Our child’s all grown up. Welcome to our 18th annual SB Nation NFL group mock draft.
Every year, we flip to the consultants — our writers — on each crew’s draft must ship you a projection of what the primary spherical may seem like. This 12 months, it’s no shock that the primary two picks off the board are quarterbacks, with Windy Metropolis Gridiron snagging Caleb Williams for the Bears with the No. 1 general choose and the Commanders (courtesy of Hogs Haven) added UNC’s Drake Maye at No. 2.
We’ll be updating this publish with the remainder of the picks as they’re printed, so keep tuned. Under are the outcomes of the 2024 SB Nation NFL mock draft with perception on the “why” behind every choose from our crew group writers.
No. 1 – Chicago Bears: Caleb Williams, QB, USC
Williams will probably be entering into an unprecedented scenario in Chicago. Often, the primary general draft choose goes to the worst crew in soccer, however the Bears went 7-10 final season after an 0-4 begin. Chicago’s protection is primed to take one other step after a robust second half, nevertheless it’s the offense Williams will slide into that makes this chance so distinctive.
At receiver, DJ Moore provides Williams an electrical playmaker on the Z, and six-time Professional Bowler Keenan Allen has been one of the dependable go catchers within the sport for a decade. Tight finish Cole Kmet has averaged 61 receptions per 12 months over the past three seasons, and Gerald Everett’s versatility on the different tight finish spot will create mismatches. D’Andre Swift is a dependable go catcher out of the backfield, and he’s coming off a 1,000-yard speeding season. – Lester Wiltfong, Windy Metropolis Gridiron
No. 2 – Washington Commanders: Drake Maye, QB, UNC
Drake Maye began for the final two seasons at North Carolina and confirmed all of the instruments essential to be a profitable NFL QB. He has the dimensions, arm expertise, and skill to make all of the throws. Maye’s first season as a starter put him into the dialog for the highest QBs, and regardless of a “hunch” final season, he remained the No. 2 QB regardless of Jayden Daniels’s Heisman Trophy-winning season.
Maye has a variety of issues to scrub up in his sport, beginning along with his footwork. The Washington Commanders new offense is led by former Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury, and has a number of assistants who will work with Maye as he cleans up his sport to play on the subsequent stage. Maye is a giant, cell passer who has the next ceiling than different QBs on this draft. – Scott Jennings, Hogs Haven
No. 3 – New England Patriots: Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU
Daniels’ tremendous energy is his legs, as he’s an electrical ball service who will probably be one of many quickest quarterbacks in soccer as a result of his blazing straight-line velocity. In his two years within the SEC, Daniels complied over 2,000 speeding yards and 21 touchdowns on the bottom. His skill to create large performs as an athlete will probably be a nightmare for opposing defenses to defend.
It’s necessary to notice that Daniels isn’t only a runner, nonetheless, as he’s improved as a passer all through his school profession. He has clear mechanics that characteristic a really constant throwing movement and higher physique. Daniels can layer throws all around the area and is extraordinarily correct (78.7% adjusted completion price at LSU) all whereas supporting a measly 1.1 turnover worthy play price the previous two seasons.
Daniels has above-average arm power, however makes up for any limitations along with his plus ball placement. He’s maybe the most effective deep ball thrower on this class because the slot fade is the most effective throw in his bag. – Brian Hines, Pats Pulpit
No. 4 – Minnesota Vikings (through Arizona Cardinals): JJ McCarthy, QB, Michigan
At simply 21 years outdated, youthful than prospects like Jayden Daniels, Bo Nix, and Michael Penix, McCarthy nonetheless has loads of room to develop. He’s already fairly mechanically sound and has displayed considerably above-average arm expertise as nicely. He’s additionally a plus athlete and generally is a risk to make performs on the transfer, whether or not it’s on designed runs or getting exterior of the pocket within the passing sport.
