Mock Draft 1.3
2-Round Mock Draft with Axe Finley
2024 NFL DRAFT
Chicago Bears (via CAR) - Caleb Williams, QB
(Westen) Chalk.
Washington Commanders - Drake Maye, QB
(Westen) Chalk
New England Patriots - Marvin Harrison Jr., WR
(Westen) Best player available (and the best in the draft). The Patriots have a massive need at WR. Daniels is solid and will go top 10 (spoiler), but Harrison Jr. might be a generational talent.
Arizona Cardinals - Malik Nabers, WR
(Finley) With Kyler Murray reestablishing himself as the face of the franchise, it allows the Cardinals to focus on an area of need. Nabers is the best player available here and the biggest need for the Cardinals. WR #1 in any other draft and far from a consolation prize.
Los Angeles Chargers - Brock Bowers, TE
(Finley) Massive need for LA and Bowers is a top 10 talent. There is also a large gap between him and the next best TE in this year's draft.
New York Giants - Jayden Daniels, QB
(Westen) I don't think NY will be looking to move for a QB given how many other needs they have and they are probably okay riding out another year with Jones, especially given that they are tied to his contract for this year. That said, if Daniels falls to them here at 6, I find it hard to believe that they would pass on him. Jones' contract becomes easier to move on from in 2025 and Daniels would be enough for them to do that.
Tennessee Titans - Joe Alt, T
(Finley) Chalk
Atlanta Falcons - Bo Nix, QB
(Finley) The Falcons choose to do it through the draft and take a QB at 8 going with...Bo Nix. My colleague is apparently a lot higher on Nix than I am. Here is what he says: "McCarthy might be too much of a project while Nix seems more complete." There you go, Atlanta, the QB of the future.
Chicago Bears - Rome Odunze, WR
(Westen) Williams + Odunze would be the ideal scenario for Chicago.
New York Jets - Olu Fashanu, T
(Westen) Chalk
Minnesota Vikings - J.J. McCarthy, QB
(Westen) What J.J. needs more than anything is to not come into the league and get the Bryce Young treatment. Minnesota could bring back Kirk for two years, and let McCarthy sit and learn. That would be the most ideal situation for McCarthy. Will it happen? Probably not, but I like the idea of it and what could come of it.
Denver Broncos - Michael Penix Jr.
(Finley) The run on QBs continues, that puts us at six now. That's right, half of the picks thus far have been QB. Assuming they let Wilson go, Denver could be looking for a QB and Penix might be a legitimate option, especially considering how much dead cap they might have to eat along the way.
Las Vegas Raiders - Byron Murphy II, DI
(Finley) Chalk.
New Orleans Saints - Taliese Fuaga, T
(Finley) New Orleans needs to continue to eat their vegetables and invest in the trenches. Fuaga is a top 5 OL talent in the draft this year and has T/G versatility, making him very appealing early on as well as down the road.
Indianapolis Colts - Cooper DeJEan, CB
(Finley) The Colts need to add help in the secondary and DeJean is the best DB in this year's draft. He also has the flexibility to slot in at either CB or S depending on how other players are added to this roster.
Seattle Seahawks - Jackson Powers-Johnson, C
(Finley) Seattle's interior needs help and JPJ might be the best IOL in this year's draft. The mid-teens are when his name starts to heat up.
Jacksonville Jaguars - Graham Barton, G/C
(Finley) My colleague really likes his interior offensive linemen. Barton marks the second interior player in a row taken in the top 20. No doubt, Jacksonville has a need here and Barton will most likely be a Day 1 starter.
Cincinnati Bengals - JC Latham, T
(Westen) Cincinnati needs to keep building their line and protect their franchise quarterback. Latham once again feels like a legitimate Day 1 starter.
Los Angeles RAMS - Nate Wiggins, CB
(Finley) LA fills their biggest need with the best cover corner in the draft.
Pittsburg Steelers - Dallas Turner, EDGE
(Westen) Can't pass a player this good that is left on the board. The Steelers have other needs, but EDGE is a premium position and Turner is a top talent. The fall stops here.
Miami Dolphins - Troy Fautanu, T/G
(Westen) Fautanu has enough length to play tackle in the NFL and he can probably fill a role as needed, but he will probably find the most success at guard. My colleague points out that Miami has made large defensive cuts and will need to fill that position. While that is true, all three of their starting interior linemen are free agents and Fautanu can help to fill that need.
Philadelphia Eagles - Terrion Arnold, CB
(Westen) Chalk.
Houston Texans (VIA CLE) - Quinyon Mitchell, CB
(Finley) With Mitchell and Stingley as Houston's outside corners, any team looking to throw is going to have a challenging time doing so.
