Congratulations to the Kansas City Chiefs for solidifying their dynasty in the minds of NFL fans everywhere.
With the Super Bowl come and gone, it is time for football fans’ favorite season: Draft season. The mock drafts will be coming in fast and furious, but here at Vikings Wire, we have already been diligently working through our mock drafts.
With combine workouts in two weeks, it’s time to roll out another NFL mock draft and get teams more familiar with who could be in play in the first round of this year’s NFL draft, including the Minnesota Vikings.
1. Chicago Bears: USC QB Caleb Williams
Chicago gets a fresh start with their choice of quarterback, and they decide to go with the highest ceiling in USC’s Caleb Williams. There will be a lot of talk surrounding his play as we approach the draft, but Williams remains the best bet for a Bears franchise searching for their answer at the quarterback position.
2. Washington Commanders: LSU QB Jayden Daniels
It seems that the Drake Maye hype train has lost some of its steam, which is a perfect opportunity for 2023 Heisman winner, Jayden Daniels of LSU to swoop in at number two. Daniels led the most explosive passing attack in the country last season, something new offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury will keep in mind as the process continues.
3. Atlanta Falcons (From New England Patriots): UNC QB Drake Maye
Trade Details:
Atlanta receives: Pick 3, 2025 7th
New England receives: Pick 8, Pick 79, 2025 1st, 2025 3rd
Instead of joining the Justin Fields sweepstakes, Atlanta is bold in pursuing their next franchise quarterback. North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye’s arm talent and creativity in and out of the pocket make him a nightmare for defenses at the next level. Zac Robinson is a Sean McVay disciple who should be salivating at bringing in Maye with talented weapons like Bijan Robinson, Kyle Pitts, and Drake London.
4. Arizona Cardinals: Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr.
With the top three quarterbacks off the board, Arizona decides to get the best receiver prospect in recent history with Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. Harrison is a weapon that can attack all three layers of the field, giving Kyler Murray a bona fide weapon to throw to as Arizona builds their roster back up.
5. Los Angeles Chargers: LSU WR Malik Nabers
With Harrison Jr. gone, the Chargers decide not to wait to grab a potentially franchise-altering receiver of their own. LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers’ ability to turn a simple curl route into an explosive play will help make Justin Herbert’s job easier as they transition into the Jim Harbaugh era in Los Angeles.
6. New York Giants: Washington WR Rome Odunze
The Giants have been looking for that number-one receiver to give to Daniel Jones, and they find him in Washington’s Rome Odunze. Odunze was one of the more savvy route runners and best receivers at the catch point last season. He gives Jones an easy target to rely on when all else fails.
7. Minnesota Vikings (From Tennessee Titans): Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy
Trade Details:
Minnesota receives: Pick 7
Tennessee receives: Pick 11, pick 42, 2025 4th
Finding the answer at quarterback is more important than ever, and Minnesota wastes no time finding theirs in Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy. Whether Cousins stays or leaves, McCarthy gives the Vikings a clear vision for the future with him, Jefferson and Addison to build the offense around.
8. New England Patriots (From Atlanta Falcons): Penn State OT Olumuyiwa Fashanu
New England realizes they’re on the wrong end of a rebuild and decides to start building from scratch. Fashanu has all the makings of a franchise left tackle and is a perfect building block for the future of the Patriots.
9. Chicago Bears: LSU WR Brian Thomas Jr.
Chicago needs weapons for Williams. They get a good one in LSU’s Brian Thomas Jr. Because of the hype that Nabers will get, and rightfully so, Thomas didn’t get the same kind of buzz, and he may be just as deserving. Thomas is an explosive waiting to happen with his 6’4”, 205-pound frame and ability to take the top off the defense.
10. New York Jets: Notre Dame OT Joe Alt
The Jets had to chalk up their 2023 season four plays in when Aaron Rodgers went down with his season-ending Achilles injury. To mitigate the risk of that happening again, they take arguably the best tackle in the draft in Notre Dame’s Joe Alt.
11. Seattle Seahawks (From Tennessee Titans via Minnesota Vikings): Washington QB Michael Penix Jr.
Trade Details:
Seattle receives: Pick 11, 2025 6th
Tennessee receives: 16, 2024 2nd, 2025 4th
Seattle trades up to get their guy as they do what they can to get Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. From his familiarity with Seahawks’ new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb to the fit of learning behind a gunslinger like Geno Smith, the Penix fit just makes too much sense.
12. Denver Broncos: Illinois DT Jer'Zhan Newton
It took a little longer than expected, but the first defensive player came off the board: Illinois’ Jer’Zhan Newton. After getting jumped for Penix, the Broncos build up the other side of the ball and address the quarterback position later. Newton has a unique blend of size and quickness that makes his transition to the NFL easy to see.
13. Las Vegas Raiders: Georgia TE Brock Bowers
With all sorts of new beginnings happening with the Raiders, one thing remains constant: Size and speed rule all. Al Davis would be pleased with the taking of the rare size-speed combination inside Georgia’s Brock Bowers. He gives the next quarterback a reliable target for years to come.
14. New Orleans Saints: Alabama EDGE Dallas Turner
New Orleans needs to keep getting younger on defense. The Saints get arguably the best pass rusher in the draft in Alabama’s Dallas Turner. Learning from veterans like Cam Jordan should be a kickstarter for Turner’s development.
15. Indianapolis Colts: CB Cooper DeJean
Indianapolis has only one rule when drafting their players: They must be a freak athlete. As the Colts continue to build up their roster of freak athletes, DeJean will make a perfect versatile piece in the defensive secondary.
