Christian Williams' NFL Mock Draft 7.0 (Seven Rounds)

Photo: Scott Clause, USA Today Sports

The 2024 NFL Draft, a mere two weeks away, is overflowing with anticipation and intrigue, especially around the top picks (after the Bears at No. 1 overall). The order of the quarterbacks, the potential for three wide receivers to leave the board inside the top ten, and the elite offensive tackle class are all factors that are sure to ignite excitement among NFL fans in the first round. Stay tuned for my final mock draft next week, a standard 32-pick predictive mock draft. But before that, let's dive into all 257 picks in a seven-round mock draft with trades.

A fantasy position overview:

• Four quarterbacks inside the top five.
• Six first-round wide receivers, but four more inside the top 50.
• Four day-two running backs but many appealing landing spots in the fourth and fifth rounds.
• Four tight ends in the top 100.

Thank you to Tankathon for providing the most updated draft order.

Check out all the NFL mock drafts at Footballguys:

Christian Williams' NFL Mock Draft 1.0
Christian Williams' NFL Mock Draft 2.0
Christian Williams' NFL Mock Draft 3.0
Christian Williams' NFL Mock Draft 4.0
Christian Williams' NFL Mock Draft 5.0
Christian Williams' NFL Mock Draft 6.0
Jeff Bell's Two-Round NFL Mock Draft 1.0
Matt Bitonti's NFL Mock Draft

Here is the first round with write-ups for each player.

1. Chicago Bears - Caleb Williams (QB - USC)

Most signs point to this as a done deal for many months. Williams joins a loaded offense, one of the top defenses over the back half of 2023, and a team with playoff expectations.

2. Washington Commanders - Drake Maye (QB - North Carolina)

The turbulent quarterback discourse should slow here; most evaluators think there's a tier between Maye and the other two in contention for this pick. Maye brings a new era of Washington football with an offense with weapons and an improved offensive line.

3. New England Patriots - Jayden Daniels (QB - LSU)

The "quarterback or no quarterback" debate ends with this selection as the Patriots transition to a post-Mac Jones era with a dynamic runner who has consistently improved throughout his college career.

4. Arizona Cardinals - Marvin Harrison Jr. (WR - Ohio State)

Enticing the Cardinals to trade out won't be hard for Minnesota... unless the team is sold on Harrison becoming an elite weapon. Here, they are, giving Kyler Murray a legitimate weapon (and more to come later).

5. Minnesota Vikings - J.J. McCarthy (QB - Michigan)

Trade details: Minnesota sends No. 11, No. 23, and a 2025 third-round pick to Los Angeles for No. 5.

Getting shut out of the top four quarterbacks despite holding two first-round picks seems too unlikely, and they get a slight discount waiting until No. 5 to move up. McCarthy joins Kevin O'Connell, Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson, giving Vikings fans optimism that they'll move out of the Kirk Cousins era smoothly.

6. New York Giants - Rome Odunze (WR - Washington)

There's buzz that the Giants want to move for one of the quarterbacks, but they get shut out here. They pivot to a No. 1 wideout, giving the next regime a building block to work with.

7. Tennessee Titans - Joe Alt (OT - Notre Dame)

There may be more debate here than many believe. Still, the Titans roll with the consensus selection and solidify Will Levis' blind side, offering the potential for a proper evaluation of the second-year quarterback.

8. Atlanta Falcons - Quinyon Mitchell (CB - Toledo)

Most signs point to a pass rusher, but with A.J. Terrell's looming contract and the lack of a consistent No. 2 cornerback, Mitchell gives them flexibility and the potential to roster two elite cornerbacks for their Cousins contending window.

9. New Orleans Saints - JC Latham (OT - Alabama)

Trade details: New Orleans sends No. 14, No. 45, and a 2025 third-round pick to Chicago for No. 9.

The Saints have an offensive tackle problem, and with the slew of teams ahead of them at No. 14, they move to get their guy. Latham has the highest ceiling of the tackles in this class and just turned 21 in February.

10. New York Jets - Troy Fautanu (OT - Washington)

Passing on one of the wide receivers is stomached more easily with the Mike Williams signing, and the Jets need to eat their vegetables. Relying on two question marks at offensive tackle in what should be a Super Bowl-contending season is unwise; adding a versatile piece not dissimilar to Alijah Vera-Tucker gives them flexibility and stability.

11. Los Angeles Chargers - Taliese Fuaga (OT - Oregon State)

The Chargers will target nasty players to bring in the Jim Harbaugh era, and Fuaga fits that mold. With the trade down, they create flexibility to add weapons around Justin Herbert while providing him with a more sound pocket on a snap-to-snap basis.

12. Jacksonville Jaguars - Malik Nabers (WR - LSU)

Trade details: Jacksonville sends No. 17, No. 96, and a 2025 second-round pick to Denver for No. 12.

The Jaguars see an opportunity and pounce (pun intended) on it, moving up to get the player many believe is the No. 1 wideout in the class. Nabers has elite acceleration, giving Trevor Lawrence an actual No. 1 to rely on.

13. Indianapolis Colts - Brock Bowers (TE - Georgia)

Trade details: Indianapolis sends No. 15, No. 82, and a 2025 third-round pick to Las Vegas for No. 13 and No. 148.

The potential for the Bears to select Brock Bowers forces the Colts to move up two spots to get their guy. Bowers gives Anthony Richardson another weapon to rely on and gives this offense an elite upside.

