The Gridiron Review’s 2024 NFL Mock Draft 1.0. There are no trades as those will be included in future mocks. Check out our positional rankings for full breakdowns.

Chicago Bears (Via Carolina Panthers)- Caleb Williams, QB, USC

In a mock with no trades, the Bears stay put and go with Williams. Regardless of if you feel he is overhyped, overrated, the potential is through the roof. Even if we do have trades, we are unsure if the Bears are willing to go with Fields and pay him the rumored AAV he is to get.

Washington Commanders- Olu Fashanu, OT, Penn State

We are big Sam Howell believers, and believe that if you put a rookie QB behind the porous Washington line you are going to get similar results. We don’t believe Fashanu has the ceiling of someone like Wirfs, but have him comped to Andrew Thomas in the sense that he’s a high end prospect who’s the safe pick and will upgrade O-Line play that Howell desperately needs, 

New England Patriots- Marvin Harrison Jr, WR, Ohio State

The popular pick will undoubtedly be Qb here. But, we do not have any QBs after Williams graded this high. We are also not convinced that the in house hire of Mayo signals the end of Mac Jones’s tenure. Regardless, like the Commanders above, dropping a qb into this situation would be a disaster. The Patriots desperately need an alpha and Harrison Jr is that and more.

Arizona Cardinals- Nate Wiggins, CB, Clemson

The Arizona Cardinals CB room needs help pretty desperately and we have a much higher grade on him than most. We believe that Wiggins is not only a Top 5 worthy prospect, but could have the highest ceiling of any CB that’s come out in the last couple years. Wiggins may not look like an All-Pro at first, but he will with time. 

Los Angeles Chargers- Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia

Jim Harbaugh played against Bowers a ton, and likely knows how difficult he is to game plan against. The Chargers also happen to have a need at the position. Arthur Smith’s criminal misuse of Kyle Pitts may have people down on Bowers and the tight end position being this high, but that should not be the case and Smith should be in jail (have fun Steeler Nation).

New York Giants- Keon Coleman, WR, FSU

The community seems very divided on Coleman as a prospect. We are of the opinion that he has a ton of potential. As lofty as it is, there is a ton of Mike Evans to his game. Great hands with the ability and willingness to bully corners in the red zone, Coleman can be a red zone menace from his rookie season on.

Tennessee Titans- Troy Fautanu, OL, Washington

We have Troy Fautanu’s comp as “What people thought Peter Skoronski was”. We weren’t as high on Skoronski as the consensus and based on year one seem to be right to some extent. We believe Fautanu has 5 spot versatility and would right off the bat be an upgrade on at least 3 of the guys they have starting right now. 

Atlanta Falcons- Bo Nix, QB, Oregon

Atlanta has a major decision to make at the QB position with new head coach Raheim Morris at the helm. They could go get a Baker or Gardner to hold it over and be better than last year, or they could look to the draft. Either way the starting qb is not on the roster. We do not know who Nix pissed off or wronged to have the media and twitter-sphere claiming he is not good and putting any mistakes under a microscope, but it happens. Nix has a ton of experience, a very strong arm, is athletic, and can make all the throws.

Chicago Bears- Brian Thomas Jr, WR, LSU

We are of the full belief that Thomas Jr is the better of the LSU receivers and it is not all that close. He possesses an elite size/speed combination that should jump off the page at the combine. Yet, he is not a project. He runs great routes and knows how to use his size effectively. He definitely possesses the upside of a number 1, but will not be asked to do that right away with DJ Moore. If they do go with Caleb Williams, they must build around him.

New York Jets- Christian Jones, OT, Texas

We are much higher on Christian Jones than most, but we feel our love of him is justified. He reminds us of 2023 1st rounder Broderick Jones, who the Jets missed out on last year. The Jets have the chance to right the wrongs, and take Jones, who will help keep Rodgers on the field for more than 4 snaps this season. 

Minnesota Vikings- Chop Robinson, EDGE, Penn State

This pick solely depends on what happens with Danielle Hunter. If he is re-signed, the Vikings can go with the more developmental draft prospect in Chop Robinson. If Hunter is not retained and they need more production from the beginning, it will likely be Latu.

Denver Broncos- Terrion Arnold, DB, Alabama

We think the CB spot opposite Surtain has been a weakness for a few years now. We do have one other CB above Arnold, but we believe that given the division they play in, Arnold is a better fit, and probably has a higher ceiling than Jackson.    

