2024 NFL Mock Draft: Ryan Noonan's Final

It's time to submit the final answers to the test. The 2024 NFL Draft should be a wild ride. The quarterbacks at the top add an intriguing layer to this year's event, and groupthink inside the top 10-12 is stronger than ever. That's never a good thing. I also agree with the sentiment that NFL teams and employees are more cognizant of the betting environment these days, and leaks are increasingly frowned upon.

I did get a bit spicier than usual here, with multiple trades. I'm usually opposed to doing this in a mock draft, but this feels like a trade-heavy year. This is an increasing trend, with a record-setting 43 trades made during the three-day draft window in 2023, including six trades made while on the clock in Round 1.

Leading up to the NFL Draft, I comb through as much information as possible, focusing on a handful of reputable sources, while also understanding front-office draft tendencies and positional needs to try and figure out where players will land.

2024 Draft NFL Draft Date & Time

Date: Thursday, April 25 (Round 1), Friday, April 26 ( Rounds 2 & 3) & Saturday, April 27 (Rounds 4-7)

Time: 8:00 PM EST (Round 1), 7:00 PM EST (Rounds 2 and 3), &12:00 PM EST (Rounds 4-7)

Channels: NFL Network, ESPN & ABC, and FuboTV Livestream

2024 NFL Mock Draft

1. Chicago Bears – Caleb Williams, QB, USC

These are exciting times for the Bears, especially if they're able to land one of the premier pass-catchers with their second pick in the top 10. Caleb Williams has the chance to be Chicago's first 4,000-yard/30-touchdown quarterback in the franchise's history.

2. Washington Commanders - Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU

"The draft starts at pick No. 2" is finally over. This has been Drake Maye, J.J. McCarthy, and Jayden Daniels at different times over the past 48 hours, but there's a growing consensus that Daniels is their guy, whether he likes it or not.

3. New England Patriots - J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan

When the owner wants a quarterback, you take a quarterback. The Patriots have too many high-priority needs to address to make them competitive in 2024 and will likely be in a position to pick near the top of the board again in next year's draft. Unfortunately, the 2025 quarterback class isn't nearly as strong as this year's, so now is the time to strike.

I've heard enough from people I respect that New England prefers McCarthy to Drake Maye, so he's the pick.

4. (TRADE) Minnesota Vikings - Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina

The Cardinals are in a prime position here, sitting in a spot with multiple teams likely willing to pay a premium to move up to get Drake Maye, the last of the consensus first-round quarterback prospects. The Vikings have to be considered the favorite to make this move, though I wouldn't rule out the Broncos and the Giants.

The Drake Maye discourse reminds me of the old adage, "The higher up you are on the totem pole, the more your ass is exposed." He's been considered one of the top prospects in this class for nearly two years, and while his 2023 season was not nearly as strong as 2022, I think you have to acknowledge that his supporting cast, or lack thereof, had a lot to do with that.

5. Los Angeles Chargers - Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio St.

I'm not sold on this pick for the Chargers because I believe they'd love to trade back and add picks and an offensive lineman like J.C. Latham, but Marvin Harrison Jr. is a generational prospect and one that Jim Harbaugh is intimately familiar with from his days at Michigan.

6. New York Giants - Malik Nabers, WR, LSU

The Giants are in a tough spot. They need offensive difference-makers to support Daniel Jones, but they don't seem to believe that Jones is the right answer or that he can stay healthy long enough to find out. It's hard to argue with that logic. These are self-inflicted wounds, though, born out of the hubris that came with late-season wins in 2022.

If the Giants are running it back with Jones in 2024, protecting him with an offensive tackle or giving him a big-bodied, explosive talent like Nabers is the right approach. They'll definitely try to get up to pick No. 4 if Drake Maye is available, as he is in this scenario.

7. (TRADE) Arizona Cardinals - Rome Odunze, WR, Washington

This requires some gymnastics from Monti Ossenfort and the Cardinals front office, but we've seen them do it before. This team has six picks in the top 90 of this draft, but they need difference-makers, and Odunze is that and more. Odunze understands how to change speeds and set up the defense to create separation, an underrated skill that is far less sexy than pure size and speed, which he also happens to have.

8. Atlanta Falcons - Laiatu Latu, EDGE, UCLA

The Falcons have been desperate to add an elite EDGE rusher for the past handful of years, and Laiatu Latu is that guy. PFF began grading prospects in 2014, and no defensive end has ever graded higher than Latu's 2023 season (96.3). The injury concerns have been quieted during the predraft process. I'm sticking with my guy despite reports that he's sliding.

