Way Too Early 2024 NFL Mock Draft: Quarterbacks Galore
The 2023 NFL Draft just ended this weekend and there is no better time to already begin looking ahead toward the 2023 NFL Draft than now! Hence, here is AllCardinals' official "Way-Too-Early" 2024 NFL Draft mock!
Thanks to the conclusion of the 2023 NFL Draft, Super Bowl odds have been updated and we have an early idea of who is expected to contend for a title and who will be left looking at a very good-looking 2024 NFL Draft class. The quarterback position looks limitlessly deep and there are some talks of generational prospects at several positions. If you're a certified NFL Draft fan, then you're going to love the 2024 class.
Currently, there are two teams scheduled with multiple first-round picks: the Arizona Cardinals (via Houston Texans) and the Chicago Bears (via Carolina Panthers), and it looks like a great year to have multiple top picks.
For this exercise, I decided to have my 2024 NFL Draft order provided by BetMGM.com's Super Bowl odds in inverse order. This means that the team with the worst odds will be picking first overall and so on.
Keep in mind this is a "way too early" mock, meaning the players seen here could be seen higher with some very well not appearing on a final mock and being replaced by others. It's a mock for fun and to get some names in our minds to monitor, essentially.
With that said, the Arizona Cardinals are on the clock:
1. Arizona Cardinals (via Houston): Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame
Yes, the Cardinals must absolutely consider Caleb Williams here given his generational talent, but this far out and with the complications of a Kyler Murray trade, we are rolling with the team committing to Murray and building around him. D.J. Humphries will be in his 30s in 2024 and Alt is a massive upgrade and the draft's top offensive lineman.
2. Arizona Cardinals: Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State
The pick we all want to manifest... MHJ is the son of a Pro Football Hall of Famer and is the kind of wide receiver you create on Madden. There's a chance for Harrison Jr. to be the top overall prospect in 2024 and the Cardinals shouldn't hesitate to get Murray a shiny new offensive tackle and one of the best wide receiver prospects of the last decade.
3. Indianapolis Colts: Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia
I hear some moaning about a tight end going this early, but Kyle Pitts was the fourth overall pick in 2021 and Bowers may be an even better prospect. Bowers has been the Bulldogs' top option in the passing game and has elite athleticism and limitless upside. We've seen how important tight ends can be in today's NFL and the Colts shouldn't overthink selecting Bowers this high because of his position.
4. Tennessee Titans: Caleb Williams, QB, USC
Williams will not be the fourth overall pick in a year's time, but in a way-too-early mock with no trades, he is. If the Titans pick this high and have the opportunity for one of next year's quarterbacks, they shouldn't let the selection of Will Levis stop them. Levis was a project and second-round pick. Williams is being talked about as one of the greatest quarterback prospects ever. This is a slam-dunk pick that gets the Titans out of quarterback purgatory.
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina
Williams is considered generational, but that's no reason to sleep on Maye. The Buccaneers were able to get a Super Bowl out of Tom Brady but they'll rejoin quarterback purgatory now that he is gone. They get the "consolation prize" in Maye, but he's every bit an elite prospect and gets the Bucs back to competing in a weak NFC.
6. Washington Commanders: Quinn Ewers, QB, Texas
The viewpoint on Ewers will be subjective right now but I believe that come April 2024 we will be talking about him as a top-tier quarterback prospect. The Commanders opted not to add a top competitor in the 2023 NFL Draft and that means they'll be in business for 2024. Ewers has the talent to be a day-one starter and I believe he remind everyone of that in 2023 when he makes No.1 prospect Arch Manning sit on the bench his freshman season.
7. New England Patriots: Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State
If the Patriots pick this high in 2024 then they must consider drafting a quarterback. Mac Jones will catch a break here since three went in consecutive picks and he'll see his team draft him a true number-one wide receiver. Egbuka seized a starting role in 2022 when Jaxon Smith-Njigba went down with an injury and now he will become the fifth Buckeye wide receiver to receive first-round hype since 2022. With elite play-making ability, he's going to be an early favorite to be a first-round prospect.
8. Los Angeles Rams: Olu Fashanu, OT, Penn State
Welcome back to the first-round, Rams fans! It has been nearly a decade since the team's last day-one pick so they have to nail this. If Fashanu had declared for the 2023 NFL Draft he may have been a day-one guy. The Rams don't mind him returning to refine his skills and get a new franchise left tackle.
9. Atlanta Falcons: Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington
The Falcons are once again rolling the dice on no quarterback of the future in 2023, but they have elite weapons across the board with Kyle Pitts, Drake London, and Bijan Robinson. Once they get a guy in there, it could be curtains for NFC teams. Penix Jr. has battled the injury bug in college but dominated in his first season with the Huskies in 2022. If the lefty can do it again in 2023, he should hear his name called early in 2024.
