NFL mock draft 2024: Updated first round projection after scouting combine

Here’s our latest NFL mock draft with major movement after the scouting combine.

The NFL scouting combine has come and gone, and with it, another step in the 2024 NFL Draft cycle has been completed.

While the Combine has some ups and downs in terms of its use, what we learned from this event is how the first round could potentially shake out. We know what’ll happen with the first overall pick—the Chicago Bears are going to take USC’s Caleb Williams. However, picks 2-32 leave a bit of intrigue as to who the picks will be. The Athletic’s Dianna Russini said that she believes QBs could go with the first four overall picks. Who goes where remains anyone’s guess at this point.

There’s real smoke around LSU QB Jayden Daniels going second overall, then UNC’s Drake Maye. After that, the QB market gets interesting. There will be plenty of attention around Michigan’s JJ McCarthy over the next few months, and he could keep flying up the board. Of course, Ohio State supernova wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. is pretty hard to pass up on, too.

Here’s our latest 2024 NFL mock draft after the combine. There’s analysis on every pick after the table.

1 . Chicago Bears select Caleb Williams, QB, USC

There’s a feeling that this one is all but wrapped up. Williams is a dynamic playmaker with both his arm and legs and can be the cornerstone of an NFL offense. Chicago needs to reset the QB timeline for their franchise, and drafting Williams gives them the shot to get some excitement under center.

2. Washington Commanders select Drake Maye, QB, UNC

There’s been a lot of rumors about Jayden Daniels being the second QB off the board, but I’m not sure if I’m in yet. Maye is a seamless fit into an NFL offense, and his arm talent and ability to get through progressions is going to make him a very good NFL QB. Kliff Kingsbury scares me as an offensive coordinator, but Maye throwing to Terry McLaurin sounds like a lot of fun.

3. New England Patriots select Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU

The New England Patriots need some boom in their offense, and Daniels’ big play ability as a thrower and runner would be a massive benefit in that offense. Offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt comes from Cleveland, where he had a mobile QB. Here he gets another one in Daniels.

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

Yeah, we don’t need to stay here much longer. Harrison Jr. and the Cardinals are a perfect player to team fit.

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

This could be a prime trade back spot if a team really gets froggy for a QB, but this is my theme park so I get to choose what happens here. Alt is a career left tackle, but the Chargers would be drafting him to play right tackle. Alt is a smooth mover who can mirror and move in space.

6. New York Giants select JJ McCarthy, QB, Michigan

Let’s get weird! McCarthy is a good athlete at the position who can throw off play action and flashes nice arm strength between the hashes, but might need a year to refine the nuances of his game. The Giants need a reset at the QB position and Daniel Jones’ contract has an out after 2025. McCarthy can be the QB of the future in New York after Jones’ time is up and in 2025 the Giants can surround him with more talent.

7. Tennessee Titans select Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia

He said he’d love to play for the Titans, the Titans need a true impact player at the position. Let’s keep this short and sweet.

8. Atlanta Falcons select Malik Nabers, WR, LSU

This is the shot of energy the Falcons offense could really use. They have a need at receiver opposite Drake London and don’t need to use this pick on a QB if they trade for Justin Fields (or sign Kirk Cousins). Nabers is a jolt of electricity with the ball in his hands, and can truly be a field stretcher opposite London.

9. Chicago Bears select Rome Odunze, WR, Washington

The Bears get their QB of the future, and now get another top flight receiver to pair with him. Odunze is a fantastic receiver with great body control and ball tracking skills. The Bears offense just got interesting.

10. New York Jets select Taliese Fuage, OL, Oregon State

For this Aaron Rodgers experiment to work, the Jets need to surround him with better protection. Alijah Vera-Tucker and Joe Tipmann are good starts, but the edges of the line need some help. Fuaga could slide inside to guard, but in New York he can start out at tackle and slide inside if the fit is better. Fuaga is a strong, powerful run defender who can move his feet in play action pass protection.

