Still Too Early 2024 NFL Mock Draft 2.0

September 29, 2023

Kyle Lindemann's still too early NFL mock draft for the 1st round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He predicts every first round draft pick and provides analysis as to why each place was selected at their current spot.

We are now three-plus weeks into the 2023 NFL season and the draft board is starting to take shape. While it does seem unlikely that certain 0-3 teams like the Minnesota Vikings won't be this bad all year long, things are definitely not off to a great start in Chicago as the Bears also sit at 0-3. You're here because you love mock drafts and while it's obvious that the draft order and player rankings will change quite a bit over the course of the next several months, it's never a bad time to start familiarizing yourself with many of these names to stay ahead of the curve.

The draft order is based on the reverse order of standings and was verified with Tankathon for accuracy. There appears to be a large dropoff after the first 6 or 7 picks. Most scouts would agree that there are 2 blue-chip QBs, 1 impressive WR, 1 incredibly versatile TE who is just as good of a blocker as a receiver, 2 solid tackles, and 1 emerging edge rusher. While there isn't a Nick Bosa or Myles Garrett in this class, one such player from the ACC is really starting to stand out. Also, it's important to remember that these pick selections are not based on what the author would do, but based on what teams may do from beat reports as well as the tendencies of General Managers.

Stay tuned to RotoBaller all season long as these mock drafts will be published every month or so during the season as the draft order takes shape and players begin to emerge. There are several quarterbacks who are in the Round 1 conversation, but so far no QB in college football as of yet has established themselves as the QB3 in the 2024 class. Now, the moment you have all been waiting for, let's plunge into this mock draft!

The Top 10 NFL Draft Picks

1. Chicago Bears

Caleb Williams - QB, USC

The Bears are off to an 0-3 start and the offense with QB Justin Fields doesn't look any better. Head Coach Matt Eberflus is trending towards being on the hot seat, and Chicago is sitting in prime position for the No. 1 overall pick. While the slow start is not completely all on Fields, Dane Brugler of The Athletic mentioned recently that in some ways Fields' career is turning out like Sam Darnold's did where the team floundered in Year 3 and replaced him with a QB in the draft while he got a fresh start elsewhere. Could this be Fields' fate?

Chicago got a haul in 2022 when they traded out of the No. 1 pick and moved down to No. 9 with Carolina. This gave the Bears WR D.J. Moore, Carolina's 2023 and 2024 firsts, as well as a 2023 second and 2025 second. What a haul! The Bears' roster right now likely wouldn't have put any of the top QBs from the 2023 class in a great situation, so they have to feel fortunate they have another offseason to try and improve the roster before throwing someone else into the fire. Caleb Williams is considered a generational talent who is simply too good not to draft. There are some reports that he may consider staying in school for another year, but being the No. 1 pick is awfully hard to pass up.

2. Denver Broncos

Drake Maye - QB, North Carolina

The Broncos have a big decision regarding Russell Wilson after the season as Wilson has a $22 million roster bonus for 2024. While he has looked better in 2023 compared to his disastrous 2022, the Broncos getting the chance to completely reset their QB situation for the future is something they couldn't say no to, especially in a division with Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert. The Broncos defense has been absolutely terrible and they are in a big hole at 0-3. Sean Payton was brought in to be the new head coach and get Denver back on track. While they miss out on Williams, Maye is a great consolation prize.

Standing at 6-5 and weighing 220 lbs, Maye has generated significant buzz from scouts. In 2022, he showcased his impressive abilities by throwing for 38 TDs with only seven INTs, amassing 4,321 passing yards. Maye also displayed his mobility by rushing for 698 yards and seven TDs. Maye's athleticism is often underestimated and deserves more credit. He has started a little slow in 2023, but North Carolina is 4-0 and Maye is slowly working in his new pass-catching corps.

3. Minnesota Vikings

Jared Verse - Edge, Florida State

Even at 0-3, it's not likely that Minnesota will end up picking this high, but for the purposes of this exercise, we are going to assume that they address a huge area of need on their defense. Verse's decision to return to Tallahassee for his senior season instead of entering the 2023 NFL Draft came as a surprise to many. He had a successful 2022 campaign with 36 total pressures and nine sacks to go along with an 81.2 grade from PFF. Having transferred from Albany, Verse made a significant impact in his first season at Florida State. He doesn't have a sack yet in 2023, but Florida State is 4-0 and PFF has given him a 77.6 grade so far. Verse does have 8 pressures on the season. Minnesota is happy to shore up their defense.