9. Chicago Bears - Byron Murphy, DT, Texas

The Bears would've loved to see one of the "Big 3" wide receivers fall here, and trading down to acquire more picks later is still in play. If they stand pat, GM Ryan Poles' recent comments suggest that Murphy is their guy. Murphy's a true three-down player who can immediately make an impact on Matt Eberflus' defense.

10. New York Jets - Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia

The Jets get outbid in their efforts to land Rome Odunze, but Brock Bowers is a hell of a consolation prize. I've been back and forth on this all draft cycle, but adding another pass-catcher could have the biggest 2024 impact on the Jets' ceiling, which should be the priority. Bowers will hit the ground running as a pro. He has one of the highest floors in this year's draft.

11. (TRADE) Tennessee Titans - Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame

This is a big win for the Titans. They've given up a few Day 2 picks over the past two offseasons in the Will Levis and L'Jarius Sneed deals, so being able to recoup a pick or two to move down and still get the presumptive OL1 is a good deal. Alt just turned 21 last month and started for Notre Dame as a true freshman. He is exceptionally athletic for his size.

12. Denver Broncos - Dallas Turner, EDGE, Alabama

I'd be stunned if the Broncos don't add to their quarterback room at some point on Thursday or Friday. Trading back makes a ton of sense because the draft pick cabinet is bare. If they stay put, Turner is likely one of the highest remaining players on most big boards at this stage, making him an easy best-player-available selection. Turner is an off-the-charts athlete in terms of speed and explosion off the edge.

13. Las Vegas Raiders - Talise Fuaga, OL, Oregon St.

The Raiders add a versatile and athletic offensive lineman here with Talise Fuaga, a nice book-end opposite LT Kolton Miller. The Raiders have been a difficult team to mock because they have multiple immediate needs. Scouts rave about his "finisher's mentality," which fits the Raiders brand.

14. New Orleans Saints - Olu Fashanu, OT, Penn St.

Outside of the top teams taking a quarterback, I'd say the Saints selecting anything other than an offensive lineman here would be the most surprising Round 1 outcome. Fashanu is a ready-made pass blocker and is still just 21 years old.

15. (TRADE) Philadelphia Eagles - Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama

The Eagles jump up to take their preferred cornerback, Terrion Arnold, out of Alabama. GM Howie Roseman loves to add big bodies in the trenches, but the Eagles don't have long-term answers at cornerback, with both Darius Slay and James Bradberry playing on their last year of guaranteed money in 2024. Arnold showed an ability to play inside and outside at Alabama and is a willing contributor in the run game, which will help him find the field in Year 1.

16. (TRADE) Arizona Cardinals - Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo

The Cardinals need to emerge from this draft with a potential shutdown corner, something their roster desperately needs. They trade up here with Seattle, which currently has just two top-100 picks, and move ahead of Jacksonville, which will likely take a cornerback as well. Mitchell put on a show at the combine, posting a 9.79 relative athletic score. No FBS cornerback forced more incompletions over the past two seasons than Mitchell.

17. Jacksonville Jaguars - Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama

The Jaguars end the cornerback run, but rumors have McKinstry as their preferred option at the position, so don't view this as settling. The Jaguars' defense was a disappointment last season, and they tried multiple late-round first and second-year players at cornerback and struggled to find an answer. Arnold comes in and solidifies an outside cornerback spot in new defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen's defense.

18. Cincinnati Bengals - JC Latham, OL, Alabama

We know some teams have JC Latham ahead of a few of the offensive linemen already mocked in this draft, but if he's available at this spot for the Bengals, he feels like a no-brainer selection. He's an immediate fill-in for departing right tackle Jonah Williams, and his versatility and athleticism will allow him to swing to the left side eventually if need be. I'm not buying the Latham at 5 to the Chargers talk, but I understand why they like him, especially with a need along the right side. The same can be said for the Bengals.

19. Los Angeles Rams - Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia

A lot of discussion around the Rams trading out of this pick, but if they stay and pick, I agree with Peter Schrager's recent note about adding to the offensive side of the ball. They don't have a high-caliber tackle prospect on the roster, and while Mims is far from a finished product, his potential is as high as any tackle in this loaded 2024 class.

20. Pittsburgh Steelers - Graham Barton, OL, Duke

Graham Barton's ability to play any position along the offensive line makes him a perfect fit for the Steelers. He played tackle at Duke but could play guard or center, which are both needs for Pittsburgh's current roster. The Steelers added Broderick Jones in last year's draft but still have a need along the offensive line. Dan Moore Jr. played 580 snaps at tackle for Pittsburgh last season and ranked dead-last in PFF's pass-blocking grade among tackles who played at least 50% of the team's 2023 snaps.

