BOBBLEHEAD SPORTS

The NFL Combine is this week, so Aiden and I have made our pre-combine mock draft. We are predicting 5 Quarterbacks, 6 Wide Receivers, and a few surprise picks to go in the first round.

Pick 1: Bears – Caleb Williams | QB | USC

Caleb Williams is easily the best QB in the draft class and has the potential to be generational. The Bears should trade Justin Fields and pick the best player at the most important position. He has a strong, accurate arm and great scrambling ability.

Pick 2: Commanders – Drake Maye | QB | UNC

This pick will be a QB, and although Jayden Daniels is an intriguing prospect, I think Drake Maye is the better pick. He’s 2 years younger and in my opinion, shows a higher upside. He has the strongest arm in the class, but he needs to work on his footwork to be an elite QB in the NFL.

Pick 3: Patriots – Jayden Daniels | QB | LSU

This could be a potential trade-down spot, but new HC Jerod Mayo wants to distance himself from Belichick, and the best way to do it is to draft a hyper-athletic QB like Daniels. The 2024 Heisman winner may struggle at the next level due to his athletic gap closing in the NFL along with his frankly mediocre arm strength. Still, somebody with this resume should be going to a patriots team devoid of talent.

Pick 4: Cardinals – Marvin Harrison Jr. | WR | OSU

The second coming of Calvin Johnson has finally arrived. While Harrison isn’t quite as good of a prospect as Calvin he has a size and speed combo that is unmatched in college and maybe when he enters the NFL. We have him going to Arizona to pair up with Kyler Murray and give him a real WR1 he’s been missing since D-Hop left a couple of years ago. While Hopkins is a fantastic future HOFer, Marvin Harrison Jr has an even higher ceiling.

Pick 5: Chargers – Brock Bowers | TE | Georgia

Another “generational” TE prospect will be coming off the board super early for a TE once again, however, this one is warranted. Brock has elite size, speed, hands, and can do anything you would need a TE to do on the field. With a new HC, the Chargers need to build around star QB Justin Herbert and we have them taking maybe the best all-around weapon in this draft class.

Pick 6: Giants – Malik Nabers | WR | LSU

The Giants need a star receiver, and Nabers would be the bonafide #1 WR in a class without MHJ. He’s a great route runner and has Top 10 WR potential.

Pick 7: Titans – Joe Alt | OT | Notre Dame

The Titans need an OT and Joe Alt is arguably a top 5 prospect in this class. He is a massive 6’8 and 317lbs and is a beast in both the pass and especially the run game. He’ll be 21 on Draft Day, and he has Top 5 OT Potential. 

Pick 8: Falcons – Laiatu Latu | EDGE | UCLA

PFF graded Latu as the best defensive player in college as well as the highest for a defensive player of all time with the highest pass rush win rate in all of college football. Latu brings polish to an up-and-coming Falcons defense ready to make a playoff push under new HC Raheem Morris. His only concern will be his medical test at the combine.

Pick 9: Bears – Rome Odunze | WR | Washington

With the Bears 2nd pick in the top 10, I have them picking a WR to add to a nice supporting cast of weapons for Caleb Williams. Odunze is a strong receiver who isn’t afraid of contact.

Pick 10: Jets – Olumuyiwa Fashanu | OT | PSU

The Jets need to give Rodgers some pass protection, and this guy is one of the best pass-blocking LTs we’ve seen in recent history. His run blocking is a bit more questionable, but he is improving and is only 21. I think he has top 5 pass-block potential.

Pick 11: Vikings – Dallas Turner | EDGE | Alabama

Danielle Hunter and Marcus Davenport are both hitting Free Agency, so if Dallas Turner falls, the Vikings would be happy to take him. He’s very quick and boasts all the intangibles you want in an Edge Rusher. If he can improve his power and spin moves, he could be a star.

Pick 12: Broncos – JJ McCarthy | QB | Michigan

JJ has excellent intangibles and is a proven leader at the college level. The former 5-star recruit has a good arm with good mobility and is proven to be able to work within a system. Something Russel Wilson has struggled to adapt to in Denver. JJ will be able to operate Payton’s system as he sees fit.

Pick 13: Raiders – Bo Nix | QB | Oregon

After McCarthy flies off the board, the Raiders panic and select Bo Nix. They need a QB badly, O’Connell isn’t gonna cut it. Although I don’t personally have him as a top-20 prospect, I think he is over-hated. He is a field general, and I think he could operate an offense like Brock Purdy.

Pick 14: Saints – Taliese Fuaga | OT | Oregon State

Taliese Fuaga out of Oregon is another fantastic tackle prospect going to a team that just flat-out needs talent on their offensive line. The depleted line in New Orleans is a critical need and they will get a big boost with Fuaga who brings exceptional leverage skills and experience at right tackle.

Pick 15: Colts – Nate Wiggins | CB | Clemson

The Colts pick a young, dynamic corner in Nate Wiggins, and despite being raw, has the physical skills and length to eventually be a top corner in the NFL. Being a younger prospect he has time to have a bad rookie year and still be a young CB in the NFL. With massive room to grow combined with massive upside, Wiggins goes to a CB-needy team and can grow with their young core. 

