I'm thinking of this time of year as a relay race -- the NCAA Tournament just passed the baton to The Masters and then, we're up, baby! The 2024 NFL Draft will take center stage, literally in Detroit and will become the hub of the sports world for three glorious days in just a few weeks. It's really not that far away.
The weather's starting to turn too -- April is low-key one of the finest sports months on the calendar. I feel like it's underrated like A.J. Brown was as a prospect coming out of Ole Miss in 2019. He had no business going in the second round! Here I go again, rambling about specifics in past drafts. Let's get to today's jam-packed newsletter, shall we?
We started last week, but 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 🔮: Offense galore for NFC East
Today I'm featuring Garrett Podell's mock that features all four NFC East teams selecting an offensive player in the first round. That'd be fun wouldn't it?
1. Chicago Bears -- Caleb Williams, QB, USC
2. Washington Commanders -- Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina
3. New England Patriots -- Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU
4. Minnesota Vikings (via mock trade with Cardinals) -- J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan
13. Las Vegas Raiders - Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington
18. Cincinnati Bengals - JC Latham, OT, Alabama
21. Miami Dolphins - Cooper DeJean, CB, Iowa
22. Philadelphia Eagles - Brian Thomas Jr., WR, LSU
This might be the first mock I've seen on the internet the past three months that has Thomas Jr. to the Eagles at 22 overall, but I ... kinda like it. Jalen Hurts had a down year in 2023, Brown dealt with injuries, and the club could use more depth at the receiver position. Garrett, has swiftly talked me into it.
As for the rest of the offensive picks for the NFC East -- meaning what the Giants and Cowboys will do -- well, you're going to have to click the link to read the 4,540th mock draft you've checked since January.
2. 'With the First Pick' podcast 🎧: Favorite NFL comparisons
As someone who adores NFL comparisons for draft prospects, this was one heck of an episode. CBS Sports' resident GM Rick Spielman and fellow draft analyst Ryan Wilson churn out a collection of their favorite pro comps for top prospects -- at a multitude of positions -- in this draft class. I'll give a few spoilers -- Rick likens Marvin Harrison Jr. to Larry Fitzgerald (HELLO!), and Ryan sees Emmanuel Sanders in Georgia receiver Ladd McConkey.
3. Prospect of the day 📈: Bralen Trice, EDGE, Washington
This edge class is reasonably stacked at the top -- Dallas Turner, Jared Verse, Chop Robinson and Laiatu Latu -- after that, I don't love the depth. One player, I do like in the middle rounds at the position is Trice, a proud member of my 2024 Trust The Tape Team.
From a draft perspective, Trice has such a unique story. Led all of FBS in pressures in back-to-back seasons (!) -- and sure, the extra game for Washington this past season helped, but the feat remains -- but measured in much smaller than expected at the combine and borderline tanked his workout, running 4.72 with a 1.65 10-yard split at under 6-foot-4 and 245 pounds.
Production-wise, Trice is a first-round pick all day -- and the film shows the insane pressure numbers were no fluke, he's a sensei with his hands. But his low-level explosiveness and lacking size say otherwise. It'll be fascinating to see where Trice is ultimately drafted, and nothing would surprise me with him. He could be one of the first edge rushers off the board on Day 2, or not selected until the sixth round.
- Notable combine results: 4.72 in the 40-yard dash, 1.65 10-yard split (41st percentile)
- Combine measurements: 6-foot-3 3/4, 245 pounds, 77 5/8 wingspan
- Current CBS Sports prospect ranking: No. 35 overall (EDGE6)
4. How sportsbooks see top of Round 1 unfolding 👀
You know how the bookmakers in Vegas seemingly know everything in the sports world? How they set over/unders outstandingly and typically give NFL games ideal lines? On that note, with sports betting ubiquitous today, of course the NFL Draft has become a rather sizable betting enterprise.
And Jordan Dajani laid out how, based on the odds set right now, Vegas sees the first seven picks of the 2024 NFL Draft unfolding. Fun article to look at, even if you're not a gambler. After all, you have now read 4,541 mock drafts in hopes of seeing the order of picks in Round 1.
5. News & Notes 📝
- Woody Johnson addresses Aaron Rodgers vice president interest. The Jets owner called it a "momentary distraction" but vows Rodgers is all in on the upcoming 2024 football season for Gang Green.
- CeeDee Lamb downplays reported holdout. The Cowboys star receiver has not yet signed an extension and according to The Dallas Morning News, the former first-round pick will not attend voluntary offseason work at the facility and could hold out until an extension is agreed upon. But Lamb told TMZ, "I'll be in Dallas," and that he's getting ready for the season.
- Logan Ryan retires. The two-time Super Bowl winner, who made his name in the NFL with the Patriots after starting his career as a second-round pick by New England, has called it quits. He played for the 49ers in 2023.