10. Pittsburgh Steelers: Jared Verse, EDGE, Florida State
The Steelers' 2023 season will hinge on the development of Kenny Pickett. Even if the team falters due to him, there is no way you can take the fifth quarterback prospect with a top-10 pick. Instead, they'll keep stocking up on the pass-rushing talent, since you can never have too many. Verse returned for his senior season despite a seemingly universal agreement he was a day-one prospect. Now, he'll get to play with T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith on a defense that knows how to devour quarterbacks.
11. Seattle Seahawks: Dallas Turner, EDGE, Alabama
If Geno Smith regresses, the Seahawks must look at quarterbacks in 2024. But like the Steelers before them, this isn't great value for a guy and they can instead capitalize on a sliding talent. Turner has a ridiculous ceiling and adding him to this ascending defense could get the unit back to its heydays as an elite unit.
12. Green Bay Packers: Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama
The Packers are rolling the dice on Jordan Love as their quarterback of the future. If he fails, the 2024 class is stacked. If he shows promise, they can add some great talent instead. McKinstry is a shut-down cornerback with great size and ball skills. He's one of the easiest projections of any player in 2024 and a no-brainer "best player available" selection.
13. Chicago Bears: Denzel Burke, CB, Ohio State
McKinstry may be my early CB1 but don't sleep on Burke and his status at one of the most historically successful programs for defensive backs. Burke has an equally impressive resume and will challenge McKinstry for status as the top dog next year. So, how fitting is it that one is a Packer and one is a Bear? The Bears need to add top-tier talent and Burke fits that threshold.
14. Chicago Bears (via Carolina): Maason Smith, IDL, LSU
Smith was robbed of his 2022 season due to an ACL tear, but he'll be back with a vengeance on an LSU team that many shouldn't sleep on. Smith is a massive human at 6'5" 300lbs. who moves like he is much smaller. The Bears should be ecstatic to add a top-tier defensive lineman with their future cornerback one with back-to-back picks thanks to the Panthers.
15. New York Giants: Xavier Worthy, WR, Texas
The Giants waited until the third-round to add a wide receiver to this roster knowing full well how weak the position was on the team. While I am a fan of Jalin Hyatt, he alone won't fix this wide receiver room. Worthy is a crafty and explosive player who would step in and be the WR1 on this team and give Daniel Jones some legitimate weapons to work with outside.
16. New Orleans Saints: Bralen Trice, EDGE, Washington
I may start the process higher on Trice than most, but his upside is ridiculous. Trice exploded for 10 sacks a year ago with the Huskies and his athletic profile has me thinking that his best days are ahead of him. Cam Jordan will slow down eventually now that he is in his mid-30s and Trice is the perfect heir to his throne.
17. Minnesota Vikings: Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU
Daniels went from mid at Arizona State to superstar at LSU. The fifth-year quarterback went back to Baton Rouge for one more season to prove that he's all that and more. The Vikings need an heir apparent to Kirk Cousins and they have the athletic Daniels fall to their laps in round one. This has to be a dream come true for a team that likely won't be bad enough for one of the top prospects.
18. Las Vegas Raiders: Jeremiah Trotter Jr., LB, Clemson
Jimmy Garoppolo is no long-term option, but he's good enough for now and it would be brutal to pass on some of the falling talent available. Trotter Jr.'s father is a former All-Pro and he definitely received those genes and is following in his footsteps. Trotter Jr. will have a great argument as the top linebacker in next year's class and the Raiders could use him in 2023 if we're being honest.
19. Denver Broncos: Michael Hall Jr., IDL, Ohio State
The Broncos replaced Dre'Mont Jones with Zach Allen this offseason but that is still a downgrade. Luckily for them, Hall Jr. has slipped to this point in the draft and the Broncos would be insane to not capitalize. Whether or not the Broncos are competitors is up to one's own opinion, but Hall Jr.'s addition would help them stay dominant defensively.
20. Houston Texans (via Cleveland): Rome Odunze, WR, Washington
The Texans went all-in in 2023 by taking C.J. Stroud with the second-overall pick and then trading back up and taking Will Anderson Jr. with the third-overall pick. While it did cost them the number one pick in this way-too-early mock, they still have a first-round pick thanks to the Browns. The wide receiver room in Houston is certainly a bunch of patchworks. Odunze proved to be a stud for the Huskies in 2022 and working with the earlier-selected Michael Penix Jr. again in 2023 will only help his stock continue to rise.
