It is now time for the 2024 NFC South 1st-round mock draft. Only the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New Orleans Saints, and the Atlanta Falcons have a first-round pick this year. The Carolina Panthers traded their pick last year in a package to the Chicago Bears to move up and grab Bryce Young number one overall last year. Currently, for this 2024 NFC South 1st round mock draft, the Atlanta Falcons are up first with pick number eighth overall, the New Orleans Saints follow them with pick number fourteen overall, and to end this 2024 NFC South 1st round mock draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers pick at number 20 overall.
2024 NFC South 1st Round Mock Draft Pick #8
Atlanta Falcons: Jayden Daniels QB LSU
With the sixth pick of this 2024 NFC South 1st-round mock draft, the Atlanta Falcons finally move on from Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke and land their franchise quarterback in Jayden Daniels. The Heisman winner at pick number eight sounds too good to be true. Jayden Daniels, in his two years at LSU, dominated with his completion percentage.
In his first year with LSU, he had a completion percentage of 68.6%, and in his second year, he got even better with a completion percentage of 72.3%. Who would not want a quarterback that completes his passes like this? It even shows when you look at his interceptions. He has only thrown a total of 7 interceptions in his two years at LSU, while Michael Penix has thrown that many at home just this year, and Drake Maye has thrown nine interceptions this year.
Jayden Daniels gives the Atlanta Falcons a quarterback who will finally be able to utilize the three big weapons that the Falcons already have on their roster: Kyle Pitts, Drake London, and Bijan Robinson. This gives the Atlanta Falcons their young core to continue building around. It does also help that Arthur Smith was fired, but with Daniels and a new coaching regime, Atlanta Falcons fans can finally hope for a good turnaround.
2024 NFC South 1st-Round Mock Draft Pick #14
New Orleans Saints: Keon Coleman, WR, Florida State
With their 13th pick of this 2024 NFC South 1st-round mock draft, the New Orleans Saints have selected Keon Coleman, a wide receiver from Florida State. The New Orleans Saints have leaned on Michael Thomas to be their big-body wide receiver when he was drafted by the Saints in 2016. He is going to be entering his year 31 season and is also in the last year of his contract. Drafting Coleman gives the Saints their new big-body wide receiver.
The New Orleans Saints’ wide receiver room currently includes Olave, Rashid Shaheed, Michael Thomas, and A.T. Perry. Shaheed is a free agent this offseason and should be looking to get paid similarly to Desean Jackson’s first big contract (5 years for $47 million). He could be gone if the Saints do not want to pay him. After next season, Michael Thomas will be an also free agent who could also added during this offseason or before next year’s trade deadline.
With only Chris Olave and A.T. Perry the only two currently locked down through the 2025 season, Keon Coleman is the perfect pick at this spot. Keon Coleman is a receiver who is going to win the 50/50 balls that get thrown up in the red zone. He is a red zone threat that the New Orleans Saints have not had since Jimmy Graham’s prime days back from 2010 through the 2014 season!
2024 NFC South 1st-Round Mock Draft Pick #20
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Michael Penix Jr QB Washington
With their pick and the final pick in this 2024 NFC South 1st-round mock draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers select a quarterback from Washington, Michael Penix Jr. It would come as no surprise if Michael Penix Jr. fell this far in the actual draft, the same way he did in this 2024 NFC South 1st-round mock draft. Even though he had a Heisman-caliber season, some teams may have recency bias with how he performed in the championship game.
In his two years at Washington, Michael Penix Jr threw for 9,289 yards. He tossed 66 touchdowns in those two years as well. The one thing about Penix Jr is that he has a chance of being a situational or system quarterback. Before his two years at Washington, he played at Indiana, and the numbers he put up all four years at Indiana did not even come close to one year at Washington.
Tampa Bay could be an exciting place for Michael Penix Jr to end up because of what Baker Mayfield did this year for them. At the same time, he did have them fighting for the division title at the end of the season and helped them win their Wild Card game, but it was nothing spectacular or consistent. Penix Jr would most likely beat out Mayfield and any other quarterback on the team. Penix Jr would be falling into a lovely team with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin and a young running back in Rachaad White. Penix Jr would be worth whatever risk he might be, incredibly this deep in the draft.