NFL mock draft season has come full circle once again, and it's also time for the one and only mock draft I run all year. Four quarterbacks could go in the top 10 of the upcoming draft -- four may even go in the top five!
The Minnesota Vikings will certainly be a team to watch in this draft, given they have the No. 11 and No. 23 picks. Minnesota is looking to position itself for a quarterback, making the Vikings a prime candidate to trade up and overdraft one. There's an excellent chance the top three picks will be quarterbacks.
I'm always curious to see how many of these picks I actually get right. In my mock drafts, I don't do mock trades or anything like that (hard to predict a mock trade). I just make the selection as the pick is presented at the time of publication (hence why picks can be off and why I won't bat anywhere close to 1.000). Yes, there will be trades in the first round of the actual draft -- but not mine.
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Like prior mock drafts, I'm not going by positions of need with every first-round selection, but rather selecting the best player available on my board. That's how these teams are going to draft.
This is the fifth mock draft I've done for CBSSports.com (only do one per year), so feel free to rip it to shreds. I'll be criticizing myself anyway!
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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!
NFL Mock Draft
Round 1
From
Carolina Panthers
Round 1 - Pick 1
USC
• 6'1"
/ 215 lbs
The Bears get their franchise quarterback with Williams, as taking a quarterback became a lock after trading Justin Fields. With DJ Moore and Keenan Allen at wide receiver, Williams is set up for a strong start to his NFL career.
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Round 1 - Pick 2
LSU
• 6'4"
/ 210 lbs
The Commanders have their pick of the best remaining quarterback on the board, and they'll go with Daniels over Drake Maye. A play extender (and the only FBS quarterback to throw for 12,000 yards and rush for 3,000 in a career), Daniels will give NFC East defenses problems from Day 1. The centerpiece for Washington's rebuild.
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Round 1 - Pick 3
Drake Maye
QB
North Carolina
• 6'4"
/ 225 lbs
The only FBS player with 7,000+ pass yards and 1,000+ rush yards over the past two seasons, Maye is the quarterback the Patriots develop at No. 3 overall. New England needs to build an offense around Maye, so there will be growing pains in Year 1. His dual-threat ability makes the Patriots offense more intriguing.
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Round 1 - Pick 4
Ohio State
• 6'4"
/ 205 lbs
The Cardinals get the best player in the draft in Harrison, getting a No. 1 wide receiver for Kyler Murray. Harrison will be the best wideout Murray has played with, and that includes DeAndre Hopkins. A polished route runner who is a 1-on-1 nightmare, Harrison will have a massive start for his career with Murray throwing to him.
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Round 1 - Pick 5
Malik Nabers
WR
LSU
• 6'0"
/ 200 lbs
The Chargers need help on the offensive line, but getting a No. 1 wide receiver to replace Keenan Allen and Mike Williams is critical for Justin Herbert. Nabers is too good to pass up here, especially having the most career receptions (189) and recieving yards (3,003) in LSU history.
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Round 1 - Pick 6
Rome Odunze
WR
Washington
• 6'3"
/ 215 lbs
Makes sense for the Giants to go quarterback here, given Daniel Jones' injury history. But how does any team pass up on a player like Odunze, especially for an offense that could use playmakers? Odunze had 23 catches of 20+ air yards, the most in the FBS last season. He's the big-play receiver the Giants haven't had on the roster since Odell Beckham Jr.
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Round 1 - Pick 7
Joe Alt
OT
Notre Dame
• 6'8"
/ 322 lbs
Finding a starting left tackle is a priority for the Titans, and Alt falls right into their lap thanks to the quarterbacks and wide receivers going with the top six picks. Alt allowed just one sack on 740 pass-block snaps over the past two seasons, a strong fit for any team running a zone-heavy scheme. He's the most polished lineman in the draft.
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Round 1 - Pick 8
Dallas Turner
EDGE
Alabama
• 6'3"
/ 247 lbs
Atlanta gets one of the best pass rushers in the draft, and the first defensive player off the board with Turner. The SEC co-defensive player of the year had 55 pressures and a pressure rate of 20% last season, showcasing incredible athleticism and the ability to finish plays. The Falcons get a centerpiece for their defense.
