We're still about a month away from the 2024 NFL Draft outlook coming into clearer view, with the NFL Scouting Combine kicking into high gear a couple weeks from now and the start of free agency following shortly thereafter. Many questions will be answered between now and then. With that, I submit my first foray into the mock-verse, where I tried to untangle the 32-pick web by filling team needs as they stand in mid-February.
Tune in for live coverage of the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine beginning Feb. 29 on NFL Network and NFL+.
A lot can change between mid-February and the start of the draft, but right now, anything other than Williams to the Bears at No. 1 would be a surprise to me.
The Commanders explore moving up to reunite Caleb Williams with OC Kliff Kingsbury, but the asking price is too rich for a team with plenty of other needs. Maye gives Washington a foundation to build on.
In this scenario, the Patriots trade for Justin Fields and start a new era by giving him arguably the best player in the draft.
PROJECTED TRADE WITH ARIZONA CARDINALS
Atlanta pounces before another team moves up for the Heisman Trophy winner’s services. Daniels brings dual-threat electricity to the Falcons’ offense under new head coach Raheem Morris.
Jim Harbaugh has made it abundantly clear he wants a tough, physical team that can protect Justin Herbert. There might be bigger needs on paper come draft day, but selecting Alt to play right tackle seems like the pick most in line with the head coach’s philosophy.
If the Giants are going to run it back with Daniel Jones, they might as well give him a true No. 1 wide receiver for the first time in his career. Nabers has the talent to provide the G-Men with an element they have missed since Odell Beckham Jr.'s heyday.
The Titans have to give Will Levis better protection if they want him to make progress in Year 2. Fashanu, Levis' teammate for a year at Penn State, should be part of the solution.
PROJECTED TRADE WITH ATLANTA FALCONS
GM Monti Ossenfort now owns multiple picks in each of the first three rounds after trading down to No. 8. He holds the keys to the draft and still manages to find Kyler Murray a receiver who has drawn comparisons to Cardinals legend Larry Fitzgerald.
The Bears have to find someone who can pressure quarterbacks other than Montez Sweat. They can make a case that they left Round 1 with the top quarterback and top edge rusher available this year.
PROJECTED TRADE WITH NEW YORK JETS
You really think Michigan Man and soon-to-be Raiders minority owner Tom Brady is going to let McCarthy fall to the Vikings at No. 11 or the rival Broncos at No. 12? Not happening. Vegas goes all in on the national title winner.
With free agency potentially leaving the Vikings thin off the edge, Verse’s relentless effort will be welcomed by DC Brian Flores.
PROJECTED TRADE WITH DENVER BRONCOS
I know, it never happens. The Bengals haven’t traded up in Round 1 since 1995, when they took Ki-Jana Carter first overall. Well, it’s time to put that streak to an end. The value of a top-five talent at No. 12 is too great for Cincinnati to resist, and the team doesn’t have a tight end under contract for 2024 as of this writing. Denver needs more draft picks, and the Bengals need Bowers.
PROJECTED TRADE WITH LAS VEGAS RAIDERS
The Jets recoup some draft capital after trading for Aaron Rodgers last year, and they get some much-needed help up front for the QB with the selection of the ultra-tough Fuaga.
New Orleans might need new starters at both left and right tackle. The powerful Latham can immediately step in on the right side.
There’s a decent chance Arnold will go earlier than 15th overall. If he’s still available, GM Chris Ballard delights in his good fortune, landing the draft’s top corner in the middle of Round 1.
New OC Ryan Grubb grabs his former pupil at UW. Fautanu can line up anywhere on the offensive line, but the Seahawks might be best served playing him at guard.
The Jaguars add some serious juice on the interior. If they bring back pending free agent Josh Allen and new DC Ryan Nielsen fully unlocks 2022 No. 1 overall pick Travon Walker’s potential, Murphy could be part of a ferocious front.
PROJECTED TRADE WITH CINCINNATI BENGALS
Sean Payton is desperate for help after parting with Russell Wilson in this hypothetical and missing out on the first four quarterbacks off the board. Nix has the experience and intelligence to be a good fit in Denver.
If you want wins off the edge, Latu is your guy. He will kick the intensity of the Rams’ pass rush up a notch.
Pittsburgh slides last year’s first-rounder, Broderick Jones, to the left side, making room for Guyton at right tackle. Now, which quarterback will they be protecting?
This looks good on an offensive lineman’s résumé, folks: Zero sacks allowed on 714 career pass-blocking snaps, per PFF. Powers-Johnson steps right in at center, filling a void for Miami.
The Eagles had one of the worst pass defenses in the league last season, and their top corners -- Darius Slay (33) and James Bradberry (31 in August) -- aren’t getting any younger. Mitchell showed at the Senior Bowl that he deservers to be in the draft’s CB1 conversation.
At least one scout views Wiggins as a better prospect than Seahawks stud rookie Devon Witherspoon was a year ago. High praise. The Texans snag a Clemson Tiger to play opposite Derek Stingley Jr.
If Tyler Biadasz departs in free agency, Barton could be the perfect successor at center.
The Packers can’t quit Iowa defenders. For the second year in a row, Green Bay turns to the Hawkeyes in the first round, this time adding a versatile defensive back with a knack for making big plays.
The production might give some teams pause (9.5 sacks in last two seasons), but the freakish athletic ability will make other teams salivate. The Bucs can’t resist here, especially with Shaquil Barrett’s play trending in the wrong direction.
The Cardinals have the picks to move up the board for help in the trenches if they want to be aggressive, but they stay put in this scenario. This selection gives them two young bookends to build the offensive line around, with Mims joining last year’s first-rounder, Paris Johnson Jr.
It’s been a decade since the franchise spent a first-round pick on a receiver. With Gabe Davis headed for free agency, now is the time to strike for Thomas, who led the FBS with 17 touchdown catches in 2023.
I can hear Dan Campbell saying “Kool-Aid? Oh yeah!” when GM Brad Holmes sends this pick in. McKinstry’s game might not have a lot of flash, but he’s a well-schooled, confident cover corner who will reunite with Alabama teammate Brian Branch in the Detroit secondary.
An offensive lineman could be the play for the Ravens in Round 1. In this case, they decide to give Lamar Jackson a receiver who can win jump-ball battles and be a menace in the red zone.
NFL.com draft expert Daniel Jeremiah likened Robinson’s evaluation to that of the 49ers’ Arik Armstead. With Armstead potentially a year away from hitting free agency, why not take the 6-foot-5, 286-pounder to be his successor.
Walker might not have received glowing reviews at the Senior Bowl, but teams will go back to the tape and see what he did at North Carolina last season (41 catches for 699 yards and seven TDs in eight games). He can be a reliable wideout for Patrick Mahomes.
