Ryan Hughes Mock Draft 1.0

The 2024 NFL Draft is one like no other. For the first time in a while, there is no clear “number one” player. 2023 had Bryce Young (yikes), 2022 had Aidan Hutchinson (who went 2nd) and 2021 have Trevor Lawrence. This time around, there’s much more at stake for the Chicago Bears, and I think they have the toughest choice (not the one that’s likely to be wrong) in a long time. With that, with the First Pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears Select:

Pick 1 (CHI) Pick 2 (WSH), Pick 3 (NE), Pick 4 (ARZ), Pick 5 (LAC), Pick 6 (NYG), Pick 7 (TEN), Pick 8 (ATL), Pick 9 (CHI), Pick 10 (NYJ), Pick 11 (IND via MIN), Pick 12 (DEN), Pick 13 (CIN via LV), Pick 14 (NO), Pick 15 (MIN via IND), Pick 16 (SEA), Pick 17 (JAX), Pick 18 (LV via CIN). Pick 19 (LAR), Pick 20 (PIT), Pick 21 (TB via MIA), Pick 22 (PHI), Pick 23 (HOU via CLE), Pick 24 (NE via DAL), Pick 25 (GB), Pick 26 (KC via MIA from TB), Pick 27 (ARZ via HOU), Pick 28 (BUF), Pick 29 (DET), Pick 30 (BAL), Pick 31 (KC via MIA), Pick 32 (SF)

Chicago Bears: WR – Marvin Harrison Jr – Ohio State.

              This will be the most controversial take at number one, but I don’t think the Bears benefit from resetting the Quarterback Clock with a guy like Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, or Jayden Daniels. In the last few weeks of the season, Justin Fields started to impress, creating highlight reel worthy plays on a daily basis.

              Wide Receiver at one is a huge risk, but for a prospect like Marvin Harrison Jr, you take that risk 10 times out of 10. He’s an absolute beast of a receiver, standing at 6’4” 205 lbs. He didn’t really have an impressive quarterback throwing to him, and his physical nature should translate well to the NFL. MHJ Is unafraid of contact. The Ohio State connection with Justin Fields could immediately build chemistry between the two, and even if he is WR2 in year one, he’ll go off along side other receiving threats like DJ Moore and Cole Kmet.

Pick 2: Washington Commanders: QB – Caleb Williams – USC.

              I loved Caleb at Oklahoma, his tenure at USC came to a rough end, but the former Heisman winner has mountains of potential. Everybody has Caleb at one, but ignoring the reasons that I mentioned above with the Bears, both sides have so many reasons to hope and pray that the USC QB falls to 2.

Caleb Williams does not want to go to Chicago, and he will get his wish. This pick would be the best for business on both sides. Washington DC is a huge market and having a franchise quarterback—and one that could very well be a generational talent—would be huge for the Commanders in leaving FedEx Field and Landover, Maryland.

Sam Howell fell off at the end of last season, and whoever comes in at head coach, whether that be current Commanders OC Eric Bienemy or maybe Lions OC Ben Johnson, they’re going to want a QB to mold into their own. It makes far more sense for Washington to reset the QB Clock than it does Chicago.

Pick 3: New England Patriots: QB – Jayden Daniels – LSU

              I’m in love with Jayden Daniels. Why him over Drake Maye?  Drake Maye is going to fall purely based on the legacy that UNC quarterbacks have. They haven’t historically succeeded in the NFL. Jayden Daniels has the traits that Mac Jones lacked in the past two seasons in New England. He can move on his feet, he has an absolute cannon of an arm—and truth be told—Jayden Daniels has the chance to be the safest quarterback option in the draft.

              Now let me be clear—as a Patriots fan—there are more issues that the Patriots have than just Quarterback. The offensive line is horrific, the Wide Receiver core might be the worst in the league, but Quarterback is the right pick here at 3.

              Reports seem to show that Mac Jones has lost the locker room, and it’s time for a fresh start in New England. Jayden Daniels is that guy, but Patriots fans should expect to be done after the 3rd overall pick.

