The mock draft season is the best season. Okay, maybe it’s really startup season, but it’s close. With mock drafts come angry fans, happy fans, and fans who want some fantasy projections. In Lance Zierlein’s 2024 NFL Mock Draft, we got a ton of fantasy implications.
Some landing spots and names are ones we are familiar with. Compared to most mocks, there are some fresh faces and fantasy takeaways.
There are 12 skill players and quarterbacks in this first-round mock. Specifically, the first five players are all fantasy-relevant. We haven’t seen this type of offensive firepower in quite some time, and the fantasy community needs it. For quarterbacks specifically, we can see six drafted in the first round, and five went in this mock draft.
Where do those quarterbacks and skill players land? Let’s discuss that and their fantasy projection.
Caleb Williams, QB, CHI
Williams is the expected top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, and that doesn’t change here. Williams, with the skill players that Chicago has, is great; with Shane Waldron calling plays, it is at the next level. Waldron helped build a reliable passing attack in Washington; expect the same with a much more talented passer in Williams.
Jayden Daniels, QB, WAS
Washington is cooking with this pick, not in a Gordon Ramsey sense but a Guy Fieri one. This is spicy yet perfect for Washington, and it’s an offense. Daniels, with Kliff Kingsbury, sounds fun, and if you have Terry McLaurin or Jahan Dotson stock, it sounds great. This could be an efficient offense in both the air and on the ground, with Daniels leading the way.
Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, NEP
Projecting rookie wide receivers is always a tedious task. We have seen Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase pop in the league immediately, and others don’t. I believe in Harrison’s talent, but the landing spot makes me want to pull my parachute. Proceed with caution if the best receiving prospect in years ends up on a rebuilding Patriots roster with no offensive direction.
Rome Odunze, WR, ARI
A fun pick in this 2024 NFL Mock Draft, Odunze brings a skillset to the desert they don’t have. They have Marquise Brown as a free agent and need a top receiving target for Kyler Murray. Odunze, or any receiver who lands with Arizona at four, could be a WR1 as a rookie. He could easily have close to 100 targets or more and produce in this Cardinals offense.
Drake Maye, QB, ATL
This pick may be the best we have seen in a mock draft this offseason. This landing spot for a Maye or Daniels makes the 1.01 in Superflex rookie drafts a debate. This helps Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts immediately. What this does is make Maye an immediate impact, learning curve be damned.
Malik Nabers, WR, CHI
Williams may be a tough player to gauge in Chicago, but he, with Moore and Nabers, is next level. Nabers will have to compete for targets, but he could still have 100 or more with a Bears team that will be playing from behind often. His development with Williams makes this a win-win for their rookie values.
J.J. McCarthy, QB, DEN
McCarthy is the toughest value and impact to gauge in this 2024 NFL Mock Draft. The end of their Russell Wilson drama has yet to be determined. Sean Payton is entering a critical coaching year, and this front office has been shown to be questionable. I wouldn’t say I like the long-term projections for McCarthy here or the immediate ones from a fantasy perspective.
Brock Bowers, TE, IND
Michael Pittman Jr. is a free agent, and while many don’t expect to see him leaving Indianapolis, he needs help. Anthony Richardson seems to be a major hit, and the long-term answer at quarterback is to build the skill players up around him. A healthy Jonathan Taylor benefits from this pick, Richardson benefits, and Bowers gets the potential of being a top-five fantasy tight end as a rookie.
Brian Thomas Jr., WR, BUF
Josh Allen has to be tired; Stefon Diggs certainly is. This passing attack needs a player who can stretch the field, and that is where Thomas fits in. He could be a double-digit touchdown player in 2023 as a rookie despite not many targets. Apart from Diggs, he competes with the Bills’ tight-end duo and Gabe Davis. His stat line will be annoying, but by the season’s end, he should win you more weeks than not.
Bo Nix, QB, NEP
Man, this is a tough one. It isn’t easy to project anything negative for a quarterback who has Harrison to throw to, but that’s the thing: that is all he has. I believe in Nix as a pro prospect. Indeed, I do, but any quarterback who lands there in a 2024 NFL Mock Draft is almost doomed.
Roman Wilson, WR, KCC
Post-Senior Bowl week, there is always one receiver who sees a stock boost, and the 2024 winner is Wilson. He showed he could be a top-level route runner while also being able to create space with or without the ball in his hands. That is what the Chiefs need and then some, and with this offense, Wilson could see a lot of targets right away, just as Rashee Rice did.
Ja’Tavion Sanders, TE, SFF
George Kittle isn’t going anywhere yet, but this pick is interesting. Sanders is a talented tight end prospect, but with Kyle Shanahan, he could be a fun chess piece. He would be expected to be used all over, which may not create favorable fantasy numbers, but with an aging George Kittle on the roster, he may be a fun taxi squad add.
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