Embedded Files
Houston McLain 2/26/24
The NFL Draft, a coveted event in which each team in the league take their picks at young athletes fresh out of college to come and play for their franchise. This year, prospects like Shedeur Sanders, Abdul Carter, Travis Hunter, and Cam Ward will have their chance to prove themselves in the league. But which teams will they go to? How will they impact these franchises? What qualities make them a good pick? To help you get ready for what to expect this Draft, I have assembled what I think to be the most accurate mock draft out there to ready you for the selections.
#1 - Tennessee Titans
#1 - Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans, coming off of a 3-14 record, hold the first pick in the NFL Draft, but who will they select? Many speculate that due to their current situation with second year Quarterback, Will Levis, The titans will take a shot at either Cam ward or Shedeur Sanders, the two most coveted Quarterbacks for this years draft. Although this is very likely, it is probably more probable that Tennessee will opt to choose another Quarterback like Kurtis Rourke, Will Howard, or Kyle McCord later in the draft and use their number one pick one someone else. And in my opinion, this someone will be Penn State Defensive end, Abdul Carter. Carter is coming off the best season of his career, managing to tally up 43 solo tackles and 12 sacks for the Nittany Lions, leading them to a CFP Semi-Final appearance. Carter spoke on this himself in an X post saying, “Defense Wins Championships! Number one overall pick, 74 days.” With all these factors in mind, I’m sure Carter will finally give Tennessee the spark they’ve been looking for over the past two decades.
#2 - Cleveland Browns
#2 - Cleveland Browns
The second pick in the draft, held by the Cleveland Browns, may be the most controversial pick in the whole draft. Over the last few years, the Browns, as some would say, have dug their own grave. Back in 2020, Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans Quarterback, threw for 4,823 yards, 33 touchdowns, and only seven picks. When looking at these stats, you may think the same as the Browns front office, Watson would be a great pickup and possibly the future of the franchise. Instead, He shaped out to be quite the opposite. Over the past three years, Watson has simply not been able to overcome injuries, throwing for less than 1200 yards and 8 touchdowns every year he’s spent in Cleveland. Due to this, many fans speculate that the Browns will select either Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders, the only two quarterbacks worthy of first round recognition this draft. But, unfortunately for the Browns, this decision will not be as simple as you might think. Along with Shedeur and Cam, there is someone else about every team in the NFL has their eyes on, Travis Hunter. Travis Hunter, along with Sheduer Sanders, have played under Shedeurs father, Deion Sanders at Colorado for the past two years. The special thing about Travis though is that he doesn’t just play one side of the ball, he plays both.
As a receiver, during the 2024 season, Hunter was able to rack up 1258 yards and 15 touchdowns. On the other side of the ball though, as a defensive back he had 4 interceptions, the most by a two way player since his coach, Deion Sanders. On top of this, Hunter was also able to acquire the Heisman Trophy, an award that is given to college footballs most prestigious player. Although the Browns are in need for a quarterback, they still have to fulfill Deshaun Watson’s contract and all that dead cap space could prove detrimental to a franchise’s future, due to this, I believe the Browns will select Travis Hunter with the second pick in the draft.
#3 - New York Giants
#3 - New York Giants
The final pick that will be covered in this article is the third pick in the NFL Draft, held by The New York Giants. Last year, the Giants chose to select LSU Wide receiver prodigy, Malik Nabers. Malik was able to be the constant for this team throughout the year despite the several changes in the Quarterback position, putting up 1200 yards and 7 touchdowns for the Big Apple, finishing within the top ten for receiving yards in the 2024 season. With a generational talent in the slot, you’d probably want a just as good quarterback to be delivering the best throws possible to have Nabers perform at the best of his ability, and I believe this can be found in Miami Hurricanes quarterback, Cam Ward. Ward was able to put up 4,313 yards, 38 touchdowns, and only seven picks for the Canes throughout the whole 2024 season. With these near perfect stats, Ward was invited to the Heisman trophy ceremony as one of the 4 finalists where he fell short to Travis Hunter. Although he may have not been able to obtain College Footballs most prestigious award, He will bring life to the Backfield that has not been seen in New york since two time superbowl winner and future hall of famer, Eli Manning. With all these factors in mind, If the Giants front office makes the right decision and drafts Cam Ward, I am sure we will see the Giants as a serious contender for many years to come.
Although I have made my own list on who I think will be drafted, These 3 picks could shape out in many ways. The Titans could take a quarterback, the Browns could get a replacement for Deshaun Watson, and the Giants could upgrade their defense. But that is what is so great about the NFL, hundreds of thousands of fans coming together to admire the unpredictability of the draft and see how the future of the NFL will play out.
Page updated
Report abuse