2024 NFL Mock Draft: Seahawks make surprising move for QB; Panthers trade back into Round 1 for Brock Bowers

We're here, finally. It's officially Draft Day (less than two hours away) and what better way to celebrate three of the most exciting days of the NFL offseason than with one last mock draft. This is what I think will happen, though after countless revisions and what felt like just as many trades, you could argue pretty easily that I'm probably overthinking this.

For the record, I had seven trades in this final mock draft (SEVEN!):

1. The Vikings trade up to No. 3, the Patriots get picks No. 11, 23 and more;
2. The Broncos trade up to No. 4, the Cardinals move back to No. 12 (along with a lot more draft compensation that's beyond the scope of what we're discussing here);  
3. The Cardinals then trade up from No. 12, back to No. 5, and the Chargers now have the 12th pick;
4. The Saints trade up to No. 9, the Bears move down to 14th;
5. The Eagles trade up to No. 18, the Bengals move back to No. 22;
6. The Texans trade into the first round (pick No. 27);
7. The Panthers trade into the first round (pick No. 31).

If this feels excessive, it probably is. If nothing else, it'll help you pass the time at work while you wait for 8 p.m. ET. You're welcome.

The time for talking, mercifully, is officially over. OK, all together now, one last time ... let's get to it.

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.  

NFL Mock Draft

Round 1

Round 1 - Pick 1 Caleb Williams QB USC • 6'1" / 215 lbs Projected Team Chicago PROSPECT RNK 1st POSITION RNK 1st PAYDS 3633 RUYDS 121 INTS 5 TDS 41 This hasn't changed since last August and I never understood why any other player was in the QB1 conversation these last 4-5 months. Williams is a special talent, and the Bears have done a good job of putting pieces in place to support him.

Round 1 - Pick 2 Jayden Daniels QB LSU • 6'4" / 210 lbs Projected Team Washington PROSPECT RNK 6th POSITION RNK 3rd PAYDS 3812 RUYDS 1134 INTS 4 TDS 50 No player improved more over the last 12 months than Jayden Daniels. He has a big arm, throws with touch to all three levels and has the athleticism to rip off 50-yard runs and make it look easy.

Mock Trade from New England Patriots Round 1 - Pick 3 Drake Maye QB North Carolina • 6'4" / 225 lbs Projected Team Minnesota PROSPECT RNK 5th POSITION RNK 2nd PAYDS 3608 RUYDS 449 INTS 9 TDS 33 This isn't breaking news but the Vikings have to get a QB in this class and I've heard that they prefer Maye at this spot. The problem: it's going to be costly to get up to No. 3 but if Maye is your guy, it's an easy decision.

Mock Trade from Arizona Cardinals Round 1 - Pick 4 J.J. McCarthy QB Michigan • 6'3" / 219 lbs Projected Team Denver PROSPECT RNK 20th POSITION RNK 4th PAYDS 2991 RUYDS 202 INTS 4 TDS 25 Like the Vikings, the Broncos need a QB, especially in that division, and especially if they can beat their AFC West rivals to the punch.

Mock Trade from Los Angeles Chargers Round 1 - Pick 5 Marvin Harrison Jr. WR Ohio State • 6'4" / 205 lbs Projected Team Arizona PROSPECT RNK 2nd POSITION RNK 1st REC 67 REYDS 1211 YDS/REC 18.1 TDS 15 The Cardinals aren't afraid to move down -- and then back up -- the draft board (see last year) and if they can move down from No. 4, and then get back to No. 5 and still land Marvin Harrison Jr. feels like best-case scenario. (For our purposes here, Arizona moved down from No. 4 to No. 12, then traded back up to No. 5 to get Harrison Jr.)

Round 1 - Pick 6 Malik Nabers WR LSU • 6'0" / 200 lbs Projected Team N.Y. Giants PROSPECT RNK 3rd POSITION RNK 2nd REC 89 REYDS 1569 YDS/REC 17.6 TDS 14 The Giants will try to get Drake Maye and if they can't pull off that trade-up, they have to get Daniel Jones some help.

Round 1 - Pick 7 Joe Alt OT Notre Dame • 6'8" / 322 lbs Projected Team Tennessee PROSPECT RNK 7th POSITION RNK 2nd I desperately wanted to give the Titans a wide receiver here, and new coach Brian Callahan might be leaning in that direction, but instead they get the most NFL-ready left tackle in this class.

