The 1st round of NFL draft took place last night and it was an overall success. The excitement for the 2024 NFL draft was palpable. It wasn’t just limited to fans, either. Even those within the league are thrilled with the incoming crop of talent. Typically, NFL front offices have fewer than 20 prospects graded as legitimate first-round talents. This year’s class has some legit sizzle. Six quarterbacks, seven wide receivers and the most decorated tight end of all time were selected in the first round. The strength of the offensive line class was on full display with nine selections. Some Grade A beef made its way to the forefront. This draft also set a record with 14 consecutive offensive players selected before the first defender came off the board. Some major surprises occurred, particularly the Atlanta Falcons taking quarterback Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8. How should those picks be viewed? I graded every single one as the draft played out Thursday night.
Pick 1: Chicago Bears (via CAR)
Caleb Williams, QB, USC
Strengths: Special ability to create outside structure, excellent velocity and touch on throws, consistently and aggressively attacks all three levels, sees entire field with special spatial awareness
Weaknesses: Lacks prototypical height, inconsistent footwork, unnecessarily fades from pocket instead of stepping into some throws, will force certain passes
Its been obvious for a while, Caleb Williams goes #1 to Chicago. Its very hard to mess up the first overall pick especially with a consensus prospect. Williams looks to be the leader of their offense for many years to come.
Grade: A
Pick 2: Washington Commanders
Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU
Strengths: Exceptional athlete with game-breaking speed, ultra tough despite slight frame, excellent deep-ball passer, continually improved throughout collegiate career
Weaknesses: Reckless attitude when running makes him prone to big hits, doesn’t attack every spot on the field as a passer, viable but not top-tier arm strength
As Washington follows the footsteps of Chicago and takes the QB route they opt to draft the previous Heisman award winner. This was expected Washington loved Daniels as a prospect. While Daniels’ rise can’t be denied, North Carolina’s Drake Maye is arguably a better overall prospect and might have been a better pick at No. 2. But the Commanders have their new franchise quarterback after moving on from Sam Howell, and the Josh Harris ownership era can start fresh at the game’s most important position.
Grade: B
Pick 3: New England Patriots
Drake Maye, QB, UNC
Strengths: Makes every throw whether in a clean or muddied pocket, pre-snap recognition, capable runner either as scrambler or by design, works well within structure
Weaknesses: Plays himself into sacks, inconsistent post-snap reads and decision-making, forces throws to try to make something happen
Maye entered this year’s draft as the QB3 behind both Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels. His mechanics are raw, but his upside is as great as anyone in the class, which makes him a perfect fit for the Patriots. Jacoby Brissett can be the perfect short-term bridge quarterback for the Pats. The sturdy, big-armed Maye can learn behind Brissett and then thrive once he takes over.
Grade: A
Pick 4: Arizona Cardinals
Marvin Harrison Jr, WR, Ohio State
Strengths: Awesome combination of size, speed and agility as a route-runner, top-notch ball skills, instant red-zone and deep threat, unreal body control
Weaknesses: Could be more physical against press coverage, after the catch and blocking
The Arizona Cardinals made the smartest and simplest move possible: They drafted the best player in the entire draft class. While general manager Monti Ossenfort openly flirted with the possibility of trading the pick, he held steady and brought in a phenomenal talent to pair with quarterback Kyler Murray.
Grade: A+
Pick 5: Los Angeles Chargers
Joe Alt, OL, Notre Dame
Strengths: Masterful technician, piledriver at the point of attack, fluid pass protector, NFL bloodlines
Weaknesses: Little too linear when trying to anchor, can play top heavy at times
Alt will transition from left to right tackle with the Chargers. His athletic profile portends an easy transition. He was also set to play that position going into 2021 when Blake Fisher became the first-ever freshman to open a season at left tackle for Notre Dame. An injury to Fisher during that season pushed Alt to the blind side, and he never left
Grade: A
Pick 6: New York Giants
Malik Nabers, WR, LSU
Strengths: Automatic acceleration, deep threat combined with strength and balance to create after the catch, easily beats man coverage, strong hands, inside-out versatility
Weaknesses: Can improve crispness of releases and stems, struggles a little when bodies and ball are in the air
The selection of Nabers should help the New York Giants put quarterback Daniel Jones in the best possible position to bounce back from a disappointing 2023 campaign. Darius Slayton has led the G-Men in receiving yardage in four of the past five seasons despite never eclipsing 770 yards in any of those campaigns. Nabers is a true No. 1 target. He’s insta-juice to the lineup. His presence will completely change the dynamic of a Giants pass-catching corps that previously lacked explosiveness.