11. Minnesota Vikings select Dallas Turner, EDGE, Alabama

With Danielle Hunter, Marcus Davenport and DJ Wonnum entering free agency, the Vikings need to address their pass rush this draft. Turner is a juiced up athlete with the ability to turn speed into power and be a defensive chess piece for Brian Flores.

12. Denver Broncos select Byron Murphy II, DT, Texas

The Broncos probably are one of the teams that are in the JJ McCarthy market, and they might be parting ways with Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick this offseason. But, none of the receivers make sense here at 12, and McCarthy is gone. So they opt for Murphy, who is a bonafide disruptor with lateral quickness and burst and can turn up the Broncos interior pass rush.

13. Las Vegas Raiders select Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama

Jack Jones really came on strong near the back end of the year, and adding Arnold to that room would give Vegas a versatile, aggressive group of corners. Arnold has inside and outside versatility, and the mindset of a future lockdown corner. Jones and Arnold can be a very fun corner duo, and if the Raiders decide to bring back Nate Hobbs, the room gets really interesting.

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

Fashanu’s fall is the Saints’ gain, as Fashanu’s slide ends at 14. Sure, Michael Thomas might be on his way out, but the Trevor Penning project has been a mess at this point. Fashanu is a ready made pass protector with some room to grow as a run blocker. This is an easy choice here.

15. Indianapolis Colts select Brian Thomas Jr., WR, LSU

The Colts could’ve gone corner here, but there are many who believe Thomas is going to go early in this years’ draft. Imagine the deep passes from Anthony Richardson to Brian Thomas Jr., that should be enough to sell you on the vision.

16. Seattle Seahawks select Troy Fautanu, OL, Washington

Damien Lewis is a free agent, and the Seahawks might not want to bring him back. Fautanu is powerful and nasty in the run game, and is my top guard in this draft. He also has the ability to play tackle, which is what he did at Washington. Speaking of the Huskies, remember their offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb? Yeah, he calls plays for the Seahawks now, and the former Washington OL coach is with the Seahawks as well. Makes you think…

17. Jacksonville Jaguars select Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo

With Ryan Nielsen coming over from Atlanta to call the defense, corners who can live on islands in man situations is going to be pivotal, and Jacksonville might not have enough of those. Mitchell has the ball skills and athleticism to be a top flight man corner in the NFL.

18. Cincinnati Bengals select JC Latham, OT, Alabama

Another player-team fit that I love. Latham looked slimmed down in Indy, but that shouldn’t take away his biggest trait, which is being a People Mover similar to the ones they have in Magic Kingdom. Latham slides right in where Jonah Williams left and immediately starts at right tackle.

19. Los Angeles Rams select Laiatu Latu, EDGE, UCLA

I think I have seen enough of Michael Hoecht as a primary edge rusher in Los Angeles. Latu has some medical concerns, but he’s a certified pass rusher with multiple counters and hand swipes to beat tackles to the point.

20. Pittsburgh Steelers select Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia

The Steelers went to the Bulldog pipeline once to get tackle Broderick Jones, they do it again here and get another Georgia tackle. Mims is inexperienced, but there are very few people on Earth who can move the way Mims can at 6’7 and 340 pounds. The Steelers’ run game with Jones and Mims should be a fun sight to see.

21. Miami Dolphins select Jackson Powers-Johnson, C, Oregon

With Connor Williams and Robert Hunt set to enter free agency, the Dolphins have a massive need along the interior. Powers-Johnson was a great guard, but was even better at center, and fills an immediate need for a team that wants to win now.

22. Philadelphia Eagles select Graham Barton, OL, Duke

Howie Roseman loves drafting linemen early, and with Jason Kelce retiring, center becomes a hole that right guard Cam Jurgens will slide over to fill. Barton can step in and play all five positions along the line, but might be better suited as a guard, where his nasty demeanor in the run game perfectly suits Philadelphia.

