Thanksgiving 2024 NFL Mock Draft: NFL intern predicts a surprise blockbuster at the top of the draft

The NFL Draft is a full-time occupation for many NFL executives. Each franchise has teams of scouts and analysts operating year-round, evaluating the next round of talent. I've recently had the pleasure of conversing with an upcoming NFL intern who gave me a fantastic, realistic first-round mock draft.

He is a true draft prodigy but requested to remain anonymous; I'll just call him A. A and the specific team he interns for must be withheld so as not to give away draft strategy. A. A did divulge that this draft is very deep at the DT position, but one genuinely elite DT prospect. Additionally, he stated the LB position is weaker than normal, so there will be a bit of a premium on quality linebackers.

An NFL Draft blockbuster to start the draft

A.A. surmises the Patriots will trade for the No.1 pick ; giving the Bears picks 3, 35, a 2025 1st and 4th, and LB Josh Uche. So here is the next up-and-coming draft guru's Thanksgiving First-Round Mock Draft

Mac Jones has proved he isn't the answer, and change is arising in New England. Belichick is on his way out, and the offense isn't just bland; it's depressing. Moving up for the top QB on the board immediately draws eyes back to the Pats as they rebuild around their new signal caller.

Kyler Murray is playing well but doesn't have much help. Marquise Brown as a WR2 to the best receiver prospect since Chase makes for a great-looking receiving corps, though. The Cardinals were desperate for a playmaker opposite of Hollywood, and they got an elite guy on day one.

Olumuyiwa Fashanu, OT, Penn State. Olu has all the making to be an elite lineman at the next level. The Bears OLine does no favors to Fields development, and Olu can fix that. Due to his technique and fundamentals, he's a day-one-ready prospect with the versatility to slot in anywhere on the line.

DJ Moore has been outstanding, but having another guy to take attention from the defense would go a long way. Keon has the best hands in the class and is able to highpoint the ball, especially in the red zone. Moore and Coleman perfectly complement each other as X and Y receivers outside, and the emergence as a duo will open up the offense, giving Kmet and Mooney more opportunities to get open.

Daniel Jones isn't the guy who'll win you a Super Bowl, whether it's because of his play or his health; he's simply not the answer. Maye, on the other hand, could very well be the best QB out of the class. Getting Daboll, his young QB, to develop as he did Allen will give the Giants hope to make the jump.

Joe Alt is not as technically sound of an OT as Olu but has tremendous potential with his athleticism as his size. He's strictly an OT and can be one of the best in the league, though. Getting the tackle of the future for banana man's development will pay significant dues.

Dallas Turner looks like the next elite edge out of the University of Alabama. The Florida native has shown pure dominance in the pass rush and is the safest defensive player in the draft. After losing Young and Sweat, Washington needs someone to fill the void; Turner should do that at a high level with a chance to surpass them in play.

The Falcons current QB situation is heavily holding them back. They have an excellent OLine with an elite run game, stellar defense, and highly drafted receivers. Jayden Daniels is a guy who's proven he can run an offense at a high level. He's 6'4 with all the athleticism in the world. If coached properly, Daniels will be Atlanta's QB of the future and will win them the division.

Kool-Aid McKinstry has been a top prospect year in and year out. Consistency is his middle name, and he rarely makes mistakes. He's the best blue chip corner prospect since the other Alabama alumni, Pat Surtain. Kool-Aid is sure to play well and will bolster the Packers secondary that just lost Rasul Douglas and may lose Savage this offseason.

Everyone knows him; he's the best TE prospect maybe ever. He does it all. He finds the soft spot in coverage, has super reliable hands, can highpoint the ball, has good athleticism, and is the best blocker in the class. Brock is the most guaranteed hit in the draft as the Bucs get their next Rob Gronkowski.

Great route runner with scorching athleticism, Rome Odunze is remarkably dynamic and has proved that with his 1.2K yards and 11 TDs on just 66 catches. Rome is a much-needed weapon opposite Wilson, as the Jets hope Rodgers returns healthy. Don't make the same mistake the Packers did all those years; get Rodgers another elite receiver.

Cooper DeJean has a crystal-clean coverage technique with a quick twitch for the ball. An intelligent player who knows when to play the man or the ball with great instincts on the field. Cooper is a lockdown guy who'll come in and help the Chargers grim secondary.

Exceptionally pass rusher with massive production. Laiatu Latu gets to the QB more than anyone in college. His burst off the line, combined with his technique development and rushing moves, has truly made him an elite prospect. There's an argument that he should be Edge 1 in the class. The Rams would be in love with this pick fixing their problem at the edge with a guy with tons of coachable potential who is a perfect scheme fit and gets to stay in California.

I wasn't high on Bo Nix before the season, but he's proved himself. He's been the most electric QB in college football with his rocket arm and uncanny ability to make plays out of the pocket. He's a true team leader and has clearly shown he's an easily coachable person with a hunger to win, no matter the situation. The Raiders will love bringing in Nix to be their QB of the future after a highly disappointing year from Jimmy.

Jared Verse is an EDGE you have to game plan for. He was remarkably productive last year and only got better this year despite the drop in numbers. The Colts have great rotational pass rushers but need an every-down end, and Verse is the man for the job.

Jonathan Harris isn't going to cut it as a starting DE for the Broncos. Bringing in a guy like Jer'Zhan Newton transforms that defensive line. He's a bulldozer up front with an innate ability to force his way to the QB for his size. Newton must be doubled most of the game, which will open up many more opportunities for the edge rushers to get home on their own.

