NFL Draft 2024: Final one-round mock draft feat. Patriots' surprise non-QB pick

Ole Miss v Alabama

9. Chicago Bears – Dallas Turner, EDGE, Alabama

This of course really throws off the Bears here and they may be scrambling a little bit, because Rome would’ve been pretty much perfect to round out their receiver room. With just four total picks in this entire draft, they certainly can’t give up any more however and if anything should be moving back.

Where do I have them going is the presumptive EDGE1 based on consensus boards across the league. Once Montez Sweat arrived in Chicago at the trade deadline, this defense went from 30th overall all the way up to 5th over the final nine games in terms of EPA per play.

They locked up their All-Pro corner Jaylon Johnson and brought in free agent safety Kevin Byard, but by allowing Yannick Ngakoue to walk, they’re looking for that more bendy speed-rushing profile across from Sweat. Dallas Turner tested well above the 90th percentile in the 40 and the jumps, to pair with 34.5-inch arms and a lot of jolt in those hands for that physical stature.

That’s why I actually believe he could be a high-quality run defender and at this point he’s actually best converting speed-to-power as a pass-rusher. If he continues to improve his hand-combats to win at the top of the rush, with his explosion up the field and quicks to cross-face blockers or create softer edges by threatening inside, he could be a double-digit sack producer in multiple years of his rookie deal.

10. New York Jets – Troy Fautanu, OT/IOL, Washington

Rounding out the top ten, I really thought about closing the chapter on the premiere pass-catchers with tight-end Brock Bowers, who seems to be the clear favorite to be the pick here, but if the Jets are serious about winning this year and honest with themselves about where they could once again be vulnerable, they need to continue investing into the offensive line and I have them going with the versatile blocker from Washington.

They have their choice here of OT2 and could go several different directions, but I believe Fautanu presents the most logical choice here. Looking at Gang Green’s currently slated starting five, you can win with that group if you have it for a full 17, but Tyron Smith has played a total of 30 games over the past four seasons combined and Alijah Vera-Tucker has only logged 12 starts since his rookie year in 2021.

So even if whoever they select here doesn’t start day one theoretically, you probably need him to fill in at one of those spots sooner rather than later. And that’s where I love the match with Fautanu, because while all but two of his 31 career starts came at left tackle, I feel best about his ability to take snaps at four of the five spots at least, because of the easy movement skills he presents, whether that’s sliding laterally to mirror pass-rushers or climbing up into the defensive backfield in the run game.

11. Los Angeles Chargers (via MIN) – J.C. Latham, OT, Alabama

This sets off our run on offensive linemen to some degree, with seven of 15 selections from pick ten onwards being from that group. The Chargers were already linked to this player early on and I wouldn’t be shocked if they took him fifth overall, but in this case they can add two more valuable selections and still get J.C. Latham.

They could certainly go Brock Bowers here without a difference-making tight-end on the roster or take their top corner, but the messaging by Jim Harbaugh and general manager Joe Hortiz has been clear, wanting to become a “bigger, more physical team”. Well, how does a 6’6”, 340-pound All-SEC right tackle from Alabama sound?

Latham packs a ton of raw force in those 11-inch hands and can unlock that lower half to dig defenders out of the lane, 35-inch arms extend his range as a pass-protector and when he puts those clamps on you, he puts you in a cage. Funnily, a couple of bad plays from their College Football Playoff game against Harbaugh’s Wolverine is what people refer to negatively with him, but he played a really good game otherwise and I think offensive Greg Roman is licking his chops at the possibility of swapping out Trey Pipkins – off a regression year – for this guy.

12. Jacksonville Jaguars (via DEN) – Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo

This is where I make another trade and of the ones I’ve done so far, this is not cleanest one to predict. However, there’s no player that truly sticks out to me for the Broncos in terms of a need they want to address and where value exists.

They could absolutely target this player here themselves, but I think Jaguars GM Trent Baalke will be even more intrigued with this profile and be willing to trade up the top corner in this class. And the Broncos should be very interested in getting a second-round pick back (since they don’t currently own one themselves) in exchange for their fourth plus one of their two fives, as they move down five spots.

Mitchell is right there in terms of the measurables you’re looking for at the position, has 4.33 speed, major ball-production, dominated at the MAC level and absolutely rocked this pre-draft process.

The two days he spent at the Senior Bowl were as clean as I’ve ever seen for a corner, with how easy he could de- and re-accelerate, wants to locate and make plays on the ball and while he played a lot of off-zone coverage, he has 10-inch hands and the mirror skills to project as someone who could become very effective in press.

So while they have Tyson Campbell on the final year of his rookie deal with a decision looming, Quinyon can jump into the spot of Darious Williams – who they shockingly released early on this offseason – playing off, with vision on the quarterback in that field-side role he also excelled at with the Rockets.

