Chicago Bears Land Caleb Williams in Post NFL Free Agency Mock Draft

The Denver Broncos select the class's first defensive back in Terrion Arnold, who should immediately slide in as a starter opposite of fellow Alabama product Patrick Surtain II. After a dominant 2023 season where Arnold proved to be a disruptive, boundary player, the cornerback joins a budding defense that will grow as the Broncos reset offensively.

Selecting a top quarterback is probably not in the cards for the Broncos, who will be financially impacted by the release of Russell Wilson for years. Instead of chasing a quarterback, the Broncos simply go best player available and load up for better seasons to come. Arnold combined five picks with over 60 combined tackles last season, so he has the physicality for a cornerback that gets one selected in the top third of the first round.

The Las Vegas Raiders need quarterback help, but here they elect to address the trenches by adding a behemoth in J.C. Latham. Measuring in at 6'6" and 340 lbs, Latham excelled as a blindside protector in college, but with the Raiders, it would make sense for the tackle to flip over to the right side opposite of fellow first-rounder Kolton Miller.

The offensive identity is changing in Vegas, but the departure of Josh Jacobs does not mean that head coach Antonio Pierce is going to have a "soft" offense. A player like Latham brings a desirable physicality to the Raiders' front and would complement the talent on the defensive line in Maxx Crosby and the recently signed Christian Wilkins.

Similar to their division rivals, the New Orleans Saints have made many attempts at finding a premier edge rusher in the draft, but Jared Verse would finally put an end to the rotating door. Verse is one of the class's top 4-3 defensive ends, but he has the athleticism to play from a two-point stance as well. At 6'4" and nearly 275 lbs, Verse is a long, physical edge who is solid against both the run and the pass.

Verse would benefit from playing opposite veteran Cameron Jordan, who is likely on the back end of his time in NOLA. Learning from Jordan and then ultimately taking over as the team's premier rush end could be in the cards for the FSU product, who was tempted to enter the NFL Draft a year ago. Today, Verse is the same sure-fire first-round prospect he was a year ago, and perhaps even more so after adding another nine sacks to his resume.

The Indianapolis Colts stop the fall of Brock Bowers and pick up the Swiss Army knife tight end near the middle of the first round. Bowers is rumored to be selected as high as the top 10, but his positional value, or lack thereof, may drive him further down the board.

If that were the case, a team like the Colts would have to be extremely excited for the opportunity to add a dependable weapon for second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson. Bowers doesn't have the best skillset as a blocker amongst tight ends, but he is still one of the premier catch passers in this year's draft. 2023 was unfortunately Bowers' worst season at Georgia to the tune of 700 yards and six touchdowns, but he has matched or surpassed those stats in each of the past three years.

The Seattle Seahawks have been quietly building a formidable defensive core for a couple of seasons now, and adding Laiatu Latu might be the final piece of the puzzle. Despite starting his collegiate career in the Pacific Northwest at Washington before medically retiring, Latu is known mainly for his absurd production at UCLA, where he added 13 sacks last year alone.

With Mike MacDonald now at the helm, an aggressive rusher like Latu would be a great way for the new coach to put his stamp on the defense. Latu's return to the state of Washington will hopefully go better than the first stint, but in truth, Latu's draft stock shouldn't be heavily affected by his medical history. At UCLA, Latu was a reliable part teammate, and NFL teams will expect the same should they add a pass rusher to their defense.

The Jacksonville Jaguars need help on the back end of their defense, and adding Quinyon Mitchell would immediately bolster the secondary. Despite playing at a smaller program like Toledo, the cat has been out of the bag for a while now on Mitchell, who possesses excellent size and speed for a boundary cornerback.

After logging five picks in 2022, few quarterbacks were willing to test the lockdown corner a season ago, and for good reason. At 6'0", 200 lbs, Mitchell's impressive speed and explosivity keep him in play to get his hands on almost every ball. Of course, the main concern with a player like Mitchell is the quality of talent he faced in college, but in a more isolated position like cornerback, it is easy to see how consistently Mitchell chewed up and spit out his opposing receivers.

After trading back with the Bengals, the Chicago Bears are still able to land one of the class's top edge rushers in Chop Robinson. Robinson does not fit the mold of what the Bears appear to desire at the defensive end position, which is a long, tall, bulky edge rusher like Montez Sweat, but the Penn State product has a level of athleticism that is rare amongst NFL players at any position.

Robinson tested extremely well in fast-twitch drills such as the 20-yard shuttle, and his 10-yard split on his 40-yard dash was amongst the quickest. His college numbers don't jump off the page, although he was able to accumulate four or more sacks in each of his two seasons at Penn State. Still, Robinson has the tools to be a real threat on the edge and would be a nice complement to Sweat in Chicago. Another edge rusher is a big need for the Bears, and Robinson would certainly check the box.