Mock drafts are like opinions, everyone has one. Just like opinions though, some carry more weight and Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Media is one of those. The former scout turned NFL Draft media mogul produces some of the more accurate mock drafts of the entire landscape.
In his latest mock draft, he broke one of his major rules, no trades till the week of the draft. Something within the NFC North made him make an exception as the Minnesota Vikings acquired the 23rd overall pick to go along with their 11th overall pick. He predicts a trade to occur with the Vikings moving up while the rest of the NFC North twiddles their thumbs.
That isn’t all of the chaos though, that is just the top of the proverbial iceberg. Here are some takeaways from his third mock draft of the cycle.
The Vikings risk it all for a quarterback
Daniel Jeremiah has the Vikings trading up for their quarterback of the future after Kirk Cousins left for Atlanta. With quarterbacks flying off the board, J.J. McCarthy is left for them but he seems to be the perfect fit for what coach Kevin O’Connell wants out of his quarterback. Whoever they land will be the franchise’s new face and have ample support from Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson.
Several teams enjoy a best player available approach
The Colts, Cardinals, 49ers, Chiefs, and Lions are just some of the teams that have done well enough with trades and free agency to allow for them to have an open approach to the draft. Being able to take the best player available is a luxury, not many teams have. This group mentioned above has that luxury thanks to active front offices.
Cornerbacks fly off the board
Several teams have needs at quarterback which results in five going off the board in round one. One of them does make his way to the Lions as they are able to acquire Kool-Aid McKinstry. The Alabama cornerback had a down-ish year in 2023 but there is a question as to whether he fits what the Lions like from their cornerbacks. When there is a run on players at a position as thin as cornerback in terms of top-end talent, they may have to take him regardless.
Notable players make it to round two
The 2024 NFL Draft has offensive talent dominating most first-round projections. As such, there is a lot of defensive talent that gets pushed into round two. Some notable names that made it in Jeremiah’s mock draft include Payton Wilson, T.J. Tampa, Braden Fiske, and Ennis Rakestraw Jr. Several of those players could become targets of the Lions and could all fit into what they are looking for on that side of the ball.