NFL Draft: Where LSU Tigers are trending in recent mock drafts

At this point in the draft process, it seems to be a pretty common thought that LSU will have three players drafted in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft; Jayden Daniels, Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr.

We're just days away from the NFL Combine, and a lot of draft analysts are putting out their second iteration of their mock drafts, so I thought we could go through and see where the Tigers are projected to land pre-NFL Combine and Pro Day.

Daniel Jeremiah: Surprisingly, Daniel Jeremiah has Jayden Daniels as the second LSU Tiger coming off the board behind Malik Nabers who we'll get to in a moment.

Jeremiah currently has Jayden Daniels projected to fall to the New York Giants at No. 6. In this mock, he's the third quarterback off the board behind Caleb Williams (No. 1) and Drake Maye (No. 2).

Mel Kiper: Mel Kiper is the first, but not the only draft expert to project Jayden Daniels No. 2 overall to the Washington Commanders. Sam Howell likely won't be the starter next year, and with a new OC, Washington might look to make a splash at the QB position.

Ryan Wilson: The first Tiger off the board for Ryan Wilson is Jayden Daniels, who he projects to go No. 2 to the Washington Commanders.

With the Sam Howell experiment not going as planned, the Commanders are in obvious need of a quarterback. They just hired quarterback guru, Kliff Kingsbury, as their new OC, and if he wants a difference maker at the QB position, Jayden Daniels could be his guy.

Chris Trapasso: Like Wilson, Chris Trapasso has Jayden Daniels landing at No. 2 to the Washington Commanders. I already went into detail in Wilson's mock about what this would mean for Daniels, but this is one of the landing spots where he could be the starter in his rookie season.

Tom Fornelli: Fornelli has 2/3 Tigers landing in new spots, one of which is Jayden Daniels, who falls to Atlanta at No. 8.

With a new regime in Atlanta and Desmond Ridder likely out as QB1, the Falcons have an obvious need for a new quarterback. They pick at No. 8, and I would be a bit surprised if Daniels is on the board that long, but if he ends up in Atlanta, he has a clear path to be their QB1 sooner rather than later.

Daniel Jeremiah: The first Tiger Jeremiah has coming off the board is Malik Nabers, who's projected to be drafted by the Arizona Cardinals at pick No. 4, one spot behind Marvin Harrison Jr.

Arizona is a landing spot that makes a lot of sense for Nabers. They have a proven QB1 who doesn't have a true No. 1 receiver. Nabers would be expected to come in and make a very early impact, and with his skills, he should be able to do just that with Kyler Murray.

Mel Kiper: Kiper has Nabers going lower than any other draft expert, mocking him to the Chicago Bears at pick No. 9. He pairs him with Caleb Williams in this draft, which would give Williams a WR duo of Nabers and DJ Moore. With a new OC, a new QB and new WR, the Bears could have a pretty fun and formidable offense in 2024.

Ryan Wilson: Wilson has Malik Nabers falling to the New York Giants at No. 6. Like Jeremiah's, he's the second receiver off the board behind Marvin Harrison, who was picked by Arizona in this mock.

Like the Cardinals, the Giants have an obvious need at wide receiver. They gave Daniel Jones a bag last offseason, but he has no weapons at his disposal which led to a poor 2024 season. This is another spot where Nabers could step in as the WR1 as soon as week one.

Chris Trapasso: Another mock draft, another new landing spot for Malik Nabers. Trapasso has the LSU wideout falling to No. 8 in this draft, landing with the Atlanta Falcons.

I know a lot of you are probably Saints fans and would hate this, but Atlanta wouldn't be the worst landing spot for Nabers. He would step in next to Drake London in an offense that's going to throw the ball more with Zac Robinson as offensive coordinator. If he goes to Atlanta, I'd expect him to get a lot of playing time his rookie season.

Tom Fornelli: The only Tiger who doesn't land at a new spot in this mock is Malik Nabers, who goes No. 6 to the New York Giants. Like I said, he would be the Giants WR1 immediately, so if he wants to produce early, this is one of the better spots for him.

Daniel Jeremiah: Jeremiah has Brian Thomas as the third and final Tiger being drafted in the first round of this year's mock draft. In this mock he falls to pick No. 23, landing with CJ Stroud in Houston.

This would be an awesome landing spot for Thomas. They have two proven receivers in Nico Collins and Tank Dell, but they don't have that big bodied wideout who can go up and catch 50/50 balls. He would step into their WR3 role, but in an offense that loves to throw the ball, he should still see a good target share.

Mel Kiper: The final LSU Tiger Kiper has going in the first round is Brian Thomas. Like Nabers, this is the lowest landing spot you'll find Thomas at, going to the Bills at No. 28. With Gabe Davis' future in Buffalo in question, BTJ could step into his role at WR2 pretty easily.

Ryan Wilson: Wilson has Brian Thomas Jr. falling all the way to No. 26 and being selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

With Mike Evans future in Tampa in doubt, the Bucs will need another wideout to compliment Chris Godwin, especially if they sign Baker Mayfield to an extension. He would slide into the Mike Evans role, and while he may not be as efficient, he should see some good playing time.

Chris Trapasso: If you didn't like the Nabers to Atlanta mock, I'm sure you'll appreciate Thomas' spot more as he lands with the Cincinnati Bengals at pick No. 18.

The Bengals just tagged Tee Higgins and they already have Ja'Marr Chase, but with Tyler Boyd likely on his way out, the Bengals have a hole at WR3 for this season. I don't see Cinncy going receiver at this pick unless they expect Higgins to leave after this season, but if BT lands here, he and Burrow could form a nice connection as they potentially try to replace Higgins.

Tom Fornelli: Finally, Brian Thomas lands at his fourth different team in as many mock drafts, landing with the Jacksonville Jaguars at pick 17.

The Jags aren't expected to keep Calvin Ridley as they would have to give Atlanta a second round pick for his services, so that leaves a gaping hole at their WR2 position. Next to Christian Kirk, Thomas could continue to serve in his downfield role with one of the best young QB's in the league throwing him the ball.

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