Round 1 - Pick 8 Jared Verse EDGE Florida State • 6'4" / 260 lbs Projected Team Atlanta PROSPECT RNK 11th POSITION RNK 2nd It'll be interesting to see which edge rusher goes off the board first but Jared Verse can take over games and in Atlanta he fills a huge need

Mock Trade from Chicago Bears Round 1 - Pick 9 Olumuyiwa Fashanu OT Penn State • 6'6" / 312 lbs Projected Team New Orleans PROSPECT RNK 4th POSITION RNK 1st Saints GM Mickey Loomis ain't afraid to trade up and given their needs at the tackle position (potentially both left and right), this would be the least surprising development of Thursday night.

Round 1 - Pick 10 Taliese Fuaga OT Oregon State • 6'6" / 324 lbs Projected Team N.Y. Jets PROSPECT RNK 12th POSITION RNK 3rd Even with Rome Odunze still on the board, GM Joe Douglas gets the offensive lineman he was reportedly enamored with going back to the Senior Bowl.

Mock Trade from Minnesota Vikings Round 1 - Pick 11 Rome Odunze WR Washington • 6'3" / 215 lbs Projected Team New England PROSPECT RNK 9th POSITION RNK 3rd REC 92 REYDS 1640 YDS/REC 17.8 TDS 15 The Patriots trade down and and find Rome Odunze sitting in their laps. He's a top-8 talent all day long, but because of all the trade-ups for QBs and OTs, Odunze lasts until pick 11.

Mock Trade from Arizona Cardinals Round 1 - Pick 12 JC Latham OT Alabama • 6'6" / 342 lbs Projected Team L.A. Chargers PROSPECT RNK 19th POSITION RNK 5th Latham's NFL future may eventually be at guard but he'll get every chance to win the RT job where he was dominant for Alabama the last two seasons.

Round 1 - Pick 13 Quinyon Mitchell CB Toledo • 6'0" / 193 lbs Projected Team Las Vegas PROSPECT RNK 8th POSITION RNK 1st Vegas needs a QB but if they don't trade up, they'll target the bet OT or CB. In Mitchell, they land the best cornerback in this class.

Mock Trade from New Orleans Saints Round 1 - Pick 14 Byron Murphy II DL Texas • 6'0" / 306 lbs Projected Team Chicago PROSPECT RNK 15th POSITION RNK 1st The Bears could take an edge rusher here and it would make all the sense in the world, or they could take the best defensive player in this class in Byron Murphy II.

Round 1 - Pick 15 Brian Thomas Jr. WR LSU • 6'2" / 209 lbs Projected Team Indianapolis PROSPECT RNK 17th POSITION RNK 4th REC 68 REYDS 1177 YDS/REC 17.3 TDS 17 The Colts could be in the market to trade up for a WR but instead stay put and land one of the best deep threats in this class.

Round 1 - Pick 16 Michael Penix Jr. QB Washington • 6'3" / 215 lbs Projected Team Seattle PROSPECT RNK 30th POSITION RNK 5th PAYDS 4903 RUYDS 8 INTS 11 TDS 39 This feels out of left field, but there are the obvious connections too; Ryan Grubb, the Seahawks new offensive coordinator, was Penix's OC and QB coach for the Huskies. Geno Smith, meanwhile, will be 34 in October and his contract expires after the 2025 season.

Round 1 - Pick 17 Dallas Turner EDGE Alabama • 6'3" / 247 lbs Projected Team Jacksonville PROSPECT RNK 10th POSITION RNK 1st Turner could be off the board 8 or 9 picks earlier but somehow lasts until the middle of Round 1. He'll be EDGE1 on a lot of teams' boards.

Mock Trade from Cincinnati Bengals Round 1 - Pick 18 Terrion Arnold CB Alabama • 6'0" / 199 lbs Projected Team Philadelphia PROSPECT RNK 13th POSITION RNK 2nd The Eagles need to solidify the secondary and they're trading up here to do it.

Round 1 - Pick 19 Laiatu Latu EDGE UCLA • 6'5" / 265 lbs Projected Team L.A. Rams PROSPECT RNK 16th POSITION RNK 3rd The Rams could target defensive line here but if they've cleared Latu medically, he would make a lot of sense.

Round 1 - Pick 20 Troy Fautanu IOL Washington • 6'4" / 317 lbs Projected Team Pittsburgh PROSPECT RNK 23rd POSITION RNK 1st The Steelers could go in any number of directions here, from WR to CB to interior offensive line, but they target the tackle position with Fautanu, who has the flexibility to play all five positions.

