DETROIT, MI. – After a very chaotic Free Agency period which saw multiple stars find new homes and some blockbuster trade deals get accomplished in the weeks heading up to the draft, the dust has finally settled and the first night of the draft has concluded, giving us the question of the night, who got it right?
Pick #1 – Chicago Bears (Traded by Carolina) – Caleb Williams (QB, USC)
DRAFT GRADE – A
This was the obvious pick for months that was talked about while the NFL season was still going, now Chicago has their man. After the Justin Fields experiment finally reached its grand finale on March 16th when the Bears sent him away to Pittsburgh in exchange for a conditional draft pick for the 2025 draft. All the signs pointed to the Bears drafting Caleb Williams as their next potential franchise QB, this time the Bears front office doesn’t look like it’ll screw this attempt up. During the free agency period the Bears bolstered up their offense by acquiring RB De’Andre Swift from the Eagles during the Free Agency period and bringing in WR Keenan Allen from the LA Chargers. It looks to be that Williams will be surrounded by help heading into his rookie season with the Bears. However with the QB room being Tyson Bagent and Brett Rypien, don’t be surprised if the Bears look to draft another QB in the later rounds this weekend as an insurance policy.
Williams had an outstanding year at USC despite losing his last three college games, the Quarterback finished the year with a 68.6 completion rating, 30 touchdowns and only 5 interceptions. This was the obvious choice for the Bears to make and it should be exciting to see Williams rookie season in Chicago. If the Bears front office makes the right decisions this time around, Williams could very well put the Bears back on the map and add even more competition to an already competitive NFC North Conference.
Pick #2 – Washington Commanders – Jayden Daniels (QB, LSU)
DRAFT GRADE – A
It’s been an interesting couple of seasons for Washington, after making the playoffs during the Covid season in 2020 they just haven’t been able to find their groove again. They had Sam Howell who showed plenty of promise this past season if the front office could trust him and build around him, but he is now gone. Washington finds themselves back in a loop that they can’t seem to escape. However, with this draft pick, they are taking a massive gamble on a guy who showed this past season that he can handle adversity.
Jayden Daniels started his college career at Arizona State University, he transferred to LSU in 2022 and never looked back. In his senior season he took LSU to the Reliaquest Bowl and finished with a 9-3 record. From a personal standpoint his senior campaign couldn’t have gone any better, boasting a 72.7 completion percentage along with 40 Touchdowns and only 4 Interceptions. If this rebuild is done correctly, Jayden Daniels and the Commanders could be a force to recon with for years to come.
Pick #3 – New England Patriots – Drake Maye (QB, UNC)
DRAFT GRADE – A-
This draft pick officially marks the new era in New England. This is the first draft pick since 1995 in which neither Bill Belichick or Tom Brady were on a Patriot team. This past season put New England in unfamiliar territory. However, all good things come to an end and this pick allows not only the fans, but the organization itself to have a fresh start and embrace the future.
This is a risky pick for the Patriots, they do not want a repeat of Mac Jones. However, Maye in the short time he started at UNC proved that he can handle the pressure of starting for a big name program. For this pick to really go well, the Patriots need to trust Maye and not hang him up like they did to Mac Jones. In his senior campaign, Maye threw a 63.3 completion percentage. Maye also had 24 Touchdowns and 9 interceptions.
Pick #4 – Arizona Cardinals – Marvin Harrison Jr. (WR, Ohio State)
DRAFT GRADE – A+
After making the Post Season in 2021 the Cardinals looked like they would be back on track. It is currently 2024 and they haven’t back since, but they are looking to get back to it sooner rather than later and tonight’s pick just proved that.
Arguably the best overall player in the draft class. Marvin Harrison Jr. was an absolute terror for defenses during his time in college at Ohio State, and he’s football royalty as his father is considered one of the greatest receivers in our generation. This is a great pick for the Cardinals, with the departure of Marquise Brown, the Cardinals needed a new WR 1 and now they have their new project. In three years at Ohio State, Harrison posted 2,613 receiving yards, 31 touchdowns, and 155 receptions.
Pick #5 – Los Angeles Chargers – Joe Alt (OT, Notre Dame)
DRAFT GRADE – A
After a shockingly horrible season from the Chargers which saw a midseason coaching change and their star Quarterback Justin Herbert break his finger leaving him finished for the season, the Chargers definitely needed to go back to the drawing board this offseason and figure out what happened and what needs to change. After denying calls from other teams involving trades for Justin Herbert it’s clear that the team will build around him, and with a new Head Coach we will see how this pick fits in his new home.
