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The 2024 NFL season is officially over, with the Philadelphia Eagles walloping the Kansas City Chiefs to prevent the Super Bowl three-peat. Now it's on to the offseason, starting with the NFL Scouting Combine, then free agency and finally the 2025 NFL Draft.
A year after we didn't see a defensive player come off the board until pick 15, over ⅓ of this first round is defensive linemen. It's a deep group who should come off the board quickly come April 24.
Let's get to the picks!
NFL Mock Draft
Round 1
Round 1 - Pick 1
Cam Ward is far from a sure thing, but he's the type of playmaker you roll the dice on at the top of the draft. It's easy to buy into his career trajectory continuing upwards in the NFL.
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Round 1 - Pick 2
Abdul Carter isn't going to be Myles Garrett, but the Penn State defensive end might be the closest thing to the former No. 1 overall pick to come out since. Carter has an electric first step that he pairs with easy power to get to opposing quarterbacks.
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Round 1 - Pick 3
The most versatile player in college football could fill a need for the Giants on either side of the field. Travis Hunter is my WR1 and CB1 in the draft, making this one an easy fit for the Giants.
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Round 1 - Pick 4
If you have a top-5 pick in the NFL, you don't waste it on "need" but rather take the best value. Mason Graham is simply a better defensive tackle prospect than the top offensive tackle prospect. Graham is a nimble defensive tackle who's already NFL-ready against the run.
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Round 1 - Pick 5
Tetairoa McMillan is the perfect fit for both Liam Cohen and Trevor Lawrence in that he's a full tree route-runner that has one of the largest catch radii you'll ever see. That's something that Trevor Lawrence had at Clemson yet never quite had in the NFL.
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Round 1 - Pick 6
Shedeur Sanders falls in the Raiders lap in this mock, but they may have to make a move up in actuality to get this done. Sanders has the kind of underneath accuracy to quickly develop a rapport with Brock Bowers in the Raiders offense.
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Round 1 - Pick 7
If Aaron Glenn is taking any page out of Detroit's playbook, it would be wise to start with emulating the Lions offensive line. Campbell would likely slot in at right tackle for the Jets and immediately give them their best starting five in years.
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Round 1 - Pick 8
Jalon Walker is the exact kind of 3-4 outside linebacker body type that Ejiro Evero wants in his defense. His ability to drop in coverage and rush the passer at a high-level would play perfectly in the scheme.
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Round 1 - Pick 9
With Marshon Lattimore out the door and Paulson Adebo heading for free agency, the Saints have an obvious need at cornerback. Will Johnson could easily fill Lattimore's shoes as the kind of No. 1 cornerback who can shadow bigger wide receivers. He handled some of college football's best in 2023 -- most notably Marvin Harrison Jr. and Rome Odunze.
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Round 1 - Pick 10
Braxton Jones is far from a liability at left tackle, but he doesn't bring near the potential to the table that Banks does. Banks is a three-year starter at left tackle for the Longhorns who was battle-tested in the SEC this past fall.
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Round 1 - Pick 11
John Lynch's first four first-round picks as 49ers GM all came in the trenches. While he's taken only Trey Lance (No. 3 overall in 2021) and Ricky Pearsall (No. 31 overall in 2024) in the first round since, Lynch looks poised to return to the defensive line of scrimmage that saw a downturn last fall. Mykel Williams is the kind of athletic marvel who defensive line coach Kris Kocurek could work magic with.
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Round 1 - Pick 12
College football's leading rusher goes to a newly minted head coach in Brian Schottenheimer who wants to establish the run. Ashton Jeanty makes mincemeat of two-high defenses as he combines elite tackle-breaking ability with home-run speed.
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Round 1 - Pick 13
With Tyreek Hill likely out the door, the Dolphins reload with another explosive playmaker. Luther Burden III is the kind of one-cut route-runner that can work the middle of the football field in Mike McDaniel's offense.
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Round 1 - Pick 14
Chris Ballard is a traits-based drafter, and you won't find too many prospects with better traits in this draft than Kenneth Grant. He's a mammoth defensive tackle whomoves like a 3-technique and is only scratching the surface of his potential.
