For normal NFL fans, the day after the Super Bowl is a sad day. After all, we won’t get to watch Pat Mahomes throw another pass for another seven months, and we’ll have to spend time with our families on Sunday’s.
However, for the true sicko’s out there, the day after the Super Bowl is a day of celebration. Because right now-it’s draft season. And for the second consecutive season-the Chicago Bears are on the clock.
The draft may be 73 days away but that shouldn’t stop us from prognosticating. Here’s the first look at what the 2024 NFL draft may end up looking like.
1.) Chicago Bears (via Carolina)-Caleb Williams; QB USC
The discourse around this pick may be in sufferable but in the end, I don’t think there’s going to be a lot of suspense. Caleb Williams is a supremely talented quarterback prospect who gets to join a team that finished the season in the top 10 of weighted DVOA. Adding Williams and continuing to supplement him with talent should give the Bears a legitimate Super Bowl window for the first time in twenty years.
2. Washington Commanders-Drake Maye; QB North Carolina
Maye was better in 2022 than 2023, and I don’t think he’s slam dunk prospect I thought he was at midseason. His arm strength is fine but nothing special, and his accuracy is inconsistent at times. Still, he is a very good prospect. North Carolina asked him to do a lot pre-snap, and he was still very effective this season with a below average offensive line and below average set of weapons. This should be an easy pick for Washington.
3. New England Patriots-Jayden Daniels; QB LSU
This is where the draft gets interesting. New England should take calls on this pick to see if they can get a haul, especially with so many teams below them needing an upgrade at quarterback. This team is not a quarterback away from being competitive and they have the least amount of offensive talent in the NFL. At this point, the most likely outcome still seems to be Patriots selecting Daniels. There are some red flags with Jayden around some key metrics and how late it took for him to break out, but his talent is breathtaking and I don’t think New England's new regime will feel comfortable passing on him.
4. Arizona Cardinals -Marvin Harrison Jr.; WR Ohio State
If quarterbacks go with the first three picks as expect, Arizona should sprint up to the podium to take Harrison. He’s the best prospect in this draft and will likely be a top ten receiver from the minute he takes his first snap.
5. Las Angeles Chargers-Joe Alt; OT Notre Dame
The Chargers roster needs a total overhaul, and my guess here is that new coach Jim Harbaugh is going to have a lot of say of who stays and goes. Adding a receiver with speed would make a lot of sense but everywhere Harbaugh has been he’s prioritized winning in the trenches. Pairing Alt with Rashawn Slater would give quarterback Justin Herbert two elite tackles that he can trust to protect him for the next five years.
6. New York Giants-Malik Nabers; WR LSU
If the Patriots do look to move down from pick three, New York will probably be one of teams asking about the price. If they can’t end up with one of the top three quarterbacks, then their best bet is continuing to add offensive skill talent. The Giants skill position talent is one of the worst in the league and this class has some uniquely talented wide receivers at the top. If the draft were being held today, Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze would probably be the leader in the clubhouse to be this pick but I suspect Nabers’ draft stock is going to blow up after the combine/pro day.
7. Tennessee Titans-Olu Fashanu; OT Penn State
After their surprising decision to move on from Mike Vrabel this offseason, Tennessee has fully turned the keys over to Rae Carthorn to rebuild this roster. The Titans have holes everywhere and are realistically at least a few years away from being competitive, so they can be patient as they go through a rebuild. In addition to being one of the youngest prospects in this class, Fashanu is one of the most talented and pairing him with last year’s first round pick Peter Skoronski would give them an elite left side of the offensive line.
8. Atlanta Falcons-Dallas Turner; Edge Alabama
For the fourth consecutive season, Atlanta is picking in the top ten which is exactly why Arthur Smith is no longer coaching this football team. The Falcons need to figure out what they are doing at quarterback, and I would not be surprised if this is where Kirk Cousins lands but, in any scenario, I don’t think Atlanta is going to select a quarterback in the draft. They’ve obviously invested a lot of draft capital into skill positions the last three years, so I suspect they will want a quarterback that can make them competitive from day one. Atlanta hasn’t had a consistent edge rusher in years and Turner has the highest upside of anyone in this class.
