Sturniolo’s Mock Draft 1.0: Pre-NFL Combine
Offense Rules Top 10, Only 3 QBs Taken
Photo Credit: Yahoo Sports
We’re firmly in the offseason at this point, so with the Combine coming up close, let’s throw out a mock draft!
1. Chicago Bears (via Carolina Panthers) - Caleb Williams, QB, Southern California
With the incoming trade of Justin Fields, the Bears are looking for their next guy under center. Williams has the unmeasurables that all the scouts are looking for: the intelligence, the ability to make something out of nothing, the ability to place the ball of schedule and audible when he needs to.
2. Washington Commanders - Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina
The Commanders are also looking for a fresh start at quarterback, a new ownership group, new head coach and new staff means big changes incoming in the nation’s capital. Maye has a cannon of an arm, and while he didn’t get much help at North Carolina, his physical traits and experience in a loaded ACC make him a highly-touted prospect that the Commanders will gladly trust with their future.
3. New England Patriots - Olumuyiwa Fashanu, OT, Pennsylvania State
Surprise! The Patriots never take a quarterback this early, and Jayden Daniels is not their kind of guy. Sure, they need help at receiver, but if this is a modernization of the Patriots organization, they’re still going to take the best prospect in the class to protect the trenches first. Fashanu is a fantastic lineman and a better person, returning to Penn State for his final season to get an education. Given last year’s class, he likely would have been the first tackle taken, but he still is the best blocker for both running lanes and passing in the entire CFB. He’ll be a franchise cornerstone wherever he goes.
4. Arizona Cardinals - Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State
Here he is, the highest floor prospect in the class. The Cardinals desperately need receiving help, so it falls perfectly that they can get their guy at No. 4. Harrison is just built different, any ball that comes anywhere close to him he’ll catch, his routes are close to that of Davante Adams, and his speed can burn anyone in space. He is a truly special wide receiver prospect, going to a place where he will be treated as a No. 1 option from his first day on.
Photo Credit: Sports Illustrated
5. Los Angeles Chargers - Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia
Bowers had some injury concerns in this past season, but he’s still a tight end prospect that will be the best since Kyle Pitts three years ago. His blocking ability is better than Pitts’s, but his skills as a receiver are a bit worse. Still a fantastic prospect that Jim Harbaugh’s team will be more than happy to add.
6. New York Giants - Malik Nabers, WR, Louisiana State
Quick and easy, the Giants need receiver help BAD. Isaiah Hodgins being their No. 1 guy with the inconsistent Darren Waller also on your team just isn’t cutting it anymore. That being said, Nabers is a fantastic prospect to help with that, his speed and catch ability on deep balls is unmatched. He will slot directly into the Giants’ offense and make an impact early on.
7. Tennessee Titans - Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame
The Titans’ offensive line needs help in a bad way. The selection of Peter Skoronski last season didn’t save Will Levis, Malik Willis and Ryan Tannehill from all sustaining sack after sack during the season. Alt is a guy that can slot into an outside position on the Titans’ line and do great work, either opening running lanes for running back heir apparent Tyjae Spears or block edge rushers for Levis. Either way, Alt is the man for the job.
8. Atlanta Falcons - Jayden Daniels, QB, Louisiana State
This is the dream scenario for Atlanta. If they are the ones to trade for Justin Fields, this pick will likely change, but in this universe, they don’t have an answer at QB yet. Daniels is a QB prospect that will work perfectly in Atlanta, his prowess in the pocket and on the run fit the scheme that Atlanta is built to run, especially under new OC Zac Robinson. A mix of designed runs and distribution of the ball to his receivers (running back Bijan Robinson, Pitts and wide receiver Drake London) is the exact type of offense that Daniels had at LSU. A perfect fit that will rocket Atlanta back into contention immediately.
Photo Credit: ESPN
9. Chicago Bears - Rome Odunze, WR, Washington
D.J. Moore can’t do it alone. Odunze is another big-bodied receiver who can go up and make contested catches, while also carrying the running ability to take the ball to the house given the opportunity. Give Odunze to Caleb Williams and watch them play backyard football on Sundays at Soldier Field.
