick but we don’t pull the trigger. Instead Toledo cornerback Quinyon Mitchell gives the Rams a lockdown man corner for the defense.
Center and cornerback are the Steelers two biggest draft needs so we opt for the top center in the entire draft instead of the fifth-best cornerback. Jackson Powers-Johnson is a mauler and 10-year starter in the league from day one.
The Dolphins offensive line was a wreck last season with injuries. Amarius Mims is an elite right tackle with tons of experience against top competition.
Philadelphia doesn’t have any huge needs but cornerback and defensive tackle stand out, especially if Fletcher Cox leaves. We went back and forth between Alabama cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry and Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy and finally settled on McKinstry.
Bryon Murphy doesn’t last long as the Texans come in and scoop him up one pick later. Murphy is a new name in the first round of our mock but as we have gone back and studied him, he really deserves to be among the top defenders in this draft.
We had mocked a cornerback here in the past but Cowboys fans are adamant that offensive tackle is a bigger need so this time around we opt for Oklahoma tackle Tyler Guyton.
The Packers need help along the offensive line and we love Duke’s Graham Barton as a guy who could stay at offensive tackle but could be even better if the kicks inside to guard.
For the Cardinals second first-round pick we just to the defensive side of the football Ennis Rakestraw is a little slight and needs to work on his zone coverage but exhibits elite man skills.
The Lions need to add some punch as a pass rusher to go along with Aidan Hutchinson and Laiatu Latu is a great all-around pick with some nice polish to his pass-rush moves.
We don’t love Jordan Morgan here as a prospect but offensive tackle is a real need for the Ravens so if Baltimore doesn’t trade back, this pick makes a lot of sense.
The 49ers don’t have a ton of needs but with starting right guard John Feliciano a free agent, Washington’s Troy Fautanu is a great pick to replace him.
The Chiefs could go with an offensive tackle here if one of the top ones falls but without that, Oregon wide receiver Troy Franklin makes a lot of sense. As much as Rashee Rice has come along, the Chiefs offense needs a deep threat like Franklin.
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