Cincy’s O-Line isn't cutting it. After an injury to Burrow, they have to be urgent in fixing their line and ensuring their franchise QB's safety. Taliese Fuaga may be the answer; he's been PERFECT so far and looks to be the hottest rising lineman in the draft, mainly in part to his massive figure and elite athleticism. If Fuaga can keep the Fuego hot, he'd make an excellent addition to fix up this ruptured line.

Gabe Davis has been disappointing as the Bills overall haven't met expectations, and there's worry Diggs may be on his way out. Either way, the Bills have an emergence to bring in an elite receiver. Malik Nabers has been the most productive receiver in college football and looks simply electric. He has a smooth route running and is elite after the catch. Nabers would be terrifying in Buffalo, being the next star receiver out of WRU.

They've given up on Penning and moved Peat from guard to LT. It's not working. Carr is smart enough to get the ball out before trouble but has no chance without protection on his blindside. JC Latham is a towering prospect at 6'7 360 and should be pro-ready out of Bama. The Saints desperately need to make this move as they hope fixing up their line will propel their offense to the next level.

The Vikings' secondary may be the worst in the league, and it has been for a while. The first step towards fixing that is bringing in a star corner. Wiggins has great length outside and excellent coverage skills. He can play on one with any receiver and should hold his own. Hopefully, Wiggins would salvage what's been a constant struggle for the team.

Chop Robinson is an excellent athlete with significant jump off the ball and insane sideline-to-sideline speed for an edge. He never gives up on a play, and his pass-rushing technique reminds me of ex-Cardinal Haason Reddick. The Cards currently have the worst line in football, and they take a leap of faith in Chop to develop into a great player, capitalizing off of his athletic potential.

Jeremiah Trotter Jr. is your new style of linebacker that's taken the league by storm. He's 6'0 with good athleticism, and he does it all. A strong tackler with an excellent feel for blitzing, and he's no slouch in coverage; with Wagner soon to retire and Brooks dealing with injuries, Trotter is a much-needed addition to lead this Seattle defense for the long-term.

Yet again, another massive OT with great pass-blocking ability. Patrick Paul is a stone wall dominating any opposing edge with excellent body control. He's absorbent of speedy edges and can go toe to toe with the biggest ends in the league. The Steelers line has been disgustingly bad for a couple of years. Paul at LT should be their reformed line's final piece of the puzzle as they hope to give Kenny and their backs some space.

Jonathan Greenard and Will Anderson seem to be the edges of the future for the Texans. Rankins has been solid, but to develop young edge rushers, you need to bring in an elite man in the middle. Tyliek Williams is another player who calls for attention in the middle, with a fantastic ability to execute the run game and win one-on-one matchups against guards. Tyliek and Rankins together inside will help their edges outside be put in the best situation to succeed, making up the Texan's DLine for the long-term future.

Kingsley Suamataia has played OT at 6'3 but can play any spot on the line. The Dolphin's biggest weakness currently is guard, and even more so, their line staying healthy. Kingsley is a guy who can play any spot on the line, but I'd most recommend pinning him at guard opposite Roberto Hunt.

Denzel Burke is a super-intelligent corner that knows how to use his leverage ideally. He excels in man coverage and has the length and quickness to burst onto the ball if needed. Primarily a lockdown corner, Burke would make a great outside player opposite Trevon Diggs with Stephon Gilmore on his way out of the league.

Losing Mike McGlinchey has proven to be a significant loss for San Francisco, primarily when Trent Williams deals with injuries. With no guarantee that Trent can stay healthy, and he is close to retirement, bringing in an RT to hold down that side of the line is necessary this offseason. Amarius Mims, again, is 6'7 and a very safe prospect out of Georgia who will have no problem starting day 1. He relies more on his frame and athleticism than technique and hands compared to other OTs, but he still has elite potential as a tackle.

The Nigerian native has tons of athleticism and is the second-best pass-rushing interior lineman in the draft. Rule Orhorohoro has sky-high potential as a player at 6'4 290 and adds a much-needed upgrade to the interior of the Jaguars D-Line. He may be the best locker room guy in the class and is a leader and worker every team dreams of bringing in. Orhorohoro would help the Jaguars pass-rush himself and open up a ton for Josh Allen and Travon Walker, especially to get more production off the edge.

Troy Franklin is the most underrated receiver in the class. Franklin has nearly no weaknesses. He has insane athleticism, running a 4.35 at 6'3 and has a great burst off the line. He's fantastic at high-pointing the ball and has some of the class's nastiest, most efficient route running. He's also fantastic after the catch, having the ability to make a play at any level of the field on any route. Franklin could potentially be any team's X receiver, which the Chiefs could propel him to be.

Barrett Carter is your more traditional player, a good tackle who excels in coverage, especially in the box. Carter is a high-level IQ player who'll make many dynamic plays for the team. He's certainly the type of guy you want commanding your defense. He'd immediately be an upgrade to Anxalone in the middle of their defense and help their team take the next step.

I have leadership concerns, but aside from that, all is great. Kalen King is terrific in coverage, with a fantastic technique for the slot. The Raven's corner room could use his services well after losing Marcus Peters and Marlon Humphrey always dealing with injuries. As an inside corner, King should quickly develop into a shutdown guy surrounded by such a good team.

It's tough to find lockdown coverage safety in college football, but Andrew Mukuba is one of the exceptions. He plays zone defense beautifully and never has any miscues. The ability for a young safety to lock down the deep ball is a rare commodity, and to get a safety that you don't throw towards on this Eagles team would be disgusting.