Joe 412’s Annual Mock Draft

Well, it’s here.

The Chicago Bears are on the clock and Detroit is buzzing with draft fever. Draft Nation’s team has been working around the clock offering predictions and analysis but it’s time for Joe 412 to step out of the war room—like Punxsutawney Phil once a year—and release his Mock Draft version “1.Final” for all to criticize. Unlike most, Joe 412 only offers one official mock, preferring integrity to clickbait. So, buckle up, grab the popcorn and enjoy…

Round 1:

1st Pick Chicago Bears:

Caleb Williams, USC QB

Chicago traded former starter Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers in March and the Bears will waste about 9 minutes on the clock before making the pick everyone knows has been coming since then—Caleb Williams out of USC. Williams will walk into a much-improved situation than what Fields had. The team added wide receiver Keenan Allen in the offseason through a trade with the Chargers, pairing him with DJ Moore and Cole Kmet. Williams is creative, mobile, accurate and has the arm strength to make every throw on the field. What’s not to like?

2nd Pick Washington Commanders:

Jayden Daniels, LSU QB

A bunch of teams have contacted Washington about trying to get this pick, but the Commanders also need a QB after trading last year’s starter Sam Howell to Seattle. With Kliff Kingsbury as the new offensive coordinator and Washington signing Austin Ekeler to start at running back, along with a solid receiving corps, the Commanders will draft Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels.

Daniels is the definition of dual threat quarterback. He’s got a pretty deep ball, long speed on the run, has improved his accuracy in his two years at LSU and reminds Draft Nation of Robert Griffin III. Welcome to the nation’s capital, Mr. Daniels.

3rd Pick New England Patriots:

Drake Maye, North Carolina QB

The Patriots are willing to trade out of this spot but decide to stay put and grab UNC’s signal caller Drake Maye. Maye has the prototypical size of an NFL quarterback, the arm strength to succeed in every throw and a killer instinct. He presses the ball down the field and reminds Draft Nation of Justin Herbert (as a floor) and Josh Allen (as a ceiling). Maye is not a finished product though. He will have to improve his footwork and reads, and sitting behind a starter for half a season would help him. Look for the Giants to be a sneaky player here. New England is missing plenty of pieces and trading down with the Giants could give them enough picks to grab a left tackle, a right tackle and an X-receiver. But in the end, the Pats won’t be drafting this high again and take this year’s opportunity to land Maye.

4th Pick Minnesota Vikings:

JJ McCarthy, Michigan, QB

Trade alert!

The Vikings dump a boat load of draft capital at the feet of the Arizona Cardinals and move up from the 11th pick to grab Michigan’s JJ McCarthy. McCarthy is a competitor to the core, was born to run a pro-style offense and has the accuracy to match. He doesn’t have the deep ball in his repertoire like some taken before him, which often leads him to throwing everything at one speed—fastball. But he knows how to manage a run-first offense and is a perfect fit for Head Coach Kevin O’Connell and his bookend tackles. Oh, and McCarthy is only 21 years old with room to improve.

5th Pick New York Jets:

Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State WR

Trade alert, part two!

The Chargers move out and Aaron Rodgers sneaks in and steals the best receiver in this draft, Marvin Harrison Jr from Ohio State. Harrison has Hall of Fame bloodlines and is the best WR prospect to enter the draft since Pitt’s Larry Fitzgerald. He’s got speed, length, hands and looks like AJ Green reborn. Aaron Rodgers finally gets his first-round receiver, and the Jets steal Minnesota’s thunder by making the biggest splash of the day by moving up from the ten spot to nab him.

6th Pick New York Giants:

Malik Nabers, LSU WR

The G-men finally get that receiver they need and grab LSU’s wunderkind, Malik Nabers. New York hasn’t had a 1,000-yard received since Odell Beckham Jr. in 2018 and finally land a stud wideout. Nabers is the next Ja’Marr Chase and has the resume to prove it. He’s fast, possesses great hands and play outside or inside. He’s twitchy and has straight line speed. Finally, Giants fans, Daniel Jones has a blue-chip receiver to throw to.