Grade: A
Pick 7: Tennessee Titans
JC Latham, OL, Alabama
Strengths: Extreme power generator, vice-like grip, excellent balance for bigger blocker, tone-setter
Weaknesses: Tends to get overaggressive when trying to bury opponents, recovery agility can be lacking against elite pass-rusher with full arsenal
The Titans are likely disappointed that Notre Dame’s Joe Alt didn’t fall into their lap. Instead of settling the blind side, the Titans settled on securing the strong side. Latham could attempt the transition to left tackle, too. Whatever the case, it’s the right move, even though it wasn’t their best possible scenario entering the draft.
Grade: C+
Pick 8: Atlanta Falcons
Michael Penix Jr, QB, Washington
Strengths: Easily drives the ball down the field and into tight windows, operates efficiently and consistently from a clean pocket, repeatable throwing motion, legitimate downfield assassin
Weaknesses: Significant injury history, bad habit of not transferring weight through throws, can struggle working intermediate level
This is easily the worst draft pick I’ve ever seen in my lifetime, it physically made me sick. The addition of Cousins seemingly put the Falcons in the driver’s seat for the NFC South since they already had all of the other pieces they needed on offense. But with this Penix pick, the Falcons are preparing for the future before they can even claim the present. Taking Penix at No. 8 is awful use of resource. It’s also downright atrocious value. Scouting Department didn’t even have Penix graded as a first-round prospect.
This is a failure on every single level.
Grade: F-
Pick 9: Chicago Bears
Rome Odunze, WR, Washington
Strengths: Big frame, fluid, strong hands, excellent at tracking the ball and snagging at its high point
Weaknesses: Can be better setting up routes and utilizing his top-end speed instead of relying on size and ball skills, marginal blocker
The draft couldn’t have fallen better for the Chicago Bears. First, they landed their franchise quarterback with Caleb Williams at No. 1. Now he has another elite target on the outside. Odunze completes a much-improved wide receiver room that also includes DJ Moore and Keenan Allen. Few teams have a trio of wide receivers anywhere near that level of pure talent and ability.
Grade: A
Pick 10: Minnesota Vikings
JJ McCarthy, QB, Michigan
Strengths: Nifty movement skills inside and outside of pocket, drives ball over middle of the field and outside the numbers, works well within pro-style structure, pressure doesn’t faze him
Weaknesses: Lack of touch when layered throws are necessary, sub-par deep passer, inconsistent footwork, particularly when throwing to his left
McCarthy moves into an awesome situation with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison at wide receiver as well as T.J. Hockenson at tight end. The 21-year-old will also get to work with head coach/offensive play-caller Kevin O’Connell and quarterbacks coach Josh McCown, both of whom played quarterback in the NFL.
Grade: A
Pick 11: New York Jets
Olumuyima Fashanu, OT, Penn State
Strengths: Natural pass set, excellent lateral agility, length to widen out defenders, strength to anchor
Weaknesses: Inconsistent technique in run game, could be more physical overall
Offensive tackle is technically settled with veterans Tyron Smith and Morgan Moses, but both are 33 years old. Smith in particular comes with a major injury risk, as he hasn’t played a full slate of games since 2015. Fashanu will almost certainly find his way onto the field this year. Even when he does, he can learn from an all-time great in Smith.