Dallas Cowboys - Brain Thomas Jr., WR
(Westen) With Gallup continuing to struggle to stand out and Cooks' contract up after next year, the Cowboys need to find a player that runs routes alongside Lamb. Thomas Jr. and Lamb running routes together would be a nightmare for opposing defenses.
Green Bay Packers - Amarius Mims, T
(Westen) With the departure of Bakhtiari immanent, the Packers need to fortify the tackle position.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Troy Franklin, WR
(Finley) With Evans possibly leaving, Franklin provides some young talent alongside Palmer and Godwin.
Arizona Cardinals (VIA HOU) - Laiatu Latu, EDGE
(Finley) An absolute steal for Arizona. Helps build their defense after Murray got help with Nabers at pick 4.
Buffalo Bills - Jared Verse, EDGE
(Westen) WR might be a bigger need, but EDGE is still a large need. If Verse is there at 28, Buffalo would be sprinting with that pickup to the podium.
Detroit Lions - Jer'Zhan Newton, DI
(Westen) Newton is probably the best player available at this point and a three-down interior player next to McNeil would be a dream for Detroit to draft.
Baltimore Ravens - Keon Coleman, WR
(Westen) Coleman isn't my next highest WR, but he has that alpha mentality and fills a very different role than Flowers. Baltimore looks to stay dangerous with even more weapons for Lamar who is in the prime of his career.
San Francisco 49ers - Tyler Guyton, T
(Finley) Guyton may be a bit of a project, but learning from the best offensive tackle over the last decade would be a great way to expedite that development. Interior is a more pressing need, but a tackle with a ceiling like Guyton's is challenging to pass on.
Kansas City Chiefs - Ladd McConkey, WR
(Finley) Was there ever really a doubt on who this was going to be? The board fell perfectly to put Ladd with Mahomes.
Carolina Panthers - Zach Fraizer, C
(Finley) This is another pick from Finley where I am still a little surprised. Sure, the line sucked last year, but who is Young throwing to? Adam Thielen in a wheelchair? To be fair, he does point out that some FA options can be added to help that WR room.
New England Patriots - Jordan Morgan, T/G
(Westen) The QB run in the first round did New England no favors of grabbing one here. Instead, they can turn their attention to the line with Morgan. He is another player with versatility who will help that roster build as they turn the page on the Belichick era.
Arizona Cardinals - Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB
(Finley) The Cardinals continue to dominate this mock draft with another homerun—a great player at a premium position of need.
Washington Commanders - Darius Robinson, EDGE/DI
(Westen) A very versatile player along the line who has an impressive size and speed combination. After the departure of Sweat and Young, the Commanders need to get pass rushers on their roster again.
Los Angeles Chargers - Ennis Rakestraw, CB
(Finley) After the fall of JC Jackson, the Chargers have been a mess in the secondary. Rakestraw is a late first-round talent and would be an amazing value here.
Tennessee Titans - Adonai Mitchell, WR
(Finley) Chalk. They got their OT in the first round. Now they can continue to build the WR room.
New York Giants - Kingsley Suamataia, T
(Westen) Neal simply has not been good enough. Suamataia provides competition at the position and the chance for Neal to slide into guard and finally find success.
Washington Commanders (VIA CHI) - T.J. Tampa, CB
(Westen) Washington, like Arizona, continues to draft high-quality players in premium positions of need. Tampa will get a chance to step in on Day 1 and compete on the other side of Forbes.
Green Bay Packers (VIA NYJ) - Tyler Nubin, S
(Westen) As a Packer fan, this is a dream fit. Their safety situation is certified cheeks and Nubin is the top safety prospect in the draft. This would be an amazing landing spot for both the player and the team.
Minnesota Vikings - Bralen Trice, EDGE
(Westen) If it wasn't edge in the first round, it had to be edge here. Trice is a high-caliber prospect with ideal size, skill, and production for the position.
Atlanta Falcons - Chris Braswell, EDGE
(Finley) The talent on the offensive side of the ball for Atlanta is undeniable. While they could use a WR to complement their other pass catchers, they need to continue to build the defense. Their defensive line needs to be reloaded, especially on the edge.
Las Vegas Raiders - Spencer Rattler, QB
(Finley) While I am not a Rattler truther, my colleague is. AOC is most likely not the solution in Vegas and if he thinks Rattler can be a legitimate NFL starter, then the player is worth the pick. Maybe they hedge their bets between the two and see what can come from the QB competition.
New Orleans Saints (VIA DEN) - Payton Wilson, LB
(Finley) Payton helps to restock the Saints' defense and is one of the top LB talents in this year's draft.
Indianapolis Colts - Kamari Lassiter, CB
(Finley) The Colts continue to build their secondary. If DeJean does play at safety, this gives them an option at outside corner.
