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2024 NFL mock drafts: QB, WR, OL dominate latest USA Today projections

ayrton ostly, usa today
·7 min read
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TOP LEFT: USC quarterback Caleb Williams (13); TOP RIGHT: Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze (1); BOTTOM LEFT: Notre Dame offensive lineman Joe Alt (76); BOTTOM RIGHT: Georgia tight end Brock Bowers (19). All four are expected to be 2024 NFL Draft first round picks.
TOP LEFT: USC quarterback Caleb Williams (13); TOP RIGHT: Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze (1); BOTTOM LEFT: Notre Dame offensive lineman Joe Alt (76); BOTTOM RIGHT: Georgia tight end Brock Bowers (19). All four are expected to be 2024 NFL Draft first round picks.

The 2024 NFL Draft is just over a month away as prospects go through their college pro days and meet with scouts and coaches in person once again. The first round order has changed over the last week thanks to the Minnesota Vikings trading with the Houston Texans to land a second first-round selection.

Even with that change (and more trades likely coming on draft day), one thing remains the same: offense dominating Round 1. USA Today NFL mock drafts from Nate Davis and Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz both predict a record-high number of offensive players taken in the first round at 21 of the 32 picks.

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All but one of those 21 offensive prospects in the first round come from three position groups: quarterback, wide receiver, and offensive line. The lone exception is Georgia tight end Brock Bowers.

Here's who is included in each group - and where USA Today experts predict they'll land:

2024 NFL mock drafts: First-round quarterbacks

Both mock drafts agree that at least four quarterbacks will be taken in the first round: Caleb Williams (USC), Drake Maye (North Carolina), Jayden Daniels (LSU), and J.J. McCarthy (Michigan).

Williams and Maye have long been considered the top two prospects at the position in this class and two of the best quarterback prospects of the last decade. Daniels' progression to a Heisman Trophy-winning 2023 season has him firmly in the conversation for the top three selections. McCarthy's mix of youth and potential make him an intriguing prospect that a team could move up into the top 10 picks to select.

Davis includes one more quarterback: Oregon's Bo Nix. He tied the FBS completion percentage record in 2023 while throwing for 4,508 yards and 45 touchdowns.

Caleb Williams:

  • Davis: No. 1 to the Chicago Bears

  • Middlehurst-Schwartz: No. 1 to the Chicago Bears

Drake Maye:

Jayden Daniels:

J.J. McCarthy:

  • Davis: No. 6 to the New York Giants

  • Middlehurst-Schwartz: No. 5 to the Minnesota Vikings (via trade)

Davis predicts Nix will be selected No. 12 overall to the Denver Broncos.

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2024 NFL mock drafts: First-round wide receivers

The 2024 NFL Draft features one of the best wide receiver classes in recent years in both top-line talent and depth.

Three wide receivers are a fixture in the top 10 in most mock drafts: Marvin Harrison Jr. (Ohio State), Malik Nabers (LSU), and Rome Odunze (Washington). Harrison Jr.'s long been considered one of, if not the, best prospects in the entire draft class. Nabers' game-changing explosiveness and Odunze's route running, body control, and size make each a worthy No. 1 wide receiver in most other draft classes. Both experts predict that trio will be taken within the first nine selections.

After that, these latest mocks agree on another two first-round wide receivers: Nabers' LSU teammate Brian Thomas Jr. and Texas' Adonai Mitchell. The 6-foot-3 Thomas Jr. tallied an FBS-best 17 touchdown catches in 2023 thanks to his speed and catch radius. Mitchell's speed and ability to separate make him a first-round caliber receiver.

Georgia's Ladd McConkey makes it six wide receivers in Middlehurst-Schwartz's mock draft thanks to his route-running and separation in short and intermediate routes.

Many talented wide receivers will likely be available in the second round, too, so fans shouldn't panic if their favorite team misses out in the first round.

Marvin Harrison Jr.:

  • Davis: No. 4 to the Arizona Cardinals

  • Middlehurst-Schwartz: No. 4 to the Arizona Cardinals

Malik Nabers:

  • Davis: No. 9 to the Chicago Bears

  • Middlehurst-Schwartz: No. 6 to the New York Giants

Rome Odunze:

Brian Thomas Jr.:

Adonai Mitchell:

Middlehurst-Schwartz has McConkey going No. 32 overall to the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs.

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2024 NFL mock drafts: First-round offensive linemen

Quarterbacks and wide receivers power the top of most 2024 NFL mock drafts. But the offensive line class is the primary reason why the 2024 NFL Draft could set a record for offensive players selected in the first round.

There's first-round talent at all three positions on the offensive line. At tackle, Joe Alt (Notre Dame), JC Latham (Alabama), Olumuyiwa Fashanu (Penn State), Tyler Guyton (Oklahoma), and Amarius Mims (Georgia) are all first-round talents. Multiple players offer guard or tackle versatility, including likely top-15 selections Taliese Fuaga (Oregon State) and Troy Fautanu (Washington) as well as Jordan Morgan (Arizona). Oregon's Jackson Powers-Johnson and Duke's Graham Barton could line up at either guard or center.

All 10 of those offensive line prospects are first-round selections in both mock drafts. Each prospect has plenty to offer potential teams, making it easy for teams to find an ideal player. Alt's an all-around elite prospect who has plenty of potential to develop even more and likely will be the first offensive lineman selected in the 2024 NFL Draft.

After Alt, there's pass protection standouts like Fashanu, Latham, and Fautanu. There's also grinders in run blocking like Fuaga, Morgan, and Barton. Guyton and Mims are raw but talented enough to develop into Pro Bowl-caliber tackles and Powers-Johnson's athleticism despite his 334-pound frame is a great foundation to become a top-five interior lineman as well.

Joe Alt:

  • Davis: No. 7 to the Tennessee Titans

  • Middlehurst-Schwartz: No. 7 to the Tennessee Titans

Taliese Fuaga:

  • Davis: No. 11 to the New England Patriots (via trade)

  • Middlehurst-Schwartz: No. 11 to the Los Angeles Chargers (via trade)

Olumuyiwa Fashanu:

  • Davis: No. 23 to the New England Patriots (via trade)

  • Middlehurst-Schwartz: No. 10 to the New York Jets

JC Latham:

Troy Fautanu:

  • Davis: No. 14 to the New Orleans Saints

  • Middlehurst-Schwartz: No. 16 to the Seattle Seahawks

Amarius Mims:

  • Davis: No. 30 to the Baltimore Ravens

  • Middlehurst-Schwartz: No. 18 to the Cincinnati Bengals

Jackson Powers-Johnson:

Graham Barton:

  • Davis: No. 21 to the Miami Dolphins

  • Middlehurst-Schwartz: No. 21 to the Miami Dolphins

Tyler Guyton:

  • Davis: No. 25 to the Green Bay Packers

  • Middlehurst-Schwartz: No. 24 to the Dallas Cowboys

Jordan Morgan:

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2024 NFL mock drafts: Historic dominance on offense

Davis' first-round mock draft features five quarterbacks, five wide receivers, 10 offensive linemen, and Bowers. Middlehurst-Schwartz's first-round mock draft features four quarterbacks, six wide receivers, 10 offensive linemen, and Bowers.

Between the two mock drafts, both experts agree on 20 of the 21 offensive players in the first round. In doing so, it shows how deserving those 20 players are to be first-round picks. There are plenty of talented players at high-profile positions on offense that could have an immediate impact as rookies.

How many will make it in the first 32 picks? We'll find out on April 25.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL mock drafts 2024: Offense continues to dominate Round 1