Grade: A
Pick 12: Denver Broncos
Bo Nix, QB, Oregon
Strengths: Fantastic in quick game, accurate working when working in rhythm, dual-threat component, keeps eyes downfield when outside of structure
Weaknesses: Limited processor, accuracy wanes when comfort fades, inconsistent footwork
With five quarterbacks already off the board, the Denver Broncos chose not to risk losing their guy. But they pulled the trigger on a second-round quarterback with the 12th overall pick.
At the very least, Nix is a better value than Michael Penix Jr., whom the Atlanta Falcons took at No. 8 overall. He also should be a good fit in Sean Payton’s offense. However, this was a massive reach.
Grade: D
Pick 13: Las Vegas Raiders
Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia
Strengths: Fantastic short-area quickness and explosiveness once the ball is in his hands, can stretch the seam and work effectively out of the slot, makes tough catches even through contact
Weaknesses: Isn’t a true in-line option, lacks punch at the point of attack
While quarterback is still a massive concern for the Raiders, it’s far better to take the best available prospect instead of reaching to fill a need. Besides, Bowers will make life so much easier on whomever starts behind center in Sin City this fall.
Bowers, Michael Mayer and Harrison Bryant form an impressive tight end room that will create significant flexibility within the Raiders offense.
Grade: B
Pick 14: New Orleans Saints
Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon
Strengths: Mauling run blocker, plays with excellent angles and leverage, thick frame, powerful hands, good initial quickness
Weaknesses: Suspect lateral agility, tendency to overset, aiming points with hands can improve
Fuaga’s flexibility will be a godsend for the New Orleans Saints. The first-team All-American can immediately slot into left guard, although stalwart right tackle Ryan Ramczyk is also dealing with a serious knee injury that may cause him to retire.
If Trevor Penning proves he can handle left tackle, the Saints could be set along their front five. That’s still a pretty big question mark, which makes Fuaga the right selection.
Grade: B
Pick 15: Indianapolis Colts
Laiatu Latu, Edge, UCLA
Strengths: Full arsenal of pass-rush moves, smooth yet explosive power, can play through blockers or bend around them
Weaknesses: Concerning injury history, not overly disciplined, inconsistent at shedding blocks
The Indianapolis Colts ended the historic run of offensive players with the 15th overall pick. After 14 straight offensive players had been selected, Latu became the first defender off the board. And yes, Latu fits Indianapolis’ typical profile. While the Colts set a franchise record last season with 51 sacks, Gus Bradley’s defense lacked someone who can consistently win one-on-one matchups. The unit now has that defender in Latu.
Grade: A
Pick 16: Seattle Seahawks
Byron Murphy II, DT, Texas
Strengths: Wins off the line quickly, shoots gaps, plays with leverage and strength against the run, excellent athleticism
Weaknesses: Smaller than preferred, will get hung up on blocks once engaged, lacks refined technique
The Seattle Seahawks defense will experience a philosophical shift under new head coach Mike Macdonald. They’ll need more talented bodies to play along the defensive front. With Leonard Williams and Dre’Mont Jones already in place, Murphy completes the trio.
Interestingly, none of the three are ideal fits as a shade over the center. But all three can be disruptive. Each of them can demand a double-team, which will make this unit extremely difficult to handle.
Grade: B+
Pick 17: Minnesota Vikings (via JAX)
Dallas Turner, Edge, Alabama
Strengths: Lightning-quick, fluid defender off the edge, excellent flexibility, quickness to disrupt the run, pop in his hands to employ bull rush and stack blockers
Weaknesses: Can add strength and bulk, gets hung up on blocks once engaged, still developing pass-rush technique
The Vikings needed to move a fifth-round pick and a pair of 2025 middle-round picks to trade up, but they’re gaining an explosive edge to pair with the offseason additions of Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel. That should help them replace the production of Danielle Hunter and DJ Wonnum, both of whom left this offseason. Turner’s upside justifies the risk of giving up a few later-round picks.
