2024 NFL mock draft: Final first-round projections with major trades up top

There’s little doubt what the Bears will do at No. 1 as Caleb Williams has been the pick for weeks now. It’s all a matter of making it official on draft night. Chicago has made no secret of their intentions with Williams, who will be tasked with breaking the QB curse that’s haunted this franchise for decades. Luckily, Williams is coming into arguably the best situation ever for a No. 1 quarterback. Not only does he have a slew of weapons, including DJ Moore and Keenan Allen, and a solid offensive line, but he also has the backing of a potential top-five defense and a quarterback-friendly offensive coordinator in Shane Waldron. Not to mention, Williams has been hailed by some as the best QB prospect since Andrew Luck. He’s got the arm talent, mobility and creativity that make him an enticing quarterback prospect. Now, it’s about developing him. – Alyssa Barbieri, Bears Wire

There were so many signals pointing to Drake Maye at one time it seemed natural. However, since the unusual aftermath of the top-30 visit that featured four quarterbacks, it seems like all the signs are pointing to Jayden Daniels here. The Commanders wouldn’t be wrong with either pick. Daniels is more ready to help in 2024, having played five seasons of college football, whereas Maye played two. Washington still hasn’t revealed its hand, but since we’ve been predicting Maye over the last several weeks, we’ll stick with our pick. – Bryan Manning, Commanders Wire

It’s more likely that Drake Maye will be the pick here for the Patriots, but if the Commanders throw a curveball and take the North Carolina quarterback prospect, the Patriots should have just as easy of a decision in drafting Jayden Daniels.

The thought of Jonathan Kraft being involved in the decision-making process is terrifying, but then again, it doesn’t take a high-end football mind to see the Patriots desperately need a quarterback. They’ll stay the course here, unless some other team can tempt them with a king’s ransom trade offer. But honestly, all of the pre-draft drama and rumors will likely amount to nothing. – Jordy McElroy, Patriots Wire

Unless the Cardinals are blown away with a trade offer (think three first-round picks), they likely stay put. If the Giants try to come up, then that is also a possibility. The big three receivers of Harrison, Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze are all great picks but why get fancy? Take Harrison and relax for another bunch of picks and stress about the 27th pick and who will be available there. – Jess Root, Cards Wire

The Chargers are a prime candidate to trade down to add more picks or take an offensive lineman, as Jim Harbaugh wants to get more physical in the trenches. But they decide to stand pat and add a dynamic playmaker to the offense after the departures of Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. Los Angeles needs to get younger and faster at the wide receiver position, which Nabers will inject into the room with his ability to take it to the house whenever the football gets in his hands. – Gavino Borquez, Chargers Wire

It seems unlikely that the Giants would select anything other than a quarterback or wide receiver in this spot but improbable doesn’t mean impossible. General manager Joe Schoen has left the door open to all possibilities and Joe Alt is still viewed as a viable option at No. 6 among oddsmakers. In this scenario, the Giants pass on Rome Odunze and J.J. McCarthy in favor of the hulking Notre Dame production to pair with Andrew Thomas as tackle bookends. It also either ends the Evan Neal experiment or sends him inside to guard, where many believe he’s better suited to play. – Dan Benton, Giants Wire

With Joe Alt off the board and no trade partner emerging, Odunze was easily the most logical choice for the Titans in this spot. Tennessee did add Calvin Ridley to create a one-two punch with DeAndre Hopkins, but the latter is 31 and in the final year of his deal. If Hopkins doesn’t return after 2024, the Titans will be right back in the same boat they were going into this offseason. Picking Odunze, who is one of the best receivers in the class, helps avoid that and gives second-year quarterback Will Levis an embarrassment of riches to throw to. – Titans Wire, Mike Moraitis

Trade details: 

• Falcons receive: Nos. 12, 121, 2025 second-round pick
• Broncos receive: Nos. 8, 143

After watching the Giants pass on J.J. McCarthy, the Broncos move up to ensure the Vikings (No. 11) don’t beat them to Michigan’s quarterback. The Raiders (No. 13) are also a candidate to trade up for a QB, so Denver needs to be proactive. Broncos coach Sean Payton is said to be “enamored with” McCarthy, and moving up just four spots is more manageable than trading for a top-five pick. – Jon Heath, Broncos Wire

The Bears will have several options at No. 9, depending how the board falls. They can stay and make the selection, trade back, trade up, who knows. But in this scenario, the top three receivers were off the board and Chicago went with arguably the top edge rusher in Dallas Turner. When looking at this roster, edge rusher is the glaring need heading into the 2024 season, and it could be the difference between a top-10 and top-five defense. The Bears already have a stud in Montez Sweat. Adding Turner, who has length, athleticism and explosiveness, to play opposite him would give them a dynamic 1-2 punch to elevate this defensive front. – Alyssa Barbieri, Bears Wire

