2024 NFL Mock Draft: Cardinals tank for Caleb Williams, Drake Maye heads to Tampa
By Hunter Haas
Eleven quarterbacks and wide receivers fly off the board in our inaugural Mock Draft Monday of the regular season. The Cardinals tank for Caleb Williams, while Drake Maye heads to Tampa Bay.
Football fans… rejoice! With the college football season in full swing and the NFL wrapping up its first Sunday slate, it is safe to say the dog days of summer are over. Not only is real football back, but so is fantasy football and a personal favorite of mine — NFL mock drafts.
Sure, a mock draft in September is borderline lunacy, as the actual NFL Draft is still many months away. But this early in the process, these exercises are more about introducing the audience to a fresh batch of talent.
Piggybacking off that — no one knows what the draft order will be. It is certainly not set in stone or a foregone conclusion. That being said, without a truly objective way to determine the order, I’ve reverted to flipping the Super Bowl odds upside down and using that as my baseline for the mock draft. (As of Sept. 9).
Long story short: If you don’t like the placement of your team, try not to sweat it. It can and will change quickly. But if you feel inclined to blame anyone — blame the Vegas bookies, not me!
With that disclaimer out of the way, let’s highlight 32 of the best prospects available next spring and attempt to find a realistic fit for each. Our first mock draft of the 2023 football season gets underway now!
Cardinals Say Bye, Bye, Kyler Murray; Hello, Caleb Williams
1. Arizona Cardinals – Caleb Williams, QB, USC
The Cardinals are “all systems go” toward a sweeping rebuild after replacing the front office and coaching staff in Arizona. Trading Kyler Murray will not come easy, but it shouldn’t dissuade the team from taking Caleb Williams. The USC quarterback is a special talent and will give the fan base a new guy to rally around.