Merry Christmas everyone, it’s Draft Day! There really is nothing quite like the NFL Draft. I have been following the Draft for over 20 years. I have attended 9 in person, 8 of which were at Radio City Music Hall in New York. I have covered 10 here at BackSportsPage.com. Just when I think I’m getting better and feel like I have a stronger grip on the players and what teams will do, years like this drag me back down. I have never been so unsure as to how a night will play out like I feel about this one.
With that being said, here is one version of how I can see the first round going. There have been many switches and edits. I know it will be wrong, I just hope I get some of these right. Enjoy my annual mock draft!
- Chicago Bears (via CAR) – Caleb Williams, QB, USC: The inevitable comes reality.
2. Washington Commanders – Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU: The reigning Heisman Trophy winner will become the new face of the franchise in the nation’s capital.
3. New England Patriots – Drake Maye, QB, UNC: The Pats may look to trade out, but I don’t see anyone offering them enough.
4. Arizona Cardinals – Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State: The Cards stay put and take the consensus top receiver.
5. PROPOSED TRADE: Chargers trade #5 to Vikings for #11, #23, #157, 2025 4th Rounder. Minnesota Vikings – JJ McCarthy, QB, Michigan: The guy who led the Wolverines to the National Championship has been the biggest buzz of the Draft lead-up.
6. New York Giants – Malik Nabers, WR, LSU: There are plenty of people who think the Giants will take a quarterback. If they do that, they will be leading the new guy into the same mess that Daniel Jones had to deal with. Nabers is the right move.
7. Tennessee Titans – Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame: The Titans need two Offensive Tackles. Why not take the top guy when you can?
8. Atlanta Falcons – Laiatu Latu, Edge, UCLA: Most people have Dallas Turner as the top defensive player. I have Latu. No one can beat linemen with as many moves or with as much heart at Latu. With him being medically cleared, he’s my top guy.
9. Chicago Bears – Rome Odunze, WR, Washington – I have a feeling this is the start of a trend. There are going to be plenty of teams who are going to pair up a rookie Quarterback with a rookie Wide Receiver. Note: Odunze is my WR1.
10. PROPOSED TRADE: Jets trade #10 to Raiders for #13 and #77. Las Vegas Raiders – Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington: There is too much smoke around the Raiders loving Daniels and Penix for it to not be true. Here, they move ahead of Denver to get their guy.
11: Los Angeles Chargers (via MIN) – Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia: The Chargers trade back and still get the guy that will best fit their team.
12. Denver Broncos – Dallas Turner, Edge, Alabama: I cannot put my finger on what the heck the Broncos are going to do. I have them taking the guy who most people have as the top defender in the Draft.
13. New York Jets (via LV) – Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State: The Jets need Aaron Rodgers to take more than four snaps this year.
14. New Orleans Saints – Troy Fautanu, OT, Washington: I’m sold on the Saints selecting an Offensive Tackle in the first round. There are plenty worthy of this spot. I happen to love Fautanu.
15. Indianapolis Colts – Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo: I don’t care about the schedule he played in college. I love the tape. I love the size and speed combo. I love what he did at the Senior Bowl.
16. Seattle Seahawks – Byron Murphy II, DT, Texas: There are rumblings that Murphy is the guy that teams feel will be the first defender off the board. I have him going to Seattle, who needs help on the interior of both lines.
17. Jacksonville Jaguars – Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama: Arnold could easily be the top Cornerback taken this year, so this is a value pick for the Jags. I wouldn’t be surprised if they go WR.
18. Cincinnati Bengals – Olu Fashanu, OT, Penn State: I’m not as high on Fashanu as most are. I almost put Latham here instead. But I know a lot of people are higher on him so I compromised.
19. Los Angeles Rams – Jared Verse, Edge, Florida State: Verse could easily be a top 12 pick. The early run on QB, WR, and OT have pushed some very good players down the board.
20. Pittsburgh Steelers – Graham Barton, OT/C, Duke: The positional versatility of Barton has made plenty of teams and scouts fall in love with him. He’s a 3-year captain, so he brings plenty of leadership as well.
21. Miami Dolphins – JC Latham, OT, Alabama: I’ve see Latham mocked as high as #5 to the Chargers. With the plethora of talent at the position this year, it really is going to be a matter of which teams prefer which players.
22. Philadelphia Eagles – Nate Wiggins, CB, Clemson: It wouldn’t shock me if the Eagles traded up again this year. The secondary is where I see them attacking this year.
23. Los Angeles Chargers (via CLE thru HOU & MIN) – Johnny Newton, DT, Illinois: Trying to find a Defensive Tackle with a motor like Newton’s is rare. He lives in the backfield.
24. Dallas Cowboys – Zach Frazier, C, West Virginia: The Cowboys biggest success has been when they’ve had a dog at Center. Frazier is the most polished Center in this class. He’s also a multi-year state wrestling champion as well.
25. Green Bay Packers – Cooper DeJean, DB, Iowa – I don’t know where DeJean will ultimately play in the NFL, but he’s too good of a football player to slide this far.
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Jackson Powers-Johnson, C, Oregon: Power and agility are JPJ’s stand-out traits.
27. Arizona Cardinals (via HOU) – Chop Robinson, Edge, Penn State: If Chop’s production matched what his athletic traits set him up as, he would’ve easily been a top 10 pick.
28. Buffalo Bills – Brian Thomas Jr., WR, LSU – I can’t imagine a world where Thomas falls all the way here. They will probably have to trade up for him. But the Bills need to walk away from the first round with a Wide Receiver.
29. Detroit Lions – Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama – Kool-Aid was once a lock to be a top 10 pick. He was overshadowed by his teammate, Terrion Arnold, both on the field and at the Combine this year. There is still plenty of talent there.
30. PROPOSED TRADE: Ravens trade #30 and #165 to Giants for #47 and #70. New York Giants – Bo Nix, QB, Oregon: Taking a QB here as opposed to their first pick will solidify Daniel Jones getting one more year. Trading up back into the first will give the Giants an 5th year option for their future leader.
31. San Francisco 49ers – Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia: Mims is here solely based on his physical upside. Having only 8 career starts in college, there are a lot of unanswered questions about his on-field ability.
32. Kansas City Chiefs – Xavier Worthy, WR, Texas: The fastest man ever at the Combine finds himself with the big arm of Patrick Mahomes.
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