2024 NFL Draft: Offensive players dominate this two-round new mock draft
By Daulton Drew
16. Seattle Seahawks - Troy Fautanu
Seattle needs offensive line help, that much is clear. I have seen many people, myself included, give Seattle Jackson Powers Johnson here. I think that pick will work, but there are other good interior linemen/centers down the board a bit, so why not go with a guy with some outside versatility? Fautanu is not a great run blocker and is a bit undersized to play tackle, but his pass blocking last season was elite, and he will certainly improve against the run. He gives you some G/T versatility and great experience. This guy checks the boxes in Seattle for me. If they want a more consistent run blocker, then JPJ could also be the pick here.
17. Jacksonville Jaguars - Terrion Arnold
Sticking with this one as it just makes too much sense. Arnold is a physical corner with good size with maybe a bit below-average athleticism. Some of that lack of elite athleticism shows up on tape, but not too often. He was a great man corner at Alabama, but I think he may be even better in the zone-heavy Jacksonville scheme. Since they traded their best cover corner to the Rams, Arnold is an obvious choice here.
18. Cincinnati Bengals - Johnny Newton
Similar to my last mock, I was really close to giving the Bengals Mims or Guyton here, but the slide of DTs stops here. Newton is a bit of an anomaly. He is not particularly big, a theme of the top tier of DTs in this class, with pretty short arms. However, his first-step quickness and terrific hand usage make him a potential problem in this class. He has had some struggles, namely the Maryland game this year, but he was ultra disruptive against Penn St. and Wisconsin and showed why he is worthy of a first-round selection. He plays every play with intensity and knocks more balls down at the line than you'd expect. He may not be a gap plugger, but he is a great explosive interior rusher.
19. Los Angeles Rams - Byron Murphy II
Same pick as my previous mock, and this just makes too much sense. The Rams may go off the beaten path here since they are so unfamiliar with having first-round picks, but let's stay and take the best DT available to fill some unimaginably big shoes. They'd be happy with Newton here, but they get a guy who plays very similarly to the one they just lost. This is an elite prospect. His first step, upper body strength, and quick hands negate his shorter arms and stature. He will be a menace from day 1 giving the Rams one of the best young defensive lines in the league with Kobie Turner.
20. Pittsburgh Steelers - Tyler Guyton
I'll include the same write-up from my previous mock for Guyton. I think he will go ahead of Mims simply through injury concerns that teams may have with Mims Guyton is a mountain of a man, and that can sometimes play to his detriment. He can play a bit too tall and has a tendency to miss targets in the open field. As a mauler, he is exactly what you want. He has great strength on down blocks and moves men when tasked. His pass protection is solid, though he does have trouble at times with leverage. He is raw and needs a lot of development, but could turn into a great RT for the Steelers.