The Minnesota Vikings pulled off a big trade with the Houston Texans to add a second first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. How does this change things for all of the other quarterback-needy teams around the league? It looks like the Vikings are going to be aggressive in the post-Kirk Cousins era, and we'll explore that in this 2024 NFL mock draft update.
Just a couple of days ago, we took a look at a 2024 NFL mock draft scenario, and of course, the Vikings pulled off a trade hours after the mock draft was published. Such is life in the NFL. After making a deal with the Texans for the 23rd overall pick, the Vikings are now equipped to trade up the board if they so choose.
What kinds of crazy twists could we expect in the 2024 NFL Draft? Let's make some more predictions after the Vikings' stunner of a trade.
1) Chicago Bears (from Carolina): Caleb Williams, QB, USC
The Justin Fields trade to the Pittsburgh Steelers basically cements it. The Bears are moving on at the quarterback position and for the longest time, everyone has been expecting USC's Caleb Williams to be the pick.
After acquiring Keenan Allen to pair with DJ Moore, what kind of movement can we expect from the Bears with another top 10 pick in this class? This team has become even more interesting.
2) Washington Commanders: Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU
The Commanders go with the dynamic Heisman Trophy winner who will fit in with Kliff Kingsbury quite well. Kingsbury has always worked with dual-threat players at the position and Daniels has consistently been exactly that. Not only that, but he proved early on in his college career at Arizona State that he's not going to shrink in big moments. The Commanders get their new franchise QB.
3) New England Patriots: Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame
How about this for a surprise? The Patriots have been pegged as a team going after a quarterback for quite some time now, but perhaps they punt that option to round two. Maybe they'll trade back up into the first round to get a QB...The Pats go after a stud left tackle here who is going to lock down the position for a decade.
4) Arizona Cardinals: Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State
There's no question that the Arizona Cardinals will be jumping for joy if they get a chance to take arguably the best non-quarterback in this draft class. And heck, Harrison might just be the best overall player in the class. Kyler Murray gets an elite weapon.
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5) Minnesota Vikings (from Chargers): Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina
The Vikings have loaded up on ammunition not just to sit back and take multiple guys in the first round. Or maybe they did...Maybe the Vikings really like Bo Nix or Michael Penix Jr. It's more likely that the Vikings know they want someone like Drake Maye, who would be reuniting in Minnesota with Josh McCown, one of his high school coaches.
6) New York Giants: JJ McCarthy, QB, Michigan
The New York Giants have seemingly made it clear that Daniel Jones is their franchise QB. I'm not buying it. Jones, on a good day, is probably one of the 10 worst starting quarterbacks in the league. Who are the Giants trying to convince besides themselves at this point? It's time to move on, and I think we could see them make a big splash like this.
7) Tennessee Titans: Olu Fashanu, OT, Penn State
There's no need for the Titans to overcomplicate this. The Titans just released Andre Dillard and they went out and spent a ton of money on Calvin Ridley and Tony Pollard in NFL free agency. Olu Fashanu is one of the best pass blocking tackles to come out in recent memory.
8) Cincinnati Bengals (from Falcons): Rome Odunze, WR, Washington
The Bengals aren't going to lose both Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd in the same offseason and do nothing about it. To be fair, at this point, they haven't lost either. I still wonder if they might be willing to make a bold move up the board like this to get a star like Odunze and then trade Higgins during the NFL Draft.
9) Los Angeles Chargers (from Bears): Malik Nabers, WR, LSU
We have yet another trade-up scenario here. The Los Angeles Chargers traded down from the 5th overall pick earlier, but here they spend a mid-round pick or two to move up a couple of spots with the Chicago Bears and take Malik Nabers, whose availability at this point is bordering on criminal. The Chargers replace Keenan Allen and Mike Williams with arguably the best receiver in the class.
10) New York Jets: Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia
Although the Jets got jumped in this scenario for Malik Nabers, they really had multiple great options with Bowers on the board as well. The Jets went out in NFL free agency and got Tyron Smith at the left tackle position. They traded for Morgan Moses to give him a veteran bookend. Now, they upgrade their weaponry with one of the most dangerous weapons in this draft.
