10th Annual Football Garbage Time Twitter NFL Mock Draft! – Round 1

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By the Football Garbage Time Staff

Howdy, y’all!

We all know that the NFL Draft is right around the corner, beginning on April 25th.  And we all know that the choices that teams make that night will be a significant part in whether they end up with the Lombardi Trophy and the 32nd pick in a future draft, or if they end up with the first overall pick looking to rebuild.

Seeing as how important these decisions are, we here at Football Garbage Time again got together and decided to conduct a mock draft.  In fact, this will be our 10th Annual Twitter NFL Mock Draft!

This year, ten different writers & podcasters from five different sites participated, including:

Each one took part as GMs of several teams in the draft and conducted the mock draft live over several weeks on Twitter (feel free to check out the back and forth on Twitter/X by searching for #FGTMock).  A few trends became clear and we certainly had more than a few surprises.

Missed it?  Don’t want to check Twitter/X?  Well, you’re in luck, because we have Round 1 of that mock draft below along with the reasoning for some of the picks.  And also don’t forget to check out Round 2!

1 – Chicago Bears (from Carolina Panthers)

Pick: Caleb Williams – QB (USC)

Staff: Ha Kung Wong

The last time the Bears had a “franchise quarterback” was Sid Luckman all the way back in the 1940’s. And although some might think that Jay Cutler qualified as a “franchise quarterback”, but in his 8-year tenure he had just one division title and playoff appearance. Heck, in the last two decades, the Bears have only 5 total playoff appearances, so there hasn’t been much to root for in Chicago. But that might change in 2024.

Caleb Williams has been the consensus top QB among NFL Draft pundits over the last several months, and it’s no wonder as he was ranked top 10 in the FBS with 170.1 passing efficiency, 30 passing TDs, 9.4 yards per attempt and 3,633 passing yards and also led USC with 11 rushing TDs, resulting in him being a Finalist for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award (nation’s top QB). The fact that he was as productive passing as he was scrambling definitely raised some eyebrows. And on top of that, he was a great leader and community contributor off the field starting the Caleb Cares Foundation for anti-bullying, mental health awareness and youth development. If anything, one thing he was known for was pinpoint accuracy, but adding in the scrambling ability and the quick transition when running an RPO means that can get better.

Caleb Williams Passing Stats
Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass
Year School G Cmp Att Pct Yds TD Int Rate
*2021 Oklahoma 11 136 211 64.5 1912 21 4 169.6
*2022 USC 14 333 500 66.6 4537 42 5 168.5
*2023 USC 12 266 388 68.6 3633 30 5 170.1
Career Overall 735 1099 66.9 10082 93 14 169.3
Oklahoma 136 211 64.5 1912 21 4 169.6
USC 599 888 67.5 8170 72 10 169.2

The Bears did exactly what they needed to do to take advantage of Williams’ strengths by giving him free agent D’Andre Swift, who is coming off his first 1,000-yard rushing season and earned his first Pro Bowl bid last year. Not only does shoring up the ground game help relieve pressure, but Swift has been terrific catching the ball out of the backfield, giving Williams a terrific escape hatch. In addition, the Bears supplemented DJ Moore, who’s coming off his best season to date, and Cole Kmet, who’s also just had his best year to date, with Keenan Allen, a savvy veteran that offers consistency and coming off his 6th season with more than 1,000 receiving yards.

All of this points to giving Williams the tools necessary for success in his first year and makes his selection by the Bears at the top of the draft a no-brainer.

2 – Washington Commanders

Pick: Jayden Daniels – QB (LSU)

Staff: Adam Aniba

Jayden Daniels totaled 3,812 passing yards, 40 passing touchdowns and only four interceptions while completing 72.2% of his passes at LSU, leading to the Heisman Trophy. Daniels also rushed for 1,134 yards and 10 touchdowns on 135 carries, resulting in being the only QB since 2000 to average over 300 passing yards per game and 75 or more rushing yards per game in a season.

Jayden Daniels Passing Stats
Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass
Year School G Cmp Att Pct Yds TD Int Rate
*2019 Arizona State 12 205 338 60.7 2943 17 2 149.2
2020 Arizona State 4 49 84 58.3 701 5 1 145.7
*2021 Arizona State 13 197 301 65.4 2381 10 10 136.2
*2022 LSU 14 266 388 68.6 2913 17 3 144.5
*2023 LSU 12 236 327 72.2 3812 40 4 208.0
Career Overall 953 1438 66.3 12750 89 20 158.4
Arizona State 451 723 62.4 6025 32 13 143.4
LSU 502 715 70.2 6725 57 7 173.6

The Commanders have new ownership (Josh Harris and his ownership group), new head coach (Dan Quinn) and a new general manager (Adam Peters) and still have the second-most effective cap space in the entire league ($35.9 million) plus five draft picks in the first three rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft. Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson and Brian Robinson Jr return along with need free agent signings Austin Ekeler, Zach Ertz and Tyler Biadasz, providing a solid base to build on with Daniels.

