The NFL draft is in less than three weeks away and rumors and speculation will continue to be crazy. While the predominating belief is that three quarterbacks will be selected with the first three picks of the draft and maybe four in the first four, the New England Patriots are always a bit of a wild card.
In this new mock draft, I look at what could happen if the Patriots are not sold on the available quarterbacks and decide to pass on one with the third overall.
That leads to some shifting around in the top 10.
Here is my latest mock draft.
1. Bears: USC QB Caleb Williams
No need to crazy with a wild pick here. The Bears are going to select Williams.
2. Commander: LSU QB Jayden Daniels
The Heisman winner has the arm and the legs. He can bring the same excitement to the Commanders than Robert Griffin III did more than a decade ago.
3. Patriots: Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr.
Here is the first curveball of the draft. The Pats have a rookie head coach and signed Jacoby Brissett, a serviceable starter. They have an awful receiver room.
If they aren’t sold on North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye, then rather than force a quarterback selection, why not take the best offensive weapon and arguably bet player in the draft to have in place for Brissett now and for the quarterback they like more later?
4. (TRADE) Vikings: North Carolina QB Drake Maye
Here is where things start to go crazy. Arizona, prepared to select Harrison, trades their pick to the Vikings. The Vikings give them their two first-round picks (No. 11, 23) and a third in 2025 so they can move up and take Maye.
5. (TRADE) Broncos: Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy
The Broncos, excited that McCarthy is on the board still, move on up to get him. They send the Chargers, who want to trade back to land a tackle, the 12th pick, 76th pick and 2025 first and second-round picks to go up to No. 5.
The Broncos get McCarthy, making four QBs the pick in the first five selections.
6. Giants: LSU WR Malik Nabers
The Giants are thrilled that Nabers is available and immediately improve the receiver room.
7. Titans: Notre Dame OT Joe Alt
This feels like a lock of a pick here with the quarterbacks and receivers going before him. The Titans need to protect Will Levis.
8. Falcons: UCLA EDGE Laiatu Latu
The Falcons taking a pass rusher is also a common mock projection. Will it be Dallas Turner or Laiatu Latu? Here, we say Latu.
9. Bears: Washington WR Rome Odunze
This works out perfectly for the Bears. They already have D.J. Moore and Keenan Allen. They now add Odunze, giving Williams a full arsenal of weapons along with tight end Cole Kmet to be successful as a rookie.
10. Jets: Georgia TE Brock Bowers
The Jets need a player who could come in and produce as a rookie with their roster built to win now. Bowers is the safest pick at this spot. They could use a tackle but also filled their tackle spots in free agency.
11. (from mock trade) Cardinals: Alabama EDGE Dallas Turner
By trading back, the Cardinals lose out on the top three receivers but have their eyes on another later in the first round. They get Turner to bolster their anemic pass rush with the prospect that made Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort shimmy and dance.
12. (from mock trade with Broncos) Chargers: Oregon State OT Taliese Fuaga
The Chargers land a tackle to help protect Justin Herbert and added a pick in the third round and two picks in 2025 with this move.
13. Las Vegas Raiders: Illinois DL Johnny Newton
The Raiders lose out on the top pass rushers and quarterbacks, so they give new coach Antonio Pierce a big, dominant player for the middle of the defensive interior.
14. Saints: Toledo CB Quinyon Mitchell
The Saints get arguably the best cornerback in the draft here at No. 14.
15. Colts: Iowa CB Cooper DeJean
The Colts get a young, athletic cornerback for the second straight year after getting Julius Brents last year.
16. Seahawks: Florida State EDGE Jared Verse
Verse falls a little bit but that ends with the Seahawks, who have not had a great pass rusher off the edge in years.
17. Jaguars: Washington OL Troy Fautanu
Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence had his last season derailed by being banged up all year. Adding Fautanu will help protect him.
18. Bengals: Texas DL Byron Murphy Jr.
The Bengals lost D.J. Reader. Now they get Murphy to replace him.
19. Rams: Alabama CB Terrion Arnold
Arnold falling all the way to No. 19? Someone surprising falls every year, and the Rams are the beneficiary. They will need a better secondary to make up for the retirement of Aaron Donald up front.
20. Steelers: Penn State OT Olu Fashanu
The Steelers went out and added quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. Here they add protection.
21. Dolphins: Alabama OT JC Latham
The Dolphins can plug Latham in immediately at right tackle like the Cardinals did with Paris Johnson in 2023.
22. Eagles: Clemson CB Nate Wiggins
The Eagles need secondary help. They get it in the athletic Wiggins.
23. (from mock Vikings trade): Texas WR Adonai Mitchell
The Cardinals don’t just need a good receiver. They need an alpha in the room. They lack that right now. Missing out on Harrison, Nabers and Odunze at the top of the draft, even with a deep receiver class in terms of talent, there aren’t many true No. 1 guys. Mitchell is the best bet as that guy. So the Cardinals get a stud pass rusher and a guy who could be a stud receiver as well.
24. Cowboys: Georgia OT Amarius Mims
The Cowboys need to rebuild the offensive line and Mims is a good one to start with, plugging him in at right tackle as a rookie.
25. Packers: Duke OL Graham Barton
Barton played left tackle at Duke but will probably play inside in the pros. But he also gives the Packers versatility.
26. Buccaneers: Oregon C Jackson Powers-Johnson
The Bucs get a center who could be in the top five at his position as a rookie.
27. Cardinals: Alabama CB Kool-Aid McKinstry
If the Cardinals end up with three picks in the first round, they will likely deal one for a veteran or trade back out of the round.
But here they add a cornerback to their team.
A starting trio of McKinstry, Sean Murphy-Bunting and Garrett Williams feels pretty good.
28. Bills: LSU WR Brian Thomas
Having dealt Stefon Diggs to the Texans, Buffalo might trade up for a receiver. But they will be happy to select Thomas, who is long and speedy.
29. Lions: Iowa State CB T.J. Tampa
Tampa could sneak into the first round. He would make a nice pick for the Lions.
30. Ravens: Texas WR Xavier Worthy
Worthy’s 4.21-second 40 at the combine push him into the first round. Adding him to an offense that includes Zay Flowers and Mark Andrews will be scary.
31. 49ers: Oklahoma OT Tyler Guyton
They have Colton McKivitz at right tackle but Guyton might be able to unseat him in the starting lineup as a rookie.
32. Chiefs: Georgia WR Ladd McConkey
They added Hollywood Brown in free agency and have Rashee Rice, but Patrick Mahomes with more weapons
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