11) Chicago Bears (from Chargers): Jackson Powers-Johnson, OL, Oregon
The Bears made what was perceived to be a bit of a reach last year in Darnell Wright with their top pick. I wonder if they could do the same here to fortify the offensive line in front of their new franchise QB. Caleb Williams would have a new battery mate and one of the toughest linemen in all of college football. Powers-Johnson would be a great pick, even if people don't have him rated this high.
12) Philadelphia Eagles (from Broncos): Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama
Vic Fangio was hired to come in and take over the Philadelphia Eagles' defense, and he is going to need a new no. 1 cornerback before too long. James Bradberry and Darius Slay are both getting older, and being able to snag the #1 corner in this class all the way at number 12 overall could be a steal. They send the Broncos the 50th overall pick to seal the deal.
13) Las Vegas Raiders: Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo
The Eagles may have jumped the Raiders to get Terrion Arnold, but the Raiders still get an absolute stud at the quarterback position here. Mitchell has been extremely productive attacking the football in the air at Toledo and proved that he's one of the top athletes you can find at his position with a 9.78 RAS at the Combine.
14) New Orleans Saints: Dallas Turner, EDGE, Alabama
The New Orleans Saints need to add more pressure players to the mix, and just like other teams are taking advantage of falling cornerbacks at this stage of this 2024 NFL mock draft, the Saints take advantage of the opportunity to take the top pass rusher off the board. Although Turner is slightly undersized, his traits are off the charts. And he has the production to match.
15) Indianapolis Colts: Cooper DeJean, DB, Iowa
Not only is Cooper DeJean one of the most versatile athletes in this year's class, but he's also just flat-out one of the most impressive overall athletes. His combination of size, speed, and football IQ will make him a no-brainer for the Colts at this pick slot.
16) Seattle Seahawks: Jared Verse, EDGE, Florida State
The Seattle Seahawks need to take the best defensive player on the board here and Jared Verse fits the bill. The former small-school transfer dominated at Florida State the last two seasons and does a great job converting his speed to power. He absolutely lives in the offensive backfield.
17) Jacksonville Jaguars: Brian Thomas Jr., WR, LSU
The Jacksonville Jaguars were this close to getting Calvin Ridley to come back to them in free agency until the Titans made him an offer he couldn't refuse. Will the Jags overcorrect by going after a round one receiver? Maybe. They probably feel like Ryan Nielsen alone is enough to raise the floor of their defense. Brian Thomas Jr. has big play written all over him and had a whopping 17 touchdown catches at LSU this past season.
18) Atlanta Falcons (from Bengals): Laiatu Latu, EDGE, UCLA
The Atlanta Falcons have completely revamped their offense this offseason, so the NFL Draft might be their chance to focus in on defense. Laiatu Latu has some health concerns, but he's one of the best and most NFL-ready pass rushers in this class and played for new Falcons DC Jimmy Lake at Washington for a couple of years.
19) Los Angeles Rams: Troy Fautanu, OT, Washington
Troy Fautanu is a plug-and-play left tackle with length, athletic ability, and outstanding strength. The Los Angeles Rams have invested heavily in their offensive line this offseason by re-signing Kevin Dotson and poaching Jonah Jackson from the Lions. Adding Fautanu as their left tackle would be the missing piece of the puzzle.
20) Pittsburgh Steelers: Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State
The Steelers would love to have this kind of problem, sitting here and staring both Taliese Fuaga and Amarius Mims right in the face. Both of these guys pride themselves on power, and both of these guys play with bad intentions. Ultimately, having the option to choose between the two, the upside with Mims is not so overpowering compared to Fuaga and Fuaga has a better body of work at this point.
21) Miami Dolphins: Byron Murphy, DL, Texas
After losing Christian Wilkins and others in NFL free agency, the Dolphins make Byron Murphy the first interior defensive lineman taken in this year's draft class. Murphy is disruptive, quick off the ball, and he can play a versatile role up front. He would be a great pickup at this stage of round one.
