Special to Sports News Highlights

(SNH) — Dane Brugler, a top college football and NFL Draft analyst for The Athletic, recently released a full-on, seven-round 2024 NFL mock draft. This mock predicted all 257 picks.

Here, we’ll review some main takeaways from what the respected analyst predicts might happen in the draft, which begins on Thursday, and analyze his rationale.

New England stands pat, drafts Drake Maye No. 3 overall

The New England Patriots are a franchise bereft of talent, so many have speculated that they may trade out of the No. 3 overall pick to accrue more capital, especially with veteran signal-caller Jacoby Brissett on the roster.

However, Brugler sees it differently, with the Pats standing pat and taking Drake Maye. Brugler cites a quote from Patriots owner Robert Kraft, which is clear he wants the offense to improve after going after wide receiver Calvin Ridley.

Maye is a perfect start to that. He could sit the first 10-plus games behind Brissett as he get acclimated to the NFL and take over for the veteran.

Minnesota Vikings trade up to draft J.J. McCarthy

It’s been speculated on time and time again, and here Brugler has the Vikings trading not only Nos. 11 and 23 overall to move up, but also a third-round draft choice in 2025 to send to the Cardinals to get their man in Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy.

As he notes, this would be the first time in NFL history that there were four quarterbacks taken in a row at Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 4.

Right now, the Vikings only have Sam Darnold under contract for a single year at $10 million.

Buffalo Bills trade up for new No. 1 wide receiver

The Bills saw Gabe Davis flee to Jacksonville, and they shipped Stefon Diggs to Houston.

Here, Brugler sees them trading No. 28, 133, 144, and a 2025 second-rounder to the Jaguars to come up to No. 17 overall and land the big-bodied LSU Tigers receiver, Brian Thomas Jr.

At the NFL Combine, Thomas Jr. came in at six-foot-three, 209 pounds, and ran an eye-popping 4.33 40-yard dash. He has the measurables and vertical speed to be a true No. 1 wide receiver, and it doesn’t hurt to have Josh Allen throwing him the ball.

Raiders trade back into first round for a quarterback

After the first four quarterbacks at the top, there’s a bit of a gap before the next quarterback is taken in Brugler’s mock draft.

As the first round concludes, the Raiders are the team he picks to trade back into the first round, land that fifth-year option, and take Michael Penix Jr. out of Washington.

The trade includes the Raiders shipping Nos. 44 and 77 overall to the Lions for No. 29.

The Raiders have Aidan O’Connell, who started the majority of their games last season, but here, they land their guy in Penix Jr., who Brugler calls an “aggressive downfield passer with the mental toughness that will certainly stand out for [Antonio] Pierce and his staff.”

Bo Nix has Will Levis-like fall

There’s been a lot of talk of six quarterbacks in this class, and in Brugler’s mock, five went in the first round.

The only one left that’s often discussed is Bo Nix, who is out of Oregon and formerly of Auburn.

Here, he has him fall to No. 52 overall to the Los Angeles Rams.

In this scenario, the Denver Broncos are a team that desperately needs a quarterback with only Jarrett Stidham on the roster, but without a second-round pick, they miss out on him.

Instead, at No. 76 overall in the third round, he has the Broncos taking South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler, the seventh quarterback, off the board.

For the Rams, taking Nix signals he’d be the heir apparent to Matthew Stafford when he finally calls it quits as he enters this season at 36 years old.

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