21. Jacksonville Jaguars: Jack Sawyer, EDGE, Ohio State
Sawyer was a top recruit a few years ago and while it hasn't added up in the box score quite yet, he has certainly flashed dominance. The Jaguars will have a difficult decision to make next offseason for whether or not to pay Josh Allen, however as I already mentioned you can never have too many pass rushers. Sawyer can either be the future starter or an elite role player. Either way, this value is enticing for the Jaguars.
22. Baltimore Ravens: Kalen King, CB, Penn State
Marlon Humphrey is elite but he needs a running mate. While the Ravens have a handful of guys they want to try out, King slipping here is a value they shouldn't pass up. King broke up 15 passes and recorded three interceptions in 2022 across from Joey Porter Jr. He'll have a chance in 2023 to prove he can be the top guy for the Nittany Lions, but he's already shown the capability to be an elite No. 2 guy.
23. Miami Dolphins: TreVeyon Henderson, RB, Ohio State
The Dolphins have a rather complete roster, but they could still use a true game-changer in the backfield to complete this offense. Henderson battled injuries in 2022, but in 2021 he was one of the best backs in the nation. Even for someone who is anti-running back in round one like me, Henderson has first-round traits (and spoiler alert, he isn't the only guy here). The Dolphins take a bit of a luxury pick with Henderson here, but his day-one impact is undeniable.
24. Los Angeles Chargers: Javon Bullard, S, Georgia
The Chargers have a relatively complete roster in place, but they'll have to find a replacement for the recently retired Nasir Aderly. Bullard will join a stacked safety class with a claim to be the number one dude at the position this offseason, but his track record on this Bulldogs' defense will give him some very serious validity to that status.
25. Detroit Lions: Jason Marshall Jr., CB, Florida
Picking this late means that Jared Goff is still playing at a high-level and drafting the sixth-best quarterback may be a tad irresponsible. Instead, the Lions must realize that their cornerback depth chart needs more talent. Marshall Jr. is slowly ascending to top corner status and he'll get a chance to continue to prove that on a defense that is looking to improve from last year's performance.
26. Dallas Cowboys: Andrew Mukuba, S, Clemson
All things considered, the Cowboys' safety depth chart has a lot of contributors. Won't they don't have, however, is a superstar. Mukuba's best days are ahead of him for a highly-competitive Tigers' defense and he could turn into that type of superstar player that the Cowboys would be crazy to pass on this late on day one.
27. New York Jets: James Williams, S, Miami FL.
Williams is about as massive a safety as you'll find at 6'5" and 224lbs, and yet he flies around the field to make hits and plays on the football. We have no idea was the timetable for Aaron Rodgers's career is, but until he announces he is done, the Jets should continue to add talent throughout the team. Adding a dominant safety may complete this defense entirely.
28. San Francisco 49ers: JC Latham, OT, Alabama
Trent Williams could retire any day and the 49ers are rolling the dice on the right side after letting Mike McGlinchey walk in Free Agency. Latham is as great a value as the team will see at this point in the draft and can be slotted to nearly any position along the offensive line.
29. Cincinnati Bengals: Raheim Sanders, RB, Arkansas
Joe Mixon is a circus off the field and the Bengals could get back over $10 million by cutting ties with him after 2023. If they do this, Sanders would be an elite option to plug into the backfield. Sanders will check every box off for his draft profile and is a potentially elite prospect. For a team like the Bengals with few needs, this would be a terrific example of "best player available" drafting.
30. Philadelphia Eagles: Smael Mondon Jr., LB, Georgia
The Eagles clearly have a type - Georgia Bulldog defenders. The Eagles have a need for a linebacker after watching Kyzir White and T.J. Edwards depart via Free Agency. It just so happens that a Georgia linebacker with first-round talent is available. This kind of stuff really writes itself, but Mondon Jr. is an absolute animal. Even more poetic is letting him play next to the guy he succeeded in Athens, Nakobe Dean.
31. Buffalo Bills: Braelon Allen, RB, Wisconsin
Not one, not two, but three running backs in round one! Like the Dolphins and Bengals previously, the Bills have few glaring weaknesses and can instead spend their draft pick on the top prospect regardless of position. Allen is a downhill runner with massive size at 6'2" 240lbs. and will barely be 20 years old for the 2024 NFL Draft. A bully-style running back in this offense might make the Bills unstoppable.
32. Kansas City Chiefs: Troy Franklin, WR, Oregon
The reigning Super Bowl champion Chiefs will enter the 2023 season with virtually no holes. Still, the team will once again have an OK wide receiver room and has yet to get another superstar to replace Tyreek Hill. They had no problem winning a championship without him, but that shouldn't stop them from taking Franklin if he drops this far. Franklin is a proven No.1 option and placing him in an offense with Patrick Mahomes would make him an instant darling in Kansas City.
