Mid-Season 2024 NFL Mock Draft: Seven First-Round QBs?

 A little over a month ago I released my first mock draft of the 2024 cycle! Most years I've found myself doing pretty much just a singular mock draft during the actual season before going crazy in the off-season. This year is a little different as I may do one for each of the four quarters of the NFL season before the off-season madness. Five weeks after releasing my first mock, I am back for another, with more updated of an order half-way through the NFL season and a better idea about some of these prospects with the college football season almost over! These once again will be subject to insane change with the real draft kicking off in Detroit in late April, but it is fun to see how much these things change! Lets get into this again!

* draft order based on current league standings for non-playoff teams *

1. Arizona Cardinals select: Caleb Williams, Quarterback, USC

No change here for me at the top spot, despite the Cardinals being the current team projected to pick no. 1 instead of the Bears a few weeks back. Caleb Williams has definitely faced some scrutiny after the last couple of USC games, with multiple losses, and the media not loving the way he has handled them. Williams is such a generational talent in my eyes that he can act however the hell he wants following a loss and he would still be far and away my no. 1 pick NO MATTER who is picking at 1. It will be interesting to see what happens with Arizona with the looming return of current QB Kyler Murray this coming Sunday, but if the Cards wound up here at 1, I think Williams is the pick anyway and they can trade Kyler elsewhere. Williams has the arm, he has the off-script ability, and he has the IT factor. This is a generational QB prospect, probably the best I've ever seen.

2. Chicago Bears (via CAR) select: Drake Maye, Quarterback, UNC

Even falling from projected pick #1 to projected pick #2, the Bears are still going QB in my opinion. Drake Maye is nearly QB prospect 1B to Williams. This is as good of a 1-2 punch in a QB draft class as we've ever seen. Maye is a very different QB than Williams, but an amazing one in his own right. Maye is huge, standing over 6'4 and has one of the biggest arms in the class (bigger than Williams', if you are curious). Maye also has escapability and off-script ability too, just a bit less than Williams. There might be a few teams out there that do prefer Maye to Williams, which is more of a testament to Maye than a slight to Williams. Even though Justin Fields was looking better before going down with injury, we haven't seen him in a few weeks and if the Bears had the chance to land either Williams or Maye, I think they'd have to go for it and hit the reset button. It is starting to feel like picks 1 and 2 will be Williams and Maye no matter who picks there.

3. Chicago Bears select: Marvin Harrison Jr., Wide Receiver, Ohio State

Now here is the best WR prospect we've probably ever seen. I'd say he and Ja'Marr Chase are neck and neck for the best two WR prospects I've personally ever scouted. Harrison just has it all. He's 6'4, and while he is not a widely built DK Metcalf like 6'4, he is better in so many ways. He boasts legit 4.3 speed, can run all the routes, and has some of the best hands I've seen in a WR prospect. Many think he will be a top 10 WR in the NFL the second he even steps on the field. That is something I've never really heard of. The Bears will pray to pick twice in the top 3 (very plausible) and land potentially a Hall of Fame level QB/WR duo for the next decade plus. Maye and MHJ would be an insane haul to kickstart a rebuild in Chicago that has already taken quite some time.

4. New York Giants select: Shedeur Sanders, Quarterback, Colorado

This might feel weird for a lot of reasons, but I'm going with it. First of all, Sanders feels more likely to stay in school another year than not. Second, I'm not doing mock trades in a mid-season mock so that forces the Giants to stay put here at 4 when in reality they would almost certainly move down a little to recoup some value and not reach on a QB prospect not as worthy of a top 5 pick. With both of those cases moot here, I'm bringing big-time name Shedeur Sanders to the mecca. Daniel Jones was in the midst of an awful season before tearing his ACL this past week, all but ensuring he will not start another year in New York. The Giants will almost certainly pick a QB in round 1 when it comes to draft day, and so in a scenario with no trade downs and Sanders 'declaring', he goes here. Sanders has all the tools to develop into the next superstar QB in the NFL. He is mobile/agile as hell, has a huge arm, and is surprisingly accurate. He has not had a lot of help around him at Colorado this year and it has limited him. Brian Daboll could certainly get the most out of him, after all, we saw what he turned Josh Allen into in Buffalo.

