2024 NFL Mock Draft 3.0 - Midseason Edition

Now that we are 2+ months into the 2023 NFL season and past the league's trade deadline, it's becoming clear which teams are pushing for the playoffs and which ones are already looking towards 2024. While the draft order is sure to change, there are a few prospects who most of the scouts consider to be a cut above the rest. You're here because you want to start seeing how the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft is going to look, and now is never a bad time to start familiarizing yourself with some of these names.

The draft order is based on the reverse order of standings and was verified with Tankathon for accuracy. So far there are two blue-chip QBs, one standout WR, two solid Tackles, and one very special Tight End. This draft class is more offense-heavy than the 2023 class was and so at this point it is expected that many of the picks inside the Top 10 will be offensive players. There are also several teams across the league hurting at the tackle position and it's inevitable that the demand for quarterbacks will drive them up the board.

These draft selections are not based on what the author would do but on what each team may do from intel via local beat reporters as well as the draft tendencies of each team's General Manager. This mock draft will feature two trades with one involving a 2024 first-round pick. So without further ado, let's plunge into this 2024 Round 1 Mock Draft! Also, stay tuned to RotoBaller all season long as these mock drafts will be published every month or so during the season.

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The Top 10 NFL Draft Picks

1. Arizona Cardinals

Drake Maye - QB, North Carolina

The belief out of Arizona is that if they end up with a top 2 pick the team would most likely trade away QB Kyler Murray. In this mock, he will be featured in a trade resulting in the Cardinals landing their third 2024 first-round pick. New GM Monti Ossenfort didn't draft Murray and he might want to reset their entire cap situation and get his own guy.

It's no secret the Cardinals are rebuilding and while they have started 1-7, credit to new coach Jonathan Gannon for having this team playing hard every week. Kyle Murray is expected back soon as he has been rehabbing from an ACL tear he suffered at the end of the 2022 season. If Kyler plays well enough that Arizona ends up winning a couple of games and gets outside of the Top 2 picks it's a good problem for them to have.

In steps Drake Maye as the No. 1 overall pick. He was a little slow to start the season in the passing TD department but is now up to 16 passing TDs and just 5 INTs on the year. Maye leads all of College Football in big-time throws at 25 and won us all over with his ridiculous left-handed TD pass against Pitt earlier in the year. At 6 foot 4 inches and 230 lbs. (unofficial), Maye has the prototypical size, mobility, and arm talent that scouts want. This is a very special year to land a Top 2 pick for teams who are looking hard for a quarterback. The Cardinals reset their entire franchise here.

2. Chicago Bears (from Carolina)

Caleb Williams - QB, USC

The Bears got an absolute haul to move back from No. 1 overall down to No. 9 a month before the 2023 NFL Draft and received Carolina's 2024 1st rounder as well as their 2025 2nd rounder. QB Justin Fields has shown some flashes but has yet to put together the kind of consistency to get the Bears out of their losing ways. Fields hasn't been able to stay healthy either. GM Ryan Poles knows he needs to get the Bears back on track to keep his job and he resets the clock here to land the Bears' new signal caller. For Williams' sake, hopefully, Head Coach Matt Eberflus and his staff are gone and a new more offensive-minded staff is in place for 2024 to help with his development.

Chicago still needs to upgrade their offensive line, but they did draft Darnell Wright at No. 10 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. Caleb Williams has been wowing the NFL scouts since the end of his freshman year at Oklahoma, and despite the talk of him returning to USC for another year, it is hard to imagine Williams passing up the chance to go this high in the NFL Draft. Williams is an incredible improviser who is great at adjusting when the play breaks down. He doesn't have the ideal size, but he's got above-average arm strength and can make all the throws. Caleb just seems to have that "it factor."

3. Chicago Bears

Marvin Harrison Jr. - WR, Ohio State

Arguably the best overall player in the draft, supply, and demand at the QB position is the only reason Harrison Jr. doesn't go first overall. The son of a Hall of Famer, Marvin Harrison Sr. (who played with Peyton Manning), Harrison Jr. is a walking human highlight reel. Crazy to think that in the last few years, we've seen Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Jameson Williams all play WR for Ohio State, and yet Harrison Jr. might be the best of them all.

