The 2024 MAC-Only Mock Draft
An annual MACtion-sided mock draft. For funsies.
#1 Chicago (via CAR): QB, Rocky Lombardi (Northern Illinois)
Justin Fields is going to get the hook soon, it’s just only a matter of time before that happens. Chicago needs to know it’ll have the goods at QB to do so, and it’s going to take the an older arm here to start the draft off. Rocky Lombardi turns 26 in July, Fields will turn 25 in a couple of weeks.
Lombardi was never an All-MAC pick as a quarterback, but he did help NIU win a MAC title in his first year as a transfer starter, which I hope is enough of a resume booster for Chicagoland.
#2 Washington: QB, D.J. Irons (Akron)
It’s a new regime over at Washington, and all signs point to them wanting to go after a QB too. D.J. Irons has always been a respected athlete in the conference, and Washington’s going to have to ignore his injury past to make an inspired pick here.
#3 New England: LS, Steve Bird (Eastern Michigan)
Tired: Reuniting college QBs and WRs together again through the draft.
Wired: Reuniting college kickers and long snappers together again through the draft.
Chad Ryland was drafted (out of Maryland) by New England, but struggled with a 64% field goal percentage — the worst in the league. But kicking is a lot like golf, and maybe Steve Bird is the type of caddy Ryland’s been missing in his game.
#4 Arizona: WR, Odieu Hiliare (Bowling Green)
Kyler Murray needs a receiver. Odiue Hiliare, even though he didn’t have as great of a statistical season as I would’ve hoped to have seen from him in 2023 (45 rec., 532 yards, 4 TD), he’s still probably my favorite MAC receiver in this year’s draft class.
#5 LA Chargers: RB, Samson Evans (Eastern Michigan)
For as versatile as Evans was with EMU, his type of mobility and physicality would be really helpful for the types of offenses that Jim Harbaugh will try to run as he starts his new NFL job. And as all EMU football watchers know, Evans has enough high school QB experience that can pay off out of the Wildcat (career 6/6 passing, 74 yards, 5 TD) and finished his career ninth in EMU history with 2,302 rushing yards.
#6 NY Giants: CB, Quinyon Mitchell (Toledo)
Quinyon Mitchell is, of course, the most surefire candidate to come from the MAC. He was already a guy to watch for in the 2022 season. He was a standout at the Senior Bowl and now he’s one of the two MAC guys to be invited to the NFL Combine. If we’re being serious about Mitchell’s draft potential, he’s probably going end up as a First Round/Thursday guy.
#7 Tennessee: WR, Sam Wiglusz (Ohio)
Sam Wiglusz definitely took the road less traveled to be where he’s at. While Jameson Williams might’ve transferred out of Ohio State’s superstar wide receiver room to stand out somewhere else before his draft, Wiglusz only got into Ohio State’s wide receiver room as a walk-on. Only after going through some masterclasses in Columbus did Wiglusz come to Ohio and earn First Team All-MAC honors in back-to-back years.
#8 Atlanta: LB, Bryce Houston (Ohio)
All of the mock drafts I’ve seen say Atlanta really really needs the defensive help here, especially in the tackles for loss department. Bryce Houston has finished each of the last two seasons in the double digits for TFLs and was fourth in the league with 127 tackles last year.
#9 Chicago: TE, Austin Hence (Western Michigan)
Much like Lombardi, his new QB with this parody mock draft, Austin Hence also got to live two lifetimes in one: he spent eight years in college. Hence was a Division 2 transfer that later walked on at WMU, his father’s alma mater. Jamie Hence is an all-time great Bronco who was an All-American track star and a football player, so the family’s athletic background is certainly there. Injuries sidelined Hence for most of his college career, but had 259 receiving yards on 24 catches (3 TD) last year.