Grade: A-
Pick 18: Cincinasty Bengals
Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia
Strengths: Massive frame, vine-like arms, easy mover, powerful upon contact and once engaged
Weaknesses: Inconsistent technique and aiming points in pass set, tendency to play a tad high or lunge to compensate
While Mims has awesome long-term potential, he’s likely a selection for 2025 and beyond. He isn’t likely to displace either of the Bengals’ current veteran tackles.
The Bengals do a good job planning ahead. But a prospect with eight career starts and a raw skill set doesn’t help a squad with Super Bowl aspirations.
Grade: C+
Pick 19: Los Angeles Rams
Jared Verse, Edge, Florida State
Strengths: Excellent first-step quickness and acceleration, powerful hands and uses them well when rushing the passer, bend to turn the corner, stacks and sheds blockers
Weaknesses: Can be overaggressive taking him out of position, needs to retrace better
The Rams can never replace Aaron Donald, who retired this offseason, but they’ll need some of his production to be picked up elsewhere. Verse gives them a legitimate edge-rusher to pair with Byron Young and Kobie Turner along the defensive interior. Again, Donald’s presence alone was a difference-maker. But Verse, Young and Turner give the Rams an exciting young core of defensive talent moving forward.
Grade: A
Pick 20: Pittsburgh Steelers
Troy Fautanu, OL, Washington
Strengths: Five-position versatility, outstanding agility and athleticism, especially when on the move, play with leverage and power
Weaknesses: Frenzied pass set despite athleticism to counter edge-rushers, can be beaten by length thanks to mistimed punches
Fautanu can drive defenders off the ball, pull out into space and obliterate moving targets, pirouette against a spin move and maintain his balance when he has no right to do so. As part of college football’s top passing attack, the first-team All-Pac-12 selection was arguably the best player on the entire offense and easily the top performer for the Joe Moore Award-winning unit. Fautanu is skilled enough to play anywhere along the offensive line. He’ll take over left tackle duties in Pittsburgh, displacing Dan Moore Jr., who overachieved as a three-year starter after being a fourth-round pick in the 2021 class.Broderick Jones and Fautanu give the Steelers the league’s most athletic pair of offensive tackles. They’ll both be used on the move to lead the way for a bruising run game.
Grade: A+
Pick 21: Miami Dolphins
Chop Robinson, Edge, Penn State
Strengths: Lightning-quick off the snap, Gumby-like flexibility, multiple pass-rush moves, build belies power
Weaknesses: Needs to improve against the run, can be rocked by bigger/longer offensive linemen
Miami is built around an explosive, quick-strike offense. Tua Tagovailoa and Co. are going to build early leads. The Dolphins can’t have enough defenders who can pin their ears back and attack opposing quarterbacks when they’re trying to come back later in games.
Grade: B
Pick 22: Philadelphia Eagles
Quinyoin Mitchell, CB, Toledo
Strengths: Ball hawk, dangerous zone defender yet possesses athleticism to excel in heavier man schemes, elite top-end speed and fluidity to match receivers
Weaknesses: Must trust his technique and recovery speed a little more, route recognition and body positioning can improve
The Philadelphia Eagles are old and unathletic at cornerback. Darius Slay and James Bradberry are still quality players, but they’ll be 33 and 31, respectively, at the start of the 2024 regular season. General manager Howie Roseman must be a wizard with how the draft always falls in the Eagles’ favor. Rather than trade up, he stood pat and still landed the No. 1 prospect at a premium position with the 22nd overall pick.
Grade: A
Pick 23: Jacksonville Jaguars (via from CLE through HOU and MIN)
Brian Thomas Jr, WR, LSU
Strengths: Premium vertical threat, instant acceleration, elite top-end speed, fluid for a receiver with a bigger frame
Weaknesses: Below-average play strength through defenders to the ball, unrefined route-runner
After losing out on the bidding war to re-sign Calvin Ridley in free agency, the Jacksonville Jaguars made sure to address wide receiver in Round 1. Thomas isn’t Ridley, though. The former is an explosive athlete who thrives as a vertical threat. Ridley is a far more polished route-runner who can consistently create separation. Thomas is somewhat redundant with Gabriel Davis, whom the Jaguars added in free agency. However, the incoming rookie is a superior version. Trevor Lawrence certainly has weapons around him now. The quarterback will have to bring along the rookie, though.