The board certainly went a little different than other mocks, but the end result was the same as most for the Jets here: landing Brock Bowers. The Jets need pass-catchers and while they could have traded up for Rome Odunze, Bowers at 10 still gives them a dynamic weapon in the middle of the field. More receivers can still be added later in the draft but the Jets at least come away with one in the first round, which is starting to feel like the direction they will go in when the real thing happens Thursday. – Billy Riccette, Jets Wire

This pick has become increasingly popular with me and others. If the team cannot afford the king’s ransom required to move up and get a top pick to draft a quarterback, they need to start taking the best player available approach. Terrion Arnold is the start of this process and is a great addition to the Minnesota Vikings’ secondary. Together, Arnold and Byron Murphy Jr. give them a reliable on-two punch in pass coverage. – Andrew Harbaugh, Vikings Wire

Trade Details: 

• Falcons receive: Nos. 12, 121, 2025 second-round pick
• Broncos receive: Nos. 8, 143

After swapping picks with the Broncos, the Falcons go with UCLA’s Laiatu Latu and finally upgrade their pass rush. Latu recorded 13 sacks last season while earning a Pro Football Focus grade of 96.3. For a Falcons fan base that’s tired of being sold projection over production, Latu has a track record of dominance throughout his college career. Rather than taking another skill position player in the first round, Atlanta gets a potential game-changer on defense as the team looks to end a six-year postseason drought. Toledo cornerback Quinyon Mitchell was also considered but Latu’s NFL readiness gave him a slight edge. – Matt Urben, Falcons Wire

In an ideal world, the Raiders either trade down from No. 13 and select Penix or move up from Round 2. But there is a chance that the Raiders decide to just pick him here and move on with the rest of their draft. The Raiders want to leave the draft with a franchise quarterback and they believe Penix could fit the bill. He would bring back the vertical passing attack to the Raiders, something they’ve dearly missed over the last several years. – Marcus Mosher, Raiders Wire

Fashanu is too talented for the Saints to pass up: he’s a rare athlete with ample starting experience at a top-flight college program. He’ll immediately upgrade pass protection while learning a system that makes life easier for blockers in the run game. Trevor Penning hasn’t played well enough to keep the Saints from drafting another left tackle. – John Sigler, Saints Wire

Brian Thomas is an excellent fit for what the Shane Steichen offense wants to do. He brings that needed playmaking ability as a vertical presence, averaging over 17 yards per catch with LSU last season. Not only will Thomas add immediate big-play ability to the offense, but his gravity will create opportunities over the middle and on underneath routes for Michael Pittman and Josh Downs to exploit. – Paul Bretl, Colts Wire

After getting terrorized by Aaron Donald for a decade, the Seahawks try to return the favor to their division rivals with this pick. While Donald set an impossible standard to match, Seattle can at least hope that they get something similar in Byron Murphy II (6-foot-1, 297 pounds) – an undersized but ferocious interior disruptor who could wreck offensive gameplans all by himself. While his traditional numbers don’t say much, Murphy earned a 91.5 pass rush grade last season from PFF, the best mark in the nation among interior defensive linemen. – Tim Weaver, Seahawks Wire

Trading up from No. 17 to land Mitchell makes sense. Sitting back and getting him without giving up a thing is a dream come true. In new defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen’s system, the Jaguars are going to need press-adept cornerbacks who have a blend of length and speed to stay on a receiver’s hip and make an impact in the run game too. Mitchell checks those boxes and could pair with Tyson Campbell for many years to come. – Adam Stites, Jaguars Wire

The Bengals are in desperate need of help at both offensive tackle spots, as keeping Joe Burrow healthy is obviously Job One. Last season, left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. and right tackle Jonah Williams combined to allow 15 sacks and 100 total pressures, which is less than optimal. Troy Fautanu was a hoss at left tackle for the Washington Huskies last season, and his measurables don’t automatically doom him to a move to guard. He allowed two sacks and 18 total pressures in 2023 for a quarterback in Michael Penix Jr. who attempted 117 passes of 20 or more air yards. At 6′ 3¾” and 317 pounds, Fautanu has similar measurables to David Bakhtiari, who made three Pro Bowls and got two First-Team Pro Bowl nods with the Green Bay Packers. The Bengals prefer power tackles anyway, and Fautanu hits that mark, along with the required athleticism for either tackle spot. – Doug Farrar, Touchdown Wire

Trade Details:

• Bucs receive: No. 19
• Rams receive: No. 26, OLB Joe Tryon-Shoyinka

Chop Robinson is the popular pick for the Bucs at 26, but the whole “upside over proven production” thing hasn’t worked out terribly well with Tryon-Shoyinka. JTS was a first-round pick in 2021, but he still hasn’t developed into a top-level starter, and the Bucs are unlikely to pick up his fifth-year option. Instead, we send him to the Rams in order to make a seven-spot jump for Verse, one of the most complete and pro-ready defenders in the entire draft. He should make an instant impact for a Tampa Bay team that’s looking for a fourth straight NFC South title after bringing back all of their key free agents this offseason. – Luke Easterling, Bucs Wire

It would have been easy here to go for OL Graham Barton or even OT Taliese Fuaga here, but after trading away their best wide receiver the Steelers couldn’t pass on Mitchell. He’s such a complete player, unselfish and a sneaky athlete. Pittsburgh brought in all new quarterbacks this offseason and we feel like getting Russell Wilson and/or Justin Fields another weapon is a top priority. – Curt Popejoy, Steelers Wire

With so many good offensive linemen on the board after the first 20 picks, a trade down would be a wonderful idea for the Dolphins in this scenario. Alas, the teams behind Miami in the order weren’t particularly interested in moving up when they all felt comfortable waiting for the linemen to fall in their laps. Either way, the Dolphins get an absolute steal at No. 21 in Fuaga. The 6’6, 324-pound lineman is a mauler who could potentially play guard as a rookie before eventually kicking outside to tackle where he’d take over for Terron Armstead. – Adam Stites, Dolphins Wire

One of the most powerful offensive tackles in the NFL draft, Latham was a two-year starter for the Crimson Tide at right tackle and guard in 2022. He’s also open to playing left tackle in a pinch and could eventually replace Lane Johnson. Latham’s size, strength, and talent give him a chance to develop into a Pro Bowl right tackle or All-Pro-caliber offensive guard. – Glenn Erby, Eagles Wire

This is a new pick for the Vikings but a fun one, as it can solve many short—and long-term problems. Graham Barton could be a day-one starter at any of the offensive line positions, but the Vikings would need him at guard. He can be an injury fill-in if a tackle goes down. He could be a long term play at center, the possibilities are endless. I think Barton could end up being a top ten player in this draft when we look back on it in five years. – Andrew Harbaugh, Vikings Wire

If the Cowboys luck out and Mims somehow falls to this spot, it’s hard to imagine they’d pass on him. That’s even if they didn’t intend on addressing the OT position with this pick. Mims has an injury history, but the ceiling on him as a prospect is as high as any prospect this side of Joe Alt. With Murphy and Barton off the board, taking Mims here and seeing if one of the center prospects are still available later seems like the wisest move for a front office that gets it right more often than not. – KD Drummond, Cowboys Wire

The Packers want young, elite and versatile athletes. DeJean is 21 years old, one of the best athletes in the draft class (Relative Athletic Score of 9.85 out of 10.0) and capable of playing perimeter corner, slot corner and safety. He is also coming from Iowa, a program the Packers deeply respect. New defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley wants to lead the league in takeaways, and DeJean (seven interceptions over the last two years) has some of the best ball skills in the class. He also can add value returning punts and covering kicks and punts on special teams. This is just a terrific fit for the Packers. – Zach Kruse, Packers Wire

The Bucs made an offer for the 19th overall pick that was tough to turn down. Not only do the Rams only move back seven spots, but they pick up a starting-caliber edge rusher in Joe Tryon-Shoyinka – the No. 32 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft. He fits the mold of the type of edge rusher the Rams look for, standing 6-foot-5 and 259 pounds, and could step in right away opposite Byron Young. So the Rams fill one major need by acquiring Tryon-Shoyinka, who still has three years left on his contract, and still pick up a future starter at offensive tackle by taking Guyton. He’s 6-foot-8 and can play either left or right tackle, which could need upgrading at some point in the next year or two. So by moving down seven spots, the Rams still manage to add a starting edge rusher and a potential franchise left tackle. – Cameron DaSilva, Rams Wire

The Cardinals could go with a pass rusher like Chop Robinson, but the need at cornerback is just as great and there are questions about Robinson’s production. Instead, the choice is Wiggins, the feisty and athletic Wiggins. He has athleticism to spare, plays with an attitude, is a ballhawk and, despite his lean frame, is a willing tackler. He doesn’t give up on plays. Cardinals fans will see a more physical Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Arizona’s first-round pick in 2008, in Wiggins. – Jess Root, Cards Wire

With Franklin potentially as the top receiver still on the board here, there’s a chance Buffalo moves back and out of this selection… and maybe even still lands him. But just taking him isn’t the worst idea, either. Franklin is a prospect that has all the tools to succeed at the next level with great size, speed, and separation skills. However, he’s going to need to add to his slim, 6-foot-3 frame. This past season Franklin played his part for Oregon with an impressive stat line: 81 catches, 1,383 yards and 14 touchdowns. – Nick Wojton, Bills Wire