#10 NY Jets: DE, Marshawn Kneeland (Western Michigan)
Like the Quinyon Mitchell pick, I can’t keep the bit going any longer with Marshawn Kneeland. This guy has a legit shot at getting scooped up in the early rounds of the draft (doesn’t sound like 1st round material right now though) and there’s no reason to have him fall out of the top 10.
#11 Minnesota: QB, Layne Hatcher (Ball State)
Maybe the MAC’s forgotten quarterback in this class. Hatcher’s one season with Ball State went worse than imagined, but is there really no reason to still believe in the guy who was the Sun Belt Freshman of the Year in 2019? Especially since he came to Ball State with four 2,000+ yard seasons on his resume, I’d argue most of the problems Hatcher had to deal with last year had very little to do with him individually. Plus, in the seven games that he did play in, he actually improved on his career passing percentage (65.3%, was 62.2% with Texas State in 2022) and had a TD-INT ratio of 4-1. Hatcher wouldn’t have to be Minnesota’s Week 1 starter, but a season holding the clipboard behind Kirk Cousins for a little bit isn’t a terrible strategy here.
#12 Denver: DT, Judge Culpepper (Toledo)
Judge Culpepper, after transferring from Penn State, was a 3-year starter for the Rockets and a First Team All-MAC selection last year. He ranked fourth in the MAC with nine sacks, and was Toledo’s leader with 10.5 TFL which is pretty hard to pull off from his interior D-line spot.
#13 Las Vegas: DE, Devin Nicholson (Kent State)
Had Devin Nicholson, Kent State’s talented graduate transfer from Missouri, not gone down with an injury against Akron, I thought he would’ve finished the year with an All-MAC stamp of approval. Still, Nicholson had 53 tackles (4.5 for loss), a pass breakup and a fumble recovery in the eight-and-a-half games that he did play for the Flashes.
#14 New Orleans: DT, James Ester (Northern Illinois)
This Detroit native is a three-time All-MAC recipient, though never a First Team selection. Ester finished his 5-year NIU career with 120 total tackles, 19 TFL and 9 sacks.
#15 Indianapolis: WR, Daniel George (Akron)
D.J. Irons’ injury didn’t have any impact on Daniel George’s bottom line, and his receiver was even the feature weapon for Akron’s lone MAC win over Kent State with his nine-catch day for 104 yards and a score. The two-year transfer from Penn State had over 1,300 receiving yards in his 24 games, and was an All-MAC pick last year.
#16 Seattle: CB, Davon Ferguson (Bowling Green)
Davon Ferguson has been one of the premier defenders in the MAC and has a lot to do with Bowling Green’s rise to have back-to-back bowl seasons since 2012-2015. Ferguson’s a hard-hitting defender who might be able to echo some of Seattle’s beloved Legion of Boom era.
#17 Jacksonville: DE, Sidney Houston Jr. (Ball State)
The MAC’s TFL leader from last year is finally off the board. The former D2 standout at McKendree was a real hammer for Ball State’s defense in each of the last two seasons. Sidney Houston Jr. was a First Team All-MAC pick in 2023, and had 126 career tackles (24.5, 12 sacks) with Ball State.
#18 Cincinnati: OL, Nolan Potter (Northern Illinois)
Nolan Potter has 3 All-MAC selections to his name (two First Team picks, one Second Team) and has made 43 starts over the last four seasons. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Potter be one of the guys from this year’s graduating class to really cut it in this league.
#19 LA Rams: S, Nate Bauer (Toledo)
Nate Bauer was an All-MAC pick in 2020 and 2022, and has been a starting safety for this defense since 2019. He recorded 245 career tackles and 6 INT (16 pass breakups) over his 60 games played.
#20 Pittsburgh: OL, Brian Dooley (Eastern Michigan)
Brian Dooley, the Ironman of EMU football, is the program’s leader in starts (60) and games played (62), is on to block for Kenny Pickett and the Steelers. Dooley has been an All-MAC selection in each of the last three seasons.