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Round 1 - Pick 9
Penn State
• 6'6"
/ 312 lbs
The Bears got the quarterback in Williams, and they get the player to protect him in Fashanu. This is the ideal left tackle the Bears need to protect Williams, as Fashanu didn't allow a single sack on 697 career pass-blocking snaps while allowing just 14 pressures.
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Round 1 - Pick 10
Brock Bowers
TE
Georgia
• 6'4"
/ 230 lbs
The Jets have an older offensive line with Tyron Smith and Morgan Moses, so a tackle would make sense. Bowers is the best player on the board, however, and another pass-catching weapon for Aaron Rodgers. He's excellent in the open field and will provide yards after the catch, showing his excellence with the football in the second level. And the Jets could use a No. 1 tight end.
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Round 1 - Pick 11
Michigan
• 6'3"
/ 219 lbs
The Vikings will likely trade up to draft a quarterback, but McCarthy fell into their lap in this no-trades mock. McCarthy is insanely accurate inside and outside the pocket and there's no doubt he'll bring a winning pedigree to Minnesota. He'll challenge Sam Darnold for the starting job.
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Round 1 - Pick 12
Toledo
• 6'0"
/ 193 lbs
With the top four quarterbacks off the board, the Broncos decide to get the best cornerback in Mitchell. Pairing Mitchell will Patrick Surtain will make the Broncos secondary a force, even with the loss of Justin Simmons. A future shutdown corner, Mitchell has the most passes defended in the FBS over the past two seasons (37).
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Round 1 - Pick 13
Troy Fautanu
IOL
Washington
• 6'4"
/ 317 lbs
Will the Raiders overdraft for a quarterback with Aidan O'Connell and Gardner Minshew on the roster? They'll address quarterback at some point in the draft, as it's hard to pass on a tackle like Fautanu. He allowed just two sacks in 1,161 pass-block snaps over the past two seasons, but also has excellent drive and finish in his technique. The Raiders will need protection up front with Kolton Miller.
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Round 1 - Pick 14
JC Latham
OT
Alabama
• 6'6"
/ 342 lbs
The Saints badly need an offensive tackle with Ryan Ramczyk's injury history and Trevor Penning unable to figure things out yet. In comes Latham, who can fill in at right tackle on Day 1. Latham allowed just three sacks in 970 career pass-block snaps, with just 26 pressures (27 games started).
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Round 1 - Pick 15
Alabama
• 6'0"
/ 199 lbs
The Colts find a shutdown corner in Arnold, who accumulated the most incomplete targets (43) among SEC players last season -- along with zero touchdowns on 445 coverage snaps. Indianapolis stabilized the secondary by bringing back Kenny Moore and Julian Blackmon, but significantly improve it with Arnold on the outside.
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Round 1 - Pick 16
Laiatu Latu
EDGE
UCLA
• 6'5"
/ 265 lbs
Hard for the Seahawks to pass up on a player of Latu's caliber here, especially since he has the most sacks (23.5) and second-most tackles for loss (34.0) in FBS over the last two seasons. Latu could fall with the prior concerns over his neck, but he's excellent at getting to the quarterback and stopping the run off the edge. Great fit for Mike Macdonald's defense.
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Round 1 - Pick 17
Jared Verse
EDGE
Florida State
• 6'4"
/ 260 lbs
The Jaguars find another pass rusher to complement Jared Allen and Travon Walker, allowing him to wear down tackles late in games and rack up the pressure and sack totals. Verse would be a closer in Jacksonville, which is what the Jaguars need late in games.
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Round 1 - Pick 18
Oregon State
• 6'6"
/ 324 lbs
The Bengals draft for need here, as Fuaga can play left tackle or slide in at guard next to Trent Brown. Fuega is an excellent run blocker and works his way into the second level. Protecting Joe Burrow is paramount toward a Super Bowl run in 2024.
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Round 1 - Pick 19
Illinois
• 6'2"
/ 295 lbs
Makes sense for the Rams to find an Aaron Donald replacement with their first pick in the first round since 2016. Another excellent defender against the run, Newton controls the interior against the center. He can disrupt the quarterback too, showcasing his tremendous upside.
