Seven-round NFL mock draft, Round 5: Building a win-now team from active players for 2024 season

Regardless of being in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, or San Francisco, Hargrave has posed a challenge to interior offensive linemen as both a pass rusher (accumulating 44.5 career sacks) and a run-stopper.

Judon, recovering from a bicep tear that limited his 2023 season to just four games, is still highly valued by the Patriots. Despite his injury, his production and leadership have been significant, with 32 sacks over the last three seasons. This makes him more valuable to the Patriots than any other team.

Barmore was a great second-round pick for New England in the 2021 NFL Draft, offering excellent value. Similarly, the Cardinals made an astute choice at this spot by selecting an interior force who racked up 8.5 sacks in the previous season.

Despite recovering from an ACL tear in 2022, Hall put up impressive numbers for the Jets last year, amassing 994 rushing yards, 76 catches, and nine total touchdowns in 17 games. Given his performance, it’s likely that he’ll be one of the league’s top running backs in 2024.

Henry, who turned 30 in January, should have at least two or three more years of effective performance left in him. The Chargers will leverage this by using him to forcefully drive the ball.

In 2023, as a third-year professional for the Lions, McNeill scored 32 tackles with five sacks in 13 games. The former third-round pick is expected to shine in his contract season.

Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter recently said he would love to clone James because the safety can “do it all.” James is the only player in the NFL to have totaled 350-plus tackles, 15-plus passes defensed, eight-plus sacks and at least five forced fumbles over the past three seasons.

In 2023, Barkley’s performance declined (962 rushing yards, 280 receiving yards) compared to his 2022 stats (1,312 rushing yards, 338 receiving yards). However, the Falcons decided to gamble on a comeback from the pro in his seventh year.

The Bears have chosen their 2024 first-round pick to lead their O-line at left tackle, showing a preference for youth over experience. Alt, who is robust and nimble, is their chosen pick.

Since missing his rookie season due to a Lisfranc injury, Etienne’s put up two 1,000-yard campaigns for Jacksonville. The former first-round pick scored 11 times on the ground last season while catching 58 passes.

It feels like Pittman has been in the league forever, but he’s just 26 years old and entering his fifth pro season, having signed a three-year extension with the Colts in March. He would be a strong No. 1 receiver for Matthew Stafford to lean on in this simulation.

Fuller has been an underappreciated defender over the past four seasons. Since 2020, the 29-year-old intercepted 10 passes for the Commanders, tied for 20th-most in the NFL in that span — but he’s never made the Pro Bowl or earned first-team All-Pro honors. (Though he did ink a two-year, $16.5 million pact with the Dolphins in the offseason.)

In this imaginary scenario, the Raiders miss out on their real-life edge rusher, Maxx Crosby, who comes off the board in Round 1, shortly after Las Vegas takes QB Jordan Love. So in Round 5, they turn to Granderson, a sixth-year pro who has the strength and length to get double-digit sacks in 2024 after piling up 8.5 in his first season as a full-time starter with the Saints.

Vea is heading back to the state where he formerly played college football for the Washington Huskies. As a former first-round draft choice by the Bucs in 2018, where he was the 12th overall pick, Vea is known for his ability to take down running backs and apply an unexpected amount of pressure on the quarterback, considering his 347-pound frame. Over the last two seasons, he has managed to record a total of 12 sacks.

In real life, Higgins is set to play 2024 for Cincinnati on the franchise tag. In our scenario, he escapes the shadow of Ja’Marr Chase to become a true No. 1 option with the Saints.

Williams missed five games in 2022 but was a rock in 2023, when he became the first NFL player since 1930 to suit up in 18 regular-season games, with the timing of his midseason trade from the Giants to the Seahawks causing him to miss both teams’ bye weeks.

Mosley won’t slow down at age 32. The five-time Pro Bowler provides strength between the tackles for Jacksonville, while also chasing down ball-carriers trying to get outside.

Cincinnati has recruited the robust Thomas, hoping that the former first-round pick will recover from 2023, a year where he missed seven games due to a hamstring injury.

Cook’s speed and receiving ability were on full display for the Bills in 2023, when he led the team in rushing yards (1,122) and scrimmage yards (1,567). The former Georgia Bulldog should be even better in Year 3.

Over the past three seasons in San Francisco, Samuel has averaged 46 rushing attempts, surpassing 1,000 receiving yards only once in 2021. Upon moving to Pittsburgh, he will solely play as a receiver, which will likely increase his catch statistics and potentially extend his career in this hypothetical scenario.

Williams looks like a slot corner but is most effective on the outside, where he challenges larger receivers with attitude and athleticism. Over the past two seasons, he collected 35 passes defensed in Jacksonville, more than any other NFL player in that span, then signed a deal to return to the Rams, with whom he first made a name for himself as a pro.

Nelson, a six-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro, strengthens the Browns’ line as a beast, setting the tone for the offense.

Miller is a reliable left tackle. Before a shoulder injury sidelined him for four games with the Raiders in 2023, he had never been absent for more than two games throughout any of his former five professional seasons.

Concerns about Smith’s lack of bulk, at 6-foot and 170-pounds, when he was entering the NFL should no longer exist. In his three seasons with the Eagles, Smith has averaged 80 catches, 1,059 yards, and six touchdowns.

Rousseau’s sizable build (6-6, 266 pounds) is well-suited to Green Bay’s newly implemented 4-3 scheme under the direction of coordinator Jeff Hafley. The Packers are hopeful that in 2024, he will capitalize on more sack opportunities, given his record of achieving eight sacks for the Bills in 2022 and five in 2023.

While “Scary Terry” may not be as fitting for McLaurin, if he were to choose a nickname based on his performance, “Steady Eddie” could be an appropriate option. Over the last three years, McLaurin has consistently participated in every game for Washington, with his catch counts being 77, 77, and 79, respectively. He has also managed to exceed 1,000 yards in each of these seasons.

Don’t be shocked if Latham, who was picked seventh overall by the Titans in April, quickly becomes a Pro Bowler. His pure size (6-6, 342 pounds) mixed with agile footwork could see him shine as a left or right tackle.

The Bills take McBride after watching him improve greatly in Arizona last season. He’d be a fine target for QB Drake Maye to lean on as one of the better two-way tight ends in the league in 2024.

Chubb suffered a torn ACL in Week 17 last season — but before then, he showed what he could do when healthy, reaching the 16-start benchmark for the first time since his rookie season in Denver, putting up 11 sacks and forcing six fumbles (tied for most in the NFL). Presuming he’s able to recover, Chubb’s versatility fits in the Lions’ multiple scheme.

Over the last two years, Taylor has participated in just 21 games, yet he managed to achieve more than 69 rushing yards in 13 of these games. Given his performance, which includes leading the NFL with 1,811 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2021, the Ravens have chosen him in this late stage of the mock in the hope that he might return to his previous form.

Gary is heading into his sixth NFL season, but he still hasn’t played his best football. If he’s fully healthy throughout 2024, he should be able to log 10 or more sacks and grow as a run defender.

OK, so Moses changed teams for the third time in his NFL career this offseason, heading from the Ravens back to the Jets via trade. He was still one of the most consistent right tackles in the game as a pass- and run-blocker in 2023.