6 Takeaways from Daniel Jeremiah's Mock Draft 2.0

The 2024 NFL Draft is a bit more than a month away, which means NFL fans are fully in the thick of mock draft season. That means Daniel Jeremiah is mocking away.

Daniel Jeremiah drops Mock Draft 2.0 amid 2024 NFL Draft

Daniel Jeremiah from NFL Network and the Move the Sticks podcast gives his opinions on the NFL draft each year, and considering his connections to NFL teams, his opinion holds more weight than those of the couch GMs across the nation. After the release of his Mock Draft 1.0 he received feedback to help mold his next mock draft.

With two mock drafts remaining in Daniel Jeremiah's schedule, Mock Draft 2.0 built off 1.0 to give NFL fans a better idea at what their favorite NFL team might do in the 2024 NFL Draft.

At the end of the day, it's all a prediction. On top of that, there weren't any trades, so the likelihood that each pick happens as predicted in this mock draft is slim. Jeremiah prefaces this, as trades don't become part of his mock drafts until the final one.

As for how the 2024 NFL Draft goes, it's almost impossible to predict. But, based on what Daniel Jeremiah sees with his eyes and hears with his ears, these are some of the main takeaways NFL fans can walk away with after reading DJ's Mock Draft 2.0.

Mock Draft 2.0 Takeaway No. 1: Caleb Williams to the Chicago Bears is a done deal ... almost

Report after report, mock draft after mock draft, Caleb Williams looks like a lock to the Chicago Bears with the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Though their situation with Justin Fields is one to keep an eye on, the logic behind taking Caleb Williams for the Chicago Bears seems all but done. Barring a massive haul for the No. 1 pick, it seems as if the Bears will try again at the ol' quarterback position.

And Caleb Williams is no lousy consolation prize.

The other possibilities are: Draft a different quarterback— Drake Maye— or keep Justin Fields and draft Marvin Harrison Jr after trading down from the No. 1 pick.

Drake Maye is an intruiging prospect for many reasons, and— while this might end up as an egg on my face in the future— the gap between Caleb Williams and Drake Maye doesn't seem as big as some are making it out to be.

Both Caleb Williams and Drake Maye will need time to develop into the quarterbacks their future teams are hoping they can turn into. The thought teams are debating now is which quarterback has a more attainable route to success with the tools each team has already.

Considering the Bears' position, both Williams and Maye could likely succeed, especially if they add another receiver with pick No. 9 in Malik Nabers or Rome Odunze. Even without the addition of Nabers or Odunze, the Bears are an attractive position for any rookie quarterback to land.

And as things stand currently, Caleb Williams is looking like the No. 1 pick.

Mock Draft 2.0 Takeaway No. 2: Patriots make right choice drafting Marvin Harrison Jr. over QBs

If the New England Patriots are on the board with Marvin Harrison Jr. available, there shouldn't be longer than a three-second thinking period. As they currently sit, the Patriots aren't in a position to take a quarterback and have them strive.

In terms of prospects entering the 2024 NFL Draft, Marvin Harrison Jr. might be the most intriguing of them all. He brings size, speed, route running abilities, and hands. Oh, and he's the son of Hall of Fame wide receiver Marvin Harrison Sr. Not that every Hall of Famer's child will grow up to be a great football player, but it appears Marvin Sr. passed down quite the successful pair of genes to Marvin Jr. Mrs. Harrison helped, too.

The New England Patriots are in a weird post-Tom Brady and Bill Belichick era, and they're a bit lost it appears. Marvin Harrison Jr. can change that, all at the price of the No. 3 pick.

The only issue is if the Washington Commanders feel as if Marvin Harrison Jr. is the better choice after seeing what the Bears do. Washington appears rather gung ho on getting their next quarterback, and when they own the No. 2 pick, that might be a good time to go get one.

And as Daniel Jeremiah predicts in his Mock Draft 2.0, New England gets their blue-chip receiver of the present and the future in Marvin Harrison Jr.

That's what the Patriots are hoping, at least.

Mock Draft 2.0 Takeaway No. 3: Four QBs taken in top 10 picks

This is Daniel Jeremiah's second mock draft of the season where he has four quarterbacks going in the first round.

So far, Jeremiah has been consistent with the first two quarterbacks off the board: Caleb Williams and Drake Maye. Then, after those two, it gets dicey.

In Mock Draft 1.0, Daniel Jeremiah had Jayden Daniels to the Patriots at No. 3, and he had Bo Nix to the Saints at No. 14. In Mock Draft 2.0, however, Jeremiah has Daniels to the Giants at No. 6 and J.J. McCarthy to the Falcons at No. 8.

What this tells me is that the Patriots, Giants, Falcons, and apparently Saints, are all vocal— at least to Daniel Jeremiah— about having a real want for quarterback.

The big tell will be on Jeremiah's final mock draft, as the Raiders are also a team allegedly on the quarterback hunt. If a run of three quarterbacks go in the first four or five picks, there's a high likelihood that a Vegas trade-up could be in play.

