With the First Pick Mock Draft: Giants go Odunze over Nabers, Bowers slides and Vikings trade up

It's officially draft week! Here at With the First Pick, we wanted to have a little fun with one of our final mock drafts for the 2024 class. We assigned teams to eight of our contributors and then ran through the entire first round, with trades included. We all made the picks we would make if we were running the team, so it was a very interesting first round.

1. Chicago Bears (via Carolina Panthers) - Caleb Williams, QB, USC
The Bears haven't had a quarterback in their franchise's history throw for four thousand yards OR throw for 30 touchdowns in a single season. Caleb Williams has all of the potential to be the best quarterback to ever suit up for Chicago. - Dustin Mosher

2. Washington Commanders - Drake Maye, QB, UNC
In spite of the recent Jayden Daniels commotion, UNC’s Drake Maye is the pick for Washington at 2. Maye has the perfect blend of size, talent and creativity that bodes well for the modern NFL. The Josh Harris era is officially underway. - Dylan Edelman

3. New England Patriots - Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU
The Bill Belichick era is over in New England. Also the Patriots haven't had a franchise quarterback since you know who. Giving new head coach Jerod Mayo the Heisman winner seems like a no-brainer. - Tyler Schickert

4. Arizona Cardinals - Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State
While the Cardinals have a few needs, if they really think Kyler is their long-term option at quarterback, it only makes sense to get the best receiver in the draft for him. If a buyer comes knocking, it’d need to be a rather sweet offer. - Dakota Wayne

5. Minnesota Vikings via Los Angeles Chargers - J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan
In a post-Kirk Cousins world, do the Minnesota Vikings really want Sam Darnold throwing the ball to Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison? No. However, they may have to pay the price of two first-round picks to get ahead of the New York Giants if they want JJ McCarthy. - Schickert

6. New York Giants - Rome Odunze, WR, Washington
Brian Daboll and the offense need weapons for Daniel Jones. Odunze is the best weapon available. He is a crisp route runner who knows how to separate and is fearless when making catches. Additionally, he brings a high motor and a workhorse mentality. He will come in and put the work in starting Day 1 to improve and be the man for Big Blue. - Dominic Ambrose

7. Tennessee Titans - Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame
This pick is a no-brainer. The team needs an offensive line and Alt fits the team perfectly. He makes sense schematically, for value and positional need. - Mike Poland

8. Atlanta Falcons - Malik Nabers, WR, LSU
Somehow, someway, the dynamic LSU wideout fell to the Falcons, and while Atlanta does have needs on the defensive side, such as pass rush and cornerback, it was too difficult not to take Nabers, pairing him with Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts. - Justin Frazier

9. Chicago Bears - Dallas Turner, EDGE, Alabama
While the draft didn't shake out the way the Bears would have wanted with the top three receivers going before their pick, they get the best defensive player in the draft as a consolation prize. Chicago follows the same model that the Texans took last year and draft their franchise quarterback and the best EDGE in the class with their first two picks. - Mosher

10. New York Jets - Olu Fashanu, OT, Penn State
The Jets have been in search of a long-term left tackle, even going back to last year's draft. Olu Fashanu has the best pass protection resume in this talented offensive tackle class. He will be able to learn behind the newly added Tyron Smith, and should be a more than adequate backup should Smith miss time. - Edelman

11. Los Angeles Chargers via Minnesota Vikings - Cooper DeJean, CB, Iowa
Sliding down seems like an obvious choice for the Chargers given how many quarterback-needy teams sit just outside the top 10. In this scenario, Los Angeles takes the top corner on my board in an effort to revamp one of the worst secondaries in the league. DeJean has the instincts, ball skills and athleticism to be a true No. 1 corner. - Chris McGlynn

12. Denver Broncos - JC Latham, OT, Alabama
The Broncos could go EDGE, as that’s probably their biggest need, but with EDGE1 off the board in Dallas Turner, it made more sense to get one of the top tackles in JC Latham. Denver lacks a long-term option at OT and Latham gives them just that. - Wayne

13. Las Vegas Raiders - Tailese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State
Fuaga is the second-highest rated offensive lineman on my board, trailing only Joe Alt. He is a fluid mover with good power. For the Raiders, the right side of the offensive line has been a turnstile in recent years. Fuaga should help protect whoever winds up starting for the Raiders in 2024. - McGlynn

14. New Orleans Saints - Troy Fautanu, OL, Washington
With the health of Ryan Ramzyk a concern, protecting Derek Carr and making lanes for Alvin Kamara are top priorities. If Ramzyk is healthy for camp and the season, then Fautanu can start at right tackle and Trevor Penning can move inside. Fautanu is a Day 1 starter with a mean streak that should serve him well for years to come. - Ambrose

15. Indianapolis Colts - Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo
The Colts need secondary help and Quinyon Mitchell is the best defensive back in this year’s draft. His 37 pass breakups in the last two seasons at Toledo is exactly what the Colts defense could do with. - Poland

16. Seattle Seahawks - Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia
Another surprise fall was Bowers, the best tight end in this class, sliding to Seattle. Similar to the Falcons, there were other needs, but the thought of Bowers, Jaxson Smith-Njigba, D.K. Metcalf, and Tyler Lockett was too beautiful to pass up. - Frazier

