We’re about a month into the 2024 NFL season, which means some teams and fans are looking ahead to next spring’s draft, even if they won’t admit it publicly yet.
If you’re one of those people, or a draft nut, or whomever else, you’re in luck! Just please remember it’s super early, and to control your reactions accordingly.
In this edition, Nate Tice makes the selection of the odd-numbered draft picks while Charles McDonald selects the even.
Campbell is a technician on the left side who constantly stays balanced and in a winning position. His upright stance looks funky, but he’s a good athlete with light feet who can move in space and has the core strength to bring pop in the run game. Campbell is a consistent and smart player for a franchise desperately needing some of that. — Nate Tice
The Dolphins could use help on offense and defense as their 31-12 loss to the Titans showed, so why not go with the best player in college football? In this scenario, Travis Hunter will slide in at cornerback across from Jalen Ramsey and chip in on offense as a wide receiver a few times a game alongside Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. That sounds fun, at the very least. — Charles McDonald
Banks Jr. might not have ideal left tackle height (6-foot-4), but he has the length to help him win against edge rushers. He can move people in the run game, something that will translate into any landing spot (or final position if a team sees him better on the right side or even inside). Banks Jr. would be a big piece to solidify the Patriots line and help Drake Maye and their entire offense going forward.
Cincinnati has to improve the spine of their defense, so here they can take a do-it-all defensive tackle in Mason Graham to make sure they have the strength to stand up against the tougher offensive lines that are really making them struggle right now.
Even with a continued leaky Colorado offensive line, Sanders’ game and movement in the pocket has improved. It would be a stormy situation, with Deshaun Watson still having a contract that is hard to move off of, but the Browns need to address the position or otherwise leave the rest of the Browns team-building for naught. Sanders gives them some excitement.
Will Johnson just might be the best cornerback in this class and he would make a quality Titans defense one of the better units in the league in terms of pure talent. He’s physical against the run, shutdown against the past and has the elite athleticism that team looks for No. 1 cornerbacks.
The Panthers address the Brian Burns-sized hole on their roster with Carter, a bendy player who has moved full-time to the edge but will also kick inside or off the ball in blitz packages. Carter’s game still lacks refinement – he goes rogue in the run game sometimes and is a bit jumpy on snap counts – but he flashes game-wrecking potential for the Panthers, who need more needle movers on their team.
A reset is coming for the Rams at some point, so why not take a quarterback now while they have a chance to sit and learn behind Matthew Stafford for a couple more years? Cam Ward has been one of the darlings of college football this season, showing off the arm talent and playmaking ability that has the chance to get Miami to the playoffs.
Walker is a gigantic defender whose nimble movements seem like an optical illusion. Walker can play across the defensive line and plays in a college scheme at Kentucky that translates perfectly to the Cardinals’ front, which simply needs more tangible players. Walker has the ability to take over games on the inside and has been an overall more consistent player in 2024.
Surprise? Get used to seeing this name in mock drafts. Garrett Nussmeier has been one of the best quarterbacks in the country and has operated the LSU offense with extreme ease and efficiency. He could be the next face of the Giants if he keeps up this pace.
Colts will be looking long and hard at cornerbacks here, but instead go with a toolsy edge rusher. Williams has barely played in 2024 because of an ankle injury, which is a shame because the biggest thing we need to see out of him is more production with consistent playing time. Williams has elite length and explosive athleticism, which is apparent even in limited snaps, with the ability to move across the line on pass rushing downs. Colts have invested in edges, but Wiliams would give them another strong dart throw at the position.
The Chargers got their offensive tackle last year in Joe Alt, now they can come back and continue to bolster the receiving corps for Justin Herbert and the rest of the offense. Tetairoa McMillan has been on a tear this season and looks to have potential to be a No. 1 wide receiver in the NFL.
Walker has taken over games at times in 2024 and from a variety of different spots. Whether his best spot is at edge or off ball, Dennis Allen’s defense would fit nicely with Walker’s ability to impact the game as a pass rusher, coverage player or run defender. He would also fit with the timeline of 35-year-old Demario Davis as well.
That’s right, nerds. Running backs are back. Embrace it. The Cowboys take another trip to the first-round RB well and come away with the nation’s most productive back through the first portion of the season. Ashton Jeanty has 180 more yards than the second-place rusher in the country and is currently averaging 10.3 yards per carry — and that includes a 192-yard, three-touchdown performance against Oregon.
This is about injecting more talent into the offensive line and since there are no real center candidates that make sense in this spot, the Bears go with Will Campbell’s LSU tacklemate. Jones can get out of position at times, but he has the size and length to stay out at tackle. With the Bears, he could create a powerful right side of the offensive line with Darnell Wright.
One thing the Packers still need on defense is a consistent pass rush, which is something that James Pearce can definitely bring. Pearce hasn’t gotten off to the same hot start that he did last year, but he’s still a talented player that NFL teams will covet in the draft.
