The With the First Pick RV is back in the garage after a quick Pro Day Tour last week. Rick Spielman and I were in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to see Jayden Daniels, Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr., and we followed that up with a trip to Chapel Hill, North Carolina to see Drake Maye. They were all impressive -- check out our recaps for LSU and UNC -- and all end up in the first round of our mock draft below.
Five quarterbacks also made it into this mock draft; while Maye was throwing at his Pro Day, 3,000 miles to the northwest, Michael Penix Jr. was putting on a show for evaluators, too. And while I know he's somewhat more divisive than Maye for some, I still think he's a first-round talent.
Meanwhile, the actual NFL Draft is just over three weeks away. For now, keep reading to see how all 32 picks unfold in mock draft 9.0.
For more draft coverage, you can hear in-depth analysis twice a week on "With the First Pick" -- our year-round NFL Draft podcast with NFL Draft analyst Ryan Wilson and former Vikings general manager Rick Spielman. You can find "With the First Pick" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, etc. Listen below!
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NFL Mock Draft
Round 1
Round 1 - Pick 1
USC
• 6'1"
/ 215 lbs
The Bears traded Justin Fields to the Steelers, so all that's left to do is take Caleb Williams here.
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Round 1 - Pick 2
LSU
• 6'4"
/ 210 lbs
I like Jayden Daniels more than Drake Maye -- and I'd take him here. But Washington may feel differently; whatever happens, it has to take a QB.
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Round 1 - Pick 3
Drake Maye
QB
North Carolina
• 6'4"
/ 225 lbs
The Patriots were present for both Jayden Daniels' and Drake Maye's pro days, and while there have been reports that they may entertain trade-down offers if they don't find their franchise QB, they won't have a chance to compete in the AFC East.
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Round 1 - Pick 4
Malik Nabers
WR
LSU
• 6'0"
/ 200 lbs
I've had Malik Nabers and Marvin Harrison Jr. closely graded throughout the draft process, but after Nabers' impressive pro-day numbers, I'm giving him the slightest of edges here. Both receivers are special.
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Mock Trade from
Los Angeles Chargers
Round 1 - Pick 5
Michigan
• 6'3"
/ 219 lbs
The Chargers have to decide between Marvin Harrison Jr. here or trading down, stockpiling a ton of picks and rebuilding the roster. They chose the latter, allowing the Vikings to sell the farm for J.J. McCarthy.
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Round 1 - Pick 6
Ohio State
• 6'4"
/ 205 lbs
Best-case scenario for the Giants, who stand pat and have Marvin Harrison Jr. fall in their laps.
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Round 1 - Pick 7
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Round 1 - Pick 8
Jared Verse
EDGE
Florida State
• 6'4"
/ 260 lbs
The Falcons now have Rondale Moore and Darnell Mooney on the roster, reducing the likelihood of Rome Odunze. Instead, they beef up the pass rushers with Jared Verse.
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Round 1 - Pick 9
Dallas Turner
EDGE
Alabama
• 6'3"
/ 247 lbs
It'll be interesting to see which edge rusher goes off the board first; I lean slightly to Verse but could understand why a team prefers Turner, one of the most explosive players in this class. With Keenan Allen now in Chicago, the Bears -- like the Falcons above -- can focus on defense here. (Alternatively, now with just four picks in the entire draft, they could choose to trade down.)
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Round 1 - Pick 10
Rome Odunze
WR
Washington
• 6'3"
/ 215 lbs
Both New York teams get big-time playmakers ... after both New York teams spent the early days of free agency trying to fix the offensive line. Garrett Wilson finally gets some help.
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Mock Trade from
Minnesota Vikings
Round 1 - Pick 11
JC Latham
OT
Alabama
• 6'6"
/ 342 lbs
The Chargers have jettisoned many of their skill-position players, in part because of the salary cap, and also because Jim Harbaugh will likely lean on the run as he looks to jumpstart this offense. It's why LA felt comfortable trading out of the No. 5 pick in this mock draft. And even with Olu Fashanu still on the board, Latham, who played right tackle at Alabama, is the pick here. He can slide into the starting job on Day 1, and there are no projecting if he can play a new position (which would be the conversation with Fashanu).
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Round 1 - Pick 12
Alabama
• 6'0"
/ 199 lbs
Denver didn't have the firepower to trade up in this mock draft for QB4, so it stays put and fills big needs on the the defense. Like Jared Verse vs. Dallas Turner, Terrion Arnold vs. Quinyon Mitchell will vary team by team, but both players have a chance to be special. For the Broncos, Arnold has the SEC pedigree, and after the success with Patrick Surtain Jr., going back to the Alabama well was an easy choice.
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Round 1 - Pick 13
Washington
• 6'3"
/ 215 lbs
New head coach Antonio Pierce was in Baton Rouge last week to see Jayden Daniels (and some pretty good WRs), but instead the Raiders stay put and take Michael Penix Jr. here at No. 13.
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Round 1 - Pick 14
Penn State
• 6'6"
/ 312 lbs
Somehow Fashanu is still on the board. Trevor Penning hasn't worked out at left tackle, and Fashanu is too good to pass up in the middle of Round 1.
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Round 1 - Pick 15
Toledo
• 6'0"
/ 193 lbs
WR could be a target here, for sure, and while the Colts like their young CBs, Quinyon Mitchell will be CB1 on many teams' board. So, to get him in the middle of the first round would be a steal.
