Mid-Season 2024 NFL Mock Draft
It’s the middle of the season, and college football has been more eventful than the NFL season so far. Let’s see what a projected first round of next year’s draft will look like, shall we?
Photo Credit: Mark J. Terrill, AP Photo
Chicago Bears (via Carolina Panthers) - Caleb Williams, QB, Southern California
No matter what his record at USC says this year, Williams is still easily the best player on the board, especially for a Bears team that will likely have a new coaching staff, looking for their guy (or guys in this case).
2. Chicago Bears - Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State
This is any NFL team’s wet dream, getting the best quarterback prospect in a while paired with the best wide receiver prospect in a while. A signing on the offensive line would do wonders to get this team right back into the NFC North conversation.
3. New England Patriots - Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina
I don’t know how the Patriots got a pick this high, but they’re going to take the opportunity to reset everything, taking a fantastic QB prospect in Maye. While once again, the wins aren’t there for Maye, his stats and tape can’t be denied.
4. New York Giants - Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington
Penix is the Heisman favorite at time of writing, and he has led his team to huge wins over Oregon and USC. His track record before Washington is questionable at best, but the talent for a dual threat quarterback strapped with a rocket arm is right there. He’ll feel right at home in a Brian Daboll offense.
5. Arizona Cardinals (via Houston Texans) - Olumuyiwa Fashanu, OT, Pennsylvania State
After an investment in the offensive line this past year, the Cardinals go for it again, getting another fantastic line prospect. Olu Fashanu has been the main reason for the Drew Allar’s success this season, giving him plenty of time in the pocket to manuever and let the ball fly.
6. Las Vegas Raiders - Bo Nix, QB, Oregon
The Raiders, if they’re picking this high, can not keep going with Jimmy Garoppolo. They need to pivot to a different option, as Aidan O’Connell has also not looked to be that guy. Nix, after transferring from Oregon, has kept the Ducks in contention for a national title, and might get to win that national title if Oregon keeps playing this well under him.
Photo Credit: University of Georgia
7. Arizona Cardinals - Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia
Bowers would have gone top five if it hadn’t been for his injury. Absolutely generational guy at the tight end position, an expert at everything a tight end needs to do.
8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame
With all the top quarterback prospects off the board, the Bucs turn elsewhere in their list of needs to the offensive line. Baker Mayfield has been serviceable this season, so might as well give him as good of a chance as a team can to succeed. Him and Rachaad White getting blocks from Joe Alt would help catapult the Bucs back up the NFC South ladder.
9. Denver Broncos - Malik Nabers, WR, Louisiana State
The Broncos have a wide receiver problem. They needed Jerry Jeudy to break out this year and that hasn’t happened. Mixed with Courtland Sutton’s production falling off a cliff, it’s just been a bad time for the team. They’ll get a fantastic wide receiver prospect to hopefully help Russell Wilson or whoever is next in Denver to get the job done. Hopefully.
10. Los Angeles Rams - Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State
Now this is a name many haven’t heard lately, but he’s right up there in the conversation with the top offensive tackles in the class. The Rams’ offense hasn’t been the same since the Super Bowl year and Andrew Whitworth retired, so they’ll try and get some protection for Matthew Stafford in the waning years of his career.
11. Green Bay Packers - Jer’Zhan Newton, DT, Illinois
The Packers and taking top flight defensive prospects they don’t need. Tale as old as time. At least he’ll pair well with Kenny Clark?
12. Indianapolis Colts - Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State
The Colts don’t have a true No. 1 receiver for Anthony Richardson, so what’s a better return from injury present than a new receiver? Ohio State has a spoiling of riches there, with Marvin Harrison Jr. and Egbuka, it’s a scary tandem for any team to go up against.
13. New York Jets - Keon Coleman, WR, Florida State
There’s a reason Jordan Travis is in the Heisman conversation, and that reason is his receiving corps. Johnny Wilson went down with injury and Coleman has stepped up to show just how valuable of a prospect he is. Pairing him with Garrett Wilson is a horrifying thought for the secondaries of the AFC East.
