Re-drafting the 2024 NFL Draft: Would teams pick the same players today?

The 2024 NFL Draft class have not played a single down in a real game, but that won't stop us from doing a re-draft.

Yes, let's do a re-draft of the 2024 NFL Draft. There has only been one preseason game thus far, but it will still be fun to simply wonder what could have happened in the NFL Draft back in April. There were six quarterbacks who got picked in the top-12 selections.

And there were a ton of offensive players who got picked in the first round as well. Let's dive into a re-draft of the 2024 NFL Draft, focusing on the top-10 selections.

Re-drafting the 2024 NFL Draft: Would teams pick the same players today?
1. Chicago Bears - Caleb Williams, QB, USC

The Chicago Bears will surely not do anything different in this re-draft, as Caleb Williams was surely the guy for them the second they clinched the first overall pick, which originally belonged to the Carolina Panthers. The Bears have to be pleased with their selection thus far.

2. Washington Commanders - Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU

It felt like the Washington Commanders were as locked into Jayden Daniels as the Bears were to Caleb Williams, so it's hard to imagine the Commanders doing anything different with their second overall pick. Daniels was their guy and would be their guy again.

3. New York Giants (via NE) - Drake Maye, QB, UNC

So, the New York Giants were trying to get up in the 2024 NFL Draft to take Drake Maye from UNC, but the New England Patriots were not budging. There was also reporting that de-facto Patriots GM Eliot Wolf was high on JJ McCarthy, so the Giants move up in this re-draft, and the Patriots move down to the sixth spot.

You can probably guess who the Pats will then take. The Giants get their guy in Maye, and the Patriots will get their guy in McCarthy in this scenario.

4. Arizona Cardinals - Marvin Harrison Jr, WR, OSU

The Arizona Cardinals need to still give Kyler Murray an elite weapon in the 2024 NFL Draft, so Marvin Harrison Jr should remain the pick here. You could have argued that the Cardinals could take a tackle here, but their projected starting tackle duo of Paris Johnson and Jonah Williams is competent.

5. Los Angeles Chargers - Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame

Many people were hoping that the Los Angeles Chargers would take WR Malik Nabers in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, but good NFL teams are built from the inside out, so Joe Alt is the correct pick for Jim Harbaugh and new GM Joe Hortiz.

6. New England Patriots (via NYG) - JJ McCarthy, QB, Michigan

Now that the Patriots traded down a few spots, they are able to land QB JJ McCarthy from Michigan and additional draft capital from moving down. This is perhaps the ideal situation for de-facto GM Eliot Wolf, who ended up taking Drake Maye in the real 2024 NFL Draft.

7. Tennessee Titans - JC Latham, OT, Alabama

The Tennessee Titans desperately need tackle help, so they will stick to their guns and take tackle JC Latham from Alabama with the seventh overall pick, as they are giving second-year QB Will Levis a legitimate shot to be the guy in Tennessee. Levis also has two new WR targets in Tyler Boyd and Calvin Ridley.

8. Atlanta Falcons - Laiatu Latu, EDGE, UCLA

The Atlanta Falcons made the wrong pick when they took Michael Penix Jr with the eighth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, so they correct that mistake in the re-draft with Laiatu Latu from UCLA, who has the highest ceiling of any pass rusher in this class.

With Kirk Cousins under center and some reinforcements to the defensive interior, the Falcons are looking much better.

9. Chicago Bears - Rome Odunze, WR, Washington

Chicago could have taken a tackle with their second first-round pick in 2024, and this ninth pick is their original selection. They will take the same player in the re-draft and stick with Rome Odunze, the stud wide receiver from Washington. This still gives Caleb Williams a scary trio with DJ Moore and Keenan Allen as the top two targets at the position.

10. New York Jets - Olu Fashanu, OT, Penn State

The New York Jets re-did their tackle situation this offseason by signing Tyron Smith and trading for Morgan Moses. Their tackle duo is now among the best in the NFL, but I have a hard time believing that GM Joe Douglas does not take Olu Fashanu again. He's an elite tackle prospect from Penn State and is going to give them a long-term option after Smith's tenure with the Jets is over.