With the NFL draft less than a week away, there are tons of rumors surrounding the event. Teams across the league build through the draft, and it seems like we could be in for a night of chaos. The Steelers have shown a ton of interest in offensive linemen coming out of the draft, so they might get aggressive. This mock draft has plenty of trades and shocking picks.
1. Chicago Bears: Caleb Williams, QB, USC
Nothing is going to change here and Caleb Williams is the obvious choice to be the top pick in this draft. He has all the talent in the world, it will just depend if he can take that into the NFL. The Bears are surrounding him with some quality weapons on offense, so Williams should have a better shot than Justin Fields, who was traded to the Steelers earlier in the offseason.
2. Washington Commanders: Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU
It seems like Jayden Daniels has become the favorite to land with the Washington Commanders with the second overall pick. They want an explosive playmaking quarterback to control their offense. Daniels should be able to provide some electric plays, but he will need to be smarter about when to use them at the next level. He has great potential, but he needs to rely more on his arm.
3. New England Patriots: Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina
New England could go in a couple of different directions here, including the trade route. They decide to stand pat in this mock draft and take Drake Maye out of North Carolina. He has a ton of great tools, and many have compared him to a former great for the Steelers, Ben Roethlisberger. Maye has a lot of work before he gets to that level, but the comparison is fair.
4. Arizona Cardinals: Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State
Another trade-back spot here with the Arizona Cardinals not looking to add a quarterback for now. They don't receive too many great offers for their pick at four, so they stay and select Marvin Harrison Jr. He will be an immediate upgrade for their receiver core. He should be better than Hollywood Brown who left earlier in free agency.
The Raiders and Chargers complete the first trade of this mock draft
Las Vegas loves Daniels, but he won't last past the third overall pick according to reports. The Raiders have still spent plenty of time on the quarterbacks of this class and that leads to them still trading up to get one. They might not get any of the top three, but they move up and sacrifice a good chunk of draft capital in the process.
5. Las Vegas Raiders (via Chargers): J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan
After moving up eight spots, the Raiders select J.J. McCarthy out of Michigan. He is a confusing prospect with mixed reviews coming into the draft. He has a lot of potential and some good tools to work with. He is mostly unproven though and played behind a great running game in college. McCarthy is a gamble, but the Raiders seem desperate to try and win now.
6. New York Giants: Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia
Darren Waller seems to still have his future in the air when it comes to playing in the NFL. He seems ready to try and make a career in the music business. New York decides to go with insurance here by taking one of the best offensive weapons in the draft. Brock Bowers would be a great replacement for Waller, or they could become the best tandem at the position in the NFL if he returns.
7. Tennessee Titans: Malik Nabers, WR, LSU
Great scenario here for the Tennessee Titans as Malik Nabers falls to their pick. They run to the podium and take potentially the best receiver coming out of college. It has been a debate over the past several weeks if Harrison Jr. or Nabers is the best receiver in this talented draft class. The Titans get a legit top receiver for their offense in this mock draft.
8. Atlanta Falcons: Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama
There are plenty of options for the Falcons at this pick. They could add an edge rusher, a cornerback, or another piece to their offense. They decide to go with a cornerback here by selecting Terrion Arnold. He is the top cornerback according to most scouts. With so much added to Atlanta's offense in free agency, it makes sense for them to add a defensive player here.
We have another trade to announce between the Colts and Bears
It would be football justice if somehow Harrison Jr. got drafted by the Colts, but there are no realistic avenues for that to happen. Instead, Indianapolis holds tight for a little and watches a top receiver fall past the Falcons. They get on the phone with the Bears to move up. Chicago should be willing to move back from the ninth pick to gain some extra picks in the draft.
9. Indianapolis Colts (via Bears): Rome Odunze, WR, Washington
The Colts have some good weapons on offense, but they could use another stand-out option at receiver. Rome Odunze is worth moving up and they didn't have to pay an insane price to do so. Odunze and Michael Pittman Jr. should be one of the better duos in the NFL. Anthony Richardson will be back, and he needs a great supporting cast to help him elevate his game.
10. New York Jets: Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame
New York has plenty of needs to fill, but there is a gaping hole at left tackle for them. Luckily for the Jets, the top left tackle in the NFL Draft fell to their selection here. Joe Alt is a plug-and-play starter on the left side and should be primed for a great NFL career. New York has to protect Aaron Rodgers and they accomplish that here by selecting Alt.
