2024 NFL Mock Draft: Ex-GM gives WR to Cowboys, QBs to Broncos, Bears in ‘With the First Pick’ joint edition

USC • Jr • 6’1″ / 215 lbs

Projected Team Chicago PROSPECT RNK 1st POSITION RNK 1st

Rick Spielman — “I’m hanging up the phone every time someone calls me because the obvious pick is Caleb Williams. I know Justin Fields has played well over the last two weeks … but if I’m sitting in the GM chair with the Chicago Bears, I think that Caleb Williams, after I check all the boxes, is a generational-type quarterback, so you can’t pass him up. And then I will be able to trade Justin Fields for, I would believe, at least a second-round pick and maybe more if he continues to play the way he’s playing through the rest of the season.”

Ohio State • Jr • 6’4″ / 205 lbs

Projected Team Chicago PROSPECT RNK 2nd POSITION RNK 1st

Ryan Wilson — Wilson is going with the Ohio State standout, and Spielman agrees that should be the pick instead of Chicago looking for a trade partner. “Too unique of a player.”

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

Projected Team Denver PROSPECT RNK 5th POSITION RNK 2nd

Josh Edwards — “The only thing that makes this a complicated selection is Russell Wilson’s contract. Otherwise, I don’t think this is a team that’s going to compete in the next couple of years, so you want to restock your pantry and get a quarterback like Drake Maye, who I think is one of the better players in this draft class. If he were in most other draft classes, he would be the top quarterback prospect, in my opinion, based on what he has shown at this point.”

Alabama • Jr • 6’1″ / 195 lbs

Projected Team Minnesota PROSPECT RNK 10th POSITION RNK 1st

Rick Spielman — Spielman said he would have done everything in his power to trade up and draft Drake Maye knowing the drop-off at quarterback in this draft class and knowing that Kirk Cousins is set to become a free agent next offseason. However, since there are no trades in this mock, Spielman decided between two positions: pass rusher and cornerback. “I went with the best corner on the board in Kool-Aid McKinstry, who fits the scheme, and then I think there’s a drop-off after Kool-Aid at the corner position.”

Penn State • Jr • 6’6″ / 317 lbs

Projected Team New England PROSPECT RNK 3rd POSITION RNK 1st

Ryan Wilson — “This is worst-case scenario for them in that they can’t get a quarterback. … We were all surprised last year when the Patriots didn’t take a tackle at all. They drafted three interior offensive linemen — two who had to start as rookies in Week 1 because Cole Strange and [Mike] Onwenu were hurt. … You don’t have any outside help, so I drafted Olu Fashanu here.”

Alabama • Jr • 6’4″ / 242 lbs

Projected Team Arizona PROSPECT RNK 12th POSITION RNK 2nd

Josh Edwards — Edwards was between Notre Dame OT Joe Alt and Alabama LB Dallas Turner. “I went in the direction of Dallas Turner because they don’t really have any game-changing pass-rushers. You’ve got Jonathan Gannon coming over from a Philadelphia team that was loaded with pass-rushers, so I’m adding a player to the mix that I think can really take over some games.”

Notre Dame • Jr • 6’7″ / 322 lbs

Projected Team N.Y. Giants PROSPECT RNK 9th POSITION RNK 4th

Rick Spielman — “I’m going to take Joe Alt because they have struggles along the offensive line. [Andrew] Thomas has been hurt. He is good when he’s playing, but he’s always injured. And then Evan Neal seems to be a bust right now the way he’s been playing, and he has all the fans against him as well. … So, I have to take what for me is the safest pick in this draft in Joe Alt because of his technique, because of the character, because of the pedigree — everything says that this guy is going to be a really good pro.”

Florida State • Jr • 6’4″ / 260 lbs

Projected Team Las Vegas PROSPECT RNK 7th POSITION RNK 1st

Ryan Wilson — “I know they drafted Tyree Wilson — he has not looked to be himself since that foot injury, and maybe he gets there — but you can’t just wait around. … In the meantime, you have Maxx Crosby and not much else, so I’m taking Jared Verse, the edge rusher out of Florida State, to bookend Maxx Crosby and let them continue to get after it.”

