2024 NFL Mock Draft: Big Surprises in Latest 1st-Round Projection
It's still plenty early in the 2023 football season to truly be labeling anything in a mock draft a "big surprise," but based on preseason expectations, there are a handful in the latest 2024 NFL mock draft from CBS Sports.
This first-round projection starts in familiar territory, with the Arizona Cardinals landing the top two picks (thanks to this year's draft-day trade with the Houston Texans), and using them on USC quarterback Caleb Williams and Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., respectively.
Penn State offensive tackle Olu Fashanu lands with the Indianapolis Colts at No. 3 overall, and Florida State edge defender Jared Verse goes to the Chicago Bears at No. 5 overall.
The first eyebrow-raising pick comes at No. 4, though, as the Bears use their additional first-rounder to give up on the Justin Fields era by selecting North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye.
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Another quarterback surprise comes at the No. 8 slot, where this mock has the Tampa Bay Buccaneers making Michigan's J.J. McCarthy the third quarterback off the board.
Georgia's Amarius Mims is the second offensive tackle taken in this projection (No. 6 overall, Tennessee Titans), followed by Alabama's JC Latham (No. 10 overall, Pittsburgh Steelers). Both are taken before Notre Dame's Joe Alt, a preseason top-10 lock who tumbles all the way to No. 19 in this mock (New York Jets).
The only other quarterback projected in this first round is Colorado's Shedeur Sanders, who lands with the in-state Denver Broncos at No. 14 overall. That leaves the likes of Oregon's Bo Nix, Texas' Quinn Ewers, and Washington's Michael Penix Jr. waiting until Day 2.
To check out the full first-round projection at CBS Sports, click here.