Pick 16: Seahawks – Jared Verse | EDGE | FSU

A perfect combination of speed and strength, the Seahawks improve their D-Line with Jared Verse. He needs to work on his ability to make tackles in the backfield and improve his run defense, but he has the perfect build to mold into a formidable force on the edge.

Pick 17: Jaguars – Terrion Arnold | CB | Alabama

Before the season if you told me Arnold would be going over Kool-Aid I would have called you crazy, but here we are. Terrion Arnold is a pure athlete who, if mentored correctly, could become the best CB in this class. The Jaguars have a need at CB and Arnold can become that real CB1 they desperately need. 

Pick 18: Bengals – JC Latham | OT | Alabama

The Bengals need to keep Joe Burrow healthy and upright, and there’s no better position to improve than OT. JC Latham is an absolute mammoth of a man, measuring in at 6’6 and a crazy 360lbs. He can neutralize defenders and throw them away with ease.

Pick 19: Rams – Cooper DeJean | CB | Iowa (A)

As a Rams fan, I am good with this pick. Corner is a huge need in LA and DeJean being the best available makes sense due to the amazing corner depth in this draft. Cooper has the best skills and intangibles along with the most polish out of any corner in this class. His athleticism is also very solid and should not be held against him.

Pick 20: Steelers – Jaxson Powers-Johnson | C | Oregon

The Steelers take a position of need with the best IOL in the draft. JPJ is the perfect plug-and-play guy who can anchor your O-Line for the next 10 years. He has a high ceiling and a high floor and will help the Steelers continue to dominate the run game.

Pick 21: Dolphins – Amarius Mims | OT | Georgia

The Dolphins get a steal here at pick 21. An OT with sky-high potential, he’s a monster 6’7, 330lbs, and is not only strong but also quick for a tackle. He is a very raw prospect though, he only played 803 snaps at Georgia and has areas of his game that need improvement.

Pick 22: Eagles – Quinyon Mitchell | CB | Toledo

Another CB to a CB-needy team, Mitchell possesses good athleticism and can impact the run game, which is an underrated skill for a DB. Call me crazy, but I see Jalen Ramsey upside in Mitchell, and for the Eagles that is desperately needed despite possibly taking a few years for him to get to that level.

Pick 23: Texans – Byron Murphy II | DT | Texas 

Texans need a defensive player, and if they re-sign Steven Nelson, DT is the easy pick here. Murphy is an athlete, both quick and strong, and will be perfect to pair with Will Anderson Jr for a nasty pass rush.

Pick 24: Cowboys – Troy Fautanu | OG | Washington

Easy pick for the Cowboys, they get a player that fills a position of need. Fautanu is effective at stopping power rushers inside and should help Dak have a cleaner pocket to throw out of.

Pick 25: Packers – Chop Robinson | EDGE | PSU

The Packers pick up a quality edge rusher in Chop Robinson. Chop is easily the quickest DE in the draft and can run circles around most tackles. He will need to learn to utilize some pass-rush moves and bulk up a bit to be successful in the NFL.

Pick 26: Buccaneers – Kool Aid McKinstry | CB | Alabama

The preseason CB 1 of this class is falling all the way to 26 in our mock. Kool Aid is not fully to blame for falling, increased competition on his own team and within his class has caused his fall but he is still just as good as he was before. The Bucs get an obvious steal at 26 which will help continue the retooling they go through this offseason.

Pick 27: Cardinals – Jer’Zhan Newton | DT | Illinois

The Cardinals have taken an offensive weapon in MHJ, now it’s time to sure up the defense with their 2nd pick of the 1st round. Newton isn’t the biggest DT in the draft, but I would say he’s easily the most polished and NFL-ready. He utilizes all pass-rush moves effectively and has the speed of a linebacker.

Pick 28: Bills – Brian Thomas Jr. | WR | LSU

The Bills need a WR to complement Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis. Brian Thomas Jr has great measurements, 6’4 with long arms, making it easier to win contested jump balls. Thomas also has great acceleration making him a great deep threat for Josh Allen.

Pick 29: Lions – Eric Rakestraw Jr. | CB | Missouri 

While not as polished as the other CBs on this list, Rakestraw’s sticky man coverage gets him to slide into the first as more of a true ‘island’ corner than anybody else in this class despite his less effective zone coverage than other players on this list, The Lions play man coverage at one of the highest rates in the league and Rakestraw fits right into that system.

Pick 30: Ravens – Troy Franklin | WR | Oregon

The Ravens pick a receiving weapon to help reigning MVP Lamar Jackson. Troy Franklin has been shooting up draft boards due to his electric speed and footwork. His frame is on the smaller side, so this is a low-floor, high-ceiling pick.

Pick 31: 49ers – Tyler Guyton | OT | TCU

Niners are already great, so they can use this pick to fill a gap. Guyton is a big tackle with a high floor that should keep Purdy upright and throwing.

Pick 32: Chiefs – Adonai Mitchell | WR | Texas

Chiefs take their biggest need with a WR with the last pick in the first. He’s 6’4 with good speed and is a great route runner. He needs to be more physical and box out on contested catches. Most importantly for the Chiefs, he only had 1 drop in 2023.

We’ll be releasing another mock draft after Combine Week, so make sure you follow the Twitter (X), @bobbleheadsprtz, to get notified when new articles are published. Credit to ESPN for measurements and stats.