The 2024 NFL Draft is about two months away, but we're close to knowing what might happen with the Chicago Bears at the very top of the order.
Recently, NBC Sports' Peter King gave us his thoughts on what he thinks the Bears could do, and despite plenty of reports suggesting they'll trade Justin Fields, King thinks otherwise. Noting he believes the Bears should trade the first overall pick, King gives hope to those Fields truthers out there.
With that information in mind, let's get right to our latest mock draft where general manager Ryan Poles flexes his muscles while the entire first round sees a whopping seven trades in total.
In this 2024 NFL mock draft, the Chicago Bears indeed trade the first overall pick.
We heard Tom Pelissero once say he believes it could take multiple firsts for Washington to even move up a single spot, so with that information, you get a trade like the one above. The Bears net a second rounder this year and an additional first-round pick in 2025, giving them two firsts next year.
With the first overall pick, the Washington Commanders go with quarterback Caleb Williams out of USC. It makes sense as most believe he's the top prospect in this class, while new offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury was on staff at USC next to Williams last year.
At pick no. 2, the Bears once again make a trade, as King suggested in his final column this week. In several simulations I completed, the one team that continued to come up as an interested party in this no. 2 selection was the New York Giants, believe it or not.
To recap, the Bears are now sitting with the no. 6 and no. 9 picks, for now. They also now have three first rounders, two seconds and two thirds in 2025.
The Giants have a problem on their hands with the Daniel Jones contract, but they are going to do whatever is necessary to get the quarterback position right. That's why they move up for Drake Maye. Look at the Denver Broncos, eating a ton of cash in order to get rid of Russell Wilson. Teams want to get the position right, and the Giants are doing just that.
So we've got Williams to Washington and Maye to the Giants. Moving on to New England, where things could begin to get interesting.
This isn't Bill Belichick's New England Patriots, folks. The Pats don't overthink this one. They don't go with some wild, unexpected name at no. 3. Instead, they go after their biggest question mark and address quarterback, selecting LSU's Jayden Daniels.
Mac Jones clearly isn't the long-term answer, and neither is Bailey Zappe. The Heisman winner comes in as the clear-cut, Day 1 starter and brings something to the Patriots that they have never really had: a dual-threat quarterback. Having compiled nearly 5,000 yards from scrimmage and 50 touchdowns, all while against SEC competition, Daniels looks ready.
At no. 4 overall, the Cardinals also do not overthink this one. They've already committed to Kyler Murray as their franchise quarterback. So, what better way to build around Murray than by giving him the draft's no. 1 wide receiver and son of a Hall of Fame wideout, Marvin Harrison Jr. The 6-foot-4 Harrison is as well-rounded a receiver prospect as I have seen in a decade and immediately makes this Cardinals offense fun again.
With Jim Harbaugh in L.A., now, he's going to focus on building that team around Justin Herbert and giving him everything he deserves. While some might think Harbaugh should go after an offensive weapon, he's still a bit old school and wants to ensure Herbert survives this season and beyond. Therefore, the Chargers go with arguably the draft's best offensive tackle in Joe Alt. The 6-foot-8 Alt is an athletic, strong and NFL-ready tackle who will anchor this line for the next decade.
Moving back to no. 6 wasn't that bad of an idea after all, was it? The Bears find themselves in a realistic position to draft the second-best receiver in the class, and a guy some have even ranked ahead of Harrison Jr. LSU's Malik Nabers comes to the Bears and will provide them someone with overwhelming athleticism, speed and explosiveness. He averaged well over 17 yards per reception last seasonon 89 receptions, while scoring 14 times. With Nabers and D.J. Moore, Justin Fields is set up for his best year yet.
At no. 7 overall, the Tennessee Titans give Will Levis one of the draft's best overall weapons and no. 1 tight end in Georgia's Brock Bowers. Some draft analysts will call Bowers a true offensive weapon, rather than labeling him as just a tight end. Because he can line up anywhere on the field and he runs routes like a wideout, Bowers is always a threat.
This is where the draft gets the most interesting, because the Bears hung onto Fields. Let's also assume the Minnesota Vikings re-sign Kirk Cousins. What do the Falcons do? They make J.J. McCarthy the fourth quarterback taken in the top eight picks. Although McCarthy wasn't asked to do too much in college, when he was put under pressure situations, the kid delivered. Atlanta now has their franchise quarterback.