Georgia • Jr • 6’4″ / 240 lbs

Projected Team Arizona PROSPECT RNK 4th POSITION RNK 1st

Josh Edwards — “One of the blue-chip players [in this draft] is Brock Bowers, tight end, from Georgia. I know they took Trey McBride a couple of years ago, but he hasn’t made any level of an impact in the pass game. I think Brock Bowers is somebody you can split out, like a Kyle Pitts, and use him down the field. That’s something they drastically miss with this team right now.”

Alabama • Jr • 6’6″ / 360 lbs

Projected Team N.Y. Jets PROSPECT RNK 6th POSITION RNK 2nd

Rick Spielman — “I am taking, finally, an offensive tackle in JC Latham, the right tackle out of Alabama who’s going to solve all of my issues going forward. I wasn’t able to address [offensive line] last year, and the biggest concern going into this season was the tackle position. This is a no-brainer for me to take JC here.”

Penn State • Jr • 6’3″ / 254 lbs

Projected Team Washington PROSPECT RNK 36th POSITION RNK 3rd

Ryan Wilson — “I’m taking one of my favorite players in this class: Chop Robinson, edge rusher, out of Penn State. Chase Young, his deal is up. Montez Sweat’s deal is up. Chase has battled injuries, but he’s back now. We’ll see how that plays out with those players, but the Commanders get another edge rusher to help that defense in Chop Robinson, who’s off to a great start this year.”

Georgia • Jr • 6’7″ / 340 lbs

Projected Team Tennessee PROSPECT RNK 8th POSITION RNK 3rd

Josh Edwards — “Chris Hubbard has played fairly well for them this year, but I don’t expect that to be a long-term solution. You’ve got Peter Skoronski — he’s played well on the inside — but I think if you’re going to move forward with a Will Levis, with a Malik Willis, at the quarterback position, give them a fighting chance with some protection in front of them. Mims has only played three games this year — he was limited last year playing in the reserve role — so we haven’t seen a large sample size of what he can be. But what I have seen is an incredibly impressive player that I think deserves this level of consideration, so that’s the direction I would be going.”

LSU • Jr • 6’0″ / 200 lbs

Projected Team Cincinnati PROSPECT RNK 11th POSITION RNK 2nd

Rick Spielman — “They have a history of taking receivers, so that’s another weapon for Joe Burrow. That way, they don’t have to pay Tee Higgins because they have his replacement in Nabers, whom I think is a dynamic playmaker and is having an even bigger year than he had last year.”

Penn State • Jr • 5’11” / 190 lbs

Projected Team L.A. Rams PROSPECT RNK 16th POSITION RNK 2nd

Ryan Wilson — “The Rams are doing it with some dudes [in the secondary] that maybe aren’t household names, so I’m going to help them out and I’m gonna give them cornerback Kalen King out of Penn State. He’s had a strong start to his season, played well last year. So, I’m giving them more help on the defensive side of the ball.”

Miami (FL) • Jr • 6’0″ / 205 lbs

Projected Team Green Bay PROSPECT RNK 38th POSITION RNK 2nd

Josh Edwards — “When you look at Green Bay’s roster, it’s actually pretty well-rounded. They don’t have a lot of needs except the offensive line, which we’re kind of in no man’s land when you’re looking for offensive line right now. Quarterback, still very much up in the air, but they’ve committed to Jordan Love for the foreseeable future. So, I have them taking Kinchens, who comes in and replaces former first-round pick Darnell Savage [Jr.] at safety.”

Illinois • Jr • 6’2″ / 295 lbs

Rick Spielman — “When you watch [the Chargers defensive] scheme, they put a lot of stress on these defensive tackles to control the point and to stop the run to help the backend, but it hasn’t helped them a whole lot. So, this is a guy that they definitely need to come in and start right away at defensive tackle. For me, he’s probably the most well-rounded defensive tackle in this draft knowing how he plays the run, but he can also get some pressure as an in-line defender.”

Ohio State • Jr • 6’1″ / 206 lbs

Projected Team Houston PROSPECT RNK 20th POSITION RNK 3rd

Ryan Wilson — “I’m going with Emeka Egbuka here, because I feel like he’s probably undervalued right here in the middle of the round; he could go higher than that. He hasn’t “exploded” this year … but when you have Marvin Harrison [Jr.] on your team, sometimes you may not get all the throws. But Emeka Egbuka here at 17 to help out C.J. [Stroud] and the offense.”