22) Denver Broncos (from Eagles): Bo Nix, QB, Oregon
The Denver Broncos have sat back and watched almost every other NFL team pick up a quarterback this offseason. Sean Payton can't possibly be this confident in Jarrett Stidham, can he? With the run on quarterbacks early in this 2024 NFL mock draft scenario, the Broncos pick up a much-needed round two selection and take Bo Nix as their possible 2024 starter.
23) Los Angeles Chargers (from Vikings): Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia
The Los Angeles Chargers turned the 5th overall pick into Malik Nabers and Amarius Mims. Does anything more need to be said? Although Amarius Mims carries a bit of risk because he has such a small sample size in college, the talent is there and Jim Harbaugh and his staff know how to develop offensive linemen.
24) Dallas Cowboys: JC Latham, OT, Alabama
Dak Prescott's lingering contract situation has handcuffed the Cowboys this offseason, and left tackle Tyron Smith left for greener pastures. Now, the Cowboys have to do some reshuffling on the offensive line, and luckily for them, there's not been a better tackle class in recent memory to do it. JC Latham played on the right side in Alabama but he has the chops to cut it at left tackle.
25) Green Bay Packers: Nate Wiggins, CB, Clemson
Nate Wiggins doesn't exactly meet the weight threshold the Packers have but he fits every single one of their other categories at this position. And although Jaire Alexander was the previous exception for the 190-pound "rule", I think they would break it again with Wiggins sitting on the board here. He has elite speed and ball skills at one of the most important positions on the roster.
26) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Chop Robinson, EDGE, Penn State
The Buccaneers said goodbye this offseason to Shaquil Barrett, who was cut and then signed with the Miami Dolphins. They desperately need some more help off the edge, and Chop Robinson is a player whose stock has really been on the rise as of late. Even though his production at Penn State doesn't match his elite traits, Robinson should be a great pro for a long time. He's a productive pass rusher.
27) Arizona Cardinals (from Houston): Jer'Zhan Newton, DL, Illinois
The Cardinals added Marvin Harrison earlier in this 2024 NFL mock draft scenario, and I think we could see them get aggressive to trade up for another impact player. If they don't, I like the idea of Jer'Zhan Newton joining Jonathan Gannon's defense. He needs some "dawgs" up front to bring pressure, and Newton can do just that.
28) Buffalo Bills: AD Mitchell, WR, Texas
The Buffalo Bills had to cut bait with a bunch of prominent players this offseason, and although they didn't cut him, they let Gabe Davis walk in free agency. The absence of Davis and the seemingly constant rumors surrounding Stefon Diggs might cause the Bills to actually use a 1st-round pick on a receiver this year. AD Mitchell would be a really fun fit and could be the missing piece to help this team get over the hump in the playoffs.
29) Detroit Lions: Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama
Is it merely coincidence that the Detroit Lions have selected a player from Alabama who wore the #1 jersey in consecutive years? Maybe. It just so happens that after taking Jameson Williams in 2022 and Jahmyr Gibbs in 2023, it could make a lot of sense for Detroit to take Kool-Aid McKinstry in 2024. He fills their biggest need right now at corner.
30) Baltimore Ravens: Tyler Guyton, OT, Oklahoma
After sending Morgan Moses to the New York Jets in a trade, the Ravens may look to dip into this year's deep offensive tackle market. Tyler Guyton is a little raw, but he could likely step in and start right away for Baltimore at that right tackle spot that's now been vacated.
31) San Francisco 49ers: Ennis Rakestraw Jr., CB, Missouri
The 49ers have gotten by without top-tier talent at the cornerback position for a while now, and I think it's high time for them to invest high in this area. They replenished the pass rush in free agency, but a physical player like Ennis Rakestraw at the cornerback position could give this defense another edge.
32) Kansas City Chiefs: Jordan Morgan, OT, Arizona
It might not be the sexy wide receiver pick many of us like to make for the Chiefs, but the left tackle position is a need for this team and the Chiefs need to go as cost-effective here as possible without sacrificing talent. We could see them trade up at some point but I really believe Jordan Morgan would be ready to go Day 1 blocking Patrick Mahomes's blind side.