Chicago Bears - QB Caleb Williams, USC
I just can’t see a scenario where the Bears hang onto Fields or in our case Purdy when there is an all-time prospect like Williams there. I think the Bears make the easy choice.
Houston Texans - QB Drake Maye, UNC
Houston is pretty well set across their entire roster, other than maybe the interior of the OL. But they desperately need a QB, David Shaw has proven he can get a ton of out of lesser passers, Maye is a potential superstar with an enticing blend of Justin Herbert and Josh Allen.
New England Patriots - QB Jayden Daniels, LSU
There is a ton of smoke that New England wants something other than a QB, but there’s no way this team doesn’t use this opportunity to upgrade the most important position in team sports. Daniels is an elite dual threat weapon who reminds everyone of Lamar Jackson.
Arizona Cardinals - WR Marvin Harrison Jr, Ohio State
In a loaded the best WR prospect in the past decade slips to 4th. Harrison is a tall and fast route runner with silky smooth agility that can create separation easily. He probably walks into the NFL as a top 15 WR and will only go up from there.
Washington Commanders - OT Joe Alt, Notre Dame
This is almost impossible to pick. In real life this is the Chargers who need both offensive line play and WR play, but Jim Harbaugh builds through the trenches and in 3GML world the Commanders desperately need an offensive lineman and Alt is the most consistent LT I’ve scouted in the past decade.
New York Giants - WR Rome Odunze, Washington
Pick your poison between Odunze and Nabers but here the Giants go with the bigger target for QB Daniel Jones. They have to get him more weapons and a better OL but they start here with a guy who reminds me a ton of Jamarr Chase.
GREEN BAY PACKERS - WR Malik Nabers, LSU
The Packers are always going to lean toward WR when it makes sense, and right here, it makes sense. The team is weak at WR after their two superstars and Nabers is worth the value here positionally and on the draft board. While it’s tough to take a WR3 with your first pick, especially with a great TE too, the Packers mantra is always add more weapons, and they do here.
Atlanta Falcons - OLB Laitu Latu, UCLA
He’s falling down draft boards but he’s the best edge rusher in this class. The reason he’s falling is due to medicals but he dominated this season at UCLA. While the Falcons desperately need a QB, they are the most logical landing spot for Fields and this is where he is in the 3GML universe in 2024. Latu provides new coach Raheem Morris what he desperately needs, pass rush.
TRADE! Denver Broncos - QB JJ McCarthy, Michigan
I think the Broncos, Minnesota, Vegas, Seattle, etc all want a chance at the Michigan signal caller who has a plus arm and elite speed. He needs more reps as a pure thrower but he’s talented and played in a very pro style offense. In this scenario the Bears move back a couple of spots and snag a day 2 pick to continue to add value.
New York Jets - OT Olu Fashanu, Penn State
I think the Jets are in a great spot to just sit back and take one of the tackles in this draft. Fashanu isn’t the world’s greatest run blocker but he’s dynamic in pass protection with plus athleticism and good tape. The Jets are all in, they need to protect Aaron Rodgers and this is a great step in that direction.
Minnesota Vikings - CB Terrion Arnold, Alabama
The Vikings I think are going to re-sign Kirk Cousins and while they probably would take McCarthy at 11 if he fell this far, in this scenario he didn’t so they snag the ultra talented Arnold. With the league’s most aggressive defense, they have to have guys who can play behind it and Arnold can certainly help with that.
Chicago Bears - WR Brian Thomas, LSU
Now this may be a bit high for Thomas but at 6’4 I think later this month at the combine he’s going to run close to 4.40 and that may cause his stock to rise. He’d be a perfect addition to an offense that needs more deep speed and he’d be able to open things up underneath for Williams, Moore and co.
Las Vegas - CB Nate Wiggins, Clemson
One of the fastest players in this draft class, the Raiders decide to forgo leaping for a QB and instead take someone who can help them right away at a serious position of need. Wiggins is an exceptional athlete, and with a new regime, the Raiders can be a bit patient while not reaching for a QB.
New Orleans - TE Brock Bowers, Georgia
Positional value only matters for so long when you get a player like Bowers available. He’s arguably the best TE prospect in the past decade and his run after catch is reminiscent of George Kittle. He is improving as a blocker as well. New Orleans just needs better younger players.
Indianapolis Colts - DB Cooper DeJean, Iowa
DeJean can play nickel, outside corner, dime, overhang, strong safety, and single high, and there are about 5 people on the planet that can do that. The Colts need more help in their secondary and there’s no better way to get that than the athletic and physical DeJean.
Seattle Seahawks - QB Bo Nix, Oregon
Seattle has other needs but at some point they need to start thinking about contingencies that aren’t Geno Smith. With a new regime, they want their own guy and while Nix is definitely ready to play now, they can let him season another year if they want behind Smith.