10. New York Jets - Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State
Aaron Rodgers blew his leg up on the first pressure he took this past season, the fourth play from scrimmage. Yes, the Jets need more offensive line help. Fuaga was fantastic at Oregon State, helping QB D.J. Uiagalelei put up a phenomenal season for the Beavers.
11. Minnesota Vikings - Dallas Turner, DE, Alabama
Turner is likely the best defensive player in the class, and in this scenario, he’s the first defensive player off the board. This class of defensive ends have prospects with different traits: Jared Verse has the explosion of force off the edge, Chop Robinson is elusive, always finding his way to the quarterback, Laiatu Latu is always coming up with a tackle, indiscriminate of what position the player is that he tackles. Dallas Turner is a prospect that isn’t elite at one thing, but good at everything. He’s a combination of these traits from all of these defensive ends, and he’s good at pretty much everything.
12. Denver Broncos - Nate Wiggins, CB, Clemson
The Broncos’ pass defense was horrendous last year. Now, they get the pick of the litter at cornerback to try and fix that. Wiggins started the year as CB3 or CB4 on most boards, but has played his way the entire way up to CB1, his shutting down of Florida State WR Keon Coleman twice is hard to do, and his play helped Clemson’s defense carry the Tigers to a ranked finish in 2024.
Photo Credit: Lon Horwedel, USA TODAY Sports
13. Las Vegas Raiders - Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo
The Raiders need a lot of help. They played their hearts out for Antonio Pierce last season, but it left them out of striking distance for a top quarterback, offensive lineman or weapon. So, they turn to their defense, a secondary that was leaky at best and non-existent at worst. Mitchell is a CB prospect that is rare, coming from a Group of 5 school and being this highly touted is not normal, but Mitchell’s ball hawking skills speak for themselves.
14. New Orleans Saints - JC Latham, OT, Alabama
Derek Carr got brutalized in the backfield last season, and while the Saints have bigger needs, Latham is a prospect that shouldn’t be passed up on at this point in the draft. He’ll be a great help to keep Carr on his feet and get the ball out to the collection of weapons in New Orleans.
15. Indianapolis Colts - Cooper DeJean, CB, Iowa
The Colts were eliminated from the playoffs because of a secondary torched by CJ Stroud and the Texans. Julius Brents was all alone back there, and he couldn’t hold back the AFC South’s stacked receiving corps all alone. Might as well get him the best all-around corner and special teamer in the class to help him out, Cooper DeJean. Iowa posted an absolutely stifling defense this past season, only letting up more than 25 points three times (@ Penn State, vs Michigan in the Big Ten title game, vs Tennessee in the Citrus Bowl). DeJean was a big part of that, usually finding a way to lock down the opposing team’s lead receiver and returning punts and kickoffs for the Hawkeyes to give the offense good field position. An absolute weapon on defense and special teams for whoever gets him.
16. Seattle Seahawks - Chop Robinson, DE, Pennsylvania State
A bit of a reach here, but he’s a great fit for the Seahawks. Chop is someone that is inevitable to have standing over you, celebrating a sack. He doesn’t overpower a tackle or tight end, but uses his slippery movement to find his way around him, a spin move that’s second to none in CFB from this past year. Seattle is in dire need of some pass rush help, some guaranteed production that will put pressure on the QB in a division with passers Matthew Stafford, Brock Purdy and Kyler Murray.
Photo Credit: Erik Verduzco, AP Photo
17. Jacksonville Jaguars - Jared Verse, DE, Florida State
Jared Verse probably has the highest ceiling of any defensive end in this draft class, his pass rush explosion ability rivals that of South Carolina Jadaveon Clowney. His contributions helped Florida State get to the Orange Bowl this past season, an undefeated regular season. He will fit perfectly in the role that DE Josh Allen takes for the team right now.
18. Cincinnati Bengals - Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia
Joe Burrow got killed behind that Bengals offensive line last year. Might as well go for the best remaining offensive lineman, and Mims is a big guy that could serve as Burrow’s bodyguard for a decade.