16. Tennessee Titans: Alabama OT J.C. Latham
After getting a haul of picks, the Titans still fill a need at tackle with Alabama’s J.C. Latham. At 6’6” and 330 pounds, Latham is the prototypical size for an NFL tackle. His power makes him an immediate asset in the run game and gives him some great tools to work with as he develops.
17. Jacksonville Jaguars: UCLA EDGE Laiatu Latu
Josh Allen is one of the hottest commodities in this year’s free agency pool. No, the other Josh Allen. If he’s gone, Jacksonville will need to find a way to start to replace his production. Laiatu Latu is one of the most ready-made pass-rushers in this draft, both physically and technically. As long as he clears medicals, there’s no reason why he can’t be a top pass-rusher in this league.
18. Cincinnati Bengals: FSU EDGE Jared Verse
After watching Kansas City’s defense, especially their pass rush, help lead them to a Super Bowl, the Bengals decide to beef up their front seven. Florida Stae’s Jared Verse is a unique athlete with great bend and game-changing power the Bengals can line up on the other side of Trey Hendrickson.
19. Los Angeles Rams: Alabama CB Terrion Arnold
Alabama’s Terrion Arnold impressed scouts with his football intelligence and ability to stay hip-to-hip with some of the best receivers in the country. Los Angeles takes the Tallahassee native as another building block for their young, hungry defense.
20. Pittsburgh Steelers: Oregon IOL Jackson Powers-Johnson
Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson has been the most impressive center in this cycle and finds a home in Arthur Smith’s varied run schemes. Powers-Johnson’s ability to move and strength make him a perfect fit to run all the crazy combinations Smith will throw at defenses.
21. Miami Dolphins: Oregon State's Taliese Fuaga
Mike McDaniel’s offense runs best when the run game is successful. Oregon State’s Taliese Fuaga assures that it is with his aggressiveness and versatility along the offensive line.
22. Philadelphia Eagles: Alabama CB Kool-Aid McKinstry
The Eagles underachieved last season, especially on the defensive side of the ball. The secondary’s drop-off in production forces Howie Roseman to take an elite cornerback prospect. McKinstry was the widely accepted CB1 going into this season. He still has the elite athleticism and technique that endeared scouts before the season started.
23. Houston Texans: Georgia OT Amarius Mims
While Houston’s offense was exceptional last season, the offensive line still needs some work to maximize their potential. Mims is raw but explosive and as strong as an ox, another building block for the Texans as they continue to piece together this juggernaut.
24. Dallas Cowboys: Oklahoma OT Tyler Guyton
Jerry Jones is known for making a splash. Not many humans on Earth are capable of making bigger splashes, physically speaking, than Oklahoma’s Tyler Guyton. The 6’7”, 328-pound Guyton’s impressive pass-blocking prowess will be too much for the Cowboys to ignore.
25. Green Bay Packers: Arizona OT Jordan Morgan
David Bakhtiari is a huge question mark for the Packers as he enters his age-32 season. With his future unclear, they take Arizona’s Jordan Morgan, with his burst and foot speed, to bring stability on the line.
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Clemson CB Nate Wiggins
Another candidate for the top cornerback in this draft, Clemson’s Nate Wiggins falls into the laps of Todd Bowles and Tampa Bay. Bowles likes to get aggressive, and Wiggins’ ability in man coverage makes him a good fit for the Bucs.
27. Arizona Cardinals : Penn State EDGE Chop Robinson
The Cardinals got this pick from Houston last season so they could move up to get their premier edge rusher. Arizona hopes they can do the same with Penn State’s Chop Robinson. Robinson’s first step is electric and will add an explosive element to a defense that severely lacked energy last season.
28. Buffalo Bills: Florida State WR Keon Coleman
One of the biggest wildcards for this first round is Florida State’s Keon Coleman and where he gets drafted. Coleman has a chance to fall after showing some drop problems, but the elite traits that made him a top receiver prospect coming into this season (strong hands, contested catch ability, body control, etc.) make him too good for the Bills to pass up.
29. Detroit Lions: Toledo CB Quinyon Mitchell
There are few moments where the marriage between the mentality of a prospect and a team coincides better than the Detroit Lions and Toldeo’s Quinyon Mitchell. Mitchell showed insane effort the entire Senior Bowl week to help his stock rise. A good combine should solidify him as a first-round prospect.
30. Baltimore Ravens: Texas WR Adonai Mitchell
The Ravens continue to build up the weaponry around Lamar Jackson with Texas’ Adonai Mitchell. The big-bodied, fast Mitchell gives another type of weapon for defenses to worry about on the outside for Baltimore.
31. San Francisco 49ers: BYU OT Kingsley Suamataia
After the Chiefs ran free against the San Francisco offensive front, the 49ers draft one of the freakiest athletes in the class in BYU’s Kingsley Suamataia. Suamataia’s ability to move with his large frame makes him a perfect fit for Shanahan’s zone scheme.
32. Kansas City Chiefs: South Carolina WR Xavier Legette
Cue the memes about how the Kansas City Chiefs can’t keep getting away with this. After having rookie Rashee Rice play the best Super Bowl a rookie receiver has ever played, the Chiefs become richer as they add the physically gifted Xavier Legette out of South Carolina. Legette’s rare combination of size and speed makes him a big-bodied, reliable target for Mahomes as the dynasty continues.