5. New England Patriots select: Olu Fashanu, Offensive Tackle, Penn State

QB is certainly in play here, but while I would be comfortable projecting a reach for the Giants, I am not for the Patriots. If this was real life and they were unable to trade down, I know Bill Belichick would simply go best player available and not reach on a QB. Olu Fashanu has long been known as the best OT prospect in this 2024 class, and the Patriots really need the help along the OL. Fashanu is an elite pass blocker with real upside in the run blocking game as well. He makes a lot of sense in New England, despite a big need at QB.

6. Los Angeles Rams select: Bo Nix, Quarterback, Oregon

QB #4 in the top 6 picks! Bo Nix may be older as prospect, but he continues to wow at Oregon and climb up draft boards. With the Rams' once promising season starting to spiral a little, I think Sean McVay would certainly look at drafting a QB as this team rarely gets to pick this high. Nix feels like the kind of guy McVay would drool over. He may have the biggest arm in the class (I think slightly bigger than Drake Maye) and has been great at not making mistakes at Oregon. He can also run better than many like to give him credit for. With Matthew Stafford clearly on the outs (mostly due to injury piling up), Nix feels like the perfect heir in Sean McVay's offense.

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

Here's yet another spot where QB would be in play. With four off the board already, I think the Packers would instead punt on taking a potential QB of the future and give Jordan Love another year. He could have a better chance of succeeding with Joe Alt in the fold. David Bahktiari has been one of the best OTs in football for years when healthy, but he has virtually always been injured of late. With him also getting up there in age, the Packers go and get one of the most polished OT prospects of the last couple years in Alt to replace him. This is a smart pick for Matt LaFleur's offense.

8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers select: JJ McCarthy, Quarterback, Michigan

Yup, here's another. The Buccaneers for a team as middling as they are, do not have many CRAZY holes on their roster. With QB really being up in the air and them picking this high, it feels like the right spot to look in that direction. JJ McCarthy has been one of the best QBs in college this season and could win the Heisman. He is great at operating within the system, has an NFL caliber arm, can run, and is just good at avoiding big mistakes. Joining an offense with Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Rachaad White, and more would be perfect for him to transition into the NFL. He may take some developing at the next level, but he feels like a QB with a high floor in the NFL.

9. Denver Broncos select: Dallas Turner, Edge Rusher, Alabama

Here's the first defensive player off the board. I haven't looked it up but I'm fairly confident that the first defender coming off the board at pick 9 would be a record. The Broncos need help all over, including possibly QB, but if they were at 9, it wouldn't be worth it to take the 6th QB off the board and pass up on a guy like Dallas Turner. Turner has been playing better and better each week for the Crimson Tide and is starting to really step into that void left by Will Anderson heading to the NFL. He is a pressure machine and now is up to 7 sacks and 2 forced fumbles on the year as well. With the Broncos trading Randy Gregory and cutting Frank Clark, pass rush help is probably their biggest need. Why not fill your biggest need with the best edge rushing prospect in the class? Turner at 9 would have an opportunity to be the biggest steal in the draft.

10. Tennessee Titans select: JC Latham, Offensive Tackle, Alabama

Back-to-back Crimson Tide. The Titans need a lot of help in a lot of places, but OL feels like the biggest as they hope Will Levis can continue his early success and become their QB of the future. Latham is a great run blocker and a developing pass protector as well. He is just all-in-all a huge guy who does not get moved around easily. Not the flashiest pick here, but one that makes a lot of sense. With Latham and Peter Skoronski in back to back drafts, the Titans would be building up a promising young OL for the future!

11. Los Angeles Chargers select: Brock Bowers, Tight End, Georgia

There are some great DT prospects available here at 11, but if Brock Bowers is here at 11, I can't see the Chargers passing on him. Bowers at 11 is some of the best value you will ever see. He is a top 5 pure prospect in the class and probably the best TE prospect of the 2000s. He can block but is also an elite pass catcher. Mike Williams is always hurt, Keenan Allen will slow down soon at age 32, and Gerald Everett is not the long term answer at TE. Inserting Bowers into this offense with Justin Herbert would be box office, and he is good enough to ignore a bigger need along the DL. 

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

SIX! This marks 6 QBs in the top 12 of my mock. It is certainly possible. In real life it will be seen whether or not this many go this early, but I think the Falcons are going to take someone in round 1 regardless. Desmond Ridder has been benched and is clearly not the QB of the future in Atlanta and Taylor Heinicke is obviously just a bridge at the position as well. Penix Jr. is the likely Heisman of this season. He has a big time arm and loves to go deep, and has thrown very little interceptions in the process of doing so. If he wasn't an older prospect with multiple season ending injuries to his name, he'd be in contention for the no. 1 overall pick. Atlanta NEEDS a gunslinger like this with all the weapons they have, and I honestly believe this is a perfect fit for Penix, who could start week 1 and win games.

