As the first week of NFL Draft month progresses, so many questions are running through my head, and chief among them is: Will we get that massive trade up into the top five from one of the teams looking for a quarterback BEFORE the draft? Like soon? That'd be fun, wouldn't it? With pro days complete and 95% of my prospect evaluations done, I'm starting to feel a little antsy. Thankfully the draft starts April 25 this year, the earliest start date since 2020. (Plus, shortly after I wrote this newsletter, the Bills traded Stefon Diggs to the Texans! More on that below.)
I will say -- while there's always an inherent craving for more certainty in the draft -- and life -- the uncertainty does add some spice to this time of year. There's absolutely a part of me that wants no trades to have been consummated before the draft and the deals to go down while a team is in the pressure cooker that is being officially "on the clock."
If you're new here, I got you covered. We're rebranding the Pick Six newsletter through the end of April. I, CBS Sports NFL Draft analyst Chris Trapasso, will be with you every step of the way. Honored.
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1. Today's NFL mock draft 🔮: J.J. McCarthy goes how high?
It's hilarious to me when I'm featuring my own mock draft, but mine is the freshest on the CBS Sports site today, so this is not just blatant self-promotion.
1. Chicago Bears -- Caleb Williams, QB, USC
2. Washington Commanders -- Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU
3. New England Patriots -- J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan
4. Arizona Cardinals -- Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State
8. Atlanta Falcons -- Jared Verse, EDGE, Florida State
13. Las Vegas Raiders -- Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia
16. Seattle Seahawks -- Laiatu Latu, EDGE, UCLA
24. Dallas Cowboys -- Xavier Worthy, WR, Texas
30. Baltimore Ravens -- Braden Fiske, DT, Florida State
This would represent maybe the highest conceivable draft position for McCarthy -- unless you want to believe the Commanders adore him -- and it'd lead to a bit of a drop for North Carolina's Drake Maye. I've mocked the Cardinals trading back about 204 times since the season ended, but running through scenarios in which Arizona simply stays put and picks Harrison Jr. is an exercise worth doing.
And while I didn't feature them here, I can assure you there are three first-round trades in my brand spanking new mock, and only one features a club trading up for a quarterback. Although there's a nifty way another club acquires a quarterback. And with the Fiske selection to the Ravens ... he doesn't fit the mold of defensive linemen Baltimore traditionally likes, but with a new defensive coordinator and former assistant GM Joe Hortiz now with the Chargers, should we be prepared for some new draft flavors from Eric DeCosta's crew?
2. 'With the First Pick' podcast 🎧: Defensive front seven rankings
In the latest episode of the podcast, Rick Spielman and Ryan Wilson run through their top 5 prospects for the edge rusher, defensive line, and linebacker positions in the 2024 draft class. You'll hear plenty of recognizable names like Dallas Turner, Byron Murphy II and Jared Verse and get draft ranges plus pro comparisons for each. Beyond all that juicy info, a neat nugget in this episode is the under-the-radar prospects at each position from former defensive lineman Leger Douzable. Spoiler -- Douzable loves Colorado State edge rusher Mo Kamara, and I do too! Smaller but super-disruptive, bendy, and surprisingly powerful. Listen to the entire, evaluation-based episode right here.
3. Prospect of the day 📈: Trey Benson, RB, Florida State
Benson deserves more love! And here by "love" I'm talking draft love, of course. He legitimately checks every single box for me. Ready? Feature-back size? Yep. Elite long speed? Yep. He ran a 4.39-second 40-yard dash at the combine. Elusive? Ab-so-lutely. Benson forced 124 missed tackles on his 310 carries at Florida State. Which brings me to ... his mileage. Only 310 carries at Florida State? Heck, Wisconsin's Braelon Allen nearly toted the rock two times as many times in college (596 carries for the Badgers). Oh, and lastly, Benson's receiving ability is apparent on film and in the stat book. He caught 32 passes at more than 11 yards per snag in 2022 and 2023 combined for the Seminoles. I really think he deserves Breece Hall-like love as a prospect.
- Notable combine results: 4.39 in the 40-yard dash, 33.5-inch vertical (37th percentile), 10-foot-2 broad (74th percentile)
- Combine measurements: 6-foot and 2/8", 216 pounds
- Current CBS Sports prospect ranking: No. 99 overall (No. 4 RB)
4. Bengals seven-round mock draft 👀
No one on staff at CBS Sports -- or maybe the world -- knows more about the Bengals than our very own John Breech, so naturally he was given the plum assignment to piece together a seven-round mock for Cincinnati.
Joe Burrow's club is armed with 10 selections in the 2024 draft, and unsurprisingly, John started in the trenches for a team that lost D.J. Reader in free agency. After back-to-back defensive tackle selections -- with two prospects with differing styles -- John added offensive tackle depth before giving Burrow some new toys at receiver and tight end. Bengals fans, this is a dandy of a mock from John. Enjoy.
5. News & Notes 📝
- Stefon Diggs traded to Texans: Woah! In a blockbuster trade, the Bills sent the four-time Pro Bowl WR to Houston to team up with young phenom C.J. Stroud. Buffalo also gave up a 2024 sixth-round pick and a 2025 fifth-rounder in exchange for a 2025 second-round selection. While top picks for this year weren't exchanged, this move still has massive ramifications when it comes to the Bills' draft plans (aka they will definitely be taking a WR, and probably with their first pick). For how the Bills' draft plans have changed as a result of this deal, click here.
- Chiefs, Royals to explore other funding options. There was a massive vote in Kansas City on Tuesday, and the sales tax proposition tied to new money for stadium renovation funds for the Chiefs and MLB's Royals was voted down. What does that mean? Now the teams will have to look for other avenues for financial help, which includes relocation.
- Haason Reddick speaks on trade from Eagles. The star pass rusher was moved by the Eagles last week, and now will wear a different shade of green with the Jets. He recently gave some quotes on the trade and interestingly mentioned he won't commit to signing an extension with New York just yet.
- Iowa's Cooper Dejean cleared for football activities. The Hawkeyes star defensive back/returner broke his leg five months ago but recently sent a memo to all 32 teams stating he's been medically cleared. He'll participate in an individual workout on April 8.
- Seahawks sign former second-rounder receiver. It's Laviska Shenault, a rugged, YAC-based wideout who was selected in Round 2 by the Jaguars in 2020 and spent the past two seasons on the Panthers after being traded to Carolina.