Liam Blutman's FINAL 2024 NFL Mock Draft 3.0
Perry Knotts. Getty Images.Hey. Hope all is well. No, I really do. I hope you're doing so well. Better than well. Don't ask me how I'm doing though, I'm busy. Mock drafting… and stuff.
1) Chicago Bears (via Carolina Panthers) - QB Caleb Williams (USC)
Ranking: QB1
Strength: Ability to extend plays and create greatness out of nothing. Some of his highest highs come from making jaw dropping plays out of thin air.
Weakness: Finds himself in trouble too often because of that. Super confident in his abilities, to a point where it hurts him because he’s trying to make absurd plays when there is nothing there at all. The play is over, move on and play for another down.
Pokémon Comp: Eeveelutions
The entire world knows Caleb Williams is the pick at No. 1 here. The only question that remains is whether the potential franchise changing gunslinger opts for a suit or a dress on draft night.
2) Washington Commanders - QB Jayden Daniels (LSU)
Ranking: QB4
Strength: Worked very hard to improve his game and became a big time deep ball thrower. Showcased terrific ball placement en route to winning the Heisman.
Weakness: Feels like he’s addicted to taking big hits. He can often be seen on the wrong side of a cartoonish hit that makes the viewer wince and chuckle.
Fun Fact: Eats a bacon, spinach, and onion omelette with hot sauce and two waffles the morning before games.
In my previous mock I flirted with the idea of Washington going down another road and taking McCarthy. Alas, barring a seismic decision at the last minute, this pick should be making the Jayden Daniels camp very happy.
3) New England Patriots - QB Drake Maye (North Carolina)
Ranking: QB2
Strength: Always gives his pass catchers an opportunity to make a play.
Weakness: Was often pressed in chaotic situations. Felt like things were hectic quite a lot for him at UNC. Will be nice to see him in a more stable environment in the NFL.
- Fun Fact: In 2017 his brother Luke won a National Championship with UNC Basketball and his brother Cole won a National Championship with Florida Baseball.
I don’t really understand the constant and overwhelming amount of slander thrown Maye’s way during the pre-draft process. I’m a believer in the kid and see a bright future ahead on the horizon.
4) Arizona Cardinals - WR Marvin Harrison Jr. (Ohio State)
Ranking: WR1
Strength: Ability to levitate, allowing him to make absurd contested catches against sticky coverage
Weakness: Having to overcome the hype and expectations.
- Pokémon Comp: Moltres
I think 97.6% of mock drafters have Arizona trading this pick away. I’m sticking with my gut and sending Marvin to the desert. At the end of the day I think it’s a great fit and a win for both parties. I think it’d take a monstrous haul for Arizona to move down.
5) Minnesota Vikings (via Los Angeles Chargers) - QB J.J. McCarthy (Michigan)
Ranking: QB6
Strength: Winner
Weakness: Missing an elite trait
Pokémon Comp: Togepi
PROJECTED TRADE! In some sort of way, it’d be fitting for Jim Harbaugh to trade his pick away so a team can draft J.J. McCarthy in the top five. That is fitting, right? Or am I an idiot for thinking it’s fitting? Idk. Regardless, it’s a no-brainer for the Chargers to move down, return ridiculous compensation, and work on rebuilding quickly. For the Vikings it’s a bold play to make but one you’ve got to respect.
6) New York Giants - WR Malik Nabers (LSU)
Ranking: WR3
Strength: Flashes late hands at a prolific level
Weakness: Has room to grow with high pointing the ball
Cool Stat: LSU’s all-time leading receiver in yards (3,003)
The Giants have done plenty of work on quarterbacks in this class but four of them went in the first five picks… this leaves them in an interesting spot, stay put and take one of the top non-quarterbacks in the class? Or trade down, recoup some nice capital, and still get a great player. I lean towards the latter but think New York would stay put and prioritize Nabers.
7) Tennessee Titans - OT Joe Alt (Notre Dame)
Ranking: OT1
Strength: Fluidity in movement, elite footwork. Played TE for a long time, helps him out heavily
Weakness: Needs to showcase consistent power in hands/arms
Fun Fact: Joe’s dad John played OT for the Chiefs from 1984-1996, he’s in the Chiefs Hall of Fame
Joe Alt is one of my favorite players in the class, hope he enjoys Nashville. Titans fans should love this pick.