The Bears could go a variety of ways here, including edge rusher or left tackle. However, with how great of a player and prospect that Harrison Jr. is it's just hard to drop him any further. He's probably the best WR prospect we've seen since Ja'Marr Chase in 2021 and at 6 foot 3 has all the size you want while displaying the speed and agility of a smaller receiver. Harrison Jr. paired up with D.J. Moore would be a deadly combo for their new quarterback.

4. New York Giants

Keon Coleman - WR, Florida State

This one is complicated. Daniel Jones has regressed in a big way in 2023 along with the Giants' offense and GM Joe Schoen and Head Coach Brian Daboll might not want to hitch their wagons to him. However, Jones is still owed $69 million in guarantees, and if the Giants were to move on they'd take on the largest cap hit in NFL history. They could trade or release Jones post-June 1, 2024 to spread out the cap hits between 2024 and 2025, but it would still be massive. If the front office could do it all over again, they should have just re-signed RB Saquon Barkley and used their franchise tag for 2023 on Jones. Instead, they waited until the last minute of the deadline and did the opposite.

Given that the Giants are pot-committed to Jones at this point, they might as well get him some help. After featuring a lot of undersized WRs on their offense in 2023, the Giants need to find a true X-type of wide receiver. Coleman stands in at 6 foot 4, 215 lbs. (unofficial), and is quite a mismatch on the field. The transfer from Michigan State has been thriving in his new home in Tallahassee this season and is a big reason why the Seminoles are undefeated at 8-0 and ranked 4th in the country. Coleman is averaging 2.10 yards per routes run and has 38 receptions for 538 yards and 9 TDs so far this season. While this might be high for him, Coleman is the complete weapon who fills a huge area of need for the Giants.

5. New England Patriots

Olumuyiwa Fashanu - T, Penn State

One of the best true left tackle prospects we have seen in quite some time, Fashanu is in consideration for the Bears at No. 3 overall and the Patriots are happy to land him here. While this team does have some serious QB issues of their own, as well as not having enough difference-making skill players on offense, the Patriots' offensive line also hasn't been as potent in recent years either. Fashanu has yet to allow a sack in his college career at Happy Valley. True to the offensive strength of this draft class, we see 5 offensive players go in the first 5 picks.

6. Green Bay Packers

Joe Alt - T, Notre Dame

Packers GM Brian Gutekunst is starting to find his seat getting warm, but the general sense is that the front office wants to give QB Jordan Love another season to grow with his young skill players before deciding to make a change. LT David Bakhtiari has said he is going to try and play in 2024, but their stud blindside protector has missed a lot of games over the last few seasons and is already on injured reserve for the rest of 2023. The Packers still have a pretty good defense and have plenty of young skill players on offense they want to get a look at. Alt fills a huge area of need for Green Bay here as they try to get things together and see if Jordan Love can still be the guy. The son of a former NFL player, Alt's Dad blocked for Joe Montana in Kansas City.

7. Indianapolis Colts

Laiatu Latu - Edge, UCLA

This pick could easily be a WR or TE depending on if the Colts want to give their young QB Anthony Richardson another weapon. However, they haven't had a dominant edge rusher in what seems like forever. The Colts could also go with Dallas Turner here as GM Chris Ballard tends to like his NFL Combine freaks, but Latu has been an absolute force in 2023. He already has 41 pressures and 10 sacks, both of which rank top 5 in the nation! The Colts have to feel good about their offense with RB Jonathan Taylor, WR Michael Pittman (assuming he is re-signed) and rookie WR Josh Downs has played well out of the slot.