Ersery finally allows the 49ers to move on from Colton McKivitz, providing even more insulation from any dropoff in their high powered attack. Ersery moves well in his big frame, letting him translate into any run scheme. Combining Ersery with this year’s third round-rookie standout Dominick Puni would turn a weakness into a strength, and even give the 49ers a long-term Trent Williams replacement option.
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Depending on how the Ravens decide to handle some contracts that become movable after the season, they may be in line for a new safety to play next to Kyle Hamilton for the long term. Malaki Starks and Hamilton can both play everywhere, somehow giving the Ravens even more flexibility on defense.
Scourton has good size, can bend and even has a spin move that he can whip out from time to time. Scourton plays hard and impacts the run and pass game with his strength and explosive movement. The Eagles love to invest in their lines, and Scourton would give them the size they desperately need on the edge spots.
Assuming Aaron Rodgers comes back for another season, the Jets need to continue bolstering their passing game to maximize whatever he has left in the tank. Luther Burden is a smaller receiver (5-foot-11, 205 pounds), but would profile well as a long-term No. 2 wide receiver across from Garrett Wilson.
I don’t think the Raiders will be picking this low come April, but right now they’re at 21 and we’re not doing trades. This might limit their quarterback options, but in this exercise that leaves Carson Beck. Beck does a lot of things well at the quarterback position; he’s a solid athlete who is willing to push the ball over the middle and has even shown some flashes of creativity this year. He had a nightmare beginning of the game in last week’s classic against Alabama, but still showed off the throws that keeps him relevant at the top of this year’s quarterback class. The Raiders need to address a few things (their general run game being one), but a quarterback to build around is a nice step.
If the Broncos are going to live three yards at a time, adding a tough, talented tight end that performs well as a blocker and receiver is a must. The 2024 tight end class doesn’t have too many stars in it as things stand right now, but Colston Loveland has a chance to continue to separate himself as the season moves along.
Revel’s 2024 campaign sadly came to an end with an ACL tear. But he is a talented player with the length and movement ability to be a true lockdown option. Even with the limited tape this year, he has shown enough to draw enough interest this early. The Falcons will also finally get another cornerback to play opposite of A.J. Terrell.
Detroit still needs a long-term play at guard and Jonah Savaiinaea from Arizona can fill that role as the second Wildcat in this first round. The offensive line is the most important part of this team so it makes sense to keep it strong.
Morrison loves to play in press situations and in man coverage, which fits right in with Dan Quinn’s preferred coverage style. He doesn’t have ideal bulk, but his tenacious attitude overcomes any size deficiencies. The Commanders need help on the back end of their defense and Morrison gives them a player that loves a weekly challenge.
As their loss against the Ravens showed, the floor on this Bills team is fairly low, even though they are a good team. One quick way to raise their floor would be to get a bit more stout against the run, which is where the athletic, 340-pound Kenneth Grant comes into play. Michigan’s offense may be bad, but their defense is still quality because of pluggers like Grant on the interior.
Connor Williams has helped, and Christian Haynes is getting some snaps, but the Seahawks need to keep throwing more bodies at their offensive line until it solidifies. Jackson is a powerful guard who is still honing his technique, but as he gets more consistent he has the upside to be an impactful player on the inside.
Wide receiver is the Steelers’ thinnest positions right now where they’ve been heavily relying on George Pickens to be the focal point and carrier of the passing game. Adding another playmaker like Isaiah Bond would help take pressure off of Pickens and give Justin Fields another target as the Steelers decide what their future with Fields will be.
After Joe Mixon went down, the Texans’ run game has returned to being essentially wallpaper for the passing game with Cam Akers eating touches. Judkins is a doubles hitter who can thrive running from under center or the shotgun, and he would help overcome any shaky line play and help the entire Texans operation stay on schedule. At least enough until we get to the C.J. Stroud to Nico Collins Show. (Judkins can catch, too!)
Harold Perkins is the wild card of the draft. He has extreme production at times throughout his career, but is currently out for the season with a torn ACL and playing somewhat of an undefined position as far as projecting to the NFL goes. He didn’t have a whole lot of traditional linebacker responsibilities and is smaller than most NFL edge rushers — so we will just give him to Todd Bowles and let him figure it out. The Buccaneers aren’t a stranger to tweener types in the front seven with guys like Calijah Kancey and YaYa Diaby. Perkins could be another weapon for this defense.
Another Buckeye in the back half of the first round. Sawyer is listed as an edge defender but has had playing time in his career across the defensive front seven, depending on Ohio State’s defensive call. Sawyer has pass-rushing chops to win one-on-ones and can contribute in a lot of different ways as a defender. He would fit in nicely on a defense that loves their multi-use defenders (I’ve already used the jack of all trade jokes too many times).
Kansas City could stand to beef up their interior and give All-World defensive tackle Chris Jones a running mate. Ohio State’s Tyleik Williams closes out the first round as an athletic, heavy-handed option to help the Chiefs front remain stout as they continue their quest for championships.
