We're less than a month away from the 2024 NFL Draft and we still have uncertainty at the top, with a trade up (or two) likely but not yet finalized. And with four quarterbacks and three receivers, coupled with the best offensive line class in recent memory, we may see additional jostling up the board from playoff-bound teams hoping to grab an elite talent at the top.
In this mock draft, we have two teams trading into the two four for a "franchise quarterback", the Cardinals déjà vu from a year ago in their draft maneuvering, and the Bills making a big leap to get their Stefon Diggs replacement.
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NFL Mock Draft
Round 1
From
Carolina Panthers
Round 1 - Pick 1
Caleb Williams going first overall is set in stone. The question really will come down to how they want to use the rest of their draft. Fascinated to see if they use the ninth pick to add more weapons to their offense, trade down for more picks, or bank on Williams and their off-season additions to be enough for their offense.
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Round 1 - Pick 2
I expect to see a lot of reports the next few weeks of their interest in Daniels, Drake Maye and JJ McCarthy. Good chance the Commanders already know who they're taking at this point, and Daniels feels like a good fit for Kliff Kingsbury's offense.
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Mock Trade from
New England Patriots
Round 1 - Pick 3
First of what should be a trade-active first round. Whether it's the Patriots or another team picking, I'd expect Drake Maye to be this pick. The Vikings are maybe the best rookie quarterback situation of any team in the market during the draft, and Maye can learn behind Sam Darnold for at least the start of his rookie year.
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Mock Trade from
Arizona Cardinals
Round 1 - Pick 4
If the Patriots and Vikings make a trade at the third pick, I'd almost bank on the Broncos trading up here. Sean Payton has had great success with quarterbacks in the past, and their team is actually well-built for a rookie quarterback to come in early and win games.
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Round 1 - Pick 5
Many project the Chargers to draft a receiver with this pick (if they don't trade down), but Alt would may be a better fit for what Jim Harbaugh wants to do. Plus, it's a very deep receiver class, and they may look to draft two in the first four rounds instead of taking one here at 5.
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Round 1 - Pick 6
If the top four quarterbacks are gone, the Giants may view it wiser to punt on taking a quarterback until 2025 (if at all) and keep their offensive firepower a strength. Adding the best receiver in the draft would be a major win for Daniel Jones and Brian Daboll for a rebound 2025 season.
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Mock Trade from
Tennessee Titans
Round 1 - Pick 7
After moving down earlier, the Cardinals trade back up (just like they did a year ago) to get an elite vertical receiver to replace Hollywood Brown and develop into their premier offensive weapon. The Cardinals can likely net out at least one extra first round pick in the trade down and then back up.
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Round 1 - Pick 8
The Falcons may look to move down from the eighth pick to a team looking for a top receiver or offensive tackle ahead of the Bears/Jets/Patriots, but with the Bears considering a potential edge rusher as well, the Falcons might just stay put and add another EDGE opposite Arnold Ebiketie.
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Round 1 - Pick 9
The Bears may look to trade down, as they'll only have a handful of picks in their entire draft after this one. But the chance to add Rome Odunze to a DJ Moore and Keenan Allen receiver room can really set Caleb Williams up for success immediately.
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Round 1 - Pick 10
The Jets only have four offensive linemen under contract for the 2025 season, and either picking an OL here or trading back and grabbing one (and a few more picks) may be their best option. But the chance to add Brock Bowers in what should be a win-now season feels too exciting to pass up for an Aaron Rodgers-led offense.
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Mock Trade from
Minnesota Vikings
Round 1 - Pick 11
In this mock, the Patriots opted to trade down and pass on a potential franchise quarterback to instead set up their future quarterback (drafted or signed in 2025) for success. Olu Fashanu would've been a top-five pick in last year's draft, and they're able to get the plug and play left tackle here along with adding multiple first round picks.
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Mock Trade from
Arizona Cardinals
Round 1 - Pick 12
The Titans may stay at seventh overall and take JC Latham if Joe Alt is already gone, but in this scenario, they can trade back, add an extra Day 2 pick, and still nab a cornerstone left tackle to protect Will Levis.
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Round 1 - Pick 13
Kolton Miller is strong as their left tackle for the future, but the Raiders need to add more offensive line help to support Aidan O'Connell/Gardner Minshew for 2024. Mims can play right tackle early in his career, giving the team two high upside, immensely talented bookend tackles.
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Round 1 - Pick 14
The Saints may prefer to add an offensive tackle to push Trevor Penning inside, but in this scenario, adding Troy Fautanu as the best lineman available makes the most sense. Both he and Penning may be better suited at guard, but both have awesome talent and if one can be a capable left tackle, the Saints can reestablish a strong offensive line.
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Mock Trade from
Indianapolis Colts
Round 1 - Pick 15
After trading Stefon Diggs and recouping a second round pick, the Bills likely will be looking to make a major jump up the draft board. It's unlikely they'll be able to get into the top-nine overall picks to secure the presumptive "top-three," but Brian Thomas Jr. is firmly in the upper echelon (making him a "top-four" for some teams) and gives the Bills a vertical threat for the future.