9. Chicago Bears-Rome Odunze; WR Washington
After selecting their franchise quarterback with the first pick, Chicago should be doing anything they can to end up with one of the top three receivers in this class. Odunze is one of the most complete receiver prospects whose skillset perfectly complements DJ Moore. A Moore/Odunze wide receiver combo would be the most talented pairing in Chicago since the days of Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffrey.
10. New York Jets- Taliese Fuaga; OT Oregon State
This will be a make-or-break season for the Jets coaching staff and front office so they will be doing everything in their power to make short-term improvements. While that’s a dangerous and ultimately foolish thing to do for the long-term health of the team, it should result in a much more talented offensive roster in New York. The Jets need talented and healthy offensive linemen and Fuaga should have a Darnell Wright-like impact right away.
11. Minnesota Vikings-Jared Verse; Edge Florida State
Minnesota is another team that has an important decision to make at quarterback this year, but nothing about the way the current front office operates tells me they’re going to force an awkward fit. The Vikins are also missing as second round pick so they will probably look to trade down If they can’t find a trade partner, improving the defensive line should be their top priority. Verse is the most pro-ready of all the edge prospects in this class and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he ends up being the first defensive player selected.
12. Denver Broncos-JJ McCarthy; QB Michigan
Just like Minnesota, Denver needs to figure out their quarterback situation. Unlike the Vikings, the Broncos are desperate enough to take a quarterback here even if it is a reach. McCarthy was treated with kid gloves in Michigan so there’s not a lot of evidence to project what kind of quarterback he’ll be in the NFL, but he does seem to have the personality traits NFL decision makers love (whatever that means). Sean Payton also strikes me as the type of coach who thinks his scheme is more important than any physical ability, and thus will put a higher premium on quarterback’s that he thinks can execute his play calls.
13. Las Vegas Raiders-Quinyon Mitchell; CB Toledo
This is another team that seemed like a Justin Fields landing spot although I think Vegas’ decision to hire Luke Getsy as offensive coordinator complicates that. The Raiders have needs all over their roster, but no one stands out more than cornerback and Mitchell and Raiders coach Antonio Pierce seem like a match made in Heaven.
14. New Orleans Saints-Jer’Zhan Newton; IDL Illinois.
The Saints roster is old, mediocre and in decline, injury prone, and expensive. At least New Orleans seems like a great city to live in. There’s not a ton of reasons for optimism for the Saints right now, but Newton is a massive tackle who should help the Saints continue to remain competitive in a mediocre division.
15. Indianapolis Colts-Terrion Arnold; CB Alabama
Indianapolis needs to get better at cornerback, and they love to draft the best athletes in the draft. Arnold checks both boxes and if he’s still on the board at pick fifteen, this seems like a natural fit.
16. Seattle Seahawks-Jackson Powers-Johnson; IOL Oregon
For the first time in fifteen years, Pete Carrol won’t be on the sidelines in Seattle this Fall. This is still a very talented roster but needs to get better in the trenches. Powers-Johnson is a bulldog who can help change the culture off the offensive line in Seattle.
17.) Jacksonville Jaguars-Brian Thomas; WR LSU
After an epic collapse this season, the pressure will be heating up for coach Doug Pederson and quarterback Trevor Lawrence. One thing that became apparent this season was that the Jaguars need some more reliable options at pass catcher, and Thomas has an much upside any receiver in this class outside the top three.
18.) Cincinnati Bengals-Brock Bowers; TE Georgia
There’s a good chance the Bengals must move on from Tee Higgins this year or next, so continuing to add cheap, elite skill position talent around Burrow is going to be important. Bowers is a top ten level talent who will probably drop a little due to his size and position but would be a difference maker for Cincinnati.
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19. Las Angeles Rams-Laiatu Latu; Edge UCLA
Latu is the most advanced pass rusher in this class and has the best tape. There are serious concerns about his medicals, and he’s not expected to test very well but he should not fall any farther than here in April.
20. Pittsburgh Steelers-Cooper DeJean; CB Iowa
Good defense, bad offense, and somehow finding a way to win ten games only to get exposed in the first round of the playoffs. This has been the Steelers way since the Leveon Bell-Antonio Brown days of the mid 2010’s. Pittsburgh’s stability is admirable and Mike Tomlin is a hall-of-fame coach, but at some point, they’re going to have to take a big swing on offense. For now, adding a do-everything secondary player like DeJean ensures Pittsburgh will continue to field one of the best defenses in the NFL.
