There is still more than six months until the 2024 NFL Draft gets underway, but the landscape for the draft is certainly starting to take a clearer shape than it was previously. So it only makes sense that we stretch out the muscles with a college football midseason and quarter-pole NFL season 2024 NFL mock draft.
Quarterbacks were always going to dominate this year's NFL Draft conversation with guys like Caleb Williams and Drake Maye headlining the class. The battle behind them has gotten even more interesting, however, with the likes of Shedeur Sanders, Quinn Ewers, Michael Penix Jr., J.J. McCarthy, Bo Nix and more all fighting to be selected in the first round.
Where will they all land, though? And who will the non-quarterback market teams be eyeing? Let's take a look with a new 2024 NFL mock draft using the draft order after the Bears-Commanders game on Thursday Night Football to begin Week 5.
2024 NFL Mock Draft: Full first round entering Week 5
(Pick via Carolina) - After Justin Fields led a particularly impressive win over the Commanders on Thursday night to start Week 5, the debate about whether or not the team should select Caleb Williams first overall is going to be a heated one. However, if they end up with the No. 1 pick, either via their own lack of success or the Panthers', then it's something that have to consider.
The USC signal-caller is as dynamic as they come, a true dual-threat with a ton of juice in both his arms and legs. He creates magic in and out of the pocket and could have an argument as the best Bears quarterback in franchise history sooner rather than later.
Even after the win, the Bears still hold the top two picks in the draft. So why not pair Williams up with the most no-brainer wide receiver prospect in the draft as well, legacy Marvin Harrison Jr.?
The Ohio State product has the total package, combining a 6-foot-4, 200+ pound frame with great footwork, more-than-adequate speed and explosiveness, and contested-catch ability. He can be a WR1 upon his arrival in the NFL and pairing him with D.J. Moore for the future in Chicago could make a lethal combination.
There aren't many draft classes wherein Drake Maye wouldn't be QB1. That's much to the delight of the Raiders in this mock draft, though. Jimmy Garoppolo isn't the long-term answer and, whether it's with Josh McDaniels at the helm or not, Vegas needs something more.
Maye can be that with underrated athleticism and dual-threat ability to go with a big arm. He needs to be a bit smarter with the football in the back half of the 2023 season, but he shows all the tools to be a franchise quarterback.
Denver trading Randy Gregory has made it clear that they are looking toward the future. There is an argument to be made that they could look to move on from Russell Wilson, but I doubt that Sean Payton would sign off on that… just not yet. Instead, they'll ostensibly replace Gregory with Penn State pass-rusher Chop Robinson.
Robinson is explosive, powerful, and shows all the potential to be a menace off the edge in the passing game. He's still raw technically in some areas, specifically against the run. His upside is massive, however, and he's well worth a Top 5 pick.
After year one with the Texas Longhorns, much more of the offense has been put on Quinn Ewers' shoulders. Admittedly, he hasn't always needed to put up big numbers, but he has progressed as a passer.
With the Vikings likely moving on from Kirk Cousins after this season, they need someone to take advantage of the forthcoming investment in Justin Jefferson and the already-made investment in T.J. Hockenson. The big-armed Ewers, with more reps at a high level for Texas, should be able to step in and become that player.
There is still some projection being done when it comes to the near-consensus OT1 in this class, Penn State's Olu Fashanu. He is raw as an offensive lineman simply due to lack of experience. His physical tools are out of this world, though, with elite size, length, strength and movement skills.
He's already showing progression in his 2023 season at Penn State and, still just 20 years old right now, he could be the answer the Jets need to shore up the offensive line.
Some would argue that a tackle or wide receiver for the Patriots would make more sense here – or even a quarterback if the current trajectory of Mac Jones continues – but with Brock Bowers falling in their laps, there's little question that they should end his fall.
Other than needing to show a more diversified route tree, Bowers is everything you could want from a pass-catching tight end. He's got great burst, is a big-time threat after the catch, and can work in traffic. He's a bit slight, so blocking might be an issue, but the Patriots or any team will draft him to be a weapon more than anything.
There are higher-upside tackles in the 2024 NFL Draft class than Joe Alt, but the fact of the matter is that there isn't a surer thing at the position than him. He moves well, checks the boxes for size and length, and has been a consistently above-average tackle for years in South Bend now.