Photo Credit: Sports Illustrated
14. Seattle Seahawks - Chop Robinson, DE, Pennsylvania State
The Seahawks’ main problem this year has been in consistency of getting to the quarterback. Well, if that’s the problem, why not go out and fix it? Chop Robinson has been a cornerstone for Penn State’s defense this year, applying constant pressure to whoever’s throwing the ball on the other side of the line of scrimmage.
15. Tennessee Titans - Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama
The Titans have a fantastic group of players up in their front seven, but their secondary is a bit weak. McKinstry is the first defensive back off the board here after a full-offense top 10 picks, and fits the Titans’ scheme well.
16. Washington Commanders - Laiatu Latu, DE, California, Los Angeles
After trading away two of their top stars on the defensive line, Washington has to go do what they do best: draft defensive line players. Latu is the next best available at this spot, and fits Washington’s defensive planning perfectly.
17. Buffalo Bills - Rome Odunze, WR, Washington
Stefon Diggs has been asking for a threat on the other end of the field to help him get open. After a year of missing the playoffs (gasp!), the Bills finally listen and get Odunze, Michael Penix Jr.’s top receiver.
18. Pittsburgh Steelers - Dallas Turner, DE, Alabama
After a down year in TJ Watt’s book, the Steelers opt to forgo offensive talent to get Watt a Bud Dupree style player to take up blocks on the other side of the offensive line to let Watt get through.
19. New Orleans Saints - JC Latham, OT, Alabama
Protect Derek Carr’s fragile bones at all costs.
Photo Credit: Sports Illustrated
20. Minnesota Vikings - Cooper DeJean, CB, Iowa
The Vikings haven’t had a truly fantastic player in their secondary since Harrison Smith, and with DeJean having the ability to play pretty much every position back there, he fits a need very well.
21. Jacksonville Jaguars - Nate Wiggins, CB, Clemson
The Jags wanted DeJean really bad, but are happy to settle for Wiggins here, whose work at Clemson has kept them in games, big pass breakups saving scores.
22. Houston Texans (via Cleveland Browns) - Jeremiah Trotter Jr., LB, Clemson
A bit of a reach here to fill a need, but Trotter has been the middle-of-the-field defensive quarterback for Clemson for a while, and while Barrett Carter has outshone him a bit this season, his experience will easily slot him into a Texans defense that is searching for that type of player.
23. Detroit Lions - Graham Barton, OT, Duke
The Lions’ offensive dominance starts in the trenches and keeping Jared Goff, Jahmyr Gibbs, and David Montgomery upright. Barton is the next best offensive tackle to help with just that, so the Lions snatch him here.
24. Los Angeles Chargers - Bralen Trice, DE, Washington
Washington’s defense hasn’t been the greatest in this season’s Pac-12, but Trice has been a bright spot. His ability to come up with big plays right when they’re necessary has been important to keep Washington in tight games with USC and Oregon.
25. Atlanta Falcons - Jared Verse, DE, Florida State
Preseason, Verse was a top five pick. This is a STEAL for a Falcons team that needs a star pass rusher badly.
26. Dallas Cowboys - Kalen King, CB, Pennsylvania State
With the return of Trevon Diggs, the Cowboys have the opportunity here to pair two stellar cornerbacks together and have them plague quarterbacks in the NFC East for a decade or so.
27. Miami Dolphins - Leonard Taylor III, DT, Miami (FL)
Christian Wilkins is good, but why not get someone else who’s also good and put them together? Then they’ll be great.
Photo Credit: Sara Diggins, USA Today Network
28. Kansas City Chiefs - Adonai Mitchell, WR, Texas
The Chiefs desperately need a wide receiver who doesn’t drop the ball often. Travis Kelce can’t be the only offensive weapon on that team, so they draft Mitchell to make sure he’s not.
29. Philadelphia Eagles - Kamren Kinchens, DB, Miami (FL)
The Eagles make good secondary players like Waffle House Makes Waffles. Kinchens is just another guy to be developed by that system.
30. Cincinnati Bengals - Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia
The Bengals and needing offensive line help. Beauty and the Beast.
31. San Francisco 49ers - JJ McCarthy, QB, Michigan
Editor’s Note: I don’t know what happened here, it just makes the most sense.
32. Baltimore Ravens - JT Tuimoloau, DE, Ohio State
Oh, this would be horrifying.
