Hubbard’s first round mock NFL draft

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By: Luke Hubbard

Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images

Here’s how I think the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft will go.

The NFL Draft is right around the corner, and with that comes the time for everyone to make mock drafts that are completely wrong, but it’s fun to speculate. So today, I’m going to take my shot at predicting what is going to happen on April 25th based on rumors, positional needs and my gut instinct.

#1 Chicago Bears – Caleb Williams, QB, USC

Don’t think I need to say too much about this pick. The Chicago Bears get their “once in a generation” quarterback (I don’t think he’s generational, but we’ll see) and still have another selection inside the top 10 to help bolster the offense.

#2 Washington Commanders – Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU

Jayden Daniels has gotten a lot of hype recently and played his way into the No. 2 overall pick this last season. The Commanders need a young QB to build around, and Daniels has all the skills needed to become an elite QB. I do think he will take some time to grow into an elite starter, but with good coaching and the right situation, I think he can get there.

#3 New England Patriots – Drake Maye, QB, UNC

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: NOV 18 North Carolina at Clemson

Drake Maye’s junior season wasn’t as great as many thought it would be, but he still ends up a top-three pick here. Some people have issues with his release, but I think he’s far and away the QB3 in this draft, and the Patriots really need a signal caller. They would’ve loved Daniels here, but they’ll settle for Maye, who I think can become a solid starter in this league.

#4 Arizona Cardinals – Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State

This is a popular trade up spot in a lot of mock drafts, but the Cardinals have ditched pretty much all of their WR’s and have a QB with a hefty price tag. I think Marvin Harrison and Malik Nabers are two of the top-ten or so WR prospects we’ve seen in recent memory, so they sprint to the podium to select one of those two (in this case Harrison) at No. 4.

#5 Los Angeles Chargers – Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame

I really wanted to go Malik Nabers here, but Jim Harbaugh, the Chargers new head coach, loves the trenches and running the football, and with the Chargers offensive line a bit shaky at the moment, they leap at the opportunity to take the top OT in this class.

#6 New York Giants – Malik Nabers, WR, LSU

Like I said, Harrison and Nabers are two of the top-ten WR prospects we’ve seen in a while, and they happen to be in the same draft class. I think Harrison goes first because of name value, but I have them as 1A and 1B. The Giants have had one of the worst receiving cores in the league for years, but they finally give Daniel Jones a true WR1 in Malik Nabers.

#7 Denver Broncos (via Trade with Tennessee) – J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan

2024 CFP National Championship - Michigan v Washington

Our first trade of the night, and it’s the New Orleans Saints former HC, Sean Payton, moving up for his franchise QB. With Russell Wilson gone and Jarrett Stidham currently their QB1, I could see the Broncos moving up for the national champion QB. I’m not in love with McCarthy as a prospect, but some teams are high on him and QB’s always go earlier than they should.

#8 Atlanta Falcons – Dallas Turner, Edge, Alabama

My favorite prospect in this class makes his way to Atlanta at No. 8. After signing Kirk Cousins and using their last three top-10 picks on offensive skill positions, the Falcons need to add talent on defense, and they get arguably the best defender in the draft with the eighth pick.

#9 Chicago Bears – Rome Odunze, WR, Washington

In most years, Odunze would be WR1, but with Harrison and Nabers in this class, the Bears get a steal at pick No. 9. They drafted their QB of the future at No. 1, and after getting rid of Darnell Mooney, they have a clear hole at WR2. Putting weapons around your franchise QB is never a bad idea, but I also wouldn’t be surprised if they went OT or maybe even Brock Bowers at nine.

#10 New York Jets – Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia

Speaking of Brock Bowers… He has the talent to be a top-five pick, but the positional value isn’t quite there. However, the Jets are in a unique spot. They have a top-10 pick, but they have the roster to go far in the playoffs, and with Rodgers coming back, adding another offensive weapon can’t hurt when they don’t really NEED any one position.

