2024 NFL Mock Draft: Trade-Happy Version

The pre-draft rumor mill is grinding away, without the pesky obligations of free agency to distract from the speculation. One of the biggest topics of conversation is trades — which teams are moving up, which teams are moving down and who are the targets for each? 

In this mock draft, we’ll indulge in the trade speculation with a trade-happy 2024 NFL Mock Draft that features eight deals. 

This many trades won’t happen in the real draft at the end of April, but the goal is to identify the leverage points that could present in the first round. It sounds obvious, but it takes two to tango, so while plenty of teams would love to trade down, there has to be a team willing to potentially sacrifice value on the trade chart to move up. 

Quarterback is the most obvious position teams are willing to extend for and make an aggressive move up the board. Other premium positions, like pass rusher, tackle or receiver, can also spark a move up the board.

In most draft classes, there are only 15-20 players on the board for any given team with true first-round grades, so teams can either move down when their board is tapped out or move up to secure the last player in a tier. You’ll see movement like this in the back half of the first round with teams jockeying for position. 

Teams with extra draft picks, either from previous trades or compensatory selections, psychologically seem to be more willing to be aggressive in trading up. Some teams are naturally aggressive when it comes to trades, like the Eagles, while others like the Bengals are far more conservative. Finally, whether a team views itself as competing or rebuilding can dictate whether they want to move up or down the board. 

So with all that in mind, let’s look at what would be the craziest first round of the draft ever if it were to actually happen: 

• 2024 NFL Draft Order
• List of Traded Future NFL Draft Picks
• 2024 NFL Draft Prospect Visit Tracker

2024 NFL Mock Draft

1 – Chicago Bears (CAR): USC QB Caleb Williams

I’m going to get crazy in this mock, but not that crazy. This pick has already been traded anyway, going from Carolina to Chicago as a part of the Panthers’ deal for the No. 1 pick last year and QB Bryce Young. Chicago is not going to pass on the No. 1 pick again and seems locked in on Williams, the clear-cut top prospect in this class. 

2 – Washington Commanders: LSU QB Jayden Daniels

The Vikings are going to make the Commanders think long and hard about taking their trade-down offer. If the Commanders don’t have conviction on any of the quarterbacks in this year’s class, they could bite. Getting more picks is nearly always the better value move and Washington’s new front office feels like it will have a strong lean toward analytics. 

But there’s enough talent on the board that I think the Commanders will fall in love with someone. Their moves so far at quarterback suggest that’s the plan, as they traded away QB Sam Howell despite two more years remaining on his rookie contract and the only addition they made was veteran QB Marcus Mariota as a temporary bridge/backup. 

As far as which quarterback the Commanders are zeroing in on, that’s a big mystery still. All three of the remaining consensus first-round prospects have been linked to Washington. For now, I think they lean Daniels since his mobility is best in the class, and that’s an X-factor for OC Kliff Kingsbury to lean on. 

3 – TRADE Minnesota Vikings (NE): North Carolina QB Drake Maye

The Vikings have shown their cards by acquiring a second first-round pick from the Texans in the week following the start of free agency. There’s a premium when teams want to trade up for a quarterback and recent precedent suggests the conversation starts at three first-round picks. The 49ers gave up that much in their move to No. 3 in 2021 and the Panthers avoided giving up an extra first by including WR D.J. Moore in the deal with the Bears last year. I suspect the Vikings will put this offer on the table for each of the teams picking at No. 2 through No. 5: 

• No. 11
• No. 23
• 2025 1st
• 2026 2nd

That could be enough for the Patriots to bite with how many holes the roster has. Ultimately, I think New England sticks and picks, but there has been chatter that they like Daniels more than the other options who could be available. If he’s off the board, that could tilt them toward trading down. 

4 – TRADE New York Giants (ARI): Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy

Would Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort really pass on Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr., the consensus top non-quarterback in the draft for the last calendar year? 

Well considering he did that last year with DE Will Anderson Jr., trading down and then back up to snag RT Paris Johnson, I’d say yeah, Ossenfort won’t be afraid to trust his board. Harrison is an elite prospect but there are three elite receiving prospects in this class, not just one. 