Here's where things get real fun. Poles makes his third trade of the first round, with the Indianapolis Colts seeing a player they cannot pass up on. Now, the Bears have two second rounders this year, courtesy of Washington and Indy.
The Colts are able to re-sign Michael Pittman Jr. while pairing him with Washington's Rome Odunze, giving Anthony Richardson a pair of big-bodied wide receivers who he can depend on for the next few years. With Jonathan Taylor in the back field and the two big, young wideouts, Richardson is set up for a while.
At no. 10, the New York Jets make a pick that many project them to make, going with an offensive tackle in Oregon State's Taliese Fuaga. If one of the top three wide receivers were still on the board, then maybe they re-think the pick. But, Aaron Rodgers' health is priority no. 1 going into the 2024 season, thus the Jets go with one of the next-best offensive tackle on the board.
At no. 11 overall, the Minnesota Vikings find their Danielle Hunter replacement. Most believe Hunter is as good as gone in Minnesota, therefore this team is going to need help at edge rusher. Alabama's Dallas Turner is arguably the best pass rusher in this draft, so the decision is pretty easy to make, here.
We've seen the Denver Broncos miss out on both Cousins and Fields, along with Baker Mayfield returning to Tampa. With the next-best options in free agency being guys like Sam Darnold or Jacoby Brissett (among other similar talents) the Broncos reach a bit for a rookie quarterback which Sean Payton can work his magic with. Oregon's Bo Nix is the pick, and while some thought he'd be in the late teens, he goes a few picks sooner to Denver.
Let's make this a historic first round, shall we? How about six quarterbacks within the first 13 picks? Hey, we've already established the fact that the bigger quarterback names are already accounted for. So, the Las Vegas Raiders may have no choice but to reach. Washington's Michael Penix Jr. has been labeled a late first or early second-round prospect, but the Raiders ensure they get a guy who can be their shot at a franchise quarterback.
How about another trade? The Seattle Seahawks see value that's too good to pass up.
Seattle moves up two spots, while the Saints net a fourth rounder this year.
The Seahawks saw Penn State offensive tackle Olu Fashanu fall far enough. Because of the run on quarterbacks, they get a guy who some may have thought to be the top offensive tackle in his class at one point. But, he ends up being the third tackle off the board, and Geno Smith is a happy man.
Back to the Bears at pick no. 15, and they opt to go with the draft's top interior offensive lineman, addressing a huge need. Jackson Powers-Johnson was a unanimous All American in 2023 and comes in as close to a sure thing as you can get at his position. Now, the offensive line is going to look a whole lot better for years to come. You have two big-time anchors in Powers-Johnson and Darnell Wright, with Teven Jenkins potentially being a long-term solution as well.
At pick no. 16, the Saints end up with a player they probably would have taken at 14 anyways, with Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy II. As the draft's top defensive tackle next to maybe Illinois' Jer'Zhan Newton, Murphy comes in to give this Saints defensive line a youthful boost.
Another guy that fell due to the run on quarterbacks goes later than anticipated, with Iowa cornerback Cooper DeJean landing on the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jaguars needed help at cornerback, and they've got it here with a 6-foot-1 corner who can play outside or inside.
Jerry Jones is a man who loves the spotlight, and he sees an opportunity to move up to pick no. 18, so he takes it.
Sending 2025 capital to the Bengals in exchange for moving up six spots, the Cowboys look at solidifying part of their offensive line.
The offensive line used to be one of the best in the game, but injuries have given this group question marks. With the Cowboys opting not to re-sign Tyron Smith, they get a long-term replacement with Alabama's J.C. Latham. Dak Prescott is now better protected for the foreseeable future.
A defense that played much better than anyone would have anticipated last year, the Los Angeles Rams still need help in the secondary. At pick no. 19, they get a guy some believe could be the top cornerback in this draft in Alabama's Terrion Arnold, making it back-to-back Crimson Tide players hearing their names called.
The Pittsburgh Steelers feel lucky to have seen the run on quarterbacks, because they've been eyeing a cornerback all along. Little did they know, they'd be able to find Clemson's Nate Wiggins at pick no. 20. Between Wiggins and Joey Porter Jr., now, the Steelers are set for a good while.
