With the Divisional round of the playoffs in the books, we’re inching closer to the conclusion of the 2023 NFL season. We’re also closer to the beginning of the 2024 NFL draft and all the wonder that comes with it.
The possibilities are endless for the Bears and their relatively new regime, as they hold two top-ten selections, including the number-one overall pick, thanks to the Carolina Panthers.
Outside of that, the New England Patriots and Arizona Cardinals are two spots to watch in the top five where chaos can ensue, just as it did last season for the Houston Texans.
How do the Chargers go about their draft with a brand-new coach? After disappointing seasons, where do the Atlanta Falcons, New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings go in the first round?
We do our best to answer these questions in this week’s newest Vikings Wire mock draft.
1. Chicago Bears: USC QB Caleb Williams
Justin Fields gave a valiant effort, but the winds of change still blow in the Windy City.
Whether Williams or Maye is the ultimate question, but Chicago goes with the no-brainer pick to get their franchise quarterback (and his corresponding rookie contract) to kick off an exciting draft.
2. Washington Commanders: UNC QB Drake Maye
You know what they say: One franchise-altering quarterback at the top of the draft deserves another.
Drake Maye becomes the face of hope for a Washington franchise that is transitioning with a new front office and new head coach.
3. New England Patriots: LSU QB Jayden Daniels
They say three’s company, which makes New England’s pick of Jayden Daniels a perfect start to the Jerod Mayo-led Patriots.
The dual-threat Heisman winner gives an explosive element to the Patriots offense that has seemed mundane (to put it lightly) since Tom Brady left in 2019.
4. Arizona Cardinals: Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr.
With the top three quarterbacks off the board, Arizona decides to stay with Kyler Murray (and that immovable contract) for at least another year.
To help Murray, the Cardinals draft arguably the best player in the draft, Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. One of the most complete wide receiver prospects in recent history, Harrison could be the early betting favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year next year.
5. Los Angeles Chargers: LSU WR Malik Nabers
Even though the defense does need attention, the Chargers could use a spark (no pun intended) on the offensive side of the ball.
LSU’s Malik Nabers is a big play waiting to happen with his acceleration and ability to find yards after the catch. Getting him in open space and pairing him with Justin Herbert can only be categorized as electric (Sorry, I can’t stop).
6. New York Giants: Penn State OT Olumuyiwa Fashanu
It was so tough not to go receiver with this pick for the New York Giants, but getting your choice at tackle in this draft is too valuable to skip.
Fashanu is an athletic specimen who was ranked 23rd on The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman’s freaks list going into 2023. His mix of size and speed makes him a perfect cornerstone for the Giants in the next step of their rebuild.
7. Tennessee Titans: Notre Dame OT Joe Alt
Seeing the first tackle come off the board confirms for the Tennessee Titans that they need to go ahead and get their guy at the position.
Notre Dame’s Joe Alt earned First Team All-American honors by allowing just one sack and five total pressures, according to Pro Football Focus. After helping secure the interior last year, Tennesssee continues to build up the trenches as they keep rebuilding their roster.
8. Atlanta Falcons: Alabama EDGE Dallas Turner
With their third straight year at the eighth pick, the Atlanta Falcons decided to address the defensive side of the football and take the first defensive player in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Whoever is the head coach next season (Belichick or otherwise) will need more help to get to the quarterback. Dallas Turner’s quick first step and ability in the run game make him the safest bet for a franchise looking for answers at the position.
9. Chicago Bears: Washington WR Rome Odunze
While D.J. Moore is a versatile weapon, if this season has shown us anything, he can not do it all for that Bears passing game.
Help is on the way.
Washington WR Rome Odunze mixes great ball-tracking and strong hands at the catch point with a strong frame that will give defensive backs problems immediately. A perfect weapon for Williams to grow with.
10. New York Jets: Georgia TE Brock Bowers
After a disappointing season filled with false hope and broken dreams, the return of Aaron Rodgers fosters a belief that the 2024 season will finally be different for the New York Jets.
To help build on that belief, the Jets get one of the most versatile weapons in the draft in TE Brock Bowers. It will be some time until we see a tight end like Bowers again. The explosiveness and ball skills of a receiver mixed with the ability to make guys miss in a phone booth and a knack for finding yards after the catch, all in a 6’4″, 240-pound frame.
11. Minnesota Vikings: Illinois DT Jer'Zhan Newton
Brian Flores did everything he could to get every ounce out of this defense, even if they did not have the talent of the top defenses.
