The Athletic

Attempting to accurately predict the first round of an NFL Draft is an exercise in futility, because draft-day trades create more disruption than Laiatu Latu on the USC tape. My most accurate final mock draft came in 2021, when most of the major trades happened before draft weekend, making it easier to predict Round 1. This year, the trade action is going to happen after the Commanders reveal which quarterback they want at No. 2. That will set off a domino effect that will determine what happens at picks 3, 4 and so on. The uncertainty, however, means it’s especially challenging to nail down a final mock this year. Now that I’m done making excuses, here is my final guess at how the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft will play out (with some trades included).