We are just a few weeks away from the NFL Scouting Combine as our 2024 draft season kicks into higher gear. Here is the latest mock draft between Nate Tice and Charles McDonald.
In this edition, Tice makes the selection of the odd draft picks while McDonald selects the even numbers.
I think Maye or Caleb Williams are prime prizes in this draft, but Maye has been my choice for the Bears for months. He has a great combination of size, athleticism and arm talent worthy of the No. 1 pick, and the Bears are in a great position to bolster the talent around him and hit the ground running. – Nate Tice
The Commanders need a quarterback and at this point appear willing to take whoever doesn't go first overall. In this scenario, it's Williams who comes home to the DC area and sees if he can turn around his hometown franchise with the edge he brings as a passer. –Charles McDonald
Caleb Williams appears to be the homecoming king of the NFL Draft in April if the Commanders select him at No. 2. (Photo by Ryan Kang/Getty Images)
The Patriots are the linchpin of this draft as they could select their (new) quarterback of the future or one of the premium talents at a premium position like Marvin Harrison Jr. or one of the talented offensive tackles. I envision the Patriots going the quarterback route with the dynamic Daniels, a player who will immediately generate excitement with his explosive and chaotic play, both with his legs and his arms.
4. Arizona Cardinals – Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State
Harrison is arguably the best player in the draft and fills an urgent position for the Cardinals. Harrison is lucky and ends up with a team that already has its quarterback in Kyler Murray.
Jim Harbaugh will fight his way through the trenches and grab Fashanu, the Big Ten's talented tackle. Fashanu already shows advanced eyes and awareness as a player, the culmination of his incredible package of size, length and foot speed. Fashanu has a high ceiling as the Chargers could start at a two-way tackle on the right side or flip Rashawn Slater (Slater has RT experience from college). Concerns about Fashanu's run blocking are overblown.
With Evan Neal still on an expensive rookie deal, pulling the trigger would be a tough decision, but the Giants desperately need offensive tackle help opposite Andrew Thomas. Maybe Neal can find a home as a guard, but his presence shouldn't stop the Giants from considering a player as complete as Alt.
I'm sure the Titans would have loved to snag one of the top tackling candidates, especially with Bill Callahan now in town as offensive line coach. Instead, let’s turn to one of the elite wide receiver prospects: Nabers. He's a walking, talking firecracker, and his explosive playmaking ability would immediately elevate this Titans' offense. Just think of a moonball by Will Levis for Nabers.
A fourth straight top-10 offensive player for the Falcons. Drake London needs a legitimate VP at WR and Odunze would be a complement. No excuses for whoever takes center stage for the Falcons in this scenario.
9. Chicago Bears – Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia
Nabers and Odunze aren't on the field, so the Bears are instead going with perhaps the best offensive weapon in this draft. Bowers can line up anywhere on the field, providing an interesting checkerboard queen to use for creative offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. The Bears just extended Cole Kmet, but their skill sets wouldn't be in conflict as Bowers can easily be considered as a slot option. With DJ Moore out there and perhaps a few attacking interior defenders, Maye will have a strong situation to step into in Chicago.
The Jets still have a long way to go in terms of personnel if they want to make it to the Super Bowl. Keeping 40-year-old Aaron Rodgers upright is a good start. Latham should make that easier by opening up holes in the running game.
(Amber Matsumoto/Yahoo Sports)
Shanahan coaches will love McCarthy's skills (hello, Kevin O'Connell). He's a good athlete and thrower on the move, and he's willing to stand in the pocket and shoot the pigskin across the middle of the field. McCarthy has below-average size and needs to improve at the next level. Whatever happens with Kirk Cousins this offseason, McCarthy will provide some sort of bridge to the future for the Vikings as a signal-caller.
12. Denver Broncos-Dallas Turner, EDGE, Alabama
Denver is in a tough spot here with their preferred quarterbacks not on the field, but it can strengthen another top position that requires a dose of talent. Turner may be the best edge rusher in his class and fills a need for the rebuilding Broncos.
13. Las Vegas Raiders – Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama
The Raiders' defense played some very good ball over the course of the season under coordinator Patrick Graham, but could still use an answer at cornerback in the future. Enter Arnold, a lively, transformed safety who can play both inside and outside and is constantly on the ball. His competitive style is reminiscent of a raider.
If the Saints want to rely more on Derek Carr at quarterback, they need weapons. Thomas is another explosive downfield threat who should fit well alongside Chris Olave.
Iowa's Cooper DeJean is one of the standout defensive backs in the 2024 NFL Draft class. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images)
Julian Blackmon and Kenny Moore are free agents, and the Colts certainly wouldn't mind having another option at outside cornerback opposite JuJu Brents. DeJean has Pro Bowl advantage at every spot in the defensive backfield, be it outside cornerback, slot or safety. He is extremely athletic and extremely skilled and will allow defensive coordinator Gus Bradley to field his best team no matter what.
16. Seattle Seahawks – Jer'Zhan Newton, DT, Illinois
Mike Macdonald will have a lot to cover with his knowledge and style of play, but the Seahawks could still use a talent boost at interior defense. Newton is one of the few top-notch interior defensive talents in this class and would be a good fit.
17. Jacksonville Jaguars – Jackson Powers-Johnson, C/OG, Oregon
The Jaguars stop messing around and give Trevor Lawrence a crucial battery mate for the next decade. Powers-Johnson is built like a Dust Bowl carnival strongman, but he can be a force at the fulcrum in Jacksonville. He's still developing his hand technique and is relatively new to the center position, but Powers-Johnson has great size and athleticism and plays with a competitive and infectious style for a team in desperate need of good vibes.
