NFL Draft News & Analysis

2024 NFL Mock Draft: Steve Palazzolo mocks the first round, sending QB Jayden Daniels to the Vikings at No. 3

2T75M93 November 11, 2023: LSU's Jayden Daniels (5) delivers a pass during NCAA football game action between the Florida Gators and the LSU Tigers at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, LA. Jonathan Mailhes/CSM (Credit Image: © Jonathan Mailhes/Cal Sport Media) (Cal Sport Media via AP Images)

• Pats trade down from No. 3: The New England Patriots trade out of No. 3 overall but still pick up Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy at No. 11 and Texas WR Adonai Mitchell at No. 23.

• Niners take a cornerback: There's a lot of talk of the 49ers drafting an offensive lineman at the back end of the first round, but here they take Iowa State CB T.J. Tampa.

• Draft and trade for yourself: Try PFF's Mock Draft Simulator — trade picks and players and mock for your favorite NFL team.

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1. Chicago Bears (from Carolina): QB Caleb Williams, USC

Big board analysis: Williams is an incredibly talented player with natural gifts even other previous QB1s do not have. His issues are more from a lack of consistency than ability in any area. This is a QB with franchise-changing talent that is worthy of a No. 1 overall selection.

2. Washington Commanders: QB Drake Maye, North Carolina

Big board analysis: Maye's arm talent alone puts him in the first-round and top-10 conversation. Though his ball placement and decision-making (including sacks taken) need improvement, he has all the talent tools you want to bet on as a franchise QB.

3. Minnesota Vikings (from New England): QB Jayden Daniels, LSU

Trade Details: Minnesota receives pick No. 3, New England receives pick Nos. 11 and 23

Big board analysis: Daniels' rushing ability and fundamentals give him a high floor as a player who can put a ton of stress on a defense. His arm talent is good enough to give him a decently high ceiling and makes him a worthy first-round bet to make.

4. Arizona Cardinals: WR Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State

4. Arizona Cardinals: WR Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State

Big board analysis: Harrison comes from Hall of Fame bloodlines, and you can see that in his tape without even knowing his last name. He has a truly rare blend of size, speed, strength and football IQ for such a young player. He will be a WR1-caliber player the day he is drafted, and one in the mold of a Tier 1 NFL wideout.

5. Los Angeles Chargers: WR Malik Nabers, LSU

Big board analysis: Nabers' movement skills are rare, even at the NFL level. His ability to change direction yet continue to accelerate makes him an open-target specialist in the slot and on the outside. He has the kind of athleticism that demands a defense to know where he is at all times as a future WR1.

6. New York Giants: OT Joe Alt, Notre Dame

Big board analysis: The NFL draft is all about finding players with size, speed and strength who have the IQ to use those traits optimally. That's Joe Alt, and that should spell a top-10 selection as a future long-term tackle.

7. Tennessee Titans: OT Taliese Fuaga, Oregon State

Big board analysis: Ultimately, Fuaga's tape is that of a starting NFL offensive lineman, whether that is at tackle or guard. He brings the powerful mentality needed to stand out in the trenches. I believe he has the adequate length and foot speed, good offensive line IQ and elite strength to succeed at tackle and get a shot there as a first-round pick.

8. Atlanta Falcons: EDGE Laiatu Latu, UCLA

Big board analysis: Though somewhat limited athletically, Latu lives in the offensive backfield due to his hand usage and pass-rush moves, and that will continue at the NFL level.

9. Chicago Bears: WR Rome Odunze, Washington

9. Chicago Bears: WR Rome Odunze, Washington

Big board analysis: In an offense filled with future NFL players at the skill positions, Odunze was the best of the bunch. If he weren't in a class with Marvin Harrison Jr. and Malik Nabers, we would be talking about him as an easy WR1 and a player worthy of a top-10 pick, although the latter is still true for 2024.

10. New York Jets: TE Brock Bowers, Georgia

Big board analysis: Outside of being on the smaller side, Bowers is a dream tight end prospect who can be an impact player in the slot, out wide and inline. Add in his reliable blocking ability on the line and in space, and you have an ultimate chess piece offensive weapon with All-Pro potential.

11. New England Patriots (from Minnesota): QB J.J. McCarthy, Michigan

Big board analysis: McCarthy is not a finished product, but he is a growing quarterback with experience in a pro-style offense and good tools (physical and mental) to be a starting QB in the NFL.

12. Denver Broncos: QB Michael Penix Jr., Washington

Big board analysis: Penix Jr. has an NFL-level arm talent in addition to two years of good health and top-tier production in a spread-out shotgun offense. However, to become a consistent starter and top-15 quarterback in the league, he will need to clean up his footwork, throw with more anticipation and touch (which will improve ball placement), as well as be willing to attack the middle of the field.

13. Las Vegas Raiders: CB Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo

Big board analysis: Mitchell has some of the best advanced coverage metrics PFF has ever recorded for a two-year sample size. He has all the ability in the world to be a CB1 at the next level.

14. New Orleans Saints: OT Olumuyiwa Fashanu, Penn State

Big board analysis: Fashanu is not only incredibly talented but will also be one of the youngest prospects in the 2024 class. He is the type of athlete in the trenches you draft in the first round, even if he needs to get stronger to live up to his very high potential.

