Super Bowl LVIII is set, as the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers will face off Feb. 11 in Las Vegas. The East-West Shrine Bowl and the Senior Bowl will take place this week. Draft season is right around the corner.
In today's thought exercise, we explore how quarterbacks being taken with the first three picks would impact the rest of the first round. If LSU's Jayden Daniels is the second quarterback drafted, how long would Drake Maye wait to hear his name called?
Without further ado, let's kick this off!
For more draft coverage, you can hear in-depth analysis twice a week on "With the First Pick" -- our year-round NFL Draft podcast with NFL Draft analyst Ryan Wilson and former Vikings general manager Rick Spielman. You can find "With the First Pick" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, etc. Listen to the latest episode below!
NFL Mock Draft
Round 1
From
Carolina Panthers
Round 1 - Pick 1
Caleb Williams is in a tier of his own at the quarterback position. Chicago's actions this offseason have convinced me that it intends to stick at No. 1 overall and pick a quarterback. The Bears do not get the insane return from a trade, but they are able to recoup some of that by moving Justin Fields.
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Round 1 - Pick 2
To this point, I think everyone's assumption has been that Drake Maye is going to be taken second once Caleb Williams is gone. While I do believe that is the most likely outcome, it would be naïve not to acknowledge that other possibilities exist. Jayden Daniels had a better season in 2023 than Maye.
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Round 1 - Pick 3
New England scoops up Drake Maye after quarterbacks are taken with the first two selections. The Patriots are starting semi-fresh with Jerod Mayo replacing Bill Belichick. I can not imagine Mayo is excited about beginning his term as head coach with Mac Jones as his quarterback.
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Round 1 - Pick 4
Arizona needs to stack talent, and that is exactly what it accomplishes at No. 4 overall with the selection of wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. Kyler Murray is back for another season and now has a talent that can help him take that next step as a player.
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Round 1 - Pick 5
Los Angeles may move on from one or both of Keenan Allen and Mike Williams this offseason. The depletion of pass catcher(s) is neutralized with the selection of Brock Bowers. Justin Herbert will have a new head coach, new general manager and a new tight end next season.
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Round 1 - Pick 6
Rome Odunze has his share of supporters, but Malik Nabers is my No. 2 wide receiver. New York is out of the mix for a quarterback, so it invests in the one already on its roster. Wan'Dale Robinson, Jalin Hyatt and Nabers is a good group to build around.
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Round 1 - Pick 7
Tennessee hired an offensive-minded head coach. One would think that Brian Callahan's vision for the organization involved building around Will Levis. The selection of Joe Alt allows the Titans to put that plan in motion.
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Round 1 - Pick 8
Opposing quarterbacks were feeling pretty comfortable against Atlanta's pass rush last season. Dallas Turner gives the Falcons a player capable of moving the needle. Quarterback is still a concern, but there are none available worthy of this consideration unless a team falls in love with J.J. McCarthy.
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Round 1 - Pick 9
Chicago ranked dead last at one point in sack production. The acquisition of Montez Sweat at the trade deadline allowed for the franchise to precipitously move up the pecking order, but the Bears throw their climb into hyperdrive with the addition of Jared Verse.
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Round 1 - Pick 10
Many believed New York would select an offensive tackle in last year's draft, but the emphasis is even greater this year with Aaron Rodgers returning. The Jets are going to go all in on the upcoming season because it could be Rodgers' last, and Robert Saleh's job is on the line if the team has another disappointing season.
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Round 1 - Pick 11
Edge rusher is a very popular pick for Minnesota and will remain as such until it is learned whether Marcus Davenport and/or Danielle Hunter will return next season. Plus, D.J. Wonnum will be coming back from injury.
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Round 1 - Pick 12
Quarterback is at the forefront of Denver's offseason plans given the Russell Wilson situation. As it stands, the Broncos draft Terrion Arnold and pair him with Patrick Surtain II.
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Round 1 - Pick 13
Las Vegas is moving in another direction after starting Jimmy Garoppolo and Aidan O'Connell last season. J.J. McCarthy is a prospect who should benefit from the pre-draft process, as he is able to effectively display his potential.
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Round 1 - Pick 14
Beyond Chris Olave, New Orleans has little more to build around in the pass game. Rome Odunze is a bigger target with surprising versatility. It is likely we will be discussing the quarterback position as it relates to the Saints again next season, but for now, the focus is on adding another pass-catcher for Derek Carr.
