“The Big Dog” Mitch Vosburg
With the 2023 NFL season formally over, the journey to the start of the 2024 marketing campaign is formally underway. With the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine taking place this week, the NFL low season is beginning.
This is the time of the 12 months the place lots of people in my occupation take guesses at what’s going to occur through the subsequent two months main as much as the NFL Draft in Detroit April 25-27.
Today, I reveal my first of three mock drafts main as much as the draft. Version 1.0 (this one) drops firstly of the NFL Combine. Version 2.0 will drop on April 1. Version 3.0 will drop on April 25.
The floor guidelines are as follows: I’ll clarify my ideas behind picks 1-10 and alternatives made by the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions. Trade eventualities will occur beginning in Version 2.0. I’ll make a enjoyable sport out of Version 3.0 to see how shut I truly am.
Here’s how I see the 2024 NFL draft taking place:
1. Chicago Bears (from Carolina Panthers) – Caleb Williams, QB, USC: I imagine the Bears ought to hold Justin Fields, however Williams is that this good of a prospect to cross up on, and I don’t see a crew paying the asking value for the No. 1 choose.
Williams is all the things you need out of an NFL QB in 2024. While the comparisons to Patrick Mahomes are 100% unfair, and fairly frankly inaccurate, I see him as what former Washington Commanders QB Robert Griffin III may have been if he stayed wholesome. This will change down the street, however Williams at No. 1 is all however a lock on Feb. 26, 2024.
2. Washington Commanders – Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina: While I imagine the most important want is on an offensive line which allowed 65 sacks this season, Washington hasn’t had a gradual presence at QB since both Kirk Cousins or Joe Theismann. Maye additionally has all of the instruments you want for a QB in 2024. Maye jogs my memory of Pittsburgh Steelers’ legend Ben Roethlisberger, besides Maye can transfer quicker than a John Deere 3010 tractor lacking a rear wheel.
3. New England Patriots – Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame: Let’s be sincere with the Patriots right here. This organization is ranging from the bottom up. In order to win within the NFL, you must discover success within the trenches.
It’s going to be exhausting for any rookie QB to build confidence with the Patriots’ present receiving crops. That’s why discovering a franchise sort out is smart right here, particularly considered one of Alt’s caliber.
4. Arizona Cardinals – Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State: This is the most effective total participant within the 2024 class. This is the man who has the most effective likelihood of creating it into the Pro Football Hall of Fame when all is alleged and performed.
The 2024 class of extensive receivers is deep. You will see numerous gamers on this position from this specific class seem within the first spherical. But MHJ is above all of them. He and Kyler Murray are about to create magic.
5. Los Angeles Chargers – Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia: This goes to be the place the primary commerce of the draft occurs, particularly with the Chargers plethora of wants on protection. But for now, it’s the most effective available participant on the board, which is Bowers.
At 6-foot 4, 240 kilos, Bowers may’ve been a first-round choose after 2021, when he was merely a freshman for the Bulldogs. Bowers provides Chargers QB Justin Herbert a high quality receiving possibility briefly yardage and redzone eventualities.
6. New York Giants – Rome Odunze, WR, Washington: Name me one extensive receiver on the Giants roster. I’ll wait…
At 6-foot 3, Odunze has the same talent set to Cincinnati Bengals receiver Ja’Marr Chase. The Giants have lacked a dependable No. 1 receiving possibility since Odell Beckham Jr.. Odunze might be that man for the Giants, and the worth of choosing him at No. 6 is spot on.
7. Tennessee Titans – Malik Nabers, WR, LSU: The Titans as an organization are nonetheless recovering from the choice to commerce AJ Brown to Philadelphia in 2022. While selecting an offensive lineman or EDGE rusher is smart right here, the necessity for a receiver is larger.
Ironically sufficient, Nabers jogs my memory of Brown, particularly as a deep menace, albeit barely smaller. Regardless, the Titans fill a necessity and provides QB Will Levis a No. 1 receiving possibility he desperately wants.
8. Atlanta Falcons – JJ McCarthy, QB, Michigan: Surprised? Don’t be, as a result of all this man did at Michigan was win soccer video games.
