2024 NFL Mock Draft With Analysis – Wild Card Weekend

2024 NFL Mock Draft With Analysis – Wild Card Weekend

January 8, 2024

12–18 minutes

With the regular season in the books, now is a good time for a rare (sorry) mock draft with actual analysis. Enjoy.

Pick	Team	Player	Stats	Commentary
1	Chicago Bears	QB Caleb Williams, USC – 6’1, 215 lbs	266-388, 3633 yards, 30 TD, 5 INT	From CAR ESPN recently ranked Caleb Williams behind guys like Bo Nix and Michael Penix Jr. That is a hilarious overreaction, but shows that not everyone is sold on Caleb Williams as the top pick in this draft. That is not even to mention the fact that the Bears have quite the dilemma on their hands. Do they draft Williams or trade the first overall pick for the second straight year and commit to Justin Fields long term? It will be interesting to see how things unfold, but right now, I still believe Williams will be the top overall pick, though we do not know which team will be picking here. USC had a disappointing year, but it was hardly Williams fault. He does not play defense as well. He is an elite talent, and all it takes is one team to be comfortable with his attitude, effort and talent to take the plunge here.
2	Washington Commanders	OT Olumuyiwa Fashanu, Penn State – 6’6, 319 lbs	N/A	It would be easy to plop Drake Maye here and keep it moving, but it is not that simple. Will what will likely be a new Washington regime want to replace Sam Howell with Drake Maye, the same way that North Carolina replaced Sam Howell with Drake Maye? I do not think Maye is a slam dunk option, and there are so many other needs on the Washington roster. At the top is someone to replace former All-Pro Trent Williams. I think Olu Fashanu would have been a top five pick in the 2023 draft, and he had yet another fantastic year. He is NFL ready and would hold down the offensive line, and Washington should be bad enough to go after a quarterback in 2025.
3	New England Patriots	QB Drake Maye, North Carolina – 6’4, 230 lbs	269-425, 3608 yards, 24 TD, 9 INT	The Patriots would not hesitate to take Drake Maye here. I like Maye and think he is as talented as anyone in this class, but I have serious reservations. He took a step back in pretty much every way as a redshirt sophomore, and redshirt sophomores do not have a huge track record of NFL success. He is absolutely a work in progress, but the arm strength and talent is undeniable. The Patriots would finally be able to turn the page on the Tom Brady era.
4	Arizona Cardinals	WR Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State – 6’4, 205 lbs	67 rec, 1211 yards, 14 TD	The Cardinals will be sticking with Kyler Murray going forward, which means they are in prime position to add skill level talent here. Marvin Harrison Jr. is the best receiver prospect to come along in years. He has that Julio Jones/AJ Green mixture of strength, size and speed and should immediately become Murray’s top option in the passing game.
5	Los Angeles Chargers	OT Joe Alt, Notre Dame – 6’8, 315 lbs	N/A	I am very tempted to mock Brock Bowers here, he is that talented. But fifth overall is quite rich for a tight end, especially with how bad the offensive line is for the Chargers. Joe Alt would be OT1 most seasons, and is absolutely worth a top ten pick. With Rashawn Slater and now Alt book-ending the offensive line, perhaps Justin Herbert can stay upright and help this perpetually underachieving roster reach its potential.
6	New York Giants	WR Malik Nabers, LSU – 6’0, 200 lbs	89 rec, 1569 yards, 14 TD	Let me get it out of the way; the Giants are not drafting a quarterback. They owe way too much money to Daniel Jones and have to lie in bed they made, at least for the next season or two. Adding actual talent to the skill positions would be a good move. Malik Nabers was a part of another historic LSU offense. He is coming off of two fantastic seasons, and has the strength and route running to finally give the Giants an alpha wideout.
7	Tennessee Titans	TE Brock Bowers, Georgia – 6’4, 240 lbs	56 rec, 714 yards, 6 TD	CHigoziem Okonkwo had a very good season as the TE1 for the Titans, but Brock Bowers simply offers too much potential for a Titans team desperate for receiving help to pass up. I think he is a better prospect than Kyle Pitts, especially when you factor in his ability to actually block from the tight end position. Tennessee could create a lot of mismatches when running two TE sets, and Bowers could line up outside as well.