8) Atlanta Falcons - EDGE Dallas Turner (Alabama)
Ranking: EDGE1
Strength: Very good at converting his elite speed off the edge into plenty of raw power.
Weakness: Can benefit from adding more pass rush moves to his arsenal.
Fun Fact: Declared for the NFL Draft in the locker room after Alabama lost to Michigan in the CFB Playoff.
Falcons are hungry for an edge rusher. I’ll keep pounding the table for Dallas Turner to be the answer, dude is a menace. Quarterbacks hate him.
9) Chicago Bears - WR Rome Odunze (Washington)
Ranking: WR2
Strength: Three-level threat. Wins at all areas of the field.
Weakness: Lacks top end speed
Fun Fact: His dad has multiple burner accounts and just tweets people all day about why his son is the greatest player to ever exist.
Da Bears walk away with Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze. What a win for this franchise and football fans.
10) New York Jets - TE Brock Bowers (Georgia)
Ranking: TE1
Strength: Turned his stats all the way up like a create-a-player in a video game.
Weakness: Positional value of TE is very low. Predictability of where he lands is tough.
Fun Fact: An athletic background that includes playing QB, TE, LB, and basketball in high school.
The Jets are in win now mode, so they’ll take a weapon in the form of Brock Bowers. Aaron Rodgers is a happy man… I think?
11) Los Angeles Chargers (via Minnesota Vikings) - IDL Byron Murphy II (Texas)
Ranking: IDL1
Strength: Gets after the passer, can and will play all three downs
Weakness: Some front offices will look away due to him being just 6-foot, 297
Fun Fact: Dad’s name is also Byron Murphy
PROJECTED TRADE! Chargers move out of the top five, get some picks, and are ready to do damage. They begin with a young, explosive pass rushing defensive tackle that is rapidly rising up boards. His agent is working overtime right now making sure he’s in everyone’s top 15… Wondering if I’ll get a cut.
12) Jacksonville Jaguars (via Denver Broncos) - CB Quinyon Mitchell (Toledo)
Ranking: CB1
Strength: Freak athlete with great length.
Weakness: Wore a Toledo helmet and people don’t respect #MACtion
Comp: Elmer’s Glue
PROJECTED TRADE! I could regret making this trade but I love the idea of Jacksonville moving up to secure the top corner on the board while Denver moves down a bit and adds some much needed capital. Quinyon Mitchell is a dawg and the Florida native would help the Jags out immensely.
13) Las Vegas Raiders - QB Michael Penix Jr. (Washington)
Ranking: QB3
Strength: Frozen ropes to the sideline. Terrific throwing power, just heaters.
Weakness: Injury history.
Fun Fact: Stole White Boy Rick’s girl at a party
The Raiders have serious interest in Michael Penix Jr. and after four quarterbacks go early, this franchise has a serious and difficult decision to make. Select Penix Jr. now or wait and risk losing out on your guy? I know what I’d do… It’s Penix time.
14) New Orleans Saints - OT Olu Fashanu (Penn State)
Ranking: OT2
Strength: A 3-star recruit who developed into a top 10 prospect at a rapid pace and still has plenty of room to grow with youth on his side.
Weakness: For his standards and expectations, 2023 was lackluster.
Fun Fact: Volunteered at a local homeless shelter daily.
It’s kind of wild that there’s a very real chance Olu Fashanu is a mid-first rounder. Who would have thought that? It’s also not even his fault… This draft is just loaded at the top and he’s a bit of an odd man out. New Orleans has a dire need to add to the offensive line and find an elite pass protector.
15) Indianapolis Colts - CB Terrion Arnold (Alabama)
Ranking: CB2
Strength: Stellar physical tools, willingness to fight through contact and make his presence felt.
Weakness: Took awhile for his game to be respected, most people were dialed in on Kool-Aid all season and not Arnold.
Fun Fact: Gifted his high school janitor one of his jerseys for Christmas.
After seeing an aggressive division rival leap them for a stellar corner, the Colts stay put and do the same by selecting the savvy corner out of Alabama.
16) Seattle Seahawks - OT Taliese Fuaga (Oregon State)
Ranking: OT5
Strength: Elite run blocker
Weakness: 29th percentile arm length
Cool Stat: 0 Sacks allowed on 694 pass block reps
Fuaga could go so much higher than this but falls out of favor with how my board fell.
