Detroit Rock City is ready to rock tomorrow night, as the NFL Draft is here! (Ready to rock, but not ready to roll. Rock is still here, but what happened to “roll?”) Meaning it is time for our final 2024 NFL Mock Draft. Projecting who each NFL team will take on draft night is a very popular activity, as there are literally hundreds of NFL mock drafts available on the internet.
However, The Sports Bank remains the only independently owned Mom and Pop shop website that has one for all four of major North American sports.
Here are the links to all our other mocks: NHL MLB NBA.
This is our sixth update, so you can call this NFL mock 6.0, and it comes with some changes. This will be our second to last update between now and the big event kicking off in Detroit in a couple days.
And as always, our list of the 50 worst NFL mock draft cliches, buzz phrases and other assorted word salad can be found here.
Not all mocks do player pick descriptions, but we do! The NFL Draft date will be held April 25-27. This mock is listed on NFL Mock Draft Database, Eat, Drink and Sleep Football, Yahoo! and USA Today Ravens Wire.
It is all speculation, but if you do your research and back up your predictions with statistics and facts, your mock draft will stand out among the rest.
Our mock draft keeps up to date on the latest information in regards to: free agent signings, trades, injuries, Pro Day and Scouting Combine performances.
1. Chicago via CAR, Caleb Williams, QB USC
So without any further ado, the Minnows of the Midway are on the clock. Justin Fields is now officially gone, and that means Caleb Williams is inevitable. Bears are starting all over, again, because well, they are just a horribly run organization; top to bottom.
Maybe this guy will be the long awaited franchise savior?
Is there any hope for them?
#Bears fans,
What do you think? #StadiumForChicago (?: @ChicagoBears) pic.twitter.com/zTYrjWIInK
— Jarrett Payton (@paytonsun) April 24, 2024
Well, the Chicago Bears unveiled artist renderings of their new proposed lakefront stadium today, and the message was met with skepticism. The stadium plan and renovation of the surrounding area carries an estimated price tag of about $4.6 billion. The club is asking the taxpayers to foot half of the bill!
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker responding to a reporter’s question about the Bears’ plans to ask for about $2.3B in public financing for a new lakefront stadium:
“I remain skeptical about this proposal… I’m not sure that this is among the highest priorities for taxpayers.”
This quote will mostly likely score political points for Pritzker, as public funding for privately owned stadiums remains a deeply unpopular practice among eligible voters. The concept of socializing the costs, but privatizing the profits is always a hard sell.
2. Washington, Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina
Commanders need a total rebuild, and that all starts with the quarterback (so the cliche goes).
3. New England, Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU
You kids wouldn’t believe or remember this, but back in the early ’90s Heisman Trophy winners were sometimes not drafted very high. Many were drafted pretty low actually. These days, the script has indeed completely flipped.
4. Arizona, Malik Nabers, WR, LSU
Won’t you be my neighbor? No, ok, how about you be my first wideout off the boards? Nabers was more electrifying than both this past season, as he had at least one play of 20+ yards in all 13 games last season.
The Youngsville, LA native ranked second in the nation in receiving yards (1,569) and receiving first downs (69) this past season. He also has the measurables, as he ran a cheetah like 4.35 in the 40, to go along with crazy good 42-inch vertical and 10-foot-9 broad jump at LSU’s Pro Day.
We wrote much more about this guy, over at this link.
5. LA Chargers, Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame
The ND-Chargers pipeline has been well documented, overly analyzed and thoroughly studied. We did so at this link.
6. NY Giants, JJ McCarthy, QB, Michigan
Is he really the goods, and he can win games with his arm? Or was he just a game manager who was gifted an amazing running game and elite defense?
7. Tennessee, Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State
Titans badly need help on the OL, and this is a blue chip prospect.
8. Atlanta, Dallas Turner, Edge, Alabama
A whole ton of other mocks out there have Dallas Turner going to Atlanta at #8. It makes so much sense on so many levels that we’ll just conform to the trend.
9. Chicago, Marvin Harrison, WR, Ohio State
Bears would be smart to nab a top flight rookie wideout to pair up with their shiny new franchise quarterback.
10. NY Jets, Olumuyiwa Fashanu, OT, PSU
Having allowed zero sacks in 382 pass-blocking plays this past season, he could be the next guy entrusted to protect the blind side of….the Jets revolving door of QBs. According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), Fashanu never allowed a sack or even a quarterback hit during his entire college career. During his three years at State College, he only allowed 16 pressures/hurries on 733 pass protection snaps.
He’s also the poster child for being a “high character guy” with no “off-the-field issues.” Named a repeat team captain, “Olu” was also a 2023 William V. Campbell Trophy finalist. We wrote a lot more on him here.