8	Atlanta Falcons	QB Jayden Daniels, LSU – 6’4, 210 lbs	236-327, 3812 yards, 40 TD, 4 INT	The Falcons will draft 8th overall for the third straight season. After drafting a tight end, wide receiver and running back in the top ten the past three years, they finally spend a premium pick on a quarterback. Jayden Daniels transformation from skinny running quarterback at Arizona to a true two way threat as a Heisman winner at LSU has vaulted him into the first round. He has bulked up to withstand an NFL beating, and can really throw the football. Shades of Michael Vick, and he could really help this Falcons offense finally get back to what they were a decade ago.
9	Chicago Bears	WR Rome Odunze, Washington – 6’3, 215 lbs	87 rec, 1553 yards, 13 TD	Rome Odunze sits 6’3, 215, ran a sub 4.40 yard draft and has put up monster numbers for perhaps the best offense in college football. This might be a bit of a luxury pick, but having Odunze and DJ Moore would be a great gift to help either Justin Fields or Caleb Williams succeed.
10	New York Jets	OT JC Latham, Alabama – 6’6, 360 lbs	N/A	Make it 10 for 10 when it comes to offensive players drafted. Has that ever happened before? Without any research, I am going to say absolutely not. If the Jets are going to rely on Aaron Rodgers in 2024, they absolutely need to upgrade the offensive line. JC Latham is a mountain of a man who may fit better inside at guard, but could make it at right tackle as a guy who could gobble up pass rushers. The Jets cannot go in to 2024 with their usual group of busts and castoffs.
11	Minnesota Vikings	QB Bo Nix, Oregon – 6’2, 217 lbs	364-470, 4508 yards, 45 TD, 3 INT	Bo Nix has had quite the interesting journey. He arrived at Auburn as a home town hero, but struggled after a promising season. He took his talents out west and put things together as a senior, throwing for an absurd 45 touchdowns against only 3 interceptions. The first round talent was always there, and there are enough teams in desperate need of quarterback help, that he seems like a first round lock to me. The Vikings hope to not pick this high again any time soon. Sticking with Kirk Cousins could be tempting, but now is the perfect time to finally move on and start anew, especially with Cousins about to become a free agent off a serious injury.
12	Denver Broncos	OLB Dallas Turner, Alabama – 6’4, 242 lbs	53 tackles, 10 sacks, 2 FF	And with pick 12, we finally have our first defender. Unbelievable. The Broncos traded Von Miller and Bradley Chubb the past few seasons, and do not have the proper personnel to run a successful 3-4 defensive scheme. Dallas Turner is not Will Anderson Jr., but was the next great Alabama pass rusher to declare for the NFL. He is the one defender I think can break through as a top five pick later on during the process, especially if he can continue to bulk up and prove he can handle playing run defense.
13	Las Vegas Raiders	CB Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama – 6’1, 195 lbs	32 tackles	For the second time the past few seasons, an interim coach helped the Raiders win too many games to draft a premium prospect. Las Vegas will probably replace him with another mediocre coach with name recognition, setting back the franchise another few years. Rant over, moving on, the Raiders need to start getting something out of their first round picks. Take your pick, but I will go with Kool-Aid McKinstry. He did not pick off a pass in 2023, but had another very solid season. There is still more potential than production here, but he has definite CB1 talent.
14	New Orleans Saints	DT Jer’Zhan Newton, Illinois – 6’2, 295 lbs	52 tackles, 7.5 sacks, 1 FF	Bryan Bresee looks like a keeper, but more defensive lineman are needed in New Orleans. Jer’Zhan Newton might not be the biggest tackle, but he is a tremendous interior pass rusher and can hold his own against the run. Even though he is not the first defender drafted, he is the top defensive prospect on my board right now.
