Tag: 2024 nfl mock draft

Dolphins take a WR in Daniel Jeremiah’s first 2024 NFL mock draft

Miami snags LSU wideout in Daniel Jeremiah’s first mock of 2024.

The NFL playoffs continue this weekend, as the divisional round is upon us. However, for those who have already been eliminated, like the Miami Dolphins, this is a time for planning for the future.

With free agency and the 2024 NFL draft coming up, mock drafts are coming out nearly every day, and one of the most prolific mock drafters, NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah, has released his first for this year’s selection process.

The Dolphins are currently slated to make their selection at pick No. 21, and Jeremiah has them adding to one of their best positions and drafting LSU wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr.

Here’s what Jeremiah said about the projected pick:

“Miami elects to build on a strength. I could see Thomas going much higher than 21st in the draft, but Tua Tagovailoa reaps the benefit in this scenario. Thomas gives the Dolphins some size — without sacrificing speed — alongside Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.”

Thomas stands at 6-foot-5 and weighs 198 lbs which would immediately make him the biggest wideout in Miami’s room. Erik Ezukanma (6-foot-2) is currently the tallest at the position set to return next year. Still, his future is up in the air, considering he was never cleared to play again after the discovery of a neck injury that landed him on the non-football injury list.

In three seasons with LSU, Thomas recorded 127 receptions for 1,897 yards and 24 touchdowns.

His frame would give Miami the end-zone threat that they’ve been missing, but other areas could be more pressing by the time the draft rolls around.

Vikings select star DT in surprising Daniel Jeremiah mock draft

The Minnesota Vikings selected Texas DT Byron Murphy II in NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah’s first mock draft of the 2024 NFL Draft cycle.

The Minnesota Vikings are an interesting team to draft for in 2024 NFL mock drafts. They have needs all over that could be justified with a first round pick. One of those is defensive tackle and that is the direction that NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah went in his first mock draft of the cycle.

At the 11th overall pick, the Minnesota Vikings selected Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy II. Not only is he a talented player, but the Vikings would have two Byron Murphy’s on their roster. Here is what Jeremiah had to say about Murphy’s selection.

I believe Murphy is the top defensive tackle in the class. The Vikings need to add more firepower up front.

Murphy was on one of the best defensive fronts in the country next to T’Vondre Sweat and was a force in both the running game and passing game. Is he worth a selection that high? That can be debated but Jeremiah usually knows a thing or two and this should be taken seriously.

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Steelers go back to Georgia in new 2024 NFL mock draft

The Steelers land another Georgia offensive tackle in this new mock draft.

The 2024 NFL draft is going to be huge for the Pittsburgh Steelers. They currently hold the No. 20 overall pick and after hearing coach Mike Tomlin indicate he believes the Steelers starting quarterback for 2024 is on the team, it changes the dynamic of the first round for Pittsburgh.

Luke Easterling over at SI.com has a new one-round mock draft out and he opted to have the Steelers go back to familiar territory for their first-round pick and draft a second Georgia offensive tackle in consecutive years with he selection of Amarius Mims.

Here’s what he had to say about Mims:

Pittsburgh went three decades without spending a first-round pick on an offensive tackle, but they should strongly consider doing it for the second year in a row. Mims has a towering frame and tons of power, and he’d be a fantastic bookend to former Georgia teammate Broderick Jones.

It would certainly be tempting to bring in the top pure right tackle prospect in the draft. It would allow the Steelers to move on from Dan Moore Jr. and Chuks Okorafor, slide Jones to left tackle and create a pair of Bulldog bookends.

I have to say, seeing Cooper DeJean on the board would be tempting. But the Steelers couldn’t go wrong with either player.

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Browns land explosive receiver in Dan Brugler’s latest 2024 NFL mock draft

Who did Dane Brugler send to the Browns in his latest mock draft?

In his latest 2024 NFL mock draft, The Athletic’s Dane Brugler addresses a massive weakness of the Cleveland Browns, sending them Oregon wide receiver Troy Franklin with their second round pick.

The season is over for the Browns, and now pages are being turned to the offseason. A big part of the offseason is preparing for the NFL draft, where the Browns have a plethora of picks to work with (even without a first rounder).

