By Mike Lachenschmidt
Welcome to the 2024 Lach Draft. Thank you for reading over the years. It’s an exciting year and I’m adding something that has been much requested. Trades! Yep you’ll see a few mock trades in this mock draft. At the end you’ll see my sleepers of the year, and some guys with red flags that I might avoid. So let’s get started.
1st pick Chicago Bears select Caleb Williams QB USC…. It’s been 40 years of awful, horrendous, and downright ugly QB play in the windy city. Williams will be their newest hope. Williams can make any throw. He throws almost just as well on the run as he does in the pocket. Can make throws other QB’s wouldn’t even try. He is a solid runner. His arm can get him into trouble, makes some bad decisions trying to fit balls into impossible windows. The biggest concern is his maturity. His temper tantrums during Trojan losses last year became legendary. If he isn’t able to capture the locker room and get the other 52 guys to play for him it could be another short stint in Chicago for a young QB.
2nd Pick Washington Commanders select Jayden Daniels QB LSU… Daniels is a thrilling runner, who has become so much better as a passer. He’s much quicker with his reads, and accuracy has improved. His slender frame along with him wanting to run makes him a major injury concern. Has good but not great arm strength, which can cause him problems when throwing to the sidelines.
3rd Pick New England Patriots select Drake Maye QB North Carolina…… Eliot Wolf is calling the shots for New England after the departure of Bill Belichick. Wolf, the son of former Packers G.M. and hall-of-famer Ron Wolf, will certainly have experience of evaluating Quarterbacks. Maye has fantastic arm strength and can layer passes into a tight window. Can throw from any arm angle. Maye comes from an athletic family, his brother played basketball at UNC. Maye had issues with his decision making and reads last year. Often would try to do too much leading to picks. When he misses it tends to be high which also leads to more interceptions.
4th Pick Arizona Cardinals select Marvin Harrison Jr. WR Ohio St….. Want to feel old? Marvin Harrison Jr the son of hall-of-famer Marvin Sr. could be the most complete prospect this year. Good hands, and a plus route runner, he explodes once in the open field. 28 touchdowns in the last two seasons. Harrison Jr. has great size for the position. Long speed is solid but not elite. Expectations might be too high for what he can reasonably contribute.
5th Pick L.A. Chargers select Joe Alt OT Notre Dame….. Jim Harbaugh is back with the Chargers, this time as Head Coach. He’d be ecstatic with Alt here. Alt is huge, standing 6’8 he engulfs opponents. Good technique, though his pad level can get high. Shows good hands as a puncher in pass pro. A little lean due to his height. Can get pushed around with a good bull rush. Needs to sit back and anchor better in the pros.
6th Pick New York Giants select Malik Nabers WR LSU… Nabers has soft hands and a ability to make people miss in the open field. Understands how to attack and get open against zone coverage. Nabers does struggle in contested catch situations. Maturity has also been questioned which could see him slip.
7th Pick…TRADE TENNESSEE TRADES PICK 7 TO MINNESOTA Minnesota Vikings select J.J McCarthy QB Michigan…..The trade makes sense since the Titans need to surround Will Levis with talent, and the Vikings now find themselves in QB purgatory. McCarthy is a QB coaches dream. Great mechanics with the ability to throw the ball on-time and accurately. McCarthy is also a surprisingly decent runner. He does have a smaller frame and not as strong of an arm as elite Quarterbacks. Only threw more than 25 passes in games a handful of times at Michigan, so there is some unknown with him. Minnesota better get this one right or they’ll be right back here in 3 years.
8th Pick Atlanta Falcons select Dallas Turner OLB Alabama……. Turner has incredible length. He’s explosive off the ball and is comfortable dropping into coverage and playing in space. 14 TFL’s last year. Needs to play with better pad level and can get lost in the run game because of it.
9th pick Chicago Bears select Olumuyiwa Fashanu OT Penn State…… Bears got their QB, now they get their Left Tackle. Fashanu has intriguing blend of footwork and strength. Smart, often not fooled on stunts. Fashanu is a bit raw. Technique often comes and goes, he’ll need to be more consistent with that if he wants to reach his potential in the NFL.
10th Pick New York Jets select Brock Bowers Tight End Georgia….. Bowers is a tough match-up for any defensive unit. He can line up anywhere on the field. Can break tackles from smaller defenders and run past linebackers and safeties. Somewhat undersized for the position. A ok but not a great blocker may force him off the field in certain situations.
11th Pick Tennessee from Minnesota Tennessee Titans select Rome Odunze WR Washington…. Tennessee trades down and still gets one of the best recivers in the draft. Odunze has good size for the position and easily wins 50-50 balls. Has strong hands and is tough to bring down. Top speed is just average and he often shifts down from top gear in order to get a 50-50 opportunity. He isn’t a good run blocker or even a willing one.