With the 11th pick, they take a necessary step to start mitigating that problem. Illinois defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton is one of the more versatile and athletic linemen in this entire draft, regardless of the side of the ball. His unique quickness and agility at his size make him an asset in both the run game and rushing the passer.
12. Denver Broncos: UCLA EDGE Laiatu Latu
Denver is a unique place where they can go pretty much anywhere,e and it won’t be much of a surprise. In this mock draft, they get one of the top pass-rushers to pair with Patrick Surtain II to spearhead the future of this defense.
UCLA’s Laiatu Latu has the prototypical size and length for an NFL edge rusher. His constant motor and explosive burst off the snap make him one of the more talented rushers in this class. The questions surrounding Latu surround his medicals, as long as he clears those, he will be one of the top pass-rushers in our game sooner rather than later.
13. Las Vegas Raiders: Alabama CB Terrion Arnold
To start the Antonio Pierce era of the Raiders, Las Vegas takes one of the biggest risers in the draft.
Alabama’s Terrion Arnold showed much-improved footwork that helped him mirror some of the best receivers in the country this year. The redshirt sophomore took home first-team All-American honors with his SEC-leading five interceptions and 17 pass deflections.
14. New Orleans Saints: FSU EDGE Jared Verse
With the Saints refusing to hit the reset button, they build the roster the best way they possibly can: the NFL Draft.
With the 14th pick, they bolster the defense with one of the more athletic pass-rushers in this draft. Jared Verse will bring a relentless motor and great bend to a defense that has slowly gotten younger from year to year. The combination of Verse and Brian Bresee on the defensive front could terrorize NFC South offenses for years.
15. Indianapolis Colts: Iowa CB Cooper DeJean
The Colts have one rule when drafting: Your RAS score has to be one of the highest in the draft.
That will not be a problem for Iowa defensive back Cooper DeJean, as he was a former basketball and state-champion track athlete. His athleticism helped him become a great cover corner and punt returner for the Hawkeyes.
Indianapolis gets a steal in the middle of the round to help round out their young corner room.
16. Seattle Seahawks: Washington QB Michael Penix Jr.
There is not a better player for Michael Penix Jr. to learn from than Seattle Seahawks’ quarterback Geno Smith.
Both of them have aggressive mindsets and are not afraid to look for a big play down the field. Smith could help the young gun-slinger as he adjusts to the speed of the NFL.
17. Jacksonville Jaguars: Clemson CB Nate Wiggins
While Tyson Campbell is serviceable, Jacksonville needs a guy in that cornerback room.
Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins fits the part from his prototypical size and length to his footwork and ability to stay with receivers. While not a perfect prospect, Wiggins will give the Jaguars an immediate answer at the position.
18. Cincinnati Bengals: Alabama OT J.C. Latham
Another Crimson Tide player comes off the board in the top 20 as tackle J.C. Latham goes to protect Joe Burrow as a Cincinnati Bengal.
A massive human being (6’6″, 360 pounds), Latham has a ton of strength in his hands that is well-served in both pass protection and run-blocking. The Bengals find themselves a long-term answer at offensive tackle.
19. Los Angeles Rams: Alabama CB Kool-Aid McKinstry
Back-to-back Alabama players go as the Los Angeles Rams snatch up cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry.
McKinstry’s footwork and long speed allow him to stay with some of the better route-runners in the country. Los Angeles continues to stockpile young talent on the defensive side of the ball.
20. Pittsburgh Steelers: Miami S Kamren Kinchens
Minkah Fitzpatrick is one of the better (if not the best) safeties in our game today. Pairing him up with another versatile weapon in the secondary would make the Steelers a nightmare to throw against.
Miami safety Kamren Kinchens is the ideal size and athletic build for the modern-day safety. He’s got a nose for the football and will add to a Pittsburgh defense that already performs beyond their talent.
21. Miami Dolphins: LSU WR Brian Thomas Jr.
You can never have too much explosion on the field.
The Miami Dolphins test that theory with LSU wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., a tall yet electric receiver who is a threat to score any time he touches the football.
While there are other pressing needs, Thomas falling in their laps at 21 is too much for Mike McDaniel to pass up.
22. Philadelphia Eagles: Georgia CB Kamari Lassiter
Howie Roseman strikes again as the Philadelphia Eagles take another Georgia Bulldog in cornerback Kamari Lassiter.
Lassiter, while undersized, embodies the underdog nature that the Eagles have been touting since their Super Bowl run in 2017-2018.