In this scenario, the Cardinals don’t drop as far as they did last year and don’t have to execute a second trade back up the board, which works out a little more cleanly for them. I think they could extract the Giants’ third-round pick at No. 70 overall, which is a steep cost to move two slots but cheap to secure a franchise quarterback.

There’s enough smoke around McCarthy at this point to credibly believe he’s viewed that way by some NFL teams. The Giants have done extensive homework on the class, and owner John Mara said at the league meetings this past week his front office and coaching staff have told him this is the best class in years. That sounds like a team hoping to land a quarterback, regardless of the presence of Daniel Jones. 

5 – TRADE Jacksonville Jaguars (LAC): Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr.

In 2011, the Atlanta Falcons made a massive blockbuster trade to give their budding franchise starter an elite weapon, bounding up in the draft order to secure WR Julio Jones. I think history could rhyme here, as there is a legitimate Big Three of elite receiver prospects between Harrison, LSU WR Malik Nabers and Washington WR Rome Odunze. All three win in slightly different ways but all three look like future No. 1 receivers.

Getting a player like that on a rookie contract when receiver contracts have skyrocketed and likely will continue to do so is a huge edge. The Chargers have signaled a willingness to move down and forego a top receiver to fortify their offensive line, which aligns with how HC Jim Harbaugh wants to build the team. The Jaguars can make up for losing Calvin Ridley in free agency by getting QB Trevor Lawrence a new bonafide top receiver. In this scenario, the Jaguars would send No. 17 overall, their first-round pick in 2025 and one of their two fourth-round selections for the No. 5 pick. 

6 – TRADE: Arizona Cardinals (NYG): LSU WR Malik Nabers

Arizona misses out on Harrison but Nabers isn’t just a consolation prize. At this point, it’s not even a guarantee that the Cardinals would choose Harrison over Nabers — and that’s not a slight on Harrison, it’s just a reflection of how highly the NFL thinks of Nabers.

Nabers is an explosive playmaker who is a threat to score any time he touches the football. He had 89 catches for 1,569 yards and 14 touchdowns last year and was particularly damaging after the catch. Reception Perception’s Matt Harmon charted him with a missed tackle on more than 20 percent of his receptions. That athleticism was on display at his pro day, where Nabers had a 42-inch vertical, 4.35-second 40 and 10-foot-9 in the broad jump. Drop him into the Cardinals’ offense and Arizona would instantly become much, much tougher to defend. 

7 – Tennessee Titans: Notre Dame LT Joe Alt

I’m not as positive as the rest of the mockdraftaverse that Alt to the Titans is pure chalk, but it’s hard to ignore how gaping the hole at tackle is for the Titans. Right now they’d have bookends of Nicholas Petit-Frere and Dillon Radunz. New OL coach Bill Callahan is a legend but they have to give him more to work with than that. 

I can’t quite shake Titans HC Brian Callahan saying all else being equal he’d take a receiver over a tackle. Tennessee went out and signed Ridley to team up with DeAndre Hopkins and former first-round receiver Treylon Burks, but the new regime has no allegiance to Burks and both Ridley and Hopkins are getting old. Draft picks are made for the next five years, not the next two, which is why I wouldn’t completely discount Odunze. 

8 – Atlanta Falcons: Alabama DE Dallas Turner

I think the Falcons will think hard about drafting Odunze, even if it would be the fourth straight year they’ve used a top-ten pick on an offensive skill position player. New OC Zac Robinson will lean on the receiving corps far more than former HC Arthur Smith did and while a core of Drake London, Darnell Mooney and maybe Kyle Pitts out wide is solid, Odunze would give the group elite potential. 

Still, the Falcons have to invest more in their defense at some point, and they have their pick of the defensive prospects in this class at this slot. Turner is another chalky pick but he’s emerged as the consensus top edge rusher. He would give the Falcons some juice they haven’t had in a while coming off the edge. 

9 – TRADE New Orleans Saints (CHI): Penn State LT Olu Fashanu

Tackle is an enormous need for the Saints with the news that RT Ryan Ramczyk‘s knee is not responding as well to treatment as he and the team hoped. Former first-round OT Trevor Penning has shown next to nothing in his first two seasons either, so the Saints risk a position catastrophe if they can’t find some help at tackle. Fashanu looks incredibly promising as a blindside protector, and the Saints could flip Penning to the right side and try to find a veteran to cobble together something if Ramczyk can’t play. This puts them near the front of the line for a tackle instead of sweating things out at No. 14, even though it’s a deep class. 