New York Giants (VIA SEA) - Ja'Lynn Polk, WR
(Westen) The Giants address their final glaring offensive need with a solid possession receiver. Robinson and Hyatt are WR2s at best. Grabbing Polk gives Daniels a legitimate receiving option and doesn't end up as a repeat of the 2023 Panthers.
Jacksonville Jaguars - Adisa Isaac, EDGE
(Finley) Isaac is another quality prospect in a premium position. When asked if this is a need for the Jaguars, Axe Finley's response was "D wins championships."
Cincinnati Bengals - Ja'Tavion Sanders, TE
(Westen) Heading into FA, the Bengals have 0 TE on their roster. This is a glaring need for them and Sanders is a quality prospect, especially at this position in the draft.
Philadelphia Eagles (VIA NO) - Jermaine Burton, WR
(Westen) Burton helps to add depth and youth the the WR room in Philadelphia. Brown and Smith are the only true receiving options still under contract at the start of FA for Philly. This will prove to be an investment for now and into the future.
Pittsburg Steelers - Junior Colson, LB
(Westen) Pittsburg continues to add talent on the defensive side of the ball and upgrade their off-ball linebacker position.
Los Angeles Rams - Chop Robinson, EDGE
(Finley) Adds depth and youth to the edge group. When Finley was asked what he liked most about Robinson, his response was, "Who doesn't like a man named Chop?"
Philadelphia Eagles - Kam Kinchens, S
(Westen) Kinchens is the best defensive secondary player left on the board. This allows Philly to continue to add youth to their aging secondary.
Cleveland Browns - Edgerrin Cooper, LB
(Westen) Best player available. He fills a need for a defensive front seven that looks like it will have a lot of holes.
Miami Dolphins - Jaden Hicks, S
(Westen) After I was bullied by Finley for my first-round pick, I caved and drafted the best remaining safety on the board. This allows Cam Smith a chance to start opposite of Jalen Ramsey and provides a reliable blanket for the defense.
Dallas Cowboys - Patrick Paul, T
(Westen) With Tyron Smith getting into his mid-30s, Dallas may decide it is time to move on and not resign him in FA. Even if they keep him, they need a plan to add depth to eventually fill that position.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Javon Bullard, S
(Finley) The Buccaneers opted to address WR in the first round and now they turn back to the defense. Bullard has nickel/safety flexibility and can provide good depth in a secondary that ended the year with some question marks.
Green Bay Packers - Jonathon Brooks, RB
(Westen) Put on a silver platter. Jones has been great when healthy but is getting up there in age. Dillion is a free agent and has not impressed much as the lone back. Bring in Brooks, ease him into the offense off his injury behind Jones, and hand him the keys in 2025.
Houston Texans - Kris Jenkins, DI
(Finley) Need and availability. Jenkins is a high-floor player who will help to continue to build that Houston defense.
Buffalo Bills - Xavier Worthy, WR
(Westen) The Bills get their receiver to take the top off defenses and provide Josh Allen a legitimate deep threat.
Detroit Lions - Christian Haynes, G
(Westen) The Lions continue to build the trenches, this time on the offensive side of the ball. IOL will be a thin position for them heading into FA and Haynes looks to be a steal at this point in the draft.
Baltimore Ravens - Mike Sainristil, CB
(Westen) Sainristil is a 0-TECH favorite and we're happy to pick him here for the Ravens. The Ravens secondary can use a slot defender and Sainristil might be the best nickel corner in this year's draft.
San Francisco 49ers - Roman Wilson, WR
(Finley) Adds a receiving option to compliment the traits of Aiyuk, Samuel, and Kittle. Provides more juice for a team in "Win Now" mode.
Kansas City Chiefs - Khyree Jackson, CB
(Finley) Fills depth within the defensive secondary. Sneed's tag opens door for big need in 2025.
Newt Westen
When doing a mock draft, one of the hardest things to change is to break habits or patterns. You get an idea of where a player may fit and at what range a prospect might get drafted. Unless you break that mindset, mocks tend to become fairly predictable. What is the best way of doing a predictive mock that shakes things up? Make one with someone else.
Friend of the site, Axe Finley, was happy to join me in a two-round mock draft. Rather than going evens and odds, we divided the teams in the draft by divisions. I picked for the East and North divisions and Finley picked for the West and South divisions. I wrote the synopsis for each selection based on our notes surrounding the pick and the player. Some of them I saw eye to eye with him and others we saw a little differently, to say the least.
I hope you enjoy and if you want to let us know what you think. Who is getting fired as a GM, who had a better draft? Hit us up on X with your thoughts. You can find him at @Chuck_NFLDraft and me as always at @NFLDraft_Westen.
Until then, prost.