The NFL Draft is upon us. But what will this unpredictable buildup (even by NFL Draft standards) into Thursday reveal? Niner Noise takes a guess with one last quickfire mock draft before the first round begins.
The 2024 NFL Draft is upon us, and I for once can't wait. The unpredictable buildup combined with the San Francisco 49ers possessing a first-round selection for the first time since 2021 means this is the most exciting it's been for some time.
Niner Noise unveiled a mock draft a little over a week ago, but a lot has changed in the NFL Draft landscape since then, and that naturally has affected the draft stock of quite a few prospects.
You can take a look at the in-depth mock draft here:
Read More: 49ers fill their biggest need in this 1st-round mock NFL Draft
But what's the difference between that mock draft and this one? Well, just a few ground rules:
- The draft order remains the same as the first mock, which means no trades other than the Minnesota Vikings moving up to No. 5.
- The pick from the first mock will be included, for quick reference.
- No detailed rundowns of the prospects, most of them can be found in the first mock draft above.
With the NFL draft imminently upon us, let's take a look at the final quickfire mock draft for 2024.
Niner Noise 2024 Mock Draft 2.0: Pick Nos. 1 - 8
Mock Draft 1.0: Caleb Williams, Quarterback, USC
No need to second guess this one. The only way Caleb Williams isn't the first pick in this draft is if he falls out of bed and tears his ACL. And even then, the Bears might still pick him anyway.
Mock Draft 1.0: Jayden Daniels, Quarterback, LSU
The Commanders will be picking between Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye for this one, but with Kliff Kingsbury the new offensive coordinator, and his love for very mobile QBs well known, Daniels is looking more and more like the pick.
Mock Draft 1.0: Drake Maye, Quarterback, North Carolina
Unless the J.J. McCarthy smoke turns into a wildfire come Thursday night, the Patriots will take whichever quarterback the Commanders don't want as they prepare for a new era without Tom Brady or Bill Belichick on the team.
Mock Draft 1.0: Marvin Harrison Jr. Wide Receiver, Ohio State
The Cardinals are an interesting wildcard. They desperately need a wide receiver and they could have Marvin Harrison Jr. or Malik Nabers, but they could also be the team that Minnesota trades with, and there have been rumors of just that happening.
But we're sticking with the same draft order, and we're sticking with Harrison Jr. The Cardinals reportedly love Nabers too, though, and some teams are reported to prefer him. Could the Cardinals be one?
Mock Draft 1.0: J.J. McCarthy, Quarterback, Michigan
For reference, the Vikings traded No. 11 and No. 23 to the Chargers for No. 5 and No. 110 to make this trade happen.
JJ. McCarthy to the Vikings has been theorized so much, that it'd be almost as much of a shock if this doesn't happen. But do the Vikings trade up with the Cardinals or Chargers? No change of the order here, however.
Mock Draft 1.0: Malik Nabers, Wide Receiver, LSU
Some teams reportedly think Nabers is the best wide receiver in this very strong draft class, and unlike some rumors, this is one I believe. The Giants desperately need to help quarterback Daniel Jones, and they couldn't do much more to help than to give him Nabers.
Or Harrison Jr., depending how the draft falls.
Mock Draft 1.0: Joe Alt, Offensive Tackle, Notre Dame
Another pick that makes too much sense to change (I promise the changes are coming soon), the Titans need to find out what they have with young quarterback Will Levis and they'd be doing him a disservice by failing to give him the best tackle which they desperately need to take.
Mock Draft 1.0: Dallas Turner, EDGE, Alabama
I promised there would be changes, and sure enough here's one off the bat. The Atlanta Falcons need to improve a dire pass-rushing unit, and Dallas Turner had been the favorite here for a while. This was before the news that teams had cleared Laiatu Latu of any lingering concerns over his neck injury that could have had him retire during his collegiate career.
Not to put too fine a point on it, Latu is a better prospect than Turner if the health concerns are gone. With that in mind, a top-10 pick for Latu isn't out of the question anymore.