14. Chicago Bears - Jared Verse (EDGE - Florida State)

Trading out with Nabers on the board will make Bears fans groan, but they settle for the top edge on their board. Verse is a strong, pocket-collapsing player best suited for a No. 2 role. Opposite Montez Sweat, the Bears' defensive line would be terrifying for opposing offenses.

15. Las Vegas Raiders - Terrion Arnold (CB - Alabama)

The Raiders have many options, as they don't lack roster holes. One of the bigger holes is cornerback. Arnold is firmly in contention to be the first off the board. Here, he provides the Raiders with playmaking and ball production, which Antonio Pierce's defense needs.

16. Seattle Seahawks - Byron Murphy II (DT - Texas)

The Seahawks have an interior line problem (on both sides of the football). They select the best player available within the confines of those needs with Murphy. Murphy slots in beside Leonard Williams and creates a formidable duo in a division that requires it.

17. Denver Broncos - Dallas Turner (EDGE - Alabama)

The Broncos move back to acquire more capital while snagging one of the best defensive players in the class. Denver is full of roster holes, so rolling the best player available at a premium position makes sense.

18. Cincinnati Bengals - Brian Thomas Jr. (WR - LSU)

Tee Higgins expects to play the 2024 season with the Bengals, but that shouldn't prevent the team from selecting his eventual replacement. With Tyler Boyd out the door, the Bengals get an elite athlete with raw tools and ball-winning skills.

19. Los Angeles Rams - Laiatu Latu (EDGE - UCLA)

The Rams should look at another Super Bowl run, and getting players ready to go now should be a priority. Latu provides that while also profiling as a double-digit sack player down the road.

20. Pittsburgh Steelers - Olu Fashanu (OT - Penn State)

The Steelers are in on the tackle class, and Fashanu is the best available here. In this scenario, Broderick Jones would stay at right tackle, giving the team two young tackles to build the line around.

21. Miami Dolphins - Graham Barton (OG - Duke)

The Dolphins signed Isaiah Wynn to start for them in 2024, but getting a guard who could become a swing tackle with Barton's movement skills here should remain a priority.

22. Philadelphia Eagles - Amarius Mims (OT - Georgia)

The Eagles are always two steps ahead of the league, and drafting Lane Johnson's replacement now indicates they'll continue building correctly. Johnson turns 34 in a few weeks, and the Eagles don't have a succession plan, something they have for seemingly every other position.

23. Los Angeles Chargers - Jer'Zhan Newton (DT - Illinois)

Another trade-down was an option, but the Chargers stuck and picked Jer'Zhan Newton, a nasty pass-rushing interior defensive lineman, to help Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack get to quarterbacks.

24. Dallas Cowboys - Xavier Worthy (WR - Texas)

The Cowboys can go a couple of ways here, but it's hard to imagine Jerry Jones letting Xavier Worthy get past this pick. The offensive line needs work, but the receiving corps is also problematic. Worthy gives them an after-catch weapon to complement CeeDee Lamb.

25. Green Bay Packers - Cooper DeJean (CB - Iowa)

DeJean had a great pre-draft process after finally getting healthy and testing for teams. The fluid athlete isn't the best man corner in the class, but his upside as an aggressive zone corner is immense.

26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Chop Robinson (EDGE - Penn State)

The Bucs feel good about Zyon McCollum's development at cornerback, giving them the flexibility to go in any direction here. Center and guard are needs, but the premium selection would be the high-upside, elite athlete with positional versatility. Robinson can play with his hand in the dirt with Calijah Kancey and Vita Vea or stand up next to them.

27. Arizona Cardinals - Mike Sainristil (CB - Michigan)

NFL teams love Mike Sainristil, and with the lack of clarity beyond the top players in the corner class, it shouldn't shock NFL fans to hear Sainristil's name called on the first night of the draft. The elite slot corner with hard-nosed tackling joins a barren room and helps the Cardinals win now.

28. Carolina Panthers - Adonai Mitchell (WR - Texas)

Trade details: Carolina sends No. 33, No. 101, and a 2025 fifth-round pick to Buffalo for No. 28.

Waiting for their wide receiver target seems like a recipe for failure, so moving up to get their guy to go opposite Diontae Johnson is necessary for Bryce Young's development. When engaged, Mitchell is one of the best receivers in the class. The challenge is keeping him engaged.

29. Detroit Lions - Darius Robinson (EDGE - Missouri)

Finding a reliable edge rusher to penetrate opposite Aidan Hutchinson is essential, and Robinson is the nasty that fits the Dan Campbell culture.

30. Baltimore Ravens - Tyler Guyton (OT - Oklahoma)

The Ravens have problems at offensive tackle, and Guyton gives them upside as a starting right tackle on day one.

31. San Francisco 49ers - Kool-Aid McKinstry (CB - Alabama)

The 49ers can go in many directions, and they may have more capital following a Brandon Aiyuk or Deebo Samuel trade. Still, the team needs cornerback help, and McKinstry is the most underrated one in the class.

32. Kansas City Chiefs - Troy Franklin (WR - Oregon)

The Chiefs have a wide receiver problem, a major one if Rashee Rice faces a hefty suspension or jail time. Franklin offers them more upside than other options and could overtake Rice as the No. 1 in time.

And here are the picks for all seven rounds...

Round 1 Picks

Round 2 Picks

Round 3 Picks

Round 4 Picks

Round 5 Picks

Round 6 Picks

Round 7 Picks