The best Offensive Lineman in the draft is off the board and going to Los Angeles. Joe Alt is definitely what the Chargers needed, after Justin Herbert was beat up all of last season behind the line, it became evident that this would be something that needed to be fixed in the offseason. Alt is a unit at 6’8, 325 lbs, he was named a finalist for the Lombardi Award this past college season and was named an AP first-team All-American. This is definitely a right step for the Chargers to take.
Pick #6 – New York Giants – Malik Nabers (WR, LSU)
DRAFT GRADE – B+
After making the playoffs in 2022, the Giants did what the Giants do best, get everyone’s hopes up before ultimately crushing them by going 6-11 in 2023. For the fans, this draft demanded a quarterback and the end of the Daniel Jones era in New York, but the front office had other plans with this pick.
The Giants fill a need that has been plaguing the Giants the past couple of seasons, they finally add an explosive receiver to the receiver room and relive the pressure off of Darius Slayton. While the Giants definitely could’ve gone down the route of a new QB tonight, they opted to bolster the crew around their current Quarterback. However, there are some concerns facing the Giants now, Can Daniel Jones prove that he was not a mistake, Can the O-Line protect Daniel Jones long enough to get the ball to Nabers, Can Nabers live up to the pressure of being in the New York market.
Pick #7 – Tennessee Titans – JC Latham (OT, Alabama)
DRAFT GRADE – B
It’s been a roller coaster of emotions for the Titans franchise the past couple of years, after what looked like the revival of Ryan Tannehill’s career, ended up falling flat, and a questionable draft choice in Malik Willis in 2022, the Titans settled for Kentucky standout Will Levis in last year’s draft. Levis had a pretty promising rookie campaign despite going 3-6 as a starter last season, but it was incredibly clear the Titans needed to give him help if he is the future of this franchise, and this draft pick was definitely needed and hopefully they get this pick correct.
JC Latham was a big part of the Alabama offensive line last season and helped the Alabama offense get to the Rose Bowl, unfortunately he couldn’t win one final ring before heading off to the draft. Latham is a good fit for the Titans but he definitely was not the best available player in his position, according to ESPN he is ranked 5th among his position, and 23rd overall in the draft.
Pick #8 – Atlanta Falcons – Michael Penix Jr. (QB, Washington)
DRAFT GRADE – C+
Atlanta has never been the same since losing the Super Bowl and has seen a massive decline since that fateful day. However, this offseason looked to be the turning point in what can be a new era in the Falcons franchise. To start, the Falcons signed Vikings Quarterback Kirk Cousins to a massive four-year contract. Along with the additions of Cousins the Falcons brought in Darnell Mooney to strengthen what could be a very scary offense with young Running Back Bijan Robinson and Tight End Kyle Pitts. However, a big flaw in the Falcons team last year was also the lack of defense which has yet to be addressed this offseason, this draft pick could make or break the Falcons for years to come.
Michael Penix Jr. had a great season with Washington and no one is questioning his playing ability, however, with the massive deal that brought Kirk Cousins to Atlanta it is slightly confusing as to why Atlanta would draft a Quarterback this early. This season, Penix boasted a 65.4 completion percentage, an unreal 4,903 passing yards and 36 touchdowns. This was definitely a shocking move by Atlanta and hopefully this is a gamble that pays off down the road.
Pick #9 – Chicago Bears – Rome Odunze (WR, Washington)
DRAFT GRADE – A
Chicago got their QB earlier in the night, now they can focus on other areas that desperately needed attention, such as their Receiver room, despite getting Keenan Allen in a trade earlier this offseason, that isn’t going to make all of their problems disappear.
This is a solid pick by the Bears, considering Harrison and Nabers were already off the board, Odunze was the easy decision to make. Odunze joins Keenan Allen in the Bears receiving room and definitely will be mentored by the veteran receiver. Chicago went 2 for 2 tonight in the draft and will hopefully looking to ride this momentum into tomorrow night. At Washington, Odunze brought in 92 receptions this past season, 1,640 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns.
Pick #10 – Minnesota Vikings (Traded by New York Jets) – JJ McCarthy (QB, Michigan)
DRAFT GRADE – B+
This was the first trade of the night, what was supposed to be the Jets most likely getting help for Aaron Rodgers next year turns into Minnesota jumping up for someone that they really couldn’t wait for.
The National Champion is off the board, after being linked to the Giants for the past two weeks, the Giants passed on him and left him out on the board for the Vikings to take. This is a good pick for the Vikings but it adds some questions, will there be competition between him and Sam Darnold heading into opening week, will he be able to accommodate Justin Jefferson, is he built to play for a team that isn’t all around loaded with talent. McCarthy compared to the other Quarterback’s in this class had a lower year on the stat line, sporting a 72.3 completion percentage, 2,991 passing yards and 22 touchdowns. This is a good pick for Minnesota, however there is a ton of risk involved.