Jacksonville Jaguars - OT Taliese Fuaga, Oregon State
He probably shouldn’t last this long but he ends up at 17 here for Jacksonville who already has a lot of OTs but none as talented or physical as Fuaga. At 330 pounds he has good athleticism for his size and was the nation’s best run blocker this past season. They need to improve up front and this is a great start.
Cincinnati Bengals - CB Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama
His stock has cooled a bit but he’s still a very good player. The Bengals spend capital on their secondary and with an offense that looks still very good they should snag another corner to likely replace some departing talent in the secondary.
Los Angeles Chargers - EDGE Dallas Turner, Alabama
Rumors are going around that LA might be shopping edge rusher Haasan Reddick and honestly they could use more help outside anyway so this move seems to be one that makes sense. The Chargers had a nice first year in the league and they also have needs at safety. However, after the big first move for Buckner, this is actually a prime spot to see a trade down for someone maybe moving up for Penix.
Pittsburgh Steelers - CB Ennis Rakestraw, Missouri
The Steelers can’t go into next season with Patrick Peterson playing 800 snaps for them, that won’t work well. While they desperately need better QB play maybe the new OC will help with that. At this point Michael Penix is an option but I’m guessing Ryan Tannehill comes in for the Black and Gold.
Miami Dolphins - WR Keon Coleman, Florida State
The Dolphins go big with the 6’4 Coleman. Miami has a huge need at WR that got even bigger but adding someone with the catch radius of Coleman is an asset that can’t be overlooked.
Tennessee Titans - OL Troy Fautanu, Washington
The Titans OL is a travesty and in our world they don’t have pick 7 so they take the best available lineman here in Fautanu. His ability to play guard or tackle will mimic what they have with last year’s number one pick and gives them some higher quality play up front. In a division with the 4 man wrecking crew of Houston, it’s needed.
TRADE! MINNESOTA - QB Michael Penix Jr, Washington
The Vikings make a huge swing here trading 23, their second round pick, and a 4th round pick in 2025 to move up to grab Penix from Washington. The Rams love to acquire more selections and do so, forgoing their first 1st round pick in a half dozen years. Penix will sit for a season likely behind Cousins who signs a 1-1 deal with the Vikings in this scenario.
Dallas Cowboys - WR Xavier Worthy, Texas
The Cowboys going all in needs to include actually going all in. They likely are going to push cap dollars into the future and re-sign Prescott and try to keep all their OL but realistically they have to get better production out of their WR2 slot. Cooks took a long time to get going last year and Michael Gallup may never be what he once was. Worthy is a playmaker who would help take the pressure off Lamb immediately.
Miami Dolphins - C Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon
The Dolphins have serious cap issues and also needs on the interior and therefore this snag makes the most sense. JPJ was dominant at the Senior Bowl and despite being a big center at 335 pounds he moves like a man 25 pounds less. He’d also give a better anchor there on the inside than they currently have and would maybe help keep Tua a bit cleaner.
Tampa Bay Bucs - DE Jared Verse, Florida State
If you actually look at Tampa Bay’s roster there is more positives than negatives here. Baker Mayfield played well enough to get a longer look from them and while they could use some upgrades throughout the roster, continuing to build a good defensive front makes sense. Verse is a high impact guy who should be a nice fit in Todd Bowles’ defense.
Arizona Cardinals - CB Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo
He should and will probably go higher than this but in every draft someone drops for an unknown reason and here it’s Mitchell. Arizona would sprint this card up as a team with the NFL’s worst corners add maybe the most polished player at the position in this class despite his small school pedigree.
Buffalo Bills - OL JC Latham, Alabama
The Bills want to play bully-ball. Latham is a monstrous human being at 350 pounds who could play guard or tackle for the Bills and offers them a people mover and road grader that fits their style perfectly.
Detroit Lions - DL Jer’zhan Newton, Illinois
While they want an edge rusher and cornerback the board just happened to fall this way here and essentially Detroit just needs more pressure. Newton is an explosive player who can get into the backfield as quickly as possible. Pairing him with what they already have upfront instantly makes their nickel package better.
San Francisco 49ers - WR Ladd McConkey, Georgia
This may seem high for McConkey but I don’t think it is. He’s an elite route runner who would thrive in the SF offense next to CeeDee Lamb. McConkey can play both inside and outside and while he’s not necessarily explosive after the catch, he’s very good at getting tough yards and getting upfield quickly, a prerequisite in the 49ers offensive attack.
Baltimore Ravens - CB Kamari Lassiter, Georgia
Back to back Bulldogs here but Lassiter’s quickness and ability to cover is going to be coveted around the end of day 1. If Baltimore is also looking to shop injury prone star CB Marlon Humphrey then this is a position of need, even if not, it still may be a position of need moving forward.
Green Bay Packers - OL Graham Barton, Duke
The Packers have never cared about scheme up front and they don’t start now with Barton. GM SD has always liked the big school high floor guys and it’s paid off with some excellent players and that’s what Barton is. He may end up taking over for Ben Powers at guard or moving over to RT to replace McGlinchey in a year but overall he’s a high floor versatile OL who plays the game with a mean streak.