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Round 1 - Pick 15
Indianapolis found quality depth at cornerback in last year's draft but need that one player capable of being the alpha who can work on an island.
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Round 1 - Pick 16
Seattle acquired Leonard Williams midseason, but he is slated to hit free agency. The Seahawks draft Byron Murphy II to account for that loss. Murphy is one of the fastest rising prospects in this class.
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Round 1 - Pick 17
Quinyon Mitchell is expected to test really well. When combined with his physical profile and aggressiveness on the football field, Mitchell should become a staple in first-round projections.
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Round 1 - Pick 18
Jonah Williams is expected to test free agency. Fortunately, there is a wealth of offensive tackle options available in this draft. JC Latham has been a popular choice in top-10 projections but falls to the Bengals midway through the first round.
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Round 1 - Pick 19
Los Angeles is in an interesting position because it has older players like Aaron Donald and Matthew Stafford, which could lead it to go all in next season. However, the Rams also added impactful, young talent throughout the 2023 NFL Draft. They could build around those players. Offensive tackle is a position of need for this organization.
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Round 1 - Pick 20
Pittsburgh takes an offensive tackle in the first round for the second consecutive year. The identity of this franchise now and always has been physicality and wearing teams down in the trenches. The defensive line is a very healthy group, so emphasis turns to offensive tackle. I would also expect the Steelers to be aggressive in adding a veteran quarterback.
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Round 1 - Pick 21
Miami has struggled with offensive line injuries over the past two years. Troy Fautanu has positional flexibility that addresses those injuries, but also gives the Dolphins options to replace their interior offensive linemen eligible for free agency.
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Round 1 - Pick 22
Philadelphia is likely to lose Jason Kelce this offseason, but it has been preparing for that inevitability. The team has drafted Landon Dickerson and Cam Jurgens over the past two years. An opening at guard could be created with all of the re-shuffling. Jordan Morgan has played left tackle but also has the profile to move inside.
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From
Cleveland Browns
Round 1 - Pick 23
San Francisco's pass rush came at opponents in waves. DeMeco Ryans was accustomed to having that depth and flexibility at his disposal. He now has his own version in Houston with Jon Greenard, Will Anderson Jr. and now Robinson.
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Round 1 - Pick 24
Tyron Smith is scheduled to hit free agency. If he departs, that could trigger a re-shuffling of Dallas' own. Tyler Smith has played guard but also played left tackle when the former Smith was injured. If he flips back out to left tackle, then the Cowboys will need some help on the interior.
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Round 1 - Pick 25
It was announced last week that defensive coordinator Joe Barry will not return to Green Bay. The Packers draft Kool-Aid McKinstry to compete with Carrington Valentine and create depth.
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Round 1 - Pick 26
Mike Evans has played out the final year of his contract. Baker Mayfield is expected to return next season, but there has been less speculation about Evans, who produced his 10th 1,000 receiving yards season in as many years. The selection of Brian Thomas Jr. provides Tampa Bay with some salary cap relief while retaining a supreme talent at the position.
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From
Houston Texans
Round 1 - Pick 27
Arizona first selected stellar wide receiver talent Marvin Harrison Jr. and now give him some practice competition with Cooper DeJean. Arizona is one of two teams with two first-round selections (Chicago being the other).
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Round 1 - Pick 28
Buffalo's season ended in frustrating fashion yet again. Kansas City looked vulnerable for the first time in the Patrick Mahomes era, and the Bills were still unable to overcome that hurdle.
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Round 1 - Pick 29
Detroit has been adding building blocks ever since making the Matthew Stafford trade. The Lions will not have Los Angeles' first-round pick for the first time in three years. Kamari Lassiter gives the Lions a player who could be within the organization for a decade rather than the short-term options they have been adding to fill a need recently.
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Round 1 - Pick 30
Odell Beckham Jr. is a free agent after the season and Rashod Bateman has not been reliable. Keon Coleman is a bigger-bodied target who can win down the field for Lamar Jackson. He should pair nicely with Zay Flowers and Mark Andrews.
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Round 1 - Pick 31
Chris Jones is slated to become a free agent after re-negotiating his deal last offseason. The Chiefs could have already used depth additions to that room, so the selection of the high-motor Jer'Zhan Newton comes at the perfect time.
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Round 1 - Pick 32
It is safe to assume San Francisco's short-term plans include Brock Purdy and Christian McCaffrey. It would make sense for the 49ers to divert draft assets towards an offensive line that can aid the overall outlook of both players.
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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.