7th Pick Tennessee Titans:

Joe Alt, Notre Dame OT

With Will Levis starting at QB this season, and by adding Tony Pollard at RB and Calvin Ridley at WR to go with Deandra Hopkins, the Titans need to improve their offensive line. Last season, Levis was pressured on every seemingly every throw which led him to be injured and miss the last few games of the season. Notre Dame’s Joe Alt is a 6’8” beast with NFL bloodlines. He’s consistent and has only allowed two sacks in two years at Notre Dame. Monster is a good way to describe him and he reminds Draft Nation a bit of Jonathan Ogden when he entered the draft.

8th Pick Atlanta Falcons:

Dallas Turner, Alabama DE

With Atlanta concentrating on the offensive side of the ball in the past couple drafts and in this year in free agency with the signing of Kirk Cousins at QB, they now move to improve their pass rush. They choose the best edge rusher in the draft, Dallas Turner, out of Alabama. Turner should step right in and improve the Falcon’s ailing pass rush and is the first defensive player off the board.

9th Pick Chicago Bears:

Rome Odunze, Washington WR

The Bears add another weapon for new franchise quarterback Caleb Williams and can’t pass on Odunze, who is considered one of the top three receivers in this draft. This will allow the Bears to use their few remaining picks on defense. Odunze might be the best receiver in any other draft class, but because of Harrison Jr. and Nabers, he’s the third taken. The Bears employ the Bengals wide receiver theory here (Boyd, Higgins, Chase) and can now run out onto the field the triple threat of Allen, Moore and Odunze each week. Odunze has the size to play X-receiver but the quickness to play in the slot. Sure, they could lock up a tackle here or an edge rusher, but a talent like Odunze is too much to pass up.

10th Pick LA Chargers:

Taliese Fuaga, Oregon State OT

The Chargers, after moving down and collecting a huge hoard of picks, begin to use them here and find a second bookend tackle to employ Jim Harbaugh’s run-first offense. Taliese Fuaga can start at right tackle and transition to left tackle quickly in the NFL when needed. Harbaugh knows with his newfound draft capital he can move back up in the first round to grab a receiver to restock his depleted wideout room or wait until the second round as this crop of pass catchers is deep. And thus he builds the offensive line here by snatching up Fuaga.

11th Pick Arizona Cardinals:

Jared Verse, Florida State, Edge/DE

After Arizona moved down, they now have three first rounders to use and if GM Monti Ossenfort played his “Cards” right (see what I did there?), he may still get his franchise receiver

later in round one. Verse is NFL ready and has the pass rushing techniques to succeed right away. Arizona has been desperate to improve their pass rush and Verse offers positional flexibility. He can play as a true edge or attack with both hands in the dirt. And he’s only going to get better as he’s just been playing football for a few years and captained the best collegiate defense in 2023.

12th Pick Denver Broncos:

Brock Bowers, Georgia TE

Sean Payton loves gadget guys and Bowers is the best to come out since Kyle Pitts. Bowers can play in-line, as an X-receiver, in the slot and has even played H-back and running back at Georgia. He will start right away and be a big part of the Bronco’s revamped offensive scheme. Bowers was the two-time Mackey Award winner is truly defining the new brand of position-less football.

13th Pick Las Vegas Raiders :

Michael Penix, Washington, QB

The Raiders tried to move up with the Commanders to nab Daniels but land Michael Penix as a consolation prize. Penix may be the best passer in this draft and proved his injury prone past is well behind him. The southpaw signal caller can make all the throws including those that need touch and is a perfect fit for the Raiders scheme.

14th Pick New Orleans Saints:

Olumuyiwa Fashanu, Penn State OT

The Saints need a left tackle and the second best on the board slides to them at pick fourteen. Fashanu hasn’t reached his full potential yet as a younger player but dominated in the Big Ten for two years. The Saints get a steal here as Fashanu is a “set it and forget it” type of talent who will be plugged into a starting role day one and play well for the next decade.