New Orleans could trade a third-round pick in 2025 and a fifth-round pick this year to swap with Chicago, but it also wouldn’t be surprising to see the Bears push for more of a premium to drop outside the top ten picks and ask for either a future second or this year’s second. There’s a good chance the Bears just stand pat and take Fashanu themselves or Odunze but current LT Braxton Jones has been solid and Chicago just used a top-ten pick on RT Darnell Wright a season ago and traded for Keenan Allen to go with D.J. Moore. Trading down gives GM Ryan Poles more options, both picking up another pick this year when the team currently has only four and another valuable selection to maneuver in 2025. 

10 – New York Jets: Washington WR Rome Odunze

The Jets have put themselves in position to take the best player available who falls to this spot and the board should align well one way or another with their needs at tackle and wide receiver. In this case, it’s the receiver who slips, though if you read the previous sections you’ll see I have some doubts about whether things actually play out this way. 

In any case, Odunze would be a big-bodied complement to WR Garrett Wilson but despite his size, he’s incredibly smooth and athletic. He’s a complete receiver and would give the Jets a shot at replicating the 1A/1B dynamic a lot of other successful offenses have with their pass-catchers. 

11 – TRADE New England Patriots (MIN): Georgia TE Brock Bowers

The Patriots have bigger needs than tight end. But this would be a case of taking the best player available for a roster largely starved of talent, especially on offense. Bowers is the best pass-catcher left on the board and he’s been viewed as a generational tight end prospect since his true freshman season when he dominated the SEC. The pre-draft process has raised some questions, as he’s on the small side for a tight end and hasn’t done any athletic testing yet. The tape shows an explosive playmaker, however, and New England is short on those. It’s also worth noting new OC Alex Van Pelt comes from Cleveland which has been one of the most tight end-heavy offenses in football for the past few years. 

12 – TRADE Philadelphia Eagles (DEN): Toledo CB Quinyon Mitchell

Eagles GM Howie Roseman is one of the most aggressive GMs in football, particularly when it comes to attacking needs on the roster. The Eagles had a fairly active free agency period but did not materially bolster the cornerback position which was one of their biggest weaknesses last season. With an extra second-round pick this year, Roseman gets aggressive to move up and snare the top cornerback on the board, giving up the lower of the two picks at No. 53 overall.

For the Broncos, this gives them a second-round pick they were missing and fits their strategy of acquiring more picks this offseason. While Denver needs a quarterback and has said it will explore trading up for one, they don’t have the ammunition to compete with the Vikings right now, even if they wanted to. The trades for Russell Wilson and Sean Payton have depleted the Broncos’ store of picks, and it feels like being patient is the better play for now. 

13 – Las Vegas Raiders: Alabama CB Terrion Arnold

The Raiders have been heavily linked to cornerback help in the draft, with the team’s goal to add a No. 1-caliber corner to a group that includes a couple of solid complementary options in Nate Hobbs and Jack Jones. They also need a quarterback, but the price is incredibly high to move up, and like the Broncos the Raiders have the same problem of not being able to outbid the Vikings after Minnesota’s trade to acquire a second first-rounder in this year’s draft. 

The other option to know with this pick is Texas DT Byron Murphy II, who has had an official visit with Las Vegas and Minnesota, among others. However, the Raiders have already invested heavily in defensive tackle in free agency, including adding Christian Wilkins on a huge deal and a few other rotational pieces. For that reason, I think the Raiders would lean cornerback. 

14 – TRADE Chicago Bears (NO): Florida State DE Jared Verse

After moving down, the Bears still are in a good spot to grab a player at a position of need like Verse, who is in a battle to be the first edge rusher off the board in what’s a bit of a top-heavy class. Verse is not the biggest or longest defensive end but he’s a bull off the line. He rushes with tenacity and an outstanding speed-to-power approach, and his motor never runs cold. Verse is a perfect fit in DC Matt Eberflus‘ scheme and should team up with DE Montez Sweat to form an effective duo for Chicago. 

15 – Indianapolis Colts: LSU WR Brian Thomas Jr.

