2024 NFL Draft: Dream landing spots for 4 prospects feat. Brian Thomas Jr. to Chiefs
When your favorite team is on the clock during the NFL Draft, excitement overwhelms the fanbase. For that moment, hope springs eternal. The optimism that this player could change the course of your franchise is at its peak. Now, we know that most picks don’t work out. But what if this one did?
A few teams are just a player or two away from competing for a championship.
2024 NFL Draft: Dream landing spots for 4 top prospects across positions
1] Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame – Tennessee Titans
Is it sexy to draft a tackle in the top 10 picks? No. Can Alt be the plug in a leaky Titans line that surrendered 64 sacks last season? Absolutely. Alt is a mountain of a man at 6’9 and 321 lbs. He’s a day-one starter for the Titans new-look offense. Gone are the days of pounding the rock with Derrick Henry. Say hello to shifty, pass-catching running backs led by Tony Pollard and elite outside weapons headlined by the arrival of Calvin Ridley. Alt will be tasked with protecting Will Levis and fortifying what was ranked as the worst pass-protecting line by PFF in all of football.
2] Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama – Philadelphia Eagles
Philly has the oldest and slowest group of corners in the game. They need an electric young playmaker to take over for James Bradberry. Ranked by many as the second-best corner in the draft, the Birds will have to move up to get him, but it’s worth it.
Philadelphia’s corners, Darius Slay and Bradberry cost around $15 million against the salary cap, which isn’t much. But, when you factor in the production, age, and a dead cap hit of $15 million alone to move on from Bradberry, you see the need for help. Arnold was a first-team All-American at Alabama in 2023. If the Eagles have Super Bowl aspirations this season, they need to upgrade their corner position early in the upcoming draft.
3] Will Shipley, RB, Clemson – Los Angeles Chargers
We know that Jim Harbaugh is going to want to run the football in Los Angeles. We also know that the Chargers moved on from running back Austin Ekeler in free agency. While they did bring in a pair of bulky grinders in Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins, they still need that explosive element to help catch balls out of the backfield. Enter the uber-talented Shipley.
This kid can flat-out fly. His 4.39 forty-yard dash at the Clemson pro day is outstanding. What’s even better is his ability to catch the football. In three years playing for the Tigers, he caught 85 balls. He would perfectly complement the ground-and-pound style that Greg Roman’s offense is known for. Plus, he’ll be dirt cheap. Shipley is projected to be drafted in the middle to late rounds.
4] Brian Thomas Jr., WR, LSU – Kansas City Chiefs
Another potential trade-up, but one that would set the fantasy football world on fire. We haven’t seen Patrick Mahomes with a big, tall, fast outside weapon like this before. He’s made his legacy with the diminutive Tyreek Hill and, of course, Travis Kelce roaming the middle of the field. What if we gave him a 6’3 stud from the SEC who can play inside and out?
Adding Thomas to Hollywood Brown, Rashee Rice, and the ageless Kelce would be almost unfair. Many speculate that the Chiefs need to address WR because of a potential suspension to Rice, but that likely would only be a game or two at the most. Thomas would provide long-term stability on a rookie contract that perfectly blends in with the model KC has built. At 4.33 in the forty, he would be a menace for opposing defensive coordinators to scheme against. Teammate Malik Nabers overshadowed Thomas at LSU, but make no mistake; this is a top-tier talent who the Chiefs would be lucky to get in the back half of round one.