#11 Minnesota Vikings – Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington

The Vikings are a hot candidate to trade up for a QB in this draft, but I think they stay put at 11 and have my QB4 fall to them. I think Penix is a better prospect than McCarthy, but I also think the Michigan QB will come off the board first. Penix has a ton of arm talent and is sneaky athletic, and while I don’t think he’s a top-20 prospect, positional value and need reigns supreme here.

#12 Tennessee Titans (via trade with Denver) – Olu Fashanu, OT, Penn State

After not getting one of their top targets (Alt, Nabers or Harrison) the Titans trade back and select my OT2 in this draft, Olu Fashanu. With a young QB in Will Levis, the Titans could look to add a receiver to make his life easier, but I don’t think anyone else is worth this high of a pick, so they select Fashanu from Penn State. He can hold down the left side of their offensive line and keep Will Levis upright for years to come.

#13 Las Vegas Raiders – Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: JAN 31 Reese’s Senior Bowl

The Raiders miss out on all five of the top QB’s in this draft and end up drafting my CB2 in this class. I was tempted to go Byron Murphy to beef up their defensive line even more, but they just gave Christian Wilkins a bag, so they fill another position off need on the outside of their defense.

#14 New Orleans Saints – Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State

There’s no secret that the New Orleans Saints need an offensive tackle in this year’s draft, and after Fashanu and Alt came off the board, they shifted their focus to Taliese Fuaga, my OT3. Wouldn’t be surprised at all if the pick here is Troy Fautanu, but personally, I prefer Fuaga.

#15 Indianapolis Colts – Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama

Like I said, Mitchell is my CB2 in this class because I personally like Terrion Arnold more, but I know there are a lot of teams higher on Mitchell than Arnold. He’s an experienced player who has gone up against NFL WR’s every Saturday and has been very good against said receivers. The Colts get themselves a good one at pick 15.

#16 Seattle Seahawks – Jared Verse, Edge, Florida State

2023 ACC Championship - Louisville v Florida State

Verse is somebody who’s stayed on the board probably a bit too long, but with how this draft is unfolding, he finally gets selected at pick 16. The Seahawks probably didn’t envision getting Verse this late, but he falls right into their laps and they make the call right away.

#17 Los Angeles Rams (via trade with Jax) – Troy Fautanu, OT, Washington

The Los Angeles Rams make a trade with the Jags to move up two spots, jumping the Bengals to select Troy Fautanu. The Washington tackle won’t have to move far and will be a foundational piece as the Rams continue to build their roster back into a Super Bowl contender.

#18 Cincinnati Bengals – Brian Thomas Jr., WR, LSU

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: JAN 01 ReliaQuest Bowl - Wisconsin vs LSU

Brian Thomas Jr. has been one of the more rapid risers since the start of the 2023-24 season. He led the league in TD’s and ran a 4.33 while standing at 6-foot-4. The Bengals don’t get their tackle, but with Tee Higgins future in question, they add a cheaper WR that’s virtually the same size. Plus the duo of Chase and Thomas with Burrow throwing to them is a fun hypothetical.

#19 Jacksonville Jaguars – Nate Wiggins, CB, Clemson

The Jags have a huge need at cornerback, and at pick 19, they have three guys they could realistically pick between; Kool-Aid McKinstry, Cooper DeJean and Nate Wiggins. I think Wiggins is the best of the three, but it’s such a close race it all comes down to who they prefer.

#20 Pittsburgh Steelers – JC Latham, OT, Alabama

A year ago, the Steelers drafted RT Broderick Jones with their first round pick, and this year, they’re back at it again, picking JC Latham from Alabama. Latham has a ton of experience at tackle and has gone up against some of the best pass rushers college football has to offer. He’s excelled in the SEC and quite honestly could hear his name called earlier in the draft.

#21 Miami Dolphins – Byron Murphy, DT, Texas

We talked about the Raiders filling a need at DT by signing Christian Wilkins, but that means there’s now a hole at that same position for the Dolphins, and I have them filling that hole with Byron Murphy. I think he’s pretty clearly the top interior defender in this draft, and he should be able to slide in immediately if needed.

