2024 NFL Mock Draft: Raiders Trade Up For Michael Penix Jr.

We are just over a week away from the 2024 NFL Draft, and it's time for another mock. There haven't been many moves yet, but I anticipate more wheeling and dealing in the coming days. 

The 2024 NFL Draft begins Thursday, April 25, at 8 p.m. ET. Rounds 2 and 3 continue on Friday, April 26, at 7 p.m. ET. The draft concludes with Rounds 4 to 7 on Saturday, April 27, at noon ET. 

Last time, I had J.J. McCarthy landing at the No. 2 spot with the Washington Commanders. I believe some of his hype has faded, or it may have been a bit of a smoke screen for teams in the top 10 to try to drum up trade interest. Either way, in my evaluation, I don't believe McCarthy is even a first-round quarterback.

Let's break down my latest thoughts in this 2024 NFL Mock Draft.

2024 NFL Mock Draft: Round 1

2024 NFL Mock Draft Round 1: Picks 1-10

1. Chicago Bears (via CAR): Caleb Williams, QB, USC
2. Washington Commanders: Drake Maye, QB, UNC
3. New England Patriots: Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU
4. Arizona Cardinals: Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State
5. Los Angeles Chargers: Malik Nabers, WR, LSU

“Don’t overthink it!” would be my advice for each of these teams. With three quarterbacks and two wide receivers in the top five, every fantasy football fan’s dream could come true.

Could Daniels go at No. 2 and Maye at No. 3? Sure, but this is what feels like the consensus. I would like to clarify that Nabers is a slot receiver, and the Chargers may not want to commit such a big pick to that spot. Does that mean Nabers slides? It’s not outside the range of outcomes. Many teams don’t put a big value on slot corners, either.

I would be shocked if any team trades up into the top five. I don’t believe we’ll see much trading until the No. 12 to 18 range.

6. New York Giants: Olumuyiwa Fashanu, OT, Penn State
7. Tennessee Titans: Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame
8. Atlanta Falcons: Rome Odunze, WR, Washington
9. Chicago Bears: Dallas Turner, EDGE, Alabama
10. New York Jets: Laiatu Latu, EDGE, UCLA

Last time, I had Daniels falling to No. 6, which allowed the Vikings to trade up for him. I don't believe he falls that far at this point. We could see three EDGE players possibly picked in the top 10 between Turner, Latu and Jared Verse.

Odunze would be a huge addition to the Falcons' offense, which has already done a great job overhauling its roster this offseason. He's one of my favorite players in this class, and in any other year, he could've been the top receiver. It's just a case of this being an excellent year for receivers in Rounds 1 and 2.

2024 NFL Mock Draft Round 1: Picks 11-20

11. Minnesota Vikings: J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan
12. Denver Broncos: Jared Verse, EDGE, Florida State
13. Las Vegas Raiders: Tailese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State
14. New Orleans Saints: Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama
15. Indianapolis Colts: Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia

Will Minnesota feel compelled to trade up? In my last mock, I did have them trading up, but if they want McCarthy, they could trade back a bit if he falls this far. Las Vegas could also trade up, and I’ll address that later.

The Vikings wisely moved on from Kirk Cousins. They’d just be treading water if they opted to retain him. Ultimately, teams want to get out from under that big quarterback contract and be free to make moves.

Speaking of getting out from a big quarterback contract, the Broncos have to punt this year, so it makes the most sense for me to trade back. They must stockpile picks because their cap situation is a hot mess for the next two years.

16. Seattle Seahawks: Troy Fautanu, IOL, Washington
17. Jacksonville Jaguars: Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia
18. Cincinnati Bengals: Jer'Zhan Newton, DT, Illinois
19. Los Angeles Rams: Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo
20. Pittsburgh Steelers: Brian Thomas Jr., WR, LSU

This is an interesting group of teams, considering they all narrowly missed the playoffs. It makes sense for them to focus on off-ball players: linemen, corners, linebackers, etc.

It's the "glue guys" who do the dirty work that make good teams great. There aren't many linebackers getting a first-round grade in this class, if any, so it'll be interesting to see if guys like Arnold, Mitchell, and Cooper DeJean will fall into this range.

Newton is the only defensive tackle with a first-round grade for me, and even then, it's borderline. I graded it out where some positions are very top-heavy, and it'll be intriguing to see how teams navigate that problem.

For example, do teams want the best defensive tackle or the third-best corner? How they navigate those decisions can be challenging.

2024 NFL Mock Draft Round 1: Picks 21-32

21. Miami Dolphins (via HOU): Tyler Guyton, OT, Oklahoma
22. Philadelphia Eagles: Cooper DeJean, DB, Iowa
23. Minnesota Vikings: Chop Robinson, EDGE, Penn State
24. Dallas Cowboys: Jackson Powers-Johnson, IOL, Oregon
25. Green Bay Packers: Nate Wiggins, CB, Clemson
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama

This draft features a significant number of first-round cornerbacks, and the perception around the position may change following another Super Bowl victory by the Chiefs who were blessed with supremely talented corners last year.

With the sport increasingly adopting two-high safety formations, the value of effective short-area coverage is rising. Cornerbacks who excel in press coverage and can swiftly push quarterbacks to their secondary reads are becoming increasingly important.

In my view, DeJean fits the role of a safety, but his versatility only enhances his attractiveness.

Wiggins and McKinstry bring distinct styles to their play, which varies according to the defensive needs. Wiggins boasts speed and reach, whereas McKinstry offers cleverness and controlled aggression.

27. Arizona Cardinals (via CLE): Graham Barton, IOL, Duke
28. Buffalo Bills: Adonai Mitchell, WR, Texas
29. Las Vegas Raiders (via DET): Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington
30. Baltimore Ravens: Keon Coleman, WR, Florida State
31. San Francisco 49ers: Kingsley Suamataia, OT, BYU
32. Kansas City Chiefs: JC Latham, OT, Alabama

I resisted the urge to make a lot of trades, but it makes sense to me that the Raiders will want to trade up for a quarterback. Some may believe it will be Bo Nix out of Oregon instead of Penix - that’s valid. In my evaluations, I prefer Penix’s tools and bigger arm talent.

I would prefer to see the 49ers take Graham Barton as he is a better fit for their needs, though I’m not sure he’ll last this long. This is an above-average draft for offensive linemen, so I may be over-drafting them in this first-round mock.

I have 10 OLs selected in this first round, which is high, especially when you consider a few project at center and guard, which are drafted sparingly in Round 1.