1.Chicago Bears: Caleb Williams, quarterback (USC):
There's zero suspense here as Williams declined to even visit with any team besides the Bears. Now, the conversation turns to whether or not the 2022 Heisman Trophy Winner can be the first true franchise quarterback in Bears history. My answer is of course not. Not even Tom Brady or Patrick Mahomes could defeat the curse of 100+ straight years of bad-to-mediocre QB play. But I'll be rooting like hell for Williams to pull off the impossible.
2.Washington Commanders: Jayden Daniels, quarterback (LSU)
Daniels to Washington also felt like a foregone conclusion until last week when Daniels was reportedly offended that he didn't go on a solo pre-draft visit with the team (Washington elected to bring in all of the top QB's not named Caleb Williams at the same time). Could this end up being the kind of manufactured BS storyline that the draft's silly season produces every single year without fail? Of course, but it's notable and realistic enough to take the possibility that Commanders will select another QB here seriously. Ultimately, I'm still leaning towards Daniels ending up with the Commanders. He was the best QB in college football last year and his dynamic dual-threat skillset paired with his accuracy and low turnover rate should make him an appealing option for a new Washington regime that is trying to wash off the stink of Dan Snyder's tenure as owner while also attempting to avoid jumping back on the trick-or-treat roller coaster that Sam Howell had them on with his erratic play last year.
3.New England Patriots: Drake Maye, quarterback (North Carolina)
The threat of the Patriots taking the "safe" option in J.J. McCarthy remains very real as this is a team that hasn't made it overly clear with their approach this offseason that they're conducting themselves much differently than they had during the previous 24 years when Bill Belichick was in charge. However, Robert Kraft has never faced more heat during his ownership than he's facing right now and bringing in another boring quarterback that has no elite traits other than moxie after Mac Jones' disastrous tenure with the team would be grounds for a mutiny among Pats fans. What Maye lacks in a clear floor he makes up for with some of the most exciting arm talent and potentially special athletic gifts that we've seen out of any QB prospect in the last handful of years. If he gets coached up and loses the bad decision-making habits/inconsistences with accuracy he flashed in college, he could turn into the next Josh Allen. Selecting Maye would signal that a new era has finally arrived in Foxboro, which is exactly what this organization needs right now.
4.Arizona Cardinals: Marvin Harrison Jr., wide receiver (Ohio State)
The window for trades should open up here. However, word is that the Cardinals are asking for a whole lot to take this draft pick off their hands and no one seems willing to meet their asking price. Driving a hard bargain is the right play for the Cardinals as sticking and picking would net them Harrison Jr. The Ohio State product who just so happens to be the son of a Hall of a Fame Wide Receiver has a combination of size, speed and YAC ability that is incredibly rare even in an era where the pool of high-end receivers coming out of college is seemingly getting deeper every year, which would make him a welcome addition to a Cardinals squad whose current top receiver is 2nd year pro Michael Wilson-who finished his rookie season with 565 YDS.
5.Los Angeles Chargers: Malik Nabers, wide receiver (LSU)
Keep an eye on Jim Harbaugh making his presence felt with the Chargers right away by forcing them to trade back and get more picks to take lunchpail guys that will help bring some god damn toughness back to the Bolts. To me at least, addressing their receiver situation should be their clear top priority as Josh Palmer and Quentin Johnston currently sit atop the depth chart after Keenan Allen and Mike Williams got sent out of town in March. Adding Nabers to the fold would be their best bet for trying to solve this bleak problem in a timely fashion. Nabers' explosiveness and route-running prowess was essential to LSU's success in 2023 and having somebody that can get open on different levels of the field and is a constant threat to hit home runs could be huge for jumpstarting the next era of Justin Herbert's career.
6.New York Giants: Rome Odunze, wide receiver (Washington)
Quarterback will absolutely be in consideration here given how Daniel Jones played last year and the fact that both Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen could be on the chopping block if they have another disappointing season in 2024. That being said, it's hard to envision a scenario where Jones or a rookie would be able to do much of anything with their receiving corps as currently constructed. Odunze is the kind of player that can come in and radically transform a passing attack right away with his ability to make absurd contested catches downfield and I think that somebody like Daboll would be able to tap into his route-running versatility/YAC skills that were underutilized in Washington's vertical-dominant passing attack.
