Quarter-Season 2024 NFL Mock Draft

 Is it too early? BANG! Mock drafts are back. My favorite type of writing to do on this website so I say it really is never too early to start. It is fun doing these early and then seeing just how far off they end up being during draft season. Half of these guys may not end up being first round picks at all, let alone where in the first round. This is a loaded QB draft and a draft with an overall very top heavy set of prospects. Lets get into this and laugh at it down the road!

*draft order based on current league standings*

1. Chicago Bears select: Caleb Williams, Quarterback, USC

Who knows if Caleb Williams will even leave for the draft if he does not like the team picking number 1, but until we hear otherwise, you can etch him in here at the top spot for pretty much ANY team who is picking here. Pretty much half the league or maybe more would ditch their current starter and start over with this guy. This is the best QB prospect we've seen in YEARS. Better than Trevor Lawrence, better than Andrew Luck. This guy is probably at the level of a Peyton Manning in terms of pre-draft hype and expectations. And I buy them completely. What can't Williams do? He has the durability necessary for today's game. He can move (essential in today's game). He has crazy arm strength and can make ANY throw. His pro comparison pretty much unanimously is Patrick fricken' Mahomes. The best QB in the NFL. Caleb Williams has already won the Heisman once, and he is the current favorite to win it again. This is a generational talent and the Bears (or again, any team) would ditch their guy for him. Justin Fields can be moved easily and Chicago can start over and build around this guy. 

2. Chicago Bears (via CAR) select: Marvin Harrison Jr., Wide Receiver, Ohio State

As if having the same name as Hall of Fame wideout Marvin Harrison (his dad of course) wasn't enough. Junior quite honestly may end up being BETTER, which feels insane to say about one of the best wide receivers ever, but it is true. Another generational prospect, and as of now, the Bears have a chance to land BOTH of these guys. MHJ does everything. He is an insane route runner, has elite size for a receiver at 6'4 but boasts 4.3 level speed as well. Elite hands, and just does everything in between. He will be a bona fide WR1 the second he steps onto the field in the NFL. If the Bears could land Williams and Harrison, holy shit would they have an insane young duo for the future.

3. Las Vegas Raiders select: Drake Maye, Quarterback, North Carolina

The Raiders luck out if they wind up with pick 3 here. They desperately need their franchise QB, and while there are many enticing prospects in this class, Williams and Maye are the top two, blue chip guys that feel like shoe-ins to be Pro Bowlers or better in the NFL. Maye reminds me a lot of Justin Herbert. He moves well, is huge (with a huge arm), and just seems to have the IT factor. 

4. Denver Broncos select: Jared Verse, Edge Rusher, Florida State

The draft really starts here. It feels like the first three guys off the board are going to go in some order no matter who picks there. Four is where it gets interesting. If Denver continues to struggle in the ways they have and end up in this spot, Jared Verse feels like the pick. In a class where no one edge prospect really stands far above the others in the conversation, I like Verse the best. He almost came out last year but decided to stay one more year, and he remains in top 5 conversation. Verse checks all the boxes physically and has shown great production and flashes of greatness as well in both run defense and pass rush. Denver just cut Randy Gregory which only adds to their huge need along the D-line.

5. Minnesota Vikings select: Shedeur Sanders, Quarterback, Colorado

This apparently is a hot take here, but I don't see why. While there are many QBs who will be in first round consideration this year, pretty much none (other than Williams) have a higher ceiling than Shedeur Sanders. Throughout the first few weeks of college football, Sanders and the Boulder Buffs have set the nation on fire with some of their signature wins and eye-popping moments. Shedeur Sanders may not be super refined yet, but he's just a prospect. He has elite speed for the QB position, a cannon for an arm, and has the ability to create off-script plays like some of the NFL's best. Aside from Travis Hunter, he doesn't have a ton of talent he's working with on the offense and he is still making it look pretty. His upside is tantalizing and if the Vikings were here at 5, he's a perfect fit. Kevin O'Connell is an offensive genius and Sanders could learn the system and sit and learn behind Kirk Cousins for a year before getting to throw to Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and TJ Hockenson. Sanders may not declare, but if he does, expect him to go higher than people might think. He will be a combine warrior.

