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USA Today Sports Media Group

Sport

Adam Stites

2024 mock draft: Updated projections after NFL Week 4

USA TODAY Sports NFL Caleb Williams Marvin Harrison Jr Shedeur Sanders Amarius Mims Dallas Turner JC Latham JerZhan Newton Josh Newton

For the first few weeks of the college football season, Curt Popejoy has handled the mock draft projection duties here at Draft Wire. This week, it’s my turn to crank out my very first set of 2024 projections.

As with all of the mock drafts I do with one exception every year, these projections represent what I think the team might do with the pick at each selection. It does not necessarily reflect the choices I would make.

The draft order here is the current NFL draft order after the conclusion of Week 4. There are some players included who are underclassmen that might not declare, most notably QBs Caleb Williams and Shedeur Sanders.

1. Chicago Bears: Caleb Williams, QB, USC

The Bears would be walking away from the Justin Fields experiment by taking Williams, who has been for USC pretty much what Chicago wanted Fields to be in the NFL. I suspect Chicago could get some decent draft capital in return for Fields and begin another rebuild around the wildly talented Williams.

2. Chicago Bears (from Carolina): Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State

Harrison might be the best wide receiver prospect hitting the league since Calvin Johnson went No. 2 overall in 2007. Landing Harrison would go a long way to helping Chicago’s sleepy passing offense.

3. Las Vegas Raiders: Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia

Bowers might be the best overall player in the entire draft regardless of position, a unique receiving weapon. He could help salvage the expensive gamble on Jimmy Garoppolo, or whoever succeeds him at QB (Aidan O’Connell?)

4. Denver Broncos: Dallas Turner, EDGE, Alabama

What do you get the worst defense in NFL history through four games? How about a disruptive force in Turner who keeps getting better and stronger for the Crimson Tide…

5. Minnesota Vikings: Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina

If the Vikings earn a pick this high, it’s time to move on from Kirk Cousins–who will be a free agent. Selecting an athletically gifted QB with high-end tools would make for a nice use of the reboot button that a top-5 pick entails.

6. New York Jets: Olu Fashanu, OT, Penn State

Penn State left tackle Olu Fashanu (74) gets set before a play against West Virginia at Beaver Stadium September 2, 2023, in State College.

7. New England Patriots: Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama

McKinstry checks every box for a prominent Patriots pick: a high football IQ player from a coach on the Belichick coaching family tree, at a position where there is a perennial need for top-end talent.

8. Cincinnati Bengals: Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame

The meme is real! Two years ago, there was a fierce debate about if the Bengals should select Penei Sewell or Ja’marr Chase with their top 10 pick. They took Chase, and he’s been outstanding. But the associated meme is reality in 2023.

Alt can finally remedy the “Option B” issues. He’s the best pass protector in the draft for my money.

9. Arizona Cardinals: Keon Coleman, WR, Florida State

Sorting out the order of the WRs who go after Marvin Harrison Jr. will be the source of endless speculation over the next few months. The Cardinals desperately need to figure out their own solution, and Coleman sure makes a compelling argument with his size and big-play ability.

10. New York Giants: Malik Nabers, WR, LSU

Any number of ways the Giants can go here, but in this projection it’s about getting a playmaker for Daniel Jones. Nabers reliably gets open at all layers of the defense and offers great YAC potential.

11. Green Bay Packers: Cooper DeJean, CB, Iowa

DeJean has taken the proverbial next step as a coverage corner in 2023. He’s always had the size and speed, and now the instincts and playmaking panache are there, too. The Packers can use that to help push a good young defense into a higher level.

12. New Orleans Saints: Tyler Nubin, S, Minnesota

Nubin has stepped up his coverage and positional versatility in 2023, elevating his draft value. The Saints defense needs some youthful invigoration, and Nubin’s spirited play makes for a very nice fit.

13. Arizona Cardinals (from Houston): Jared Verse, EDGE, Florida State

Dennis Gardeck and Victor Dimukeje are better than their relative anonymity around the league would indicate, but the Cardinals could surely use a headline pass rusher. Verse has remained highly impactful for the Seminoles defense after a smashing debut season in 2022.

14. Los Angeles Chargers: Jer'Zhan Newton, DT, Illinois

Newton was a likely first-rounder if he declared in 2023, and he’s only built on his impressive game. The Chargers could surely use a defensive lineman capable of snuffing out the run while also generating quick interior pressure. It plays right into the hands of Joey Bosa and Tuli Tuipulotu, giving the Chargers a dominant defensive identity.