12th pick Denver Broncos select Jared Verse EDGE Florida St….. Verse can be a game wrecker. 32 sacks, 50 TFL’s. Solid against the run and shows good technique. May struggle in coverage in a 3-4 scheme, a 4-3 suits his skills better.
13th pick Las Vegas Raiders select JC Latham OT Alabama…. Latham is a force in both pass pro and run blocking. Routinely sends defenders to the ground. Good solid pop from his hands. Struggles on reach blocks. Can get off balance may struggle against speed rushers in the NFL.
14th pick New Orleans Saints select Taliese Fuaga Oregon St… Fuaga shows elite agility and quickness for his size. Can get to the second level in the run game. Can handle both speed and power rushers. Tends to overset in pass protection allowing a straight line for opponents to his Quarterback. Needs to lock into his technique at the next level.
15th pick Indianapolis Colts select Quinyon Mitchell CB Toledo…. Mitchell is this drafts most aggressive corner. A good tackler, Mitchell flies to the football. Great speed, Mitchell rarely gets beat deep. Can get lost on crossing routes at times. Competition will increase. Only had one year of multiple interceptions in college.
16th pick Seattle Seahawks select Amarius Mims OT Georgia….Mims, standing 6’7 340 is a road grader. Athletic, despite his size, he explodes out of his stance. Good on reach blocks. Struggles against stunts and counter moves.
17th pick Jacksonville Jaguars select Kool-Aid McKinstry CB Alabama….. McKinstry has the length and physicality needed as a corner in today’s NFL. Understands route concepts, he’s always around the ball. McKinstry speed is good, not great. Way to handsy in coverage, may get flagged a lot early in his career.
18th pick Cincinnati Bengals select Brian Thomas Jr. WR LSU….. A LSU wide receiver going to Cincinnati, you don’t say! Thomas Jr. is a big physical receiver who compares to Tee Higgins. Great ability to track deep passes. Solid blocker in the run game. Struggles getting in and out of breaks. He was really only asked to run screens and go routes in college. Teams may need to be patient as he adds to his route tree.
19th pick L.A. Rams select Byron Murphy II. DT Texas … The Rams lost a great one in Aaron Donald, they try to fill that void here. Murphy II. has an explosive first step and he combines it with great pad level. Hustles to the ball, motor is not an issue. A smaller defensive tackle like Donald, he may struggle early in career against NFL size.
20th pick Pittsburgh Steelers Troy Fautanu OT Washington…. Fautanu has prototypical size and strength for the position. Good balance and the ability to get to the 2nd level. Could also play Guard. He’s got great size just wish he use it better. Longer defenders have gotten the best of him in the past.
21st pick Miami Dolphins select Jackson Powers-Johnson Center Oregon…. Powers-Johnson could also play guard. A fantastic wrestler in high school, Powers-Johnson uses leverage and his absurd length to his advantage. Very fluid in his movement despite his size. Listed at 320lbs but played heavier than that, teams will ask him to cut weight. Technique could get sloppy at times.
22nd pick Philadelphia Eagles Terrion Arnold CB Alabama…. Arnold is a twitchy athlete who has light feet. His great hands allows him to rack up interceptions. Understands route trees, he rarely gets lost in coverage. He is way to handsy in coverage and could get called for a lot of flags early. Is just ok against the run.
23 Tennessee Titans (From Minnesota) trade pick 23 to the Green Bay Packers. 23rd pick Green Bay Packers select Cooper DeJean CB/Safety Iowa…. Tennessee trades down to accumulate picks. Green Bay moves up to select an explosive athlete. DeJean has the size of a safety with the speed of a corner. Great ball skills and will help in the return game. He was Iowa’s most explosive offensive weapon despite playing defense. Can play corner or safety. Leg injury needs to be monitored, missed most of last year as well as the scouting combine with a broken fibula. DeJean can be slow to flip his hips in coverage. Safety may be his best position because of that.
24 Dallas Cowboys Trade pick 24 to the Las Vegas Raiders. 24th Pick Las Vegas Raiders select Michael Penix Jr. QB Washington…. The Cowboys who lost a good amount of talent in free agency trade back to accumulate picks. Las Vegas gets the QB they definitely need. Penix Jr. just feels like a Raider Quarterback. He can throw the ball a mile with accuracy. Smart with the football and won’t take unnecessary risks. Multiple leg injuries at Indiana. Every year at Indiana ended in a season ending injury, however he stayed healthy at Washington. A awful runner he can’t pick up yards with his legs. Looked overwhelmed by blitzes in the National Title game. Elongated throwing motion will frustrate Q.B. coaches.
