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2024 NFL Mock Draft For Teams That Didn't Make The Playoffs

Ronald Martinez. Getty Images.

The regular season is over. Your team has disappointed you yet again. You wonder why you feel so invested in such a losing franchise. Part of you is relieved you don't have to watch your dogshit team each Sunday for awhile. You're not an NBA or NHL fan. MLB is a ways away. March Madness isn't for a few months still. Well I have good news for you - IT'S DRAFT SEASON! 

Here is your NFL Mock Draft for teams that didn't make the playoffs. The rest of the draft order will be sorted out over the course of the playoffs and I'll put out a real 32 pick mock draft after the Super Bowl once that's set. 

1) Chicago Bears (via Carolina Panthers) - QB Caleb Williams (USC)

Listen, I'm a big Justin Fields guy. It sounds like the Bears are bringing back HC Matt Eberflus and the staff, but you just need to score points and having a final game against your bitter rival where you can't score a TD and you airmail a WR screen on a 3rd down leaves a bad taste in people's mouth. And we have to think about this from a GM/Coach perspective. You think they want to tie their future to Fields now? They may want to hit the reset button on the QB wage scale and start over from that position. Williams has ideal athleticism and a huge arm. He would be an upgrade from a throwing the ball down the field perspective, so I can see the Bears taking him 1st overall. And as a reminder, the Panthers traded this pick in last year's deal up to the 1st pick for Bryce Young. Yikes…

2) Washington Commanders - QB Drake Maye (North Carolina)

Speaking of reset, Ron Rivera has been fired. The new regime has no ties to Sam Howell. Maybe the new Coach, especially if it's Eric Bienemy will be in favor of rolling with him. But more likely than not, the new Coach will want "his guy" at the QB position and Drake Maye is a prototypical QB from a size/arm strength/mobility perspective. If it wasn't for Caleb Williams, he would be a lock #1 overall pick and may still go there. But do we really think the Bears take a QB out of UNC that wears #10 again? Picking #2 has been a blessing and a curse. See: last year (CJ Stroud went #2 after Bryce Young went #1), but has backfired too like in 1998 when Ryan Leaf went #2 overall after Peyton Manning.

3) New England Patriots - OT Olu Fashanu (Penn State)

It appears Bill Belichick is done in New England. Maybe they'll bring in an offensive whiz and totally change things up. But at 3rd overall, do you want the 3rd best QB in the draft? Olu Fashanu may not be a sexy pick that sells jerseys, but he's a prototypical Offensive Tackle with elite size, length, and athleticism. He should keep New England's signal caller upright for a long time.

4) Arizona Cardinals - WR Marvin Harrison Jr. (Ohio State)

Kyler Murray has shown he can be a guy and Hollywood Brown just isn't cutting it as a WR1. Michael Willson had a solid rookie season, but we need to get Kyler some more weapons and who better than Marvin Harrison Jr.? Not only bloodlines, but he's the best WR prospect to come out since Ja'Marr Chase. He could absolutely go higher than this.

5) LA Chargers - OT Joe Alt (Notre Dame)

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Rashawn Slater is great at Left Tackle, but are we fully trusting Trey Pipkins at RT? I think this is a good spot to beef up the protection for Justin Herbert and could create some more holes in the run game for Austin Ekeler or whoever is running the ball for the Bolts next season.

6) NY Giants - WR Rome Odunze (Washington)

The Giants weapons that scare defensive coordinators is: Darren Waller (when healthy)? I don't think Wan'Dale Robinson is causing DC's to lose sleep. But Rome Odunze, who is playing in the National Championship game tonight is 6'3" 215 lbs. and should run right around a 4.40. He'd be top of that list and whether is Daniel Jones or a new QB under center, they'll need a guy like Odunze to flourish.

7) Tennessee Titans - EDGE Dallas Turner (Alabama)

The Titans need help all over on Defense, but I have them going Turner here over Cornerback. They've got Harold Landry III and Arden Key who have had their moments, but the Titans need more consistent pressure off the edge to heat up CJ Stroud, Trevor Lawrence, and Anthony Richardson in their own division.

8) Atlanta Falcons - QB Jayden Daniels (LSU)

Arthur Smith has been fired so it's regime change time in Atlanta. Where do they go? Who knows, but it's likely they'll want to bring in their own guys and Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke likely ain't them. This has long been rumored as a Justin Fields landing spot, but don't forget they passed on him in the Draft for Kyle Pitts. Will they do so again? If they don't go the Free Agent route, look at this as a potential Jayden Daniels team. The Falcons haven't had a playmaker like that at Quarterback since Michael Vick (no Matt Ryan comments please).

9) Chicago Bears - WR Malik Nabers (LSU)

The Bears get a new Quarterback and the shelves are now stocked with talent at WR with DJ Moore and now Malik Nabers. What a great situation GM Ryan Poles has put the team in! Nabers has a lot of DJ Moore in him as far as he's similar size at 6'0" 200 lbs., but he's quick as a hiccup and presents a diverse run after catch portfolio. He'd certainly be a great young asset for Caleb Williams or even Justin Fields if the Bears choose to keep him.

