Pete Prisco 2024 NFL Mock Draft 1.0: Super Bowl hopefuls address defense; Jets add firepower for Aaron Rodgers

Free agency has come and gone for the most part, so mock drafts actually mean something.

Unlike our lead NFL Draft analyst Ryan Wilson, I am late to the process when it comes to doing mock drafts. I will do four: this one, another in two weeks, then my who-they-should draft mock (teams should really pay attention to that one) and then the final mock the day of the draft.

Wilson has done 4000 of them, but who is counting?

The only ones that make sense are those that come after free agency and the NFL Scouting Combine. So here is my Mock No. 1. It includes a major trade.

That trade has the Minnesota Vikings moving up to the fourth spot with the Arizona Cardinals to take North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye. The Vikings would give up two first-round picks to do so, one of which they acquired in a trade two weeks ago from the Houston Texans, to land Maye. They would also have to sprinkle in a few more picks to sweeten the deal, but getting a franchise quarterback is a must.

In this mock, I have the quarterbacks going 1-2-3-4, with Caleb Williams going to the Chicago Bears with the first pick, followed by Jayden Daniels to the Washington Commanders at No. 2 and Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy to the New England Patriots with the third pick. The Vikings would then take Maye.

The infatuation with McCarthy is strange in my eyes, but the league loves him, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him go ahead of Maye. So for this mock, that’s the way it will be — until we mock again in two weeks.

For more draft coverage, you can hear in-depth analysis twice a week on “With the First Pick” — our year-round NFL Draft podcast with NFL Draft analyst Ryan Wilson and former Vikings general manager Rick Spielman. You can find “With the First Pick” wherever you get your podcasts: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, etc. Listen below!

The 2024 NFL Draft will take place from April 25-27 in Detroit. More draft coverage can be found at CBSSports.com, including the weekly updated draft order and a regularly available look at the eligible prospects.