25 Tennessee Titans (From Green Bay) select Graham Barton OL Duke….. Barton could be this drafts Zach Tom. Bartons best position is probably center but he could be a solid starter anywhere on the offensive line. Excellent strength with his hands, Barton is a grabber not a puncher. Easily floats from block to block with excellent balance. Plays his best in big games. Lacks length and can get beat against bull rushes.
26th pick Tampa Bay Buccaneers select Laiatu Latu EDGE UCLA…. Latu his violent with his hands. Shows fantastic quickness off the edge. Latu sets a good edge in the run game and is comfortable dropping into coverage. Neck injury forced a brief retirement. Team doctor’s will need to clear him. Very short arms for the position which is an issue against lengthy Tackles.
27th pick Arizona Cardinals select Chop Robinson EDGE Penn State….Robinson is an explosive pass rusher. Elite change of direction can cause nightmares for offensive lines. Good motor, can chase plays from behind. On the ground too often for his skill level. Robinson will need to add a move or two to his pass rush set to get the most out of his career.
28th pick Buffalo Bills select Jer’Zhan Newton DT Illinois….Value pick for the Bills. Newton combines skill with a motor that never stops. Strong and powerful with his hands, he can disengage from even the most powerful offensive lineman. Great awareness, will not be caught out of his gap. Below average length and maxed out frame. Missed multiple tackles against Kansas it was his most disappointing game in a really good year. Foot injury could cause him to drop.
29th pick Detroit Lions select Darius Robinson EDGE/DT Missouri….Robinson is huge, 6-5 293lbs but moves like a guy 40lbs lighter. Can play standing up or with his hand in the dirt. Robinson is an outstanding tackler. Loses his momentum quickly and his side to side movement is below average. Tight in hips and ankles, Robinson sometimes has issues exploding around the edge.
30th pick Baltimore Ravens select Tyler Guyton OT Oklahoma….. Freaky athlete, so long and lean Guyton moves like a tight end. Guyton is a easy-bender, he wins often against smaller quicker defenders. Really good combo blocker. Slides off blocks at times, Guyton needs to play to the end of the whistle he allows defenders back into the play because of it.
31st pick San Francisco 49ers select Kamari Lassiter CB Georgia…. Lassiter shows a high football I.Q. quickly reading and attacking the play. Good hands in press man. He’s a willing but not always able tackler, he misses too much. Struggles against bigger recievers.
32nd pick Kansas City Chiefs trade to L.A. Rams…With the 32nd pick L.A Rams select Bo Nix QB Oregon… Kansas City moves back to reset its board and acquire more weapons for Mahomes. L.A. gets its QB of the future. Nix started more than 60 games in college. A gamer he can earn the respect of any locker room. Footwork has improved. Solid athlete and a good runner. Arm strength is only average. Ball placement was only ok and will need to be improved in the NFL.
Sleepers
Michael Pratt QB Tulane projected 4th-6th round pick… Pratt was a winner in college, led Tulane to its best season in decades. Great footwork, and quick to read defensive schemes. Reminds me a bit of a bigger Kurt Cousins coming out of college. Lack of raw arm talent may scare some teams off.
Malik Washington WR Virginia projected 3rd-5th round….. A smooth yet tough athlete, Washington is explosive in the open field bouncing off tacklers and having the speed to run by guys. Great hands, he rarely drops a pass. Smaller, slot only type player may cause him to fall in the draft.
Dylan Laube RB New Hampshire projected 6th round- undrafted .. A versatile back, Laube is a comfortable receiver. Will provide value on special teams. Good feet, able to change direction without gearing down. Lacks long speed, size and strength. Jump in competition may prove troublesome.
Red Flags
T’Vondre Sweat DT Texas projected 3rd-5th round pick….Sweat had weight and conditioning concerns heading into the Senior Bowl. How did he answer those questions? By becoming the first player ever in Senior Bowl history to refuse to weigh-in. If that didn’t drop him down on draft boards his D.W.I. three weeks before the draft will. He’s off some teams draft board, he’d be off mine.
Braelon Allen RB Wisconsin projected 3rd-5th round pick…. Allen had nearly 600 carries at Wisconsin all before he turned 21, there is some tread on the tires. Allen has good size but he’s less explosive than his numbers suggests. Fumbling was a major issue especially in the biggest games. Allen might not make it through his first contract if he can’t figure out his fumbling issues.
Joe Milton QB Tennessee projected 2nd-4th round pick…. Milton has the size, arm strength, and leadership abilities to be a top pick. He just has never played consistently enough to warrant that. A short strider when stepping into his throws, especially when struggling with his mechanics, leading to overthrows. A slow decision maker, he needs to process faster and be able to grip it and rip it. He never figured things out in college what makes us think he will at the next level?
View From The Bench 