10) NY Jets - TE Brock Bowers (Georgia)

Aaron Rodgers is coming back and with a talent like Brock Bowers on the board, do you think he'd prefer to just rock with Tyler Conklin as his TE1? NO WAY! Bowers is the most hyped up TE talent to come out since the aforementioned Pitts and he could make a big impact catching passes in the Big Apple from #8 (that's weird that's Rodgers number now).

11) Minnesota Vikings - QB Michael Penix Jr. (Washington)

Michael Penix Jr. will be playing in the natty tonight and I'm genuinely curious where he'll go in the Draft. He won't surpass Williams or Maye, but could he be the 3rd QB? Could he be the 4th? 5th? 6th?! A lot to process here as he's an older QB and will turn 24 two weeks after the Draft. He's also had significant injuries on both of his knees. But will a team look at him as a CJ Stroud type asset where he shows out on a big stage against an elite defense (the Natty hasn't happened, but maybe he puts on a show against Michigan's fierce D). A team would have to be comfortable with his less traditional 1st round traits I just mentioned, but on the field, there is NO DOUBT this dude can spin it. He's got an absolute cannon and can process information super quickly. Those things translate. So if he can stay healthy, I think he'll be a good player in the league. Minnesota is in a spot where Kirk Cousins is a free agent, Josh Dobbs got benched, Jaren Hall hasn't shown enough, Nick Mullens started yesterday. They've got an offense that can go led by Justin Jefferson, but they need a pillar of their franchise at QB and I'm skeptical they keep Cousins around to fill that role.

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12) Denver Broncos - EDGE Laiatu Latu (UCLA)

Von Miller left the team years ago. Shaq Barrett left to be the NFL's leading sacker in 2019. Bradley Chubb got traded to Miami. A once proud position in Denver now has Nik Bonnito and Jonathan Cooper, who have flashed, especially Bonnito, but you've got to have a hard time lining up across from Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert and feeling confident in your rush. Laiatu Latu is a big, intimindating rusher at 6'5" 265 lbs. and coming off of back-to-back double digit sack seasons for the Bruins. Sean Payton has always showed an affinity for bigger EDGE players dating back to Cam Jordan, Marcus Davenport, and Payton Turner, so I like the Latu fit here.

13) Las Vegas Raiders - CB Kool-Aid McKinstry (Alabama)

Will the Raiders bring back Antonio Pierce or will they completely change things up? A lot to be decided and this can certainly be a QB spot if one is available they like, but they are pretty thin at CB with Jack Jones and the very undersized Amik Robertson lining up outside. Kool-Aid McKinstry gives them a 6'1" 195 lbs. CB with ideal size to line up against Rashee Rice, Courtland Sutton, and Keenan Allen.

14) New Orleans Saints - WR Keon Coleman (Florida State)

Who knows if Michael Thomas will ever suit up for the Saints again? The Finesse God has racked up tens of millions of dollars for sitting out games for the Saints and they could really use a big WR opposite Chris Olave to take some pressure off of Derek Carr. Enter Keon Coleman, who at 6'4" 216 lbs., gives them that Michael Thomas/Marquest Colston (FROM? HOFSTRA!) jumbo slot WR they've always had in the Bayou.

15) Indianapolis Colts - WR Adonai Mitchell (Texas)

The Colts have a jumbo WR in Michael Pittman Jr., but with a QB that has struggled with accuracy, you typically want to build around guys with big catch radiuses. Enter Adonai Mitchell, who at 6'4" 196 lbs. has the size and build you want, but can also just float to catch a ball.

16) Seattle Seahawks - EDGE Bralen Trice (Washington)

Seattle has long been a "getting off the bus" team with Pete Carroll. Meaning, when the team gets off the bus, you're immediately intimidated by their size and strength. I have them taking the local kid EDGE rusher playing tonight in Bralen Trice. At 6'4" 274 lbs. coming off a 10 sack and currently in a 7 sack season, he's capable of pushing the pocket and generating pressure of Brock Purdy, Matthew Stafford, and Kyler Murray.

17) Jacksonville Jaguars  - OT/OG JC Latham (Alabama)

The Jags just picked Anton Harrison last season to play Offensive Tackle and he had a rough season. Cam Robinson signed a 3-year deal two years ago and had a down year that begin with a 4-game suspension for PEDs. Latham is a big boy at 6'5" 360 lbs., but if he can manage his weight, he's got all the potential in the world. He can play either Tackle or Guard and would help give Trevor Lawrence more time to throw.

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18) Cincinnati Bengals - WR Xavier Worthy (Texas)

Tee Higgins is a free agent and I'm not sure the Bengals can afford him after that Joe Burrow contract. In an upset, his teammate Adonai Mitchell went before Worthy, who was the more productive college Receiver. But the Draft is a traits game and at 6'1" 172 lbs., those size metrics ding him a bit. But not so much he gets by Cincy who needs another playmaker opposite Ja'Marr Chase.