2024 NFL Mock Draft from the Newsroom
Managing Sports Editor Hedi Skali ’25 and staff writer Vaughn Armour ’25 discuss their picks in a 2024 NFL mock draft.
- Chicago Bears — Caleb Williams (QB)
Vaughn: The second the Bears traded Justin Fields, this became the easiest pick in the draft. Caleb Williams will walk into the NFL with a top tier receiving core, an exciting young offensive coordinator, and a world of expectations. - Washington Commanders — Jayden Daniels (QB)
Hedi: While his frame and decision-making skills may not be NFL ready at this point, I think the ceiling is way too high for the Commanders to resist taking him. The Heisman-trophy winner will be behind a middling offensive line, but with McLaurin and Dotson to throw too, and obviously his legs to rely on, I think the kid will be special. - Minnesota Vikings (trade with Patriots for 11th pick, 23rd pick, ’25 second rounder) — Drake Maye (QB)
Vaughn: This is going to be a controversial one. I had the Vikings trading up with the Patriots to get Drake Maye. I think the Patriots taking Maye at 3 would be setting him up to fail. They have a subpar offensive line and maybe the worst receiving corps in the league. In my opinion, Maye is a project that would likely flounder in that situation. In Minnesota though, he gets to throw to Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison — an awesome spot for him to reach his lofty ceiling. The Vikings get their guy, the Patriots continue to build their roster. - Arizona Cardinals — Marvin Harrison Jr. (WR)
Hedi: The Cardinals have a lot of different options in this spot. While they could definitely trade back and recoup assets from a more QB hungry team, their team doesn’t have as many glaring holes as a few years ago. I think they should keep it simple. They have an extremely talented quarterback in Kyler Murrary and probably one of the greatest WR prospects in the past century available. I am certain the duo will be special for Arizona. - Los Angeles Chargers — Joe Alt (OT)
Vaughn: Wide receivers Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze are common picks here, but I don’t think new head coaching hire Jim Harbaugh will go in either direction. He’s always been someone that has prioritized building elite offensive lines, so I think he’ll be enticed by the idea of pairing Joe Alt with Pro-Bowler Rashawn Slater. The Chargers could look to the second round to add a talented pass-catcher. - New York Giants — Malik Nabers (WR)
Hedi: Although Marvin Harrison Jr. has captured the attention of the draft, Nabers is no slouch at all. After losing Saquon to the Eagles, the Giants will be starving for any offensive spark to add to their squad. While the jury is still out on Daniel Jones, I don’t think he had been done any favors with the receiving corps they’ve had during his career. Now, with an explosive route runner in Nabers, the Giants can both solidify an offensive staple, while allowing themselves to finally see if Daniel Jones can redeem himself with a better surrounding cast. - Tennessee Titans — Olumuyiwa Fashanu (OT)
Vaughn: Simple pick here. The Titans need offensive line help, and they need it bad. Joe Alt is off the board, but they get the second best guy in Olu Fashanu. - Atlanta Falcons — Dallas Turner (EDGE)
Hedi: The Falcons don’t have any glaring holes on either side of the ball. Their offense is filled with talent at every position and their defense has been solid every year. They do, however, lack a truly explosive playmaker on the defensive end, and Dallas Turner would be the perfect remedy. - Chicago Bears — Rome Odunze (WR)
Vaughn: As a Bears fan, this scenario would have me sprinting around campus, grinning ear to ear and hugging all my friends. The thought of pairing Caleb Williams with an uber-talented receiver like Odunze is awe-inspiring. I just hope I didn’t jinx it. - Denver Broncos (trade with Jets for 12th pick, ’25 second rounder) — J.J McCarthy (QB)
Hedi: After trading away Russell Wilson, Sean Payton and the Broncos should want to lock in a talented quarterback for the future. J.J. McCarthy won everything in college, he has an incredibly accurate arm and even does it with his legs when he needs to. Now that the Patriots find themselves at eleven, the Broncos will trade the 12th pick and their second-round pick next year to skip over them and secure their franchise quarterback. - New England Patriots (from Vikings trade) — Taliese Fuaga (OT)