15. Houston Texans (from Cleveland): Leonard Taylor, DT, Miami FL

The Texans are still in “acquiring high-end talent” mode, with positional needs taking a back seat to impact. There might not be a more impactful interior pass rusher as Taylor left on the board. He gets better the more he plays.

16. Washington Commanders: Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado

Sam Howell has looked like a capable starter, but Sanders offers a much higher ceiling — not to mention a cache with fans at quarterback. For a new ownership group and a frustrated fan base, that might matter as much as Sanders’ obvious football talents.

17. Jacksonville Jaguars: Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia

Mims is tough to project right now with his ankle injury, but he was on track to merit top-20 draft status. His ability to seal open holes in the run game would be a nice bump for the Jaguars, along with Mims’ impressive pass protection athleticism.

18. Los Angeles Rams: Laiatu Latu, EDGE, UCLA

Latu’s medical background could be problematic–he medically retired at Washington with a major neck injury. But the on-field product for Latu at UCLA screams top-10 pick. The Rams, making their first first-round selection since Barack Obama was President, roll the dice on the freakishly productive pass rusher.

19. Atlanta Falcons: Bo Nix, QB, Oregon

Nix continues to bury his star-crossed Auburn career behind him by consistently doing spectacular things at Oregon. The Falcons appear to be learning just how limiting it is to have Desmond Ridder as the starting QB with every passing week, or should we say lack of passing every week?

20. Indianapolis Colts: Bralen Trice, EDGE, Washington

Trice brings pass rush oomph and alignment versatility at his 6-foot-4, 274-pound frame that has some twitch to it. There’s a temptation here to give Anthony Richardson more things to play with, but the depth at WR allows the Colts to build a more formidable defensive front.

21. Pittsburgh Steelers: Patrick Paul, OT, Houston

Paul isn’t getting the hype. Not yet, anyway. He will if he keeps utterly dominating the competition the way he has in 2023. 6-foot-7 guys with his powerful base aren’t supposed to move like that. Pittsburgh can use two of him.

22. Tennessee Titans: Kalen King, CB, Penn State

King hasn’t had the start to the college season that was hoped for, but he’s still got top-end potential as an outside CB with the ability to also kick into the slot.

23. Seattle Seahawks: Maason Smith, DT, LSU

Smith continues to work his way back up draft boards after missing nearly all of 2022. He’s the type of solid all-around but unspectacular talent the Seahawks like to roll out on the defensive front that winds up being a good starter for a decade, a la Jarran Reed.

24. Dallas Cowboys: Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State

Dallas adds sizzle and red-zone proficiency with Egbuka, one of the smoothest receivers in a loaded draft class.

25. Detroit Lions: Rome Odunze, WR, Washington

Odunze put on quite a show at Michigan State earlier this season with multiple Lions reps (and me) in attendance. His size, strength and grit factor make him an easy projection to Detroit.

26. Miami Dolphins: JC Latham, OT, Alabama

Latham was a preseason top-15 fixture, but he’s had some issues with lunging and reacting to quickness thus far. The tools and length are still there, enough that a team like the Dolphins can hope to coax out the best in Latham. That could be very, very good.

27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Chop Robinson, EDGE, Penn State

Robinson’s odd size (6-foot-3/250 listed) makes him a more difficult projection than the on-field results he’s shown for the Nittany Lions. The Buccaneers have had success with the similar Shaq Barrett, who has a gigantic contract coming up for a 32-year-old.

28. Buffalo Bills: Josh Newton, CB, TCU

Newton has been more consistent in coverage in 2023 after an all-or-nothing 2022 for the Horned Frogs standout. His willingness to attack in the run game is a plus.

29. Baltimore Ravens: Adonai Mitchell, WR, Texas

“AD” has emerged as a prime playmaker for an explosive Texas offense. His length at 6-foot-4 finally gives Lamar Jackson someone down the field with both size and reliably dynamic ability.

30. San Francisco 49ers: Graham Barton, OT, Duke

Barton is very good at exactly what the 49ers want in their offensive linemen: he is smart, quick with his hands, doesn’t lose engagement in the run game and doesn’t wind up on the ground.

31. Kansas City Chiefs: Ruke Orhorhoro, DT, Clemson

Another player who has improved in 2023 more than the stat line would indicate, Orhorhoro has the quickness and stoutness to win inside over either shoulder of interior offensive linemen.

32. Philadelphia Eagles: Ja'Tavion Sanders, TE, Texas

Sanders fits the prototype of a basketball power forward playing tight end even though he’s been a football player. The Eagles would surely love his YAC ability and wham blocking prowess.