17) Denver Broncos (via Jacksonville Jaguars) - EDGE Jared Verse (Florida State)
Ranking: EDGE2
Strength: Hustle and pure power
Weakness: Will be 24 in his rookie year
Fun Fact: Told me he’d posterize me if given the opportunity
Verse would have been a top ten lock in 2023, instead he’s going outside of the top ten in 2024. Denver is rebuilding and should be in the market for a feared edge rusher sooner rather than later.
18) Cincinnati Bengals - OT JC Latham (Alabama)
Ranking: OT4
Strength: More than ideal NFL frame at 6-foot-6, 360. (Would benefit from shedding a few pounds) Will be a 21 year old rookie.
Weakness: Has to cut down on penalties.
Cool Stat: Exactly 874 snaps at RT in both the 2022 and 2023 seasons
Cincinnati scoop up JC Latham at No. 18 feels similar to them landing Myles Murphy at No. 28 last spring.
19) Los Angeles Rams - DB Cooper DeJean (Iowa)
Ranking: DB1
Strength: High level IQ. Super versatile. Return upside as well thanks to wicked twitch and smooth movement.
Weakness: Press man coverage.
Fun Fact: Chose to play DB at Iowa over QB at South Dakota State.
I think the Rams are a wild card here, there’s no telling which direction the club will go. Let’s have some fun and throw DeJean out there… One white Cooper on offense and another on defense. That’s how you build a dynasty.
20) Pittsburgh Steelers - OT Tyler Guyton (Oklahoma)
Ranking: OT3
Strength: Imposing force with superb speed and quickness.
Weakness: Would benefit from more consistent hand placement, use your upper body strength and strong arms to your advantage.
Cool Stat + Fun Fact: 0 Sacks allowed on 335 pass blocking snaps in 2023. In January 2023 Jared Verse told me Guyton is the best player he’s ever faced.
I had a very difficult time deciding between Guyton and Amarius Mims here… At the end of the day, I opted to give the go-ahead to a player I’m very high on.
21) Miami Dolphins - OL Graham Barton (Duke)
Ranking: OL2
Strength: Plays all five positions on the line, Elite athlete (9.99 RAS)
Weakness: 32 ⅞ arm length
Fun Fact: Named after Teddy Grahams (Do not fact check this)
Barton earned a 9.99 RAS, plays five spots on the o-line, and provides tons of help for the Phins.
22) Philadelphia Eagles - CB Kool-Aid McKinstry (Alabama)
Ranking: CB3
Strength: Stupendous ball skills
Weakness: Has struggled to keep up with physical wideouts, prospect fatigue is hitting him hard.
Fun Fact: Got the nickname Kool-Aid when he was a baby because his grandma stated his smile reminded her of the Kool-Aid Man
Sounds like Howie Roseman is aggressively trying to move up in this draft with hopes of selecting the corner of his dreams. Unfortunately a trade didn’t materialize in my mock so they end up with Kool-Aid at No. 22. This should still be considered a win.
23) Los Angeles Chargers (via Minnesota Vikings, HOU/CLE) - WR Brian Thomas Jr. (LSU)
Ranking: WR5
Strength: All-around game in a 6-foot-4 body with terrific length in arms and legs.
Weakness: Played in the shadows of Jayden Daniels and Malik Nabers. Just one season of dominance under his belt.
Fun Fact + Cool Stat: Played both football and basketball in high school. Scored more than 1,000 points in each of his three seasons of basketball.
PROJECTED TRADE! I’m destined to lose points in mock draft contests for doing this trade and that kind of makes me sad. Nonetheless, Brian Thomas Jr. will be going in this range and the Chargers would gladly take a wideout in this spot. It’ll also be a cool experience for Quentin Johnston who could learn a lot from the rookie out of LSU.
24) Dallas Cowboys - OT Amarius Mims (Georgia)
Ranking: OT6
Strength: Behemoth. 6-foot-8, 340 lbs.
Weakness: Eight career starts
Pokémon Comp: Tyranitar
Cowboys need to replace Tyron Smith and attempt to accomplish that with Amarius Tyron Mims. He’s a boom or bust prospect and it just goes to show how deep this offensive tackle class is when he’s OT6.
25) Green Bay Packers - CB Nate Wiggins (Clemson)
Ranking: CB5
Strength: 6-foot-1 with great length
Weakness: Lacks hunger in run support
Fun Fact: Started “Wiggs Worldwide Foundation” to improve the lives of kids by supporting underprivileged communities. The organization has a major focus on building a better future through mentorship and support for local organizations.
