USC

Similar to Trevor Lawrence in the 2021 NFL draft, this pick honestly doesn't warrant an explanation. Once Chicago elected to ship Justin Field off to Pittsburgh the selection here became indisputable. I'm sorry Justin Fields truthers. There's no question that Williams has the most talented arm in this class, with the only knock coming from inconsistency in play due to holding onto the ball for slightly too long. However, playing under Lincon Riley in a heavily verticle air-raid scheme this is a luxury he could afford and not necessarily a trait I am too concerned about carrying over to the next level. There isn't a single throw that any other quarterback in this class can make that Williams can't. In addition to having an incredible arm, he's a great athlete with traits allowing him to extend plays and make magic happen when one thinks it should be over, a trait nobody else in this class can replicate.

North Carolina

Sure I've seen the recent trends and beliefs that Washington is heavily considering and may even lean toward Jayden Daniels here, I just think that's a huge mistake. There's zero secret that Washington is looking to draft a quarterback here and I certainly can't blame them after bringing in new management and ownership. They have a lot of pieces I like on the offensive side of the ball (granted the offensive line is still a major work in progress) and adding a talent like Maye should theoretically be a no-brainer. He's got the prototypical size, has a cannon of an arm, along with the athleticism to scramble whenever necessary (fun fact he led the Tarheels in rushing yards during the 2021-22 football season in rushing). He favors the verticle and seam routes, with his primary knack being the speed of his decision-making process. My main concern with Maye is how he would adjust immediately into the NFL with a rather lackluster offensive line. He has the opposite problem than fellow Tarheel Sam Howell, as instead of taking too many sacks under pressure, he often would throw some questionable balls hell-bent on making a play. Maye is a fantastic prospect and could become a true franchise QB, it just may take some patience and he could potentially benefit by not being asked to start right away.

Ohio State

Yes, I know the Patriots need a quarterback, and if the Commanders ultimately decide to leave Maye on the board here he should absolutely be the pick. However, I'm just not sold enough on Jayden Daniels to warrant selecting him 3rd overall when the second-best player in the class who plays the other largest need for the team is still on the board. The Patriots' offense is going to take more than one offseason to build out, and for that reason, I don't think there is much reason to draft a quarterback this year just because you're "supposed to". I truly believe that MHJ is going to be an absolute monster out wide, giving the Patriots a true all-pro caliber receiver for the first time since Randy Moss (god that's a long time). Harrison would become a true building block for a team that doesn't currently have many and will make life much easier for whoever the Patriots do eventually bring in down the line. He's got the frame and athleticism to win the jump balls at the catch point, with the production to back it up.

Washington

As should be no surprise the Cardinals end up selecting a WR here, and with MHJ going to the Patriots in this scenario they'll have the choice between Odunze and Nabers both of whom would be worthy of this selection. I'm going with Odunze here, the bigger receiver with the athleticism and ball skills to excel in a more vertical passing game. He tracks the ball well which alongside his size allows him to win the 50/50 balls, however, at times can become a bit more reliant on trying to win this way. For a bigger receiver, he moves well both on his routes and with the ball, insinuating the possibility of playing all 3 receiver positions. He's in the mold of many of Arizona's great receivers of late which gives him the slight edge over Nabers here for me. With the Patriots electing not to go QB here though, there's the possibility of Arizona repeating what they did a season ago and trading down with a QB-needy team (Vikings?)

LSU

After moving on from both Keenan Allen and Mike Williams this offseason it's extremely clear what direction the Chargers need to go here. Nabers was one of the most productive receivers in college last season and absolutely dominated playing both on the outside and in the slot, where he likely will do much of his damage at the next level. He's a good route runner who can read a zone defense very well, finding the open holes across the middle. While winning at the catch-point isn't his primary strength, Nabers has the speed and location skills to be an effective downfield threat. With a smaller build, he struggles a bit on the outside against the press and one may worry about yards after contact, but his knack for creating separation with his route running would provide Herbert with an incredibly dependable and explosive target.

LSU

The next quarterback goes off the board here, with the LSU teammates going back-to-back. I'm technically breaking my rule here as if the board were to shake out this way and I were the Giants I would be calling up the Vikings to explore their interest in moving up in exchange for picks 11 and 23. The Giants have a ton of needs that need to be addressed, alas in this mock without trades, they're staying put and addressing the largest of them. The Heisman winner excelled in the long game last year, demonstrating great touch and accuracy with the football. His arm strength is somewhat lacking in comparison to the top 2 QBs taken, however still demonstrated great ability and zip on the ball to find tight windows in the middle of the field. His most impressive ability is that of a runner, utilizing his athleticism to lead all quarterbacks in rushing yards in his last two seasons of college ball. There are some concerns here with his frame, as he isn't one to avoid contact taking many unnecessary hits while at LSU.

Toledo

Now this might not be too realistic as they have made it very clear that they want to trade up for a QB. The Vikings however have a glaring need at CB with one of the weakest rooms in the league. At this point, Mitchell is the best player left on the board, so it feels like a seamless fit for the Vikings at great value (much more so than reaching for a JJ McCarthy here). Mitchell is one of the most physical corners in this class and plays the ball incredibly well. With solid size, he should be excellent in man coverage. He did play at a smaller program but saw his stock soar after a strong senior bowl and draft combine performances against other elite competition, and was extremely dominant in the MAC conference.