Vaughn: The Patriots get a talented Right Tackle from moving back with the Vikings. They can pair Fuaga with Mike Onwenu, offering whoever is taking snaps under center solid protection. They got jumped for J.J McCarthy, but I think this is still a great scenario for them. - New York Jets (from Broncos trade) — JC Latham (OT)
Hedi: With Aaron Rodgers at the helm, the Jets make the right decision in trading back for a free second. A lot of people would likely draft extraordinary talent Brock Bowers to the Jets here, however, I believe that after last year’s disaster, the Jets need to protect their franchise QB. Although there are plenty of talented lineman available, Latham, to me, is on a different level. His physical profile isn’t out of this world by any means, however, he simply never loses. He is always in the right spot. He seems like he knows the ins and outs of his position better than anyone in this draft. - Las Vegas Raiders — Quinyon Mitchell (CB)
Vaughn: I thought about Washington QB Michael Penix Jr here, who I’m a huge fan of. However, I couldn’t pass up who I think is the best corner in the draft. Quinyon was the best player available in my mind, and the Raiders could use corner help. - New Orleans Saints — Laiatu Latu (EDGE)
Hedi: The Saints are in limbo. They are the definition of mediocre. Simultaneously, it’s impossible to understand their identity as a team. Thus, with this pick, I think the Saints earn themselves a stellar edge rusher to begin a return to their true identity as defensive juggernaut. - Indianapolis Colts — Brock Bowers (TE)
Vaughn: There are a lot of talented players available, but the number one priority for the Colts has to be aiding the development of QB Anthony Richardson in every way they can. Adding an elite receiving weapon like Bowers should help Richardson tremendously in his sophomore season. - Seattle Seahawks — Byron Murphy II (DT)
Hedi: This is a pretty simple pick. The Seahawks have one of the worst defensive lines in the league. Murphy is the best defensive tackle in the draft. This is a match made in heaven. - Jacksonville Jaguars — Johnny Newton (DT)
Vaughn: I thought about receiver here, but the head scratching 3 year 39 million dollar deal the Jaguars just handed to Gabe Davis makes that unlikely. The Jags instead go for an elite interior defensive presence, who they can pair with Josh Allen and 2022 number-one overall pick Travon Walker on the edge. - Cincinnati Bengals — Troy Fautanu (OT)
Hedi: The Bengals will likely go trenches with this pick, and with the top 2 DTs off the board, they would love to get a player who will help protect their franchise QB. Fautanu is a versatile offensive lineman who could compete from day 1 to be the starting LG, or could compete with the new free-agent addition Trent Brown at RT. No matter whether he ends up being a guard or tackle, Fautanu would give the Bengals offensive line a pass-protection boost as well as some much needed depth. - Los Angeles Rams — Terrion Arnold (CB)
Vaughn: The Rams have drafted well recently, and this could be another home run for them. I was surprised to see the talented Alabama corner still available here, and I think he’d be a great fit for their defense. - Pittsburgh Steelers — Brian Thomas Jr. (WR)
Hedi: After trading away Diontae Johnson, the Steelers only have the evolving Pickens to catch passes from Russell Wilson. They need Brian Thomas. Since they are not a contending team, they can allow Brian Thomas’ athleticism to slowly adapt to the NFL’s more disciplined form of route running. - Miami Dolphins — Jackson Powers-Johnson (OC)
Vaughn: The interior of the Dolphins’ offensive line is suspect, so Powers-Johnson’s positional versatility could be very valuable to them. In my opinion, he’s both the best guard and center prospect in this draft. - Philadelphia Eagles — Nate Wiggins (CB)