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

While every edge rusher (every defensive player, at that) aside from one is on the board right now, the Commanders simply HAVE to go offensive line here. They have by far the worst OL in football and one that may finish the year HISTORICALLY bad. They have been on pace to give up the most sacks in a single season. It feels like Sam Howell may just be their franchise QB, and to give him a chance to really succeed, they MUST improve that line. Mims would go a long way towards doing so. At 6'7, 340 pounds, Mims brings all-world size to the position, along with some real talent in pass protection that could develop into even more! This pick is a must for Washington. 

14. Las Vegas Raiders select: Kool-Aid McKinstry, Cornerback, Alabama

Just the second defensive player off the board here at 14. The Raiders are in dire need of selecting a future franchise QB, but with 6 QBs already off the board here at just pick 14, there is no one really worth taking this high. Instead, they go arguably best player available at a position that happens to be of a real need in Kool-Aid McKinstry. McKinstry is one of the rare CB prospects that can be considered a real shut-down guy, and while his INT numbers aren't off the charts, his pass breakups are, which is all you can look for in a guy who is truly shutdown. This would be an A+ pick here at 14 for Las Vegas, who would now have their CB1 of the future.

15. Indianapolis Colts select: Rome Odunze, Wide Receiver, Washington

I could see Indy going in a number of different ways here, but Odunze felt like the best player available within the Colts' positions of need, and that is who I have them taking here. Anthony Richardson looks to be the team's QB of the future, which is a huge win for them, but in order for him to succeed, he will need to be surrounded with playmakers. He already is with Jonathan Taylor, Zack Moss, and Josh Downs, but with Michael Pittman Jr. a free agent, there is no guarantee he's back. Even if he is, taking Odunze makes a lot of sense. Odunze reminds me a bit of Pittman as he's a bigger receiver but one who can fly at that, and make all the catches in the world. If Richardson has those two backs and then Pittman and Odunze of the outside with Downs working out of the slot in 2024, it could be a dark-horse MVP season for AR15.

16. Arizona Cardinals (via HOU) select: Keon Coleman, Wide Receiver, Florida St.

With the Cardinals winding up with the no. 1 pick in this mock and grabbing QB Caleb Williams to be their franchise QB of the future, the team knows they cannot afford to mess it up like they have with Kyler Murray. Keon Coleman is neck and neck with Odunze for WR2 in the class behind the elite Marvin Harrison Jr., and the Cardinals grab him here. At 6'4, Coleman is a monster who can make some of the most unreal grabs you will ever see but is also a good runner who has a good route tree. Pairing him with Marquise Brown, Rondale Moore, and Michael Wilson would give Williams an amazing WR core to work with as a rookie. This pick would make a lot of sense.

17. Buffalo Bills select: Cooper DeJean, Defensive Back, Iowa

If the Bills are actually able to pick high enough to select Cooper DeJean, it would be a total match made in heaven. DeJean gives the Bills everything they need right now in one player. They are aging at the Safety position and need more depth overall at corner. While regarded more as a CB, DeJean has the size and skillset to play a lot of Safety in the NFL as well. The Bills would have the luxury of moving him all around based on what they needed in a given week. DeJean is a ball-hawk with shutdown tendencies and can give you a little as a returner too. One of my favorite prospects in this draft heads to Buffalo in this mock!

18. New York Jets select: Taliese Fuaga, Offensive Tackle, Oregon State

A new name hits my mock draft. Taliese Fuaga is having a breakout season for Oregon State, and he has launched into my mock as the 18th overall pick. It is well-known that the Jets' biggest need has to be OT. It has been that for awhile now, and with the injury to Aaron Rodgers, it just becomes even more blatant. Fuaga is a huge man but is quite the athlete regardless. He does a lot of little technical things well, and the Jets will love him. Big get for NYJ here.

19. New Orleans Saints select: Jer'Zhan Newton, Defensive Tackle, Illinois

I feel a little bad about this one. Jer'Zhan Newton is one of the breakout CFB players of the year and is probably going to be a top 10 pick, or right outside of it. Due to team needs and many QBs going, he falls all the way to 19 here. The Saints would be counting their lucky stars if it went this way, as Newton is an extremely rare game-wrecking DL prospect. He is an elite run defender and with 4.5 sacks on the year, he is showing real potential as a pass rushing prospect as well. Again, I think Newton may end up a top 10 pick by the end of all of this. 