15. Indianapolis Colts: EDGE Jared Verse, Florida State

Big board analysis: Verse doesn't have the longest arms, and that shows up in some pass-rush counters and in tackling, but he brings his hard hat and lunch pail to every snap, wins with strength regularly and is built like a first-rounder.

16. Seattle Seahawks: T Troy Fautanu, Washington

16. Seattle Seahawks: OL Troy Fautanu, Washington

Big board analysis: Fautanu is a true athlete of an offensive lineman with starting-caliber traits for center or guard. His movement skills would be a big plus in a zone-blocking scheme.

17. Jacksonville Jaguars: DI Johnny Newton, Illinois

Big board analysis: Newton has some physical limitations due to his size and lack of natural flexibility, but his hand usage, pass-rush tools and block-shedding ability allow him to be very productive in any alignment as a three-to-five-technique player.

18. Cincinnati Bengals: DI Byron Murphy II, Texas

Big board analysis: Murphy is a gifted defensive lineman in both the strength and speed categories. He is a versatile three-down player who brings plus abilities as a run defender and a pass rusher, projecting as a first-round impact starter for any front.

19. Los Angeles Rams: EDGE Dallas Turner, Alabama

Big board analysis: Although he can continue to improve as a run defender and a tackler, Turner is a first-round type of edge rusher with high-ceiling pass-rush traits who can contribute in year one with a bright future ahead.

20. Pittsburgh Steelers: OT Amarius Mims, Georgia

Big board analysis: Mims is not a polished prospect — a level below former teammate and first-round pick Broderick Jones — but he brings sky-high potential. He'll take some developing, but trench players built like this don't make it out of the top 50.

21. Miami Dolphins: OL Graham Barton, Duke

Big board analysis: Barton is a tough and well-moving lineman with strong hands and a mean streak in the run game. His best position in the NFL is likely at center, as he brings starting-caliber traits there.

22. Philadelphia Eagles: CB Terrion Arnold, Alabama

Big board analysis: Arnold isn't the most polished cornerback in this class, but his high-percentile athletic abilities give him as high of a ceiling as any cornerback in man or zone systems.

23. New England Patriots: (from Cleveland via Minnesota): WR Adonai Mitchell, Texas

Big board analysis: Mitchell's fluidity at his size makes him a tough matchup, especially in the red zone. The biggest area of concern I have with him is that I wish he attacked the ball more when it was in the air. If he improves in that category, he has fringe WR1/WR2 abilities.

24. Dallas Cowboys: C Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon

Big board analysis: Powers-Johnson possesses starting-caliber power and finesse traits at center or guard for both zone or man/gap-blocking concepts. He is dominant enough at his position to be considered a top-20 talent.

25. Green Bay Packers: CB Cooper DeJean, Iowa

Big board analysis: The talk of DeJean playing outside cornerback or safety or slot cornerback at the next level is not due to lack of a home position; it's because he could truly be an impact player anywhere. His footwork, ball skills and explosive athleticism make him an impactful outside cornerback — one with All-Pro potential.

26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: CB Nate Wiggins, Clemson

Big board analysis: Wiggins has the tools of a first-round, high-impact cornerback. His athleticism will never be in question, nor will his competitiveness. Those two characteristics should yield a long-term starting player.

27. Arizona Cardinals (from Houston): Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama

Big board analysis: McKinstry plays one of the most difficult positions in the game with so much poise and production. He might not be an elite athlete, but he is one of the smartest cornerback prospects you'll find. He can play in any defensive scheme and is the type of player you draft in the first round.

28. Buffalo Bills: WR Troy Franklin, Oregon

Big board analysis: Franklin might get lost in the shuffle of a loaded wide receiver class, but he shouldn't. His smoothness comes from his athletic profile and his confidence in knowing how to win at the position. He needs to continue to get stronger but, overall, is a competitive player who can be a good WR2 for a vertical NFL offense.

29. Detroit Lions: EDGE Chop Robinson, Penn State

Big board analysis: Regardless of his lack of polish, Robinson is a gifted player athletically — likely on a level that is top of the class. A lot of what leaves you wanting more from Robinson is coachable. Unlocking that is the key for him to go from a boom-or-bust athlete to a dominant edge defender.

30. Baltimore Ravens: OT JC Latham, Alabama

Big board analysis: Latham is in the mold of an offensive lineman who does not come around often. He will be just 21 years old during his rookie season, yet he has two years of starting experience in the SEC. Despite garnering 18 penalties over the past two years and having room to improve in some anticipation parts of the position, Latham is a first-round trench player due to his rare combination of size, speed and refinement.

31. San Francisco 49ers: CB T.J. Tampa, Iowa State

Big board analysis: Tampa's unique fluidity and size for a cornerback make him worthy of a top-75 pick. If he can clean up his footwork, he can be a starting outside cornerback in the NFL with the potential to be an impact player.

32. Kansas City Chiefs: WR Brian Thomas Jr., LSU

Big board analysis: Thomas offers a good combination of size and speed to push the ball vertically down the sideline, demanding safeties stay rotated to his side. To truly unlock that kind of threat, he will need to show he can consistently beat press coverage. Offenses that like to push the ball will prioritize what he brings to the table in the top 50.

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