2024 NFL Mock Draft: Bears’ Justin Fields replaced with top-5 pick; Steelers add protection for Kenny Pickett

USC • Jr • 6’1″ / 215 lbs

Projected Team Arizona PROSPECT RNK 1st POSITION RNK 1st

Settle in, folks. You are going to be seeing a lot of Caleb Williams projections to Arizona over the next few months and potentially all the way up to draft night.

Ohio State • Jr • 6’4″ / 205 lbs

Projected Team Arizona PROSPECT RNK 2nd POSITION RNK 1st

The Cardinals do not have any wide receivers who have proven they can be a go-to option in the offense. If Arizona is going to start over with a new quarterback, giving him a top-flight wide receiver is the best way to support him.

Penn State • Jr • 6’6″ / 319 lbs

Projected Team Indianapolis PROSPECT RNK 3rd POSITION RNK 1st

If Bernhard Raimann does not prove he is the answer at left tackle by season’s end, then the franchise is going to consider its options. With Anthony Richardson at quarterback, the Colts need to shore up the offensive line.

North Carolina • Soph • 6’4″ / 230 lbs

Projected Team Chicago PROSPECT RNK 5th POSITION RNK 2nd

A year after trading away the No. 1 overall selection that was used on Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, Chicago is back in a position to take a young quarterback unless Justin Fields can assert himself as the franchise guy.

Florida State • Jr • 6’4″ / 260 lbs

Projected Team Chicago PROSPECT RNK 8th POSITION RNK 2nd

Chicago has secured short-term fixes to rush the passer like Demarcus Walker and Yannick Ngakoue but what is the long-term plan? Jared Verse is not even a Will Anderson Jr.-caliber prospect, but he appears to be the top edge rusher in the class at this point in time.

Georgia • Jr • 6’7″ / 340 lbs

Projected Team Tennessee PROSPECT RNK 20th POSITION RNK 5th

Tennessee is probably already realizing that Andre Dillard is not the answer at left tackle. After taking Peter Skoronski in the first round a year ago, the Titans circle back for another brick in the wall.

Georgia • Jr • 6’4″ / 240 lbs

Projected Team Washington PROSPECT RNK 4th POSITION RNK 1st

If Washington is going to move forward with Sam Howell, then it needs to continue surrounding him with talent. Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson are good building blocks, but Brock Bowers would bring another element to that offense.

Michigan • Jr • 6’3″ / 202 lbs

Projected Team Tampa Bay PROSPECT RNK 41st POSITION RNK 5th

J.J. McCarthy is operating on another level right now. If he can continue this level of efficiency against a higher level of competition, then he will have a strong chance to be that third quarterback taken.

Alabama • Jr • 6’1″ / 195 lbs

Projected Team N.Y. Giants PROSPECT RNK 10th POSITION RNK 1st

New York hopes it has found its cornerback tandem of the future in Tre Hawkins and Deonte Banks, but that is far from a given. Kool-Aid McKinstry would give the Giants a lot more stability.

Alabama • Jr • 6’6″ / 360 lbs

Projected Team Pittsburgh PROSPECT RNK 7th POSITION RNK 2nd

Pittsburgh fortified the left side of its offensive line with the selection of Broderick Jones. A year later, the Steelers address the right side with another massive addition at right tackle.

Clemson • Jr • 6’2″ / 185 lbs

Projected Team Minnesota PROSPECT RNK 53rd POSITION RNK 7th

Minnesota takes another swing at the cornerback position, returning to Clemson where it drafted Andrew Booth a few years earlier.

LSU • Jr • 6’0″ / 200 lbs

Projected Team New England PROSPECT RNK 21st POSITION RNK 3rd

When game-planning for New England, which pass catcher should the opposition fear? Malik Nabers has good size and body control down the field to make highlight-reel grabs.

Alabama • Jr • 6’4″ / 242 lbs

Projected Team L.A. Rams PROSPECT RNK 15th POSITION RNK 3rd

Los Angeles has had some young players outperform its draft positions thus far. The hope is that the Rams continue stacking young talent. Dallas Turner is a prospect who needs to get stronger to win in a variety of ways, but he would immediately be an asset for the team’s pass rush.

Colorado • Jr • 6’2″ / 215 lbs

Projected Team Denver PROSPECT RNK 59th POSITION RNK 6th

Even if you believe that Sean Payton can resuscitate Russell Wilson — and I don’t — it is not a long-term plan. The idea that quarterbacks can play at a high level until they are 40 years old is a myth; Tom Brady is the exception.

Illinois • Jr • 6’2″ / 295 lbs

Projected Team Las Vegas PROSPECT RNK 52nd POSITION RNK 3rd

Las Vegas has added multiple interior defenders through the draft in recent years, but the backbone of that defense remains an issue. Jer’Zhan Newton is a high-motor player who should be able to raise the floor of that defensive line.

LSU • Soph • 6’6″ / 315 lbs

Projected Team Seattle PROSPECT RNK 19th POSITION RNK 1st

Seattle continues investing in the front seven with the addition of Maason Smith. Smith has tremendous upside and is only scratching the surface after missing last season due to an injury.