6. New York Jets select: Olu Fashanu, Offensive Tackle, Penn State

Olu was the top tackle in the 2023 class before surprising many and returning for another season at Penn State. It doesn't change much for him at the moment, as I still have him as the top OT in the class once again. The Jets are in desperate need of tackle help, as evidenced by the Aaron Rodgers freak injury, and if they were able to land Fashanu, it would do wonders for a team who is already looking forward to how good they may be in 2024. QB could be the pick here too, but I like to think the Jets will give another all-in push with Aaron Rodgers under center next year.

7. New England Patriots select: Riley Leonard, Quarterback, Duke

This has to be the first time a Duke and UNC QB both go in the top 10 ever. The Patriots will be interesting all off-season as it is starting to become clear that they don't view Mac Jones as their long term guy anymore unless he can turn it up the rest of the way this year. Through four weeks, it is not looking good. Riley Leonard on the other hand, has had a great couple of weeks to start the year for Duke. He and the Blue Devils are ranked and have surprised many. Leonard feels like a Bill Belichick pick. Duke kid. Big kid. Smart. Doesn't make a lot of mistakes. He's actually pretty mobile and sometimes searches for contact (take that as a win or a loss), and he has just a good arm in general. Leonard feels like a high floor guy, and the Patriots would probably take a swing on him if they were here at 7 and unable to get one of those top 3 guys. Four QBs in the top 7 should tell you how good this class is.

8. Cincinnati Bengals select: Brock Bowers, Tight End, Georgia

I'd say Brock Bowers is probably the fourth and final blue chip prospect in this class. He really looks generational. How often can you say that a Tight End is carrying your team to the no. 1 ranking in CFB? Pretty much never. Brock Bowers looks to be potentially a better prospect than Kyle Pitts was, who went 4th overall a few years back amidst the hype. There isn't much from a TE standpoint that this guy can't do, and with how rare an elite TE is in today's game, it makes him all the more valuable. I don't expect the Bengals to actually pick in the top 10, but if their season continues to spiral out of control, then they would be over the moon to add him to this high octane offense. Imagine Bowers joining Chase and Higgins. Box office.

9. Arizona Cardinals select: Kool-Aid McKinstry, Cornerback, Alabama

If the Cardinals land in a position where they could select Caleb Williams or Drake Maye, I believe they would and move on from Kyler Murray. But in this current scenario, they are too far down the board to get one of those guys so they give Murray another chance and decide to get arguably the best player on the board here. Kool-Aid has the KOOLest name in the draft, and he is the best corner in the draft too. He has the size and all the makings of the coverage ability to get it done at the next level and become a star. The Cardinals desperately need CB help and they would be happy to get McKinstry here.

10. New York Giants select: Quinn Ewers, Quarterback, Texas

That's FIVE QBs in the top 10. They are all so close in ranking that it is impossible to even have a good sense of what order they may go in aside from the first two. Ewers is off to an impressive start to 2023 and if it continues and he dominates the pre-draft process like I would expect from an athlete like him, he could end up being the third QB off the board. Ewers can run and has an INSANE arm, he just struggles with accuracy sometimes. That is the worry, but NFL coaching can help. The Giants look doomed with Daniel Jones, and picking this high, Brian Daboll would love to pick his own guy and build him up. Ewers has a little Josh Allen in him in terms of the arm at least and I could see Daboll falling in love and making the pick. Jones may start for the beginning of next season but once Ewers is ready he could come in and be the potential future of the franchise. Jones is very moveable after next season.

11. Green Bay Packers select: Joe Alt, Offensive Tackle, Notre Dame

It is always so hard to mock for the Packers, and so here I'm going best player available which also happens to fill a need for them. Star tackle David Bahktiari is always injured and getting up there in age, they need to start looking for a replacement. Alt has been the king of consistency during his time for the Irish and would be a plug and play day 1 stud for the Pack. This one feels safe and easy. 