Cornerback seems like a pain point for the Colts still but I have a hard time seeing measurables-obsessed GM Chris Ballard sign off on drafting a 173-pound cornerback in the first round, no matter how fast he is. The other big need I can see the Colts wanting to address is wide receiver, even after re-signing top pass-catcher Michael Pittman Jr., as they try to build around and maximize QB Anthony Richardson.

Thomas is Ballard’s kind of player. At 6-3 and 209 pounds, Thomas scorched a 4.33-second 40-yard dash and hit 38.5 inches in the vertical, 10-foot-6 in the broad jump. He has every athletic tool a team could want from the position and shows enough promise as a technician to project forward. 

16 – TRADE Arizona Cardinals (SEA): Texas DT Byron Murphy II

Guard is a major need for the Seahawks but judging by some recent comments by GM John Schneider and HC Mike Macdonald, I think the preference would be to wait to address it rather than spend a first-round pick on the position. That frees the team up to trade back and accumulate more picks, particularly at this point in the round where a team in the 20s could see a player they like slip within reach. The Bills, Packers, Eagles, Dolphins, Lions, Steelers and Chiefs are potential move-up candidates. 

But in this specific scenario especially, the Cardinals make a lot of sense. They have two firsts, one second, three thirds and a fourth in real life, and they could pick up even more picks by trading down from No. 4 overall. I had them gaining another third-round pick from the Giants in this exercise, and they could package that and a fifth to move up for Murphy and augment a defensive line that still desperately needs building block pieces. 

Murphy’s someone who could be in high demand during the draft as the top defensive tackle. He converted from running back and it’s apparent on the field with the athleticism he displays. While he’s not long or incredibly big, he’s hard to block. There also could be a significant dropoff from him to the next tier of defensive tackles on some teams’ boards, which would lend even more urgency for a team looking to trade up. 

17 – TRADE Los Angeles Chargers (JAX): Oregon State RT Taliese Fuaga

The Chargers dropped 12 picks and still can snag arguably the best right tackle prospect in the draft at No. 17. Fuaga is a terrific fit for what the Chargers want to run on offense, with size and athleticism to get out in space and pave the way on gap run plays. Even if there were a run on tackles, there are two or three other players who should be available here who would be great fits for Los Angeles. 

18 – Cincinnati Bengals: Alabama RT JC Latham

The Bengals signed RT Trent Brown to give them a veteran option and to ensure they don’t have to come away with a tackle in the draft. They probably would love to, though. Fortunately the board sets up well for them to land another massive blocker who blots out the sun in Latham, who measured at 6-6 and 342 pounds at the Combine. He’s not testing during the pre-draft process which is a bit of a red flag but Cincinnati might not care. Latham fits the mold they love at tackle. 

19 – Los Angeles Rams: UCLA DE Laiatu Latu

This remains one of my favorite player-to-team matches in the draft. If the medicals for Latu check out, this should be the range he lands. His greatest strength is his technical skill as a rusher. Latu has a big toolkit of moves as a pass rusher and great knowledge of how to deploy them. Athletically, he hits a lot of key thresholds even if he’s not necessarily elite. He’s come into his own right in the Rams’ backyard, too, and I can’t help but think they’ve taken notice. 

20 – Pittsburgh Steelers: Georgia OT Amarius Mims

After looking like they snared a hit with Georgia OT Broderick Jones in the first round last year, the Steelers could go back to the well with Mims. Pittsburgh is in a good spot to take a gamble on Mims’ immense upside too. Jones and Dan Moore can hold down either tackle spot while Mims gets up to speed. Physically he has every tool a team could want in a top tackle at 6-8 and 340 pounds with outstanding movement ability. He nearly cracked five seconds in the 40-yard dash. However, injuries have been a problem, and Mims left college with just eight career starts. 

21 – Miami Dolphins: Washington OL Troy Fautanu

Miami ends up in a good spot letting the board come to them, which is good because they’re in a spot where they need to be adding more draft picks, not trading up. Fautanu excelled at left tackle for the Huskies but there figures to be a rousing debate in NFL draft meetings about where he fits best in the league. Fautanu checked in at 6-4 and 317 pounds at the Combine, which is smaller than most of the other tackles going in the first round. However, he meets the 34-inch arm length threshold teams have for tackle prospects, and tested at an elite level with his speed, agility and explosion drills. 