19. Los Angeles Rams - Byron Murphy II, DT, Texas
Just imagine with me for a second: The best defensive tackle in the class placed right next to Aaron Donald to learn and become the heir apparent to Donald for the last years of Donald’s career. Murphy has all the physical traits, but getting his skills refined by most likely the best DT to ever do it? Count me in.
20. Pittsburgh Steelers - Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama
Joey Porter Jr. was a bright spot on the Steelers’ secondary last year, but his play was not enough to stop the air raid from costing the Steelers yards, points and games.
Photo Credit: Sports Illustrated
21. Miami Dolphins - Jackson Powers-Johnson, iOL, Oregon
If your quarterback has injury concerns, you invest major capital to make sure he’s protected. Powers-Johnson is likely the best interior lineman in the class, doing wonders for Bo Nix last season at Oregon. This time, he goes to protect another quarterback, much in the same frame as Nix in Tua Tagovailoa.
22. Philadelphia Eagles - Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama
McKinstry has fallen down draft boards this offseason, due to many other defensive backs climbing higher in the rankings. However, he still proves to be a shut-down corner, a fantastic addition for any defense that will get him. The Eagles’ secondary was horrendous this past year, the main reason for their collapse later on in the season. Getting McKinstry to help that secondary shape back up will prove to be a big help.
23. Houston Texans (via Cleveland Browns) - Laiatu Latu, DE, California - Los Angeles
They’ve got Will Anderson as the Defensive Rookie of the Year, why not pair him up with another top-level DE prospect in Latu, who kept UCLA in contention in so many games this season?
24. Dallas Cowboys - Jer'Zhan Newton, DT, Illinois
No one runs on Jer’Zhan Newton, and no one will run on the Dallas Cowboys if they take him.
Photo Credit: Duke University Athletics
25. Green Bay Packers - Graham Barton, OT, Duke
This feels about right, the Packers are likely to part ways with OT David Bahktiari in the offseason, so filling the hole left by him is a good practice. Barton is a fantastic tackle on his own, being able to block for Riley Leonard in a fantastic season for Duke before Leonard’s injury.
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Ennis Rakestraw Jr., CB, Missouri
Losing Antoine Winfield Jr. would hurt in the offseason, but getting a new defensive back would help ease that. Rakestraw is a highly-touted corner coming out of Missouri, his defensive performance for the Tigers was key in their Cotton Bowl win over Ohio State.
27. Arizona Cardinals (via Houston Texans) - Troy Fautanu, OT, Washington
Kyler Murray is coming off of a major knee injury, why not enlist some more protection for him with this luxury pick?
28. Buffalo Bills - Brian Thomas Jr., WR, Louisiana State
The Bills are rumored to lose Gabriel Davis in the offseason and have been needing a certified No. 2 receiver behind Stefon Diggs for years. Thomas Jr. is that option, playing fantastically in that role at LSU behind Nabers.
Photo Credit: University of Georgia Athletics
29. Detroit Lions - Ladd McConkey, WR, Georgia
Big bodied receiver to complement the explosion ability of Amon-Ra St. Brown. McConkey was amazing for Stetson Bennett and Carson Beck at Georgia, making those possession catches that the team needs in clutch moments.
30. Baltimore Ravens - Adisa Isaac, DE, Pennsylvania State
With Clowney’s status up in the air for the offseason, the Ravens will likely invest in a pass rusher in this class. This might be seen as a bit of a reach, but Isaac is a fantastic DE2, working with another bonafide star in the pass-rushing department. The temptation to take Jeremiah Trotter Jr. here was great, but pairing Isaac with another former Nittany Lion in Odafe Oweh will provide the Ravens the same pass rush production that they had.
31. San Francisco 49ers - Tyler Guyton, OT, Oklahoma
Trent Williams isn’t getting any younger, and Brock Purdy needs protection. Next.
32. Kansas City Chiefs - Troy Franklin, WR, Oregon
What was the Chiefs’ key downfall this season? Receivers, and specifically dropped passes. Who won’t drop a key pass? Troy Franklin. Every catch the Ducks needed him to make during the season came down with him. The Chiefs would be cackling if they got a high-floor possession receiver like Franklin at the end of the first round here.
