Josh Frey’s 2024 NFL Mock Draft (3.0): The Official Prediction
Josh Frey
|
Folks, it’s Christmas Eve in terms of the NFL calendar.
The 2024 NFL Draft officially gets started tomorrow evening, and after months of evaluations, it’s almost time for teams to officially select the players that will become the latest additions to their rosters. So, for one last time this spring, here is my 2024 NFL mock draft with predictions for how the first round will turn out.
Josh Frey’s 2024 NFL Mock Draft (3.0)
1. Chicago Bears: QB Caleb Williams, USC
The Bears solidified themselves into this pick as soon as they traded away Justin Fields. Caleb Williams is the best quarterback in this class, and he will become the latest QB to try and save Chicago.
2. Washington Commanders: QB Jayden Daniels, LSU
Last year, I made the mistake of buying into the Will Levis smoke with the second overall pick. I’m not falling for it this time around. Jayden Daniels has been the guy here for weeks. He’s the QB2 on my big board, and Washington takes their guy.
3. New England Patriots: QB Drake Maye, North Carolina
The Patriots very well could trade out of this pick, but they might be asking for too much from potential suitors. If that is the case, and they are unable to get a deal done, Drake Maye is the choice.
4. Arizona Cardinals: WR Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State
Marvin Harrison Jr. has the potential to be an immediate star in the NFL, and the Cardinals desperately need a WR1 for Kyler Murray.
5. Minnesota Vikings: QB J.J. McCarthy, Michigan
TRADE
- MIN gets: No. 5
- LAC gets: Nos. 11, 23, 2025 third-round pick
Somebody is going to move up for a quarterback in this draft at some point, and perhaps it’s a bit of Minnesota bias to have it be the Vikings. However, the Vikings simply have the best package to offer. They don’t reside in the AFC West either, so the Chargers opt to make a deal with Minnesota to select J.J. McCarthy.
6. New York Giants: WR Rome Odunze, Washington
Unable (or perhaps unwilling) to land a quarterback, the Giants go ahead and snatch another WR. Malik Nabers is higher on my personal board, but for the Giants, Rome Odunze might be a bit of a better fit because of his superior route-running skills as a true boundary player.
7. Tennessee Titans: OT Joe Alt, Notre Dame
It’s a boring pick that just about everyone is making, but it just makes sense. Joe Alt is the best offensive tackle in the class, and Tennessee desperately needs to make improvements at that position if Will Levis is going to have any success.
8. Atlanta Falcons: EDGE Dallas Turner, Alabama
Dallas Turner isn’t a very polished pass rusher yet, but he is an incredible athlete with great length. His profile fits exactly what the Falcons like in their draft picks.
9. Chicago Bears: OT JC Latham, Alabama
In a talented OT class, JC Latham is the only offensive lineman who will be in the green room on draft night. That indicates to me that he has an idea that he will go early in the first round, and he should. The Bears got their star quarterback in Caleb Williams, and now, they give him some more protection on the offensive line.
10. New York Jets: WR Malik Nabers, LSU
The Jets went all-in on winning now as soon as they traded for Aaron Rodgers. The 2023 season ended before it could get started, but Nabers can be another weapon to the arsenal as they attempt to make a run in 2024.
11. Los Angeles Chargers: OT Taliese Fuaga, Oregon State
Jim Harbaugh has made it pretty clear this offseason through some of his moves that he wants to be able to establish the run with the Chargers in 2024. LA needs more help on the righthand side of their offensive line regardless, so they go ahead and take an excellent right tackle in Taliese Fuaga.
12. Denver Broncos: QB Bo Nix, Oregon
The Broncos don’t own a second-round pick, so if they are going to go for a quarterback in this draft, they need to do so at No. 12. Bo Nix has a similar profile to that of Drew Brees, and Sean Payton will scoop him up.
13. Las Vegas Raiders: QB Michael Penix, Washington
There’s been a lot of smoke around the idea that the Raiders are enamored with Michael Penix, and it makes sense. The QB position is not necessarily strong at the moment, and Penix gets a chance to be the next leader of Las Vegas’ offense.
14. New Orleans Saints: OT Olu Fashanu, Penn State
The Saints just used a first-round pick on Trevor Penning in 2022, but that experiment hasn’t gone well so far. Add on that Ryan Ramcyzk simply isn’t reliable in terms of his health, and New Orleans needs to target an offensive tackle here. Fashanu can be their solution.