Pick 4: Arizona Cardinals: WR – Malik Nabers – LSU

              Many will be shocked to see that I don’t have Drake Maye falling to four, but I don’t see why the Cardinals would move on from Kyler Murray. He was the only exciting weapon that the Cardinals had on offense this year, and that’s a big problem. Hence why Malik Nabers is here at 4.

              Nabers had better stats than Marvin Harrison Jr this year. Nabers had 89 Receptions, 14 TDs, and 1,569 yards. He is shorter than MHJ—and coming from someone who stands at 5’5”— that shouldn’t be used against him. The Cardinals are probably losing both of their top receivers in Marquise Brown and Greg Dortch, hence why they need to go receiver here. The former regime made a huge commitment to Kyler Murray, and the new regime has to make the best of that situation. Nabers is the start of that plan, he's physical, he can find separation, and he is exactly what the Cardinals need in this rebuild.

Pick 5: Los Angeles Chargers: TE – Brock Bowers – Georgia

              I’m a huge fan of Brock Bowers. Bowers is a big, tough Tight End, standing at 6’4” 240 lbs. Think of him like this year’s Dalton Kincaid. He can play like a receiver, he can block, he’ll make the Chargers offense much more dynamic than Keenan Allen or Austin Ekeler, he can take some of the load off of Quentin Johnston, and he can provide security to Justin Herbert when he needs it. Gerald Everett and Nick Vannett are expected to be Free Agents, and Bowers would fit perfectly in that offense.

              It will be interesting to see how Jim Harbaugh runs the offense, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them go Defense—seeing how defensive Michigan’s teams were—but I’m sticking with Bowers at five, it is a no brainer to me.

Pick 6: New York Giants: OT – Joe Alt – Notre Dame

              The New York Giants have a major offensive problem—or like six of them, but the biggest of the bunch is the putrid offensive line. The Giants allowed their Quarterbacks to be sacked 85 times in 17 games. This doesn’t even go into the Tackles for Loss the Giants offense suffered. Having no offensive line creates the disaster of not being able to open up the run game, destroying your quarterback, and not having time to open up the pass game.

              Joe Alt would be the first step in fixing that. It’s either him or Olu Fashanu, but I’m taking Alt. His size is ridiculous, 6’8” 315 lbs, combined with his father John being a solid Offensive Tackle in the NFL himself, it’s a no brainer for me. Joe Alt is a former tight end, so has some incredible movement that can throw defensive linemen and pass rushers off their game, he’ll be able to run block and pass block, and the matchups between him and Kayvon Thibodeaux are going to be electric in training camp.

Pick 7: Tennessee Titans: OT – Taliese Fuaga – Oregon State

              The Tennessee Titans drafted Peter Skoronski last season, but he moved to Offensive Guard, which is the only reason I have them taking tackle here. With Brian Callahan at the helm, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him go Wide Receiver, much like the Bengals did with Ja’Marr Chase over Penei Sewell, but the Titans have a different need—opening up a run game.

              With Derrick Henry leaving, the Offensive Line will need some upgrades in order to keep Tyjae Spears going. Spears isn’t the same body type as Derrick Henry, and with a deeper wide receiver class, missing out on a WR at 7 is not the end of the world for Tennessee. Fuaga is the best run-blocking tackle available. His prime game was against Washington State, where he had a 95.1 Grade, that’s essentially a “legacy game” for offensive tackles in PFF terms.  Fuaga blocking for Spears would make this offense far more explosive.

Pick 8: Atlanta Falcons – QB Drake Maye – UNC

              There’s a lot of talk about whether or not Drake Maye even gets out of the Top 3, but with the Bears going Wide Receiver at number 1, the QBs will start to fall. I’m apprehensive about Drake Maye being a good NFL Quarterback, and that has a lot to do with UNC’s history of Quarterbacks in the National Football League (it’s not good).

              Still, I’ll try to not let the past judge the future, and  with Raheem Morris’s new system in place, a new quarterback will put the Falcons as the favorites to win the NFC South. Maye does have the tools to be successful, but he is the most likely to fall in my opinion.

Pick 9: Chicago Bears – DI Jer’Zhan Newton – Illinois

              The Bears need to build up their run defense. They were ranked 3rd worst by PFF this year, and the highest rated Defensive Interior Lineman was Andrew Billings, who had a 55.5 Rating. Montez Sweat came in midseason and led the team in Sacks. While they’ll have him for a long time, better Offensive Lines—including the NFC North Champion Detroit Lions—are going to have it light only having to worry about one defender.

