With just the Super Bowl remaining, free agency and the NFL Draft are moving to the forefront of nearly every team's priority list. Nearly every team has hired its new head coach, with a few critical offensive coordinator spots remaining. In my last mock draft, I dove into the "Chicago takes Caleb Williams" scenario. This week, we have another new scenario to explore.
Thank you to Tankathon for providing the most updated draft order.
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Christian Williams' NFL Mock Draft 1.0
Christian Williams' NFL Mock Draft 2.0
1. Atlanta Falcons (via CHI) - Caleb Williams (QB - USC)
Trade details: Atlanta sends picks No. 8 and No. 43, a 2025 first-round pick, a 2026 third-round pick, and CB A.J. Terrell to Chicago for pick No. 1.
The Falcons hired Raheem Morris as their new head coach, with Zac Robinson following as offensive coordinator. The team is a quarterback away from contention, and an aggressive move to get Caleb Williams should be considered, especially with Williams' fit in what many project Robinson's offense to look like. It takes a haul, but the Falcons emerge as immediate NFC contenders.
2. Washington Commanders - Drake Maye (QB - North Carolina)
It's difficult to explore different scenarios here unless the Commanders move to No. 1, so Drake Maye lands in Washington again. Maye's potential is massive, and with some investment in the offensive line, the Commanders could quickly turn the ship around.
3. New England Patriots - Marvin Harrison Jr. (WR - Ohio State)
The Patriots may be the team to move up for Caleb Williams when all is said and done, but here, they land potentially the best prospect in the class in Marvin Harrison Jr. The Patriots have been devoid of a wideout like Harrison Jr. since they traded Randy Moss, and building the roster before the quarterback seems wise.
4. Minnesota Vikings (via ARI) - Jayden Daniels (QB - LSU)
Trade details: Minnesota sends picks No. 11, No. 42, and a 2025 first-round pick to Arizona for picks No. 4 and No. 224.
The Vikings must look to keep Kirk Cousins this offseason if they want to contend for the NFC North, but a more feasible succession plan should emerge. Moving up for Jayden Daniels allows for short-term investment in Cousins while getting a player who fits Kevin O'Connell's system well while adding a rushing dynamic yet to be explored.
5. Los Angeles Chargers - Jared Verse (EDGE - Florida State)
The Chargers have a salary cap problem, but plenty of solutions are available. One of those solutions is to move on from Khalil Mack, the aging veteran coming off an elite year. Tuli Tuipolotu shined as a rookie last year, but moving off of Mack means relying on Joey Bosa to stay healthy. Add in that Bosa's contract has a clear out after the 2024 season, and there's a need for a dominant edge rusher. With Jim Harbaugh at the helm, I expect a focus on nasty players. Jared Verse is precisely that.
6. New York Giants - Malik Nabers (WR - LSU)
With the top three quarterbacks off the board, the Giants properly attack the wide receiver position, getting a dynamic playmaker to join a strangely-constructed room. Nabers gives Brian Daboll and Daniel Jones a true No. 1, and the Giants run it back with Jones for at least one more season.
7. Tennessee Titans - Joe Alt (OT - Notre Dame)
The Titans desperately need offensive line help if they plan to evaluate second-year quarterback Will Levis properly, and with Brian Callahan coming to town, a focus on improving the passing attack is critical. While the Titans need weapons, they kick that can to the second round in this scenario.
8. Chicago Bears - Brock Bowers (TE - Georgia)
After trading back, the Bears have their choice of the best player available or the best player that fits a significant need. They choose the best player available, adding Brock Bowers to a tight end room with Cole Kmet, giving Justin Fields another dynamic pass-catcher to work with, and getting new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron another reliable tight end, a critical component of his offense.
9. Las Vegas Raiders (via CHI) - Taliese Fuaga (OT - Oregon State)
Trade details: Las Vegas sends picks No. 13, No. 227, and a 2025 third-round pick to Chicago for pick No. 9.
The Raiders have plenty of needs, but right tackle remains high on the list. Taliese Fuaga is a natural right tackle with elite movement skills and size and has shown improvement in pass protection. The Raiders get a day-one starter at a position of need after trading ahead of the teams needing offensive tackles.
10. New York Jets - Olu Fashanu (OT - Penn State)
The Jets luck out and get potentially the highest-upside tackle in the draft. Fashanu improved as a run blocker in 2023, and his pass protection is some of the best in the class. Questions about his anchor remain, but Fashanu is a necessary pick for a team trying to keep Aaron Rodgers healthy in 2024.