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Round 1 - Pick 20
Amarius Mims
OT
Georgia
• 6'8"
/ 350 lbs
The Steelers fortify the tackle position with Mims, grabbing another young player to develop with Broderick Jones. Mims isn't consistent at right tackle, but has shown the ability to be dominant. The upside is too great to pass up on Mims.
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Round 1 - Pick 21
Texas
• 6'0"
/ 306 lbs
The Dolphins are looking for a difference-making defensive tackle to replace Christian Wilkins, and found one in Murphy. He can split the double team and consistently disrupts the A and B gap. Murphy had the highest pressure rate by a FBS defensive tackle last season (17.0%).
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Round 1 - Pick 22
Chop Robinson
EDGE
Penn State
• 6'3"
/ 254 lbs
The Eagles are looking for bigger edge rushers after dealing Haason Reddick, and find another one in Robinson. Not only is Robinson quick off the edge, but he led the Big Ten in pressure rate (18.6%) over the past two seasons (minimum 200 pass rushes). Passing up on two cornerbacks that fell to Philadelphia will be tough.
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From
Houston Texans
Round 1 - Pick 23
Tyler Guyton
OT
Oklahoma
• 6'7"
/ 322 lbs
The Vikings could go edge rusher here, but they take the best offensive tackle on the board in Guyton. He allowed zero sacks on 335 pass-block snaps last season, protecting the young quarterback they landed earlier.
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Round 1 - Pick 24
Texas
• 6'2"
/ 205 lbs
There are more pressing needs for the Cowboys (offensive tackle), but the draft board played out where Dallas can't pass up on Mitchell. His deep-ball tracking ability opens up the slot for CeeDee Lamb, making the passing game even more explosive in what could be Dak Prescott's final season in Dallas.
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Round 1 - Pick 25
Nate Wiggins
CB
Clemson
• 6'1"
/ 182 lbs
A knack for finding the end zone when he does get interceptions, Wiggins also has 19 passes defended in over the last two seasons. The Packers could use some extra help in the secondary, and Wiggins is too good to pass up at No. 25.
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Round 1 - Pick 26
Iowa
• 6'0"
/ 198 lbs
Losing Carlton Davis is a blow to the Buccaneers secondary, so they replace him with DeJean -- who can play at outside cornerback and safety. He allowed zero touchdowns on 374 coverage snaps last season, while also being an excellent returner.
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From
Houston Texans
Round 1 - Pick 27
Darius Robinson
EDGE
Missouri
• 6'5"
/ 285 lbs
An explosive player who can play inside and outside, the tape does Robinson more justice than his combine performance. The Cardinals need speed off the edge, but the power on the interior makes Robinson a good prospect. They also need a run stopper, which Robinson does very well.
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Round 1 - Pick 28
LSU
• 6'2"
/ 209 lbs
The Bills need a big play receiver in this offense, and Thomas is that guy. He led the FBS with 17 receiving touchdowns last season, but also clocked a 4.33 at the combine. Buffalo gets a red zone threat and a player who can open things up on the outside.
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Round 1 - Pick 29
Alabama
• 5'11"
/ 199 lbs
The Lions are looking for a cornerback after Cam Sutton's release, and McKinstry is a press cornerback who matches up well with receivers. He allowed no touchdowns on 1,206 career coverage snaps and is also strong in the return game. This is great value at No. 29.
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Round 1 - Pick 30
Duke
• 6'5"
/ 314 lbs
Barton can play center and guard, but he'll move to one of the guard spots in Baltimore with John Simpson and Kevin Zeitler departing in free agency. He explodes off the ball and is massive for a guard, adding more power to the interior of the offensive line.
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Round 1 - Pick 31
Missouri
• 5'11"
/ 191 lbs
The 49ers could use a Day 1 starter at cornerback, and Rakestraw has the length to slow down receivers and the statistics to start immediately. He allowed no touchdowns in 1,017 coverage snaps in his collegiate career.
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Round 1 - Pick 32
South Carolina
• 6'3"
/ 227 lbs
Another year the Chiefs are looking for more help at wide receiver, so they get the combination of size and speed in Legette. He averaged 17.7 yards per catch last season and is strong at tracking the football. Seems like a good fit for Patrick Mahomes.
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