Niner Noise 2024 Mock Draft 2.0: Pick Nos. 9 - 16
Mock Draft 1.0: Rome Odunze, Wide Receiver, Washington
The Bears could go many ways with this pick including trading down or an EDGE like Dallas Turner, but adding Rome Odunze to the offense would give Caleb Williams the best possible receiving unit he could hope for in his entry to the NFL. D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze? It makes too much sense.
Mock Draft 1.0: Brock Bowers, Tight End, Georgia
The Jets are all-in to win a Super Bowl while Aaron Rodgers remains in the league, so this pick absolutely will be used on a weapon or an offensive lineman who they think can start right away. Brock Bowers is an exciting prospect who can be one of the top tight ends in his rookie season, giving Rodgers an immediate upgrade at the position.
Mock Draft 1.0: Terrion Arnold, Cornerback, Toledo
For reference, the Vikings traded No. 11 and No. 23 to the Chargers for No. 5 and No. 110 to make this trade happen.
There isn't a receiver worth taking here at No. 11, but there are some corners and the Chargers desperately need help here, too. I've flipped from Terrion Arnold to Quinyon Mitchell, with the athleticism of the latter winning out over the concerns about his strength of competition.
Mock Draft 1.0: Bo Nix, Quarterback, Oregon
Sean Payton might feel his seat getting very hot if 2024 is a repeat of 2023. His quarterback room of Zach Wilson, Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci cannot be making him feel good.
And, no, the trade for Wilson absolutely does not rule out a quarterback.
Mock Draft 1.0: Michael Penix Jr., Quarterback, LSU
An offensive lineman or cornerback makes sense here, too, but there have been reports that the Raiders front office absolutely love Michael Penix Jr., and his draft stock has risen to the point that you might not be able to get him on Day 2.
It's a little higher for him than people expect, but quarterbacks do get overdrafted.
Mock Draft 1.0: Olumuyiwa Fashanu, Offensive Tackle, Washington
Trevor Penning has been a major bust, and the Saints also need a new EDGE. It's a close call in the battle of the trenches here since Dallas Turner is available but Olumuyiwa Fashanu might be the better answer here given the Saints need to improve their offense however they can.
Mock Draft 1.0: Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo
The Indianapolis Colts essentially swap corners with the Chargers and get Terrion Arnold instead of Mitchell. Arnold doesn't have the ceiling, but he's the much higher floor and a safe pick to be a good cornerback at the NFL level.
Mock Draft 1.0: Jared Verse, EDGE, Florida State
The Seattle Seahawks might want to sprint to hand in the draft card on this one. The Seahawks desperately need a pass-rusher and Turner is available? Easy pick!
In all seriousness, this is a real possibility though if the Falcons take Latu. Turner is a good prospect but not a special one, so he could slide.
Niner Noise 2024 Mock Draft 2.0: Pick Nos. 17 - 24
Mock Draft 1.0: Nate Wiggins, Cornerback, Clemson
An explosive cornerback who needs to improve his tackling a bit but has exceptional athleticism and instincts, the fit with the Jaguars is obvious, given they need a No. 2 corner desperately in a division with two elite quarterbacks facing them twice a year apiece in Trevor Lawrence and C.J. Stroud.
Mock Draft 1.0: J.C. Latham, Offensive Tackle, Alabama
The Bengals need to keep Joe Burrow upright, which seems to be a recurring need every year. Luckily for them, this draft is teeming with offensive linemen, but we don't know which one they're targeting at No. 18.
Maybe Troy Fautanu is the answer, as the talented lineman can play multiple positions and plug up whatever hole there is on the offensive line.
Mock Draft 1.0: Byron Murphy, Defensive Tackle, Texas
This would be a good steal for the Rams, as Byron Murphy could be taken as high as No. 9 overall to the Bears. The team will be missing Aaron Donald desperately in retirement, so they need to find a replacement for him.
Mock Draft 1.0: Taliese Fuaga, Offensive Tackle/Guard, Oregon State
The biggest omission from my first mock draft is the talented and versatile Graham Barton, who could play any interior position and maybe even right tackle in the NFL. The Steelers need interior line help, especially at center, and Barton has a lot of fans late in the draft process.