4. Chicago Bears *from Carolina*

Marvin Harrison Jr. - WR, Ohio State

Marvin Harrison Jr. is the best wide receiver prospect we've seen since Ja'Marr Chase in 2021. At 6-4, Harrison has all the size that you want while displaying the agility and speed typically associated with smaller receivers. Ohio State has produced notable talents like Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba in recent years, yet Harrison Jr. might be the best of them all. Harrison Jr. and Williams would transform the fortunes of the Bears franchise overnight. Left tackle would very much be in consideration here, but a move like this would re-energize the entire fan base and get fans back in the stadium seats again.

5. Los Angeles Chargers

Brock Bowers - TE, Georgia

One of the best tight-end prospects we've seen in quite some time, Bowers is a well-rounded player with plenty of athleticism and would be a straight-up cheat-code in the Chargers offense with Justin Herbert. Bowers already has 27 total TDs in his short college career and put up an impressive 63 receptions for 942 yards and seven scores in 2022. There isn't a flaw in his game. The 2023 tight-end class was much deeper than 2024, but Bowers is the kind of talent who could continue to transcend the tight-end position as we know it.

6. Las Vegas Raiders

Olumuyiwa Fashanu - T, Penn State

At just 20 years old, Fashanu could have entered the 2023 NFL Draft and likely would have been the first tackle off the board. Fashanu was a star basketball player in high school and even received an offer to play for Gonzaga. Standing at an impressive 6-6 and weighing 308 lbs, he exhibits exceptional mobility for a player of his stature. Considering the Raiders' recent struggles on the offensive line, particularly at left tackle, this pick makes too much sense as they shore up the blind side. This is a huge bargain as it does feel hard to imagine Fashanu falling out of the top 5 in April of 2024.

7. Arizona Cardinals

Dallas Turner - Edge, Alabama

Arizona needs to completely rebuild their team up front in the trenches. Dallas Turner has all the desirable traits and athleticism of a top pick. Over the past two seasons, Turner has recorded 62 total pressures and 14 sacks. A 5-star recruit in the 2021 class, he has all the pedigree of a top pick. So far in 2023, he leads all of college football was 5 sacks including 13 hurries. Turner is looking like the real deal.

8. Tennessee Titans

Joe Alt - T, Notre Dame

The Titans continue to reload in the trenches after taking guard Peter Skoronski in the 1st Round last year. Alt might end up going higher than this since he's a solid left tackle and plays at an obvious position of need. A quarterback may be in consideration for the Titans, but with Malik Willis and Will Levis on the roster, they may want to get one final look at the two of them before deciding to move on. Ryan Tannehill is a free agent after the 2023 season.

9. Cincinnati Bengals

Jer'Zhan Newton - DT, Illinois

It does seem inevitable that the Bengals will have to move on from D.J. Reader after the 2023 season as he heads toward free agency. Cincinnati recently got QB Joe Burrow's extension done and will likely need to do so with WR Ja'Marr Chase. In order to keep their championship window open, sacrifices will have to be made at other spots. Newton is a bit undersized for a defensive tackle and some teams have raised questions about him going in the top 10, but he does fill a huge area of need for the Bengals here.

10. Jacksonville Jaguars

Kool-Aid McKinstry - CB, Alabama

As of late, we've had some DBs with awesome names, and now the NFL introduces another one with Kool-Aid alongside the likes of Sauce Gardner. McKinstry, a 5-star recruit from the 2021 class, profiles as a true shutdown corner at 6-1 and 188 lbs. Ga'Quincy "Kool-Aid" McKinstry earned an impressive 82.5 defensive grade from PFF during the 2022 season. It's no secret that the Jaguars secondary needs some help, and acquiring a talent like Kool-Aid becomes paramount for addressing their defensive woes.

Picks No. 11-21: Where Do the Other Quarterbacks Fall?

11. New York Jets

Kingsley Suamataia, T - BYU

Some do not have the talented Cougars prospect with a Round 1 grade at this point in time, but sometimes we have to be early and ahead of consensus. The Jets are hurting after QB Aaron Rodgers had his 2023 season prematurely ended after rupturing his Achilles. While there is a chance that they could take a QB to sit behind the Hall of Famer for a season or two, the Jets owe Rodgers roughly $66 million guaranteed for 2024, so they need to continue to push all in and maximize their window. It's no secret that the Jets offensive line has some serious issues. Suamataia steps in to fill that void.