He possesses each trait/device a QB wants in 2024. The solely knock on McCarthy is he wasn’t requested to drop again and dissect a protection as a result of Jim harbaugh’s offense is constructed round a bodily run sport.
With the Falcons already boasting talent gamers like operating again Bijan Robinson, receiver Drake London and tight finish Kyle Pitts, McCarthy is inserted right into a state of affairs the place he can discover success in a division that, to place it properly, is lackluster.
9. Chicago Bears – Jared Verse, EDGE, Florida State: Adding Montez Sweat from Washington mid-season was a sport changer for the Bears. But who strains up reverse of him?
Enter Verse, a 6-foot 4, 260-pound monster who can get after the quarterback and thrives in opposition to the run.
His greatest trait is his work ethic. He acquired no Division 1 presents and began as a decent finish on the University of Albany. Now he’s a top-10 choose as a defensive finish.
10. New York Jets – Olumuyiwa Fashanu, OT, Penn State: Enough of the Jets taking a receiver right here, particularly when their offensive line is under common at greatest.
New York wants a left sort out desperately, and in a deep class of tackles there’s a case for Fashanu being the No. 1 man on this class. No matter the way you slice it it is a match made for achievement in 2024, particularly if the Jets wish to hold Aaron Rodgers off his again.
11. Minnesota Vikings – Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU
12. Denver Broncos – Bo Nix, QB, Oregon
13. Las Vegas Raiders – Jer’Zhan Newton, DT, Illinois
14. New Orleans Saints – Dallas Turner, EDGE, Alabama
15. Indianapolis Colts – Keon Coleman, WR, Florida State
16. Seattle Seahawks – Kris Jenkins Jr., DT, Michigan
17. Jacksonville Jaguars – Laiatu Latu, EDGE, UCLA
18. Cincinnati Bengals – Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State
19. Los Angeles Rams – Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo
20. Pittsburgh Steelers – Jackson Powers-Johnson, Center, Oregon
21. Miami Dolphins – Cooper Beebe, Guard, Kansas State
22. Philadelphia Eagles: Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama
23. Houston Texans (from Cleveland Browns) – JC Latham, OT, Alabama
24. Dallas Cowboys – Trey Benson, RB, Florida State
25. Green Bay Packers – Cooper DeJean, DB, Iowa: When I take an sincere have a look at the Packers, I see a obvious gap on the again finish of the protection. Primarily, I see the necessity for a playmaker reverse of Johnathan Owens.
Enter Cooper DeJean, probably the most explosive and athletic defensive backs on this 12 months’s class. DeJean can play nook, security, nickel nook, extensive receiver and may return punts and kicks.
Primarily, he could be a ball hawk that the Packers truthfully lack proper now. And when he will get the ball in his fingers, there’s a great likelihood Todd Rundgren’s “Bang one the Drum All Day” goes to play at Lambeau Field just a few seconds later.
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia
27. Arizona Cardinals – Chop Robinson, EDGE, Penn State
28. Buffalo Bills – Byron Murphy II, DT, Texas
29. Detroit Lions – Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama: There’s 4 methods that is going to go for the Lions at No. 29. This so occurs to be considered one of them (I’ll talk about the opposite three down the street.)
But in any case this speaking of consuming the Honolulu Blue Kool-Aid and a necessity for a No. 1 nook, this pairing makes an excessive amount of sense. McKinstry was the most effective cornerbacks within the nation for the final two years. Plus, if you happen to have a look at Holmes’ monitor document with Alabama gamers, it seems to be a match made in heaven.
30. Baltimore Ravens – Bucky Irving, RB, Oregon
31. San Francisco 49ers – Nate Wigging, CB, Clemson
32. Kansas City Chiefs – Troy Franklin, WR, Oregon: I’ll throw a bonus rationalization for y’all.
Kansas City wants yet another receiving possibility. It’s lacking somebody who can take the highest off a protection, or what I name “a burner.” Troy Franklin is that man.
Not to say, he’s additionally 6-foot 3 and may have considered one of, if not, the quickest 40-yard sprint occasions this week if he runs.