              What’s fortunate for the Bears is that they have an impressive secondary, which is why they make the pick at Defensive Line. He might not show up on the stat sheet, but his impact would definitely be felt by the Bears team that desperately needs to stop the run.

Pick 10: New York Jets – OT Olu Fashanu – Penn State.

              Mekhi Becton cannot stay healthy, Aaron Rodgers is older. Essentially: the Jets need to make sure their quarterback doesn’t die again. Fashanu is the best tackle left on the board, and in some circles is actually better than Fuaga. Why Fashanu falls instead is because of his strengths. He is a strong tackle, but he’s a far better pass blocker than run blocker. He can do both, but the Jets need is pass-blocking.

              Fashanu played all of his snaps at Left Tackle, and while some of his opponents weren’t the strongest at Penn State, he’s been in top prospect position essentially his whole college career. I don’t see that changing here.

Pick 11: Indianapolis Colts (From MIN) – WR Rome Odunze – Washington

              Having the Colts trade up for a Wide Receiver of all things is baffling in this draft, but for a 1st and a 2025 3rd,  it is ridiculously worth it. Just imagine Anthony Richardson with Rome Odunze. The Washington deep threat has a solid frame, 6’3” 215 lbs, and he ranked first of all college receivers in deep catches. Imagine him catching dimes from Anthony Richardson’s rocket of an arm.

              Winning the AFC South is going to take an incredible offensive weapon, and Odunze will keep defenses second guessing in Indianapolis. There might be some connection troubles between Odunze and Richardson at first, but I am fiending for an offensive explosion. Much like Marvin Harrison Jr, Odunze is unafraid of contact. That fear plagues some rookie wide receivers when they enter the league, and I don’t think Odunze will be worried if he doesn’t get as open as he was able to in college.

Pick 12: Denver Broncos – CB Cooper DeJean – Iowa

              The Denver Broncos were the 2nd worst team when in came to Pass Coverage in the NFL last season. They also could not tackle. At times they had literally no answers, but Cooper DeJean can change that. DeJean played in an Iowa Hawkeyes defense that was impenetrable at times, and even when they were, they didn’t give up a ton of big plays. DeJean should solve both of those major defensive problems for the Broncos.

              DeJean stat wise reminds me of Devon Witherspoon a year ago. They might not be the same player, but they produced similar results. The NFL Passer Rating for a QB that spikes the ball into dirt for the entire game is 39. DeJean allowed a passer rating of 37.8, and had it not been for the game against Penn State where he allowed both targets to be caught and had a penalty, it probably would have been even lower. He fits the needs of Denver, and while they do have other needs, they can’t go wrong trying to stop the offenses of the teams in their division.

Pick 13: Cincinnati Bengals (From LV) – OT JC Latham – Alabama

              The Raiders are an interesting team that could realistically drop a little bit to fulfill their needs. Meanwhile, the Bengals are probably going to need to replace Jonah Williams at tackle, and the Saints are primed to take an offensive tackle at 14. One first and a fourth later and here we are. Yes, the Bengals are probably losing Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd, but the Wide Receiver class is so deep that I do not care in the slightest. So why Latham?

Latham has some incredible pass blocking ability, and for an offense that relies so heavily on Joe Burrow’s arm at times, keeping him upright is the way for Cincinnati to get back to the Super Bowl. Latham is a right tackle, not a blindside blocker, but giving Burrow more time is a must in today’s NFL. I do expect that the Bengals will try to implement the run game a little bit more—further action to keep the Franchise QB alive—and Latham is a better run blocker than Amarius Mims.

Pick 14: New Orleans Saints – OT Amarius Mims – Georgia

              With one off the board, the other one gets their name called. Mims does have an incredible amount of talent in the pass-block game. I do have some concerns with his run block game, I’ve seen him struggle sometimes to pick up his man and get forward. My worry is that NFL defenders are typically a lot smarter and have far more finesse, and I worry that he won’t be able to stand as upright when he’s moving outside.

