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Disclaimer: Any NFL mock draft before the free agency period is foolhardy at best. That doesn't make it any less fun to create, but it's worth noting (for those that take these things a little too seriously) that this early take will change dramatically in the next few months.
1) Cleveland Browns - Saquon Barkley, RB - Penn St.
Sure, Sam Darnold is the obvious choice here, but with a likely veteran addition (e.g., A.J. McCarron or a trade for Alex Smith), they can use their #1 overall pick to grab the draft's best overall player, then grab a young QB at #4.
2) New York Giants - Sam Darnold, QB - USC
Because "Browns gonna Brown," the Giants can land, arguably, the top QB in the draft.
3) New York Jets (via IND) Josh Rosen, QB - UCLA
The Jets make the first big move up the board, trading with the Colts to get their franchise QB and Darnold and Rosen bring their crosstown, LA rivalry to the East Coast.
4) Cleveland Browns (via HOU) - Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming
The Browns can let Allen sit and learn behind a veteran QB for a year or possibly even longer, which he will need.
5) Denver Broncos - Quenton Nelson, OG - Notre Dame
I can see Kirk Cousins ending up in Denver, allowing the Broncos to shore up their O-line.
6) Indianapolis Colts (via NYJ) - Bradley Chubb - DE - North Carolina St.
Indy gets the guy they were targeting at #3 and pick up some extra draft choices as well. A win-win for both teams.
7) Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Minkah Fitzpatrick, DB - Alabama
Fitzpatrick gives the Bucs much needed talent and flexibility in the secondary.
8) Chicago Bears - Courtland Sutton, WR - SMU
O-line is a strong possibility here, but the Bears absolutely have to give Tribusky some weapons and the big, speedy WR out of SMU is a difference-maker.
9 or 10) Oakland Raiders - Roquan Smith, LB - Georgia
It's no secret that the Raiders need an upgrade at middle linebacker.
9 or 10) San Francisco 49ers - Tremaine Edmunds, LB - Virginia Tech
I believe that Derwin James is a strong possibility here as well, but Edmunds seems especially well-suited for Robert Saleh's defense. At 6'4", 250ish, he is a faster, more athletic version of Seattle's K.J. Wright, who himself is a high-impact, do-everything Will LB. Edmunds has the rare skill-set of being able to shut down the run, rush the passer and cover tight-ends/backs. Paired with Reuben Foster, he would be a key building block for a young but improving defense.
11) Miami Dolphins - Derwin James, S - Florida St.
Though safety isn't a critical need for the Dolphins, I can't see Miami passing on James, who is quite possibly the draft's most athletic player. This would be a pure BPA pick.
12) Cincinnati Bengals - Mike McGlinchey - OT, Notre Dame
The addition of McGlinchey will allow the Bengals to solidify their tackle situation opposite Andre Smith and move Cedric Ogbuehi and/or Jake Fisher to guard or possibly move them both to the bench.
13) Washington Redskins - Baker Mayfield, QB - Oklahoma
With Cousins likely moving on in free agency, the 'Skins grab the 2017 Heisman Trophy winner as their next franchise QB.
14) Green Bay Packers - Joshua Jackson, CB - Iowa
Jackson is an ideal press-man cover corner to replace Davon House in new DC Mike Pettine's defense.
15) Arizona Cardinals - Lamar Jackson, QB - Louisville
I can see Arizona pairing the young, dynamic Jackson with a veteran QB to bring him along slowly.
16) Baltimore Ravens- Calvin Ridley, WR - Alabama
BPA-meets-need-meets-GM-preference as Ozzie Newsome grabs yet another Alabama player in the first round.
17) Los Angeles Chargers - Vita Vea, NT - Washington
The Chargers continue to strengthen one of the most elite defensive lines in the league by adding a massive and athletically gifted NT.
18) Seattle Seahawks - Marcus Davenport, EDGE - UTSA
Whether they part ways with Michael Bennett in the next few months or not, Seattle still needs edge rush help.
19) Dallas Cowboys - Denzel Ward, CB - Ohio St.
Putting Ward opposite Chidobe Awuzie would solidify the Cowboys defensive secondary for years to come.
20) Detroit Lions - Arden Key, Edge - LSU
Key is a top 10 talent who will likely end up falling due to on and off-field concerns, and Detroit is the better for it, considering they are likely to lose Ziggy Ansah in free agency.
