Steven Cheah's 2024 NFL Mock Draft 2.0

The NFL Combine has come and gone and we've got some movement in the rankings. Let's get going with Mock Draft 2.0.

Here is 1.0 for reference.

*This Mock Draft has been reviewed and approved by Senior Draft Analyst, Liam Blutman. 

1) Chicago Bears (via Carolina Panthers) - QB Caleb Williams (USC)

It's become crystal clear the Bears are taking Caleb Williams #1 overall. GM Ryan Poles even said if they decide to take a Quarterback, they'll trade Justin Fields by the beginning of free agency. You don't talk like that if you're passing on a QB 1st overall or trading the pick. Fields is a goner.

2) Washington Commanders - QB Drake Maye (North Carolina)

I'm waffling here. The Commanders have Kliff Kingsbury as their OC now, but I see them going with traits over production here and Maye certainly checks the traits box at 6'4" 229 lbs. with mobility and a rocket of a right arm. LSU's Jayden Daniels has better tape this season coming off a Heisman campaign, but Maye should be the better pro. Not much more he can do on plays like this…

3) New England Patriots - QB Jayden Daniels (LSU)

From everything I've heard, the Patriots are sniffing around the veteran QB market in Free Agency. Kirk Cousins, Baker Mayfield, and others like Justin Fields or Zach Wilson are available via trade. But picking 3rd overall, it's hard not to push the hard reset here. They simply don't have the talent to surround a veteran Quarterback for success. The move here should be drafting Daniels, starting a veteran so he can learn the system and get acclimated to being a pro, and accumulating talent so when he does start later in the season, he's prepared.

4) Arizona Cardinals - WR Marvin Harrison Jr. (Ohio State)

The Cardinals will be thrilled to have the arguably the top player in the draft fall into their laps at #4 overall. At 6'4" 206 lbs. he's had back-to-back 1,200+ yard 14-TD seasons. 

5) LA Chargers - OT Joe Alt (Notre Dame)

The Chargers need to protect Justin Herbert at all costs. Rashawn Slater is a very good Left Tackle, but they need help on the other side and at 6'8" 322 lbs. with good athleticism, Alt represents a safe bet from a school that continually churns out quality Offensive Lineman.

6) NY Giants - WR Malik Nabers (LSU)

The Giants have made no secret they'd be open to a QB, but at #6 overall they decide to go back to the well and take an explosive LSU Wide Receiver with #1 WR potential in Nabers. 

7) Tennessee Titans - OT Taliese Fuaga (Oregon State)

The Titans need to protect Will Levis at all costs and even though they drafted Peter Skoronski last year, but he started at Left Guard. Fuaga is 6'6" 326 lbs. with 33 3/8" inch arms and should be better suited to play outside.

8) Atlanta Falcons - EDGE Dallas Turner (Alabama)

With Raheem Morris in town they'll need to address the pass rush. He likes to get after the Quarterback and the Falcons didn't have a single player with seven sacks last season. Turner is the top EDGE in the class and gives them a building block on the outside. And after running a 4.47 40-yard dash in Indy.

9) Chicago Bears - WR Rome Odunze (Washington)

This is a dream scenario for the Bears. Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze. At 6'3" 215 lbs. running a 4.45, Odunze has the size and speed to dominate. Also look at this competitiveness! Pair that with outstanding tape and the Bears have a bright future. Odunze, DJ Moore, and Cole Kmet is quite the trio.

10) NY Jets - OT Olu Fashanu (Penn State)

The Jets need more building blocks on the outside to protect Aaron Rodgers. Mekhi Becton is constantly hurt, but with Fashanu, they can kick Alija Vera-Tucker back inside to Guard. Last season he played at Right Tackle. Fashanu also crushed the Combine running a 5.11 40-yard dash and a 9'1" broad jump at 6'6" 312 lbs.

11) Minnesota Vikings - EDGE Jared Verse (Florida State)

Danielle Hunter is coming off a 16.5 sack season but he's also a free agent. Verse can represent a huge cost savings if they decide to retain Kirk Cousins.

12) Denver Broncos - TE Brock Bowers (Georgia)

Tight Ends have always been big with Sean Payton and while the Broncos have a ton of needs, I can see them bringing in a young QB either later in the Draft or via trade and a good Tight End is a young QB's best friend. Bowers isn't a mammoth, hulking TE like Rob Gronkowski, but he's a solidly built, smooth athlete who catches everything and his run-after-catch is outstanding.

13) Las Vegas Raiders - WR Adonai Mitchell (Texas)

AD Mitchell has been jumping up draft boards like his 39.5" inch vertical leap. His combine was outstanding blazing a 4.34 second 40-yard dash at 6'2'" 205 lbs. His 11'4" inch broad jump also confirmed his elite explosion. He's a bit raw, but he's a big, fast field-stretcher opposite Davante Adams that can go get the ball.

14) New Orleans Saints - OT/OG JC Latham (Alabama)

The Saints have a lot of needs, but it all starts up front and Latham gives them position flexibility. He can play Tackle or Guard and they've had issues with both. Andrus Peat is coming off a tough season at LT and James Hurst has seen better days at LG. Latham gives them the ability to bring him to camp and see where he best helps them.

15) Indianapolis Colts - CB Quinyon Mitchell (Toledo)

I heard Mitchell's name a lot this past week at the Combine and he has a real chance to be CB1 in this class. He bested Alabama's Terriod Arnold with a 4.33 second 40-yard dash which just continued to bolster his off-season which included a dominant week in Mobile for the Senior Bowl.

16) Seattle Seahawks - EDGE Bralen Trice (Washington)

The Seahawks need to get back to their roots of having a 'get off the bus' team full of giant dudes. Trice is a local product and at 6'4" 274 lbs. would be a big EDGE to help Seattle get back to their old ways.

