The 2024 NFL Scouting Combine kicks off on Tuesday morning with interviews from selected GMs and coaches, including Detroit’s Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell. It’s a good time to set the baseline for expectations for which players are projecting to go in what range of April’s draft.
It’s more about ascertaining which players might be available to the Lions at No. 29 overall — if they stay in that slot — than accurately projecting each exact pick. Based on recent mocks, the winds on the streets of Indy and general expectations from different teams, here’s how the first round looks like it might play out at the onset of the combine workouts.
1. Chicago Bears: Caleb Williams, QB, USC
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At this point (subject to change, of course), the bigger question than drafting Williams is, where do they trade Justin Fields?
2. Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU
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The new regime in Washington will presumably want their new (potential) franchise quarterback. The Heisman Trophy winner has high-end ability.
3. New England Patriots: J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan
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McCarthy over Drake Maye? Could be this year’s crazy draft weekend surprise for a Patriots team making a huge change at coach already.
4. Arizona Cardinals: WR Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State
Harrison Jr. is the consensus top overall prospect in the draft, and the Cardinals benefit from teams above them all needing QBs to land the phenomenal wideout prospect.
5. Los Angeles Chargers: Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame
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Hard to know what new head coach Jim Harbaugh will do, but taking a bedrock OT prospect like Alt sure seems sensical.
6. New York Giants: Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina
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If Maye is somehow still on the board, it seems crazy that the Giants would pass on the quarterback while not having to rush him onto the field.
7. Tennessee Titans: Rome Odunze, WR, Washington
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Another new coaching regime makes the Titans an unpredictable variable. Odunze is gaining momentum as a top-10 lock as we enter the combine week.
8. Atlanta Falcons: Jared Verse, EDGE, Florida State
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The Falcons are another team with a new coach, making them inherently unpredictable. Verse becomes the first defender off the board in this scenario.
9. Chicago Bears: Malik Nabers, WR, LSU
Malik Nabers 8 dives for a ball as the LSU Tigers take on Texas A&M in Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, November 25, 2023.
The Bears strike paydirt with Nabers at No. 9. He’s an electrifying athlete who could wind up being the first WR off the board.
10. New York Jets: Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State
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In this scenario, Fuaga parlays an excellent Senior Bowl week and workout circuit into being the second OT off the board. His powerful surliness makes for a nice addition to the Jets.
11. Minnesota Vikings: Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo
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Three months ago, there was some hope for Lions fans that Mitchell could fall to the second round. Now, it’s much more likely he’s the first CB off the board and bolsters the Vikings.
12. Denver Broncos: Laiatu Latu, EDGE, UCLA
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Latu might be a bit of a surprise this high, but if his neck checks out medically, he’s the most polished and impactful pass rusher in this draft.
13. Las Vegas Raiders: Olu Fashanu, OT, Penn State
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Fashanu could go much higher than this, but in these projections, the Raiders snatch up the youthful Penn State tackle.
14. New Orleans Saints: Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama
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Arnold is a polished, scheme-diverse outside CB who can provide an instant jolt to the Saints defense.
15. Indianapolis Colts: Brian Thomas, WR, LSU
Brian Thomas Jr 11 runs the ball as the LSU Tigers take on Texas A&M in Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, November 25, 2023.
The Colts add a weapon here. It could very well be top TE Brock Bowers, though if he’s as small as some think he is, it’s probably too high here. Thomas makes for a dynamic addition who could surge after this week.
17. Jacksonville Jaguars: Johnny Newton, DT, Illinois
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Lots of options for the Jaguars here, and in this scenario they opt for the consistently disruptive Newton to build up the defensive front.
18. Cincinnati Bengals: Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia
Bowers could be a top-5 overall talent in this class, but an undersized tight end with some injury concerns could make him a tough guy to select above here. I suspect the Bengals would race to the podium here.
19. Los Angeles Rams: Jackson Powers-Johnson, IOL, Oregon
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The Rams make the versatile, high-floor Powers-Johnson their first first-round pick since Jared Goff back in 2016. He can start right away at guard or center.
20. Pittsburgh Steelers: Nate Wiggins, CB, Clemson
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Tough call here with the Steelers, who need OL help and depth all over the defensive front, but Wiggins can start right away and fit in well in Pittsburgh.
21. Miami Dolphins: Graham Barton, OL, Duke
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The harder part about projecting Barton is, where does he play on the line? He’s a top-shelf prospect at left tackle, center and (perhaps) guard. Miami can draft him and figure it out later.
22. Philadelphia Eagles: Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama
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The Eagles must revamp the back end of the defense, and the playmaking McKinstry seems like a good place to start.
23. Houston Texans: Dallas Turner, EDGE, Alabama
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Pairing up Turner with his former Crimson Tide running mate Will Anderson would make the Texans an athletically freaky defensive front to try and block.
24. Dallas Cowboys: Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia
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Mims seems a little under the national radar for being such an effective blocker for the Bulldogs. The Cowboys need to be in the OT market, and Mims can be a great one quickly.
25. Green Bay Packers: Ennis Rakestraw, CB, Missouri
Missouri cornerback Ennis Rakestraw (2) celebrates.
Rakestraw is a popular Lions projection, but hte Packers also happen to need a scheme-diverse outside CB with some playmaking panache, and they pick earlier.
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Troy Fautanu, OL, Washington
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A left tackle at Washington, many project the skilled Fautanu to kick inside in the NFL. The Buccaneers would do just that, having a dire need at one of their guard spots as well as no functional depth anywhere on their line.
27. Arizona Cardinals: Byron Murphy, DT, Texas
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After landing a top wideout with their first pick, the Cardinals bolster their thin defensive front with their acquired pick by adding in the impressive Murphy.
28. Buffalo Bills: Darius Robinson, DE, Buffalo
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Robinson brings power and positional versatility to the Bills front, two things they sorely need. He’s another player often projected to Detroit but doesn’t quite make it that far in this scenario.
29. Detroit Lions: Cooper DeJean, DB, Iowa
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DeJean has the athletic ability and hard-nosed attitude to play outside CB, but he’s also capable of flexing to safety in some defensive looks. He checks a whole lot of boxes for the Lions and their first-round pick.
30. Baltimore Ravens: J.C. Latham, OT, Alabama
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Latham could be long gone by here, and that is the type of player and value the Ravens seem to covet in the draft. It’s even better if he can play guard early on for Baltimore.
31. San Francisco 49ers: Tyler Guyton, OT, Oklahoma
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Guyton looks like a plug-and-play right tackle who has the athletic ability and technical skill to help the 49ers right away.
32. Kansas City Chiefs: Troy Franklin, WR, Oregon
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Franklin is victimized by a deep WR class, but he’s a worthy first-round talent and could keep the Chiefs as the class of the NFL as a ready-to-roll rookie wideout.