#21 Miami: LB, Dallas Gant (Toledo)
Dallas Gant has picked up two First Team All-MAC picks since he transferred from Ohio State to Toledo, and had exactly 116 and 117 tackles in each of the last two years. Gant’s definitely a solid option to use against the pass with eight career pass breakups.
#22 Philadelphia: OL, Deiyantei Powell-Woods (Central Michigan)
A three-year starter for CMU’s O-line and two-time Al-MAC pick is exactly the type of player Philly should want to go for, especially after Jason Kelce’s (maybe) retirement.
#23 Houston (via CLE): DE, Max Michel (Buffalo)
Max Michel has been a full-time contributor and usual starter for Buffalo’s offense since 2019 when he was a redshirt-freshman with the team. Undersized for his position (6-2, 235 lbs.) but a very active and productive edge defender nonetheless. He recorded 129 tackles, 22.5 TFL, 13.5 sacks, 5 pass breakups, and eight fumbles forced.
#24 Dallas: DL, Jacques Bristol (Central Michigan)
Jacques Brisol has been a consistent D-lineman for CMU dating back to 2019 when he had 7 TFL and 2.5 sacks as a true freshman. Brisol finally got All-MAC honors this past season, and leaves CMU after 142 tackles (24.5 TFL, 10.5 sacks) and 57 games played (42 starts).
#25 Green Bay: CB, Yahsyn McKee (Miami)
Yahsyn McKee played at Mercer before he transferred to Miami in 2022. The corner made 23 pass breakups and six interceptions in his two years with the RedHawks; he was a Second Team All-MAC pick in 2023.
#26 Tampa Bay: LB, Joe Sparacio (Eastern Michigan)
Joe Sparacio, a two-year transfer from Boston College (Naples, Fla. native) is about to join a couple of other former EMU defensive standouts at Tampa Bay — Pat O’Connor and Jose Ramirez. Sparacio was ninth in the nation with 137 tackles recorded in 2023.
#27 Arizona (via HOU): LB, Chase Kline (Eastern Michigan)
Chase Kline finished tied for third in the nation with 143 total tackles. Arizona needs the help on defense and could experiment with Kline’s 6-foot-4 as a defensive end for a change.
#28 Buffalo: OL, Gabe Wallace (Buffalo)
Gabe Wallace was a three-year starter at UB and has experience starting at every OL position except for center. Listed at 6-foot-6, 337 lbs., Wallace seems like the kind of candidate that’s worth being a little patient with, if he needs the time. What he won’t need time with is moving. He might be able to just stay in whatever apartment he’s been living out of right now since he’s not even leaving the city here. Wallace was a Third Team All-MAC pick in each of the last two seasons.
#29 Detroit: K, Alex McNulty (Buffalo)
Alex McNulty broke Buffalo’s school record for longest field goal in 2021, and would probably be better than his career 68.2% field goal mark if he just had an indoor home field to play inside of. McNulty was the MAC’s special teams player of the year award winner last season.
#30 Baltimore: CB, Keni-H Lovely (Western Michigan)
A two-time All-MAC pick, Keni-H Lovely has recorded six interceptions, 16 pass breakups, and four forced fumbles in his 42-game WMU career.
#31 San Francisco: WR, Hamze El-Zayat (Eastern Michigan)
I don’t know if he’ll help with understanding overtime rules in the Super Bowl, but I think Hamze El-Zayat can help San Francisco try to get back there again. He was electric in his one active season with EMU as a receiver and return specialist.
#32 Kansas City: LB, Darren Anders (Bowling Green)
Darren Anders is exactly the kind of guy who Bowling Green needed to have its recent turnaround. In his five-year career (54 games), Anders was a two-time All-MAC pick who made 360 total tackles, 29.5 TFL, 10 sacks, 10 pass breakups, and 5 fumbles.
Humorous, Rocky was born in July by the way but he was born at the University of Michigan and I was living in Ypsilanti at the time. The DC at EMU. Go Eagles