Pick #11 – New York Jets – (Traded by Minnesota Vikings) – Olumuyiwa Fashanu (OT, Penn State)
DRAFT GRADE – A
The Jets decided to lay back and trade the 10th pick to Minnesota, definitely not worried that their pick would be stolen by the Vikings.
This is a great pick for the Jets, definitely something they needed especially with Aaron Rodgers coming back to take snaps under center next year for the Jets. Definitely worth trading back for and a great value, he is currently the 3rd ranked tackle in the draft and for him to fall this far in the draft makes it all better.
Pick #12 – Denver Broncos – Bo Nix (QB, Oregon)
DRAFT GRADE – C+
Broncos Country, let’s be for real. You’ve been through enough the past couple of years, you need a fresh start and hopefully this draft pick gives you the fresh start you deserve to have.
This was a reach by the Broncos. The Broncos definitely could’ve traded back if they really wanted him off the board in the 1st round. Nix has been playing in college for five years, however, this was definitely his best season on record. In his only year at Oregon, Nix put up a 77.4 completion percentage, 4,508 passing yards and 45 touchdowns with only 3 interceptions. This stat line is something you’d see out of a video game. There no doubt that Nix is a talented QB, but for the Broncos to take him in the top 15 is definitely a reach.
Pick #13 – Los Vegas Raiders – Brock Bowers (TE, Georgia)
DRAFT GRADE – B+
Being lucky 13 is definitely something the Raiders would do, After Derek Carr headed to New Orleans the previous offseason, they tried their luck with Jimmy Garopollo, unfortunately the luck was not there. They tried Aiden O’Connell for a bit, definitely wasn’t awful but probably not the answer most Raiders fans want.
After missing out on what was assumingely going to be Bo Nix, the Raiders go ahead and take the best Tight End in the draft. Brock Bowers is a weapon and any team looking for a Tight End would be lucky to have him. However, the Raiders still have a lot on offense to work on, they still need a Quarterback, they still need to fix the offensive line, taking a tight end as your first pick out of the seven you have can be a questionable decision. Hopefully Vegas can get it together in the later rounds and not just go for the best available player every time and get positions they actually need.
Pick #14 – New Orleans Saints – Taliese Fuaga (OT, Oregon State)
DRAFT GRADE – A
Finally some positivity in this article, the Saints finished 1st in their division, unfortunately they didn’t make the playoffs and will be looking to wait another year for that. However, with the veteran experience of Derek Carr and a very promising offense combined with a lethal defense that allowed the 8th lowest points allowed in the league last season, this draft pick could be the missing piece to the Saints eventual playoff run.
Fallen right into place, Fuaga is definitely a more underrated pick in this draft as he’s only allowed one sack in his entire career. With the Saints recent success and their upward trend, this could be the pick that helps spring them into the playoffs or at least get them closer to that goal now that Derek Carr has some more protection heading into next season.
Pick #15 – Indianapolis Colts – Laiatu Latu (EDGE, UCLA)
DRAFT GRADE – B
So close but so far, after absolutely nailing it last year by picking Anthony Richardson the Colts turned a lot of heads, however after an unfortunate injury which left him out for the year, Gardner Minshew picked up the pieces and almost led the Colts to a playoff appearance, but it wasn’t enough as they lost to the Texans on the last day of the season and missing out on the playoffs. The Colts have some notable missing pieces that need to be addressed this offseason.
This is the first defensive pick in the entire draft. Solid pick by the Colts as they definitely needed more pressure on the defensive side. A big concern is if he can stay healthy, despite his great performance this past season, he had to miss two seasons due to a neck injury and was told by doctors that medically retiring was a plausible option.
Pick #16 – Seattle Seahawks – Byron Murphy II (DT, Texas)
DRAFT GRADE – A
The Seahawks had a lot in place for this season and very well could’ve been a playoff contender if not for some inconsistencies on both sides of the ball, however these are minor adjustments that easily can be addressed in the draft.
The Seahawks splashed with this pick, The 2023 Big XII Defensive Player of the Year is going to Seattle. After a dominant year which saw 29 tackles and 5 sacks, Murphy should make a big impact in his rookie season.
Pick #17 – Minnesota Vikings (Traded by Jacksonville Jaguars) – Dallas Turner (EDGE, Alabama)
DRAFT GRADE – A
The Vikings do it again, after trading up for JJ McCarthy, they decide to go out and get another 1st round pick.
