BREAKING: Andy Reid comes in first place in the NFL mock draft for head coaches. Who goes next?

One more day, one more draft. But there’s a big twist to this one.

We are selecting head coaches in the draft rather than NFL prospects. The 2024 NFL Draft order was utilized by Yardbarker NFL writers to determine the selection order. However, we returned the first-round picks to Carolina, Cleveland, and Houston, meaning each team will have one pick to hire a head coach.

In addition to current NFL head coaches, there were available college coaches and NFL coaches who had been let go in the previous year, such as Bill Belichick in New England and Mike Vrabel in Tennessee.

So set aside reality. Appreciate this most recent spoof. Recall that Detroit will host the actual NFL Draft from April 25–27.

Carolina Panthers, you are on our clock in the interim. Regular-season records for 2023 are shown in parenthesis.)

1. Andy Reid | Carolina Panthers (2–15) It would be a shock for Reid to go from a possible dynasty to the weakest team in the league. However, the three-time Super Bowl champion came into the league with clubs that had made the playoffs within two years—the Eagles and Chiefs—having won a combined five games the season prior to his arrival. — Eric Smithling

2. Sean McVay | Washington Commanders (4–13) After serving as an assistant coach in Washington for seven years (2010–16), McVay returns to D.C. with a Super Bowl ring and two conference titles. He’s ideal for a young quarterback like Caleb Williams of USC or Drake Maye of North Carolina, who are both on the Commanders’ radar in the 2024 NFL Draft. He’s widely regarded as one of the best brains in football. — Bruce Ewing

3. Kyle Shanahan | New England Patriots (4–13) It would help the rookie quarterback’s growth and the team’s rebuilding efforts if New England were to select a quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft and hire Shanahan, an offensive-minded coach. Shanahan led the San Francisco 49ers to the Super Bowl in his third season of coaching, and the team’s offense finished in the top 12 in yards in five of his seven seasons as head coach. — Colum Dell

4. Mike Tomlin | Arizona Cardinals (4–13) Although it is concerning and deserves criticism that Tomlin hasn’t won a postseason game with the Steelers since the 2016 campaign, he would provide the Cardinals with something they haven’t had in years: significance. Despite some of the worst quarterback play in the league over the last three years, Tomlin has kept Pittsburgh in the running for the playoffs, and a healthy Kyler Murray would be a major upgrade at the position. — Gretz Adam

5. John Harbaugh | LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (5-12) His brother Jim was just hired by the Chargers, but the Baltimore head coach is a better choice because he would undoubtedly address L.A.’s defensive issues. In 2023, the Ravens ended first (16.2) in league points allowed, while Los Angeles finished 23rd (23.4). — Dalton Clark

6. Jim Harbaugh | NEW YORK GIANTS (6-11) | John’s younger brother, John, has 20 years of head coaching experience in both college and the pros. Among his many achievements is Michigan’s 2023 national championship. Harbaugh has a proven track record of building winning teams, having gone 118-46 at Michigan and Stanford in college and 44-19-1 in the NFL’s regular season. He also refuses to be intimidated by the media in New York. — Bruce Ewing

7. TENNESSEE TITANS (6-11) | Brian Callahan | This may surprise some, but the Titans wanted to raise the bar, so they parted ways with Mike Vrabel, a proven winner who led them to an AFC Championship Game and two division crowns in six years. Callahan is the hand-picked head coach of General Manager Ran Carthon, so it makes more sense to stick with him than give in to the allure of well-known figures like Sean Payton and Bill Belichick. — Michael Gallagher

8. Dan Campbell, ATLANTA FALCONS (7-10) It’s evident that the former NFL tight end’s aggressive style fits in well in Atlanta as he effectively transformed the Lions into a contender. If nothing else, we should anticipate that Campbell will use Falcons first-round pick Bijan Robinson more frequently in the red zone. Robinson finished the season with just 23 carries inside the 20-yard line, compared to Lions 2023 first-round pick Jahmyr Gibbs, who led the team with 37 red-zone rush attempts. — Eric Smithling

9. Matt LaFleur | CHICAGO BEARS (7–10) After five seasons as an NFL head coach, LaFleur, 44, remains one of the league’s brightest young minds. With the Packers, he led the youngest team in NFL history to within a few breaks of an NFC Championship Game appearance while transitioning seamlessly from Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers to Jordan Love. Mike Santa Barbara

10. Sean Payton of the New York Jets (7–10) The Jets would gain from having an offensive-minded coach like Payton, who can have an instant impact, after finishing as a bottom-five scoring offense for the last five seasons. — Colum Dell: During his tenure, the former Super Bowl champion led the Saints to nine top-five finishes in points per game and transformed the Broncos offense, which finished 2022 with the fewest points scored, into the 19th-ranked scoring offense this season.

11. Kevin O’Connell | Minnesota Vikings (7–10) It makes sense to stick with O’Connell because the Vikings have shown promise while overcoming setbacks and injuries. In his two seasons in charge, Minnesota has been among the top 10 in offensive yards, and the 38-year-old has won 20 games more quickly than any other coach in team history. Mike Santa Barbara

12. DENVER BRONCOS (8-9) | Mike McDaniel | The Broncos require a quarterback whisperer since they plan to cut Russell Wilson and select a replacement in the draft. Under Colorado native McDaniel, Tua Tagovailoa has thrived in two seasons and made his first Pro Bowl this year. — Dalton Clark

13. Bill Belichick’s Las Vegas Raiders (8-9) | Despite having difficulties in three of his last four seasons with New England, the six-time Super Bowl champion is still regarded as one of the best coaches in league history. Better players, like Pro Bowl DE Maxx Crosby of Las Vegas, would flourish under the defensive maestro. — Dalton Clark

14. Zac Taylor | NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (9-8) Reviving this offense with Taylor would be a great move, going from “Who Dey” to “Who Dat.” With backup quarterback Jake Browning, he prevented Cincinnati’s offense from imploding, and the team ended 2023 with a 9-8 record—the same record as the Saints, who played all 17 games of the regular season with starter Derek Carr. — Eric Smithling

15. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (9-8) | Nick Sirianni: The former offensive coordinator of Indianapolis comes back to his hometown to coach Anthony Richardson, the No. 4 overall choice in 2023. With the Eagles, Sirianni has helped Jalen Hurts become a top-10 passer (he was runner-up in the MVP vote two seasons ago). In 2020, with Indianapolis, he even managed to get a 4,169-yard, 24-touchdown season out of a then-39-year-old Philip Rivers. He would be ideal for helping Richardson grow and creating an offensive scheme that plays to his advantages. — Michael Gallagher