Ohio State • Jr • 6’1″ / 206 lbs

Projected Team Atlanta PROSPECT RNK 26th POSITION RNK 4th

Atlanta does not seem interested in using the pass-catchers it already has, but Emeka Egbuka would be a good compliment to Drake London and Kyle Pitts.

Miami (FL) • Jr • 6’0″ / 205 lbs

Projected Team Green Bay PROSPECT RNK 33rd POSITION RNK 2nd

Green Bay has needed more from its safety group. Kamren Kinchens is a prospect who quickly diagnoses the play in front of him and acts on it. He is a talented, well-rounded safety who breathes new life into that unit.

Notre Dame • Jr • 6’7″ / 322 lbs

Projected Team N.Y. Jets PROSPECT RNK 12th POSITION RNK 4th

Left tackle was a need for New York even before Monday night’s injury to Aaron Rodgers. Duane Brown will turn 39 years old prior to the 2024 regular season, and the Jets cannot continue to place all of their eggs in that basket. Joe Alt’s father was drafted in the first round by the Chiefs in 1984.

Ohio State • Jr • 6’4″ / 270 lbs

Projected Team New Orleans PROSPECT RNK 16th POSITION RNK 4th

New Orleans may need another body on that defensive front if Payton Turner is not going to take the next step. Cam Jordan is not getting any younger. The Saints certainly have a type for that role, and J.T. Tuimoloau fits it.

Ohio State • Jr • 6’4″ / 265 lbs

Jack Sawyer is a stand-up edge rusher with the ability to make plays in space. His athleticism allows the Chargers to be more versatile while providing depth at pass rusher.

Texas • Jr • 6’1″ / 172 lbs

Projected Team Jacksonville PROSPECT RNK 50th POSITION RNK 7th

Xavier Worty may seem like a luxury right now, but Trevor Lawrence’s big contract is coming and Calvin Ridley will need a new deal. The addition of a high-ceiling wide receiver is meant to keep talent in that room with the cost of doing business rising.

UCLA • Sr • 6’5″ / 265 lbs

Projected Team Houston PROSPECT RNK 6th POSITION RNK 1st

Laiatu Latu would be taken earlier based on his performance this season, but he has a complicated medical history. Demeco Ryans comes from a San Francisco organization that has invested significant assets into the defensive line to accumulate depth and talent.

BYU • Soph • 6’6″ / 315 lbs

Projected Team Baltimore PROSPECT RNK 9th POSITION RNK 3rd

Age and health have been two limitations for the Ravens offensive line in the past, present and now the future unless they make accommodations. Kingsley Suamataia is a mammoth of a human being capable of taking on right tackle responsibilities.

Penn State • Jr • 5’11” / 190 lbs

Projected Team Detroit PROSPECT RNK 11th POSITION RNK 2nd

Cornerback is about the only position that Detroit has not heavily invested in during the draft. Kalen King, a Detroit area native, returns home to be a part of that talented, young secondary.

Michigan • Sr • 6’6″ / 322 lbs

Projected Team Miami PROSPECT RNK POSITION RNK

Miami has shown what a healthy Tua Tagovailoa can do, so it is imperative it sorts out the offensive line. Zak Zinter can give them stability along the interior offensive line.

Florida State • Jr • 6’4″ / 215 lbs

Projected Team Cincinnati PROSPECT RNK 58th POSITION RNK 8th

The reality is that Joe Burrow has his new contract and Ja’Marr Chase’s is coming soon. Cincinnati may be forced to move on from Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd in the coming years, so ensuring that there is no drop off in that room is important. Keon Coleman is a big-ball winner in the mold of Higgins.

Clemson • Jr • 6’1″ / 230 lbs

Projected Team Dallas PROSPECT RNK 14th POSITION RNK 2nd

It would not surprise me if there wasn’t a linebacker taken in the first round, but Barrett Carter is a modern-day NFL linebacker who can compliment Leighton Vander Esch and allow defensive coordinator Dan Quinn to show more looks pre-snap.

Texas A&M • Jr • 6’1″ / 205 lbs

Projected Team Buffalo PROSPECT RNK POSITION RNK

Stefon Diggs has been involved in a lot of Bills’ headlines in recent months, so it is fair to wonder how much longer he will be around. The Moose Muhammad selection is made with the idea of complimenting him, however.

Clemson • Jr • 6’0″ / 230 lbs

Projected Team Philadelphia PROSPECT RNK 13th POSITION RNK 1st

Philadelphia will probably not take a linebacker in the first round, but it is a fun selection to bring home the son of the former Eagles linebacker.

Texas • Jr • 6’4″ / 196 lbs

Projected Team Kansas City PROSPECT RNK 18th POSITION RNK 2nd

Kansas City needs to stop shopping in the clearance aisle at the wide receiver store. Adonai Mitchell is a bit raw but possesses that long speed the Chiefs covet to open up the rest of the field.

Ohio State • Sr • 6’4″ / 251 lbs

It may be a stretch to say that Cade Stover will be a first-round pick right now, but few tight ends can contribute in the run and pass games; a role that is valuable in San Francisco’s offense. George Kittle has battled injury in recent years, so Stover is an insurance policy for a team with Super Bowl aspirations at the very least.