One of many criticisms of McCarthy is that he was surrounded by an unimaginable quantity of expertise at Michigan and that might doubtlessly make him look higher than he truly is. Positive, Michigan is an NFL expertise manufacturing facility at this level, however that shouldn’t take away from what McCarthy has executed. And, if we need to go down that highway, given the extent of expertise he’d be surrounded by in Minnesota. . .the league’s finest vast receiver, a dynamic No. 2 wideout, the most effective tight ends within the NFL, a brand new chief within the run sport, and a pair of excellent bookend tackles. . .his expertise could possibly be maximized in comparatively quick order. – Christopher Gates, Every day Norseman
No. 5 – Arizona Cardinals (through Chargers): Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State
The Arizona Cardinals want an alpha within the vast receiver room and Harrison initiatives as the most effective vast receiver prospects within the final couple years. My buddy Matt Harmon who runs Reception Notion got here out along with his remaining grades and Marvin Harrison Jr. is his highest-graded receiver between 2021 and this season. – Seth Cox, Revenge of the Birds
No. 6 – New York Giants: WR Rome Odunze, WR, Washington
At 6-foot-3, 212 kilos with robust arms, the power to win in any respect three ranges, ok route operating skill and contested catch skill that turns 50-50 balls into 80-20 balls in his favor, Odunze is a special participant than anybody in that group.
If you happen to use the ‘Basketball Concept’ of constructing a large receiver room with various talent units, Odunze would deliver issues to the Giants they don’t have already got. Particularly if tight finish Darren Waller retires.
Odunze is a greater athlete than many assume, having run a 4.45 40-yard sprint and compiled the second-highest Relative Athletic Rating (RAS) of any receiver examined on the NFL Scouting Mix. – Ed Valentine, Massive Blue View
No. 7 – Tennessee Titans: Malik Nabers, WR, LSU
This choose will probably be a little bit of a controversial one as a result of Joe Alt was on the board, and the Titans’ greatest want coming into the offseason and nonetheless in April is a left deal with. I may have merely taken Alt and had the left deal with place locked down for the subsequent decade, however I selected Nabers.
So why would a crew that has desperately wanted a left deal with for the final two years go on the most effective one within the draft to take a receiver? For me it got here down to a couple issues:
The primary is the dropoff from Nabers to the receiver the Titans would have the prospect to absorb the second spherical is approach larger than the dropoff from Alt to the deal with they will get within the second spherical. Nabers has the ceiling of being the most effective receivers within the NFL. He’s a dynamic playmaker on the skin. Brian Callahan goes to worth that greater than the coaches the Titans have had previously. – Jimmy Morris, Music Metropolis Miracles
No. 8 – Los Angeles Rams: Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame
To commerce up into the highest 10 at No. 8 I gave up nineteenth general, a 2025 first-round choose, and the 83rd general choose within the third spherical. Maintaining this 12 months’s second-round choose was necessary, which is why I opted for the 2025 first-round choose as a substitute. The Rams may nonetheless transfer again within the second spherical and choose up an additional late third or a fourth-round choose to make up for the lack of choose 83.
This transfer permits the Rams to proceed including to this 12 months’s roster and add items for the long run which is necessary for his or her present team-build. It’s a considerably hefty value, however we received’t be speaking about what it took to get Joe Alt when he’s an All-Professional-caliber left deal with for 15 years. There are just a few blue-chip caliber gamers on this draft class and Alt is certainly one of them. – Blaine Grisak, Turf Present Occasions
No. 9 – Las Vegas Raiders (through Bears): Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington
Whereas the hope is the Silver and Black will commerce up into the highest three picks to, presumptively, goal Jayden Daniels, the Bears, Washington Commanders and New England Patriots weren’t budging. That meant Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Daniels had been chosen first, second and third general. Then, the Minnesota Vikings parlayed their two first-round picks right into a commerce with the Arizona Cardinals to take J.J. McCarthy off the board.