8. Las Vegas Raiders

J.J. McCarthy - QB, Michigan

After Head Coach Josh McDaniels and GM Dave Ziegler were fired on Halloween night after the Raiders 3-5 start, it's pretty clear that big changes are at hand. QB Jimmy Garoppolo has been sent to the bench and his contract isn't so heavy that Las Vegas can cut or trade him in the offseason without a crazy-high dead cap number. Given that the Raiders are in a division with Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert, they inevitably need to get their own guy. The Raiders could have gotten QB Will Levis last year and passed.

In steps McCarthy, who is young and won't turn 21 until January, but he has flashed a lot of promise. There has been a lot of debate about who the QB3 is in this class, but J.J. has the size, athleticism, and arm that a lot of scouts like. He hasn't been asked to do a whole lot at Michigan because of how dominant of a team they've been in the last 2 years, but J.J. has impressed. Expect the Raiders to go into 2024 with a new QB under center.

9. Denver Broncos

Rome Odunze - WR, Washington

Another team that seems to be hanging out in limbo, Denver could move on from QB Russell Wilson, but the dead cap penalty is still pretty hefty and they are better waiting until 2025. While Wilson hasn't been great this year, he has been more than adequate. It's the Broncos' defense that has been the bigger problem. WR Jerry Jeudy might not be back next year, WR Courtland Sutton has been a shell of himself, and WR Tim Patrick missed the entire season with an injury. In a division with Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert, Denver knows they need to start amassing some offensive firepower to try and keep up.

10. Los Angeles Rams

Dallas Turner - Edge, Alabama

The Rams have remained competitive in 2023 despite sitting at 3-5. Matthew Stafford has looked great when healthy, but the defense needs to get some of its old swagger back. Turner is one of the best edge rushers in the draft and brings a huge boost to the Rams defensive line while hopefully, Aaron Donald can serve as a mentor for another year or two. Alabama players don't always put up monster stats on the defensive line due to how much they are rotated in Nick Saban's scheme, but Turner has 37 total pressures and 8 sacks so far in 2023. He's been impressive, to say the least.

Picks No. 11-21: Will We Actually See Some Defense?

11. Washington Commanders

J.C. Latham, T - Alabama

There is always a chance the new Commanders' regime might want a quarterback, but Sam Howell hasn't been bad so far through 9 career starts. The bigger issue is just how much he's been sacked this year and Washington's offensive line needs to make some upgrades at tackle. The better plan might be to play Howell for another year and see what happens before throwing another young QB into the fire.

12. Arizona Cardinals (from Houston)

Malik Nabers - WR, LSU

There has been a lot of debate about who the WR2 is in this draft and so far the 2024 WR class is shaping up to be better than 2023 was. Harrison Jr. is the clear No. 1 WR by a longshot, but several others are battling to be that next guy and Nabers is one. Arizona needs to get another receiver to help out their rookie quarterback. Nabers fits the bill as an exciting young player with the potential to be a superstar. So far in 2023, Nabers has 56 receptions for 981 yards and 9 TDs.

13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Emeka Egbuka - WR, Ohio State

WRs are flying off the board and rightfully so. Egbuka might have been in the shadow of plenty of other star WRs at Ohio State, but he's a very solid player. The Bucs' defense has been keeping them in games, but this team needs to add some playmakers on offense. Mike Evans is an unrestricted free agent in the offseason and might be on his way out. QB Baker Mayfield has played well enough and could earn himself a second contract.

14. Los Angeles Chargers

Brock Bowers - TE, Georgia

The fantasy community would lose its mind over this one, and Bowers in the Chargers offense fits like a glove. As RB Austin Ekeler and WR Keenan Allen get older, the team is going to need to find some new stars to replace them. There is still a chance that Bowers ends up going higher than this, but a lot of the early-drafted TEs in recent years haven't exactly panned out. Bowers is the complete TE. He's just as great of a blocker as he is a receiver, and him paired up with QB Justin Herbert for the next decade is quite a scary thought.

15. Tennessee Titans

Taliese Fuaga - T, Oregon State

Hard not to like what we've seen from QB Will Levis in his two starts. He's got a big-time arm and plenty of untapped upside. For the first time in forever, the Titans' offense has a signal-caller under center who can push the ball downfield and their offense looks somewhat exciting again. The Titans know that they need to keep rebuilding in the trenches, especially to protect their young quarterback. This pick here just makes too much sense, but a wide receiver could also be in play.