#22 Philadelphia Eagles – Cooper DeJean, DB, Iowa

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: NOV 11 Rutgers at Iowa

I’ve seen some people linking Cooper DeJean and the Eagles, and with Darius Slay aging and the Eagles could get out of James Bradberry’s big contract after this year, meaning they could use themselves a young, cheap corner.

#23 Minnesota Vikings – Jer’Zhan Newton, DT, Illinois

The Vikings already got themselves their quarterback of the future in Michael Penix Jr., so they fill their next biggest need; defensive tackle. Jer’Zhan Newton is up there with Murphy in the DT1 conversation, but I think he’s pretty clearly a tier below Murphy, but that doesn’t mean he’s a bad player.

#24 Dallas Cowboys – Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia

The Cowboys just lost their All-Pro tackle, Tyron Smith, to retirement, meaning they now have a big hole at OT. They have Tyler Smith holding down the left side, but could use themselves a big body on the right side, and that’s exactly what they get with Mims.

#25 Green Bay Packers – Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama

Outside of Jaire Alexander (who was briefly suspended by the team last year), the Packers don’t have many good corners, so I have them taking the best one left on the board. McKinstry could very well be one of the first corners off the board, that just shows how close all these guys are and it all depends on team’s preferences.

#26 Los Angeles Chargers (via trade with Tampa Bay) – Adonai Mitchell, WR, Texas

Allstate Sugar Bowl - Texas v Washington

I had the Chargers forgoing a WR at pick No. 5 and drafting an OT, but in this draft, they trade back into the first round to select their wideout. Adonai Mitchell is another guy who falls in this draft due to the sheer amount of WR talent in this class, but if it were any other year, he’d probably go higher than this.

#27 Arizona Cardinals – Laiatu Latu, Edge, UCLA

Like Jared Verse, this feels a little too late for the UCLA edge rusher, but that’s what happens when five QB’s and WR’s come off the board so early. The Cardinals, who took one of those receivers at No. 4, get their edge rusher of the future in a guy who I think has a very high ceiling.

#28 Buffalo Bills – Ladd McConkey, WR, Georgia

Capital One Orange Bowl - Georgia v Florida State

After Stephon Diggs and Gabe Davis both left this offseason, the Bills might be one of the most WR needy teams in the NFL. They don’t select until pick 28, but I have them adding Ladd McConkey. I’m not as high on McConkey as it seems most teams are, but he feels like a guy who could sneak into the end of the first round.

#29 Detroit Lions – Chop Robinson, Edge, Penn State

The Lions proved they are legit contenders last year, and they don’t necessarily have a huge position of need, so I think they can try to find themselves a high-upside player, and that’s what they get in Chop Robinson. They found success with Aidan Hutchinson as a rookie, can they do the same with Robinson?

#30 Baltimore Ravens – Jordan Morgan, OT, Arizona

The Baltimore Ravens lost Morgan Moses, their starting RT, in a trade this offseason, opening up a hole on that side of the offensive line. They could go receiver here, but I think they take one of the best OT available in Jordan Morgan.

#31 San Francisco 49ers – Kingsley Suamataia, OT, BYU

I have another offensive tackle coming off the board at pick No. 31, this time it’s BYU OT Kingsley Suamataia. The Niners have one of the best LT’s in the game in Trent Williams, but they could use a new RT, or even a LT for when Williams retires, which with him being 35, is probably coming some time soon.

#32 Kansas City Chiefs – Keon Coleman, WR, Florida State

I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Coleman is gone before pick 32, but I also wouldn’t be surprised at all if here’s there when the Saints pick at 45. He seems to be a pretty polarizing prospect, but I think he’s by far the best receiver left on the board here, and the Chiefs desperately need help out wide.

Originally posted on Canal Street Chronicles – All Posts