7.Tennessee Titans: Joe Alt, tackle (Notre Dame)
Adding Peter Skoronski at guard last year wasn't enough to fix the Titans dreadful offensive line. Perhaps going back to the o-line well in the 1st round this year to get a plug-and-play left tackle will provide the spark that jumpstarts this group's rebuilding efforts. At 6'8 and 322 lbs, Alt is one of the most physically imposing tackle prospects you'll ever see step on the field and unlike a lot of guys his size, he's a fluid athlete that's capable of mirroring edge rushers of all sizes as well as a refined all-around blocker.
8.Atlanta Falcons: Dallas Turner, edge rusher (Alabama)
A defensive player going in the top 10!?! Say it ain't so!!! The signing of Kirk Cousins took the Falcons out of the QB market for at least another year, which likely means they'll be turning their attention to addressing their pass rush. Turner's technique is going to need some work in order for him to succeed in the pros, but his relentless motor, violent hands and special gift for chasing down rushers who appear to be on the cusp of breaking off a huge gain should provide Raheem Morris with plenty to work with.
9.Chicago Bears: Jared Verse, edge rusher (Florida State)
Adding a young receiver would be ideal, but the Bears are not well positioned to move up with no 2nd round pick this year, it's not overly likely that Nabers or Odunze falls to them and taking any of the available receivers here would be a reach. Trading back to pick up some more draft capital seems like the most feasible play in a scenario where Nabers and Odunze are off the board and that's where Verse comes in. Verse is strong enough against the run to move DeMarcus Walker back into the situational pass-rushing role he's most comfortable in and has the explosive speed-to-power rush ability to turn into a nice complement to Montez Sweat.
10.New York Jets: Brock Bowers, tight end (Georgia)
The smart thing to do would be to take one of the many high-upside tackle prospects that are on the board to provide insurance for the oft-injured Tyron Smith. The Jets thing to do will be to give their idiot geriatric quarterback another weapon for their next failed attempt to field a contending team overnight. No disrespect to Bowers though, who is a guy that I'm very high on and has the potential to be a serious matchup nightmare at the next level given how polished and explosive of a receiver he is for the tight end position.
11.Minnesota Vikings: J.J. McCarthy, quarterback (Michigan)
McCarthy to Minnesota would be a best-case scenario for this year's most polarizing draft riser. Kevin O'Connell runs one of the most QB-friendly schemes in the league, Justin Jefferson/Jordan Addison/T.J. Hockenson is the kind of reliable tandem of pass-catchers that every young signalcaller dreams of having as a rookie and their offensive line is pretty terrific. The only burning question remaining is do the Vikings believe enough in his ability to handle a full QB workload after being a sidecar at Michigan to pay the steep price to move up and get him?
12.Denver Broncos: Michael Penix Jr., quarterback (Washington)
Adding Zach Wilson via trade on Monday is an interesting late game wrinkle that suggests that the Broncos might be pursuing a position other than QB in the 1st round. Still, there's something about a QB battle between Wilson and Jarrett Stidham that just doesn't sound right for a Sean Payton-coached team that was hamstrung by Russell Wilson's clear limitations as a passer last season. Selecting somebody with an absolute cannon like Penix Jr. would grant Payton the opportunity to air it out more like he did in New Orleans while also getting the Broncos out of a clear stopgap situation at QB. As much as this team needs to pursue other positions in the draft thanks to the unprecedented dead cap figure that releasing Wilson saddled them with, this opportunity to bring in a potential franchise QB just might be too tempting for Payton to resist.
13.Las Vegas Raiders: Quinyon Mitchell, cornerback (Toledo)
This seems like a logical place for the expected mid-to-late 1st round run on corners to begin. As respectable as the Raiders pass defense was last season, they still don't have a true #1 corner and Mitchell could fill that role seamlessly. He's a fast, physical corner with plus ball skills and the type of sound, willing tackling that is becoming increasingly rare for the position whose standout performance at the Senior Bowl indicates that he's capable of putting the clamps on receivers that are much better than the ones he faced during his time at Toledo.