23. Houston Texans select Jared Verse, EDGE, Florida State

Verse’s fall ends in the perfect landing spot, matching him with the Houston Texans. Jon Greenard is a free agent and could be headed for a major payday. Verse is a powerful, juiced up EDGE rusher who is best fit for a four-man rush with his hand in the dirt. The duo of Verse and DROTY Will Anderson Jr. is going to give opposing offenses nightmares.

24. Dallas Cowboys select Tyler Guyton, OT, Oklahoma

Dallas would’ve probably loved if Barton slipped past Philadelphia, with the impending departure of Tyron Smith meaning Tyler Smith slides to tackle. However, they nab Guyton here, who shores up the right tackle spot as they work to retool their offensive line.

25. Green Bay Packers select Cooper DeJean, CB/S, Iowa

Iowa’s Cooper DeJean can truly do it all. He’s a great corner with good route recognition and ability to match in zone, but also has the athletic profile of a safety if need be. With the Packers needing help everywhere opposite Jaire Alexander on the back end, DeJean can come in and be helpful in any spot.

26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers select Chop Robinson, EDGE, Penn State

With Shaq Barrett now elsewhere, the Buccaneers need to juice up their pass rush. Robinson is a phenomenal athlete with great burst and explosion off the ball, and can come in and start as a designated pass rusher while the rest of his game irons itself out.

27. Arizona Cardinals select Nate Wiggins, CB, Clemson

After picking Harrison Jr., the Cardinals are truly an open book here. With holes all along the roster, they can go anywhere with this pick, but I opted to help them out on defense. Wiggins might be skinny at 173 pounds, but is blazing fast and plays bigger than his frame suggests. That’ll play in Arizona.

28. Buffalo Bills select AD Mitchell, WR, Texas

Mitchell is a smooth operator who showed at the Combine that he has enough speed to pull away from opposing defenders. He’s at his best on the outside, using his speed and large catch radius to make the difficult catches look easy. Pairing him with Josh Allen just seems easy.

29. Detroit Lions select Johnny Newton, DT, Illinois

Perfect, PERFECT need and prospect fit. Newton has kind of become underrated in this draft class, but with his burst and violent hands he can become a star in Detroit next to Aidan Hutchinson.

30. Baltimore Ravens select Darius Robinson, EDGE, Missouri

Baltimore loves drafting versatile defenders, and Robinson fits that bill. He’s a big, powerful pass rusher who has played inside and out, and gives Baltimore another chess piece to use across the line on every down.

31. San Francisco 49ers select Kingsley Suamataia, OT, BYU

Suamataia is a toolsy player with movement skills to suggest an ability to play well in a zone blocking scheme. 49ers RT Colton McKivitz is not it, and Suamataia being drafted here gives San Francisco a young, athletic right tackle to help shore up the offensive line.

32. Kansas City Chiefs select Ladd McConkey, WR, Georgia

Look man, he just always gets open. McConkey answered questions at the Combine by ripping off a great 40 time, and now goes to a place where his easy separation from the slot will be accentuated by Travis Kelce and Rashee Rice. The Chiefs need another receiver, and McConkey might be the best fit of the bunch.

33. Carolina Panthers select Xavier Worthy, WR, Texas

Wideouts as slight as Worthy (165 lbs) rarely get picked in the first round, but that stands to be the Panthers’ gain as he’s the first pick on Day 2. He’s got a natural second gear that allows him to separate at the second and third levels, crucial to an offense that has nothing going for it right now.

54. Cleveland Browns select Troy Franklin, WR, Oregon

I really wanted to go defensive tackle here, and Oregon’s Brandon Dorlus makes a lot of sense. But instead I opted for Dorlus’ teammate, speedy WR Troy Franklin. Drops are a bit of an issue for Franklin, but he has such good deep speed that it creates a natural complement to Amari Cooper, Elijah Moore and David Njoku.