12. New Orleans Saints select: Dallas Turner, Edge Rusher, Alabama

The Saints are a pretty well rounded team, despite their early season struggles. With no glaring need, I'm going to go edge rusher here as they are getting older there and always could use depth. While the top edge rushers are all within whispering distance of each other, I'm taking Dallas Turner here because of his upside and what we've seen from him. I feel like by the end of the season, he will be even higher in rankings. 

13. Arizona Cardinals (via HOU) select: Rome Odunze, Wide Receiver, Washington

With their second 1st-rounder here, after going defense earlier, I'm gonna give them some offense. In this scenario, they are sticking with Kyler Murray, and if they want him to succeed, they will get him some more help outside of just speedster Hollywood Brown who is better as a WR2. Odunze is the whole package. At 6'3, he has elite height for the position but also 4.3 speed. He has made all of the catches you can imagine during his productive tenure at UW. It is a crowded race for WR2 in this class, but Odunze has the production and talent to be the early favorite for that title.

14. Houston Texans (via CLE) select: Kris Jenkins, Defensive Tackle, Michigan

The Texans could go a number of different ways here with their pick, but I am sort of going best player available with Kris Jenkins from Michigan. He has potential to be one of those Chris Jones type game-wreckers on the interior of a DL. He has great speed/overall athleticism despite his monster size and creates pressures left and right. DeMeco Ryans knows the importance of having a DT like that on his roster from his time as the Niners' DC. He will be all over this guy if he is not already selected by this pick.

15. Los Angeles Chargers select: Cooper DeJean, Cornerback, Iowa

It is also really hard to rank the CBs at this point in the year for this class. Deciding between a couple of guys, I decided to have Cooper DeJean as my no. 2 CB in the class right now. DeJean has great size at 6'1 and has been absolutely lockdown for the Hawkeyes thus far in the season, not allowing even 100 total yards yet total on the year. The Chargers continue to get torched most weeks and have to win shootouts seemingly every single game. The failed experiment of JC Jackson confirms to me that CB is their biggest need right now. DeJean could step in and fill a huge void for this team.

16. Jacksonville Jaguars select: Jer'Zhan Newton, Defensive Tackle, Illinois

The Jags don't have many glaring holes on their roster right now, but their DL has been underwhelming despite how much draft capital and money they have put into it. Enter one of the most productive D-linemen in the country in, with Jer'Zhan Newton, and that could change. He has high upside, but he actually has the production to go with it as well, something the Jags have not had in some of their highly selected D-linemen recently (*cough cough* Travon Walker). Newton is a pressures machine and would be a huge add to this DL.

17. Washington Commanders select: Amarius Mims, Offensive Tackle, Georgia

The Commanders are going OL here. There is no way around it. Their OL has simply been historically bad, and they need to invest in it. Amarius Mims is a guy who has burst onto the scene for no. 1 ranked Georgia this year and looks to be their next first round OT. He is absolutely huge at 6'7 and over 340 pounds, but has shown real technique and production as well. He has high upside and already has a high floor too. This would go a long way for the Commanders, especially because I do think Sam Howell can be their QB of the future.

18. Los Angeles Rams select: JJ McCarthy, Quarterback, Michigan

The Rams totally might pass on QB here, but with Matthew Stafford banged up lately and getting up there in age, it would be smart of this team to go QB and let him learn before unleashing him. Sean McVay has a system where pretty much any QB forced into action has thrived in, and that should be no problem for a guy like McCarthy who is super talented and productive in his own right. McCarthy can move and has an accurate arm along with a good head on his shoulders in terms of making decisions. McVay would love to mold this guy. 