15th Pick Indianapolis Colts

Terrion Arnold, Alabama CB

The Colts need to choose between a wide receiver or cornerback, and they decide to go with Terrion Arnold, the corner many scouts believe is the top in this draft. Arnold will be a starter in the NFL for a long time and has all the qualities you want in a defensive back—size, length, speed and a short memory. A Nick Saban DB through and through, Arnold will become a leader in the locker room and on the field for Indianapolis.

16th Seattle Seahawks:

Troy Fautanu, Washington OT

The Seahawks new offensive coordinator coached Troy Fautanu at the University of Washington, which should help him in Seattle right away. Fautana is good enough to play several positions on the line and probably will in year one for Seattle. He has the best mechanics of all the tackles in this draft and can kick inside to play guard too. Fautanu gets to stay home and help the Seahawks rebuild on their offensive line.

17th Jacksonville Jaguars:

Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo CB

Jacksonville is looking to improve their defensive backfield and Mitchell can step right in as a starter. Mitchell ran one of the fastest 40-yard dashes at the combine and can help the Jaguar’s defense improve this season. He stood out against other future NFL’ers at the Senior Bowl and shot up draft boards as a result.

18th Pick Cincinnati Bengals:

JC Latham, Alabama OT

Cincinnati needs a right tackle to protect Joe Burrow. Enter J.C. Latham of Alabama. The Bengals are loaded with offensive weapons, but they tried to buy help on the offensive line

in free agency last season and it didn’t work. Latham can step in right away and have an impact, especially in the run game.

19th Pick Los Angeles Rams:

Laiatu Latu, UCLA Edge Rusher

The Rams can use help rushing the passer and with the number of pressures and sacks Latu had at UCLA, it’s hard to pass on his talent. Latu may have been the first edge rusher off the board this year if it was not for a “retirement” from injury he had a few seasons ago. But with his technique, power and length, Latu will be a “find” this late in round one for a Rams team that needs to pressure the quarterback more. Latu stays home in L.A. and joins a Rams squad that will desperately need to replace the retired Aaron Donald’s production.

20th Pick Pittsburgh Steelers:

Graham Barton, Duke C/G

After cutting Mason Cole, the Steelers need a center and Graham Barton is the best man to do that. He will play center but can also fill in at guard and played left tackle at Duke his last three seasons. Barton excels in both the running and passing game and the Steelers need help opening holes for a team that is a run-first offense with their double threat RB tandem of Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren. He will remind Colts fans of Jeff Saturday with his football IQ and return the Steelers to the center tradition that they’ve nearly cornered the market on since the mid-70’s.

21st Pick Miami Dolphins:

Byron Murphy II, Texas DT

Miami lost all-world defensive tackle Christian Wilkins to the Las Vegas Raiders and seek to replace his production here by taking the best DT in the draft. It seems like a no-brainer as

Murphy has both speed and power, which will help plug a big hole in the defensive interior line. By far the most versatile DT in the draft, Murphy may not make it to this spot, but is a perfect fit for the Dolphins.

22nd Pick Philadelphia Eagles:

Nate Wiggins, Clemson CB

The Eagles need a corner (two in fact), and Wiggins is one of the top CBs in this draft. He posted a 4.28 40-yard dash at the combine and with his speed and length reminds Draft Nation of Jets corner Sauce Gardner. Wiggins needs to add some weight to take on the rigors of the NFL, but his talent is unquestionably a first-round grade. And he may be the best cover corner in the draft.