11. Arizona Cardinals - Terrion Arnold (CB - Alabama)
After trading down, the Cardinals get the first cornerback off the board. Terrion Arnold is an excellent blend of size, speed, and ball skills, vaulting him to the top of the class. The Cardinals desperately need to improve their secondary if they plan to compete in 2024.
12. Denver Broncos - Rome Odunze (WR - Washington)
Jerry Jeudy's contract expires after the 2024 season, making him a prime trade candidate this offseason. Marvin Mims was less than stellar in his rookie year. Courtland Sutton has massive cap savings in the next two years, which the Broncos should consider exercising, as they'll be paying Russell Wilson not to be on the team. Enter Rome Odunze, a technically refined wideout with size, speed, and ball-winning ability. The Broncos set up the roster for their next franchise quarterback, whoever that may be.
13. Chicago Bears - Troy Franklin (WR - Oregon)
The Bears double down on trade backs, and they double down on putting weapons around Justin Fields. Troy Franklin is a perfect wideout for Fields' deep-attacking skill set, reaching 22.3 miles per hour against USC in 2023 and constantly eclipsing the 20 mph threshold. Franklin improved his route running drastically and would be the perfect No. 2 to DJ Moore's No. 1 in Chicago. If the Bears are building around Fields, there's no time to mess around. Adding Bowers and Franklin is the definition of "not messing around."
14. New Orleans Saints - Laiatu Latu (EDGE - UCLA)
Cameron Jordan is approaching his final years, and Payton Turner struggles to stay on the field. Assuming Laiatu Latu passes all medical tests, he's locked in as an early first-round pick based on his technical refinement, production, and upside as a pass rusher. The Saints must now add to the defensive line if they want to contend for the NFC South title.
15. Indianapolis Colts - Nate Wiggins (CB - Clemson)
The Colts stay put and get the player many believe is the No. 1 cornerback prospect in the class. Wiggins is a physical press-man corner, but his athleticism should allow him to develop in zone coverage. Cornerback is a need for the Colts, and after retaining Michael Pittman Jr, the defense is the number one priority.
16. Seattle Seahawks - Byron Murphy II (DT - Texas)
The Seahawks will look different without Pete Carroll at the helm next season, but an interior pass rush is necessary in the NFC West. Byron Murphy II gives them a versatile down lineman who can play on all three downs.
17. Jacksonville Jaguars - Brian Thomas Jr. (WR - LSU)
This selection is the chalk for the Jaguars among industry mock drafts, but it's difficult to see a better fit for the team and Trevor Lawrence. Thomas Jr. is a strong contested catch wideout with reliable hands and elite athleticism. Assuming the team retains Calvin Ridley, a pass-catching trio of Christian Kirk, Ridley, and Thomas Jr. would remove all excuses from this offense.
18. Cincinnati Bengals - JC Latham (OT - Alabama)
The Bengals will lose Jonah Williams this offseason as they prepare to retain both Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase in the coming years, and they'll need to reinvest in the offensive line if they plan to keep Joe Burrow on the field. Latham is a punishing run blocker and flashed upside as a pass protector. He's the 2024 version of Darnell Wright and has massive potential to become an All-Pro-level player.
19. Los Angeles Rams - J.J. McCarthy (QB - Michigan)
The Rams looked poised to make another run at the Super Bowl with how well their last draft class performed, but they must keep an eye on the future. McCarthy is the perfect McVay quarterback, and sitting him behind an all-time great like Stafford is the ideal situation. The Rams take the Packers route and draft a quarterback a year or two too early but potentially get a franchise guy.
20. Pittsburgh Steelers - Jer'Zhan Newton (DT - Illinois)
Cameron Heyward is entering the final year of his contract at age 35. Larry Ogunjobi was productive but is entering his year 30 season. A youth movement is approaching on the Steelers' defensive line, and Jer'Zhan Newton offers precisely that. Newton is an elite pass rusher from the interior, which would make the defensive line terrifying, as usual.
21. Miami Dolphins - Jackson Powers-Johnson (C - Oregon)
The Dolphins are approaching a significant salary cap problem, but shoring up the offensive line is necessary if they continue building around Tua Tagovailoa. Here, they choose to go cheap at the center position, getting an elite mover in the mold of Creed Humphrey and Tyler Linderbaum in Jackson Powers-Johnson. He's the perfect scheme fit, and the center is a critical position for the Dolphins.
22. Philadelphia Eagles - Dallas Turner (EDGE - Alabama)
The Eagles always get elite value in the first round of the NFL Draft, and that doesn't change here. Somehow, Dallas Turner remains on the board for the Eagles, allowing them to add a young, high-upside pass rusher who should challenge to be the first EDGE off the board. The position isn't their most significant area of need, but Howie Roseman does not care. He continues building through the trench.