There are some similarities to Dolphins OL Isaiah Wynn, who was signed to compete as a starter at guard and insurance at left tackle for Terron Armstead. Fautanu represents an upgrade in both dimensions and should help keep Miami strong up front after its personnel losses this offseason. 

22 – TRADE Denver Broncos (PHI): Iowa CB Cooper DeJean

It was tough not to give the Broncos a quarterback here, even with four off the board already. I think of the remaining players on the board, Oregon QB Bo Nix could make the most sense. In this mock, the second-round pick the Broncos picked up by trading down could be packaged with their third to move up for Nix in Round 2. Or Denver could just roll with Jarrett Stidham for a year and keep its options open in 2025. 

At this point, DeJean sticks out as the best player available. There’s some debate about whether he’s a cornerback or a safety in the NFL, which along with his lack of athletic testing due to injury has probably knocked his stock down a peg. But the Broncos need help at both positions and DC Vance Joseph is creative enough to put DeJean in positions to maximize his athleticism. 

23 – TRADE New England Patriots (HOU via MIN): Oklahoma OT Tyler Guyton

The Patriots picked up pass-catching help with their earlier pick after trading down. Now they turn to the offensive line where there’s still a gaping hole at left tackle. Guyton is a developmental prospect but has great traits and some team will likely roll the dice on that late in the first round. New England has time to bring Guyton along slowly. 

24 – Dallas Cowboys: Oregon C Jackson Powers-Johnson

The Cowboys lost two starters on the offensive line this offseason in LT Tyron Smith and C Tyler Biadasz and haven’t replaced them yet. They’ll have to do that in the draft most likely, and the way the board has fallen there’s better value at center than tackle. Powers-Johnson had an impressive Senior Bowl and seems to have vaulted himself firmly into the first round conversation. He’s got outstanding size for the position and plays with an edge. Dallas is no stranger to first-round interior offensive linemen who turn into foundational pieces, and Powers-Johnson would be next in the pipeline. 

25 – TRADE Kansas City Chiefs (GB): Arizona OT Jordan Morgan

The Chiefs addressed their need at receiver in free agency by signing Marquise Brown, but they have not replaced LT Donovan Smith yet. Right now 2023 third-round OT Wanya Morris is penciled in as the starter, and while he could develop into an asset down the line, he didn’t look ready for a full-time role last year.

With the tackles flying off the board, the Chiefs could use some of their draft capital to move up and ensure they’re not left out at the end of the round, sending a third-round pick to the Packers or a different team whose board has started to flatten out. 

Morgan is one of several interesting tackle prospects who could end up going in the late first to early second. Some teams have projected him as a guard because of his arm length — at 32 and 7/8 it’s below the threshold a lot of teams like for tackle prospects. But he has tackle size and athleticism, and even if he ends up at guard he could be a useful player for Kansas City as an heir to LG Joe Thuney. 

26 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Clemson CB Nate Wiggins

After trading CB Carlton Davis, the Buccaneers have a need to replenish the pipeline in the secondary. Wiggins won’t be for every team given his thin frame and moments on tape where he’s not interested in run support. But he’s an outstanding athlete and there are also highlight reel plays of him in pursuit, so it’s not so much a question of effort as it is perhaps him trying to pick his battles. 

27 – TRADE Seattle Seahawks (ARI): Duke OL Graham Barton

After moving down, the Seahawks still can address a position of need in a deep class. Barton is viewed as a legit five-tool offensive lineman who could play anywhere across the front. Most NFL teams view his best fit somewhere along the interior, potentially center. Seattle has a gaping hole at all three spots, so even if it takes some time to find where Barton fits best, they have a good chance at plugging at least one hole with this pick. 

28 – Buffalo Bills: Texas WR Xavier Worthy

The Bills have talked about getting more explosive on offense, so adding Worthy, who would have an argument as the fastest receiver in football from the moment he stepped on the field, makes a lot of sense. 