16. New Orleans Saints

Chop Robinson - Edge, Penn State

Demeioun Robinson earned the nickname "Chop" from his Father as a baby because he was pudgy and everyone in the family said he looked like a little porkchop and that's gotta be the greatest story you've ever heard right? Chop has 19 pressures and just 2 sacks on the season, but he's still a developing prospect with a high ceiling. Many of the scouts expect him to perform well at the NFL Combine, and the Saints re-load in the trenches here to keep their strong defensive identity intact.

17. New York Jets

Amarius Mims - T, Georgia

The Jets are going to try and bring QB Aaron Rodgers back this season and honestly, as long as Rodgers wants to keep playing the Jets are all in. They still owe Rodgers $49 million in guarantees through 2025, so their best move is to try and add a tackle to fix their ailing offensive line and do their best to protect the future Hall of Famer. Mims is still a raw tackle prospect who has missed the last 5 games for Georgia after suffering an ankle injury, but the upside is there in what is shaping up to be a pretty deep tackle class.

18. Cincinnati Bengals

Jer'Zhan Newton - DT, Illinois

D.J. Reader is an unrestricted free agent in the offseason, and the Bengals still have yet to get WR Ja'Marr Chase's extension done. Newton would be a solid plug-and-play type of player who will be a lot less expensive than Reader. He's a slightly undersized DT, but he's got a high motor and plays with intensity. Newton has 31 pressures and 4 sacks on the season. He's a rare type of defensive tackle with the pass-rush ability to make life difficult on the opposing QB.

19. Atlanta Falcons

Jared Verse - Edge, Florida State

The Falcons need to get better up front and haven't had a dominant edge rusher for several years. Verse can be an immediate contributor at the NFL level and is a big reason why Florida State is currently 8-0. The Falcons need to address the quarterback position, but they send their 2024 second-round pick to the Bears in an attempt to revitalize QB Justin Fields' career and bring the Georgia kid back home.

20. Arizona Cardinals (from Minnesota)

Kool-Aid McKinstry - CB, Alabama

Completely hypothetical trade scenario, but after the Cardinals land a top 2 pick, they send QB Kyler Minnesota up north to Minnesota for the Vikings 2024 first and a 2025 conditional third that can become a second. The Vikings are ready to win now and likely don't want to put WR Justin Jefferson through the growing pains of a rookie QB.

Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort is just trying to load up his roster with good football players and Ga'Quincy (Kool-Aid) is certainly that. QB Kirk Cousins is better than he gets credit for, but he's a free agent heading into 2024 and it's anyone's guess how Captain Kirk will look coming off the Achilles injury. All signs coming out of Minnesota this year has been that the front office wants to turn the page.

 

Picks No. 21-32: Will There Be Another QB Off the Board?

21. Pittsburgh Steelers

Nate Wiggins - CB, Clemson

The Steelers took CB Joey Porter Jr. with pick 32 in the 2023 NFL Draft, but they'll continue their secondary rehaul here. CB Patrick Peterson is 33 and CB Levi Wallace is a free agent in the offseason. Wiggins is a talented corner who is rarely thrown at and let's be honest, you can never have enough defensive backs playing in the same division with Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson.

22. Houston Texans

Barrett Carter - LB, Clemson

The Texans could very well go WR here, but with how we know Head Coach De'Meco Ryans prioritizes defense from his time with the 49ers, Ryans is trying to find his team's version of Fred Warner. Carter is slightly undersized, but he's a great athlete who can play in space and fits the current meta of what a linebacker looks like in today's game.

23. San Francisco 49ers

Jordan Morgan - T, Arizona

The 49ers lost right tackle Mike McGlinchey to free agency after the 2022 season, and left tackle Trent Williams is 35 years old. Kyle Shanahan's offense is predicated on the run game and the 49ers know they need to start re-loading in the trenches sooner rather than later. Morgan is a 5th-year college player who is still just 22 but yet has plenty of playing experience.