The Bengals need to shore up the depth on the line moving forward after some misfortune and even questionable decision-making, something Alt should do.
You have to wonder what the plan will be for the Cardinals regarding Kyler Murray. He could be a highly valuable trade asset but they also might want to see him work under the new coaching regime.
We're leaning the latter here for now, which means getting him more weapons. Keon Coleman has been everything you could want at Florida State this season after transferring from Michigan State, a twitched-up athlete with a big frame that has WR1 at the NFL level written all over him.
We're getting a little mini-run on receivers here, though it's no surprise that this would be the position that the Giants choose to address with the No. 10 pick in this mock draft. Malik Nabers started to pop big-time at the end of last year but has answered one of his biggest questions – consistency in productivity – so far this season for LSU.
Though he's just 6-foot flat, he's still competitive in contested catch spots and has the extra gear to break away from defenders. He can very much be a do-it-all type player that the Giants offense has lacked direly in the passing game.
Though there have been some impressive moments early in the 2023 season from Sam Howell, the general consensus still appears to be that the Commanders should look for another option at quarterback moving forward. That's where Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy can enter the fray.
Admittedly, I'm still not all the way sold on McCarthy as his inconsistent accuracy and footwork still look like minor issues for the talented player. However, his playmaking and arm strength can't be called into question. With the weapons in the Washington offense, he could elevate that group if he continues to progress.
On Friday, the Packers announced that starting left tackle David Bakhtiari is now done for the rest of the 2023 season. Injuries have become an unfortunate commonality for the former All-Pro and it might be time for Green Bay to look to a possible replacement.
Amarius Mims is somewhat in the vein of Fashanu. He has all the tools but his experience is limited. He might even be higher in this mock draft if not for an injury limiting him in the 2023 season. Even still, his traits are enough for the Packers to take a swing, especially with Bakhtiari planning to return in 2024, which would give Mims some runway to get more reps
Outside of Cameron Jordan, the Saints have needed a consistent presence on the edge. Former first-rounder Marcus Davenport was never quite that and, as of right now, the best chance to be that is second-round rookie Isaiah Foskey. But that leaves a lot of room to upgrade at defensive end.
Laiatu Latu exploded last season at UCLA after transferring following a medical retirement at Washington, putting up 10+ sacks for the Bruins. He now has four through four games with the team this season with a well-oiled arsenal of pass-rush moves and a great IQ for the position.
(Pick via Houston) - The fact that the Cardinals have looked as good as they have to begin the season is really a testament to first-year head coach Jonathan Gannon and his staff. However, there aren't many spots where they couldn't stand to upgrade, but cornerback sticks out tremendously.
So in comes Kool-Aid McKinstry with the pick given to them in the CJ Stroud trade in last year's draft. The Alabama product shows great length and a feel for finding the ball, but also has elite athleticism to back it up (and to make him a return game weapon too). He'd be a CB1 for Arizona upon his arrival.
Whether you want to call it bad luck or poor evaluation, the Chargers have had a nightmare of a time trying to shore up the secondary in recent years. The key, however, is that LA can't stop trying to plug the holes in that boat, so they turn to Iowa corner Cooper DeJean here to try and give them another option.
DeJean has been a do-it-all type of defensive back for the Hawkeyes in his career and some project him more as a safety than a corner at the next level. Either would help the Chargers, though, as they could certainly utilize a smart, savvy coverage player with requisite athletic traits and a ton of versatility.
(Pick via Cleveland) - Houston may well have struck gold with the Panthers electing for Bryce Young of CJ Stroud with how good the Ohio State rookie has looked early in 2023. Now comes the time for the Texans to make life even easier for their quarterback by adding another weapon to pair with Nico Collins and Tank Dell.
Who better than Stroud's former OSU teammate, Emeka Egbuka? The Buckeyes receiver isn't an otherworldly athlete but has more than enough juice to separate in his routes and, more importantly, make plays after the catch. Putting him in this offense would give Houston a much more dynamic and dangerous attack.
One of the big things for the Jaguars this season – and why they've been a bit slow out of the gates – has been the inconsistency of the offensive line. They could plug a number of holes and shuffle guys around to solidify that unit, which is why someone like Duke's Graham Barton would make a lot of sense for them.