There is no one better in the industry than Brugler as he gave the Browns the talented Oregon receiver as they continue to look for improvements to their wide receiver room. Marquise Goodwin did not pan out as a deep threat. Amari Cooper is entering the last year of his deal, and nobody besides Elijah Moore and Cooper produced in 2023.

A field stretcher, both laterally and vertically is much needed, and Franklin fits the bill. Listed at 6-foot-2 and 170 pounds, Franklin amassed nearly 1,400 yards and 14 touchdowns this year for the Ducks. He averaged a massive 17 yards per reception this season.

While the Browns do not have a first round pick, you can be sure that wide receiver is near the top of their priorities.

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Bengals add two Georgia stars in latest 2024 NFL mock draft

A new mock draft has the Bengals going with two Georgia Bulldogs stars.

The Cincinnati Bengals go all-in on Georgia prospects in a new 2024 NFL mock draft.

The approach certainly fits, both in terms of the needs the selections address and the way Zac Taylor prefers to add leaders from winning programs to his own.

In the new mock from The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, the Bengals take Bulldogs offenisve tackle Amarius Mims at No. 18:

Mims could be drafted top 10 or fall out of the top 20, and neither outcome would be overly surprising. The former five-star recruit has only eight starts to his name, but his limited tape is intriguing. He has an unbelievable combination of size, strength and movement skills. Ideally, the Bengals would want a more established prospect, but Mims’ talent might be too good to pass up.

In the second round, the Bengals actually get offensive with Georgia wideout Ladd McConkey, a versatile receiver who has averaged at least 13 yards per catch in each of his last three seasons.

Both picks hit big needs for the Bengals, provided the team can’t re-up with right tackle Jonah Williams. And while they drafted two wideouts last year, a guy with inside-out versatility like McConkey would simply provide Joe Burrow yet another weapon after Tyler Boyd’s likely departure.

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Vikings fortify trenches in Dane Brugler’s mock draft

Is taking back-to-back trench players a smart idea for the Vikings? Dane Brugler thinks it is

Mock drafts are coming out more often now that there are only eight teams left in the National Football League playoffs. There are multiple directions that the Minnesota Vikings can go in the 2024 NFL draft but it will be determined by how the top of the draft.

In the latest mock draft from The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, the top three quarterbacks are all gone by the eighth overall pick so the Vikings have to change their direction.

At the 11th overall pick, Brugler has the Vikings selecting UCLA edge rusher Laiatu Latu and he had great things to say about the talented Bruin.

Over his two seasons at UCLA, Latu accounted for 34 tackles for loss, 23.5 sacks and five forced fumbles. He has first-step quickness and bend, but his crafty handwork and ability to diversify his attack separate him as a pass rusher. His injury history could be an issue, but this Vikings regime has taken chances with those risks in the past.

As Brugler states, the injury history could become a really big issue with Latu, especially since he medically retired due to a neck injury.

With their second pick in Brugler’s two-round mock draft, he has the Vikings taking another piece to add to their defensive line in Clemson defensive tackle Ruke Orhohoro.

The Vikings double up on the defensive line. Well-built at 6-4, 295 with 34-inch arms, Orhorhoro is an impressive mover and offers a high ceiling after he was late to the game of football.

This isn’t the sexiest mock draft for the Vikings but sometimes you need to eat your oatmeal and get back to the basics. This accomplishes that and more.

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Bengals attack needs in new 3-round mock draft

Huge gains for the Bengals in a new mock draft.

The Cincinnati Bengals have a big list of needs entering the offseason and only so many ways to address those between free agency and the 2024 NFL draft.

That’s a big part of what makes mock drafts so appealing from a Bengals perspective right because it’s easy to see them attacking tight end and both sets of trenches early.

And that’s exactly what they do in the latest three-round effort from Draft Wire’s Curt Popejoy.

Picking 18th there, the Bengals grab Georgia tight end Brock Bowers: “If Bowers falls this far, he’s the biggest bargain of the first round to the Bengals.”

Bowers, who has scored 26 receiving touchdowns over the last three seasons, appears to be far and away the best player at his position in this class and would step right in as the No. 1 tight end for Joe Burrow.

