The 2024 NFL Draft is a long way away, but the discussions and incessant mock drafts are here already! There is still a lot of film to watch, combine results to tally, and front office smokescreens to navigate, but that doesn’t mean we can’t speculate! I’ve taken the liberty of running a mock draft for all 32 teams’ first-round picks. Let me know what you think on X!

Disclaimers: For reference, I used Pro Football Network’s Mock Draft Simulator, which is a pretty solid free option. This means I based my picks partially on their current rankings, so it’s important to remember that some players may be way higher or lower on people’s draft boards come April. I also attribute some of my analysis to PFN analysts Ian Cummings and Dalton Miller, who undoubtedly have more developed opinions than my own film study. Last, I made picks based on what I would do if I had the power to make their picks, which may be the catalyst for some debate. Now, enough about disclaimers, let’s get started!

Pick 1: New England Patriots select Caleb Williams, QB, USC

Yep, I think the Bears should trade their first overall pick. In the simulator, they get New England’s pick at three, a later rounder, plus their 2025 first. In real life, I think they could get more. Regardless, the Jerod Mayo era begins with one of the best quarterback prospects in recent memory in Williams, and Patriots fans can be optimistic about having an offense again.

Pick 2: Washington Commanders select Drake Maye, QB, UNC

I believe there’s an argument in running it back with Sam Howell, but the excessive number of turnovers scares me. As a team, you hope you are not drafting too often in the top five, so when you’re here, you have to make it worth your while. Assuming Maye remains QB2 in this draft, Washington should take their shot with a new QB and new Head Coach to build around.

Pick 3: Chicago Bears select Marvin Harrison, Jr., WR, Ohio State

I’ve done a handful of mocks already, and this is my favorite spot for the Bears. I’m a believer in Fields, and if I were a Bears fan, I’d love to bring in Harrison alongside D.J. Moore. This is also the perfect spot because I don’t think Harrison would get past Arizona at four. The Bears get draft capital here in their trade with New England and one of the best players in the draft in Marvin Harrison, Jr.

Pick 4: Arizona Cardinals select Malik Nabers, WR, LSU

They will undoubtedly be a bit upset missing out on MHJ, but Nabers is a top-tier player in his own right. While the Cardinals still need help all over the place, one of their biggest needs is an Alpha WR for Kyler Murray. Tight end Trey McBride really came on last year, and with Murray’s mobility, they can survive with average offensive line play. Nabers and Wilson on the outside, with Rondale Moore in the slot, make this passing attack more than respectable.

Pick 5: Los Angeles Chargers select Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame

A bright spot for the Chargers after an awful season is picking in the top five while already boasting one of the best quarterback talents in the league. Now, they need to keep him upright and let him work. I REALLY wanted to select Brock Bowers here, but I think the Chargers should make the slam dunk play, as Joe Alt is plug-and-play right now, with the potential to be a franchise cornerstone for many years.

Pick 6: New York Giants select Rome Odunze, WR, Washington

The Giants invested in Daniel Jones but have yet to make a play for their WR 1. Odunze won’t solve all of their problems, but he and a healthy Darren Waller will give Jones an actual opportunity with game-changing weapons outside of Saquon Barkley. Also, I feel the Giants will get FOMO if they see all of these receivers taken around them and not by them.

Pick 7: Tennessee Titans select Olumuyiwa Fashanu, OT, Penn State

I haven’t seen much of him, but PFN’s Ian Cummings says he is a “high-level technician” for his age. The Titans – for better or for worse – are committed to Will Levis at the moment, and to be fair, he’s shown many positive signs. Getting a Week One starter that helps protect your young QB is a great, albeit boring, first-round pick. Picking “sure things” in the trenches is almost always a smart move.

Pick 8: Atlanta Falcons select Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU

Atlanta will be ecstatic if one of the top quarterbacks falls to them at eight. Daniels is a gamer and a playmaker, with accuracy and throwing power to boot. The Desmond Ridder-Taylor Heinicke nonsense from last year will become a distant memory as new head coach Raheem Morris will relish the idea of his young signal-caller feeding the ball to the likes of Kyle Pitts and Bijan Robinson.

Pick 9: Chicago Bears select Dallas Turner, EDGE, Alabama

The Bears’ dream draft (according to me) continues as they fill another huge need. Turner lacks a bit in the power department but could be the perfect dynamic EDGE partner to Montez Sweat. The Bears’ defense improved a ton last year, and Turner could at least slot in as a contributing rotational player right off the bat to help continue the improvement.