19. Atlanta Falcons select: Michael Penix Jr., Quarterback, Washington

ANOTHER QB! While Penix is making a play for the Heisman right now, he won't likely go as high as he deserves due to his age. He is a 6th year player in college and will be 24 next season, but for a team who can start him day 1 like the Falcons, that doesn't matter as much. This would be a perfect landing spot for him. They have a great O-line and an insane set of weapons on their offense. Penix has a cannon for an arm and would love to let it rip to Drake London, Kyle Pitts, and co. and have Bijan Robinson with him in the fold as well. This would be a lot of fun for Arthur Smith. 

20. Indianapolis Colts select: Malik Nabers, Wide Receiver, LSU

It is clear that the Colts have found their franchise QB in Anthony Richardson, as he has shown early success and tons of flashes of greatness. Now this front office needs to surround him with weapons. With Michael Pittman Jr. as a great WR1 option, the Colts go wideout here in Malik Nabers to be an elite WR2 option for Richardson. Nabers might be the fastest receiver in the class and has produced in the SEC. Richardson's huge arm and Nabers' speed and deep threat ability is a dream combination. 

21. Pittsburgh Steelers select: JC Latham, Offensive Tackle, Alabama

I don't see the Steelers throwing in the towel on Kenny Pickett just yet, even if the offensive struggles continue, so I'm not going QB here. There aren't many glaring needs with these Steelers but their OL could definitely be improved and JC Latham is too good to still be here, so that is the pick. Latham has been incredible starting for the Tide and has let up just one sack in his whole career. After getting Broderick Jones in this past draft's first round, they go back to back with Bama's Latham and have their bookend tackles of the future.

22. Tennessee Titans select: Emeka Egbuka, Wide Receiver, Ohio State

This guy could be the second receiver off the board for all we know. We know he is electric and super talented, we just don't see it as much as we can with Marvin Harrison Jr. running the show for Ohio State. Still, Egbuka has had his times with MHJ injured or with Jaxon Smith-Njigba injured and he has shown out. DeAndre Hopkins will not be in Tennessee forever and Treylon Burks does not look like a future WR1. With Will Levis or Malik Willis likely the future QB in Tennessee, they will need a receiving core to have any chance of success. Adding Egbuka would be huge.

23. Seattle Seahawks select: Mike Sainristil, Defensive Back, Michigan

Seattle really doesn't have any glaring needs right now, and with all the top talent left on the board at positions they are really great at, I went with a bit of a flier here in Mike Sainristil of Michigan. This guy is a ball-hawk who can play all over the secondary. Seattle loves its versatility there and with Jamal Adams always injured and Quandre Diggs getting up there in age, adding a young Safety who plays the type of way Pete Carroll loves makes sense here. If this was real life this is no doubt a classic Seattle trade back spot. 

24. Dallas Cowboys select: Kalen King, Cornerback, Penn State

With Trevon Diggs out for the season with injury, we have already seen the fallout in Dallas. They can't cover nearly as well, and it might be a problem down the stretch. Stephon Gillmore is clearly not a long term answer there either. Kalen King has a case for CB1 in the class, we will find out in the coming weeks. He is smaller but has lockdown traits and could be a plug and play starter opposite Diggs next season. Dallas has had some recent success drafting Penn State defenders, one could say.

25. Detroit Lions: Leonard Taylor III, Defensive Tackle, Miami

The Lions could go a number of different ways here, but I sort of went best player available which happens to be at a spot of need. The Lions know they could stand to improve along the DL, particularly the interior of it, and Leonard Taylor has quite the upside. He has been somewhat of a rotational guy at Miami but has made the most of it when he is on the field. This guy is another pressure machine and could be an elite player playing with this motivated and young Lion team.

26. Miami Dolphins select: Laiatu Latu, Edge Rusher, UCLA

We know how good this Dolphin offense is, that is not the problem, the problem is the defense. The Bills torched them this past week and they need to get better, especially on the DL. If this were real life, this could end up being a major steal. Some people have him as a top 10 pick prospect right now. Latu has all the upside in the world with his athleticism and speed despite his large frame but just has to turn it into production. DC Vic Fangio could get the most out of this guy and he could become a star in South Beach.