Mock Draft 2.0 Takeaway No. 4: Bo Nix outlasts first round

As a top 15 pick in Daniel Jeremiah's Mock Draft 1.0, the Oregon Duck quarterback doesn't get the same love in Mock Draft 2.0.

Bo Nix, as a prospect, has had a roller coaster ride. He's even had a roller coaster ride on Daniel Jeremiah's mocks. One week, he's a top 15 pick, the next, he's not even a top 32 pick.

One of the biggest red flags on Nix is his lack of making things work when they aren't perfect, and that could be the factor leaving him out of the first round. With five collegiate seasons under his belt, it seemed to click more once Nix made his departure from Auburn to Oregon. Maybe that was the move he needed to elevate as a quarterback, but it seemed more like an escape.

Bo Nix found a lot of success as an RPO-style quarterback, making me immediately think of Tua Tagovailoa. The comp might not be fair to either side, but the playstyle is surely similar. Not to say Tua isn't talented, but the Dolphins' offense seemed to find much more success once Tyreek Hill led the league in receiving yards.

As teams are finding out— thanks to Patrick Mahomes and his insane run of success lately— teams want their quarterback to check as many boxes, physically, as they can before being drafted. The fewer things, athletically, the team has to teach, the more they can coach on fundamentals and their own scheme. It's hard to coach a player how to throw a football like a shortstop. However, that's something players either have when they enter the league or not.

And, from my observation, Bo Nix doesn't.

Daniel Jeremiah doesn't believe so either, per Mock Draft 2.0.

Mock Draft 2.0 Takeaway No. 5: Brock Bowers would complete Bengals' offensive Infinity Gauntlet

If Brock Bowers lasts to the Bengals' pick at No. 18 like Daniel Jeremiah predicts in Mock Draft 2.0, the Cincinnati offense could be a scary one once Joe Burrow returns fully.

Behihd quarterback Joe Burrow, the Bengals could have a group of weapons consisting of: Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins (if franchise tagged), Tyler Boyd, and Brock Bowers to start the 2024 season. If that doesn't qualify as one of the best groups of offensive weapons in the NFL, I'm not sure what does.

Brock Bowers is one of the best prospects at his position, let alone skill positions in general. If Bowers was drafted anytime after pick No. 4, it wouldn't be surprising. Now, if Malik Nabers is available at No. 5 for the Chargers, that's one of the only reasons they shouldn't take Bowers. Nabers was truly special on LSU and paired with Herbert, he could be truly special in the NFL, too.

Back to the Bengals, though.

Brock Bowers would be the final stone of the Cincinnati Bengals' Infinity Gauntlet. I'm not totally into Marvel movies, but I think that reference made sense? Regardless, Brock Bowers would complete the Bengals' offense wonderfully.

Whether it be his speed, his reliability as a pass catcher, or his inability to be taken down, he has the potential to be the NFL's next great tight end. Those odds increase if Bowers gets drafted No. 18 to the Bengals, as predicted in Daniel Jeremiah's Mock Draft 2.0.

And— God forbid Joe Burrow gets hurt again— whoever would have to come in as relief would have one heck of an easy job. Playing quarterback surrounded by All-Pro talent at almost every skill position wouldn't make the job harder, that's for sure. Even if that's not the philosophy the Bengals are using, the philosophy of drafting good offensive skill players isn't bad.

Mock Draft 2.0 Takeaway No. 6: Darius Robinson's Senior Bowl makes him first round pick

Prior to the Senior Bowl, it was rare to come across Darius Robinson's name high in mock drafts across the internet. After his Senior Bowl dominance, however, it was almost more rare to see a mock draft without him near the top.

In a class with a loaded group of defensive edge rushers, Darius Robinson's name slid further down mock draft simulators. That was, until Robinson likely made himself a lot of money after an impeccable week at the Senior Bowl. As for how high Daniel Jeremiah thinks he could go, he predicts Robinson being drafted by the Cardinals with pick No. 27 in Mock Draft 2.0.

Regardless of who he lined up against in 1v1s, there was true tenacity in each rep. A report even came out that teams were trying to be cautious with their player comps, as the one that kept coming up was potentially reaching a bit.

The player comp for Darius Robinson, per some scouts at the Senior Bowl, was none other than J.J. Watt. Yes, that J.J. Watt.

J.J. Watt is a touch act to beat, and there's still a success plan for Darius Robinson if he doesn't reach the Watt level. Plenty of edge rushers were great who didn't reach the J.J. Watt threshold.

All-in-all, it's safe to say Darius Robinson earned some money due to his performance during the Senior Bowl. Had he not performed the way he did, he might not see his name in as many mock drafts. In fact, it's likely he wouldn't be seeing his name in the first round of Daniel Jeremiah's Mock Draft 2.0 without his Senior Bowl performance.