At this point in the buildup to the 2024 NFL Draft, those paying close attention know what the needs for every team in the top 10 are. There are three — maybe four — quarterbacks who will be picked early on Thursday night, followed by three stud wide receivers, a very tantalizing tight end prospect, a strong crop of offensive tackles and some promising defensive linemen.
The 2024 NFL Draft odds give us an idea of what's expected for every team. Below, I've laid out a mock draft of the top 10 using the favorite at every pick. I was forced to not use the favorite only once (No. 6 overall) because that player was already taken.
Get an idea of what to expect early on Thursday night in the NFL Draft below. I used FanDuel's odds as of 12:45 p.m. ET on Wednesday afternoon.
2024 NFL Draft Odds: Mock Using Sportsbook Lines for Top 10
1. QB Caleb Williams (USC)
Chicago Bears (via Carolina Panthers)
Player | School | Odds |
---|---|---|
Caleb Williams | USC | -20000 |
Jayden Daniels | LSU | +7500 |
Drake Maye | UNC | +9500 |
J.J. McCarthy | Michigan | +10000 |
Marvin Harrison Jr. | Ohio State | +20000 |
No point wasting our time here. We all have important things to do today, so let's move on.
2. QB Jayden Daniels (LSU)
Washington Commanders
Player | School | Odds |
---|---|---|
Jayden Daniels | LSU | -450 |
Drake Maye | UNC | +400 |
J.J. McCarthy | Michigan | +1000 |
Caleb Williams | USC | +10000 |
Most of the rumblings on Twitter and throughout the media is that the Commanders prefer Daniels to Maye. Adam Schefter went as far as to say that Washington fans could start printing their jerseys with Daniels' name on the back.
Still, there hasn't been anything definite reported.
3. QB Drake Maye (North Carolina)
New England Patriots
Player | School | Odds |
---|---|---|
Drake Maye | UNC | -290 |
J.J. McCarthy | Michigan | +430 |
Jayden Daniels | LSU | +480 |
Marvin Harrison Jr. | Ohio State | +3100 |
There hasn't been much reported about the Patriots' preference at No. 3. Heck, there have even been rumors that New England is looking to trade down.
The Patriots don't have a general manager, and the draft is being run by director of scouting Eliot Wolf. People can reasonably gather that owner Robert Kraft is playing a big hand in this draft. New England has already traded Mac Jones and given Bailey Zappe multiple chances to win the job as the starter in the past. Kraft, and the fanbase, will be expecting a quarterback taken with the Patriots' first pick.
Whether that pick is at No. 3 or later remains to be seen.
4. WR Marvin Harrison Jr. (Ohio State)
Arizona Cardinals
Player | School | Odds |
---|---|---|
Marvin Harrison Jr. | Ohio State | -220 |
J.J. McCarthy | Michigan | +350 |
Drake Maye | UNC | +700 |
Malik Nabers | LSU | +1600 |
Jayden Daniels | LSU | +2500 |
Rome Odunze | Washington | +5000 |
Joe Alt | Notre Dame | +7500 |
Aside from Williams going first overall, this is the biggest slam dunk of the top 10 — if Arizona doesn't trade the pick.
If the Cardinals stay at No. 4, they likely take whoever they think is the best wide receiver of Marvin Harrison Jr. or Malik Nabers. Arizona took Paris Johnson Jr. with its first pick last year, and the chances of taking two offensive tackles in the top 10 in back-to-back years seems unlikely.
There is a chance, though, that a team overwhelms Arizona and makes an offer it can't refuse to trade up for J.J. McCarthy or whoever they see as the best QB available.
5. WR Malik Nabers (LSU)
Los Angeles Chargers
Player | School | Odds |
---|---|---|
Malik Nabers | LSU | +230 |
J.J. McCarthy | Michigan | +320 |
Marvin Harrison Jr. | Ohio State | +340 |
Joe Alt | Notre Dame | +430 |
Drake Maye | UNC | +1900 |
JC Latham | Alabama | +2600 |
Jayden Daniels | LSU | +2900 |
Rome Odunze | Washington | +2900 |
Taliese Fuaga | Oregon State | +4000 |
Troy Fautanu | Washington | +5000 |
Olu Fashanu | Penn State | +5000 |
Brock Bowers | Georgia | +5000 |
Dallas Turner | Alabama | +7500 |
Quinyon Mitchell | Toledo | +9500 |
Amarius Mims | Georgia | +9500 |
Assuming Arizona stays at No. 4, here's where things get really interesting.
Jim Harbaugh has taken over and obviously doesn't need a quarterback. It'd make sense that the Chargers would take either Nabers or Harrison, maybe even Odunze, if they keep the pick after getting rid of Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. Also, Harbaugh has emphasized the importance of the offensive line this offseason, so an offensive tackle could make sense.
The Chargers roster has many holes, though, so trading back with a team that wants a quarterback, if any of the top four are available, would make sense.
Nabers is favored to go fifth, but clearly there's a lot of uncertainty.
6. WR Rome Odunze (Washington)
New York Giants
Player | School | Odds |
---|---|---|
Malik Nabers | LSU | +170 |
Rome Odunze | Washington | +300 |
Joe Alt | Notre Dame | +500 |
J.J. McCarthy | Michigan | +550 |
Marvin Harrison Jr. | Ohio State | +1200 |
Drake Maye | UNC | +2200 |
Jayden Daniels | LSU | +2700 |
Taliese Fuaga | Washington | +4000 |
Quinyon Mitchell | Toledo | +4000 |
Olu Fashanu | Penn State | +4500 |
JC Latham | Alabama | +6000 |
Terrion Arnold | Alabama | +6000 |
Brock Bowers | Georgia | +8000 |
Michael Penix Jr. | Washington | +8000 |
The Giants need weapons on offense after losing Saquon Barkley. There's no running back that appears worthy of being taken sixth overall, so wide receiver makes sense. Nabers is favored here but he went fifth in this exercise, so Odunze is the pick.