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Round 1 - Pick 15
Mike Green is the kind of NFL-ready pass-rusher the Falcons desperately need. He led the FBS with 17 sacks and 23 tackles for loss in only his first year as a starter.
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Round 1 - Pick 16
Shemar Stewart is a massive swing at the most valuable position on defense. You won't find too many 280-pounders in NFL history with his kind of explosiveness. Still, his tape leaves much to be desired after only 1.5 sacks this past fall. If Jonathan Gannon can get him to hit his ceiling, the Cardinals will have a game-wrecker
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Round 1 - Pick 17
Colston Loveland is the kind of middle-of-the-field difference-maker who the Bengals have never quite had. He's still young at only 20 years old and was uber-productive over his three-year career with nearly 1,500 career yards.
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Round 1 - Pick 18
Tyler Booker is an NFL-ready pass-protector with an ideal guard build. That sounds like exactly what the doctor ordered for the Seahawks offensive line.
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Round 1 - Pick 19
Jihaad Campbell is jumbo off-ball linebacker who's perfect for Todd Bowles' scheme. He can blitz like an edge rusher, which is the perfect skill to have for one of the NFL's blitz-heaviest defensive coordinators.
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Round 1 - Pick 20
The Broncos need some semblance of reliability at their wide receiver position across from Courtland Sutton. Egbuka has the advanced and consistent route-running chops to pair well with Bo Nix's anticipatory play style.
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Round 1 - Pick 21
The Steelers cornerback position was a mess last season. Jahdae Barron was the opposite of that. In his first year as a full-time outside corner after playing primarily in the slot, Barron was nearly impenetrable. He plays with the kind of physicality that Mike Tomlin will love.
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Round 1 - Pick 22
Armand Membou played right tackle at Missouri, but has the kind of build that could excel on the interior in the NFL. Jim Harbaugh wasn't lying when he said he wants to build through the trenches, and as such it wouldn't surprise me if he went with back-to-back first-rounders along the offensive line.
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From
Houston Texans
Round 1 - Pick 23
The Packers love twitched-up defensive linemen and Nolen fits that mold. He's got the body type and first step to be a game-changing three-technique in the NFL.
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Round 1 - Pick 24
While long-term starter Harrison Smith is technically under contract for 2025, he just turned 36 years old last week. The Vikings may look to replace him with a similarly versatile talent in Starks. Starks' ability to line up anywhere on the backend was made for Brian Flores' scheme.
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Round 1 - Pick 25
Derrick Harmon is the perfect plug-and-play defensive tackle for the Texans' desperate need on the interior. He can play any alignment and still make an impact vs. both run and pass.
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Round 1 - Pick 26
The Rams are a tape team through and through and won't be swayed by any less-than-stellar pre-draft testing measurables. Warren is the kind of heady playmaker over the middle of the field who could replace some of Cooper Kupp's production.
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Round 1 - Pick 27
Josh Conerly Jr. is a bit of a project, but he's got all the tools to develop into a future Pro Bowler. His high-end athleticism would be a weapon on the move in the run game leading out for Derrick Henry or Lamar Jackson.
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Round 1 - Pick 28
The Lions may be looking for starters at both guard positions this offseason. The good news is that Grey Zabel proved at the Senior Bowl that he could play both. There's little chance GM Brad Holmes will let his dominant offensive line backslide.
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Round 1 - Pick 29
James Pearce Jr. is one of the best athletes in the defensive end class. He made big strides as a run defender this past fall as well. While he needs to get stronger, Pearce has the kind of traits that head coach Dan Quinn has been able to deploy effectively.
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Round 1 - Pick 30
Nick Emmanwori is the kind of tone-setter at safety who the Bills have been missing. At more than 220 pounds, Emmanwori can still cover ground and lay the boom.
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Round 1 - Pick 31
Josh Simmons' midseason patellar tear is the only thing keeping him from being around 20 spots higher on this list. If he ticks all the boxes, though, he could be the Day 1 starter the Chiefs are desperate for. His early-season tape was nearly flawless.
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Round 1 - Pick 32
With Brandon Graham set to retire and Josh Sweat hitting free agency, the Eagles are poised to take advantage of a deep defensive end class. Nic Scourton had a bit of a disappointing junior campaign after transferring from Purdue, but he's far more talented than what he put on tape this past fall.
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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.