Buffalo could have its sights set higher, though. To me, the Bills are a team to watch for a huge trade up the board for one of the top receivers. I thought hard about having them move up for Thomas, but he didn’t slip far enough and it was tough to find a partner. They could be a candidate to trade into the top ten for a receiver, but they’d have to give up significantly more than the Jaguars did to make the jump from No. 17. Still, adding a successor to WR Stefon Diggs and another top-tier wideout for QB Josh Allen could be viewed as worth it.

It’s worth noting Bills GM Brandon Beane has missed out on several players over the past few years with other teams trading ahead of Buffalo. This could be the year he decides to be aggressive, especially with 11 total picks in 2024. 

29 – Detroit Lions: Illinois DT Johnny Newton

The Lions have been deliberate about trying to build out through the trenches. 2023 was a breakout season for burly DT Alim McNeill and Detroit added another “war daddy” in free agency with DT D.J. Reader, who is a similar player. The Lions have been looking for more of an interior pass-rushing presence, however, and Newton could fit the bill there. He would slot in at three-technique and give the Lions more of a pass-rushing threat to go with McNeill, Reader and DE Aidan Hutchinson. 

30 – TRADE Washington Commanders (BAL): Penn State DE Chop Robinson

Washington has six picks in the top 100 which gives them a ton of flexibility to move around the board on draft day. The Ravens are a team that’s usually amenable to moving back, and with their tight financial situation acquiring more picks should be even more compelling than usual. The Commanders can attach pick No. 100 to either of their second-rounders at No. 36 or No. 40 to get back in the first round. 

Most of the time, teams who draft a quarterback want to surround him with talent on offense, especially at pass-catcher. However, the Commanders are in a decent spot in that regard with No. 1 WR Terry McLaurin and former first-rounder Jahan Dotson. They could use help at tight end, but there’s not another first-round prospect outside of Bowers, and they would still have another top-40 pick with this trade to address the offense. 

But the board falls off at pass rusher and the Commanders are rebuilding that room from scratch this offseason after trading Montez Sweat and Chase Young last year. Robinson is undersized but has a blinding first step and could remind new Commanders HC Dan Quinn of his former superstar in Dallas and another Penn State alum, Micah Parsons. 

31 – San Francisco 49ers: Texas WR Adonai Mitchell

San Francisco has bigger immediate needs than wide receiver with both Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk still under contract. The 49ers have holes at cornerback and offensive line and the team is always ready to invest in the defensive line. 

However, the long-term future for both Samuel and Aiyuk is up in the air. Aiyuk is in a contract year and Samuel will be in the final year of his contract in 2025 and be turning 29 years old. Other key offensive playmakers like TE George Kittle and RB Christian McCaffrey are in their late 20s as well, and with QB Brock Purdy due for a new deal in 2025, it’s important for the 49ers to start building a pipeline of younger, cheaper replacements. 

That’s where Mitchell comes in. His production at Georgia and Texas was inconsistent but he had huge games that showed the ceiling he possesses. He’s an outstanding athlete and at 6-2 and 205 pounds, he runs routes like a much smaller player. He can be as good as he wants to be, which is why landing with a demanding coach like 49ers HC Kyle Shanahan could be good for him, especially without pressure to contribute immediately. 

32 – TRADE Green Bay Packers (KC): Missouri DL Darius Robinson

The Packers are a bit of a tough team to mock for, as their glaring needs at safety and linebacker don’t line up great with the talent available. They are in good shape at most of the premium positions, and while they need help at offensive line, Green Bay historically has had a lot of success drafting the position in the middle rounds instead of with their top selections. 

One wildcard is new DC Jeff Hafley who is shifting the scheme to more of a 4-3 instead of a 3-4. That distinction matters far less than it used to given the prevalence of nickel as the true base defense for NFL teams, so perhaps a better way to think about it is the Packers will look more like the Jets and 49ers on defense instead of the Vic Fangio tree former DC Joe Barry was hired to emulate. 

Having a dominant defensive line is one of the hallmarks of that system so even though the Packers are solid up front with Rashan Gary, Kenny Clark, Lukas Van Ness, Preston Smith, Devonte Wyatt and a few others, they could keep investing in potential gamewreckers. Robinson is a potential gamewrecker. He can play inside at defensive tackle but is loose enough to play from the edge. He had a terrific Senior Bowl showing and has put himself in the conversation for the end of the first round.