We’re just days away from the start of the NFL Scouting Combine — an all-hands-on-deck event where teams are meeting with draft prospects and putting them through their paces. NFL teams like the New Orleans Saints are going to learn a lot next week, and the tapped-in beat writers and journalists covering them are going to get a better idea of what each team is looking for in the spring because of it.
So we’re going to roll out a first-round mock draft of all 32 picks to try and guess who might land where in April. It’s a good exercise for getting an idea of what each team needs to address this offseason and which prospects might be available when they’re on the clock. We’ll aim for accuracy later once more information is available and after teams have had the chance to check off big-ticket items in free agency.
Now that we got the disclaimer out of the way — here’s our forecast for the first 32 picks:
1
Chicago Bears: QB Caleb Williams, USC
It seems increasingly likely the Bears will trade Justin Fields (in this mock draft, to the Pittsburgh Steelers), opening the door for Williams. It’s a new era in Chicago with the move to a high-stakes gambler of a quarterback.
2
Washington Commanders: QB Jayden Daniels, LSU
Here’s a curve ball. The debate all spring is going to rage between whether Washington should go for the high-upside quarterback in Daniels or the high-floor passer in UNC’s Drake Maye. New ownership needs a big spark, and Daniels is our choice this time.
3
New England Patriots: QB Drake Maye, North Carolina
The Patriots are in a great spot — either Maye or Daniels would be an upgrade for them, and they might have Maye rated higher. He has more athletic tools to work with than Mac Jones and enough skills as a passer to elevate the offense right away.
4
Arizona Cardinals: WR Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State
Thee Cardinals already have their quarterback in Kyler Murray, now they get him a big-time weapon. Harrison is absurdly talented and he should earn his place among the league’s best receivers right away.
5
Los Angeles Chargers: RT Taliese Fuaga, Oregon State
Leave it to Jim Harbaugh to go against the grain. Rashawn Slater is a franchise left tackle, but this team won’t go anywhere if they can’t better protect Justin Herbert and run the football — and Fuaga is a big upgrade on the right side. He’s as clean as they come in pass protection and the Beavers enjoyed success running behind him the last few years.
6
New York Giants: WR Malik Nabers, LSU
This offense was miserable to watch last year, so getting more talented in the receiving corps would be a welcome decision. Nabers isn’t Odell Beckham Jr. but that isn’t going to stop the New York media machine from making those comparisons. But it’ll fade quickly so long as Nabers keeps doing what he did in college.
7
Tennessee Titans: LT Joe Alt, Notre Dame
The Titans fielded the worst offensive line in the league last year; they’ll probably try to address it through free agency, at first, but landing the draft’s best left tackle in Alt would be a windfall for their offseason. They can figure out the quarterback situation and post-Derrick Henry depth chart at running back after they start winning battles in the trenches.
8
Atlanta Falcons: OLB Dallas Turner, Alabama
For all their additions on defense in free agency last year (mainly poaching from the Saints), the Falcons were tied for the 11th-fewest sacks in the NFL. Adding Turner gives their pass rush a big boost.
9
Chicago Bears: DE Jared Verse, Florida State
Verse would have been a first round pick last year, but he stayed in school and now he’s going top-10. He has everything teams look for in a modern pass rusher and the Bears can pair him with Montez Sweat to form a tough one-two punch.
10
New York Jets: OT Olu Fashanu, Penn State
Fashanu’s stock is falling a bit as coaches and scouts got an up-close look at his competition on the all-star circuit, but he shouldn’t drop out of the first 10 picks. He’s too clean in pass protection and too gifted athletically for more teams to pass on.
11
Minnesota Vikings: CB Terrion Arnold, Alabama
The Vikings have spent heavily on free agent corners without getting enough of a return. Arnold is immediately the best player in the room and could help elevate their pass defense after a bottom-10 showing last year.
12
Denver Broncos: QB J.J. McCarthy, Michigan
Sean Payton has already begun laying the groundwork for a controversial decision at quarterback, advising fans to trust his evaluation over draftniks, and McCarthy would fit the bill. He’s someone NFL teams are said to be very high on despite his small body of work at the college level.
13
Las Vegas Raiders: RT J.C. Latham, Alabama
Latham is a big, mean right tackle you could drop into any era of Raiders football and see as a good fit. He’s exactly the type of prospect that no-nonsense head coach Antonio Pierce should be looking for.
14
New Orleans Saints: WR Rome Odunze, Washington
Odunze fell a bit here, maybe due to our wishful thinking. He’s a special talent at wide receiver who can win contested targets and make plays after the catch. He’s the ideal fit for Klint Kubiak’s offense as someone who can take a lot of pressure off Chris Olave and make life easier for Derek Carr — while giving whoever the next Saints quarterback may be an assortment of young weapons to work with right away.
15
Indianapolis Colts: TE Brock Bowers, Georgia
The value was too good to pass up. Bowers gives head coach Shane Steichen and quarterback Anthony Richardson a fun, athletic target to work with who can become their own Dallas Goedert. This is a quintessential “don’t overthink it” pick.
16
Seattle Seahawks: OLB Laiatu Latu, UCLA
Latu not only gets to stay on the West Coast but return to Seattle, where he played for the University of Washington before transferring to UCLA. New Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald has a history of using pass rushers with Latu’s body type and skill set.
17
Jacksonville Jaguars: CB Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo
Jacksonville gave up the 7th-most passing yards last year and they’re installing a new defense with former Saints assistant Ryan Nielsen calling plays. Mitchell would fit his system well as a smart, physical corner who can move and tackle well in both zone and man coverage. He was arguably the best player on the field at the Senior Bowl this year.
