2024 NFL Mock Draft: Laiatu Latu, Rome Odunze, Malik Nabers, Caleb Williams

Let’s dive into a few of my top picks for the 2024 NFL Draft. Here is my full latest 2024 NFL Mock Draft, including all first-round picks and write ups. Below we dive into a few notable 2024 NFL Draft picks.

2024 NFL Mock Draft

1) Chicago Bears: Caleb Williams (QB – USC)

Currently listed at -1100 odds to be the No. 1 overall pick, USC’s Caleb Williams looks like the next coming of Patrick Mahomes. Reminder that Bears GM, Ryan Poles, was the Chiefs former director of college scouting when KC drafted Mahomes in 2017.

The off-script playmaking ability is so apparent with the USC product, and that makes him deadly when paired with his elite production from a clean pocket. This past season, Williams posted PFF’s highest grade operating from a clean pocket.

If the Bears stay at No.1, they will draft Williams and trade Justin Fields. Chicago has already scheduled an extremely early top-30 visit with Williams, thus revealing their strong intentions for late April.

Check out our full 2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report for Caleb Williams

4) Arizona Cardinals: Malik Nabers (WR – LSU)

The current betting odds have Marvin Harrison Jr. listed between -650 and -700 to be the first non-QB selected in the draft. That sets the stage for him to land in Arizona, as Kyler Murray‘s new No. 1 WR and replacement for 2024 free agent Marquise Brown. Harrison’s junior year further solidified his status as a premier talent, earning him a Heisman Trophy finalist nod; a rare feat for a wide receiver. He concluded the season with 67 receptions for 1,211 yards and 14 touchdowns, also contributing a rushing touchdown, underscoring his versatility and playmaking ability. That awarded him not only a 44% dominator rating (second-best mark in the class) but the 2023 Fred Biletnikoff Award bestowed to the best WR in college football.

The Cardinals’ odds are listed at -235 for them to select the talented Buckeyes WR. However, from a betting perspective, the value is all about Malik Nabers being the first non-QB selected. Lance Zierlein had Nabers over Harrison in his last mock. Just one team picking inside the top-5 needs to be convinced he’s the better WR to draft over Marvin Harrison Jr.

If there’s any GM that could go off script it would be Ossenfort given his roots stem from New England – notorious for making the “wrong” WR selections. N’Keal Harry is the most recent one that comes to mind. Ossenfort was also part of the Titan’s draft plans to select Treylon Burks in 2022.

Also, Adam Schefter said on his recent podcast, that he heard from multiple trusted sources at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine, that Nabers and not Harrison Jr. would be the 1st WR drafted come April. Nabers is listed at +850 to be the 1st WR selected in the draft per FanDuel Sportsbook, while Harrison is listed at -1200.

During my introductory rookie WR research to put together my Top Dynasty Rookie Wide Receivers (2024 Fantasy Football), my closest comparison to Malik Nabers was Stefon Diggs.

Check out our full 2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report for Malik Nabers

7) Tennessee Titans: Rome Odunze (WR – Washington)

The Titans have expressed faith that Will Levis can be their future franchise QB. They brought in an offensive-minded head coach Brian Callahan, to aid in the development of their second-year QB in the post-Mike Vrabel era. OL seems like the obvious choice here, but I am going to head in a different direction. They selected an OL in the top-10 last season and finished close to average in adjusted line yards. Although they were a bottom-10 graded pass-blocking unit. However, their 31st-ranked adjusted sack rate can be attributed to their QBs’ propensity to take sacks – 22% sack-to-pressure rate ranked 12^th last season. With Brian’s father Bill Callahan joining as the OL coach, there’s credence to believing that he can “coach up” the existing OL pieces, while also adding a more favorable offensive scheme to get the ball out of Levis’s hands quicker.

It’s a classic scenario that Callahan saw firsthand when the Bengals selected Ja’Marr Chase over Peni Sewell back in 2021.

The new head coach also had some interesting comments about OL vs WR in an offseason interview.

“I tend to lean to the position that can score touchdowns because if you play the quarterback position well and if you are playing it right, you can negate some of the issues you have in pass protection.”

The ownership in Tennessee is kicking itself for trading A.J. Brown a few years back, and they finally get a legitimate No. 1 WR to fill the void alongside DeAndre Hopkins in his later years.

Washington’s Rome Odunze‘s four-year career with the Huskies has been marked by consistent improvement, with his junior year in 2022 marking his status as one of college football’s best WRs: accumulating 75 catches for 1,145 yards, averaging 15.3 yards per reception, with 7 TDs.

The 2023 season saw further improvement, with the 6-foot-3 and 215-pound WR amassing 81 catches for 1,428 yards and 13 TDs, leading to a spot on the AP first-team among other awards en route to a career-high 33% dominator rating.

And that was accomplished with him battling through a reported broken rib and punctured lung in late September. Odunze’s 42% deep route percentage ranked third-highest in the class, and that big-play ability will gel well with his cannon-armed second-year QB in the Music City. The Titans are listed at +105 to select a WR with their first pick per FanDuel Sportsbook.

Check out our full 2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report for Rome Odunze

11) Minnesota Vikings: Laiatu Latu (EDGE – UCLA)

The Vikings generated PFF’s second-worst pass-rush grade in 2023 despite blitzing at the highest rate in the NFL (51.5%). Simply put, Brian Flores’ scheme is trying to make up for the lack of sheer talent across the barren defensive line. They need to address the glaring issue by investing in a premier pass rusher.

Harrison Phillips and Dean Lowy are 2025 free agents, to make matters worse, given the four other 2024 free agents they have on the DL. FA D.J. Wonnum played over 800 snaps on the Vikings’ DL last season.

As I have learned studying the tendencies from Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s drafts as GM include his willingness to have no fear of targeting players that come with injury red flags at a suppressed price. He also apparently loves PFF, so it is something to keep in the back of your mind as we link certain players to the Vikings in both free agency and the NFL Draft. He also knows the value of quantity over quality when it comes to the NFL Draft, which I envision him taking advantage of with only two picks inside the top 100 selections.

Laiatu Latu has size at 6-foot-5 and 265 pounds similar to Marcus Davenport (6-foot-6, 265 pounds), who Minnesota signed in FA last offseason to fill their pass-rush devoid. Latu led the nation in pass rush win rate (40%) on true pass sets in 2023 as PFF’s highest-graded pass-rusher. He comes with some scary injury red flags stemming from a neck injury in 2020 that almost ended his football career.

Per Sports Info Solutions, Latu finished first in the class in pressure rate over expectation (17.2%), true pressure rate (30%) and tackles for loss per game (2.2).

Check out our full 2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report for Laiatu Latu