After getting McCarthy earlier in the night, the Vikings decide to trade back into the 1st round and grab Dallas Turner. Turner had an amazing year with Alabama having 53 tackles and 10 sacks, along with 2 forced fumbles. The St. Thomas Aquinas alumni will be looking to make his presence known on the Vikings defense that was in need of a big hitter.
Pick #18 – Cincinnati Bengals – Amarius Mims (OT, Georgia)
DRAFT GRADE – A
This season was anything but ordinary for the Bengals, after being a powerhouse in the NFL for the past few seasons they’ve taken a slight decline. Yet again they finished above .500 in an incredibly competitive AFC North division. However, losing Joe Mixon in Free Agency would rightfully concern some Bengal fans. Hopefully this draft pick provides them with some relief or at least a distraction to the Running Back situation.
Definitely a steal as Mims fell down the board probably farther than he should’ve. This definitely gives relief to Joe Burrow and Zack Moss as the QB and RB duo will have some more protection.
Pick #19 – Los Angeles Rams – Jared Verse (EDGE, FSU)
DRAFT GRADE – A
The Rams had a quite successful season, making it to the playoffs before getting knocked out by the Detroits Lions who were on their Cinderella run. However, the Rams defense definitely needed some addressing this offseason, with most of the Rams games being extremely close for comfort.
Verse definitely isn’t the best player available but in the case of the Rams, however, he was definitely the best fit for the Rams to take. After transferring to FSU from Alabama in 2022, Verse made an immediate impact for the Seminoles, this past season, Verse had 41 tackles, 9 sacks and 1 forced fumble. With the departure of Aaron Donald, Verse can definitely be the next man up to take the mantle.
Pick #20 – Pittsburgh Steelers – Troy Fautanu (OG, Washington)
DRAFT GRADE – A
Despite everything that happened this season, the Steelers made it to the playoffs. However, after getting rid of Kenny Pickett who finally looked like he was getting into the grove of things for Russell Wilson and adding Justin Fields into the mix, things seem very confusing for Steelers fans right now. Don’t be surprised if the Steelers go on a more offensive based approach with their draft picks
This is a solid pick for the Steelers, no better way to introduce your two new quarterbacks to the team than acquiring a new offensive guard to show that you care. Fautanu was part of the Washington unit that won the Joe Moore Award as the best offensive line in the country. Fautanu was a third-team AP All-American and first-team all-Pac-12 selection.
Pick #21 – Miami Dolphins – Chop Robinson (EDGE, Penn State)
DRAFT GRADE – A
Despite looking like a super team on paper, the Miami Dolphins still have some glaring issues that needed attention this offseason before they can really reach their potential.
On an already stacked defense, adding Chop Robinson to the mix definitely gives the Dolphins more depth and the ability to run rotation on the edge. Robinson was a menace to offensive lines as he forced 4 sacks on the year and had 2 forced fumbles. He took the internet by storm with his impressive 4.48 time in the 40 yard dash with his 6’3, 250 lb frame. With the Dolphins system he should fit in just fine.
Pick #22 – Philadelphia Eagles – Quinyon Mitchell (CB, Toledo)
DRAFT GRADE – A
After a triumphant regular season the Eagles went out of the playoffs on a whimper by being knocked out by Tampa Bay. As a response, they decided to go all in during the early offseason, signing RB Saquon Barkley and trading for Kenny Pickett. However, they lost a very prominent voice in the locker room and on the field as captain Jason Kelce called it a career. Finding an offensive lineman to replace Kelce should be a priority for the Eagles.
While Mitchell is not an offensive lineman, he is definitely a sought after prospect in this draft. Him dropping this far couldn’t work out any better for the Eagles as the secondary has been an issue for the Eagles in the past few seasons, this draft pick is a sign of things to come that the front office is taking notice of the defensive issue.
Pick #23 – Jacksonville Jaguars (Traded by Minnesota Vikings) – Brian Thomas Jr. (WR, LSU)
DRAFT GRADE – B
The Jaguars are finally on the board after trading their pick away to Minnesota earlier in the night.
Thomas had an outstanding final year at LSU with 17 touchdowns, however, his performance this year compared to his two years before are slightly concerning and do raise some questions especially with where he will fit in considering Jacksonville has Gabe Davis, Christian Kirk and Zay Jones all will be competing for the WR1 spot heading into the season.
Pick #24 – Detroit Lions (Traded by Dallas Cowboys) – Terrion Arnold (CB, Alabama)
DRAFT GRADE – B+
The Lions trade up in the draft, leaving the Cowboys in the back of the line.
After falling down the boards in the draft, Arnold has finally found a home in Detroit. Arnold was all over the field this past season with 63 total tackles and 5 interceptions. With Dan Campbell’s aggressive play style, Arnold should feel right at home.