Las Vegas Raiders- Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU

Daniels is not a first rounder in our eyes. While an amazing athlete, we have serious concerns with his arm strength and accuracy. Nevertheless, the Raiders just brought in Kliff Kingsbury to run the offense, and may see a lot of Kyler Murray in Daniels. Murray possesses far more arm talent, but they could still adopt Kingsbury’s spread offense and have Daniels run it.

New Orleans Saints- Xavier Legette, WR, South Carolina

One of our favorite receivers in this class, Legette possesses insane speed in a 6’3, 230 pound frame. We are talking 4.3s speed. While he is a one year wonder, his development is further along than you would think with great hand placement, and good routes. The Saints likely are not signing Thomas back, so Legette steps in as the perfect compliment to Chris Olave.

Indianapolis Colts- Byron Murphy II, DL, Texas

The Colts have not re-signed Michael Pittman yet, which is shocking. If they let him walk, this pick changes. Assuming they do the right thing and bring him back, there are not a lot of glaring needs. They could upgrade the DT position next to Buckner, and Byron Murphy II offers both run defending and pass rushing upside.

Seattle Seahawks- Michael Penix Jr, QB, Washington

Rumor has it, Ryan Grubb is the favorite for the OC job in Seattle. If this is the case, it seems the Seahawks may have eyes on Penix. Like multiple QBs in this class, we are not as high on Penix as others. Not even accounting for the fact of 4 straight years with season ending injuries (which is insane), Penix could be a turnover machine with his gunslinger mentality. He is still better than Geno most likely, and he could be a big boom to the Seattle pass catchers.

Jacksonville Jaguars- Rome Odunze, WR, Washington

If the Jags bring Ridley back, the pick given up for him turns into a second. Seems like an obvious choice to let him walk. This then puts wide receiver as a massive need. Even if they get someone in free agency, Zay Jones is hit or miss at best as a WR3. The Jags need Lawrence to take that next step and can do so by surrounding him with weapons. Odunze is a bigger version of Deebo Samuel, with a ton of positional flexibility and the juice that the offense is missing.

Cincinnati Bengals- Kingsley Suamataia, OL, BYU

We think a bit has to shake out in FA before we can truly predict Cincy’s draft plan, but RT Jonah Williams at one point this offseason wanted to be dealt, and may chase an opportunity elsewhere. We have Kingsley Suamataia ranked among the IOLs because we think it could be a better fit, but he was a college OT and could definitely stay at tackle if asked. 

Los Angeles Rams- Khyree Jackson, CB, Oregon

Yes, we are higher on Khyree Jackson than most, but again we believe in our player scouts. Jackson is a long, lengthy corner(which the Rams desperately lack) with fluid hips. His speed is probably average, but he can stay within a step of most receivers, and understands how to use his length to make plays. 

Pittsburgh Steelers- Matt Goncalves, OT, Pitt

Yep, they do it again. We believe Pittsburgh goes O-Line again, and just so happens to go after yet another Pennsylvania college player. He is one of, if not the most technically sound tackle prospects in the class, and should make a nice bookend with 2023 first rounder Broderick Jones.

Miami Dolphins- Laiatu Latu, EDGE, UCLA

Miami got devastated by injuries on the D-Line, and they are likely concerned at this point. Latu is day 1 ready and can be a rotational piece or full time starter if Chubb and Phillips cannot go.

Philadelphia Eagles- Javon Bullard, DB, Georgia

We think Bullard is a great fit in Philly, and it’s not just because he went to Georgia. Bullard is an interesting prospect in the fact that we don’t think he has a ridiculous ceiling, but we think he has a high ceiling as a safety, corner, and nickel, all of which Philly could realistically use. They can pick and choose where they want to develop this swiss army knife prospect. 

Houston Texans (Via Cleveland Browns)- Jer’Zhan Newton, DL, Illinois

Houston is sitting beautifully with their roster construction. One spot they are lacking is the DT position. Newton is a hair overhyped, but should be a major factor in the pass rush to start his career and open up the outside for Anderson (and Greenard assuming he is brought back).