A tackle for the Blue Devils, there are some concerns that his length won't translate to tackle at the pro level. Even still, his frame and strength seem to give him strong tackle/guard versatility that could make him a big-time answer for Jacksonville to solidify the front blocking for Trevor Lawrence.
When you look at the majority of the Rams roster, it's basically carte-blanche on where they could go here. However, with Aaron Donald not getting any younger, they need to start adding more difference-makers to the defensive side of the ball. Picking in the first round again for the first time in almost a decade, they make that happen with Jared Verse.
The Florida State standout isn't the most exceptional athlete, but he's plenty explosive and savvy as a rusher off of the edge. He's been incredibly productive with sacks and tackles for loss with the Seminoles and could be an immediate-impact type of player for the Rams defensive front.
Desmond Ridder ain't it. Not trying to be hyperbolic with a still small sample size for the former Cincinnati Bearcats quarterback, but it's looking abundantly clear that he's just not a starting-caliber quarterback at this level. That's where Michael Penix Jr. could come into the fold and change things quite a bit.
Penix has been crazy productive in now a year and a half at Washington in the juiced-up Huskies offense. He has great arm strength but has continued to show improvement in his accuracy and ball placement. ACL injuries in his career and the need to prove himself outside of this system remain concerns, but the tools look that of a QB1 in the NFL.
While Joey Porter Jr. was putting fear into opposing QBs last season for Penn State's defense, they were left to throw at Kalen King. That turned out to be a bad idea and the cornerback now looks like a better NFL prospect than his former teammate, something the Colts and a leaky defense could benefit greatly from drafting.
King has the fluidity and smarts in coverage to play at the pro level right away, but he also already expresses the high-end physicality – without many of the negative, penalty-ridden effects some prospects show – too. He could come to Indianapolis and immediately be a stalwart for their secondary.
We've started to see Kenny Pickett not take the leap that was hoped for in the 2023 season. There's a good chance that a big reason for that is the shortcomings of offensive coordinator Matt Canada, but there also might be a belief creeping into the building that Pickett isn't the right quarterback for this team.
Should that feeling progress, then they could take a swing at Shedeur Sanders. The Colorado quarterback made the jump to the FBS level this season and has looked great. Even behind a poor Buffaloes offensive line, his accuracy and mechanics are quite impressive and the numbers back that up. There's a good chance he stays with his dad for the 2024 season, but if he enters the draft, he could be a first-rounder at this point in the draft.
It's going to be a new era for the Titans offense sooner rather than later. Derrick Henry is showing the first signs of slowing down and Ryan Tannehill has looked a lesser version of himself. That could mean moving on to either Will Levis or Malik Willis soon at quarterback. Whoever it is, though, the weapons need improvement.
AD Mitchell is one of my draft crushes. Transferring to Texas from Georgia, the wideout has elite top-end speed and great ability as a deep threat. One thing he's shown early with the Longhorns, though, is an impressive ability to run quality routes and separate in the intermediate areas of the field. That could prove valuable to elevate the next stage of Tennessee's offense.
In recent years, the Cowboys have looked to invest in the cornerback room moving forward. They hit on Trevon Diggs in a big way, but whiffed on guys like Kelvin Joseph, among others. That's why it was necessary for them to make a trade for a veteran like Stephon Gilmore in the offseason.
However, they need to get quality youth in the building and a player like Nate Wiggins would ultimately make a ton of sense for them to pair with Diggs for the long term. With great length at 6-foot-2, plenty of speed and good footwork, he can be a fantastic coverage player, especially if he can get in an NFL strength program and get a bit stronger for press or more physical situations.
After stumbling onto Geno Smith in the post-Russ era, the Seahawks defense has not necessarily been able to keep up with the upward trajectory of the offense. That's something that can very much be boiled down to the lack of playmakers consistently popping up on the defensive front.
Leonard Taylor III can change that for Seattle, though. Though the Miami product needs to get coached into being more polished and disciplined there, there's absolutely no questioning his talent. He's a tremendous athlete with great strength, burst and balance to stay upright and continue his rush. With the right development, he could be a star for the Seahawks front.