11. Minnesota, Jared Verse, Edge, FSU
Noles superstar is the main character of the book, chapter and verse, of defensive end prospects in this class.
12. Denver, Brock Bowers, TE Georgia
It is nice to see a tight end go this high for a change. That doesn’t happen often.
13. Las Vegas, JC Latham, OT, Alabama
So much Bama in your 2024 NFL mock draft; or any year for that matter.
14. New Orleans, Laiatu Latu, Edge, UCLA
Saints need pash rushing help.
15. Indianapolis, Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia
Great value pick.
16. Seattle, Johnny Newton, DT, Illinois
Newton may have been slowed by injury during the NFL Draft exploratory process season, but he’ll go high in this draft regardless. Although he lacks ideal size and length for the next level, he’s a consistent, disruptive force in the defensive interior.
We looked into all that Johnny Newton brings to the table over at this link.
17. Jacksonville, Rome Odunze, WR, Washington
“Rome, if you want to, Rome around the world”…and you should, as he was the main reason the Huskies were the most fun to watch team in college football this past season.
18. Cincinnati, Jackson Powers-Johnson, IOL, Oregon
Yes, this is a real guy. That is a real name. And he’s a really good prospect too.
19. LA Rams, Byron Murphy II, DT, Texas
As you know from the highly suggestive music video that the team made in the 1980s, they need someone to “Ram It Ram It!”
20. Pittsburgh, Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama
PITT should go best cornerback available. Fills a need and is a huge value here.
21. Miami, Ennis Rakestraw Jr., CB, Mizzou
The run on cornerbacks….
22. Philadelphia, Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo
..continues. These days the only positions that go in the first round are: passers, pass-blockers, pass rushers, pass protectors and pass defenders. Everyone else has to wait until later rounds.
23. Minnesota via Cleveland, Bo Nix, QB, Oregon
SKOL will go QB at some early point of this draft. That much is certain.
24. Dallas, Troy Fautanu, OL, Washington
This would be a steal of a value for the Boys at this point.
25. Green Bay, Cooper DeJean, CB/RS, Iowa
The Odebolt, Iowa, native can play either corner or safety and return punts in the pros. He had a 70-yard punt return for a game-winning score against Michigan State in a contest that perfectly embodied everything Iowa Hawkeyes football was about in 2023. The Hawkeyes played elite, top-notch defense, had little to no offense, and often found their scoring through special teams. Yes, you read that right. Brian Ferentz should forever be ashamed.
De Jean embodied that ideally, finishing the season with 41 tackles, two TFLs, two interceptions, and five pass breakups in 10 games. He also did not allow a touchdown pass in 388 snaps in coverage. We wrote a lot more about him over at this link.
26. Tampa Bay, Adonai Mitchell, WR, Texas
Was a huge star in a season that was a major step forward for a program that is trying to regain what a semblance of what it once was.
27. Arizona via HOU, Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama
Yes, the same school and position group that produced Ha Ha Clinton-Dix is also giving us Ga’Quincy “Kool-Aid” McKinstry. If only they also had churned out the following players as well:
Squirrel White, God Shamgod, Exree Hipp, Diamond Stone, D.J. Strawberry, Melo Trimble, Barkevious Mingo, Majestic Mapp, Scientific Mapp, Admiral Schofield, General Schofield, D’Brickashaw Ferguson and Lourawls Tum Tum Nairn Jr.
28. Buffalo, Brian Thomas, WR, LSU
LSU going from DBU TO WRU
29. Detroit, Nate Wiggins, CB, Clemson
This makes sense all around; on numerous levels.
30. Baltimore, Tyler Guyton, OL Oklahoma
If Johnny Newton were to fall all the way down here, he would be perfect for Baltimore, and we looked at why that is over at this link. However, we don’t think he will, and we agree with our USA Today/Ravens Wire colleague that Guyton would be a good fit here. We also agree with his reasoning.
The Ravens might have needs than in the receiving corps, both lines and the secondary, but no selection could provide both drum and symbol crash like nabbing a top tier WR.
Deonte Harry was brought in to replace Odell Beckham Jr., but I could easily see the Ravens going wideout here to build on top of that. By the way, ICYMI, the Ravens alternate logo/helmet design has leaked. Go see it at this link.
For more on the Ravens draft history, go here.
31. San Francisco 49ers, Graham Barton, OL, Duke
Versatile o-lineman who could play multiple positions; exactly what the Niners need.
32. Kansas City Chiefs (Taylor’s Version), Chop Robinson, DE, PSU
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to Ravens Wire, part of the USA Today SMG’s NFL Wire Network and the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and the Washington Times. You can follow him on Twitter.