13. Atlanta Falcons (via ARZ and LV) – Laiatu Latu, EDGE, UCLA

So the Falcons move back five spots in this scenario, because while EDGE is the clear favorite in terms of positions they want to address, they probably feel confident that they can get one of those big three names at the top here still – and with how this played out, Alabama’s Dallas Turner is the only one off the board.

So the decision here came down to Florida State’s Jared Verse and the guy I actually picked for them is the reigning Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year. Who if you take away the injury concern, I believe has a very strong case to be the best defensive player in this draft at this moment. His technical advancement with all the different hand-combats in his toolbox, how he counters the approach of tackles against him and is able to build up comprehensive rush plans in those individual matchups, is about as good as you’re going to find from a college player at that position.

Not the type of freakish athlete or has the length of Turner, but I don’t have any concerns with the functional movement skills. He’s not a firm edge-setter by the book in the run game, but the block-deconstruction and ability to create quick stops are on display. Latu gets to reunite with his former defensive coordinator at Washington in Jimmy Lake, who along with Raheem Morris will value his ability to peel off into coverage occasionally, on top immediately becoming their best true edge rusher.

14. New Orleans Saints – Olu Fashanu, OT, Penn State

You kind of know this pick is going to be an offensive tackle or that power-profile edge defender they love so much. I went with the former, because of how pressing a need it is, giving them the All-Big Ten left tackle from the Nittany Lions. The Saints’ tackle situation somewhat quietly is an absolute catastrophe.

Trevor Penning unfortunately has been even more problematic in his first season of action than I thought he might be when they traded up for him in the draft two years ago, getting benched eventually, with Andrus Peat moving out to left tackle from guard – whose only remaining presence on the roster is his 13-million-dollar dead cap hit.

And then, we recently got news on Ryan Ramczyk on the right side with his degenerative knee issues, which could lead to an early retirement. Fashanu is actually my number one tackle, right there with Notre Dame’s Joe Alt, and he would’ve been a top-ten pick in last year’s draft by all accounts.

Fashanu is one of those names who has just been overthought during the process and while he didn’t show a whole lot of improvement in the run game, where he’s still more of a positional blocker than a road-grader, he doesn’t have many missed assignments in that regard and then he has the ability to become an elite pass-protector, thanks to his impeccable balance and quick hands, even if they are weirdly small. My high-end comparison for him is Texans Pro Bowler Laremy Tunsil.

15. Indianapolis Colts – Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia

Corner is certainly something GM Chris Ballard could be looking to address, after they were just throwing day-three picks and UDFAs out there last year, to see who sticks. Yet, this is where the Brocks Bowers slide stops. This has been one of the more fun pairings I’ve envisioned throughout the process, between Bowers and head coach Shane Steichen.

The Colts have a couple of young tight-ends they like in Jelani Woods, Kylen Granson and even Drew Ogletree, along with veteran Mo Alie-Cox still under contract. So this doesn’t jump out as a spot on the depth chart, where they don’t have anybody of note. With that being said, that designation doesn’t do Bowers justice and it’s more about the ways I can imagine him being used by a creative offensive coordinator.

He can obviously stretch the seams and run away from guys on crossing routes, but he can split out as a single receiver on the backside of the formation and win on all three levels with the way he can efficiently break off routes. The hand-eye coordination and strong hands in tight areas stand out, but then it’s that extra gear after the catch and the horsepower to drag tacklers along with him that made him a man amongst boys even in the SEC.

Now you add him to those two towers they have on the outside in Michael Pittman Jr. and Alec Pierce, Josh Downs as a quick-footed player in the slot and a guy in Bowers who can eat over the middle of the field, for Anthony Richardson to work with in year two, this offense could really take off.

16. Seattle Seahawks – Byron Murphy II, IDL, Texas

When we get to the Seahawks in these mock drafts, typically you see them go offensive line or with the edge rusher that falls to them, but I actually think they address the interior defensive line with who established himself as the top guy on NFL boards once he tested off the charts at the combine.

There are still a couple of offensive tackles from what I believe is the top-six available here, but with Mike Macdonald coming over from Baltimore to take over this franchise, I believe he wants to bring them back to the glory days of the Legion of Boom and what you do on the back-end doesn’t matter as much when you feel like you’re constantly being compromised by having to put more focus on the front.

Seattle has finished 26th and 29th respectively in rush EPA defensively these past two years, thanks to a combination of front dynamics, slow linebackers and a lack of consistent play from the nose-tackle spot. And I’m not saying Murphy is going to be lining up at zero-technique for them primarily and single-handedly fixing their run defense, but he actually spent more time there than his teammate T'Vondre Sweat, who has a good 60 pounds on him.

This guy has an innate feel for where pressure is being applied from and you see him at times with his body contorted, knee just inches off the ground anchoring against double-teams. Then if the offense spreads them out, he can line up in the B-gap, come off the ball like a submarine under the reach of the guard or take that guy into the quarterback’s lap. Right now, he’s playing a little bit out of control, but you let him learn from Leonard Williams and Dre’Mont Jones, he could turn into a legit game-wrecker.