Dallas Cowboys- Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia

Amarius Mims is one of the prospects we have the most questions about in this year’s class. This was Mims first year starting for the Dawgs, and missed probably about half the season due to his tightrope surgery. The lack of film is probably going to be a red flag for many scouts, like it is for us. However, we weren’t in love with Tyler Smith as a prospect yet Dallas developed him into a great young linemen. We think Dallas takes a chance on Mims with Tyron Smith a FA and get the most out of him.

Green Bay Packers- Beau Brade, S, Maryland

Green Bay is lacking a big time playmaker at safety. We are extremely high on Beau Brade out of Maryland. He can play free or strong, he’s patient and aggressive at the same time, he’s a solid tackler and can read the box like a LB. He will help secure GB’s secondary. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Drake Maye, QB, UNC

You may be shocked to learn we do not love Drake Maye as a prospect, we dont even really like him. He does not carry a first round grade for us but QBs tend to get overdrafted. You may raise an eyebrow but we also never carried a first round grade on Levis despite the masses and that worked out well for us. Maye has the look of a QB, but has a brutally long motion at times that is inconsistent and is just awful sensing the pressure and dealing with it. That being said, Tampa seems poised to enter a brutal rebuild period and Todd Bowles may want to try to secure his place with a qb to develop. Ironically, our comp for Maye is Sam Darnold, one of Bowles’s success stories.

Arizona Cardinals (Via Houston Texans)- Ladd McConkey, WR, Georgia

Arizona passes on the receiver early, and gets a super dependable target here. McConkey is likely the best route runner in this class, with pretty good hands (though he does suffer the occasional concentration drop). However, he is not a slot receiver only. McConkey is almost like a running back after the catch and has great speed to stretch the field vertically. He can be a dependable target for Murray and would pair well with Michael Wilson and a vet via free agency.

Buffalo Bills- Adonai Mitchell, WR, Texas

Who knows what is going on with Stefon Diggs, but the Bills likely do not bring Gabe Davis back. Mitchell can play the same role as Davis in a different way. Even at 6’4, Mitchell is a much better athlete than Davis and offers more upside. They could go the route of Mike Evans in free agency, but Mitchell is another fine option if they need it.

Detroit Lions- TJ Tampa, CB, Iowa State

TJ Tampa is 100% a Dan Campbell player. TJ Tampa will bite knee caps. He’s a CB that plays like a safety. He loves playing man, he loves to press, and he loves to frustrate receivers with his physicality. He tackles well, he blitzes aggressively, and he can also man up TEs. Cam Sutton showed Detroit that he was a waste of money this past offseason, but Tampa will right the wrongs. We do worry about his zone coverage a little bit, but with DC Aaron Glenn in Detroit for at least one more year we think he will be able to help with his zone weaknesses. 

Baltimore Ravens- Blake Fisher, OL Notre Dame

Yes, we know, having Notre Dame’s RT Blake Fisher over their LT Joe Alt may be the hottest take in this whole mock draft, but we don’t love Alt. We saw a POTENTIAL career path to Evan Neal. A “dominant”, top end OT prospect who ends up flaming out. There’s a lot to worry about consistency wise and mechanically with Alt. But this isn’t about Alt. 

Fisher is a prospect we liked more than Alt at tackle, but truly believe that a move to IOL is in the cards. Fisher is a better run blocker than pass blocker and could benefit from not having to deal with edge players on his own. With how much Baltimore runs the football(minus the Chiefs game), we think Fisher will fit in nicely at one of their OG spots with both of their 2023 starters set to hit FA. 

San Francisco 49ers- Kamari Lassiter, CB, Georgia

Let’s be honest with ourselves here, anyone who has watched the playoffs knows that Ambry Thomas has been the weak link people are picking on in the CB room. Lots of plays given up, and lots of penalties. We think Kamari Lassiter fits in perfectly with what they have going on with Ward and Lenoir. Lassiter plays as aggressive as Thomas likes to be, but at a higher level, and without all the penalties.

Kansas City Chiefs- Malik Nabers, WR, LSU

Nabers will end up on our list of hyped prospects we do not love. While it is true he is fluid with his routes and has decent hands, we question his athleticism (something the combine should certainly answer) and his upside as a number 1. So many of his reps are against off coverage that was 10-15 yards off. He also benefited a ton from Daniels scrambling on broken plays and just getting open. What he does well for the most part is catch the ball, and Kansas City desperately needs that outside of Rashee Rice. This would also benefit Nabers because he would not be the focal point of the defense, which should allow him to be more successful.