24. Buffalo Bills

Brian Thomas Jr. - WR, LSU

WR Gabe Davis is a free agent in 2024, and star WR Stefon Diggs will be 30 this month. GM Brandon Beane could also go cornerback here, but the Bills grab another future weapon for QB Josh Allen. Thomas has burst onto the scene this year down in Baton Rouge and leads all of college football with 11 TD receptions. Thomas is a big-bodied WR who is averaging 17.4 yards per catch.

25. Seattle Seahawks

Graham Barton - T/G, Duke

Barton projects better as a guard at the next level than as a tackle, but he fills a huge area of need on the Seahawks' offense. We know Pete Carroll loves to run the ball and Barton should be able to step in and play immediately.

26. Dallas Cowboys

Cooper DeJean - CB, Iowa

DeJean could end up going higher than this and the Cowboys get another talented chess piece for their dominant defense. DeJean is a defensive coordinator's dream who has the versatility to line up just about anywhere. Dallas could end up going wide receiver here to get more help for QB Dak Prescott, but for now, DeJean is the pick.

27. Jacksonville Jaguars

Quinyon Mitchell - CB, Toledo

Mitchell had 5 INTs and 3 defensive TDs in 2022. A former 3-star recruit in 2020, Mitchell has worked hard to rise in the college football ranks and he is one of the best true cover corners in this draft class. His ball skills are elite.

28. Baltimore Ravens

J.T. Tuimoloau - Edge, Ohio State

This feels like a typical Ravens pick. Not a huge area of need, but they always seem to sit back and land some future Pro Bowler that other teams passed on for dumb reasons. Tuimoloau is a tough, gritty player who brings versatility to the Ravens' defense. He is still developing as a player, but he gives Baltimore someone they can plug into the pass-rush rotation immediately.

29. Detroit Lions

Kalen King - CB, Penn State

The Lions could go defensive tackle here as it is a big area of need, but so far the DT class has been underwhelming. King had a rough game several weeks ago trying to defend Marvin Harrison Jr., but let's be honest: who doesn't look bad trying to cover Marv? CB Emmanuel Moseley was lost for the year earlier in 2023 and the Lions shore up their secondary here.

30. Miami Dolphins

Patrick Paul - T, Houston

Left tackle Terron Armstead is 32 and their other tackle, Austin Jackson will be a free agent in 2024, so the front office might want to start grooming his replacement to help keep QB Tua Tagovailoa upright. The Dolphins running game like the 49ers' above needs athletic offensive linemen to operate at max efficiency.

31. Kansas City Chiefs

Xavier Worthy - WR, Texas

The Chiefs could go a variety of ways here, but eventually, they will need to stop completely relying on TE Travis Kelce and give QB Patrick Mahomes some more playmakers. WR Rashee Rice is looking like a nice addition, but Worthy is the type of player who could thrive in a system with a creative play-caller like Andy Reid. Worthy is not the biggest receiver, but man just put the ball in his hands and good things will happen.

32. Philadelphia Eagles

Tyler Guyton - T, Oklahoma

Eagles GM Howie Roseman knows he needs to keep the assembly line going on the offensive line and it's almost a given that the Eagles draft at least one offensive lineman in the top 3 rounds every year. Guyton has yet to allow a sack this season and right tackle Lane Johnson will be 34 before the 2024 league year.

While the 2024 NFL Draft is still 6 months away, it's never a bad time to start familiarizing yourself with many of these names. It will be interesting to see how this mock draft stacks up to the real thing next April, as well as which players declare. Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders could find himself going in Round 1 if he decides to declare early, but he might wish to stay in Boulder for another year to help his Dad continue to build the Buffaloes program.

Who was left out of this mock draft that shouldn't have been? Feel free to air your grievances at me on Twitter and stay tuned here at RotoBaller for plenty of NFL content for all twelve months out of the year.

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