14.New Orleans Saints: Tailese Fuaga, tackle/guard (Oregon State)
It would be shocking if the Saints didn't go o-line here, so it really comes down to which available member of this deep class do they like the most. With his pass-blocking prowess, visible mean streak and positional versatility, Fuaga seems like a great candidate to join Dennis Allen's squad.
15.Indianapolis Colts: Terrion Arnold, cornerback (Alabama)
An agile ballhawk who had his feet held to the fire on a regular basis as a man cover corner in the SEC over the past 2 years would be a welcome addition to a Colts corner room that lacks any proven talent on the outside.
16.Seattle Seahawks: Troy Fautanu, tackle/guard (Washington)
This is a pick that John Schneider really needs to nail as they have multiple needs on both sides of the ball and all of the action at QB and WR at the top of the board gives them a great opportunity to land a top-end talent at another position for a discounted price. There are sexier, splashier picks than Fautanu here, but he's a high-floor player that can come in and provide some much-needed immediate stability at either right tackle or guard for this below average offensive line.
17.Jacksonville Jaguars: Cooper DeJean, cornerback/safety (Iowa)
Diminishing the concerns surrounding the broken fibula he suffered last November with his Pro Day performance has greatly reduced the odds of DeJean slipping out of the 1st round. With that mind, his unique skill set should attract the attention of many suitors from #15-32 and the Jags appear to be in a prime position to select the Iowa DB. His elite ball skills/instincts and top-tier athleticism that allows him to drop back in coverage, attack the line of scrimmage or serve as a QB spy with equal precision makes him an appealing chess piece for new DC Ryan Nielsen to utilize.
18.Cincinnati Bengals: JC Latham, tackle (Alabama)
Replacing the starting spots vacated by D.J. Reader and Jonah Williams are the top priorities for the Bengals in this draft. Given the notorious unreliability of their current projected starting right tackle Trent Brown, I'm going to lean towards a replacement for Williams here. Latham is an absolute behemoth who has 2 years of starting RT experience under his belt at Alabama and while his game remains very rough around the edges-especially as a run-blocker, you can't teach the kind of power and feel for the game that this kid has.
19.Los Angeles Rams: Byron Murphy II, defensive tackle (Texas)
Stepping into a role vacated by a generational talent in Aaron Donald is an intimidating ask for a rookie, but Murphy II would be thrust into that unfavorable position if he was selected by the Rams. While he's not the natural pass-rusher with a superhuman motor that Donald was, Murphy is a twitchy athlete with explosive power that has a chance to be a top-tier interior disruptor at the next level-especially if paired with somebody who IS a natural pass-rusher in Kobie Turner.
20.Pittsburgh Steelers: Olu Fashanu, tackle (Penn State)
It's fair to question why the Steelers would take another tackle just a year after selecting Broderick Jones. Well, Dan Moore Jr. remains a huge liability on the left side and Jones might be better suited to play right tackle in the NFL. Bringing in Fashanu would allow Jones to stick on the right side while potentially shoring up the left side with a disciplined player that excels in pass protection who has the potential to be an elite overall tackle if he can improve his consistency as a run-blocker.
21.Miami Dolphins: Graham Barton, tackle/guard (Duke)
Barton has become quite the darling in league circles following his strong pre-draft workouts and with the Dolphins losing a pair of starters on the interior (Robert Hunt, Connor Williams) and having a pair of tackles that aren't exactly known for staying on the field (Terron Armstead, Austin Jackson), his toughness and ability to play any spot on the line would be particularly useful in South Beach.
22.Philadelphia Eagles: Nate Wiggins, cornerback (Clemson)
James Bradberry and Darius Slay are both on the wrong side of 30 and coming off terrible seasons. While Howie Roseman could give these famously erratic corners an opportunity to redeem themselves in new DC Vic Fangio's system, adding some additional young blood to their CB group might not be such a bad idea. Wiggins didn't get beat deep too much during his time at Clemson and has the exact combo of speed, size and fluidity teams covet in their outside corners, which would make him a great apprentice to Slay and Bradberry in the interim and a possible high-end replacement for either of them a year or so down the line.
