The folks over at Athlon Sports have a brand new one-round mock draft out for 2024 and we just had to dig into it and see what it was all about. It might be early but you can never get started too soon in tracking the top prospects as well as the needs of the NFL teams. Here are our takeaways from this new mock draft.
No changes at the top
The top two picks in this mock both are going to the Arizona Cardinals and the picks remain consistent with pretty much every mock draft out. USC quarterback Caleb Williams going No. 1 and Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. going No. 2. Don’t look for this to change for much of the season barring a catastrophic injury.
A tight end at No. 3
Wow. We did not expect this one. Would any team, whether it is the Tennessee Titans or another team would really draft Georgia tight end Brock Bowers. He’s a great player but we will see if he sees the football enough in a run-heavy Georgia offense.
A very reasonable number of quarterbacks
In this mock draft, they have three quarterbacks going in the first round, which is more than reasonable. We’ve seen mocks with as many as six or seven and that’s just ridiculous. Williams No. 1, North Carolina’s Drake Maye to the Bucs at No. 5 and Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. to the Minnesota Vikings at No. 16 all make sense.
A smart eye on team needs
The 32 guys on this list will not be the 32 selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft. No one is debating that. Many will but more importantly in a mock like this, needs are being hit in the picks. The Steelers might not select Jeremiah Trotter Jr. in the first round but inside linebacker will be a significant need come next offseason.