23. Houston Texans - Jonah Elliss (EDGE - Utah)
Jonah Elliss is a name I expect to pop up in more first-round mocks as more analysts get to the underclassmen. Elliss is an undersized yet powerful edge rusher with bend and sack production. He's one of the younger edge rushers in the class and still has room to improve, but he's one of the higher-upside selections. For the Texans, adding a dynamic, edge-setting player to go opposite Will Anderson Jr. for the foreseeable future is essential to continue building off a fantastic Year 1 under DeMeco Ryans.
24. Buffalo Bills (via DAL) - Adonai Mitchell (WR - Texas)
Trade details: Buffalo sends picks No. 28 and No. 99 to Dallas for pick No. 24.
The Bills desperately need to add weapons around Josh Allen. Stefon Diggs' production fell off a cliff after his 30th birthday, and Gabe Davis and Khalil Shakir combined to be a solid No. 2 option. They need a guy, and Adonai Mitchell flashed the upside to be precisely that. Mitchell is a fluid athlete with above-the-rim ability, and his usage hid his work as an after-the-catch threat. Mitchell would immediately be the team's No. 1 unless Diggs somehow turns it around in 2024.
25. Green Bay Packers - Kool-Aid McKinstry (CB - Alabama)
The Packers finally moved on from Joe Barry, but they need more talent if they expect to become a good defense in 2024. Kool-Aid McKinstry fits their most significant need, giving them the perfect No. 2 to Jaire Alexander (or No. 1 if the team chooses to move on from him), as he can shadow receivers with the best of them. Questions about his effort and tackling ability remain, but McKinstry still upgrades a premium position for the Packers.
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Quinyon Mitchell (CB - Toledo)
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers don't have many needs. The retool was remarkable and short of a disastrous offensive coordinator hire, the arrow is pointing upward. Still, the cornerback room is thin behind Jamel Dean and Carlton Davis, and adding to the position now would give the team flexibility to move off of Davis should they choose. Mitchell is one of the most instinctual corners in the class and could produce elite ball production from day one.
27. Arizona Cardinals - Keon Coleman (WR - Florida State)
The Cardinals desperately need to add weapons around Kyler Murray. While they passed on the opportunity to do that earlier in this draft, they get an elite athlete with outstanding ball skills who must develop as a route runner and separator. If Coleman hits his ceiling, he could be an elite player for a long time. The Cardinals' offensive scheme could take advantage of a player like him, and he would give Murray a reliable No. 1 or 2, depending on Marquise Brown's status.
28. Dallas Cowboys - Amarius Mims (OT - Georgia)
Draft a high-upside offensive linemen. Repeat. The Cowboys rarely miss on offensive lineman selections, but Amarius Mims might be the riskiest one they've made in a while. Mims has elite tools, with fantastic movement skills and size. Still, a lack of snaps and some inconsistent play make this a high-risk, high-reward selection.
29. New England Patriots (via DET) - Bo Nix (QB - Oregon)
Trade details: New England sends picks No. 34, No. 104, and No. 229 to Detroit for picks No. 29 and 247.
The Patriots return to the first round to pair Bo Nix with Marvin Harrison Jr. as their future offensive leaders, giving them a path forward out of the travesty the final years of the Bill Belichick regime created. Nix is a toolsy player who improved every year he was in school, and he has a massive opportunity to raise his stock at the Senior Bowl this week.
30. Baltimore Ravens - Jordan Morgan (OT - Arizona)
The Ravens' playoff loss was full of free rushers and missed blocking assignments by Morgan Moses and Ronnie Stanley. The team must improve the tackle position to keep Lamar Jackson healthy long-term. Jordan Morgan is fantastic in both run and pass blocking, allowing just 14 pressures in 2023.
31. Kansas City Chiefs - Darius Robinson (DT - Missouri)
With seven wideouts off the board before the Chiefs' selection, they pivot to another area of need: defensive tackle. Chris Jones's future with the team remains up in the air, and getting some interior pass rush from their line is essential. Robinson, one of the biggest risers this week, offers that. His 8.5 sacks are among the best in the nation, and he'd slot in as a vital piece to continue the upward trend of the Chiefs' defense.
32. San Francisco 49ers - Tyler Guyton (OT - Oklahoma)
The 49ers need to add an offensive tackle, and getting an elite athlete like Tyler Guyton to learn from Trent Williams in the short term and take over for him in the long term seems wise. Guyton has his share of issues, but his tools give him more upside than a slew of tackles set to go after this pick.