Mock Draft 1.0: Troy Fautanu, Offensive Tackle/Guard, Washington
Defensive line help is definitely in play for the Dolphins, and I imagine this pick would be tricky given Jared Verse is still on the board in this mock.
But truthfully, they need to do everything possible to keep the fragile Tua Tagovailoa upright and Fuaga can fill multiple positions. Tua might be one concussion away from possible retirement given his history.
Mock Draft 1.0: Kool-Aid McKinstry, Cornerback, Alabama
The Eagles need to prop up their secondary badly if they want to remain relevant in the NFC. Cooper DeJean is a versatile defensive back who can play nickel back or safety, providing the versatility that the Eagles need.
Mock Draft 1.0: Brian Thomas Jr., Wide Receiver, LSU
For reference, the Vikings traded No. 11 and No. 23 to the Chargers for No. 5 and No. 110 to make this trade happen.
The Chargers have to come out of here with a receiver given Keenan Allen and Mike Williams are gone. They luck out here, getting the consensus fourth-best receiver on the board at No. 23.
Mock Draft 1.0: Tyler Guyton, Offensive Tackle, Oklahoma
J.C. Latham would be an excellent get for the Dallas Cowboys if they find him available at No. 24. They need a right tackle now Tyler Smith will man the blindside permanently, and Latham projects as an excellent right tackle for the NFL.
The problem facing Latham which might make him fall, is teams don't view him as capable of being a left tackle. This might hurt him a bit.
Niner Noise 2024 Mock Draft 2.0: Pick Nos. 25 - 32
Mock Draft 1.0: Cooper DeJean, Cornerback/Safety, Iowa
An upgrade for the secondary makes sense here, too, for the Packers, but they might be too intrigued by the potential of Tyler Guyton here to say no. With David Bakhtiari no longer on the team, Green Bay will need to obtain a talented blocker to protect the new franchise quarterback in Jordan Love.
Mock Draft 1.0: Jackson Powers-Johnson, Center/Guard, Oregon
The Buccaneers would be loving how the draft goes here, as they need to replace Shaq Barrett, and Jared Verse would be an absolute steal. He was at No. 16 in my first mock, before the Laiatu Latu draft stock went on the rise.
Mock Draft 1.0: Laiatu Latu, EDGE, UCLA
The Cardinals need a lot of upgrades, and cornerback is one of them. Kool-Aid McKinstry is a prospect with a bit of a fluid draft stock. He could go higher than this, and he's a danger to fall out of the first round, too.
Mock Draft 1.0: Xavier Worthy, Wide Receiver, Texas
There have been multiple reports that the Bills are looking to trade up for a receiver, which makes sense because they're very thin at the position after trading away Stefon Diggs after tiring of his diva behavior. Xavier Worthy is a dynamic deep threat with excellent route-running skills.
Mock Draft 1.0: Chop Robinson, EDGE, Penn State
The Detroit Lions were the Cinderella team for 2023, and now the pressure is on to back it up with the wright of expectation in 2024. They can help their cause with upgrading at guard, and maybe center if Frank Ragnow continues to get help. Jackson Powers-Johnson is the best pure interior blocker in this draft.
Mock Draft 1.0: Jordan Morgan, Offensive Tackle, Arizona
The Ravens need an understudy for Ronnie Stanley, as well as someone ready to fill in for when he inevitably gets injured. Jordan Morgan has a lot of fans at the end of the first round and the beginning of the second. He's more likely than not to sneak into the first round now.
Mock Draft 1.0: Amarius Mims, Offensive Tackle, Georgia
Amarius Mims is an exciting but polarizing draft prospect. He's been hurt a lot and has minimal collegiate experience, but he's physically a very impressive talent at 6-foot-8 and 340 pounds with some incredible athleticism to back it up. He's perfect for the 49ers.
Mock Draft 1.0: Adonai Mitchell, Wide Receiver, Texas
What's the easiest way to prepare for a possible threepeat in 2024? Giving Patrick Mahomes more viable receivers! This makes even more sense given their only good wide receiver in Rashee Rice got himself in some legal trouble.