CHICAGO BEARS: CALEB WILLIAMS QB USC
If you have been reading or watching my recent work, you know that I would take Jayden Daniels. However, the decision isn’t mine, it is Ryan Poles’. Williams is by far the most talented quarterback on the board, the concern is his personality. Based on the research I’ve done, I believe that Caleb’s unique personality isn’t too big of a red flag for Poles and the Bears.
2. WASHINGTON COMMANDERS: JAYDEN DANIELS QB LSU
I’m a huge fan of Jayden Daniels. In my article about Daniels on April 11th, I explained that not only is he an incredible player and leader, but his transition to the NFL should be exceptionally smooth. Daniels will fit perfectly in Kliff Kingsbury’s system in Washington. Led by Jayden Daniels, I expect the Commanders to have a complete 180-degree turnaround next year, similar to the 2023 Houston Texans.
3. VIA NE - LOS ANGELES CHARGERS: MARVIN HARRISON JR. WR OSU
In my article about Jim Harbaugh on April 1st, I explained why his praise of JJ McCarthy is the perfect smokescreen to allow him to trade up or down to draft a receiver. In addition, the new general manager of the New England Patriots, Eliot Wolf, said that the Patriots are “open for business”. Furthermore, Drake Maye is the obvious pick here, but the Patriots are not a great fit for Maye. Maye needs to sit and learn, while the Patriots urgently need a new quarterback. If the Patriots move down to 5 they’re still guaranteed to get one of the top 4 quarterbacks on the board. Therefore, the Patriots and the Chargers are perfect trade buddies, a match made in heaven.
Meanwhile, to clear up cap space, the Chargers were forced to part ways with both of their best past catchers this offseason. Mike Williams is now a New York Jet and Keenan Allen is now a Chicago Bear. Los Angeles is paying Justin Herbert over 50 million dollars per year, so they’re desperate to find him new weapons. Harbaugh saw Marvin Harrison Jr. up close on several occasions and in the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry, he saw firsthand what Harrison is capable of. As a Bronco fan, the thought of facing the Herbert-Harrison connection twice a year for the next half-decade is scary. Given the opportunity, it makes too much sense to go get Harrison, the Chargers won’t pass on it.
4. ARIZONA CARDINALS; JOE ALT OT NOTRE DAME
In 2024, Arizona will finally get a full season from Kyler Murray and is looking to build around him. After losing Marquise Brown and Rondale Moore this offseason, the Cardinals are probably hoping to draft Marvin Harrison. However, after the Chargers leap ahead of them and steal Harrison, I expect the Cardinals to do the next best thing, and add a generational offensive line prospect. After drafting tackle Paris Johnson last year, the offensive line started coming together nicely toward the end of the season. Adding Alt, who can play multiple positions on the line, would make Arizona’s front one of the top units in the league.
5. VIA LAC - NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: JJ MCCARTHY QB MICHIGAN
New England traded back to avoid Drake Maye the first time, but I don’t think it’ll be as easy to find a trade partner the second time. Therefore, I expect the Patriots to draft JJ McCarthy. McCarthy comes from a run-first offense in Michigan, so he should be a good fit for New England’s run-first offense. McCarthy is a proven winner and a good game manager, exactly what the Patriots like. The last time the Patriots drafted a game manager out of Michigan it went pretty well.
6. NEW YORK GIANTS: DRAKE MAYE QB UNC
The New York Giants will be ecstatic to see Drake Maye fall into their lap at 6. By giving their quarterback a 4-year, 160-million-dollar contract, the Giants essentially chose Daniel Jones over Saquon Barkley. This decision backfired horribly. After their 6W-11L 2023 season and losing Saquon Barkley, one of two things will happen in 2024: 1) Daniel Jones will have a magical resurgence and prove he’s the franchise quarterback. 2) The Giants will have to tear it all down and restart. The Giants cannot get out of Jones’ contact for the next couple of years either way. Meanwhile, Drake Maye has to sit and learn for a year or two, making him a perfect fit for the Giants. If Daniel Jones doesn’t work out, it’ll be a swift transition to Drake Maye in 2025 or 2026. Even if he does work out, switching to Maye might still be worth it. The quarterback market is at an all-time high. Kirk Cousins, who has one playoff win, just got a 4-year 180-million-dollar deal. If you have the opportunity to get a cheap quarterback, take it!
7. TENNESSE TITANS: OLUMUYIWA FASHANU OT PENN STATE
Last season, the Titans saw sparks of potential from Will Levis. They seem to be going all-in on Levis and doing their best to build the offense around him. They signed Calvin Ridley and Tony Pollard this offseason, now all that’s left is to patch up the offensive line. Having played 733 pass-block snaps in college, Fashanu is a great option for the Titans to put in front of Levis.
8. ATLANTA FALCONS: DALLAS TURNER OLB ALABAMA
After building their offense by drafting explosive weapons, such as Kyle Pitts, Drake London, and Bijan Robinson, the Atlanta Falcons finally got their quarterback. After signing Kirk Cousins to a 4-year deal, the focus now shifts to the defensive side of the ball. Atlanta has put together a great secondary, consisting of Jesse Bates and AJ Terrell, so all this team needs is a pass rusher. Dallas Turner has been one of the top edge-rushers in the SEC over the past couple of years. He’s played in the SEC versus the “big dawgs” and should transition well into the NFL. Atlanta hasn’t had a 10-sack season from a player since Vic Beasley in 2016, but Dallas Turner will fix that in a hurry.