23.Minnesota Vikings: Laiatu Latu, edge rusher (UCLA)
If the Vikings do deliver on their hopes to trade up, this pick is as good as gone. If they don't, Latu would be an awesome pickup. The UCLA product is a peak candidate to slide down the board on account of a neck injury that kept him out for 2 full seasons (2020 and 2021), but his tape and intangibles (his bend, hand usage and proper setting of the edge are easily the best among this class) are so good that it's hard to see him falling out of the 1st round entirely. A blitz-happy DC in Brian Flores could have a field day with somebody whose game is pro-ready and would relish the opportunity to pin his ears back and attack the QB most of the time he's on the field.
24.Dallas Cowboys: Amarius Mims, tackle (Georgia)
Mims is the ultimate dice roll prospect. He only started 8 career games at Georgia (6 of which were last season), but he played great when he was out there and possesses an absurd size/athleticism combo (he's 6''8, 340 lbs and ran a 5.07 40 at the Combine) that will have teams salivating. Jerry Jones certainly has the balls to take such a huge risk early in the draft and landing on a team with 9x All-Pro Zack Martin, 2023 All-Pro Tyler Smith and an established starting right tackle in Terrence Steele would put Mims in a great spot to work on his craft without having to pull an inordinate amount of weight while he goes through his inevitable growing pains.
25.Green Bay Packers: Tyler Guyton, tackle (Oklahoma)
The Packers have done an excellent job of coaching up offensive lineman with major weaknesses in their games (Zach Tom, Rasheed Walker, Jon Runyan Jr.-who just for the Giants in free agency) in recent years and with longtime left tackle David Bakhitari officially out of the fold, Guyton would be the perfect project for them to take on next. His tenure at Oklahoma was plagued with inconsistency, but he's a top-tier athlete whose flashes of elite hand usage, movement skills and work in pass sets showcased the immense potential he has.
26.Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jackson Powers-Johnson, center (Oregon)
While There are far sexier areas of needs to Bucs address here like corner or edge rusher, they really need to add more talent next to Tristian Wirfs on the O-line or their offense is going to keep sputtering out far more often than it should be. Powers-Johnson is a tough, savvy player with a track record of consistently strong play in college who should provide the Bucs with the interior anchor they've lacked since Ryan Jensen's last healthy season in 2021.
27.Arizona Cardinals: Johnny Newton, defensive tackle (Illinois)
After landing a WR at #4, the Cardinals should look to the defensive side of the ball with their other 1st rounder and given that their rebuild is still in its infancy, they have the luxury of going with best player available here. Enter Newton. The Illinois product is a bit undersized(6'2, 295 lbs), but his knack for shedding blocks, getting after the quarterback and catching opposing lineman off guard with his strength could make him a special playmaker in the pros.
28.Buffalo Bills: Brian Thomas Jr., wide receiver (LSU)
Trading Stefon Diggs to Houston and letting Gabe Davis and Trent Sherfield to walk in free agency has stripped the Bills WR room down to the studs. Adding a downfield burner with a nose for the endzone in Thomas Jr. would bring the threat of fireworks back to the Bills passing attack and perhaps more importantly, allow their top returning WR Khalil Shakir to continue to operate in his natural habitat of the slot.
29.Detroit Lions: Kool-Aid McKinstry, cornerback (Alabama)
Bringing in Carlton Davis is a nice start to the Lions much-needed overhaul at the corner position, but they still need to do more to bolster a unit that got picked part nearly every week a season ago. McKinstry is the kind of corner that would make Dan Campbell put his head through the wall. He's tough. He's physical. He never takes a play off. This man deserves to be a Detroit Lion and if the other 31 teams had any damn class, they would step aside and allow this beautiful hypothetical marriage to become a real one.