17. Jacksonville Jaguars - Brian Thomas Jr., WR, LSU
This would be a home run selection for Jacksonville. With the departure of Calvin Ridley, Trevor Lawrence gets a long-term answer on the outside with Thomas Jr. He has game-breaking speed and this is the perfect blend of the best player available and need. - Mosher

18. Cincinnati Bengals - Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama
The Bengals have put themselves in a great position heading into the first round of this year's draft. They have almost no desperate positions of need and can take the best player available, which they do here. Terrion Arnold could step in at outside corner or in the slot and be an immediate starter as a rookie. He would help the Cincinnati defense get back on track this year after a woeful 2023. - Edelman

19. Los Angeles Rams - Byron Murphy, DL, Texas
This pick seems pretty clear-cut, right? The Los Angeles Rams get the most versatile defensive lineman in the draft to start day one in the spot previously occupied by Aaron Donald. - Schickert

20. Pittsburgh Steelers - Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia
This pick makes too much sense. Amarius Mims would be a great pairing to last year’s first-round pick: Broderick Jones. Jones can move back to his college position of LT, and Mims can step in as RT. - Wayne

21. Miami Dolphins - Jer'Zhan Newton, DL, Illinois
After losing Christian Wilkins this offseason, adding Newton makes a ton of sense. They are very different players, but the former Illinois star should offer a big boost to Miami's pass rush. He is a gap penetrator capable of taking over games. - McGlynn

22. Philadelphia Eagles - Jared Verse, EDGE, Florida State
With the departure of Hassan Reddick, the Eagles add Verse to their defensive front. He's a dynamic playmaker and leader of the Florida State defense. He can win with speed and has great hand usage to win at the line of scrimmage. Adding him to a defensive front with Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter sounds like the making of nightmares for offenses in the NFL. - Ambrose

23. Los Angeles Chargers via Minnesota Vikings, Houston Texas & Cleveland Browns - Tyler Guyton, OT, Oklahoma
The Chargers continue to rebuild at key positions. With such a deep receiver draft, I opted for a developmental right tackle with ridiculous upside. Guyton is definitely a bit raw, but he could wind up being one of the best linemen from this draft class when it is all said and done. - McGlynn

24. Dallas Cowboys - Jackson Power-Johnson, OL, Oregon
With where the Cowboys draft, Jackson Powers-Johnson falls into their lap at 24. Dallas needs better production from their interior offensive line, and Powers-Johnson is one of, if not the best interior offensive lineman in the draft. - Wayne

25. Green Bay Packers - Graham Barton, OL, Duke
Graham Barton just feels like a Green Bay Packer, doesn't he? Barton played left tackle at Duke, but he has position flexibility and can play all five spots on the offensive line. He will help keep Jordan Love upright for the next decade. - Mosher

26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Laiatu Latu, EDGE, UCLA
For the second year in a row the Bucs are investing early in the defensive front. Latu is a pro-ready pass rusher with a skill set that extends well beyond his experience level. He would help to replace the absence of Shaq Barrett and would join a growing young defensive line with Yaya Diaby, and Calijah Kancey. - Edelman

27. Arizona Cardinals via Houston Texans - Nate Wiggins, CB, Clemson
After selecting Marvin Harrison Jr. with the fourth pick, the Cardinals address another large area of concern: their secondary. Sean Murphy-Bunting, Garrett Williams, and Dennis Gardeck round out Arizona’s corner group, and with Wiggins still available at 27, he was the easy choice. Harrison vs Wiggins will be a great practice battle. - Wayne

28. Buffalo Bills - Adonai Mitchell, WR, Texas
The team loses Diggs and needs a receiver to replace him. Adonai is a great possession receiver and his combine proved he has the speed to go with it. 4.34 seconds is not something you should generally shy away from. - Poland

29. Detroit Lions - Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama
This worked out nicely as McKinstry is the last corner on the board I felt was worthy of going in the first round. The Lions lost Cam Sutton this offseason due to off-the-field issues and replaced him with Carlton Davis. They still need more reinforcements. McKinstry will not wow with his athleticism, but he is a fundamentally sound corner with tons of experience. - McGlynn

30. Baltimore Ravens - Keon Coleman, WR, Florida State
Give Lamar Jackson and he wins MVP. We saw what he could do last season with Zay Flowers' emergence and Odell Beckham Jr. This season, with the addition of Derrick Henry, the team needs a weapon to complement Flowers. Coleman brings solid route running and an insane catch radius. Despite a slower 40 time at the combine, he has good burst and displays impressive game speed. - Ambrose

31. San Francisco 49ers - TJ Tampa, CB, Iowa State
Tampa fills a huge need in the secondary for San Francisco. He was an All-American last year and his huge range and arm length while being a huge physical presence in coverage is exactly what the 49ers need. - Poland

32. Kansas City Chiefs - Xavier Worthy, WR, Texas
The Chiefs have transitioned from destroying defenses with deep bombs to Tyreek Hill to dinking and dunking their way to the end zone. Kansas City's receiver issue was no secret last season, and with the option to add Worthy, who ran a 4.21 40-yard dash at the combine, this should open things up again for Patrick Mahomes downfield. - Frazier