17) Jacksonville Jaguars - DT Byron Murphy II (Texas)

The Jags are getting some really solid pass rush out of Josh Allen and Trayvon Walker on the EDGE, but they are struggling stopping the run and Murphy is coming off a great combine with a 4.87 40-yard dash, a 9'3" broad jump, and a 33" inch vertical at 6'1" 308 lbs.

18) Cincinnati Bengals - WR Brian Thomas Jr. (LSU)

It appears Tee Higgins will be walking in Free Agency and in this scenario, the Bengals go back to the LSU to replace him with Brian Thomas. Thomas blazed a 4.33 40-yard dash at 6'3" 209 lbs. and can keep all the extra attention off of Ja'Marr Chase.

19) LA Rams - OT Amarius Mims (Georgia)

Mims ran a 5.07 40-yard dash at 6'8" 340 lbs. He's a mammoth protector that can help keep Matthew Stafford healthy early on.

20) Pittsburgh Steelers - LB Edgerrin Cooper (Texas A&M)

At 6'3" 230 lbs. Cooper blazed a 4.51 40-yard dash solidifying himself as a 1st round prospect. The Steelers could use a young, sideline-to-sideline LB behind a fearsome pass rush.

21) Miami Dolphins - CB Terrion Arnold (Alabama)

Jalen Ramsey spent most of the year injured and Xavien Howard is on the decline. They have a ton of money tied to Corners and Terrion Arnold could step in and learn from those two established vets or he could come in and take one of their jobs. Arnold is in the running for CB1 and presents good value at #21.

22) Philadelphia Eagles - EDGE Chop Robinson (Penn State)

The Eagles love to invest in D-Line and O-Line early and I have them taking a local guy, Chop Robinson, who while he doesn't have a ton of production as far as sack numbers, is a game wrecker with elite measurables.

23) Houston Texans (via Cleveland Browns) - OT Troy Fautanu (Washington)

The Texans have Laremy Tunsil at Left Tackle but journeyman George Fant at Right Tackle. They've got to protect CJ Stroud and Fautanu represents good value at #23. He was smooth mover in Combine drills.

24) Dallas Cowboys - WR Xavier Worthy (Texas)

Worthy ran the fastest 40-yard dash in NFL Combine history at 4.21 seconds, but he also had a 10'11" broad jump and 41" inch vertical. Yes, he is undersized at 5'11" 165 lbs., but playing indoors in Dallas on that fast track will keep him out of the elements as much as possible.

25) Green Bay Packers - OG/OT Graham Barton (Duke)

David Bakhtiari has played 14 games in the past three years. Barton has flexibility to play Guard or kick out to Offensive Tackle. I like his fit in Green Bay.

26) Tampa Bay Buccaneers - C/OG Jackson Powers-Johnson (Oregon)

The Bucs have been meetings with a lot of Offensive Lineman, especially Interior Offensive Lineman. Looking at their line, they are pretty set at Left Tackle (Tristan Wirfs), Right Tackle (Luke Goedeke), and Right Guard (Cody Mauch). But Robert Hainsey hasn't been as steady as they'd hoped for at Center and Left Guard is a question mark with Matt Feiler and Aaron Stinnie both being only adequate starters. With JPJ, they'd get position flexibility with a guy who could play both Center or Guard. He's only a one year starter, but it was a helluva year and he should be a Day 1 pick. The Bucs make sense here.

27) Arizona Cardinals (via Houston Texans) - OT Tyler Guyton (Oklahoma)

DJ Humphries really struggled last year at Left Tackle. Guyton, who has had a great off-season circuit, could slot in there or at Left Guard to help keep Kyler Murray upright.

28) Buffalo Bills - EDGE Laiatu Latu (UCLA)

The Bills have swung on a lot of early EDGE rushers. Greg Rousseau had only 3 sacks last year. Will Von Miller be back? Leonard Floyd was a stop gap. Latu would be drafted a lot higher if not for medical concerns, though he appeared to get a clean bill of health at the Combine.

29) Detroit Lions - DT Braden Fiske (Florida State)

Fiske sneaks into the 1st Round here after a monster week posting the 6th best Defensive Tackle scores since 1987. The Lions need to shore up their interior and while Fiske is slightly undersized, the strength and explosion are there.

30) *TRADE* Atlanta Falcons (via Baltimore Ravens) - QB J.J. McCarthy (Michigan)

Baltimore trades Atlanta #30 overall for a 2nd round pick this year (#43), a 5th round pick this year (#142) and a 2nd round pick in 2025.

McCarthy seems destined to go Round 1 despite an up and down Combine. It's hard to find a landing spot for him past Pittsburgh at #20, but Atlanta makes a ton of sense to move up for him. Getting a QB in Round 1 is crucial for your ability to get them on their 5th year option. So in this scenario Atlanta gives up a 2nd and 5th this year and their 2nd next year to nab McCarthy who wasn't asked to do a lot at Michigan, but delivered when called upon time and time again.

31) San Francisco 49ers - CB Nate Wiggins (Clemson)

The 49ers let that one slip through their grasp and Wiggins could help bulk up a secondary that got a little leaky towards the end of the season. Wiggins had an insane 40-yard dash finishing at 4.28 seconds, but he also injured his groin on it. The 49ers get some value due to that injury as Wiggins was in the running to be CB1.

32) Kansas City Chiefs - WR Ladd McConkey (Georgia)

At 6'0" 185 lbs., McConkey is Antonio Brown size on the field. But his game reminds some of the guy comparing Barstool employees to Saltines as well as he was cooking guys in Mobile during the Senior Bowl. McConkey would be an outstanding weapon for Patrick Mahomes for years to come.