3 – New England Patriots

Pick: Drake Maye – QB (UNC)

Staff: Ryan Whitfield

Drake Maye Passing Stats
Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass
Year School G Cmp Att Pct Yds TD Int Rate
*2021 North Carolina 4 7 10 70.0 89 1 0 177.8
*2022 North Carolina 14 342 517 66.2 4321 38 7 157.9
*2023 North Carolina 12 269 425 63.3 3608 24 9 149.0
Career North Carolina 618 952 64.9 8018 63 16 154.1

4 – Arizona Cardinal

Pick: Marvin Harrison Jr. – WR (OSU)

Staff: Scott King

The Cards build out their WR corps by grabbing the #1 player in Marvin Harrison Jr.

5 – Los Angeles Chargers

Pick: Malik Nabers – WR (LSU)

Staff: Wole Akinso

6 – New York Giants

Pick: J.J. McCarthy – QB (Michigan)

Staff: George Templeton

Why J.J. McCarthy at 6 for the Giants. Because New York succumbed to hysteria boosting up a QB that shouldn’t have gone that high once before (Daniel Jones) and given Jones’ disaster last year are susceptible again. I am sure if Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen could move up to get Drake Maye they would. But in this mock, they can’t, and McCarthy has zoomed past Bo Nix or Michael Penix to be the next best QB. So, the Giants will majorly reach for a QB again. At least with this coaching staff there’s a better chance that McCarthy will develop and be successful than there was for Jones (who could’ve developed if they hadn’t fired Pat Shurmur).

Passing Table
Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass
Year School G Cmp Att Pct Yds TD Int Rate
*2021 Michigan 11 34 59 57.6 516 5 2 152.3
*2022 Michigan 14 208 322 64.6 2719 22 5 155.0
*2023 Michigan 15 240 332 72.3 2991 22 4 167.4
Career Michigan 482 713 67.6 6226 49 11 160.5

7 – Tennessee Titans

Pick: Joe Alt – OT (Notre Dame)

Staff: Joanne Kong

According to the 2024 Football Garbage Time Mock Draft, the Tennessee Titans won’t be able to get a quarterback unless they trade up. With the top quarterbacks off the table, and Will Levis as the Titans starter, the team will need to focus on building the offense and fill the gaps on the defense, especially with Titans sack leader Denico Autry gone to the Houston Texans.

To set Levis up for the best chance of success, the Titans will need to finish building the offensive line. In 2023, first round draft pick offensive tackle Peter Skoronski tied for the third most sacks allowed (64), but responsibility can’t fall solely on Skoronski.

Joe Alt can be the answer on the offensive line at left tackle which hopefully turns this around. Alt should be very familiar with the NFL as his father, John Alt was the first-round pick for the Kansas City Chiefs in 1984 and eventually was inducted into the Chiefs Hall of Fame. Playing tight end and quarterback in high school, Joe Alt switched positions due to his sheer size. At 6-7 and 317 pounds, Alt has great movement and lateral agility and flexibility. Analysis from NFL scouts describe him as having light and nimble feet for effective and efficient movement with an ability to block and use the defender’s momentum against them. He’s known to be an effective double-teaming blocker, effectively creating cut-back lanes for running backs. He’s quick off the line and his football IQ to identify plays only adds to his stock in the draft.

8 – Atlanta Falcons

Pick: Dallas Turner – DE (Alabama)

Staff: Kaiden King

9 – Chicago Bears

Pick: Rome Odunze – WR (Washington)

Staff: Ha Kung Wong

After grabbing their QB of the future, the Bears can further help him find success by adding a top WR target. And that target should be Rome Odunze.

Odunze was a team captain and WR1 at Washington who led the FBS with a school-record 1,640 receiving yards adding 13 receiving TDs, which resulted in being named first-team Associated Press All-American, first-team All-Pac-12 Conference and a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award (nation’s top WR). Perhaps more importantly, he helped lead Washington to the College Football Championships in the last season of the Pac-12. He’s got great speed, solid ability to separate from coverage and terrific contested ball skills. Add him to Moore, Allen and Kmet, and it’ll be tough for opposing defenses to key on any one target.

10 – New York Jets

Pick: Brock Bowers – TE (Georgia)

Staff: Adam Aniba

11 – Minnesota Vikings

Pick: Byron Murphy II – DL (Texas)

Staff: Dan Thury

 

12 – Denver Broncos

Pick: Olumuyiwa Fashanu – OT (PSU)

Staff: Jordan Alexander

 

13 – Las Vegas Raiders

Pick: Taliese Fuaga – OT (Oregon State)

Staff: George Templeton

The Raiders weren’t too thrilled with proceedings above them. They couldn’t move for Jayden Daniels or J.J. McCarthy and when it looked like Olu Fashanu would drop in their lap, he gets picked by their bitter rival right before them. But as consolation prizes go Taliese Fuaga is a pretty good one. In a draft full of franchise left tackles, Fuaga is another one. And with this draft board leaving the Raiders with either Gardner Minshew or Aidan O’Connell at QB then they need to sure up the line in front of whoever is the triggerman for the Vegas offense.