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Round 1 - Pick 16
The Seahawks may look to bolster their interior offensive line with this pick, but Byron Murphy II is too good of a talent to pass at this point. Seattle already has talent on its defensive line, but keeping its defensive front seven a strength has served it well in the past.
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Round 1 - Pick 17
The Jaguars added to their edge rusher, receiver and cornerback rooms this offseason, allowing them to be more practical and take the best player available in the draft, but all three positions could still be targets. Quinyon Mitchell may go five to seven picks earlier than this, so to get him at 17 would be a great value.
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Round 1 - Pick 18
The Bengals added Trent Brown this offseason as their potential starting right tackle, but Fuaga can slide in as their long-term answer as well as rookie season depth at guard.
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Round 1 - Pick 19
The Rams have already added to their secondary, but adding one more (long-term) piece may be the final move towards ensuring their defense can win shootouts their offense aims to be in next year. DeJean can play outside corner, slot and safety as a rookie for the Rams.
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Round 1 - Pick 20
The Steelers have often been mocked to draft an interior offensive lineman, but cornerback may be just as important a need. In this deep offensive line class, the Steelers may opt to find a long-term running mate for Joey Porter Jr, and Arnold can make a formidable duo.
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Round 1 - Pick 21
If the board falls like this, Miami can replace Christian Wilkins, who it had to let walk in free agency, with one of the best two IDL in the draft class. If Newton/Murphy are gone, which is strongly possible, the Dolphins may have to force drafting an interior offensive lineman here. Instead, they get Newton to be a defensive front seven cornerstone.
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Round 1 - Pick 22
The Eagles, as usual, have addressed all of their needs this offseason, and could look at a variety of options, including cornerback, edge rusher, offensive line and receiver. They can likely find receiver and offensive line depth later in the draft, but corners like McKinstry may be tougher to come by later in the draft.
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Mock Trade from
Minnesota Vikings
Round 1 - Pick 23
Jared Verse could easily go in the top-10 (he has some similarities to Montez Sweat) so the Patriots stealing him at 23 after trading down would give this team two players who were mocked to be top-10 picks a year ago. Add a receiver in the second round, and the Patriots could be competitive in 2024.
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Round 1 - Pick 24
The Cowboys would likely prefer a left tackle to keep Tyler Smith at guard, but Graham Barton to be their left guard of the future would continue their long tradition of having a powerful, complete offensive line. Barton should be sought after from picks 17 to 26.
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Round 1 - Pick 25
The Packers may look to move up a few spots and grab Graham Barton if he ended up in the 20s, but here they stay put and give Quay Walker a running mate at linebacker in Edgerrin Cooper. The Packers have used their first-round pick on a defensive player every year but one for more than a decade.
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Round 1 - Pick 26
The Bucs, like many teams, may want to grab Graham Barton if he slips into the 20s, but if they stay put, grabbing a top cornerback to help replace Carlton Davis may be a priority.
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From
Houston Texans
Round 1 - Pick 27
Ruke Orhorhoro likely would've been a first-round pick a year ago, and I'd expect him to be one this year. The Cardinals already added a premier receiver, and with this pick they can address their biggest need: defensive tackle.
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Round 1 - Pick 28
The Colts move down drastically, add a future first-round pick and still can add a standout cornerback in Renardo Green. Green displayed NFL starter-ability after shutting down Malik Nabers early in the season, and he'll be asked to start early in his NFL career in Indianapolis.
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Round 1 - Pick 29
Detroit is known for not caring about where other teams have players ranked nor perceived positional value. Tyler Nubin isn't talked about as a potential first-round pick, but I believe he'll be the first safety taken. And even in an era now where safeties are "devalued," adding Nubin to their defensive backfield can make it an elite, complete unit.
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Round 1 - Pick 30
There's a very good chance Mike Sainristil goes in the top-40 picks of the draft, and for a team like the Ravens who could use a nickel upgrade and have few needs elsewhere, adding a Tyrann Mathieu-like impact corner can be a massive addition in their Super Bowl window.
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Mock Trade from
San Francisco 49ers
Round 1 - Pick 31
The Panthers move up two spots here to grab Xavier Worthy before the Chiefs can. The Panthers have some talent at receiver, but no one with the big-play ability that Worthy has. He can give Bryce Young a Jaylen Waddle-like weapon he had at Alabama.
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Round 1 - Pick 32
With Marquise Brown on a one-year contract and Rashee Rice's 2024 prospects in limbo, the Chiefs can't afford to pass on a receiver early in the draft. Adonai Mitchell has elite talent, and there's no better quarterback to maximize his potential than Patrick Mahomes.
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The 2024 NFL Draft will take place from April 25-27 in Detroit. More draft coverage can be found at CBSSports.com, including the weekly updated draft order and a regularly available look at the eligible prospects.