12. New England Patriots

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 for that next spot, Nabers is one. The Patriots are in dire need of some playmakers on offense, especially on the outside. So far in 2023, Nabers has 32 receptions for 523 yards and 5 TDs in just 4 games! He's electric.

13. Arizona Cardinals *from Houston*

Keon Coleman - WR, Florida State

The transfer from Michigan State has been lighting it up in his first season in Tallahassee, leaving many Spartans fans scratching their heads about how they allowed a talent like Coleman to leave East Lansing. He is one of the bigger-bodied WRs in the draft and profiles as a true X-type of WR at 6 foot 4 and 215 lbs. (unofficial). Coleman has been a touchdown machine as the Seminoles are undefeated while looking to take control of the ACC. Coleman has 17 receptions for 256 yards and 6 TDs and is nearly impossible to defend in the red zone. With Hollywood Brown set to become a free agent next offseason, Arizona gets Kyler Murray a true No. 1 WR.

14. New York Giants

Rome Odunze - WR, Washington

While the Giants' front office traded for tight end Darren Waller in the offseason, QB Daniel Jones still needs more help. At 6-3 and 201 lbs, Odunze gives the G-Men a bigger WR they have needed to put on the outside for quite some time. Odunze had 75 receptions for 1,145 yards and seven TDs in the 2022 season. Many feel that he is just scratching the surface of his potential and fills a huge area of need in the Giants' offense.

15. Los Angeles Rams

J.C. Latham - T, Alabama

The Rams' offense has looked a lot more functional in 2023 after QB Matthew Stafford spent the offseason getting healthy. WRs Puka Nacua and Tutu Atwell have stepped up alongside RB Kyren Williams to get the Rams back on track. TE Tyler Higbee was recently signed to an extension and WR Cooper Kupp is expected back soon. The bread and butter of the Rams offense has always been along the offensive line, and they have struggled to replace Andrew Whitworth's production at left tackle since he retired. This is a homerun pick for Rams HC Sean McVay.

16. New Orleans Saints

Laiatu Latu - Edge, UCLA

The Saints are pretty set on offense for the time being and their calling card as a team for the last several years has been their defense. Staying formidable in the trenches is important for HC Dennis Allen. The former Washington Huskie had some medical issues early on in his college career and transferred to UCLA to get a fresh start. Latu had a coming-out party in 2022 with 12.5 tackles for a loss and 10.5 sacks and so far has 4 in 2023 to go along with 11 hurries.

17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

J.J. McCarthy - QB, Michigan

Baker Mayfield is likely just a one-year stopgap for the Bucs as they look to rebuild in the post-Tom Brady era. McCarthy has a ton of upside and it's not hard to envision him putting it all together this year to solidify his draft stock. Michigan's offense is loaded and J.J. feels like the kind of high-ceiling quarterback that NFL scouts and front offices are starting to gravitate towards. There is a chance that McCarthy could return to Michigan for another year, but believe me when I say that he has Round 1 talent.

18. Dallas Cowboys

Kalen King - CB, Penn State

King is part of a very talented group of players at Penn State who appear everywhere in this mock draft and could do some big things this upcoming season. Dallas lost CB Trevon Diggs for possibly all of the 2023 season, and you can never have another depth in the secondary.

19. Green Bay Packers

Graham Barton - T, Duke

LT David Bakhtiari was lost for the remainder of the 2023 season and guard Elgton Jenkins has also been injured. This is going to make life a lot more difficult for QB Jordan Love, who the Packers are trying to develop. GM Brian Gutekunst has never been shy about building in the trenches with early-round draft capital and this is no different. Some scouts question whether Barton will end up as a Day One pick in the draft, but he fills an obvious need here.

20. Houston Texans

Barrett Carter - LB, Clemson

This one may come as a bit of a surprise, but Texans HC De'Meco Ryans was an inside linebacker himself and likely wants to find the next play-caller for his defense. The Texans nailed it with edge rusher Will Anderson at pick number 3 in the 2023 NFL Draft and you can start to see their defense taking shape. QB C.J. Stroud has been for real through 3 weeks along with the Texans receiving core. Nico Collins and Tank Dell have really stepped up, otherwise, they might have gone wide receiver here.

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

21. Buffalo Bills

Emeka Egbuka - WR, Ohio State

Another talented wideout to come out of OSU, Egbuka shouldn't have any problem putting up even better numbers in 2023 playing opposite Harrison Jr. Last season, Egbuka posted 74 receptions for 1,151 yards and 10 TDs. The Bills offense has been in dire need of a No. 2 WR for several years now and father time will come for WR Stefon Diggs eventually. Bills GM Brandon Beane is thrilled to land Egbuka here.