Pick 10: New York Jets select Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia

With the top couple of offensive tackles already gone, I think the Jets would have to reach here if they went for the trenches. Instead, I think they jump at the fact that Bowers has fallen this far and give Aaron Rodgers a super versatile target alongside wideout Garrett Wilson. Bowers could have an epic rookie season with Rodgers throwing him the ball.

Pick 11: Minnesota Vikings select J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan

Regardless of whether or not Kirk Cousins is back in purple, I like this pick for my Vikings. Kirk will not be here forever, and this is a good draft to find his successor. McCarthy has more than enough physical tools, and while there are some knocks to his decision-making and consistency with mechanics, I think he could thrive under the play-calling of Kevin O’Connell. Even if he has to sit for a year to observe Kirko, I’m totally on board with a J.J. to J.J. connection.

Pick 12: Denver Broncos select Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama

Denver’s defense wasn’t quite as good as expected last year, and with the expensive nature of moving on from Russell Wilson, I feel they will be in a “best player available” type of situation. Arnold could represent another top option to complement Patrick Surtain II, and the Broncos could work toward a consistent defense to help what may be a Jarrett Stidham-led offense.

Pick 13: Las Vegas Raiders select Laiatu Latu, EDGE, UCLA

The early reports suggest he may not contribute much in rush defense, but another top pass-rushing talent opposite Maxx Crosby could continue the Raiders’ momentum from last year. This pick would fit the mentality of a tough Raiders team under Antonio Pierce.

Pick 14: New Orleans Saints select Jer’Zhan Newton, DT, Illinois

The Saints were 22nd in rushing yards allowed per game last season, and this team needs their defense to improve. Newton is a great piece to add in the draft to bolster the defensive side of the trenches. They’ll also need an offensive turnaround from last year, but Newton will at least help their defense get back to the basics.

Pick 15: Indianapolis Colts select JC Latham, OT, Alabama

The Colts (and myself) will be very excited to see Anthony Richardson back on the field. JC Latham could be a great pick for them, then, to help protect the young playmaker. The Colts were 10th in rushing yards per attempt last season and middle of the road in sack percentage, so their offensive line isn’t necessarily in dire need of improvement. However, you can never have enough depth at OT, and for a team that should be running as much as they will, Latham would be a smart pick here.

Pick 16: Seattle Seahawks select Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo

PFN’s Ian Cummings mentions this guy’s playmaking instincts, and he will have Seattle chomping at the bit to put him out there with Devon Witherspoon, Tariq Woolen, and Jamal Adams, among others. The Seahawks’ defensive line played better than I thought last year, and bolstering their back end would be a smart move here. I will say, however, that drafting at 16 seems awkward because it’s right in the middle, and this was a team where I strongly explored options to trade down a bit. I think they are a strong candidate to make a draft-day move of some sort.

Pick 17: Jacksonville Jaguars select Nate Wiggins, CB, Clemson

The best cornerback left on my board at the moment is Wiggins. He looks like the starting, shut-down type of corner (albeit with areas for improvement) that the Jags need to improve on their pass defense from last year. They were 26th in passing yards allowed per game last season, but to me, it looked even worse. Take the CB talent here, Doug Pederson.

Pick 18: Cincinnati Bengals select Brian Thomas, Jr., WR, LSU

The Bengals go back to the LSU wide receiver pool and grab one of my favorite picks in the draft. Although Burrow has suggested Tee Higgins will be back, I just don’t know how they’ll keep him and Chase together much longer. And since their offensive line is always an issue, why not grab a tall, elite, red-zone threat at receiver? He could immediately slot in and make defenses scramble to match up with his size while also devoting enough resources to Ja’Marr Chase.

Pick 19: Los Angeles Rams select Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama

I think McKinstry could be a Week One starter for the Rams, whose defense was much better than anticipated last year. My initial thought for LA was to address their offensive line, but they also over-performed last season. Honestly, this could be another team that chooses BPA (best player available) regardless of position, but if I were a Rams fan, I’d welcome McKinstry with open arms.

Pick 20: Pittsburgh Steelers select Byron Murphy II, DT, Texas

For all of the great players I could name-drop on the Steelers’ defense, they were not that great against the run. Byron Murphy helps with this immediately and would have the players around him to allow him to develop as a pass rusher. They drafted some contributing talent last year on the defensive line, but not of the first-round pedigree of Murphy.

Pick 21: Miami Dolphins select Jared Verse, EDGE, Florida State

He may not be here at 21 on the actual day of the draft, but Miami would love some depth on the edge. They suffered some extremely critical injuries down the stretch, with Jaelan Phillips, Bradley Chubb, and Jerome Baker going down late in the season. Verse offers immediate depth at the position, and while he is a bit undersized, he’ll make up for it with elite moves and explosiveness.