              Mims did miss a lot of time this year with a high ankle sprain, a pretty tough injury especially for an offensive lineman, but when he played he looked good.  If he can become more consistent run blocking at the NFL level, the Saints have a guy for the future.

Pick 15: Minnesota Vikings (From IND) – EDGE Laiatu Latu -- UCLA

              The Vikings were the second worst team when it came to pass rush last season, and Latu might just be a god when it comes to rushing the passer. Originally, I had Florida State’s Jared Verse going over Latu, but after watching Latu’s tape, I have no other choice. At 6’5”, 265 lbs, Latu runs like he’s half the size, and he is relentless. His hands are ridiculous, the best play would be against in the third quarter against USC, where Latu drives through the entire right side of the offensive line and destroys Caleb Williams.

              I will not be surprised if Latu ends up moving up the board after the NFL Combine. There’s really only one word that can describe him and that is dangerous. After watching his tape, I genuinely could not find him after the circle marking him went away. It does not matter if he finds an open gap or gets pushed around the side of the pocket, Latu consistently finds ways back into plays. This man is a beast that any team would love to have, and Minnesota is lucky to get him here in Mock 1.0.

Pick 16: Seattle Seahawks – EDGE Jared Verse – Florida State

               The Seahawks should not be complaining about Jared Verse here at 16. Verse had a 90-grade pass rush last season. Don’t want to listen to PFF? The tape speaks for itself. Verse is nothing short of explosive on the line of scrimmage, he has ridiculous hands, and he has a motor. The dude never stops running.

              There is one play against Wake Forest, where Verse gets by the offensive guard, then the tackle, and then brings down the Quarterback. If he develops well, he will be a player that teams have to gameplan for on every play. He’s just too quick. He bullies offensive linemen on the regular, and while it may take him some time to translate that into the NFL, the fact he’ll be available at 16 feels like a crime to me.

Pick 17: Jacksonville Jaguars – CB Terrion Arnold – Alabama

              The big question was who goes first: Terrion Arnold or Kool-Aid McKinstry? I have Terrion Arnold. Arnold has gone up against possible first round receivers in Malik Nabers and Texas Longhorns’ Adonai Mitchell, and held his own. A lot of the talk was that teams were avoiding throwing in the direction of Kool-Aid McKinstry this season, and that makes Arnold’s numbers look a little worse than they actually are.

              Arnold is unafraid of contact, and for a team that is hoping to go up against the best receivers on the best teams for years to come, they have to be prepared for that. Typical of the Nick Saban system, Arnold is highly disciplined, and Jacksonville would benefit from having a lockdown corner with three of their cornerbacks expected to become free agents.

Pick 18: Las Vegas Raiders (From CIN) – QB Bo Nix – Oregon

              The Bo Nix hype train is real, and after Michael Penix’s collapse in the National Championship, Bo Nix is probably the next quarterback off the board. New GM Tom Telesco typically goes defense unless a prospect is incredibly enticing to him, and Bo Nix is that prospect. Antonio Pierce is going to want his own guy at Quarterback, and Bo Nix fits the mold. Big, tough, and bonus points for Telesco getting to draft another Oregon quarterback.

              There are other holes that could be filled with this team, but the black hole would be a lot darker and depressing if it had to watch another year of Aidan O’Connell at the helm. Nix would walk in with a hungry defense, an angry Davante Adams, and if anyone is going to turn that energy into success, it is Bo Nix and Antonio Pierce.

Pick 19: Los Angeles Rams – EDGE Dallas Turner – Alabama

              The Rams lost to the Lions in the playoffs because their pass rush consisted of Aaron Donald. Dallas Turner has the highest upside of the edge rushers taken in the first round, but he isn’t as explosive as Latu or Verse. Regardless, he is an obvious upgrade to the Rams defense, and will force teams to gameplan for two stars instead of just one.

              Turner has quickness in his feet, he’s incredibly agile, and while I’d like to see him use his hands a little more, that is something that is teachable in the NFL. The Rams are getting a steal at 19, and they should be grateful for that.