15. Indianapolis Colts: TE Brock Bowers, Georgia
It pains me to see Brock Bowers fall this far down the board, but at the end of the day, the Colts get a fantastic player at No. 15 to help solidify their receiving group around Anthony Richardson.
16. Seattle Seahawks: C Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon
The Seahawks have worked to solidify their offensive tackle spots, but they do need some help on the interior. Jackson Powers-Johnson can be a fantastic anchor for that group.
17. Jacksonville Jaguars: CB Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo
The Jaguars need to fix their pass rush, but their secondary has plenty of holes in it as well. Quinyon Mitchell is a fantastic prospect at the position and can work towards being a CB1 in Jacksonville.
18. Cincinnati Bengals: DT Byron Murphy, Texas
After snatching Myles Murphy last year, the Cincinnati Bengals now have a pair of Murphys on their defensive front to work alongside Trey Hendrickson.
19. Los Angeles Rams: DT Johnny Newton, Illinois
After Aaron Donald retired last month, the Rams have his replacement fall into their laps with Johnny Newton.
20. Pittsburgh Steelers: OL Graham Barton, Duke
If the Steelers are going to make this Russell Wilson experiment work, they need to work on improving their offensive line. Graham Barton may need to go to guard at the NFL level, but he can play tackle in a pinch.
21. Miami Dolphins: CB Cooper DeJean, Iowa
Xavien Howard is no longer in Miami, and they need to find a way to match their high-powered offense with an equally effective defense. Cooper DeJean can fill a number of different needs in that secondary.
22. Philadelphia Eagles: CB Terrion Arnold, Alabama
If we know anything about the Philadelphia Eagles, it’s that they love their SEC products. Their secondary let them down again and again in 2023, so they snatch up Terrion Arnold.
23. Los Angeles Chargers: WR Brian Thomas Jr., LSU
The Chargers need to take a receiver at some point in this draft. Brian Thomas being paired with Justin Herbert would be a ton of fun in Los Angeles.
24. Dallas Cowboys: EDGE Laiatu Latu, UCLA
Dallas certainly could target an offensive lineman here, but they need to start thinking about their future after Demarcus Lawrence. Laiatu Latu is a technician in the trenches who can help immediately and fill that need moving forward.
25. Green Bay Packers: OT Amarius Mims, Georgia
Amarius Mims’ collegiate experience is next to non-existent. However, when he was on the field, Mims displayed some fantastic pass-blocking ability. The Packers need help at tackle sooner rather than later.
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: EDGE Jared Verse, Florida State
Jared Verse is a powerful presence in the trenches, and playing alongside Vita Vea, the Buccaneers defense could overwhelm opposing offensive lines with this pairing.
27. Arizona Cardinals: EDGE Chop Robinson, Penn State
Chop Robinson is an elite athlete without a ton of production at the college level. However, if he pops at the NFL level, he can become a fantastic player off the edge. Arizona takes that chance as they try to rebuild their defense.
28. Buffalo Bills: WR Adonai Mitchell, Texas
The Bills need wide receiver talent if they are going to have any success in 2024. Adonai Mitchell can glide down the field and catch passes from Josh Allen.
29. Detroit Lions: DL Darius Robinson, Missouri
Aidan Hutchinson is emerging as one of the best edge rushers in the NFL, and now, Detroit pairs him with a very versatile player in Darius Robinson.
30. Baltimore Ravens: OT Tyler Guyton, Oklahoma
Preserving Lamar Jackson’s health should be at the forefront of Baltimore’s minds in this draft. Tyler Guyton can slide into the right tackle spot.
31. San Francisco 49ers: OT Jordan Morgan, Arizona
Trent Williams is about to turn 36 years old. They need a replacement plan, and Jordan Morgan is a player who can be that.
32. Kansas City Chiefs: WR Ladd McConkey, Georgia
Once again, wide receiver is near the top of the draft needs for the reigning Super Bowl champs. Ladd McConkey is fantastic at making plays in space, and he will fit right in with the Chiefs.
Vikings Mock Draft: A 7-Round Attempt at Predicting Minnesota’s Draft
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.