22. Washington Commanders

Quinn Ewers - QB, Texas

Texas is winning games and Ewers looks great with 9 TD passes to 0 INTs so far on top of throwing for 1,033 yards. He has some impressive talent around him on the offensive line and with his pass catchers, and many think he could become the clear-cut QB3 in this class. Commanders QB Sam Howell looked solid in his first 2 starts of 2023 but was badly exposed against the Buffalo Bills in Week 3 where he threw 0 TDs to 4 INTs. With the new regime taking over ownership in D.C., it does seem like they will want to turn the page and get their own guy.

23. Seattle Seahawks

Maason Smith - DT, LSU

The Seahawks hopefully won't regret passing on DT Jalen Carter in the 2023 draft and need to shore up their defensive front. Smith is still developing as a player and won't always show up on the stat sheet, but he makes his presence known on game days.

24. Baltimore Ravens

Cooper DeJean - CB, Iowa

A four-sport star out of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, DeJean is a versatile athlete. In 2022, he played both cornerback and a hybrid nickel role, combining linebacker and safety elements. He is a bigger athlete playing the cornerback position at 6-1 and the Ravens find a solid option opposite of Marlon Humphrey.

25. Detroit Lions

Kris Jenkins - DT, Michigan

It's hard not to like what GM Brad Holmes and HC Dan Campbell are building up in Detroit. Jenkins is another hard-nosed player who should test well at the NFL Combine and fill an area of need. Another Wolverine doesn't leave the state.

26. Kansas City Chiefs

Michael Hall Jr. - DT, Ohio State

Hall, who redshirted his freshman year in 2021, had 7.5 tackles for a loss and 4.5 sacks in 2022. Despite being hampered by injuries, Hall showcased his athleticism and could be a formidable piece on the Chiefs defensive line. While they will likely re-sign DT Chris Jones, we know GM Brett Veach has made it a priority to continue beefing up the Chiefs' offensive and defensive lines.

27. Atlanta Falcons

Riley Leonard - QB, Duke

A quarterback that many might not have known before the 2023 season, Leonard has really impressed and made Duke football relevant again. He is a smart, savvy quarterback who might be closer to his ceiling than other QB prospects in this class, but Falcons QB Desmond Ridder is clearly holding their offense back. At some point, the Falcons need to stop trying to beat the system at QB and just draft one in the first round.

28. Indianapolis Colts

Chop Robinson - Edge, Penn State

Chop is still developing as a player, but it's easy to see that he has some elite traits and is a player who should perform well at the NFL Combine. Colts GM Chris Ballard has never been shy about taking players with high relative athletic scores (RAS) and Robinson could be another.

29. Pittsburgh Steelers

J.T. Tuimolau - Edge, Ohio State

A hard-nosed player, Tuimolau moves exceptionally well for a player of his stature, and the Steelers have never been shy as an organization about continuing to fill the pipeline with talented edge rushers. They still need to figure out if QB Kenny Pickett is the guy, but Pittsburgh is a patient organization and will likely continue to give Pickett more time.

30. Philadelphia Eagles

Josh Newton - CB, TCU

Eagles GM Howie Roseman knows he needs to keep his assembly lines going at certain positions and cornerback is one of them. CBs Darius Slay and James Bradberry are 32 and 30 years old respectively, Newton gives their secondary a young player to eventually take over for one of the veterans.

31. Miami Dolphins

Bralen Trice - Edge, Washington

Miami could go any number of ways here, but they did make some additions on the offensive line last season and their offense appears pretty set for the time being. Trice is a bigger type of defensive end/edge player but had 46 total pressures in 2022. If he continues to develop he could rise up some boards depending on how well he does at the NFL Combine.

32. Kansas City Chiefs

Xavier Worthy - WR, Texas

The 49ers won't be able to keep everyone, and talented WR Brandon Aiyuk could become a cap casualty as he is set to become a free agent after 2024. HC Kyle Shanahan prefers to build his offense around play-making YAC monsters. Worthy fits this label to a T and keeps their high-powered offense humming as a WR archetype who is dangerous after the catch.

While the 2024 NFL Draft is still 7 months away, it's important 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. Feel free to follow me on Twitter for plenty of NFL content this summer, even during the offseason.

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