14 – New Orleans Saints

Pick: Laiatu Latu – Edge (UCLA)

Staff: Ryan Whitfield

15 – Indianapolis Colts

Pick: Quinyon Mitchell – CB (Toledo)

Staff: Dan Thury

 

16 – Seattle Seahawks

Pick: Jared Verse – Edge (FSU)

Staff: Ryan Whitfield

17 – Jacksonville Jaguars

Pick: Terrion Arnold – CB (Alabama)

Staff: Jordan Alexander

 

18 – Cincinnati Bengals

Pick: JC Latham – OT (Alabama)

Staff: Ha Kung Wong

With Jonah Williams off to Arizona, the Bengals should be in line to shore up protection for Joe Burrow. And there may be no better fit than JC Latham. He was a successful RT throughout his time at Alabama, being named first-team All-SEC and second-team All-American but has the ability and build to play at guard at the pro level as well, giving the Bengals flexibility at setting up their line. So even if he doesn’t win the starting job for RT, he could start at guard and be the RT of the future. As we all know, job one for the Bengals is to keep Burrow from being injured, and Latham goes a long way to ensuring that.

19 – Los Angeles Rams

 

Pick: Jer’zhan Newton – DL (Illinois)

Staff: Scott King

The Rams attempt to fill the empty seat left my Donald by grabbing the big man, Newton out of Illinois.

20 – Pittsburgh Steelers

Pick: Jackson Powers-Johnson – C (Oregon)

Staff: Joanne Kong

The need is simple. The Steelers don’t currently have a center, and waiting for the second round could result in missing every possible plug-and-play player at center. Jackson Powers-Johnson did not allow a single sack in 17 starts at Oregon.

21 – Miami Dolphins

Pick: Troy Fautanu – OT (Washington)

Staff: Joanne Kong

The Miami offensive line is a huge question mark with 3 interior starters in free agency and left tackle Terron Armstead contemplating retirement.

Overall, Troy Fautanu has been scouted as an explosive blocker with flexibility, length and demeanor for the position who can be used as tackle or guard. The versatility could be an added bonus to a team that is looking to rebuild their offensive line.

22 – Philadelphia Eagles

Pick: Brian Thomas Jr. – WR (LSU)

Staff: George Templeton

Philadelphia just keeps winning at the draft. Wide receiver is loaded at the top of the draft and I simply can’t pass up Brian Thomas Jr. Jayden Daniels was great for a variety of reasons at LSU but one of them was the many weapons he had at his disposal. And despite all the headlines for his more heralded teammate Malik Nabers, Thomas was a touchdown machine and he’s got prototype size for a WR in this era of the NFL. Imagine how frightening an Eagles pass attack is with A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Thomas Jr.

23 – Minnesota Vikings (from Cleveland Browns through Houston Texans)

Pick: Cooper DeJean – CB (Iowa)

Staff: Dan Thury

 

24 – Dallas Cowboys

Pick: Amarius Mims – OT (Georgia)

Staff: Ha Kung Wong

With starting LT Tyron Smith off to the Jets and starting C Tyler Biadasz off to the Commanders, the Cowboys are sorely in need of offensive line help. Amarius Mims is exactly what the doctor ordered as he’s rarely beat off the line, incredibly athletic and should help keep Dak Prescott upright while also contributing to creating running lanes. The only potential issue is, although he started at RT for the Georgia in the College Football Playoffs and Championship game, he’s only had 6 other starts due to an injury mid-season, so the Cowboys will need to temper immediate expectations. But he should be an immediate contributor regardless and a good plan for the future.

25 – Green Bay Packers

Pick: Tyler Guyton – OT (OU)

Staff: Kaiden King

 

26 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Pick: Graham Barton – C (Duke)

Staff: Joanne Kong

Although Graham Barton started at left tackle for the last three seasons, experts agree that he should be at the center position in the NFL. Barton isn’t unfamiliar with the center position. In 2022, Barton played at center for 446 snaps. At 313 pounds, six-five, 33-inch arm length and lower body mass, Barton has only allowed three sacks over the last two seasons. He’s known for his quickness and explosiveness from a loaded stance.

27 – Arizona Cardinals (from Houston Texans)

Pick: Adonai Mitchell – WR (Texas)

Staff: Scott King

The Cards continue to fill out their WR room by landing Adonai Mitchell late in the first round.

28 – Buffalo Bills

Pick: Xavier Worthy – WR (Texas)

Staff: Kaiden King

29 – Detroit Lions

Pick: Kool Aid McKinstry – CB (Alabama)

Staff: Scott King

The Lions grab their target and add another Alabama start in Kool Aid McKinstry. This is the worst kept secret heading into the draft.

30 – Baltimore Ravens

Pick: Xavier Legette – WR (South Carolina)

Staff: Wole Akinso

31 – San Francisco 49ers

Pick: Chop Robinson – Edge (PSU)

Staff: Jordan Alexander

 

32 – Kansas City Chiefs

Pick: Ladd McConkey – WR (Georgia)

Staff: Dan Thury

Don’t forget to check out our Round 2 Mock Draft Picks!

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