9. CHICAGO BEARS: MALIK NABERS WR LSU
Malik Nabers is a potential top-5 pick. Therefore, even though they don’t need a receiver, the Bears would be ecstatic to snag Nabers at 9. After the offseason Chicago had, drafting Nabers would complete one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL with a ton of potential. Caleb Williams would be throwing to DJ Moore, Malik Nabers, Keenan Allen, and Cole Kmet, meanwhile having D’Andre Swift in the backfield and throwing behind an arguably top-10 offensive line. If they draft Nabers, and Williams is what they say he is, the Bears’ offense will be unstoppable for the next half-decade!
10. NEW YORK JETS: ROME ODUNZE WR WASHINGTON
The New York Jets are going all-in on Aaron Rodgers. With the Bills and Dolphins being forced by cap concerns to part ways with some of their top players, and the Patriots being a mess, 2024 will be the Jets’ best chance to take over the AFC East. Aaron Rodgers has only one or two years in the tank. Therefore, I expect the Jets to attempt to give him the best offense possible. They already had Garrett Wilson, Breece Hall, and an arguably top-10 offensive line, they signed Mike Williams this offseason, and I expect them to complete the puzzle by drafting Rome Odunze with the 10th pick.
11. VIA MIN - LOS ANGELES RAMS: JARED VERSE DE FSU
After losing Kirk Cousins this offseason, the Vikings are at risk of losing Justin Jefferson next offseason as well. The Vikings have to either give Jefferson a historic deal or start a complete rebuild by trading him away. The top quarterback on their roster as of now is Sam Darnold. While I do believe in Darnold, the wide conception is that Jefferson won’t sign an extension unless the Vikings get him a quarterback. I don’t think Minnesota has the assets to trade up for a top-tier quarterback, and 11 is too early to draft a second-tier guy, such as Michael Penix. Therefore, I expect them to trade down a few spots.
Meanwhile, the Rams looked very good in the second half of the previous season. They hoped to keep developing their young core and keep it rolling into next season. Nevertheless, Aaron Donald’s retirement put a wrench in their plans. Seeing the top defensive end, Jared Verse fall out of the top 10 will tempt the Rams to trade up and plug in Verse instead of Doanld as if nothing ever happened. Los Angeles has a track record of making big trades and sending away picks. It works for both sides, there’s no reason for this trade not to happen.
12. DENVER BRONCOS: BO NIX QB OREGON
After parting ways with Russell Wilson, Sean Payton and the Broncos are desperate to find a real franchise quarterback. Just like the Vikings, I don’t think Denver has the assets to trade up for a top-tier quarterback, and 11 is too early to draft a second-tier guy, such as Michael Penix. However, the Vikings just stole the best trade partner, so the Broncos will be forced to reach for Bo Nix. Nix has a lot of similarities to Drew Breese and will fit perfectly in Sean Payton’s system. It might take a year or two, but I can see Nix being the answer to Denver’s quarterback issue. After nearly a decade, the post-Manning quarterback carousel might come to an end.
13. LAS VEGAS RAIDERS: BROCK BOWERS TE GEORGIA
After trading away Darren Waller last offseason, the Raiders are looking to fill the void at tight end. Brock Bowers, one of the top tight end prospects of the decade, would be the perfect fit. Bowers is simply a younger version of Waller, they’re both pass-catching tight ends between 6-foot-4 and 6-foot-6 and they both weigh approximately 235 pounds. Bowers’ threat in the passing game would be a great compliment to Vegas’s top two receivers, Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers.
14. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS: JC LATHAM ALABAMA
The New Orleans Saints are in a tricky spot at the moment. After finishing the 2023 season with both a top-10 scoring offense and a top-10 scoring defense and yet, somehow missing the playoffs, it’s hard to decide where to improve. After allowing 35 sacks in 2023, one possible area for improvement is pass protection. JC Latham is a young 21-year-old tackle, who they can develop for years to come. At 21 years old, for his age, Latham has an incredible amount of experience as a pass blocker, especially since the experience came in the SEC. Many mock drafts have him sliding a bit into the 20s, but I believe that exclusively due to his ratio of youth to experience, the Saints will reach for Latham at 14.
15. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS: TALIESE FUAGA OT OREGON STATE
A year ago, the Colts drafted a stud in quarterback Anthony Richardson. Richardson looked incredible throughout camp, the preseason, and the first part of the regular season. Unfortunately, his wild play style got him injured. Fuaga ran an impressive 5.13 40-yard dash at the NFL combine, showing that he can move around and go block for Richardson downfield. Adding an asset that can help Richardson stay on the field would be a great investment for the Colts. Furthermore, they recently gave their running back, Jonathan Taylor a big extension. It would only make sense to draft someone to help clear lanes for him. Taliese Fuaga would be a great fit for the Colts.
16. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS: MICHAEL PENIX JR. QB WASHINGTON
Between Geno Smith’s second season in Seattle not being as impressive as his first, Geno being 34 years old, and Geno having only two years left on his contract, I expect Seattle to draft his replacement. Penix will sit behind Smith for one season before taking the wheel. Seattle’s offense consists of multiple explosive weapons, such as DK Metcalf, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Kenneth Walker, and Noah Fant. Penix has the best mid-range accuracy we’ve seen in years and could take this offense to the next level. Emmanuel Acho tweeted the following: “A good quarterback can hit a door from 30 yards away. A great quarterback can hit the doorknob. Michael Penix can hit the keyhole.”
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