Now that the free agency flurry of moves has quieted, one of the moves that raised eyebrows among draftniks is the Vikings’ acquisition of the 23rd overall pick. We take it the next step, and assume Minnesota uses their draft capital to vault up the draft and snag their franchise QB.
1. Bears – Caleb Williams, QB, USC
No Justin Fields, no QB controversy. This is as predictable as a sunrise.
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2. Commanders – Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU
Could a dual-threat QB be what the Commanders need to get their offense cooking? We shall see.
3. TRADE – Vikings (via Patriots) – Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina
Minnesota uses both of its first-round picks (11 & 23), plus a 2025 3rd-rounder to pry the third pick from the Patriots and get their man. The Sam Darnold Era will likely be very short, as a place holder for when Maye is ready to start.
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4. Cardinals – Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State
With the QB run out of the way, the Cardinals get the best player available, which happens to be one they desperately need. Harrison could be the game-breaker Arizona needs to finally unlock Kyler Murray.
5. Chargers – Malik Nabers, WR, LSU
The Chargers have dumped Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, so this makes the most sense. 14 TD catches in 13 games should excite Justin Herbert.
6. Giants – Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama
The Giants have made a handful of bold moves over the past week or so, most notably helping the defense up front by trading for edge rusher Brian Burns. Arnold should be a Week 1 starter as part of the Big Blue Rebuild.
7. Titans – Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame
The best offensive lineman on the board is selected by the team who may need it most. Tennessee allowed 64 sacks last season, tied for fourth-most in the league. Will Levis has a new best friend.
8. Falcons – Rome Odunze, WR, Washington
Kirk Cousins steps in as the new man in Atlanta and gets a great young receiver to throw to. Already with an NFL body and speed, he dominated in the Pac-12, and has the building blocks to do so at the pro level.
9. Bears – Olumuyiwa Fashanu, OT, Penn State
If you get a franchise QB, you have to protect him, right? The Bears bring in Fashanu to help take care of that. Not necessarily a finished product, but he does a lot of things well, and at 6-6 and 315 pounds, he can probably even add weight to make him more difficult to move.
10. Jets – Troy Fautanu, OT, Washington
The Jets fill a major need in selecting Fautanu, the Morris Trophy winner as the best offensive lineman in the Pac-12 in 2023. He was a two-year fixture on Washington’s O-line, and a reason they went all the way to the National Championship Game.
11. Patriots (via Vikings) – J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan
New England trades down and still get a starting QB, selecting McCarthy from the National Champs. While not many of his measurables jump out, he’s accurate and cool as you like under pressure.
12. Broncos – Dallas Turner, Edge, Alabama
Denver’s defense ranked 29th last season. Turner will most certainly help. He ran a 4.45 at the Combine, and had 22.5 sacks in three years at Alabama. A freakish athlete who can wreak havoc in the right situation.
13. Raiders – Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo
Mitchell had a solid season, and between his showing at the Senior Bowl and the Combine, has rocketed up the charts among prospects. His size/strength combo make this pick a smart one (for once) for Vegas.
14. Saints – Brian Thomas, WR, LSU
New Orleans looks close to home to get Derek Carr a bona-fide deep threat in Thomas, who had 17 TD catches in 2023. Showed off his speed in Indy, clocking a 4.33, second-fastest among WRs who ran.
15. Colts – Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia
This is a surprise pick, but this man can flat out produce. Very rare to see a tight end lead his team in receiving yards, but Bowers has done it three years running at Georgia. Scored 31 touchdowns in 40 games for the Bulldogs.
16. Seahawks – J.C. Latham, OT, Alabama
Latham can help the Seahawks wherever they want to put him, whether at tackle or guard. Some say he could end up being the best pro from this deep class at tackle.
17. Jaguars – Cooper DeJean, CB, Iowa
DeJean was a stalwart with one of the toughest defenses in college football, and Jacksonville will take his skills to help one of the worst pass defenses in the game. Could end up as a safety at the pro level, but either way, he will help the Jags.
18. Bengals – Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State
One of the best pass protectors in the draft, Fuaga will be a safety blanket at tackle for Joe Burrow for years to come.
19. Rams – Bo Nix, QB, Oregon
Matthew Stafford can’t play forever (can he?) So the Rams look to Nix to watch and learn under the future Hall of Famer and eventually take the reigns of the offense.
20. Steelers – Jackson Powers-Johnson, C, Oregon
The Steelers get a pro-ready center to pair with new QB Russell Wilson. The Rimington Trophy winner as the nation’s best lineman, he’s more strength the finesse, and plays with a mean attitude that Pittsburgh can get behind.
21. Dolphins – Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia
He doesn’t have a ton of college experience, but the body is ready-made to be an NFL starting tackle. Despite his lack of reps, his footwork and technique is strong, and he is nearly impossible to move.
22. Eagles – Nate Wiggins, CB, Clemson
The Eagles stay patient and get a lightning-fast corner (4.28 40) who should thrive in Vic Fangio’s defense. His length and athleticism are so smooth and elite, he makes his work look easy, which cause some to believe he’s not exerting himself. He can use his closing speed to bait quarterbacks into thinking they have an open receiver.
23. Patriots (via Vikings) – Laiatu Latu, Edge, UCLA
New England gets a deadly edge rusher in Latu, who had 23.5 sacks the last two seasons with the Bruins. He has the technique to get to the QB, paired with the size to win in run defense as well. A luxury as a 3-down lineman.
24. Cowboys – Graham Barton, OL, Duke
Dallas needs stability on their offensive line, so they draft the versatile Barton, who has the length to play tackle, and the head to play center.
25. Packers – Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama
Not surprising for an Alabama alum, McKinstry has the most pro-ready game among the CB class. Don’t let the flashy nickname fool you; he is the total package.
26. Buccaneers – Jared Verse, Edge, Florida State
Played just two years for the Seminoles, but jumps off the tape with his play-making ability. Notched 18 sacks and 29.5 tackles for loss in 25 games in Tallahassee.
27. Cardinals – Chop Robinson, Edge, Penn State
Robinson is already drawing comparisons to elite NFL players as a collegian. A 4.48 40 at 254 pounds will do that. His numbers at PSU don’t pop, but he is young, hungry, and gifted.
28. Bills – Troy Franklin, WR, Oregon
Franklin has all the tools to be a solid NFL receiver except for body strength. Wasn’t really challenged at Oregon, but needs to add muscle if he wants to be consistently productive.
29. Lions – Ennis Rakestraw, CB, Missouri
A very good man corner that could struggle in zone coverage. He’s a tough, strong player, but must learn to calm his hands down, or he’s going to see a ton of yellow flags in his future.
30. Ravens – Darius Robinson, DL, Missouri
Robinson’s strength and measurables grab your attention, but he needs a good bit of work on his technique. He relied on bull rushing a bit too much, but if he develops a repertoire, he could blow up a game plan.
31. 49ers – Jordan Morgan, OT, Arizona
Morgan tore an ACL late in the 2022 season, but showed a lot by returning to play at an all-Pac-12 level in 2023. He can learn a lot from Trent Williams until he’s ready to take over.
32. Chiefs – Xavier Worthy, WR, Texas
Andy Reid drafted DeSean Jackson back in 2008, and he gets a Jackson-type in Worthy. He’s undersized for a pro receiver, but clocked a 4.21 at the Combine, which put him squarely in the first round conversation. Like Jackson, he’s also a hom run threat as a punt returner.