Seattle moves up five spots to get a top defensive prospect
After failing to get a top quarterback in this draft class, Minnesota is open for business. They have two selections in round one, so they are flexible on their asking price. They only move back five spots, but they get a couple of picks from the Seahawks in the process. Meanwhile, Seattle saw a top defensive player slip and wanted to pounce.
11. Seattle Seahawks (via Vikings): Dallas Turner, EDGE, Alabama
After the trade-up, Seattle goes with Dallas Turner to become one of their keystone pieces on defense. The Seahawks love defense and Turner would fit in well. With a new defensive-minded Head coach, this club needs to get stronger up front. It wasn't much for the Seahawks to give up and they got the top edge rusher in this mock draft.
12. Denver Broncos: Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo
Denver is a mess right now, and they will have to take a quarterback or two in this draft eventually. They select Quinyon Mitchell out of Toledo here. They stick to their guns of the best player available and Mitchell is a great cornerback coming out of a small school. He has risen draft boards since the Senior Bowl and winds up being the second corner taken.
13. LA Chargers (via Raiders): Brian Thomas Jr., WR, LSU
None of the top three receivers fell to the Chargers, but that's not the end of the world. They still got a good haul of draft picks from the Raiders in the earlier trade. It's a deep group at receiver in this draft, and they take Brian Thomas Jr. here. He has some rawness to him, but he could develop into one of the best receivers coming out of this class. A perfect addition for Justin Herbert.
14. New Orleans Saints: Troy Fautanu, OT, Washington
Kind of shocking here as Troy Fautanu becomes the second tackle taken in this mock draft. We know the Saints need a tackle, but they could also use an offensive lineman who has position flexibility like Fautanu does. New Orleans likes this player enough to select him over Taliese Fuaga and Olu Fashanu.
15. Chicago Bears (via Colts): Johnny Newton, DT, Illinois
After the trade back with the Colts earlier, the Bears have some extra picks and are willing to go outside the box. Johnny Newton out of Illinois has gone under the radar leading up to the draft, but he might be the best defensive tackle coming out of college. He has the perfect size and helps fill a void on Chicago's defensive line.
16. Minnesota Vikings (via Seahawks): Cooper DeJean, DB, Iowa
They moved back and got some better positioning for picks later in the draft. Minnesota uses their first pick on night one of the draft on Cooper DeJean. He would have likely been in the top ten conversation if he was able to stay healthy this past season. He has only been on four pre-draft visits, so that could cause a slip for him.
The Steelers trade up with the Jaguars as a top offensive tackle slips
It is only a couple of picks until the Steeler's original selection in this mock draft, but they feel the need to trade up. They did something similar last year when they moved up for Broderick Jones. Center remains the popular pick in round one, but don't discount a tackle. One fell to the Steelers, and they barely gave up anything to get him.
17. Pittsburgh Steelers (via Jaguars): Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State
No, the Steelers didn't move up for Fashanu, but they stuck with a player familiar playing on the right side. They took Taliese Fuaga. They had him in for a pre-draft visit. It would go against their past draft history for top-pick pre-draft interest. This is a unique circumstance after Fuaga slipped in this mock draft further than what most experts believe.
18. Cincinnati Bengals: Olu Fashanu, OT, Penn State
They already have Orlando Brown Jr. cemented at tackle, but don't discount the idea of the Bengals adding Olu Fashanu if he somehow falls to them. He has played left tackle throughout college, but this would open a competition between the rookie and Brown. The winner gets the left side, while Fashanu will also have to battle Trent Brown for the starting spot at right tackle.
19. LA Rams: Jared Verse, EDGE, Florida State
LA just lost Aaron Donald to retirement after one of the best careers by a defensive player in NFL history. They need some pieces on both sides of the ball, but in this case, they go with a great value here with Jared Verse. You could make an argument that he might be the best edge rusher coming out of this draft. They get a nice defensive piece to work around.
20. Jacksonville Jaguars (via Steelers): Nate Wiggins, CB, Clemson
After the trade back involving the Steelers, Jacksonville decides to add a cornerback to their defense. They have some good pieces in their secondary, but they could use some work. Nate Wiggins out of Clemson is one of the most athletic players coming out of college his year. He needs to get some more turnovers, but his coverage ability is good.
21. Miami Dolphins: Byron Murphy II, DT, Texas
With Christian Wilkins gone, it makes a ton of sense for Miami to invest in a top pick for the position. They go with Byron Murphy II here out of Texas. He is arguably the top player in his position in a rather weak class at defensive tackle. The Dolphins could use some extra help on defense, so don't be shocked if that's the direction they go in round one of the draft.