21. Miami Dolphins-Troy Fautanu; OT/IOL Washington
Miami could lose up to three starters on the offensive line this offseason, and it’s not like that unit was a world-beater to begin with. Fautanu gives Miami a versatile piece on the chessboard who could likely slot in at either tackle or guard, depending on where the Dolphins need to the most help.
22. Philadelphia Eagles-Nate Wiggins; CB Clemson
Philadelphia’s defense completely collapsed in the second half of the season, and a lot of that had to do with their secondary play. Wiggins is a little thin for the position but is very explosive and should be able to thrive playing for new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.
23. Houston Texans (via Cleveland)-Byron Murphy; IDL Texas
Houston had an incredible season and received rookie of the year performances both on offense (CJ Stroud) and defense (Will Anderson). Their future looks to be incredibly bright and adding a disruptive 3-tech tackle like Murphy would help turn Houston’s defense into a force to be reckoned with.
24. Dallas Cowboys-Tyler Guyton; OT Oklahoma
Another playoff flameout must have Dallas searching for answers this offseason, but it appears it’s going to be mostly business as usual. The one area Dallas has to keep adding to is its offensive line and after a strong Senior Bowl performance, Guyton looks to have solidified himself as a first-rounder.
25. Green Bay Packers-Amarius Mims; OT Georgia
Speaking of teams that always like to add talent in the trenches, this offseason will probably be the year the Packers move on from David Bakhtiari. Mims is one of the more raw tackle prospects in this class, but Green Bay has a history of developing prospects like Mims and turning them into superstars and as a Bears fan, I fully expect that to happen again.
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Bralen Trice; Edge Washington
Tampa’s run to the divisional round of the playoffs in their first season minus Tom Brady was incredibly admirable and everyone associated with the organization deserves their flowers. However, this was still a 9-8 team that barely made the playoffs, and committing long term to Baker Mayfield would be a big mistake. Tampa could use an influx of young talent at almost any position so grabbing the best available edge rusher would be wise.
27. Arizona Cardinals (via Houston)-Kool Aid McKinstry; CB Alabama
After grabbing Harrison Jr with their first pick, Arizona would be wise to turn their attention to a defense that was amongst the worst in the league. McKinstry might lack the athleticism of an ideal cornerback one, but he is the most polished corner in the class and has a floor of a high-end cornerback two.
28. Buffalo Bills-Troy Franklin; WR Oregon
There’s a good chance Buffalo lets Gabe Davis walk in free agency this year and they may explore moving on from Stefon Diggs after his play significantly fell off in the second half of the year. In either scenario, Josh Allen will need a new weapon and Franklin’s size and speed would make him a great fit for the Bills.
29. Detroit Lions-Tyler Nubin; S Minnesota
Detroit will also have an important decision to make around Jared Goff’s future that will determine the ceiling of their team, but there aren’t too many rosters more talented than the Lions right now. Coming off a heartbreaking loss in the NFC championship game, they’ll probably want to add more help in the secondary and Nubin is the best safety in this class by far.
30. Baltimore Ravens-JC Latham; OT Alabama
Both Ronnie Stanley and Morgan Moses are getting up in age, so offensive tackle should be a big priority for the Ravens. The odds of Latham falling this far are probably slim but there are some concerns about his consistency that could make him available for Baltimore.
31. San Francisco 49ers-Graham Barton; OT/IOL Duke
San Francisco don’t have many holes on their roster, but the right side of the offensive line definitely is an area they could use improvement. Barton probably doesn’t have the arm length to stick at tackle, but he’s as solid as any lineman in this class and would be a day one starter at guard or center for the Niners.
32. Kansas City Chiefs-Ladd McConkley; WR Georgia
It’s possible Mahomes and company might keep winning Super Bowls with high schoolers lining up at wide receiver. However, with Travis Kelce nearing retirement, Kansas City would be wise to keep loading up on pass catchers. McConkley can get open as well as almost receiver in this class and would play a big role in adding to Mahomes’ Super Bowl ring collection.
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