New York, though, might also want a quarterback. If no one trades up for the fourth quarterback at Nos. 4 or 5, maybe the Giants pull the trigger on McCarthy.
7. OT Joe Alt (Notre Dame)
Tennessee Titans
Player | School | Odds |
---|---|---|
Joe Alt | Notre Dame | -150 |
Rome Odunze | Washington | +600 |
Malik Nabers | LSU | +850 |
JC Latham | Alabama | +1400 |
Taliese Fuaga | Oregon State | +1600 |
Olu Fashanu | Penn State | +1800 |
J.J. McCarthy | Michigan | +2000 |
Dallas Turner | Alabama | +3000 |
Troy Fautanu | Washington | +3000 |
Brock Bowers | Georgia | +3300 |
Amarius Mims | Georgia | +5000 |
Marvin Harrison Jr. | Ohio State | +6000 |
Jared Verse | Florida State | +6000 |
The third-biggest favorite in the top 10 is Alt to go to the Titans.
Tennessee just paid Calvin Ridley and still has DeAndre Hopkins, so a wide receiver doesn't make sense. Protecting Will Levis, or whoever lines up under center, was an issue last season, so offensive lineman makes sense. Alt is the consensus best tackle in the draft, so he goes here.
8. DE Laiatu Latu (UCLA)/DE Dallas Turner (Alabama)
Atlanta Falcons
Player | School | Odds |
---|---|---|
Laiatu Latu | UCLA | +250 |
Dallas Turner | Alabama | +250 |
Rome Odunze | Washington | +650 |
Byron Murphy II | Texas | +650 |
J.J. McCarthy | Michigan | +1400 |
Jared Verse | Florida State | +1400 |
Quinyon Mitchell | Toledo | +1400 |
Malik Nabers | LSU | +2400 |
Terrion Arnold | Alabama | +2400 |
Joe Alt | Notre Dame | +4000 |
Brock Bowers | Georgia | +5000 |
Nate Wiggins | Clemson | +7500 |
Bo Nix | Oregon | +7500 |
Michael Penix Jr. | Washington | +7500 |
I included both Latu and Turner because neither is going to be the pick at Nos. 9 or 10.
The consensus here after three straight years of taking offensive skill players in the top 10 is that the Falcons will go defense. There are two edge rushers on the board for them to pick from, as well as Murphy, whose stock has risen this week.
9. WR Byron Murphy II (Texas)
Chicago Bears
Player | School | Odds |
---|---|---|
Byron Murphy II | Texas | +155 |
Rome Odunze | Washington | +320 |
Jared Verse | Florida State | +1000 |
Dallas Turner | Alabama | +1200 |
Joe Alt | Notre Dame | +1400 |
Laiatu Latu | UCLA | +1400 |
Brock Bowers | Georgia | +2000 |
JC Latham | Alabama | +2000 |
J.J. McCarthy | Michigan | +2500 |
Taliese Fuaga | Oregon State | +3500 |
Malik Nabers | LSU | +3500 |
Troy Fautanu | Washington | +3500 |
Olu Fashanu | Penn State | +3500 |
Quinyon Mitchell | Toledo | +5000 |
Xavier Worthy | Texas | +6000 |
Jer'Zhan Newton | Illinois | +7500 |
Terrion Arnold | Alabama | +8000 |
Speaking of Murphy, he's the pick here.
Earlier in the week, Odunze was the favorite to go here to Chicago. Murphy has gotten a lot of hype from NFL insiders, though, and is now +155, which really catches your eye as a low number for this late in the draft.
I say that and the next pick has a lower plus number.
10. TE Brock Bowers (Georgia)
New York Jets
Player | School | Odds |
---|---|---|
Brock Bowers | Georgia | +150 |
Olu Fashanu | Penn State | +1000 |
Troy Fautanu | Washington | +1000 |
Taliese Fuaga | Oregon State | +1000 |
Rome Odunze | Washington | +1200 |
JC Latham | Alabama | +1300 |
Laiatu Latu | UCLA | +1400 |
Joe Alt | Notre Dame | +1600 |
Dallas Turner | Alabama | +12500 |
Quinyon Mitchell | Toledo | +3000 |
Terrion Arnold | Alabama | +3500 |
Malik Nabers | LSU | +3500 |
J.J. McCarthy | Michigan | +3500 |
Brian Thomas Jr. | LSU | +3500 |
Byron Murphy II | Texas | +5000 |
Bo Nix | Oregon | +5000 |
Amarius Mims | Georgia | +5000 |
Jared Verse | Florida State | +5000 |
Michael Penix Jr. | Washington | +7500 |
The consensus here is that the Jets are all-in for this season, so adding a weapon for Aaron Rodgers is what they'll try to do.
New York added veteran offensive tackles Tyron Smith and Morgan Moses to sizable one-year contracts in the offseason, so it's likely to avoid taking one of the many potential OTs here, although it might make sense over the long haul. Fashanu, Fautanu, Fuaga or Latham would all make sense here, assuming Alt is gone.
If the Jets really are all-in on giving Rodgers weapons for this season, it would make sense if they're aggressive in trying to trade up for Odunze.