Round 1 - Pick 21 Graham Barton OT Duke • 6'5" / 314 lbs Projected Team Miami PROSPECT RNK 35th POSITION RNK 6th Barton played left tackle at Duke but his NFL future will be inside at either guard or center.

Mock Trade from Philadelphia Eagles Round 1 - Pick 22 Amarius Mims OT Georgia • 6'8" / 350 lbs Projected Team Cincinnati PROSPECT RNK 18th POSITION RNK 4th Brock Bowers is still out there but the Bengals consider the offensive line a bigger need here.

Mock Trade from Minnesota Vikings Round 1 - Pick 23 Tyler Guyton OT Oklahoma • 6'7" / 322 lbs Projected Team New England PROSPECT RNK 36th POSITION RNK 7th Guyton played right tackle at Oklahoma but some teams think he has the ability to move to the left side, which is a huge need for the Patriots.

Round 1 - Pick 24 Jordan Morgan OT Arizona • 6'5" / 311 lbs Projected Team Dallas PROSPECT RNK 41st POSITION RNK 9th Morgan played left tackle at Arizona and he may kick inside at the next level; wherever he ends up, he'll play alongside Tyler Smith.

Round 1 - Pick 25 Cooper DeJean CB Iowa • 6'0" / 198 lbs Projected Team Green Bay PROSPECT RNK 25th POSITION RNK 4th The Packers could go offensive or defensive line, but instead add depth to the secondary. I like DeJean as an outside CB but some teams think he'll be best suited at nickel or safety.

Round 1 - Pick 26 Kool-Aid McKinstry CB Alabama • 5'11" / 199 lbs Projected Team Tampa Bay PROSPECT RNK 29th POSITION RNK 5th The Bucs could love an interior offensive lineman here but they also need to improve the secondary and McKinstry could be a target here.

Mock Trade from Arizona Cardinals Round 1 - Pick 27 Johnny Newton DL Illinois • 6'2" / 295 lbs Projected Team Houston PROSPECT RNK 26th POSITION RNK 2nd The Texans traded this pick to the Cardinals a year ago as part of the Will Anderson deal and now they're trading back into Round 1 to get a much-needed defensive tackle.

Round 1 - Pick 28 Adonai Mitchell WR Texas • 6'2" / 205 lbs Projected Team Buffalo PROSPECT RNK 24th POSITION RNK 5th REC 55 REYDS 845 YDS/REC 15.4 TDS 11 Xavier Worthy was a consideration here but the Bills have Curtis Samuel and Khalil Shakir; Mitchell is a big, fast, physical target who can win on short, intermediate and deep routes.

Round 1 - Pick 29 Darius Robinson EDGE Missouri • 6'5" / 285 lbs Projected Team Detroit PROSPECT RNK 28th POSITION RNK 5th Robinson can plays on the edge or inside and he'll make it tougher for opponents to double-team Aidan Hutchinson in Detroit.

Round 1 - Pick 30 Nate Wiggins CB Clemson • 6'1" / 182 lbs Projected Team Baltimore PROSPECT RNK 21st POSITION RNK 3rd Wiggins only weighed 173 at the combine but he's the best cover corner in this class -- and plays with the type of confidence you typically see in a Ravens defense.

From San Francisco 49ers Round 1 - Pick 31 Brock Bowers TE Georgia • 6'4" / 230 lbs Projected Team Carolina PROSPECT RNK 14th POSITION RNK 1st REC 56 REYDS 714 YDS/REC 12.8 TDS 7 Maybe Bowers goes to the Jets, or even the Bengals -- but both teams could also target an offensive linemen. And if the Panthers are able to trade up a few spots to get him here, that almost feels like stealing.

Round 1 - Pick 32 Xavier Worthy WR Texas • 5'11" / 165 lbs Projected Team Kansas City PROSPECT RNK 31st POSITION RNK 7th REC 75 REYDS 1014 YDS/REC 13.5 TDS 6 I know, the Chiefs have Hollywood Brown and Kadarius Toney on the roster too, but Worthy's 4.21 is hard to ignore. It's also hard to ignore his weight, 165 pounds at the combine, but he lined up in the slot and outside for the Longhorns and it's hard to imagine how the rest of the league will defend this Chiefs offense with someone like Worthy on the field.

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.