NFL Draft rumors: Chiefs surprise WR, Packers Round 1 shock, Brock Bowers-Jets

With the 2024 NFL Draft a little more than a week out, rumors are 100 percent all the rage in the NFL world. This is the time of the year were all 32 franchises have hope, either to sustain excellence or to change the narrative of a bad situation. Either way, we do not know what is going to happen next Thursday night. In the meantime, we can sink our teeth into some delicious NFL rumors.

For teams like the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, it is all about finding a nice complementary piece to keep the ball rolling. While they are probably going to take a wide receiver with the last pick in the first round, it may not be a player any of us are expecting. As for a team like the Green Bay Packers, they could go in a lot of different directions with their first-rounder.

And then when it comes to teams like the New York Jets, they have to make a draft selection inside the top 16. New York could be one of the handful of teams who missed the playoffs a year ago that finds their way into them in January. Of course, Gang Green should prioritize getting Aaron Rodgers another weapon before he physically falls off a cliff in his early 40s and into that sweet retirement life.

With Good Morning Football's Peter Schrager releasing an NFL mock draft, we have topics to discuss.

NFL Draft rumors: Brock Bowers to the New York Jets feels inevitable

Peter Schrager is not alone. Brock Bowers to the New York Jets makes all the sense in the world. Once it became clear that the Los Angeles Chargers were not dead-set on taking him in the top five, I suspected that Gang Green would be the most logical landing spot for the former Georgia star at No. 10 overall. New York is in win-now mode. Aaron Rodgers is not getting any younger, so go for it, Jets!

New York is where I have Bowers slotted as well. A team in need of some help offensively, especially in the passing game, would be foolish to pass on Bowers in the first round. For that reason, I cannot realistically see a way for the greatest tight end in college football history to make it past the Indianapolis Colts picking at No. 15 this spring. New York could go in a different direction, but stop...

With so much on the line for head coach Robert Saleh, and to some extent general manager Joe Douglas, the Jets cannot afford to whiff on their first-round pick in a season with a crashing sense of urgency. As long as he is healthy, Bowers is going to have a fabulous pro career. He could go everything in the Georgia offense outside of throwing the ball downfield. This pick feels so obvious.

Unless the Jets really love a receiver or something, I have a hard time seeing them pass on Bowers.

NFL Draft rumors: Green Bay Packers replace David Bakhtiari in first

As stated before, there are a ton of different directions the Green Bay Packers could go in with their first-round pick. I have written before about them trading up a bit from No. 25. I am sure there are scenarios where they deal for a proven product on the field already in exchange for their first-round pick this year. However, I find it odd that they might be the team that could end up with Amarius Mims.

Peter Schrager has Green Bay taking Mims with its No. 25 overall pick in his latest NFL mock draft. Given that I watched Mims star at my alma matter for years, I don't really have all that much of a problem with this pick. He is an immense talent, albeit one that has had trouble staying on the field. However, the Packers' have more pressing needs out on the perimeter on both sides of the football.

Right now, I would have the Packers in a group with a few other teams looking up at the Detroit Lions and the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC hierarchy. I am bullish on what they can do next year. But with that in mind, I am not sure that replacing David Bakhtiari with Mims late in the first round gives them the best chance at getting to the Super Bowl. I could be wrong, but I would go wide receiver instead.

This might be the smarter pick long-term, but I had my reasons in projecting Mims to Pittsburgh.

NFL Draft rumors: Kansas City Chiefs take WR, but not one you'd think

All signs point to the Kansas City Chiefs using their first-round pick on a wide receiver. They could trade up for one, but by standing pat at No. 32, they should still be able to land a playmaker of substance without giving up any precious draft capital. While I would love to see my Dawg Ladd McConkey catch passes from Patrick Mahomes, Peter Schrager had other ideas in his mock draft.

Because McConkey came off the board a pick before the Chiefs were on the clock to the San Francisco 49ers at No. 31 overall, Schrager had Kansas City reaching massively on former Washington wide out Ja'Lynn Polk. While he was a huge part of the Huskies' vaunted aerial attack under Kalen DeBoer, I am legitimately shocked he is going in the same round as Rome Odunze.

While Brian Thomas Jr. has started to pick up steam as the second likely first-round LSU wide receiver coming off the board, after Malik Nabers inside the top 10 of course, I did not expect to see Polk joining Odunze in the first round. Polk should be a day-two pick, but if a team like the Chiefs thinks that highly of him, then by all means take him. They have earned the benefit of the doubt in this.

All I know is the Chiefs are almost certainly going to take a wide receiver late in the first round.