27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers select: Bo Nix, Quarterback, Oregon

This marks EIGHT 1st-round QBs in this mock. That would be a record, and it is completely plausible too. Nix has been great this year at Oregon and while he is older for a prospect, at this point in the first round, it would be a worthy risk. Baker Mayfield has looked solid for the Bucs thus far, but unless he keeps it up for the entire season, I bet Tampa is in the QB market this coming off-season. Nix would be a day 1 ready starter for the Bucs and potentially their guy for the future. He has a great arm and traits you look for in a franchise guy, why wouldn't Tampa roll the dice here. 

28. Buffalo Bills select: Max Melton, Cornerback, Rutgers

I seriously considered both WR and RB here, but winded up going with someone who feels like a Bills pick. We know the Bills like to take CBs early (Tre White, Kaiir Elam, etc.) and Max Melton is a CB prospect rising up boards right now. With Elam already looking like a bust in Buffalo and Tre White oft injured and out for the season currently, Buffalo has a huge need at the position. Melton has good size and has absolute track speed to keep up with anyone. Melton could be a plug and play guy in Buffalo. 

29. Baltimore Ravens select: Raheim "Rocket" Sanders, Running Back, Arkansas

I know it's bold to mock an RB in the first round, especially this far out where we don't know a ton, but this is a Baltimore pick. They go with big names and big time talent over everything, year in and year out. The Ravens don't have a ton of glaring needs but seem to be rotating through Gus Edwards and Justice Hill every single year. JK Dobbins is just too unreliable with injury and it is totally limiting the Ravens' offense. Imagine they had an S tier RB every season to pair up with Lamar Jackson. How fricken' hard to stop would they be on offense?! Rocket Sanders is electric. He can do everything you need from an RB. Rocket Sanders would take this offense to new heights in 2024.

30. San Francisco 49ers select: Johnny Wilson, Wide Receiver, Florida State

I know its early, but Johnny Wilson is my early draft crush. He might not end up being a first-rounder caliber talent, its too early, but you cannot deny his insanely rare frame. The dude is 6'7 but is truly a receiver, not a glorified tight end. He runs routes like a wideout, has the hands of a wideout, and runs like a wideout too. He is truly an insanely oversized wide receiver. If his forty time holds up to what we think it might be, people will be lining up for this guy. Who would love him more and get more out of him than the creative Kyle Shannahan? Imagine what kinds of sets they could roll out with Deebo, CMC, Kittle, Aiyuk, and the 6'7 WR Johnny Wilson!

31. Kansas City Chiefs select: Adonai Mitchell, Wide Receiver, Texas

It is more clear than ever that the Chiefs need help at WR. Patrick Mahomes is so good that he can make it work with pretty much anyone, but the current Chiefs wideout room is historically bad. You just cannot continue to confidently give meaningful snaps to guys like Justin Watson and Kadarius Toney. Enter Adonai Mitchell. The 6'4 beast from Texas would be an instant success with Mahomes throwing him the football. He would put up huge numbers from the get-go and likely be the team's WR1 right away.

32. Philadelphia Eagles select: Chop Robinson, Edge Rusher, Penn State

While I know the Eagles are stacked on their DL already, they are such a well-rounded roster that they could pick a kicker here and still not lose an advantage. With all that said, I have them just going best player available here in Chop Robinson out of Penn State. Robinson could stand to be more productive, but his athleticism is off the charts and he has huge upside. He will test very well. The Eagles just keep on loading up. Robinson will likely go in the first round and I didn't want him to fall out here. RB Blake Corum was also under heavy consideration here.

There you have it, my way too early NFL quarter-season mock draft. I will do more of these throughout the season and then obviously this coming off-season as it is just so fun to see how everything changes throughout. Once again, this will be very fun to look at in April right before the draft actually happens. If I got ONE pick outside of the top 5 right in this I would consider it a success. That is how hard it is to be accurate right now.