20. Minnesota Vikings select: Jayden Daniels, Quarterback, LSU

Here would be the record breaker! 7! Jayden Daniels here at 20 would mark the 7th QB in round 1 which would break the NFL all-time record. 7 in the first round, 7 in the top TWENTY! This would be crazy, we will see what happens. With Kirk Cousins already having a lot of uncertainty in Minnesota as he is on the last year of his deal and now went down with a season ending injury, a QB in round 1 for the Vikings is starting to feel like a shoe-in. Daniels has gotten the national hype in college football, but it is starting to translate into draft hype as well. Daniels has looked more accurate than ever this year and is one of the best athletes at the QB position in this loaded class. He can really run too, and I can imagine Kevin O'Connell would love to run the offense through an athlete like this. Perfect situation for a rookie QB to land in.

21. Dallas Cowboys select: Malik Nabers, Wide Receiver, LSU

Arguably the best QB/WR duo in the nation goes off the board in back to back picks here. Wouldn't that be a fun moment for all involved! The Cowboys' lack of a true stud WR2 has been very evident this season, and they would be lucky if a guy like Malik Nabers fell to them in the back half of the first round. Nabers is arguably the fastest and most explosive WR in this class, which is exactly what Dallas is looking for to complement the more crafty, tackle-breaking CeeDee Lamb. We all remember how much better this offense was with Amari Cooper AND Lamb in the fold, I think it could get to that level OR BETTER with Nabers inserted in next to Lamb. Dak Prescott would be quite thrilled with this outcome.

22. Pittsburgh Steelers select: Graham Barton, Offensive Line, Duke

The Steelers feel like they have a lot of needs, which made this a tough pick, but I went with a guy who could sort of fill as many needs as possible, in Graham Barton. Barton may be considered more of a tackle prospect at the next level, but he has the versatility to play multiple spots. The Steelers have needs at both tackle and guard, and Barton could fill in wherever they see most fit. Barton is just a sound prospect that is solid overall at most things along the line, a good high floor pick here for the black and gold.

23. Houston Texans (via CLE) select: Emeka Egbuka, Wide Receiver, Ohio State

This pick makes all the sense in the world. The Texans clearly have an elite franchise QB in CJ Stroud, who has made it work with a suspect WR core, so adding more to it only makes sense. Oh, did I not mention that Egbuka played with Stroud last year at Ohio State and Stroud absolutely loved him? Yup. With that withstanding connection already with Stroud, the transition would be that much more seamless and Egbuka could easily be the Texans' WR1 of the future. He does everything well and is a smooth criminal at the position. I would absolutely love this pairing. As we've seen, reuniting QBs with their college targets seems to work out well at the next level!

24. Cincinnati Bengals select: Jared Verse, Edge Rusher, Florida St.

The Bengals probably have bigger needs than edge rusher, but they are so good in so many places that they really feel like a best player available type spot. Jared Verse lasting to 24 is too good of value for this team to pass on. I had him as the 4th overall pick in my quarter-season mock just about 5 weeks ago, and while Verse has been less productive than many expected, we all know the talent he possesses and that if the right team gets him in the NFL, it could be big-time. If Cincinnati could add him and pair him up next to Trey Hendrickson, DJ Reader, and BJ Hill, I have no doubt in my mind that Verse would go off. This is just the rich getting richer here.

25. Seattle Seahawks select: Zak Zinter, Offensive Guard, Michigan

I would totally go QB here if there were really any left, but with 7 gone in the first 25 picks, that isn't much of an option here. QB really seems to be holding Seattle back from getting to that next level as a contender, and so they would probably stick it out another year with Geno Smith if this was the situation. Aside from QB, there aren't any insane glaring needs for Seattle, so I have them going with Zak Zinter out of Michigan, my top guard prospect in the class. Seattle has had a revolving door of players on the interior of their line for a few years now, and so why not shore up one of those spots with a great, well-rounded blocker like Zinter? 

26. San Francisco 49ers select: Nate Wiggins, Cornerback, Clemson

Just like Seattle, and most of these better teams in the back-end of this first round, the Niners do not have many needs. I'd say their biggest at the moment is probably cornerback, as outside of Charvarius Ward, there are not a ton of known entities on this roster. Wiggins is totally in contention for CB2 in this class. He has great size and athleticism for the position and has great cover skills as well. He looked especially good in Clemson's toughest match of the year thus far against FSU. The 6'2 corner has the potential to be a top 10-15 pick when it is all said and done, so this would be an awesome value selection if it really ended up happening for the 49ers.

