Shutterstock
It’s officially NFL Draft season! With the Senior Bowl, Pro Days, and NFL Scouting Combine around the corner, ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. is busting out his first 2024 NFL Mock Draft.
Kiper released his first draft of the year on Tuesday, January 23, and there are some interesting notes throughout the first round.
Of course, all eyes are on the Chicago Bears and the No. 1 overall pick, which was acquired after a trade with the Carolina Panthers a year ago. Will the Bears stick with Justin Fields and look to move the pick? Will they take a quarterback and move on from Fields?
According to Kiper, the Bears will roll the dice with USC quarterback Caleb Williams at the top of the draft. The former Heisman winner had an up-and-down 2023 season, but he remains the consensus No. 1 quarterback in the class.
Kiper has the next two teams also selecting quarterbacks — Jayden Daniels to the Commanders at No. 2 and Drake Maye to the Patriots at No. 3 — while Marvin Harrison to the Cardinals and the Chargers selecting Georgia tight end Brock Bowers to round out the top five.
The fourth quarterback off of the board for Kiper is a bit of a head-scratcher, with Michigan’s JJ McCarthy going to the Seattle Seahawks at No. 16.
Who does Kiper have your favorite team drafting in his first 2024 mock draft?
A look at his top 10 projections can be seen below, while the full mock draft can be seen by heading over to ESPN.com.
Mel Kiper Mock Draft 2024 – Top 10 Picks
Shutterstock
- Chicago Bears (via Carolina): Caleb Williams, QB, USC
- Washington Commanders: Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU
- New England Patriots: Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina
- Arizona Cardinals: Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State
- Los Angeles Chargers: Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia
- New York Giants: Malik Nabers, WR, LSU
- Tennessee Titans: Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame
- Atlanta Falcons: Dallas Turner, OLB, Alabama
- Chicago Bears: Rome Odunze, WR, Washington
- New York Jets: Olu Fashanu, OT, Penn State