Pick 20: Pittsburgh Steelers – CB Kool-Aid McKinstry – Alabama

              Alabama will have back-to-back selections, and the “better corner” is going later than Terrion Arnold. The knock against Kool-Aid McKinstry is that teams just avoided throwing to him He’ll still be better than Nate Wiggins, but that lack of targets is bound to hurt his draft stock. Pittsburgh puts up a secondary with Minkah Fitzpatrick, Joey Porter Jr., and Kool-Aid McKinstry, that defense is dangerous.

              Let’s be honest, with the Steelers hiring Arthur Smith as OC, they took themselves out of the conversation of drafting offensive talent. Fortunately, they’re getting one hell of a player and they didn’t even have to move up to get him.

Pick 21: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (From MIA) – CB Nate Wiggins – Clemson

              The Buccaneers could do a ton of things at 26, but moving up is the best choice. They’ll need a corner, and I’m confident they could resign Mike Evans. If they don’t, Tampa could draft a Wide Receiver later—the class really is that deep. The fall of Nate Wiggins is over, and he goes to a team in desperate need of Corners and Run Defense.

              According to PFF, the Buccaneers’ run defense was 5th worst in the NFL, and Wiggins is surprisingly good in Run Defense. Wiggins is rapid, and his ability to blitz, when necessary, will not be underappreciated in Tampa.

Pick 22: Philadelphia Eagles – CB Ennis Rakestraw Jr. – Missouri

              I hadn’t heard much about Ennis Rakestraw before writing this article, but his highlight tape has left me nothing short of impressed. It’s surprising to see a cornerback shoot up the board because of their ability to stuff the run, but Rakestraw is that guy. He has solid recovery time, he’ll go all out to make a stop, and he does not get beat by blockers on screen passes.

              For an Eagles team that fell apart at the end of the season, having improvement to their defense, both passing and rush is necessary to return to the Super Bowl. Getting both of those from one player is winning the jackpot. Rakestraw’s Combine performance will cement his status as either a first round pick or a second rounder, but he looks solid.

Pick 23: Houston Texans (From CLE) – DL Byron Murphy – Texas

              I’m not convinced that the Texans need Wide Receivers like PFF and other Mock Draft Simulators claim. They need to continue to build outside of the skill positions to make this team better. Byron Murphy is sneaky undervalued right now, and he’ll absolutely blast up the boards after the combine. I love aggression out of Defensive Tackles, and Murphy’s tape has shown a mean streak that DeMeco Ryans is going to love in Houston.

              Murphy, much like Jer’zhan Newton, probably won’t have his name show up a lot on the stat sheet, but his impact will be felt as Quarterbacks struggle to get comfortable in the pocket, and Derek Stingley Jr. sees his interception numbers go up.

Pick 24: New England Patriots (From DAL) – WR Brian Thomas Jr. – LSU

              Dallas is in an interesting position where the players available don’t fit their needs. New England is just on the cusp of trading back into round one, and that’s what I have happening here. After drafting LSU’s Quarterback, The Patriots are back to take one of their receivers at number 24.  

              Brian Thomas Jr is not the flashy name like Malik Nabers, but he is incredibly consistent. He can play out wide, he can—though not recommended—play slot, he’d add a dimension to the Patriots offense that they haven’t had since Tom Brady was throwing to Julian Edelmen. Yes, I’m talking about a passing game. While guys like Troy Franklin and Keon Coleman stay on the board, the chemistry between WR and QB who played college football together cannot be understated.

              Tua and Waddle, Hurts and Devonta, Burrow and Ja’Marr. Sure, some of those guys might not be WR1s, but having the trust between QB and WR goes a long way towards developing confidence in the NFL.

Pick 25: Green Bay Packers – OT Jordan Morgan – Arizona

              David Bakhtiari is only going to be long for so much longer. For a team that is going to rely on Jordan Love for the next 16 years—they seriously cannot keep getting away with this—the Packers are going to need to draft the future blindside blocker. Morgan has developed since his freshman year, and his ability to pass block is the best reason for him to go to Green Bay.

              There are issues about Safety that I could see the Packers deciding to go a different direction, but the Packers really should start to do something to help one of their quarterbacks.