23rd Pick Arizona Cardinals:

Brian Thomas Jr., LSU WR

The Cards passed on Marvin Harrison Jr when they traded down before and somehow steal Brian Thomas Jr. here. Thomas is Mike Evans reincarnated. He’s big, ran a 4.38 and has sticky hands like Spiderman. He led the NCAA in receiving touchdowns last year with 17 and the Cardinals are surprised to see Thomas still available. The “card” is in the Commissioners hand in 3…2…1…

24th Pick Dallas Cowboys:

Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon C

Dallas needs a center and one that can play right away. Powers-Johnson could easily step in and is one of a small group of centers that can start week one of the season. The strongest player in this year’s draft class, “JPJ” is also one of the meanest on the field. He would remind Steeler fans of Mike Webster.

25th Pick Green Bay Packers:

Amarius Mims, Georgia OT

Mims is just what the doctor ordered in Green Bay. Sure, he only had 9 starts at Georgia this year but before he was injured, he dominated SEC competitors. He will need to watch and learn for a half of a season as he hasn’t seen the repertoire of pass rush moves or the likes of NFL talent yet, but you can’t teach his size, arm length and instincts. Green Bay is pleased to see Mr. Mims still on the board here.

26th Pick Tampa Bay Buccaneers:.

Darius Robinson, Missouri, Edge/DE

Robinson benefitted from staying in college for an extra year. He was a beast in the SEC and performed well at the combine and his pro day. He’s going to be an edge rusher but with his size and ability to put on weight, can also play a bit in a standard 4-3 defense. Tampa needs OL but with Robinson still on the board, they cannot pass on his talent and immediate impact potential. And there will be comparable tackles available to the Bucs in round two or three.

27th Pick Arizona Cardinals:

Johnny Newton, Illinois, DT

The best pass rushing interior defensive lineman in this draft, Newton is the third Cardinal first round pick in 2024, thanks to the Vikings. And oh boy, does he fill a need. Arizona’s defensive line can use the help and Newton’s size and speed will change their fortunes quickly.

28th Pick Buffalo Bills:

Xavier Worthy, Texas WR

Buffalo let Gabe Davis leave in free agency to the Jacksonville Jaguars and just traded disgruntled wideout Stephon Diggs to Houston, so they need to find a top receiver in this draft to be their WR1. Worthy can become that quickly with his deep threat ability and of course having Josh Allen at QB. He is skinny by all rights, so size is a question mark but his record setting 4.21 40 time isn’t.

29th Pick Detroit Lions:

Kool Aid McKinstry, Alabama, CB

The Lions are almost forced into taking the top cornerback left on the board here. They let troubled corner Cam Sutton go after off-field legal issues but at #29, they are in the spot to take the best player available. And that best player available just happens to be Sutton’s replacement. McKinstry is a quick corner, a good tackler and is better than most CBs coming out in the draft in press coverage. He’s a steal here for Motown fans and Detroit will be happy to add Kool Aid to their defensive backfield.

30th Pick Baltimore Ravens:

Cooper DeJean, Iowa CB

The Ravens always draft well and they continue that tradition and the recent run on the cornerback position by adding Iowa’s utility player, Cooper DeJean. DeJean is just too good of a playmaker at the corner position to not take him here, but can also play in the slot, safety and returns kicks. Kyle Hamilton and Cooper DeJean in the same defensive backfield? Look out AFC North. DeJean is coming off a broken leg but should not miss any time to start the NFL season.

31st Pick San Francisco 49ers:

Adonai Mitchell, Texas WR

Brandon Aiyuk may be traded during this year’s draft and the 49’ers need to find his replacement on day one. Mitchell can come right in as a big deep threat for San Francisco and just does not drop anything thrown to him. He has some of the best hands and might be the best contested catch receiver in this year’s crop.

32nd Pick Kansas City Chiefs:

Ladd McConkey, Georgia WR

The Chiefs could take an offensive lineman here to help protect Mahomes, but they will add to their offensive weapons with Georgia pass catcher Ladd McConkey. With rising star Rashee Rice’s off field problems and transitions in wide receiver room, McConkey is a perfect fit for Kansas City. He can play inside or out, has sub-4.4 speed, sticky hands and is a great route runner. Mahomes will love passing to this “Ladd” for years to come.