15	Indianapolis Colts	CB Nate Wiggins, Clemson – 6’2, 185 lbs	28 tackles, 2 INT, 1 sack, 2 FF	The Colts have a very solid roster from top to bottom, but need to plug a couple holes and add general depth, making best player available a good strategy here. Nate Wiggins is neck and neck with Kool-Aid McKinstry as CB1 on my board. He is quick, lanky yet tougher than you would think.
16	Seattle Seahawks	QB Michael Penix Jr., Washington – 6’3, 213 lbs	336-504, 4648 yards, 35 TD, 9 INT	Michael Penix Jr. will be a fantastic story to follow leading up to the draft. He is 25 years old, had two very serious injuries while at Indiana, but ran a near perfect offense this season and might be a champion this time tomorrow. I cannot mock him in the top ten ahead of the other four quarterbacks, but I definitely see a team taking the plunge in the first round. Geno Smith was okay this year for Seattle, but he is Geno Smith. This offense has so much potential, and a thrower like Penix Jr. could unlock it.
17	Jacksonville Jaguars	WR Keon Coleman, Florida State – 6’4, 215 lbs	40 rec, 658 yards, 11 TD	The Jaguars ended 2023 on a very sour note, and Trevor Lawrence has been slower to develop than hoped. I put some of that on the skill position talent. Receiver looked like a strength entering the season, but Calvin Ridley was simply okay and the rest of the guys look like WR2 or 3’s. Keon Coleman did not light the world on fire stat wise, but he is a huge body with great hands and could be an end zone nightmare for Jaguars opponents.
18	Cincinnati Bengals	OT Amarius Mims, Georgia – 6’7, 340 lbs	N/A	Cincinnati Bengals franchise quarterback Joe Burrow has now suffered two season ending injuries. Better health is needed. Some of that is luck, but Cincinnati can do him a favor by drafting a replacement for projected departure Jonah Williams. Amarius Mims might be a right tackle only, but is a mauler and has good potential.
19	Green Bay Packers	CB Terrion Arnold, Alabama – 6’0, 196 lbs	63 tackles, 5 INT, 1 sack, 1 FF	Jordan Love and the Packers came out of nowhere during the second half of the season to make the playoffs. The offense is in good hands with young talent all over the place. The defense, however, remains a major work in progress, with upgrades needed everywhere. Take your pick, but drafting a cornerback to take over for the innefective Eric Stokes would be a good move. Terrion Arnold is only a redshirt sophomore, but showed a knack for picking off passes, and he was tested quite a bit playing opposite Kool-Aid McKinstry. He more than held his own.
20	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	DE Jared Verse, Florida State – 6’4, 260 lbs	38 tackles, 1 INT	You could do worse than Joe Tryon-Shoyinka as a pass rusher if you are Tampa Bay , but Jared Verse is simply too talented to pass up here. The former Division 2 stud transfered from Albany following the 2021 season and racked up 18 sacks during his two seasons in Tallahassee.
21	Arizona Cardinals	OLB Laiatu Latu, UCLA – 6’5, 265 lbs	49 tackles, 13 sacks, 2 FF, 2 INT	From HOU This pick did not turn out to be a premium selection like Arizona was hoping, but for a team that needs it all, they will take what they can get. I went with best player available here. Laiatu Latu was the most productive pass rusher in the country in 2023. I hesitate to put him in the top ten, however, because he is not the best athlete and has dealt with health issues in the past. Still, he can get after the quarterback and that skill is always in high demand.
22	Los Angeles Rams	CB Cooper DeJean, Iowa – 6’1, 207 lbs	41 tyackles, 2 INT	It is almost impossible to believe, but this is the first time the Rams have had a first round draft pick since 2016. Los Angeles bounced back in a big way in 2023, but that lack of draft capital has made depth a major issue. They traded Jalen Ramsey before the season and do not really have a dog to replace him. Cooper DeJean tackles like a safety and covers like a cornerback. He reminds me of Minkah Fitzpatrick coming out of Alabama. Most importantly, he would be a much needed defender for Team White in the Rashard Mendenhall Bowl.