Ohio State • Jr • 6’4″ / 270 lbs

Projected Team New Orleans PROSPECT RNK 15th POSITION RNK 4th

Josh Edwards — “If you close your eyes and you try to envision a New Orleans Saints pass-rusher, you’re thinking powerful, you’re thinking long — you’re thinking JT Tuimoloau. That’s the player that I’m adding to this defense because of what they have generally coveted in that role.”

LSU • Soph • 6’6″ / 315 lbs

Projected Team Atlanta PROSPECT RNK 36th POSITION RNK 3rd

Rick Spielman — “He’s long, he’s athletic. I think if you tapped into his potential, you’re going to get a very good football player. They signed Calais Campbell to just a one-year deal, and he’s two years away from doing podcasts (laughs). … And then you’ve got Bud Dupree, and I know he plays end, but they have some older guys up front. Getting a guy like Maason Smith would be ideal for Atlanta to start securing that defensive line.”

Clemson • Jr • 6’2″ / 185 lbs

Projected Team Indianapolis PROSPECT RNK 21st POSITION RNK 3rd

Ryan Wilson — “[Nate Wiggins] still needs to work on tackling people, but in terms of coverage he is long, he is fast, he’s pretty good at the catch point. But in terms of run support, that’s where he needs to get better, and we’ll see if that happens. … But when the ball’s in the air, he goes after it.”

Iowa • Jr • 6’1″ / 207 lbs

Projected Team Buffalo PROSPECT RNK 29th POSITION RNK 5th

Josh Edwards — “In coverage this year, [Cooper DeJean] has forced 17 incompletions on 32 attempts for 110 yards, according to TruMedia. He’s playing well for a team that doesn’t exactly have an explosive offensive counterpart. Just a really solid football player that can do a lot of things.”

Washington • Jr • 6’3″ / 215 lbs

Projected Team Dallas PROSPECT RNK 53rd POSITION RNK 7th

Rick Spielman — “The only reason I went with [Rome Odunze] was that I know that CeeDee Lamb is coming out of his contract. They’ll probably get some kind of extension done. Brandin Cooks, whom they traded for, has a high contract number, and he really hasn’t had an impact on that offense yet this year. And then [Michael] Gallup doesn’t seem to be the same receiver coming off that [torn] ACL he had a couple years ago. Hopefully he’ll kick it into gear because they gave him a five-year long-term extension that they can’t get rid of. So I went with another playmaker on offense and went with the receiver from Washington.”

UCLA • Sr • 6’5″ / 265 lbs

Projected Team Baltimore PROSPECT RNK 13th POSITION RNK 3rd

Ryan Wilson — “[David Ojabo and Odafe Oweh] haven’t quite clicked yet, and hopefully they get there because physically, there are very few guys that can do what those guys do. They just haven’t been able to put it together. So, I went with Laiatu Latu out of UCLA, the edge rusher there. He’s having a great season, and questions are going to be injury-related with him, and if he gets green flags medically, then you’re moving forward with him. I think he gives the Ravens something they haven’t had recently but have historically been very good at in terms of getting guys off the edge. I think he brings a physicality to that defensive line that gives you some Terrell Suggs-type feel.”

Michigan • Sr • 6’6″ / 322 lbs

Projected Team Seattle PROSPECT RNK 66th POSITION RNK 3rd

Josh Edwards — “Last year, [the Seahawks] found bookend tackles with Charles Cross, Abe Lucas. You’ve got a really solid unit to build around moving forward. They need some help along the interior, and I think [Zak] Zinter is a player that will help shore that up a little bit. According to TruMedia, he’s allowed two hurries and one pressure this year, zero sacks. Just a really big, physical player who should be able to make an impact in the trenches.”

Texas • Jr • 6’1″ / 172 lbs

Projected Team Pittsburgh PROSPECT RNK 30th POSITION RNK 5th

Rick Spielman — “The reason I ended up going with Xavier Worthy was because [George] Pickens is the real deal. [Allen] Robinson is not. He’s kind of a one-year stopgap guy. Diontae Johnson is hurt all the time. And [Calvin ] Austin [III] is just a gadget guy. I think they need to get more weapons for [Kenny] Pickett, and this kid fits the bill for me.”