At 6’0″, 180 pounds, Lassiter’s physicality and technique have him always around the football, ready to make a play.
23. Houston Texans (From Cleveland): FSU WR Keon Coleman
If you think C.J. Stroud is good now, wait until Florida State’s Keon Coleman is alongside him.
Coleman is not a perfect prospect. He has his drops and his inconsistencies. He is a raw prospect. But the elite size, acceleration and ability to contort his body in the air at will make Coleman a tantalizing prospect for a team steaming toward competing sooner rather than later.
24. Dallas Cowboys: BYU OT Kingsley Suamataia
With Dallas keeping Mike McCarthy, there may be a need for a splash at a premier position, and of course, there’s the Jerry Jones of it all.
In this mock draft, we make that splash in the trenches, giving Dallas some depth as Tyron Smith begins to get older and needs a successor.
BYU tackle Kingsley Suamataia is a monster of a man who will blow people away at the combine, possibly performing himself out of the late first round. Ranking third on Bruce Feldman’s freaks list, Suamataia can play right away, but he would be more fitted to sit behind someone, like a Smith, to learn from.
25. Green Bay Packers: Oregon State OT Taliese Fuaga
Jordan Love and his band of young stud receivers will need time to get open down the field to build on their unprecedented success from this season.
David Bakhtiari has been unable to stay on the field, as he has only played 13 total games in the last three seasons. As he returns for his 12th year in the NFL as a 33-year-old, it will soon be time to look to the future.
Oregon State’s Taliese Fuaga has the size and traits to become a stalwart offensive tackle for Green Bay, especially under Bakhtiari’s tutelage.
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Penn State EDGE Chop Robinson
Todd Bowles and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers grab a steal at the end of the first in Penn State edge rusher Chop Robinson.
Another one of Feldman’s Freaks, Robinson pairs a relentless motor with an explosive first step to make him a dangerous weapon off the edge, especially if you’re a quarterback.
Bowles and his aggressive philosophy could make a true weapon out of Robinson for years to come.
27. Arizona Cardinals (From Houston): Washington EDGE Bralen Trice
The Cardinals surely didn’t have a late first-rounder in mind when they traded their pick to the Texans last April.
Such is life. The Cardinals continue to add talent to build out the roster with talented Washington defensive end Bralen Trice.
Trice is simply a solid prospect who knows how to use his hands and quickness effectively to get to the quarterback. While he may not ever be a top-end guy, Trice has all the makings of a solid edge rusher that threatens double-digit sacks every year.
28. Buffalo Bills: UNC WR Devontez Walker
As the sun sets on yet another Buffalo Bills playoff run, the front office will have questions to answer as they attempt to maximize the Josh Allen era.
Before wide receiver becomes one of those spots, Buffalo will take North Carolina’s Devontez Walker. A smooth, natural route-runner, Walker separates with ease and will give Allen another weapon on their quest back to the playoffs.
29. Kansas City Chiefs: Texas WR Adonai Mitchell
I understand. Nobody wants to give Kansas City any more weapons, but the fit for Texas wide receiver Adonai Mitchell is too seamless to ignore.
Mitchell’s big-play ability down the field paired with Mahomes’ cannon of an arm makes for some big-play potential, akin to when another certain burner was paired with Mahomes.
30. Detroit Lions: Toledo CB Quinyon Mitchell
One of the few holes on Detroit’s roster is at the cornerback position. There aren’t many corners in this draft that typify the attitude of Detroit better than Toledo’s Quinyon Mitchell.
Mitchell is a cornerback with a bad attitude and enjoys dishing out punishment when he has the opportunity. His physical nature gets him in trouble sometimes but if he can find a decent balance between physicality and technique, he has a chance to be special.
31. San Francisco 49ers: Duke iOL Graham Barton
As San Francisco continues to work toward their next Super Bowl run, they have to focus on the interior of the line to continue their dominance in the run game.
Duke offensive lineman Graham Barton’s quickness off the snap helps him set up blocks and gets him in position before the defense can react. An aspect that head coach Kyle Shanahan will surely respect.
32. Baltimore Ravens: South Carolina WR Xavier Legette
What do you give the man who has everything? You get him some more toys.
South Carolina wide receiver Xavier Legette is an athletic specimen at 6’3″, 227 pounds, he is another person who will turn heads at the combine. His strength at the catch point and his downfield acceleration and speed make him the perfect vertical threat for Lamar Jackson and the Ravens’ offense.
