2024 NFL Draft: CBS Sports releases updated mock draft ahead of College Football Playoff
The 2024 NFL Draft is rapidly approaching and with that, there is another round of updated mock drafts that have been coming out. That includes the latest mock draft from Ryan Wilson and CBS Sports that was released ahead of the College Football Playoff.
The top of this mock draft is, unsurprisingly, very quarterback heavy. That starts with Caleb Williams of USC and then sees a quick run of three quarterbacks get picked to open the NFL Draft. That even includes a team trading up to get the signal callers that they want.
21 different programs are represented, with 20 of those programs coming from the Power Five and one from the Group of Five. On top of that, six of the programs represented have multiple mocked picks coming from their teams. That also includes players from every team in the College Football Playoff with the exception of Michigan.
Here’s how CBS Sports expects the entirety of the first round of the NFL Draft to go:
1. Chicago Bears (via Carolina Panthers): USC QB Caleb Williams
At this point, most mock drafts have Caleb Williams going first overall, and for good reason. He’s an incredibly talented player who has made his mark on the game at the college level. Even without playing quite at the same level as his Heisman Trophy campaign from 2022, it was still clear that what Williams was capable of doing was physically at another level.
For now, the Chicago Bears hold the top pick thanks to a trade with the Carolina Panthers. Assuming that holds up, Chicago needs to make a decision with former first round pick Justin Fields. If they do decide to draft a new quarterback, they’ll be paying close attention to Williams throughout the process.
2. New England Patriots (Mock trade via ARI): North Carolina QB Drake Maye
If there is a quarterback that can push Caleb Williams to be the first signal caller drafted, it’s Drake Maye. He put up massive numbers and had plenty of success over the last two seasons at North Carolina. Now, he has a chance to be one of the premier NFL quarterbacks moving forward.
The CBS Sports mock draft actually has New England trading up to take Maye. It’s been a bad year in New England and the Patriots obviously need a quarterback. However, the Patriots do have a couple wins too many to get this high of a pick on their own.
3. Washington Commanders: LSU QB Jayden Daniels
Jayden Daniels is coming off a phenomenal individual season that culminated in a Heisman Trophy win for the experienced quarterback. Now, he’s turning his attention to the next level where he’s one of the more interesting prospects at his position. CBS Sports, obviously, is very high on him.
Much like New England and Chicago, Washington needs to make a decision at the quarterback position. If the goal is to draft a quarterback, then it’s going to come down to the pre-draft process to decide who to take. That could easily end up being Daniels.
4. Arizona Cardinals (Mock trade via NE): Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr.
The first non-QB to get mocked in this draft is Marvin Harrison Jr. A generational-type talent, there are plenty of people who think that he’s the most talented individual player in the draft and that any amount of sliding due to his position would make him a steal.
The son of NFL legend Marvin Harrison, Arizona would be an interesting landing spot for Harrison Jr. The Cardinals have Kyler Murray in place. So, trading back to help add players while still landing Harrison Jr. would be incredible.
5. New York Giants: Penn State OT Olu Fashanu
Offensive line is obviously one of the most important parts of a team and the left tackle spot in particular is vital. That’s what makes someone like Olu Fashanu, an incredibly talented left tackle, such an interesting prospect.
The Giants have proven that they have plenty of issues this season. So, the draft is going to be vital for addressing those issues. The offensive line and keeping the team’s quarterback healthy is incredibly important for New York. So, going with Fashanu here makes a lot of sense.
6. Los Angeles Chargers: Notre Dame OT Joe Alt
Once Olu Fashanu is off the board, CBS is projecting a run on offensive tackles to start. With that, the next pick is set to be another offensive lineman in Joe Alt out of Notre Dame. A prototypical left tackle coming from a school known for developing the position, there are plenty of people who think he could be the top lineman off the board.
This season, star quarterback Justin Herbert is ending the year injured. Next season, with a new coaching staff in place, that’s bound to be something that the Chargers are going to do their best to avoid happening again. This pick at least helps avoid that.
7. Tennessee Titans: Alabama OT JC Latham
At this point, the rush of offensive tackles continues with JC Latham. To an extent, it comes down to the mentality of the draft, where teams don’t want to miss out on a position of need and once players start to go, they want to get them before they go. At the same time, these are also three incredibly talented offensive linemen who fit a need for these teams.
JC Latham has a long time to go in the process. He will play in one or possibly two more games at Alabama before going through the pre-draft process. So, he could potentially make a jump forward ahead of the other tackles too.
8. Chicago Bears: Alabama Edge Dallas Turner
For the second pick in a row, CBS Sports mocked an Alabama player. Interestingly, however, with this pick Dallas Turner would be the first defensive player taken in the NFL Draft. He would also be the second Bear selected as Chicago looks to rebuild similar to how Houston did in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Turner plays one of the most important positions in the modern game, rushing passers and making them uncomfortable. Finding a truly great rusher is tough to do and makes Turner an interesting pick here because many think he has the talent to do so.
9. New York Jets: LSU WR Malik Nabers Jr.
The second wide receiver to go is mocked up as Malik Nabers Jr. During his college career, he wasn’t as generational as Marvin Harrison Jr, but he was still an incredibly talented weapon at LSU who put up massive numbers for the Tigers. Alongside Jayden Daniels, he helped make LSU one of the best offenses in the country.
The New York Jets are hoping to get veteran star quarterback Aaron Rodgers back next season. Nabers would be a huge addition to help build a talented team around him and moving forward for New York.
10. Atlanta Falcons: Florida State Edge Jared Verse
With the 10th overall pick, the second edge rusher is getting mocked to the Atlanta Falcons. Jared Verse of Florida State helped the Seminoles win the SEC and get to the edge of the College Football Playoff this season.
Atlanta, like most teams drafting in the top 10, needs help at several positions including edge rusher. Being able to take a player like Verse would help fill at least one gap before moving onto other problems that the team needs to address.
11. New Orleans Saints: Washington WR Rome Odunze
12. Green Bay Packers: Clemson CB Nate Wiggins
13. Las Vegas Raiders: Washington QB Michael Penix
14. Denver Broncos: Florida State WR Keon Coleman
15. Minnesota Vikings: UCLA EDGE Laiatu Latu
16. Arizona Cardinals (via Houston Texans): Illinois DL Jer’Zhan Newton
17. Pittsburgh Steelers: Oregon State OT Taliese Fuaga
18. Cincinnati Bengals: Georgia TE Brock Bowers
19. Indianapolis Colts: Washington IOL Troy Fautanu
20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: LSU WR Brian Thomas Jr.
21. Seattle Seahawks: Texas DL Byron Murphy
22. Jacksonville Jaguars: Alabama CB Kool-Aid McKinstry
23. Los Angeles Rams: Iowa CB Cooper DeJean
24. Buffalo Bills: Texas WR Adonai Mitchell
25. Kansas City Chiefs: Georgia OT Amarius Mims
26. Dallas Cowboys: Toledo CB Quinyon Mitchell
27. Houston Texans (via Cleveland Browns): Penn State EDGE Chop Robinson
28. Detroit Lions: Duke OT Graham Barton
29. Miami Dolphins: Oklahoma OT Tyler Guyton
30. Philadelphia Eagles: Georgia CB Kamari Lassiter
31. San Francisco 49ers: BYU OT Kingsley Suamataia
32. Baltimore Ravens: South Carolina WR Xavier Legette
There is still plenty of time for things to change ahead of the NFL Draft. That includes several bowl games, the College Football Playoff, and the pre-draft process. So, there’s plenty of time for things to change and players to rise or fall. However, for now, this is a snapshot of where the NFL Draft currently stands.