27. Miami Dolphins select: Patrick Paul, Offensive Tackle, Houston

For a team who loves to throw the ball as much as Miami, why not go address one of the biggest needs on this team on the OL with one of the best pure pass blockers in the class?! Patrick Paul has room to improve in run blocking, but he is already such a damn good pass blocker, arguably a top 3 one in all of college. The Dolphins seem to always be banged up on the OL as well, so getting Paul really would make a lot of sense for many reasons. 

28. Jacksonville Jaguars select: Johnny Wilson, Wide Receiver, Florida St.

The Jags may have the least needs of any team in the draft, which allows them to pretty much go anyway they like here! With that being said, I'm giving them one of the most unique prospects I've seen in awhile as a potential lottery ticket jackpot here. Johnny Wilson stands at 6 foot 7 and 230 pounds yet is truly a WR and not a twitched up TE. He can really run fast and run good routes. This guy feels like a future combine star that will jump up boards come draft time. With Calvin Rildey and Christian Kirk in the fold, the Jags just keep on giving Trevor Lawrence weapons to succeed. The 6'7 Wilson has the potential to be a real match-up nightmare at the next level and a guy who makes the Jags that much harder to gameplan for. I'd love this fit. 

29. Detroit Lions select: Tyleik Williams, Defensive Tackle, Ohio State

The biggest needs for the Lions feel like DB and DL. I decided to just take my favorite player available at either of those spots in the game-wrecking Tyleik Williams from Ohio State. This is one of the nastiest, most physical prospects in the class. What better team to take a guy like that than Dan Campbell's ever-physical and gritty Lions?! Williams could be a true game-wrecker at the next level playing on the same DL as Aidan Hutchinson. This guy has a high ceiling but the low floor may scare some teams away from picking him this high. 

30. Baltimore Ravens select: Troy Franklin, Wide Receiver, Oregon

The Ravens currently look like the best team in football right now, and as you might imagine, they don't have too many pressing needs. One I will say that seems like a bit of a need though, is wide receiver. Zay Flowers, their first rounder from this year, has been awesome, but doesn't feel like he will ever be the team's WR1 as he's a smaller, more slot-seeming gadget weapon than that true X guy. Troy Franklin could be though. Franklin has been an unreal, jump-ball, go up and get it guy for the Ducks this year and has completely played his way into first round discussion. With Rashod Bateman and OBJ wildcards to be back in Baltimore next season, WR could end up being their biggest need for sure. Franklin would give Lamar Jackson a great young WR duo to also pair with superstar TE Mark Andrews for the future!

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

Another WR! The Chiefs have been so good for so long that they have never seemed to really have that one glaring hole, until now. Their WR play this year has been downright awful. Aside from Travis Kelce (not a true receiver) and flashes from rookie Rashee Rice, KC has nothing and no one to throw to for all world QB Patrick Mahomes, and it is actually holding this team back. Boy would they be thrilled if Adonai Mitchell fell to them here at 31. This WR class is so good and so deep that Mitchell, who might be the first receiver off the board some years, falls to 31 as the 7th wideout off the board. The huge 6'4 receiver is an unreal, explosive route runner with amazing hands. He could step in and be the WR1 for this KC offense right away, and be a shoe-in 1,000+ yard rookie. 

32. Philadelphia Eagles select: Audric Estime, Running Back, Notre Dame

Mock drafting for the Eagles is so much fun. They have wealth and depth at pretty much every position and you can kind of give them whoever you want. Picking last in the first round of this mock is a spot where an RB really could go off the board, and why not for Philly? D'Andre Swift has looked great for them this year, but doesn't feel like a guy who can be a workhorse back if they need him to be. Insert Audric Estime, one of the most fun to watch players in the country to form a tandem with Swift and the high-octane Eagle rushing offense. Despite his small stature, Estime plays like he's 40 pounds heavier the way he crushes through opposing defenders. He feels like he has the IT factor for an RB and could be a future All-Pro at the RB position in the NFL. The Eagles would be a dream landing spot for him! 

There you have it, my mid-season 2024 mock draft! This will once again be fun to look back on in the coming months and we will see just how far off I was.