Newton is an outstanding interior pass rusher, a slippery and powerful force on the inside in the mold of Gerald McCoy and Tommie Harris. Adding Newton to a line that features rising star Alim McNeill and veteran acquisition D.J. Reader gives the Lions formidable depth and disruptive ability between the tackles. He’s a force multiplier for Detroit’s defense, making Aidan Hutchinson better but also helping mask some holes in the secondary and improving the ability to defend against mobile quarterbacks taking off up the middle. – Jeff Risdon, Lions Wire

Trade Details:

• Bucs receive: No. 30
• Ravens receive: Nos. 57, 89

After moving up to fill one of our biggest needs on defense earlier, we do the same thing for the offense here. Using one of our two third-rounders, we jump all the way up from our late second-rounder back into the end of the first round for a massive upgrade at center. The Bucs have sorely missed Ryan Jensen’s presence at the heart of the offensive trenches, and JPJ has all the physical and mental traits to fill those big shoes from Day 1. – Luke Easterling, Bucs Wire

This is a tough way for the board to fall for San Francisco. We tried trading back, but couldn’t find any takers so we settled on the best available edge rusher. This a position the 49ers have consistently prioritized under John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan. It’s easy to see them falling in love with Robinson’s electric first step and his sky-high ceiling should he develop effectively under 49ers defensive line coach Kris Kocurek. San Francisco would love to see a top offensive lineman slide. Alas, they can address that in Round 2 and feel really good about Robinson as a consolation prizes for San Francisco. – Kyle Madson, Niners Wire

Rakestraw has all the tools needed to become one of the NFL’s most exciting young cornerbacks, and could help the Chiefs cope with the loss of L’Jarius Sneed in 2024. Though he wouldn’t take on Sneed’s role as a shadow against opposing No. 1 receivers, Rakestraw’s athleticism and instincts could be a boon for Steve Spagnuolo, who would pair him with Trent McDuffie in Kansas City’s secondary. – John Dillon, Chiefs Wire

We didn’t want to leave out the teams without a first-round pick (whether it’s official or due to a trade in our mock draft). So, those editors selected a top realistic option for their respective teams on Day 2.

As of now, Dane Jackson is currently projected as the team’s No. 2 at the cornerback position. Although the former Buffalo Bill is well liked within the organization, particularly by general manager Dan Morgan, he’s started in 28 of his 52 career games. So between Jackson’s relatively light track record in that role and the extensive injury history of their No. 1 in Jaycee Horn, the Panthers need to add more to the spot—and McKinstry is a great find to kick off Day 2. Wide receivers Keon Coleman, Xavier Legette and Ladd McConkey—all of whom could be options at the 39th pick for Carolina—should be under consideration here as well. – Anthony Rizzuti, Panthers Wire

Missing under five percent of his tackles throughout his career with the Wolverines, Junior Colson makes the ideal running mate long-term with Pro Bowler Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. The Browns have historically put bandaids on their depth chart at the MIKE linebacker position, bouncing from one-year deals with B.J. Goodson and Anthony Walker Jr. to a two-year deal with Jordan Hicks this offseason.

However, the sideline-to-sideline athleticism is hard to look past with the sure-tackler Colson. With the veteran Hicks on the roster, the Browns have the opportunity to ease Colson onto the field as well before he would be thrust into the starting lineup. The 6-foot-2 and 240-pounder gives defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz another weapon on his already lethal defensive unit. – Cory Kinnan, Browns Wire

With two picks in the second round, the Texans must target defense. Defensive tackle remains a priority position of need, but with Newton gone, adding a player like Sainristil is too hard to pass up. When you think of DeMeco Ryans-type guys, the 5-foot-9 national champion is the team captain of that list. 

Sainristil would be a consensus first-round pick if he wasn’t limited inside to the slot. That’s not a concern since the nickel position has become one of the more essential needs of a successful defense. The Texans also love players who were locker room leaders at prominent programs. Ask anyone in Ann Arbor about the two-time captain and they’ll say he was just as dire to Michigan’s national title run as Jim Harbaugh and J.J. McCarthy. 

Watching Sainristil play is like seeing a Wolverine take the form of a human. How fitting for Hugh Jackman to retire as the character following Deadpool 3 for Sainristil to take over the mantle on Sunday for a championship-caliber defense. – Cole Thompson Texans Wire

A redshirt senior from Bowie, Maryland, Haynes was dominant for UConn after finishing as an Associated Press and College Football Network All-American. He was invited to the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, where he was dominant at offensive guard against elite Power 5 competition. As an intelligent offensive guard and four-year starter for the Huskies, Haynes must improve his run-blocking and hand placement in the passing game. – Glenn Erby, Ravens Wire