The Buffalo Bills are sick and tired of seeing their Super Bowl hopes crash and burn. At no. 21, they see enough value to go up and pair a guy with Stefon Diggs, who Bills fans swear isn't going anywhere.
Buffalo gives up three picks to move up seven spots, but it could be well-worth it.
Here's where teams will start thinking about the remaining wide receivers, with the Bills selecting "the other LSU receiver," Brian Thomas Jr. At 6-foot-4 with excellent size and long speed, Thomas can separate with the best of them. He brings a much-needed playmaking element to the offense, with Diggs, Dawson Knox and Dalton Kincaid. Josh Allen should be in for a big year.
If there was ever a question, yes, the Philadelphia Eagles are going defense in the first round (shocker). The team desperately needs help at cornerback, so they go with arguably the next-best available in Toledo's Quinyon Mitchell. The six-foot Mitchell is projected to run a sub-4.4 and brings a ton of strength at the position. Although he comes from a smaller program, Mitchell is ready to bust loose as a pro.
This might be my favorite pick of the first round, so far. C.J. Stroud made everyone around him better last year, but now it's time to reward him with someone who could become another legitimate WR1 next to Nico Collins and Tank Dell. Oregon's Troy Franklin brings track star speed with an ability to separate at a high level. He's going to open up this offense in a big way.
If you ask Bengals fans, this offseason is all about building the trenches, which is why they go with the next-best offensive tackle at pick no. 24. It's Georgia's Amarius Mims. The health of Joe Burrow is of crucial importance at this point, and they have to continue doing whatever they can to bolster that line in front of him.
The Green Bay Packers get immense value here, being able to pair a top cornerback next to Jaire Alexander. Alabama's Kool-Aid McKinstry may have the best name in the draft, but he's no joke. McKinstry comes in as a Day 1 starter next to Alexander, making life even more difficult on NFC North quarterbacks in the coming years.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have quietly sat back while a lot of movement and surprises have happened, but they're able to luck-out by getting maybe the best pure pass rusher in the class with UCLA's Laiatu Latu. He comes with major health concerns, but the guy is nasty. His mentality and physical style is second to none.
In a historic first round when it comes to quarterbacks and offensive tackles, the Arizona Cardinals continue building around Kyler Murray with the pick they received from Houston. Snagging a starting offensive tackle in Washington's Troy Fautanu, the Cardinals end the first round with two great picks, addressing a pair of top needs.
The most surprising fall in the first round ends here, as Florida State pass rusher Jared Verse won't have to travel far to make it to his NFL home. The Dolphins are looking at Bradley Chubb and Jaelen Phillips coming off injury and with that in mind, plus the extraordinary value here, they cannot pass on Verse. Now, they have three highly-capable pass rushers to anchor this defense going into a year where their window is still open.
Next up, the Chiefs make a small move that could have big implications.
Kansas City moves up three picks by parting with a fourth rounder, but they give Patrick Mahomes someone who could be his true alpha wideout.
Texas wide receiver Adonai Mitchell comes to the Chiefs as a 6-foot-4 towering presence; someone who can really dominate on the outside. Between Mitchell and Rashee Rice, Chiefs fans should feel a whole lot better about this position going into the future, and Mahomes is going to continue to do what he does best, making these guys into absolute studs.
The Ravens saw plenty of wide receivers get drafted, but their hopes in finding a starter on the outside were not dashed. Alas, they come home with Florida State's Keon Coleman. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Coleman comes to the Ravens as a big, strong and athletic presence. His athleticism is something to marvel at for a guy his size, and now Lamar Jackson finally has a true WR1.
Another offensive tackle goes here, in a round dominated by three positions. The San Francisco 49ers find a long-term solution in Oklahoma's Tyler Guyton, pairing him on the edge with Trent Williams. Going forward, Brock Purdy is even happier.
With the final pick in the first round, the Detroit Lions take Georgia wide receiver Ladd McConkey. Between he and Amon-Ra St. Brown, this offense has no shortage of quick-footed weapons who know how to get open. Jared Goff won't have to do a whole lot with these two knowing how to work the field and find openings.