2024 NFL Mock Draft: J.J. McCarthy goes top 12; Patriots move back as NFC team makes massive trade up for QB

I believe Chicago has known that it was going to draft a quarterback when it made the offensive coordinator change. I still believe that today. Caleb Williams is the best of the bunch in my opinion.

Kliff Kingsbury has been working with the dual-threat capable Caleb Williams. Jayden Daniels has proven even more capable of making an impact on the ground. Coming off a Heisman-winning season, Daniels played better than any quarterback in the nation. He parlays that into a lucrative rookie contract in Washington.

Minnesota has perused the rookie quarterback market over the past few years and has not been in a position to pounce. I tend to think New England WILL draft a quarterback, but the possibility that it is not in love with the quarterback prospects available has to be considered. In this instance, the Patriots give the Vikings the heir apparent to Kirk Cousins.

Arizona has gone from towers at the wide receiver position — Larry Fitzgerald, DeAndre Hopkins, A.J. Green, etc. — to the league’s smallest wide receiver room in 2023. The Cardinals add more size to the room with Marvin Harrison Jr.

If Los Angeles takes an offensive tackle at No. 5 overall, the decision will be either 1) move left tackle Rashawn Slater back to the right side and draft Joe Alt, or 2) draft Olu Fashanu and move him to right tackle. It is likely that this choice is used on the offensive side of the ball, though.

New York does not have a true No. 1 wide receiver. I believe Malik Nabers can be that player. His body control down the field is the best in the class. The room looks a lot better when Wan’Dale Robinson and Jalin Hyatt slot into roles more aligned with their skill sets.

With Joe Alt off the board, Titans head coach Brian Callahan rewards his father’s choice to join him in Nashville with another first-round selection to protect Will Levis. The other consideration here would be tight end Brock Bowers.

Raheem Morris is back as Atlanta’s head coach after serving as the team’s interim head coach in 2020. His first action is strengthening his defense with a player who can manufacture his own pass rush off the edge. Dallas Turner is still a relatively young prospect in the COVID era, so his best football is likely ahead.

The Chicago defense took steps in the second half of the season but throw it into hyperdrive with the selection of Laiatu Latu. Montez Sweat and Latu take the worst pass rush from the first half of the 2023 season and make it one of the NFC’s formidable units.

New York and Tennessee almost certainly will take an offensive tackle in the first round. The Jets could trade up and take someone they really want, fall back and still get a quality option or stay put and take the best available. They need a left tackle like Joe Alt or Olu Fashanu, but that’s not going to happen unless they get more aggressive.

New England trades back almost 10 spots and still gets a player who may have been considered at No. 3 overall. If the Patriots are the landing spot for Justin Fields, then suddenly this offense gets a lot more interesting.

I have mocked J.J. McCarthy higher than most in the media for awhile. He is not a finished product, but when searching for a consistent commodity and a proven winner, McCarthy is difficult to top. He is liked more in the league than the media.

Offense, defense, it did not matter once Antonio Pierce took over as head coach: both sides of the ball had new energy. Maxx Crosby threatening to request a trade if Pierce was not hired long-term was the perfect example of his influence. The Raiders need help on the offensive line and cornerback, but address another need in the first round.

Wide receiver is not the biggest need for this team, but Rome Odunze is one of the best talents available. Pairing Chris Olave and Odunze is a scenario worth getting excited about if you are a Saints fan.

Indianapolis used this year to identify some young cornerbacks who can serve as depth, but it needs a player capable of locking down one side of the field. Quinyon Mitchell is that player.

Pittsburgh can ill afford to wait until its first pick to see if an offensive tackle is still available, especially with Cincinnati and Los Angeles ahead of Mike Tomlin’s team. The Steelers move up to take Taliese Fuaga, who should be an impactful bookend opposite Broderick Jones for many years.

At the end of the day, Jacksonville will probably target an offensive player because this is an important year for Trevor Lawrence and that unit. In this scenario, the Jaguars land cornerback Terrion Arnold to capitalize on some Josh Allen pressures, because there is no way the team allows him to walk in free agency.

Jonah Williams has played out the final year of his rookie contract, so right tackle will be an issue once again unless they extend him. Amarius Mims has top-10-overall potential but has limited playing experience at Georgia. His availability has also been tested with injuries.

The streak of offensive tackles continues at No. 19 overall. Los Angeles is leaning into its Super Bowl window with Matthew Stafford at quarterback by taking an offensive lineman to protect him in the first round. Tyler Guyton is a right tackle with room for technical growth, but the upside is remarkable.

Seattle traded for Leonard Williams at the deadline, but now he is slated to hit free agency. The Seahawks can bring him back and devote even more resources to that defensive front with Dre’Mont Jones, or they can infuse a bit of youth.

Essentially every interior offensive lineman with NFL playing experience on Miami’s roster is slated to hit free agency. One would think the Dolphins bring a few of those players back, but this stage of the first round is also a great opportunity for them to draft a player. Troy Fautanu has played left tackle at Washington but projects inside at the next level.

Philadelphia is that team every year that makes a pick leaving fans wondering, ‘How did the rest of the league allow that player to fall into their laps?’ Jared Verse could be that player this year. He profiles as a prospect of interest for the Eagles.

Houston uses the last first-round pick acquired in the Deshaun Watson trade to address the offensive line. Injuries plagued that unit last season and, while the team as a whole performed above expectation, the line was in need of some attention.

Jordan Morgan played left tackle at Arizona but may have a higher professional ceiling as an interior blocker. His versatility is important for a Dallas team that could lose Tyron Smith in free agency and is flirting with the possibility of moving guard Tyler Smith back outside.

Green Bay pointed defensive coordinator Joe Barry to the exit and hired Boston College head coach Jeff Hafley to replace him. The franchise has used 12 of its past 13 first-round selections on the defensive side of the ball and that continues.

Center Ryan Jensen has announced his retirement. Tampa Bay already needed improvement along the interior offensive line, so Jensen leaving only compounded that need. Graham Barton has the versatility to play each of the three interior positions.

Marvin Harrison Jr. and Chop Robinson is a good outcome for Arizona in the first round. Each side of the ball is given a piece for the future on Jonathan Gannon’s rising team.

Is more Stefon Diggs drama in the cards this offseason? Buffalo could use another reliable pass-catcher on the outside to stretch the field and create more opportunities underneath for last year’s first-round selection, Dalton Kincaid.

The idea of pairing Kool-Aid McKinstry with Brian Branch, who is another Alabama defensive back drafted by Detroit last year, is appealing, because those are accountable players who should help set the standard for that Lions secondary.

Odafe Owen has progressed nicely in his fledgling career, but Baltimore could use another pass rusher, especially in the event Jadeveon Clowney does not return. Darius Robinson brings more power to the table than his finesse counterpart.

The 2024 season will Charvarius Ward’s last under contract in San Francisco. The selection of Nate Wiggins gives the 49ers some insurance in the event that he moves on, but also allows them to absorb injury losses that have sunk the secondary’s performance over the past few years. The return of a healthy Talanoa Hufanga will also make a big impact.

Mecole Hardman and Marquez Valdes-Scantling made some plays for Kansas City down the stretch, but Rashee Rice, Justin Watson and Keon Coleman would be the future. Coleman is a ball winner down the field while Rice does a good job creating yards after the catch and Watson is Mr. Reliable in chain-moving situations.