Pick 22: Philadelphia Eagles select Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State

I initially had the Eagles taking Kool-Aid here to help with their secondary issues, but when he got taken by the Rams in my imaginary draft land, they went with the smart play in Fuaga. In fact, as the rankings stand now, this is not only a smart pick but a steal, as he doesn’t appear to be making it this far at the moment. Regardless, he is a potential starter for Week One if they need him to be. If not, he can be top-level depth until he gets his shot.

Pick 23: Houston Texans select Jackson Powers-Johnson, OC, Oregon

C.J. Stroud had a phenomenal rookie season, and he had to run for his life on more than a few occasions. I love grabbing JPJ here as a guy who can immediately start and improve the Texans’ offensive line. He’s only 21 years old and already looks the part of a seasoned NFL starter.

Pick 24: Dallas Cowboys select Keon Coleman, WR, Florida State

Brandin Cooks had some nice moments last year, and I’ve always liked Michael Gallup, but the Cowboys need consistent production from someone other than CeeDee Lamb. Keon Coleman is 6’4”, very strong, and is great at making contested catches. When the season is on the line for the Cowboys next year, Dak will need someone like Coleman to throw to when the windows are smaller.

Pick 25: Green Bay Packers select Cooper DeJean, S, Iowa

For back-to-back years, the Packers may use their first-round pick on an Iowa defender. DeJean played cornerback at Iowa, but his size makes him more likely a safety at the next level. Either way, DeJean can also make plays in the running game, so I expect him to be all over the field for a team that already has a young, exciting offense. They need to keep fortifying that defense.

Pick 26: Tampa Buccaneers select Bo Nix, QB, Oregon

I’ll be honest, Nix at 26 seems both too high and too low for a player who has been talked about for years. At the moment, this is near to his current ranking, and although Baker Mayfield played well at times last year, I think everyone in Tampa Bay realizes he’s not the long-term answer. I think the Bucs see an opportunity to get a quarterback without having to move up and select the fifth first-round quarterback in the 2024 draft.

Pick 27: Arizona Cardinals select Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia

The Cardinals took Paris Johnson, Jr. in last year’s draft, but I could see them taking another tackle this season to continue to build their foundation for the future. However, this is their second pick in the first round, and if they go receiver at pick four, this could easily be a defensive pick.

Pick 28: Buffalo Bills select Tyler Guyton, OT, Oklahoma

Tackle is such an important position; I think the Bills take the best one available at this juncture in the draft. Their offensive line played well overall last year, but imagine what that offense could look like if they continued to get better up front? Guyton is 6’7” and weighs more than 300 pounds. He was recruited as a defensive lineman and has the athleticism to help him develop into an NFL starter.

Pick 29: Detroit Lions select Kamren Kinchens, S, Miami (FL)

The Lions proved that their offense was more than legitimate on their run to the NFC Conference Championship last season, but they still need help on their defense. A team can never have too many playmakers, either, so even though Brian Branch was a great safety pick last season, I like Kinchens here, another versatile playmaker in the secondary.

Pick 30: Baltimore Ravens select Graham Barton, OG, Duke

Barton is listed as an elite interior line talent who can play anywhere on the line in a pinch. This Ravens team has very few dire needs, so I see them looking to add depth on the offensive line to help out Lamar and the running game.

Pick 31: San Francisco 49ers select Chop Robinson, EDGE, Penn State

Another team that is pretty set everywhere; it may seem weird that they take an EDGE player here. That being said, Robinson has elite speed at the position and, at the moment, is the best player available by far if he were to make it this late. Depth is huge everywhere, and the 49ers will want to make sure their defense is set up for the future as well as the present.

Pick 32: Kansas City Chiefs select Leonard Taylor, DT, Miami (FL)

Yes, I know that Chris Jones has stated he’ll be returning. But it doesn’t hurt to fill in the interior line depth behind him, even if he does. Taylor could learn a lot from Jones if he gets to back him up, and for this Chiefs’ dynasty, he could be someone to whom the torch is passed. There is an argument the Chiefs should go receiver here as well, but for some reason, I think they’re better off taking Taylor. There is still a chance, after all, they lose Chris Jones to free agency as well, making this pick even more important.

There You Have It!

An extremely early, probably way off estimates on who each team will take in the first round. I’ll remind y’all that these are the players I think each team should take now if the draft were happening right this second. I reserve the right to change my mind as I get more into some off-season film! In the meantime, let me know what you think, @Jlime8 on X, did I at least pick the right position for your favorite team? And don’t forget to follow Bite-Size Sports on X as well, and then check out the great shows we have on YouTube! Happy off-season, everyone!

---