18
Cincinnati Bengals: RT Amarius Mims, Georgia
Jonah Williams moved to the right side for the Bengals last year, with middling results: he was charged with allowing 8 sacks while drawing 5 penalty flags. Mims has an injury history and limited experience, but his athletic upside and traits are through the roof. Cincinnati takes a big gamble here hoping for a big payoff.
19
Los Angeles Rams: OLB Chop Robinson, Penn State
The Rams defense outperformed expectations last season but they can still use more playmakers, having tied for the 9th-fewest sacks in 2023. Robinson is a divisive prospect after bagging just 4 sacks in 10 games but L.A. general manager Les Snead is known for trusting his evaluations.
20
Pittsburgh Steelers: C Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon
The Steelers offensive line is in rough shape, and Justin Fields won’t stand a chance if they don’t get him better protection. Enter Powers-Johnson, the draft’s top interior lineman, who can turn a liability into a strength and help get Arthur Smith’s offense clicking quickly.
21
Miami Dolphins: LT Troy Fautanu, Washington
Several Dolphins starters along the offensive line are headed for free agency and injuries have continued to limit Terron Armstead’s availability; and Miami has gotten outmuscled up front even when they have had all hands on deck. Fautanu is a pro-ready left tackle who can also line up inside at guard if needed.
22
Philadelphia Eagles: CB Nate Wiggins, Clemson
Did you know the Eagles allowed the second-most passing yards last season? Wiggins can help them out right away as a high-end athlete with incredible spatial awareness and a never-give-up play style; his game tape is filled with hustle plays. He could be drafted much higher than this.
23
Houston Texans: DT Johnny Newton, Illinois
Newton went by Jer’Zhan in college but is using his nickname “Johnny” in the NFL, but either way he’s a great fit for a Texans defense that may lose Sheldon Rankins in free agency. Newton has a lot of similarities to Rankins when he was coming out of Louisville as a disruptive three-technique who can beat guards off the snap and disrupt the backfield.
24
Dallas Cowboys: OL Graham Barton, Duke
Barton played left tackle in college, though his limited reps at center were impressive enough for pro teams to project him in that role moving forwards. Wherever he lines up, he could help the Cowboys, who got bullied by more-physical teams throughout the season. Tyron Smith’s injury history and potential retirement open a hole at left tackle while Tyler Biadasz left some things to be desired at the pivot spot.
25
Green Bay Packers: CB Cooper DeJean, Iowa
The Packers have a ton of holes on their roster and DeJean could help them out either at cornerback or safety — but he has the chops to stay outside in the NFL and run with the best receivers in the league. It’s worth seeing if he can play the more-valuable position at corner before considering him for a position switch.
26
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: CB Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama
A ton of teams need help at cornerback, and the Buccaneers are no exception. So landing some draftniks’ top prospect at the position this late in the first round has to leave fans feeling happy. Tampa Bay allowed the fourth-most passing yards last season with a revolving door at cornerback: four different players logged 500-plus coverage snaps. McKinstry would be a big get for the Bucs.
27
Arizona Cardinals: RT Tyler Guyton, Oklahoma
The Cardinals are a candidate to trade up from this spot after taking Marvin Harrison Jr. earlier, but they are in a good spot to get a quality right tackle. Guyton needs more reps but he could develop into a strong option on the right side as he gains more experience. Arizona fielded a below-average offensive line last season so upgrades are needed.
28
Buffalo Bills: DT Byron Murphy, Texas
The Bills defense wasn’t as stout as you’re remembering — they tied for the fifth-most rushing yards allowed per carry last season (4.6). Murphy is a good value here and he can help clean up that underperforming run defense while also pushing the pocket. Buffalo needs to get tougher in the trenches after falling apart when it mattered most in recent playoff exits.
29
Detroit Lions: S Tyler Nubin, Minnesota
The Lions are another cornerback-needy team, and if they can’t find an upgrade in free agency or the first round they’re a prime candidate to trade for Marshon Lattimore this summer (reuniting him with his old coach Aaron Glenn). Detroit still addresses the secondary here by picking one of the draft’s most-experienced safeties. Nubin is Glenn’s type of defensive back: a hard hitter who doesn’t miss many tackles, who makes plenty of plays on the ball, and who provides excellent coverage over the top. A lot of teams are hoping he falls to Round 2.
30
Baltimore Ravens: WR Adonai Mitchell, Texas
Mitchell had some inconsistencies in college, but there isn’t a receiver in the draft with his combination of size and speed — some team is going to draft him in the first round. The Ravens need to keep pouring resources into the receiving corps until they have multiple options they can rely on in the playoffs.
31
San Francisco 49ers: RT Kingsley Suamataia, BYU
He’s still young and growing, but Suamataia can play on both sides of the line and he’d be a big upgrade for the 49ers after their offensive line didn’t meet expectations in the Super Bowl. He could step into the lineup at right tackle and help out immediately. When you’re picking this late in the first round, that’s an ideal outcome.
32
Kansas City Chiefs: WR Ladd McConkey, Georgia
McConkey? The guy with just two touchdown catches and fewer than 500 yards last year? Believe it. He’s an impressive athlete with fine-tuned routes and good hands, and teams are high on him. Don’t be shocked if he sneaks into the first round based on his traits while more-productive college wideouts (in this mock draft, LSU’s Brian Thomas Jr. and Florida State’s Keon Coleman, plus Oregon star Troy Franklin) fall into Round 2.