Pick 26: Kansas City Chiefs (From MIA via TB) – WR Troy Franklin – Oregon

              The Chiefs are somehow in the Super Bowl without having competent Wide Receivers. That changes this draft. Troy Franklin is considered to be the fastest wide receiver in the draft. His ability to move at high speeds, combined with Patrick Mahomes’s ability to extend a play longer than any human should be able to make this a deadly combination. He’s fast, explosive, and Kansas City is in their dynasty era, they should have no problem spending picks to move up and improve their team.

Pick 27: Arizona Cardinals (From HOU) – EDGE Bralen Trice – Washington

              Trice has continued to be an explosive piece for the Pac-12 Champion Huskies. His ability to get to the Quarterback instantly will be needed for a Cardinals team that is just lacking talent all over the field. They got their WR1 of the future in Malik Nabers, Bralen Trice should be their defensive piece. Trice is incredible in the pass rush, and solid against the run game. Don’t be surprised to see him sneak up higher into round one with the combine, but for now, Arizona lucks into Trice at 27.

Pick 28: Buffalo Bills – WR Keon Coleman – Florida State

              Keon Coleman at 28 is a steal, considering other outlets have him as a top-20 pick. To be honest, PFF has him way too low on their board, but the Bills certainly don’t mind it. There is no way the Steffon Diggs goes back to the Bills for another year of losing to the Chiefs in the playoffs. Hence the need for Wide Receiver here. Everyone is starting to believe that Khalil Shakir will take the big step forward that people expected from Gabe Davis, but I’m not convinced right now.

              Coleman is a physical specimen. 6’4” 215 lbs, he can leap like a madman. I do not care about his projected “40” ranking on the PFF Simulator, Coleman is an absolute beast on the field and will be huge for a team looking to finally get over the hump against Kansas City.

Pick 29: Detroit Lions – CB Kamari Lassiter – Georgia

              Kamari Lassiter screams “Grit.” The Cornerbacks in Detroit have been the weakest link throughout this year’s run, and Lassiter can do it all. Whether that be pass rush, coverage, run stopping, he’s a Dan Campbell guy through and through. The most fascinating trait about Lassiter is his ability to get up against taller receivers and higher passes and stop the ball from reaching its target. He’s only 6’0, 180 lbs, but he’s physically unafraid to go to war with Wide Receivers.

Pick 30: Baltimore Ravens – WR Adonai Mitchell – Texas

              The Baltimore Ravens are going to lose four wide receivers in Free Agency, and apart from Devin Duvernay, I’m not sure if I’d bring back guys like Nelson Agholor or Odell Beckham Jr. The Longhorn’s Adonai Mitchell both benefitted and was held back by the fact he had another potential first round receiver alongside him in Xavier Worthy.

              His ability to find space in the Middle of the field and extend plays after the catch is going to be nothing short of important. Alongside Zay Flowers, the Ravens could be able to attack in all lengths of the field if they add Adonai Mitchell.

Pick 31: Miami Dolphins (From KC) – TE Ja’Tavion Sanders – Texas

              Another Longhorn off the board, this time the Tight End Ja’Tavion Sanders. Sanders hasn’t been the most talked about tight end, but with his size and speed, all it takes is a good NFL combine for Sanders to jump up from Mid-round-2 to end of round 1. For the Dolphins, tight end is one of the bigger needs, not that an offense with as much firepower needs more firepower but having a security blanket—like the Chargers will get with Brock Bowers—could be huge for this offense moving forward.

Pick 32: San Francisco 49ers: S Tyler Nubin – Minnesota

              What does a team as stacked as the San Francisco 49ers need? How about an absolute beast at Safety? Tyler Nubin’s tape consists of hard hits, high-IQ reads, and film of him playing basically everywhere on defense. He can blitz, he can play man coverage, he can play zone, Tyler Nubin is a Swiss army knife at Safety.

              Throwing in Tyler Nubin’s direction results in just about the same score as throwing the ball into the ground. Nubin’s 39.6 Passer Rating against is somehow tied for 38th in NCAA, but he’s got talent, IQ, and potential to make the San Francisco 49ers that much more annoying to face as the years go by.

Recap:

The NFL Draft kicks off on April 25th, 2024. I will be live with STN Channel 2 on YouTube for round one of the draft. providing all the updates and notes about selections. Tune in on April 25th and stay tuned here for more mocks as we get closer to draft day.