On Saturday, the Chicago Bears shut the door on the Justin Fields era by trading the 2021 first-rounder to the Pittsburgh Steelers. While the Bears were only able to secure a late-round conditional pick in 2025 in return for Fields, the franchise did right by their former signal caller, and can now turn towards the future, with eyes set on a new quarterback at the top of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Now that the first wave, at least, of free agency has concluded, it is a lot easier to see what teams have what positional needs, especially for a team like the Bears, who were deliberate in finding top-end contributors. Still, as the late-April draft approaches, there will be a lot of smoke and mirrors in regards to what teams are targetting which players.
It is important to note here that potential draft trades have been included, with the premier picks of each trade displayed in this article. The New England Patriots draft value chart was used here to approximate trade values.
So, without any further ado, here is a first round mock draft following the Justin Fields trade:
2024 Post-Free Agency NFL Mock Draft - Round 1
The Chicago Bears now have an opening at quarterback and Caleb Williams seems to be the obvious selection. The latest Lincoln Riley product slated to be selected first overall, Williams will bring his incredible playmaking ability to the Chicago Bears offense which now features two standout receivers in D.J. Moore and Keenan Allen, as well as reliable mismatches in Cole Kmet and D'Andre Swift.
Additionally, Williams has a pre-existing relationship with Bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, so the quarterback should hopefully be able to adjust to his new offense fairly quickly. With an improved roster that narrowly missed out on the playoffs a year ago, Williams may be able to provide an immediate bump to the team's offense. Williams has garnered some lofty NFL comparisons, but he shouldn't have to be Superman to get this team to the postseason over the next couple of seasons.
The Washington Commanders, like the Bears, traded away their 2023 starting quarterback, Sam Howell, and are now looking to land a new franchise quarterback. For DC and head coach Dan Quinn, this player is 2023 Heisman winner Jayden Daniels. Daniels is a tremendous athlete and an accurate passer all-rolled into one, but the young gunslinger will need a bit of molding before he can truly excel at the next level.
With Kliff Kingsbury as his offensive coordinator and recently signed quarterback Marcus Mariota in his ear, Daniels would be in a good position to lean on the experience of others as well as talented playmakers such as Terry McClaurin, Jahan Dotson, and Austin Ekeler. With new ownership, the Commanders are due for a rebranding on the field, and Daniels may find himself the face of the franchise moving forward.
The New England Patriots similarly cut bait with 2023 starter Mac Jones, and with Jerod Mayo taking over as the team's head coach, it is time for the offense to find their identity at quarterback. With Williams and Daniels off the board, Drake Maye would be an excellent consolation prize for a team desperately looking for a starter.
Maye has the prototypical size and arm talent to exceed in the NFL, but there remain questions surrounding his collegiate resume. While Maye put up impressive numbers as a Tarheel - nearly 8,000 passing yards in 26 games - it is hard to ignore the lack of top-end defensive talent in the ACC. Maye is relatively raw and untested, but if the Patriots can foster his development appropriately, he could become the team's starter for years to come.
After three straight quarterback selections to start the draft, the Arizona Cardinals select the class's first receiver in Marvin Harrison Jr. The 2023 Biletnikoff Award winner, Harrison is a freak of nature physically, and his production matches his talent. Harrison has totaled over 1,200 yards and 14 touchdowns in back-to-back seasons en route to becoming one of the premier players across all of college football.
Harrison is as close as you can get to a can't-miss prospect, and he could step into a starting role in the Cardinals' offense on day one. Quarterback Kyler Murray would especially welcome the receiver, whose 6'4" frame would make him the primary deep threat/jump ball receiver on the team. The only way Harrison isn't a Cardinal would appear to be a trade-back scenario, but they stick it out in this scenario and snag perhaps the top offensive talent in the class.