22. Philadelphia Eagles: Graham Barton, C, Duke
With Jason Kelce now retired from the game of football, there remains a void at starting center. The Eagles have some options on the roster, but they decided to invest in Graham Barton in round one. He could end up being the top pick by the Steelers, but in this mock draft, that situation did not occur. Barton would be a great fit with the Eagles.
23. Minnesota Vikings: Ladd McConkey, WR, Georgia
After the top three receivers in this draft, it will be interesting to see how teams rank the players who follow. In this case, the Vikings decide to go with Ladd McConkey. They added DeJean earlier in the first round of this mock draft, so they decided to go offense here. McConkey has been great in the pre-draft process but has not been picked this high in most mock drafts.
24. Dallas Cowboys: JC Latham, OT, Alabama
There are mixed reports on JC Latham heading into the draft. Some are concerned that he didn't test during the pre-draft process, while others claim he is jumping up draft boards. He is a strong right tackle, who is worth a first-round pick. If a team questions his work ethic, then he could slide in this draft. Dallas decides he is worth the gamble and takes him here.
25. Green Bay Packers: Tyler Nubin, S, Minnesota
This will be seen as somewhat of a reach by some, but the Packers could use some help with safety. Yes, they made a splash in free agency by signing Xavier McKinney, but he needs an upgrade as his safety partner. Tyler Nubin would fit in perfectly. The Packers could go with an offensive lineman, but they go with a top safety in this draft class.
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Laiatu Latu, EDGE, UCLA
It would make a ton of sense for Tampa Bay to go with Laiatu Latu here if he fell to their pick. He is great value at this point in this mock draft, and he fills a void for the Bucs. He had a great week at the Senior Bowl and has proven to be a quality pass rusher. With Shaq Barret out of the picture, Tampa needs some help on defense.
27. Arizona Cardinals: Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama
They went with a receiver with their top pick in the first round, and they rounded out the night by going with a cornerback. It should be fun to watch Harrison Jr. and Kool-Aid McKinstry go up against each other in practice each day. The Cardinals need playmakers and both Harrison Jr. and McKinstry fit that mold. Arizona locks in two solid selections in this mock draft.
28. Buffalo Bills: Adonai Mitchell, WR, Texas
Some news broke recently that tagged Adonai Mitchell as a tough-to-coach player. It also mentioned that he has diabetes, which is something players have lived with during their careers before. Buffalo needs receiver help, and they are not afraid to add locker room headcases either. Mitchell would become their instant number-one guy for Josh Allen to throw the ball to.
Last trade of this mock draft adds another quarterback selection
Detroit would make a ton of sense to move back toward the end of the first round if a team wanted to move up for a quarterback. In this scenario, the Lions move back 18 spots to gain an extra pick on day two and a second-round pick for next year. The Giants are a desperate team and want to try and fix things on the fly, but that plan rarely works out.
29. New York Giants (via Lions): Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington
As mentioned above, the Giants are a desperate team and everyone in the building will likely be fired if they can't show signs of improvement. They draft Michael Penix Jr. here after the trade-up with Detroit. They get an accurate passer, who is mostly a pocket guy. Daniel Jones will likely remain the starter at the beginning of the season, but Penix will take over at some point.
30. Baltimore Ravens: Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia
Look away Steelers fans as Amarius Mims lands in Baltimore. He fell to the 30th pick in the draft, which is a pretty significant slip for him. The Ravens would be thrilled with this pick as they get a replacement for Morgan Moses on night one. Mims could be the pick for the Steelers, but in this scenario, he goes to Baltimore.
31. San Fracisco 49ers: Darius Robinson, DT, Missouri
With Arik Armstead gone as a result of a cap casualty, the 49ers could use some help in the middle of their defense. They go with Darius Robinson out of Missouri. He is another interesting prospect who the Steelers have shown pre-draft interest in. His landing in San Francisco means he could play on the outside or inside in their defensive scheme.
32. Kansas City Chiefs: Tyler Guyton, OT, Oklahoma
Kansas City has some issues on their offensive line. They need an upgrade at tackle, but they need more of a left-sided player. They go with Tyler Guyton here out of Oklahoma, but he is projected to be a starter on the right side. He is good value here, but either Guyton or Jawaan Taylor will need to slide over to the left side. The blind side of Patrick Mahomes is questionable right now.