Green Bay’s front office is keen on prospects with plenty of traits and high Relative Athletic Scores. Wiggins is traitsy and earned a 9.44 RAS. He’s the type of player the Packers dream about.
26) Tampa Bay Buccaneers - EDGE Chop Robinson (Penn State)
Ranking: EDGE4
Strength: Strong vs. the pass and run, projects as an every down player.
Weakness: Has to put on more weight, sits at about 250 right now.
Fun Fact: Weighed 14 pounds out of the womb and got the nickname “Pork-Chop.” Was shortened to “Chop” once he got older and said “I can’t have people calling me Pork-Chop.”
I wouldn’t be one bit surprised if Chop goes much higher than No. 26. He’s a terrific prospect and there’s so much to like about him. Tampa Bay snags an edge rusher who does a bit of everything.
27) Arizona Cardinals (via Houston Texans) - EDGE Laiatu Latu (UCLA)
Ranking: EDGE5
Strength: High level instincts, brings plenty of juice to the field.
Weakness: Medically retired in 2021 due to a neck injury.
Fun Fact: Remained at Washington as a student coach before hitting the transfer portal.
It’s pretty difficult to find a spot for Latu. He can go top 15, he can fall out of the first round. I love the thought of Arizona taking the swing on a high level talent here. Cards are young and talented. Go try to hit a grand slam, don’t bunt for singles.
28) Buffalo Bills - WR AD Mitchell (Texas)
Ranking: WR4
Strength: Elite athlete, remarkable catch radius, big time confidence
Weakness: Can emotionally check out of a game
Pokémon Comp: Blaziken
I’m as big of an AD Mitchell fan as anybody and will be devastated if he goes to a bad situation. I think Buffalo is a solid landing spot and gives AD an opportunity to be WR1 from the jump. This is a dude I’d take in the top 15 and not think twice about it. Outside of Marvin, I think AD has the best shot at becoming WR1 in this class… he’s that good. Oh and he boasts a near perfect 9.99 RAS, 5th all-time amongst receivers.
29) Detroit Lions - CB T.J. Tampa (Iowa State)
Ranking: CB4
Strength: 6-foot-1 with long arms and a menacing physical presence
Weakness: Doesn’t have top end speed
Fun Fact: Played high school football 25 minutes away from Tampa, FL
The Detroit Lions are all about taking their guys and planting their flag. They don’t care what anyone else thinks. In my opinion, T.J. Tampa fits the mold of someone they’d be aggressive for in the first round or soon after in the second. He’s ultra aggressive, very physical, helps in run support, and will bite a kneecap off if given the chance. This is a risky prediction.
30) Baltimore Ravens - WR Ladd McConkey (Georgia)
Ranking: WR7
Strength: Surgical route-runner, lethal after the catch
Weakness: Injury riddled 2023 season
Fun Fact: I spoke to an AFC Scout who said he’d let his daughter date him
Ladd McConkey gets reunited with Todd Monken. Filthy. Monken will find plenty of ways to activate him in the short and intermediate passing games with Lamar. Baltimore has met with Ladd a few times, there’s definite interest there and I love the fit.
31) San Francisco 49ers - OL Troy Fautanu (Washington)
Ranking: OL1
Strength: Extremely mobile, does a great job of establishing physicality.
Weakness: I project him as a guard at the next level, could hurt his draft stock just a bit.
Fun Fact: Played volleyball in high school
Fautanu can play tackle or guard, I project him thriving more as a guard. A top 20 player in the class. He’s been my 49ers pick at No. 31 in each of my mocks.
32) Kansas City Chiefs - WR Xavier Worthy (Texas)
Ranking: N/A
Strength: Elite speed, 4.21 40
Weakness: Dealt with concentration drops
Pokémon Comp: Electrike
I needed to fit Worthy into the first round and the Chiefs might just want to draft another receiver after the Rashee Rice saga. Maybe they’ll strike gold here and clone Worthy into Tyreek Hill.
That’s it for mock draft season, at least for me. It’s a tough life, it ain’t easy. Hopefully I perform decently, that’d be cool. Best of luck to all you mock drafters, NFL fans, and humans. Thanks for reading, see you soon or something idk.