This will be the first NFL Draft held in the Motor City.
Fittingly, the top teams will look for offensive engines.
Quarterbacks have been selected first overall in seven of the last 10 drafts, and that will be the case again on Thursday, with the Chicago Bears likely to take the former USC standout Caleb Williams.
And as was the case in 2021, defenders could play 1-2-3.
This mock draft contemplates a trade near the top, with the conjecture that the New England Patriots could trade the No. 3 pick for Minnesota’s two first-round selections in ’11 and ’23. Both teams are in the market for quarterbacks, so it’s perfectly reasonable that the Patriots can stay put.
See more information: Even if the Chargers trade the No. 5 pick, Justin Herbert will certainly receive deep draft help
Regardless, there is intrigue heading into this year’s draft.
There is also a legacy. This field of clients features several whose fathers played in the NFL, among them Marvin Harrison Jr. and Frank Gore Jr., Kris Jenkins, who also shares his father’s name, along with Brenden Rice (Jerry Rice’s son), Joe Alt (John Alt), Luke McCaffrey (Ed McCaffrey) and Jonah Elliss (Luther Elliss).
Harrison will likely be a top-five pick and the first non-quarterback off the board.
One way the first round could play out:
1. CHICAGO: QB Caleb Williams, USC – The Bears are getting a quarterback. Barring a surprising fake, they’re taking this Trojans star.
2.WASHINGTON: QB Jayden Daniels, Louisiana State – Heisman winner and dual-threat QB gives the Commanders a weapon with Lamar Jackson tendencies.
3. Minnesota (proposed trade to New England): QB Drake Maye, North Carolina – The Vikings may have to package their two first-round picks to get their QB.
4. ARIZONA: WR Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State – The Cardinals want to find their next Larry Fitzgerald, so they buy Kyler Murray a gift.
5. CHARGERS: T Joe Alt, Notre Dame – If Harrison slid into them, the chargers I would love. Alt could go from left tackle in college to right tackle in the pros.
6. NY GIANTS: QB JJ McCarthy, Michigan – McCarthy could go early. The Giants are trying to move on from Daniel Jones, who is coming off a torn ACL.
7. TENNESSE: WR Malik Nabers, Louisiana State – DeAndre Hopkins is old and Treylon Burks has trouble staying healthy. Quarterback Will Levis needs more help.
8. ATLANTA: OLB Dallas Turner, Alabama – Turner fits into the Falcons’ shift to a 3-4 defense and can rush the passer and drop coverage.
9. CHICAGO: T JC Latham, Alabama – The Bears need more interior help from their OL, but running a tackle here gives them some flexibility.
10. NY JETS: T Taliese Fuaga, Oregon State – Receiver is tempting here, but a reliable offense would probably be even more useful for the aging Aaron Rodgers.
11. NEW ENGLAND (proposed trade from Minnesota): DT Byron Murphy II, Texas – If the Patriots pass on the third pick, they may decide to wait a bit for a QB.
12. DENVER: WR Rome Odunze, Washington – Jerry Jeudy is gone and Courtland Sutton may not be around much longer. It’s time to refuel the receiver.
13. LAS VEGAS: QB Michael Penix, Washington – A second wave of QBs will dry up, and the Raiders may need to start that wave rather than risk Penix disappearing in the second round.
14. NEW ORLEANS: TE Brock Bowers, Georgia – Bowers would also be a good fit in Denver. He should go in that range and would certainly make Derek Carr happy.
15. INDIANAPOLIS: CB Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo – Colts gave up too many explosive plays last season. Mitchell could help them reduce that.
16. SEATTLE: OLB Chop Robinson, Penn State – You can never have too many talented edge rushers, and Robinson would be a good fit for new defensive coordinator Aden Durde.
17. JACKSONVILLE: CB Terrion Arnold, Alabama – Jaguars lost Darious Williams back with the Ramsso there’s a place for Arnold to step in right away.
18. CINCINNATI: T Olumuyiwa Fashanu, Penn State – The Bengals are good on the left side, but need an upgrade on the right side. Fashanu can play on both sides.
19. RAMS: DE Jared Verse, Florida State – No one is going to step in and cause fear like Aaron Donald did, but the sheep You can still reinforce your quick pass. Verse was a sack machine in college.
20. PITTSBURGH: T Troy Fatanu, Washington – Fatanu is capable of playing all over the offensive line, so perhaps he starts at center and eventually moves to right tackle.
21. MIAMI: CB Nate Wiggins, Clemson – The Dolphins could take a defensive tackle here, but Wiggins is excellent value at a coveted position if he slips that far.
22. PHILADELPHIA: OT Tyler Guyton, Oklahoma – Eagles select eventual replacement for five-time Pro Bowler Lane Johnson, who has been a rock at right tackle but is 33 years old.
23. NEW ENGLAND (proposed trade from Minnesota): Kool-Aid CB McKinstry, Alabama – Foot injury may make teams a little apprehensive, but McKinstry has the tools to be a shutdown corner in the NFL.
24. DALLAS: T Amarius Mims, Georgia – The Cowboys also need a center, but Mims will be someone’s left tackle of the future. Why not Dallas?
25. BAIA VERDE: T Jordan Morgan, Arizona – The Packers released David Bakhtiari and need to address their offensive line. Good place to start.
26. TAMPA BAY: C Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon – GM Jason Licht likes to draft forwards, and the Buccaneers need to find a solid center once and for all.
27. ARIZONA: IN Laiatu LatuUCLA – The Cardinals need help across their entire defensive front, and Latu could slip up a bit because of his medical history.
See more information: Rams draft triple threat: Trade up, trade down, pick… ‘Let’s explore all three’
28. BUFFALO: WR Brian Thomas Jr., Louisiana State – With no more Stefon Diggs, the Bills need another top target for Josh Allen. Thomas meets these requirements.
29. DETROITO: CB Cooper DeJean, Iowa – The Lions have suffered a lot of corner injuries. The versatile DeJean could help them there and in the return game.
30. BALTIMORE: WR Ladd McConkey, Georgia – If they don’t take a corner kick, the Ravens could look for a receiver to pair with Zay Flowers.
31. SAN FRANCISCO: WR Xavier Legette, South Carolina – It’s tempting to look for help on the defensive line, but the 49ers could look to potentially replace Brandon Aiyuk.
32. KANSAS CITY: WR Xavier Worthy, Texas – Could Worthy be the next Tyreek Hill? It didn’t hurt the prospect that he broke the combine record with a 4.21 second 40.
This story originally appeared on Los Angeles Times.
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