30.Baltimore Ravens: Jordan Morgan, tackle (Arizona)
Shipping off Morgan Moses to the Jets added even more uncertainty to a Ravens tackle room that has been forced to get really creative over the last few years with Ronnie Stanley being constantly in and out of the lineup while nursing multiple nagging injuries. Adding someone like Morgan who logged 33 starts at LT in college and played at a consistently high level against solid D1 competition to their group would bring the hope that some stability could be in the cards for a group that hasn't had that luxury in quite some time.
31.San Francisco 49ers: Chop Robinson, edge rusher (Penn State)
If Brandon Aiyuk gets traded before the 49ers go on the clock, disregard this prediction and put a WR like Adonai Mitchell or Troy Franklin here instead. If not, keep reading. The Chase Young experiment didn't work out like the 49ers had hoped it would down the stretch last season and free agent pickup Leonard Floyd is only on a 1-year deal, so why not try to find a long-term partner for Nick Bosa here? Robinson is armed with nothing but elite burst and a dream when he rushes the passer right now, but if he can develop some more strength and a deeper arsenal of pass-rushing moves, he'll have a real shot at becoming an All-Pro-caliber player.
32.Kansas City Chiefs: Ladd McConkey, wide receiver (Georgia)
Rashee Rice's recent choice to cosplay as Dom Toretto down in Dallas has further exasperated the Chiefs desperate need to add more talent at the receiver position in this draft. Fortunately for the Chiefs, this is an extremely deep class at the position and several high-upside guys will be available to them at #32 without having to trade up. Since McConkey is the best route runner available and would give them a pure slot receiver that Patrick Mahomes could hit underneath whenever his outside guys aren't open, I'm choosing him as the lucky duck that gets to play for the reigning Super Bowl Champs.
2nd Round:
33.Carolina Panthers: Adonai Mitchell, wide receiver (Texas)
34.New England Patriots: Kingsley Suamataia, tackle (BYU)
35.Arizona Cardinals: Ennis Rakestraw Jr., cornerback (Missouri)
36.Washington Commanders: Troy Franklin, wide receiver (Oregon)
37.Los Angeles Chargers: Blake Corum, running back (Michigan)
38.Tennessee Titans: Marshawn Kneeland, edge rusher (Western Michigan)
39.Carolina Panthers: T.J. Tampa, cornerback (Iowa State)
40.Washington Commanders: Mike Sainsristil, cornerback (Michigan)
41.Green Bay Packers: Tyler Nubin, safety (Minnesota)
42.Houston Texans: Braden Fiske, defensive tackle (Florida State)
43.Atlanta Falcons: Kamari Lassiter, cornerback (Georgia)
44.Las Vegas Raiders: Xavier Legette, wide receiver (South Carolina)
45.New Orleans Saints: Ricky Pearsall, wide receiver (Florida)
46.Indianapolis Colts: Xavier Worthy, wide receiver (Texas)
47.New York Giants: Bo Nix, quarterback (Oregon)
48.Jacksonville Jaguars: Darius Robinson, edge rusher (Missouri)
49.Cincinnati Bengals: Kris Jenkins, defensive tackle (Michigan)
50.Philadelphia Eagles: Payton Wilson, inside linebacker (NC State)
51.Pittsburgh Steelers: Ja'Lynn Polk, wide receiver (Washington)
52.Los Angeles Rams: Zach Frazier, center (West Virginia)
53.Philadelphia Eagles: Javon Bullard, safety (Georgia)
54.Cleveland Browns: Kiran Amegadjie, tackle (Yale)
55.Miami Dolphins: Ja'Tavion Sanders, tight end (Texas)
56.Dallas Cowboys: Jonathon Brooks, running back (Texas)
57.Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Edgerrin Cooper, inside linebacker (Texas A&M)
58.Green Bay Packers: Junior Colson, inside linebacker (Michigan)
59.Houston Texans: Max Melton, cornerback (Rutgers)
60.Buffalo Bills: Khyree Jackson, cornerback (Oregon)
61.Detroit Lions: Chris Braswell, edge rusher (Alabama)
62.Baltimore Ravens: Bralen Trice, edge rusher (Washington)
63.San Francisco 49ers: Christian Haynes, guard (UConn)
64.Kansas City Chiefs: Patrick Paul, tackle (Houston)
