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The is disproportionately loaded on the offensive side of the ball with quarterbacks, wide receivers and offensive tackles set to dominate Day 1 at a historic rate.The projection below includes only one defender among the top 10 selections and just two in the first half of the first round numbers more lopsided than in any NFL Draft since the league expanded to 32 teams in 2002.Many have speculated that such a disparity could spark a virtual feeding frenzy of trades. This cla s might be loaded with top-end talent, but it lacks the depth of most years, with dozens of draft-worthy prospects opting to return to college football, due to the NIL and transfer policies. I think that could stifle trades, with only the boldest willing to peddle extra picks to move up this year.With that, here is my final mock of the first round ahead of Thursday's draft.ADVERTISEMENT 1) Chicago Bears (from Carolina): Caleb Williams, QB, USCNo surprise at the top with the Bears selecting Max Strus Jersey Williams, the most gifted quarterback of the cla s. The 2022 Heisman Trophy winner's unique combination of improvisational ability and accuracy to all levels should make the Bears an immediate playoff contender.2) Washington Commanders: Drake Maye, QB, North CarolinaWith all due respect to the aforementioned Bears and Williams, the drama of this draft appears likely to start with the Commanders' choice between Maye and quarterback . While the reigning Heisman Trophy winner certainly would create excitement for a fan base badly in need of it, Maye's size, upside and fit in Kliff Kingsbury's offense make him the more logical choice.3) New England Patriots: Jayden Daniels, QB, LSUThe Patriots would almost surely pounce on Williams or Maye if either were available to them here, but for a franchise seeking a true rebuild, Daniels' dual-threat talents and Heisman pedigree match nicely with new offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt and could be the perfect departure from the stationary pocket pa sers who typified the previous era.4) Arizona Cardinals: Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio StateThe Cardinals currently have 11 wide receivers on their roster but only one of them second-year pro is signed through 2025. Further, the club already leads the NFL with seven of the first 104 selections of this draft, making a trade down unlikely. Simply put, Harrison is the No. 1 target and the Cardinals have been waiting for.5) Denver Broncos (from Chargers): J.J. McCarthy, QB, MichiganThe first real fireworks of the draft come with a rare intradivision trade, with the Broncos shipping the No. 12 overall selection as well as their first-round pick next year to the Chargers, providing Sean Payton with the perfect quarterback for his offense.Is J.J. McCarthy going top five a smoke screen for other NFL teams? 6) New York Giants: Rome Odunze, WR, WashingtonLike their division rival Commanders with the quarterback position a few picks earlier, the Giants face a fascinating decision with this selection. Both Odunze and LSU's Malik Nabers are future NFL superstars capable of helping head coach Brian Daboll and incumbent starting quarterback take this offense to another level. Odunze's size, intangibles and ability to win on jump balls would seem to fit slightly better.7) Tenne see Titans: Malik Nabers, WR, LSUFor months, I've projected Notre Dame left tackle to the Titans, and I still feel that is a strong po sibility. Nabers is truly dynamic, however, and might remind new Titans head coach of the decision he helped make in Cincinnati a few years ago involving then-LSU star versus a similarly gifted offensive tackle in . With the Titans lacking a third-round selection and po se sing just two picks among the first 105 overall, there is a po sibility Tenne see trades out of this spot.8) Atlanta Falcons: Dallas Turner, Edge, AlabamaOne of the most interesting subplots of the 2024 NFL Draft will be when the first defender comes off the board. Defensive-minded head coach Raheem Morris might push for Turner here given the former Alabama star's upside and the fact that 16-year NFL vet , who's currently a free agent, led Atlanta last season in sacks (6.5) and QB hits (17). 9) Chicago Bears: Joe Alt, OT, Notre DameIf Caleb Williams is really going to take the NFL by storm, he'll need greater protection up front than Chicago provided . Pairing the pro-ready Alt with last year's top pick would give the Bears the size and physicality up front that they haven't had in decades.10) New York Jets: Brock Bowers, TE, GeorgiaThe acquisitions of veterans (WR), (OT), (OT), (OLB), and (DT), among others, suggest that the Jets are very much building around in win-now mode. Pairing Bowers the best tight end prospect I've evaluated in nearly 25 years in this busine s with Rodgers is a Broadway-caliber finale.Is Brock Bowers the right pick for the Jets? 11) Minnesota Vikings: Michael Penix Jr., QB, WashingtonLike the Jets one pick ahead of them, everything the Vikings have done in the offseason points to them targeting a skill-position star early in this draft, specifically a quarterback to replace . Penix is viewed by many in the media as a Day 2 selection, but league sources suggest he will be drafted in the top half of the first round. The southpaw is the most accurate pocket pa ser in this cla s and an ideal fit in Kevin O'Connell's aggre sive downfield attack.12) Los Angeles Chargers (from Denver): JC Latham, OT, AlabamaIt is the world's worst-kept secret that the Chargers need help at wide receiver after moving on from longtime standouts and Mike Williams, but taking a pa s-catcher early just doesn't seem to fit Jim Harbaugh's style. The 6-foot-6, 342-pound Latham, on the other hand, is arguably the most physically dominant player in this draft.13) Las Vegas Raiders: Troy Fautanu, OL, WashingtonLike the Chargers one pick ahead, I expect that AFC West opponents are going to take advantage of this year's top-heavy offensive cla s to try to keep the two-time reigning champion and on the sideline as much as po sible. Fautanu, a Las Vegas native, po se ses the girth and power to be an ideal fit inside at guard, but he also has the agility and arm length to remain outside at offensive tackle if needed.14) New Orleans Saints: Taliese Fuaga, OL, Oregon StateThe early run on offensive linemen continues with Fuaga, who might just be the best run blocker of this cla s. Powerful and cat-quick, he dominated at right tackle the past two seasons in Corvallis and was the most impre sive blocker at this year's Senior Bowl. With the Saints concerned about health, Fuaga would make a lot of sense.15) Indianapolis Colts: Cooper DeJean, DB, IowaThere are always a few surprises on draft day, and if DeJean were to be the first defensive back off the board this year, that would qualify as a mild upset at least from a media perspective. Of course, general manager Chris Ballard pulled off a similar shocker at No. 4 overall last year with the selection of quarterback . In reality, DeJean is highly regarded by NFL teams, offering a rare combination of size, agility, steady open-field tackling and ball-hawking skills to project as a future Pro Bowler. READ MORE: 2024 NFL Draft: Why Iowa's Coope Jerry Sloan Jersey |
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