23	Pittsburgh Steelers	OT Graham Barton, Duke – 6’5, 314 lbs	N/A	Once again, Mike Tomlin had the Steelers playing above their talent level, and they return to the playoffs. That might be a double-edged sword, however, because this roster needs an infusion of young talent. They will not find a blue-chipper here, but Graham Barton would be a nice fit as an offensive lineman who can step in at right tackle or any interior position.
24	Miami Dolphins	DT Byron Murphy II, Texas – 6’1, 308 lbs	29 tackles, 5 sacks	The Dolphins defense is star studded, but a lot of depth could be lost to free agency, especially with a Tua Tagovailoa extension coming up. The defensive line could be hit especially hard, where only Zach Sieler is signed long term. Byron Murphy II lived in T’Vondre Sweat’s 360 pound shadow, but is probably a more versatile defensive lineman, and could line up at tackle or end in Miami’s 3-4 defense.
25	Philadelphia Eagles	WR Brian Thomas Jr., LSU – 6’4, 205 lbs	68 rec, 1177 yards, 17 TD	AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith is one of the best receiver duos in the NFL, but there are a few issues. I do not buy into the rumors that Brown has caused a riff in the locker room. I will save that drama for ESPN. But Smith is an upcoming free agent and there was virtually no depth behind the two. The Eagles are not afraid to stack talent at certain positions, and Brian Thomas Jr. would make a very nice third option for the passing game. He was not quite Malik Nabers, but put up monster numbers of his own, and has great size.
26	Kansas City Chiefs	WR Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State – 6’1, 206 lbs	41 rec, 515 yards, 4 TD	Rashee Rice looks like a keeper for the Chiefs, but they still need to do as much as they can to help the offense get back on track. Marvin Harrison Jr. was able to fight through the downgrade from CJ Stroud to Kyle McCord, but Emeka Egbuka struggled to generate numbers as a junior. Still, his fantastic sophomore season (64/1151/10) is still fresh in scouts minds, and he is the last true first round wideout on the board.
27	Houston Texans	FS Kamren Kinchens, Miami – 6’0, 205 lbs	59 tackles, 5 INT, 1 sack	From CLE The Houston franchise was in complete disarray 12 months ago, but the arrivals of CJ Stroud and DeMeco Ryans have completely turned them around. This is still a roster with a ton of needs, however. Kamren Kinchens is quite easily the best safety prospect in this class. He is a real ballhawk, picking off 11 passes the past two years. He would give a struggling Houston secondary some real juice.
28	Detroit Lions	DE Chop Robinson, Penn State – 6’3, 250 lbs	15 tackles, 4 sacks	This may be the best year Detroit has had in half a century. Congratulations to Lions fans. Every team could use additional pass rushing help, however, and Chop Robinson could be a nice rotational rusher. He is undersized and still very much a work in progress, but he represents nice value here.
29	Buffalo Bills	DE JT Tuimoloau, Ohio State – 6’4, 270 lbs	15 tackles, 3.5 sacks	The Von Miller signing did not work out, and once again Buffalo has struggled to generate consistent pressure on defense. JT Tuimoloau was a former top five recruit who has become a solid part of a deep Ohio State defensive line.
30	Dallas Cowboys	WR Xavier Worthy, Texas – 6’1, 172 lbs	75 rec, 1014 yards, 5 TD	Dallas has one of the deepest rosters in the NFL, so identifying huge needs is a bit tough. The team could use someone to take some pressure off of CeeDee Lamb. Xavier Worthy has wheels for days but struggled with drops during his time at Texas, which is why he is still available here.
31	San Francisco 49ers	DE Bralen Trice, Washington – 6’4, 274 lbs	46 tackles, 7 sacks, 1 FF	The 49ers boast one of the deepest rosters in the NFL, but both Chase Young and Randy Gregory are upcoming free agents, and they will want to keep the defensive line rotation deep and solid. Bralen Trice has 17 sacks the past two seasons.
32	Baltimore Ravens	OG Troy Fautanu, Washington – 6’4, 317 lbs	N/A	Despite never really signing free agents, Baltimore continues to march on. The offensive line is probably the biggest weak spot on the roster. Troy Fautanu plays left tackle for Washington but will probably slide inside at the NFL level and become a very solid starting guard.