Michigan

I'm still not sold on McCarthy at all from what we saw from him at Michigan, but if the Vikings are hell-bent on selecting a quarterback (understandably when your option is Sam Darnold) I'd much rather them take him here than reach up at 11. The positives here from McCarthy is that he did excel in what he was allowed to show in Michigan's run-heavy offense. He made smart and accurate reads in the short game and is relatively mobile and able to extend plays when needed. However, his arm strength is less than inspiring and we weren't able to see more impressive attributes of his game at Michigan due to the scheme. I do think that in a situation such as Minnesota McCarthy would be fine and put up solid numbers as the offense is already built for him. Much less enthralled about watching him in some of the dumpster fires of many of the other QB-needy teams. For what it's worth I think I think they should take Amarius Mims here but I'll give them the QB.

Notre Dame

In this situation I find the board falling incredibly well for the Titans, grabbing the best offensive lineman that will immediately plug in and start at Tackle for them. The Titans have continued to build out the offense around now sophomore QB Will Levis, bringing in WR Calvin Ridley and RB Tony Pollard this off-season. Alt has the prototypical size to play the left tackle position, with shocking speed and athleticism to pair, enabling some unique run-blocking schemes as a pulling tackle. (fun fact he was recruited as a tight end). He's not a unique athlete but has incredibly refined hands and technique that make him one of the best blockers in both the run and pass game.

Alabama

Extremely productive his last year at Alabama, Turner is undoubtedly one of the best edge prospects in this class filling a large need for Atlanta While he lined up both in the 2 and 3-point technique he seemed to have more success as a standup rusher, utilizing his speed and ability to effectively bend around the tackle to generate pressure. He's powerful with an effective bull rush, although his technique can be inconsistent relying heavily on his athleticism, at times getting caught by more powerful tackles. His biggest appeal is his athleticism, with the potential to become a truly dominant pass-rusher upon gaining some additional weight and refining his technique.

UCLA

In this situation with the top 3 receivers already off the board, I would trade down to receive additional draft capital as there are many players that would fill the Bears' additional needs within this range. However, I have the Bears here adding another edge rusher after finally grabbing a franchise QB. Latu might be the best pure pass rusher in the class and it is kind of the opposite of Turner as a prospect. His athleticism isn't eye-popping but the technique and production are clearly there, with a well-refined cupboard of pass-rush moves. This coupled with crazy production at UCLA indicates he should be good enough to get immediate playing time in pass-rush situations opposite of Montez Sweat. However, his lack of explosiveness has led to some troubles in containing the run.

Georgia

I don't know how this happened but it's a dream scenario for the Jets. Being all in on these next two years, they clearly need a player who can contribute now and Bowers is one of if not the most ready out of any player in the class. His speed and route-running skills established him as one of the most dynamic pass-catchers in college football and is absolutely incredible after the catch. Adding Bowers would make it extremely difficult for defenses to adequately provide attention to the playmakers on the Jets' offense alongside stud receiver Garrett Wilson and newcomer Mike Williams. The Jets did well to address their needs in free agency, and Bowers could complete the puzzle for Aaron Rodgers. While he was a solid blocker at Georgia, he's a bit smaller for a tight end and in my opinion, we shouldn't expect too much from this part of his game.

Florida State

Entering what feels like a full-on rebuild the Broncos have a lot of needs, and here they start to address them with one of the most valuable positions in football, the Edge. The most powerful of the top three edge defenders, Verse has the strength to create pressure by completely overwhelming his opponent. In my opinion, this strength has allowed him to be the most effective of the three in run defense. He would likely play the outside linebacker position in Denver's 3-4 scheme, however, is the most capable of shifting instead to the end position if needed. He's demonstrated great pursuit on the ball carrier and can hold his own against tackles for long enough to avoid being taken out of the play.

Alabama

Rumor has it the Raiders are looking to go offensive line here at 13, and in this shake-up, they'll have the privilege of selecting their favorite to go second off the board. There are a ton of great line prospects in this class, and Latham is one of my favorites, At 6'6 335lbs, Latham is a massive tackle prospect, with the power blocking to back it up. He's able to completely overwhelm pass-rushers once he gets his hands on them and performs much better than one would expect at his size against quicker rushers. He's even more efficient in the run game, cracking open holes both on the line of scrimmage and the second level. Depending on the situation he's drafted into, Latham could potentially see some exposure to the guard position but I like him as a right tackle for Vegas.

Oregon State

Here comes the run on offensive lineman! The Saints have a glaring need at the left guard position, and Fuaga being available here would be great value for the franchise. Fuaga moves incredibly well, making him extremely effective in the pulling and screen game. This combined with being one of the strongest and best run-blockers in the class, led me and many others to believe that he could find success playing the guard position as he likely would here in New Orleans at the start. A move back to tackle wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility, however.

Alabama

The Colts, quite frankly, might have one of the worst current cornerback groups in the entire league. Lucky for them due to the amount of offensive talent going at the top of this class, there are plenty of defenders in this range that would be solid value. His athleticism and versatility at Alabama, lining up both outside and in the slot, has seen his stock rise as the draft draws near. He found success both playing up in the press as well as back in zone, and with exceptional ball skills was very productive in college. There's still room for improvement in his man technique, but this could partially be attributed to his relatively "greenness" at the position, as he originally played safety. However, he certainly has the makings of a very good corner in the league.