21. Miami Dolphins - Troy Fautanu, OL, Washington

Mike McDaniel's quick-hitting offense is predicated on timing, and the entire house of cards collapses if they can't keep Tua Tagovailoa in a clean pocket. Miami lost multiple starters this offseason, and Fautana's ability to play multiple positions makes for a perfect match for the Dolphins. The defensive line has been a popular play in mock drafts across the industry, but I believe the offensive line is a far more pressing need in 2024 and beyond.

22. (TRADE) Indianapolis Colts - Brian Thomas Jr., WR, LSU

The Colts are able to trade down and still land one of their prime targets in Brian Thomas Jr. With Michael Pittman Jr. and Josh Downs's ability to get open underneath, Thomas upgrades Alec Pierce's perimeter downfield role for Anthony Richardson and this offense. Thomas posted an elite 2.61 yards per route run last season at LSU, finding paydirt 17 times. You can make the case that Thomas Jr.'s 4.34 40-yard dash time, at 6'3" and 209 pounds, was the most impressive wide receiver performance we saw at the Combine.

23. (TRADE) Seattle Seahawks - Cooper DeJean, CB, Iowa

Seattle traded back from 16, stockpiling more capital and landing a chess piece in head coach Mike Macdonald's new defense here at pick no. 23. Cooper DeJean can play any position in the secondary, and Riq Woolen struggled at times last season, so cornerback is a more pressing need than some believe. DeJean or Devon Witherspoon would thrive in the Kyle Hamilton rover role that Macdonald ran in Baltimore last season.

24. Dallas Cowboys - Jackson Powers-Johnson, OL, Oregon

The Cowboys' offensive line, particularly along the interior, is a massive need, and Jackson Powers-Johnson's ability to play guard or center at a high level is a perfect marriage. He's a former wrestler with quick feet and strong hands, and he just turned 21 two months ago.

25. Green Bay Packers - Tyler Guyton, OT, Oklahoma

The Packers have an athletic threshold that early selections need to meet, and Tyler Guyton is a perfect blend of need and fit. A 9.71 RAS screams Packers, a team looking to find a long-term replacement for David Bakhtiari.

26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Jared Verse, EDGE, Florida St.

Jared Verse could go much earlier than this, but it's difficult to find a home for him, considering the run of offensive linemen and cornerbacks in the middle of this draft. I could see him going as high as No. 9 to Chicago, with Tampa Bay as his floor here at pick No. 26.

27. Arizona Cardinals - Jordan Morgan, OL, Arizona

The Cardinals have landed a premier wide receiver and cornerback already in this mock, and it's difficult to single out their next greatest need, but I'd highlight the offensive line slightly ahead of the edge rusher here. There have been positive links between the local product Morgan and the Cardinals, and Morgan's ability to play guard or tackle should help him see the field in Year 1.

28. Buffalo Bills - Xavier Worthy, WR, Texas

The Bills need speed on the outside for Josh Allen. Worthy put on a show at the Combine, setting the all-time 40-yard dash record with a 4.21-second performance. He pushed himself up from an early second-round pick into the first round in less than 4.3 seconds.

29. Detroit Lions - Darius Robinson, EDGE, Missouri

There's been a lot of Robinson-to-Detroit steam since the Combine. Robinson played inside a lot in college and possesses elite strength and length off the edge. Teams covet those traits, along with his ability to win anywhere along the defensive front.

30. Baltimore Ravens - Chop Robinson, EDGE, Penn St.

The Ravens are notorious for catching a player who's slipped too far, so they'll likely have someone like Laiatu Latu fall into their laps again. Robinson fits the bill, too. Robinson's highlight reel has a lot of 'wow' in it, but he's more athlete than polished football player at this point. His 2024 impact is probably limited to a situational pass rush role, but over time he could be the best EDGE in this class.

31. San Francisco 49ers - Johnny Newton, DL, Illinois

An offensive lineman is also needed, but the board didn't fall their way here. The 49ers' defense is predicated on winning up front, and Newton is a younger upgrade to the recently departed Arik Armstead. He's a three-down interior presence and would fit well next to Javon Hargrave as an interior disrupter for the 49ers.

32. Kansas City Chiefs - Adonai Mitchell, WR, Texas

I've been back and forth between the offensive line and receiver for the Chiefs throughout this entire process, and I still don't feel confident as of now. The Rashee Rice saga and likely suspension pushes wide receiver ahead for me in this final mock. I'll shy away from player comps, but Mitchell's tape reminds me of a poor man's CeeDee Lamb with his size and fluidity underneath.