Pick #25 – Green Bay Packers – Jordan Morgan (OT, Arizona)
DRAFT GRADE – B
No one expected the Packers to have the season they had as they made it all the way to the Divisional Round. However, due to the Packers being one of the younger squads in the league, there’s plenty that they could work on in this draft.
Jordan Love has more protection on the line heading into next season, however, there are concerns over his ACL injury from two years ago that could possibly hinder his ability to play at the level he needs to be at in the NFL.
Pick #26 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Graham Barton (Center, Duke)
DRAFT GRADE – A
The Buccaneers burst onto the scene out of nowhere after being counted out by virtually everyone, After having a 5-1 start to the season the Bucs finished first in the NFC South and made it all the way to the Divisional Round of the playoffs. However, much like the Packers there is plenty that they can work on by using this draft.
The highest ranked Center in the draft is off the board and gives Baker Mayfield some extra protection for next season.
Pick #27 – Arizona Cardinals (Traded by Houston Texans) – Darius Robinson (EDGE, Missouri)
DRAFT GRADE – B+
Due to the Texans somehow annihilating the rebuild challenge in such a short time, the Cardinals are left at a disadvantage by having a pick this high in the first round. However, they still have two first round draft picks so they should consider themselves lucky.
Robinson fills a major need for the Cardinals, he was a terror for defenses in the SEC with 43 total tackles and 8.5 sacks on the year. Robinson should make an impact coming into his rookie year.
Pick #28 – Kansas City Chiefs – (Traded by Buffalo Bills) – Xavier Worthy (WR, Texas)
DRAFT GRADE – A
Kansas was originally supposed to be the last pick of the night but they made a deal that the Bills couldn’t refuse.
Kansas City finds their newer Tyreek Hill. Worthy took the internet by storm as he broke the 40 yard dash time with a 4.21 putting scouts on notice. Worthy made an impact in the receiving game as he had his only 1,000 yard season but only had 5 touchdowns. Worthy will look to be a role player in the Kansas City offense, while he may not be scoring a lot he will certainly get the Chiefs offense down the field.
Pick #29 – Dallas Cowboys (Traded by Detroit Lions) – Tyler Guyton (OT, Oklahoma)
DRAFT GRADE – B+
After trading away their pick to Detroit earlier in the night, Dallas finds themselves back in the draft.
Definitely the best available tackle in the draft up to this point but this pick wasn’t necessarily a desperate need for the Cowboys. However, this was the best case scenario for Guyton, Dallas has a history of developing great offensive tackles and if Guyton can be developed properly he can very well be the next big thing.
Pick #30 – Baltimore Ravens – Nate Wiggins (CB, Clemson)
DRAFT GRADE – B
Talk about a team who is just nearly there. The Ravens made it all the way to the AFC Conference Championship game just to fall short to the Chiefs. Baltimore has everything a team could need to contend for a Super Bowl, but that doesn’t mean it’s perfect.
Definitely not the best available at his position at this point in the draft, however it does fill a need that Baltimore needed to figure out, coverage did sell the Ravens in a couple of moments this past season and this draft pick was a step in the right direction.
Pick #31 – San Francisco 49ers – Ricky Pearsall (WR, Florida)
DRAFT GRADE – C-
Just like the Ravens, the 49ers were just nearly there. Despite making it to the Super Bowl and losing, there are still missing pieces that very well could’ve changed the game this year. However, with some notable departures on defense, the 49ers should have a more defensive focused draft this year.
The human highlight reel from Florida is off the board, definitely a lot earlier than most people expected. This is an interesting pick because the 49ers already have Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, and Jauan Jennings, there was absolutely no need for the 49ers to take Pearsall, and if they really did need him it really could’ve waited till tomorrow. There was definitely a better choice out there for the 49ers to take tonight and this move could very well hurt them in the future or it could have no effect whatsoever.
Pick #32 – Carolina Panthers (Traded by Buffalo Bills) – Xavier Legette (WR, South Carolina)
DRAFT GRADE – B
After trading the 28th pick to the Chiefs the Bills did have the last pick of the night, however, the Bills elected to trade their pick to the Carolina Panthers and start the 2nd round with their pick.
They weren’t supposed to pick tonight but when they saw an opportunity and took it and they definitely cashed in. Legette had a standout senior season at South Carolina as he got his 1,000 yard season and got on the 2nd Team All-SEC. However, much like Brian Thomas who was picked earlier in the night, this was his only good season. However, the Panthers are in rebuild mode for the next few seasons, Legette could be a key piece down the road if used properly.