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Round 1 - Pick 16
Troy Fautanu
IOL
Washington
• 6'4"
/ 317 lbs
Troy Fautanu can play tackle, but he may begin his NFL journey as a guard. And as it turns out, the Seahawks have a huge need at the left guard position.
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Round 1 - Pick 17
Texas
• 6'0"
/ 306 lbs
Byron Murphy II is the best defensive linemen in this class, and he could end up going higher than this. The Jags addressed other positional needs early in free agency, and even with the addition of Arik Armstead, Murphy makes a lot of sense here.
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Round 1 - Pick 18
Brock Bowers
TE
Georgia
• 6'4"
/ 230 lbs
I've said it since the fall: Brock Bowers is a top-10 talent, but because of the position he plays, and needs at other positions, he could slip to the middle of the first round. Even here, the Bengals could target tackles Taliese Fuaga or Amarius Mims.
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Round 1 - Pick 19
Illinois
• 6'2"
/ 295 lbs
Aaron Donald retired, and while it would take 4-5 players to replace his production (and that may be underselling it), Newton is a twitched-up defensive lineman coming off a really good season for Illinois. Cornerback was also a consideration here.
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Round 1 - Pick 20
Oregon State
• 6'6"
/ 324 lbs
Taliese Fuaga could be long gone by the time the Steelers are on the clock. But if he's here, this would be a layup; he can be the starter at right tackle while last year's first-rounder, Broderick Jones, can move over to the left side, where he played at Georgia.
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Round 1 - Pick 21
Oregon
• 6'3"
/ 328 lbs
Yes, the Dolphins signed C Aaron Brewer in free agency, but Jackson Powers-Johnson is dominant and should be a Day 1 starter in Miami.
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Round 1 - Pick 22
Iowa
• 6'0"
/ 198 lbs
Cooper DeJean is a big, strong, fast cornerback with return ability, and the Eagles need to bolster the secondary.
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Mock Trade from
Minnesota Vikings
Round 1 - Pick 23
LSU
• 6'2"
/ 209 lbs
Brian Thomas Jr. reminds Rick Spielman, my co-host on the "With the First Pick" podcast, of George Pickens. And with Keenan Allen gone, there's a huge void in the WR room, even if new head coach Jim Harbaugh is going to lean heavily into the run game.
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Round 1 - Pick 24
Amarius Mims
OT
Georgia
• 6'8"
/ 350 lbs
Amarius Mims' size and athleticism are special, even in this top-flight OL draft class. The only issues are that he hasn't played much football, and he struggled to stay healthy last fall. But when he was on the field -- including his very first college start against Ohio State in the college football playoffs back in January 2023 -- he has been dominant. If he had stayed healthy in 2023 (he also tweaked his hamstring at the combine), he would've been an easy top-15 pick.
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Round 1 - Pick 25
Alabama
• 5'11"
/ 199 lbs
The Packers have a history of only drafting defensive players in the first round, so I'm not going to break tradition here; Alabama thinks Kool-Aid McKinstry has legit NFL cover skills -- the only question will be his deep speed -- and he answered those questions at his pro day when he ran a 4.47-second 40-yard dash. Added bonus: he can be an asset in the return game, too.
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Round 1 - Pick 26
Duke
• 6'5"
/ 314 lbs
The team has moved on from Matt Feiler and Aaron Stinnie, and while they've signed Ben Bredeson and Sua Opeta, Graham Barton has Day 1-starter potential. He played left tackle at Duke, but his NFL future will be inside.
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From
Houston Texans
Round 1 - Pick 27
Laiatu Latu
EDGE
UCLA
• 6'5"
/ 265 lbs
The Cards take Malik Nabers at No. 4, and somehow, Laiatu Latu is still on the board at the bottom of Round 1.
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Round 1 - Pick 28
Texas
• 6'2"
/ 205 lbs
AD Mitchell has the size, speed and explosiveness to make a big impact. And after trading away Stefon Diggs to the Texans, the Bills are in dire need of a playmaker. Buffalo gets younger and cheaper at the WR position.
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Round 1 - Pick 29
Chop Robinson
EDGE
Penn State
• 6'3"
/ 254 lbs
Chop Robinson may have the highest motor of anyone in this draft class, so the Lions will love to have him rushing the passer opposite Aidan Hutchinson.
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Round 1 - Pick 30
Tyler Guyton
OT
Oklahoma
• 6'7"
/ 322 lbs
This make sense; Morgan Moses is now with the Jets, and Tyler Guyton, who was dominant at right tackle for the Sooners last season, slides into the starting job.
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Round 1 - Pick 31
Missouri
• 5'11"
/ 191 lbs
Yes, Ennis Rakestraw Jr. only weighed 183 pounds at the combine, but his playing style reminds me of Devon Witherspoon ... who weighed 181 pounds at the combine a year ago.
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Round 1 - Pick 32
Georgia
• 6'0"
/ 185 lbs
Ladd McConkey is one of my favorite players in this class. He couldn't be covered during 1-on-1 drills at the Senior Bowl, and then he shined in all aspects of the NFL Scouting Combine. He'd be a very welcome addition to Patrick Mahomes' and Andy Reid's offense
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The 2024 NFL Draft will take place from April 25-27 in Detroit. More draft coverage can be found at CBSSports.com, including the weekly updated draft order and a regularly available look at the eligible prospects.