Washington • Jr • 6’4″ / 274 lbs

Projected Team Jacksonville PROSPECT RNK 23rd POSITION RNK 5th

Ryan Wilson — “I think Josh Allen’s [contract] is up, and he’s certainly been an impact player for them, edge rusher-wise, but I just want to beef up that side of the ball. The offense has been in pretty good shape. Perhaps an offensive lineman here if you have one you like, but I like Bralen Trice, so that’s where I went.”

BYU • Soph • 6’6″ / 325 lbs

Projected Team Tampa Bay PROSPECT RNK 24th POSITION RNK 5th

Josh Edwards — “[Kingsley Suamataia] is someone who is going to help upgrade that offensive line. I think they’re just trying to get the five best players on the field. Obviously Tristan Wirfs is going to be one of those players. Luke Goedeke has actually fared pretty well at right tackle. So, I’m taking Suamataia here. We’re just going to get the best five players on the field.”

Duke • Sr • 6’5″ / 314 lbs

Projected Team Detroit PROSPECT RNK 48th POSITION RNK 8th

Rick Spielman — “I wanted to get another offensive lineman because they have Jonah Jackson up, they have [Halapoulivaati] Vaitai that’s also up. So they have two guards up [for contracts]. The reason they’re such a good football team right now is because they have one of the best offensive lines, and the way the defensive line is playing with the addition of Aidan Hutchinson. I’m going to go with Graham Barton, offensive tackle who I’m going to move to guard, from Duke. I think he fits what the Detroit Lions look for: solid character, just a good football player. And we need to keep that offensive line strong. We can slide him into guard because he’s athletic. He was the kid who stuck out the most in trying to finish blocks all the time. He is a tough hombre, and toughness to me, with passion for the game, fits what Brad Holmes has drafted in Detroit, so that’s why I went with Graham.”

Miami (FL) • Soph • 6’3″ / 305 lbs

Projected Team Miami PROSPECT RNK 14th POSITION RNK 1st

Ryan Wilson — “Christian Wilkins is up [for a contract], Raekwon Davis is up, and perhaps they bring those guys back. But in the case that they don’t, you have an athletic interior defensive lineman who can help fill that void there, so that’s the direction I went at the bottom of the first round. Leonard [Taylor II] may end up going higher than this, we’ll find out.”

Arizona • Sr • 6’5″ / 325 lbs

Projected Team Philadelphia PROSPECT RNK 59th POSITION RNK 10th

Josh Edwards — “[Jordan Morgan] has been playing left tackle, but I project him to slide inside. That’s where I like him best. When you look at what the Eagles have traditionally gone for in the first round, it’s building through the trenches whether that’s offensive or defensive line. So you look at a player like Morgan — obviously fits that criteria, but he gives you that versatility where he has the background of playing on the edge, but he also has the versatility to slide inside, similar to what they did with Tyler Steen last year.”

Texas • Jr • 6’4″ / 196 lbs

Rick Spielman — “I just went with [Adonai] Mitchell. And I know people will ask, ‘Why are you taking another receiver? I mean you’ve taken [Rashee] Rice last year in the second, you’ve taken [Skyy] Moore.’ The reason I went with another receiver was because [Marquez] Valdes-Scantling is getting a little long in the tooth. I think he’s under contract until 2024, so if they wanted to move on from him, they could do that. And then [Kadarius] Toney, they traded for him, but I don’t know if you consider him a No. 1 receiver or is he a bust because of the drops and everything he’s going through. You still have Patrick Mahomes. No. 1 would be defensive tackle for me, No. 2 would be tight end for me. Neither of those were there that I felt were worthy of taking here at 31, so what’s why I ended up going with the best player on the board, and I went with Mitchell.”

Western Kentucky • Jr • 5’11” / 210 lbs

Ryan Wilson — “I love Malachi [Corley]’s physicality. I like the idea that you can run a slant with him, give him the ball and let him do the rest and take some of the miles off of Deebo [Samuel] if that’s what you wanna do.”