21) Buffalo Bills - Da'Ron Payne, DT - Alabama
Picking back-to-back, the Bills first address their d-line situation, necessitated by the 2017 departure of Marcell Dareus and the aging Kyle Williams.
22) Buffalo Bills - Billy Price, C - Ohio St.
Given the recent and unfortunate injury/retirement news of Eric Woods, Price is the ideal pick here.
23) Los Angeles Rams - Carlton Davis, CB - Auburn
The Rams could shore up their offensive line, but instead choose a CB replacement for the soon-to-be free agent, Trumaine Johnson.
24) Carolina Panthers - Braden Smith, OG, Auburn
The Panthers have to find a replacement for one of the league's least-known, yet, highly rated guards, Andrew Norwell, who is setting himself up for a massive payday in free agency.
25) Tennessee Titans - Taven Bryan, DT - Florida
Bryan should mitigate the free agency loss of 3-4 DE DaQuan Jones.
26) Atlanta Falcons - Maurice Hurst, DT - Michigan
Looking for more production from their defensive interior, the highly disruptive Hurst will be an ideal fit for Dan Quinn's defense.
27) New Orleans Saints - Rashaan Evans, LB - Alabama
Though Manti T'eo didn't play terribly for the Saints in 2017, Evans would be a considerable upgrade in the middle of their defense.
28) Pittsburgh Steelers - Derrius Guice, RB - LSU
This pick will obviously change should the Steelers agree to a long-term contract with Le'Veon Bell. If not, the explosive Guice would be an ideal replacement.
29) Jacksonville Jaguars - Connor Williams, OT - Texas
Putting a top 10 talent like Williams (but for the knee injury) across from Cam Robinson would go a long way towards keeping Blake Bortles upright.
30) Minnesota Vikings - Will Hernandez, OG - UTEP
The Vikings could use help at the guard position, and Hernandez brings a lot of nastiness to the run game.
31) Philadelphia Eagles - Kolton Miller, OT - UCLA
Jason Peters has probably played his last game in the NFL and Miller could easily slide into the RT spot while they move Lane Johnson to LT.
32) New England Patriots - Chukwuma Okorafor, OT - Western Michigan
It's anyone's guess what Bill Belichick will do, but replacing Nate Solder at tackle would make a ton of sense. He could also draft Oklahoma State's Mason Rudolph as the eventual successor to TB12 here, so keep an eye out for that as well.
We're just 10 days away from the start of the 2024 NFL Draft. While many gain more confidence about their projections for the top of the first round, the picture of what might happen further down remains murky. Most predict the San Francisco 49ers will use their first selection, No. 31 overall, on an offensive lineman. However, an early run on the position may alter those plans. The 49ers may address another position, or they may have to move up to secure a top prospect.
ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. and Field Yates recently revealed a joint three-round mock draft, examining the top 100 selections and forecasting
Marcus Mosher of The 33rd Team revealed his latest mock draft, which goes seven rounds deep and projects every selection for every NFL team. While most predict that the San Francisco 49ers will add an offensive lineman with their first selection, No. 31 overall, Mosher has the Bay Area team going in a different direction.
The writer and analyst has the Niners selecting former UCLA pass rusher Laiatu Latu in the first round.
"It wouldn't be a shock to see Laiatu Latu fall in the draft due to his medical history, but he is too good of a value to pass up here at No. 31," Mosher wrote. "The San Francisco 49ers have been searching for the right pass
Analyst Dane Brugler recently revealed his seven-round mock draft for The Athletic, forecasting all 257 selections in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft, set to kick off next week.
"Piecing together a mock like this is time consuming, but I enjoy the exercise, because it allows me to focus on each team's needs, organizational trends and prospect-team pairings that make sense based on '30' visits, league buzz and overall interest," Brugler wrote.
Most expect the 49ers to address the trenches early in the draft, and Brugler has the team doing that. It's just not on the offensive side of the football. In fact, Brugler doesn't have San Francisco
The San Francisco 49ers first selection in next week's draft comes at No. 31 overall. However, NFL Media analyst Chad Reuter doesn't have the Bay Area team remaining at that spot in the first round. In his seven-round mock draft, he envisions the 49ers striking a deal with the Green Bay Packers to move up six spots to No. 25 overall, where they select former Alabama cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry.
Reuter notes, "Whether it's for a cornerback like McKinstry, an offensive lineman or a receiver, the 49ers could very well give up a mid-round pick to acquire one of the few missing pieces on an otherwise potent roster."
The rest of the mock draft reveals at least part of the