We've definitely seen the Lions make a noticeable leap on the defensive side of the ball this season. Aidan Hutchinson is quickly becoming a star, the secondary has been greatly improved, and the linebackers are pieced together nicely. Having said that, bolstering the interior could make a world of difference for this unit moving forward.
Illinois star Jer'Zhan Newton could make sense for them. While the Illini might be far lesser on that side of the ball than they were in 2022, it's not because of the big defensive lineman. He's a terrific rusher with a strong push, though he does need to perhaps work on setting himself so he doesn't get thrown out of lanes quite as often.
Miami's offense is virtually unstoppable when they have Terron Armstead on the field. It's hard to stop without him, but the level of difficulty indeed increases when he's been out – and unfortunately, that's been far too often over the past couple of seasons for the Dolphins.
Subsequently, now that the Phins have a first-round pick again, it would behoove them to invest in a lineman like JC Latham who could step in and help solidify the unit protecting Tua Tagovailoa. Latham still hasn't performed like a star at Alabama, but all the tools are there for him to be a quality NFL offensive lineman as he garners more experience and a higher IQ for the position.
Perhaps the most consistent part of the Bills defense amid the team's rise over the years has been the elite safety duo of Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer. It's no secret, however, that both veterans are starting to get a bit older and it might be time for Buffalo to start looking for a contingency plan for when they need to move forward with the position group.
Kamren Kinchens had already flashed a ton of ability but is really starting to look like even more of a complete player for the Hurricanes. His coverage ability in both zone and man situations is incredible, though he does need to work on his tackling as that has been a sore spot since last season.
Based on his potential, there was no shortage of people who believed that Alabama edge rusher Dallas Turner was going to be a Top 5 or Top 10 pick in the 2024 draft. That potential is still clearly there, but it does appear that he hasn't exactly been the game-changer right out of the gate that some hoped.
That works to the benefit of the Bucs here. With Shaq Barrett aging and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka not completely panning out, they need an influx of youth on the defensive front. Turner is extremely toolsy and has a ton of explosiveness off of the edge. Letting Todd Bowels set him up advantageously early in his career in pass-rush situations could help him reach his ceiling.
Another NFL legacy in this class, Kris Jenkins might be the best player in the 2024 NFL Draft class that you might not have heard of. The Michigan product is an absolute force on the interior, showing a terrific blend of size, strength, savvy and burst.
Baltimore's defense was supposed to be a concern in the 2023 season, but it's been a strong showing from some unheralded players. Having said that, the Ravens thrived having someone like Calais Campbell on the interior in recent years and Jenkins has the skill set to come in and be that guy pretty quickly for this defense.
There really aren't too many holes on the 49ers roster that need fixing direly. The defensive front is one of the best in the NFL, the weapons on offense are elite, the linebackers are great, and Brock Purdy might be for real. They would love to upgrade the O-line a bit but the options here aren't ideal.
So instead, they look to deepen the secondary with a tremendously underrated player in Josh Newton. The leftover from last year's national runners-up at TCU, the cornerback is a bit small at 5-foot-11 but his coverage ability is evident from the first time you watch him. He does need to become more disciplined at not biting on fakes or double moves but his talent as a corner is undeniable.
For as much as Andy Reid and Brett Veach can try to deny it, they put the Chiefs offense on expert mode with the level of wide receiver depth the team currently has. Kadarius Toney is unreliable and, though there are solid pieces, they're missing some of the elements that were there when Tyreek Hill was playing.
Xavier Worthy could definitely change that calculus pretty quickly in Kansas City. He's a speed demon with the extra gear that many guys, even great players, just don't have. Worthy needs to continue improving as a pass-catcher as he's struggled with concentration drops, but his talent in this offense with Patrick Mahomes could be a lethal combo.
There's an argument to be made that the Eagles should be looking for some depth in the draft, specifically on defense as that part of the roster has been hit somewhat hard over the past year. Having said that, they could also make a luxury pick and look to upgrade the offensive weaponry even further.
Ja'Tavion Sanders could be a TE1 in many classes. He has freaky physical traits for a pass-catcher at 6-foot-4, 245 pounds and he can make big plays in space, including after the catch. His frame suggests he also has potential as a blocker, but adding him to Philly might make the offense more dynamic than Dallas Goedert – who is undoubtedly a quality tight end – does right now.