The Bengals then attack the trenches in the next two rounds:

  • 49 – Cincinnati Bengals – OT Patrick Paul, Houston
  • 80 – Cincinnati Bengals – DL Tyleik Williams, Ohio State

It’s a fantastic haul for a Bengals team that needs help in all areas. It might even be the preferred type of haul if the team spends big to keep some of its own big free agents like Tee Higgins and DJ Reader, too.

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Browns add speed and reload offensive line depth in 2024 NFL mock draft

The Browns must improve the WR and offensive line in April

The magical ride that was the 2023 Cleveland Browns season is over after a blowout loss to the Houston Texans on Saturday. It is officially draft season and time for plenty of 2024 NFL mock drafts.

The injuries to the offensive line at the tackle position showed up in this game, as Joe Flacco was constantly under pressure.

Looking forward to the 2024 NFL draft this is the year, the Browns need an offensive tackle, with some impressive interior prospects as well. Jedrick Wills Jr. was playing some of his best football before his injury, and enters the final year of his contract with the team uncertain if he is the future at the position or not.

Though the wide receiver room was significantly improved in 2023, there are still some limitations in that room. Without a consistent deep threat after Marquise Goodwin didn’t work out in 2023, the Browns will be looking there in the draft.

Let’s take a look at how the Browns could look to build for the future when April’s draft comes around.

Bengals find a Jonah Williams replacement in new 2024 NFL mock draft

An interesting new mock draft for the Bengals.

Right after the season ends, it’s almost impossible to nail down what the Cincinnati Bengals will do in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft.

But we can narrow down the possibilities, highlighting roster problems like the defensive secondary, pass-rush and offensive line.

In a notable early mock draft from ESPN’s Jordan Reid, the Bengals stick at No. 18 and address the line with Georgia offensive tackle Amarius Mims:

With Jonah Williams entering free agency, right tackle becomes an immediate hole for the Bengals — especially because quarterback Joe Burrow is coming off a season-ending right wrist injury. Yes, Mims comes with questions; he has made nine starts in his career and missed six games in 2023 after undergoing TightRope ankle surgery. But at 6-foot-7 and 340 pounds, he is a nimble mover with great balance in pass protection and strength in the run game. Also watch for a receiver here if Tee Higgins ends up signing elsewhere.

It’s not impossible that the Bengals work something out with Jonah Williams to keep him at right tackle after his solid season there, but the market will decide if he gets to go back to left tackle and make appropriate money there.

One note is the Bengals would not be likely to gamble on a prospect like Mims, given the injury history, despite the huge upside.

Either way, Mims is still a name to watch and what the Bengals do with Williams will very much influence the rest of the offseason, perhaps more than anything else considering keeping Joe Burrow healthy is clearly the No. 1 need.

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Vikings shore up the defensive line in latest ESPN mock draft

The Minnesota Vikings add talent to the defensive line in ESPN’s latest mock draft

ESPN’s Jordan Reid released his post-regular season mock draft now that the college football and NFL seasons have concluded. With the 11th pick in this draft, the Minnesota Vikings selected Illinois defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton to help shore up the interior of the defensive line.

The Vikings are a prime candidate to take a QB, and I almost made that move here. But there’s a good chance Kirk Cousins will return to Minnesota, giving the Vikings the chance to instead take one of the best defensive players in the draft. Outside of Danielle Hunter — who is a free agent this offseason — Minnesota had a severe lack of talent along its defensive front.

One of my favorite overall prospects in this class regardless of position, Newton is a disruptive 3-technique who finished the season with 42 pressures, 7.5 sacks and an 11.4% defensive pressure rate. And he simply doesn’t come off the field; his 715 snaps ranked seventh among all FBS defensive linemen in 2023. Newton can play from multiple alignments, and he can be included in creative third-down packages because of his versatility and explosiveness as a pass-rusher.

If Cousins does return, the Vikings would be able to go with more of a developmental prospect at quarterback in this draft. That leaves the door open to bolster the talent on the defensive side of the ball. As Reid points out, the talent up front for Minnesota was lacking outside of Hunter, and those that did stand out, such as D.J. Wonnum, are not locked to be in the purple and gold next season.

Newton is a menace along the defensive line. His strong hands, quick feet, and brutal power make him a clear first-round talent and a potential cornerstone for any defense.

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