With 4 quarterbacks taken within the first 4 picks and the quarterback-needy Denver Broncos sitting one spot forward of the Raiders, panic began to set in, so a transfer needed to be made. Chicago was prepared to maneuver out of No. 9 and all it took was a third-round choose for Las Vegas to safe its quarterback of the long run.
Utilizing the NFL draft choose commerce worth chart, this was a fairly even deal because the Raiders solely overspent by 5 factors. A small premium to pay for a very powerful place on the sphere. – Matt Holder, Silver & Black Satisfaction
No. 10 – New York Jets: Taliese Fuaga, OT, Washington
Fuaga is just not a choose purely for the long run. He’ll get an opportunity to compete with Morgan Moses for the beginning proper deal with job proper off the bat. Throughout Moses’ first stint with the Jets, he started the season as the first backup deal with, solely sliding into the beginning lineup after a Mekhi Becton harm.
Both approach, Fuaga provides the Jets deal with depth within the quick run. That’s necessary with a pair of starters of their mid 30s. It’s doubly necessary with a beginning left deal with in Smith who hasn’t performed a season with out lacking not less than three video games since 2015. The phrase “win now” is virtually a cliché across the Aaron Rodgers-led Jets at this level. Fuaga provides the Jets one of many rarest advantages an NFL crew can have, offensive line depth. The Jets are now not one harm on the notorious turf at MetLife Stadium away from beginning the likes of Carter Warren or Max Mitchell on Aaron Rodgers’ blindside.
After all you don’t choose a participant within the prime 10 just for depth. Fuaga provides the Jets a long-term constructing block for the offensive line. Some assume he may finally transfer inside to protect, however irrespective of the place he finally ends up he ought to be a worthwhile a part of the trenches for a very long time. – John Butchko, Gang Inexperienced Nation
No. 11 – Los Angeles Chargers: J.C. Latham, OT, Alabama
Latham has as excessive a ceiling as any offensive deal with prospect within the class – and should have the best flooring! He stands almost 6’6 and weighs 342 kilos, whereas boasting a wingspan within the 82nd percentile for offensive tackles, and 11-inch arms that register within the ninety fifth percentile, based on Mockdraftable.com. And DraftKings Sportsbook’s odds recommend an offensive lineman would be the first place focused by the Chargers on draft night time.
With all that dimension, Latham controls defensive lineman within the run sport, and locks up go rushers making an attempt to undergo him. The facility is mixed with easy, fast toes, and all that got here collectively in a really spectacular approach for the just lately turned 21-year-old. He solely began at proper deal with at Alabama, however his talent set suggests he may defend the blind facet if wanted.
For the Chargers, that received’t matter: He’ll match proper in because the rapid beginning proper deal with, manning the perimeters of the pocket with left deal with Rashawn Slater. – Ron Kopp Jr., Bolts From the Blue
No. 12 – Denver Broncos: Bo Nix, QB, Oregon
Bo Nix provides the Broncos a quarterback who matches into Sean Payton’s offense very nicely. He’s a fast rhythm passer who has had success within the quick passing sport, throwing screens, fast passes to the backs, and so forth — all issues Payton likes to do in his offense. His processing skill, which is one thing Payton covets from his quarterbacks, has additionally been praised by evaluators. Whereas Nix might not be essentially the most extremely touted prospect, he could be the most effective match for the Broncos at quarterback on this draft.
This might not be the preferred choose, however with the way in which the board fell in entrance of me, it was the transfer the Broncos needed to make. Attempting to commerce up and compete with the Vikings for Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy was unsuccessful after which the Raiders traded as much as ninth general to pick out Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr., which was a shock. I might have preferred to commerce again, however with Nix being the quarterback I needed to get if I couldn’t commerce up, I pulled the set off at twelfth general. – Scotty Payne, Mile Excessive Report
Test again every weekday between now and the 2024 NFL Draft for the newest picks in our 2024 SB Nation group mock draft!