Hedi: The Eagles’ corners are aging. Darius Slay and James Bradberry are still excellent cornerbacks, but are closer to the tail end of their careers. With an elite team across the board, I think the Eagles are best served in drafting an excellent talent in Wiggins that can provide depth to an aging part of the roster, and hopefully replace one of them seamlessly. - New England Patriots (from trade with Vikings) — Michael Penix Jr. (QB)
Vaughn: The Patriots trade down and still get a talented QB in Penix. His ball placement is elite, and his 4.46 40-yard dash proved that he has more upside as a rushing quarterback than he showed in college. A major criticism about him is his injury history, but he’s played two straight healthy seasons for the Washington Huskies. I’m a huge fan of Penix Jr, and would rather have him and Taliese Fuaga than just Drake Maye if I’m the Patriots. - Dallas Cowboys— Amarius Mims (OT)
Hedi: Using similar logic to the Eagles pick, the Cowboys offensive line is still elite, however, it is beginning to age. I think this pick would allow a seamless transition between the old and new. Mims is a true physical talent who needs time to adapt to the NFL. In Dallas, he would have Tyron Smith and Zack Martin to mentor him through it. - Green Bay Packers — Cooper DeJean (S/CB)
Vaughn: Cooper DeJean was listed as a safety on Pro Football Network, but I think he’ll be a quality corner in the league. The Packers are a tough team to draft for because their holes aren’t super clear, but DeJean would be a valued addition to their secondary. - Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Jared Verse (EDGE)
Hedi: The Bucs have one of the worst pass and run defenses in the league. With an intelligent edge rusher in Jared Verse, their defense will have a spark they can rely on as Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans do their thing on the other side of the ball. - Las Vegas Raiders (trade with Cardinals for ’24 second rounder, ’24 third rounder, ’25 third rounder) — Bo Nix (QB)
Vaughn: The Raiders trade back into the first round to get the last starting-caliber QB in this draft. They gave the Cardinals their 2024 second round and third round picks as well as a 2025 third rounder to do so. I like Nix’s accuracy and timing, but more importantly, I think the Raiders will be desperate to not leave this first round without a quarterback. The Cardinals get to continue building their roster by stockpiling more picks. - Buffalo Bills — Xavier Worthy (WR)
Hedi: After trading Stephon Diggs, Josh Allen’s receiving corps seems to be lacking something. I would not be surprised if they trade up to the teens for Brian Thomas or even higher for Odunze and Nabers. Still, at 28, it’s certainly worth taking the risk on Worthy. As one of the fastest receiving prospects ever, the Bills only need to hope his size and hands can adapt to the NFL. If they can make that happen, the duo with Allen would take over the league. - Detroit Lions — Kool-Aid McKinstry (CB)
Vaughn: The Lions signed former Buccaneer Carlton Davis during free agency, but their second cornerback spot is still a question mark following Cameron Sutton’s arrest for domestic abuse charges. They grab the draft’s best remaining corner in McKinstry. - Baltimore Ravens —Chop Robinson (EDGE)
Hedi: After losing Clowney in free agency, the Ravens would be happy to land an athletic edge rusher who can learn quickly from playing under one of the best defensive coaches in the league. There is a really small chance Robinson can become the next Myles Garrett, and for that he is worth taking here at 30. - San Francisco 49ers — Graham Barton (OC)
Vaughn: Amidst the rumors that the 49ers might trade Brandon Aiyuk, I really thought about taking Oregon WR Troy Franklin here, who I think will be a dynamic NFL weapon. In this scenario though, Aiyuk stays on the team, and the Niners add a talented, versatile guard to add to their stout offensive line. - Kansas City Chiefs — Tyler Guyton (OT)
Hedi: Although they won the Super Bowl in spectacular fashion, it is no secret that the Chiefs offensive line struggled mightily even with a solid unit on paper. I think Guyton would be picked much higher in a draft that didn’t have numerous all time offensive line prospects. The Chiefs should be happy to find him at 32, and hopefully, he can ignite something in their pass protection unit.
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