18. Cincinnati Bengals – Taliese Fuaga, OL, Oregon State
Fuaga appears to be a versatile lineman who can play guard or tackle at the next level, which would fit well with what the Bengals need at the top. Stable offensive line play would take this offense to new levels and keep Burrow upright, which is critical to the Bengals' championship hopes.
19. Los Angeles Rams – Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo
Les Snead and Sean McVay do backflips that Mitchell taught them. Yes, a MAC player deserves such cheers. Mitchell has very good size and athleticism at the cornerback position and has excellent finishing and making plays on the football. His feel for off-corner spots and ball skills allow Mitchell to make consistent plays with the ball, and at the Senior Bowl he showed he can persevere (and thrive) in press maneuvers. Mitchell might not be with the Rams in April.
The Steelers have big needs on their defense, but there may be no greater need than at cornerback. They hit a home run with Joey Porter Jr. in the draft last year, but there aren't many good cornerback players other than him. McKinstry isn't expected to rise as high as he did before the season, but he's still a guy with high coverage potential, which the Steelers don't have many of.
21. Miami Dolphins – Troy Fautanu, OL, Washington
Guard? Approach? That's a “yes” for what the Dolphins need and also for what Fautanu could play. Fautanu has a good build but is not overwhelmingly long, but his hands, balance and foot speed could allow him to stay out of the right tackle. In a worst-case scenario, Fautanu could provide immediate upside to a Dolphins offensive line that desperately needs an injection of talent.
The Eagles need to get younger at cornerback, and Wiggins would add a nice mix of size, length and speed to a defense that's getting a little long in the tooth on the back end. Darius Slay would be a nice person to develop with and learn from, and if Kelee Ringo figures it out, the Eagles could soon be in order at cornerback.
Murphy stays in Texas and goes to defend the DeMeco Ryans in Houston. Murphy is a gap-shooting defensive tackle who can create explosive plays. He lacks ideal size and length, but his quick-release style will be a perfect fit for Ryans, who likes a “shoot for the gap, ask questions later” attitude in his defensive players. Murphy, Jonathan Greenard and Will Anderson Jr. would terrorize the AFC South's weaker offensive lines.
24. Dallas Cowboys – Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia
Tyron Smith may not last as long in Dallas, which would leave a huge hole at a position that hasn't generated much turnover for the Cowboys over the last decade. Come down, Amarius Mims. He has all the tools in the world to be a dominant tackle but struggled with injuries last season at Georgia. He's a walk-off-the-bus superstar with real skills behind him.
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25. Green Bay Packers – Tyler Guyton, OT, Oklahoma
The Packers will always target traits in their draft picks, especially in the first round. Guyton is more a bundle of tools than a finished product, but his size and athleticism are hard to find and hard to teach. Guyton would slot into the Packers' offensive line, with his talent giving Green Bay a potential long-term tackle once they decide to move on from David Bakhtiari.
Coleman is more of a roll of the dice than he seemed at the start of the Seminoles' season. However, he still has all the talent in the world to be a top-notch NFL receiver. If the Buccaneers really want to be successful with Baker Mayfield this time around, and that appears to be the case, they will need to provide him with weapons – especially if Mike Evans plays for a new team next season.
27. Arizona Cardinals (from Texans) – Jared Verse, EDGE, Florida State
Verse falters a bit because he may lack elite pass-rushing skills, but his competitive, power-focused game suits the Cardinals, who continue to expand their trenches on both sides of the ball under their new regime. Using Verse to give advantage to the run and allow for pocket pushing on passes will add a hammer blow to the smokey Cardinals defense.
28. Buffalo Bills – Troy Franklin, WR, Oregon
Buffalo may be preparing for the departure of star wide receiver Stefon Diggs and the Bills may need to draft a wideout early. Franklin is tall if skinny, has a lot of speed and does a lot of things well aside from being a burner. He could function as a low-end WR1 in the right offense, but he's a top-tier player who can immediately help a team with a franchise quarterback.
The drop stops Latu, whose medical findings will be a concern for some teams, but the Lions will get more pass-rushing help along with Aidan Hutchinson and Alim McNeill. Latu lacks ideal length and is just okay against the run, but his pass-rushing chops are worth the tradeoff. He constantly creates pressure and chaos in the backcourt. Putting him on the other side of Hutchinson could create a whirlwind for quarterbacks.
The offensive line is one of the few holes the Ravens have, and they could fill some of them by selecting Barton. He played at a high level as a left winger, but his size may lead to teams trying to contain him – where he still expects to play well at the next level. He could very quickly become their replacement for Kevin Zeitler and solidify the line for the coming years.
Have you seen the Super Bowl? The 49ers saw it too. They get the fairly rugged but trait-laden Suamataia as a starting player and potential blindside protector whenever they need to navigate a post-Trent Williams world. Suamataia sometimes goes too far over his skis in the run game and his hand placement is inconsistent overall, but his size and talent are evident. He has the potential to be a plus player in the running and passing games.
The Chiefs need to get back into the tempo game on offense. Well, they have to reach a refined speed. Kadarius Toney, Mecole Hardman and Marquez Valdes-Scantling are pretty quick, but they aren't the most polished players in the world. Worthy gets the Chiefs back to having speedy players who are also useful football players instead of just track stars. But that probably doesn't matter too much since the Chiefs just won the Super Bowl with their weakest supporting cast of the Mahomes era. Eat Arby's.