Grade: C+
Pick 24: Detroit Lions
Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama
Strengths: Fluid athlete in and out of his backpedal, physical defender, positional versatility, confidence to spare
Weaknesses: Inconsistent tackling technique causes him to miss some plays, erratic eye discipline
The Lions weren’t willing to gamble on Arnold falling to the 29th overall pick, so they traded up for him. They gave up a third-round pick to do so, but they got their guy to pair with Carlton Davis III, whom they acquired in a trade from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers earlier this offseason. Detroit’s 27th-ranked pass defense from last season should be drastically improved this fall.
Grade: A
Pick 25: Green Bay Packers
Jordan Morgan, OT, Arizona
Strengths: Powerful upper body and anchor, wipe-out blocker in run game, plays angles well, highly experienced
Weaknesses: Stiff in the hips and heavy-footed in pass sets, which creates openings for pass-rushers to exploit
The Green Bay Packers love to select collegiate left tackles no matter what offensive line position they’re looking to address. Morgan can come in and compete with Rasheed Walker to start on Jordan Love’s blind side. Or he can move to guard and replace Jon Runyan Jr., who signed with the New York Giants as a free agent. The biggest question with this particular selection is whether pure offensive tackle prospects like Oklahoma’s Tyler Guyton or BYU’s Kingsley Suamataia were better values. They tended to hold higher grades throughout the predraft process.
Grade: C
Pick 26: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Graham Barton, OL, Duke
Strengths: Can play anywhere along the offensive line, tenacious and consistent blocker, strong hands and anchor, four-year starter
Weaknesses: Sub-33-inch arms, may only be a full-time option along interior, doesn’t always stay square in pass set
Tampa Bay’s coaching staff may like Robert Hainsey over the ball and keep him there. If so, Barton could fit at left guard instead. As a short passer, Mayfield needs a strong interior pocket. That’s what makes an investment in Barton so important. The incoming rookie already showed he’s an excellent athlete and pass protector. He can be even more effective when working inside.
Grade: B
Pick 27: Arizona Cardinals (via HOU)
Darius Robinson, DL, Mizzou
Strengths: Ideal NFL frame, inside-out flexibility, long arms with strong hands
Weaknesses: Poor athlete as an pure edge prospect, lacks first-step quickness, more a straight-line pass-rusher
Robinson is a base end who could perhaps win some one-on-one matchups against offensive tackles. His previous experience at defensive tackle allows him to reduce down in sub-packages while using his length and athleticism to its full advantage. Expect Robinson to start on the edge and then regularly move inside to give Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon more talent, which Arizona desperately needed along its defensive line.
Grade: C+
Pick 28: Kansas City Chiefs (via BUF)
Xavier Worthy, WR, Texas
Strengths: Speed, speed and more speed, instant deep threat, tracks the ball well, creates after catch
Weaknesses: Slender frame, not a ball-winner, concentration drops
Worthy isn’t exactly the same type of player as Hill, who is thicker and stronger. But the incoming rookie can still blow the top off any defense and also create after the catch. With Rashee Rice’s legal status still up in the air, the Chiefs can attack opponents with Worthy’s record-setting speed and Marquise Brown’s explosiveness opening up more space for tight end Travis Kelce.
Grade: B+
Pick 29: Dallas Cowboys (via DET)
Tyler Guyton, OL, Oklahoma
Strengths: Big, long, top-end athlete, slides easily in his pass sets, good lateral agility, patient pass protector yet powerful in run game
Weaknesses: Relatively inexperienced, poor footwork, inconsistent angles and aiming point, plays with poor pad level at times
Guyton played right tackle at Oklahoma, but his athletic profile portends a viable transition to the blind side. That would keep Tyler Smith at left tackle, where he became an All-Pro. The Cowboys have a long history of drafting and developing high-end offensive line prospects. Guyton is next in line.
Grade: A
Pick 30: Baltimore Ravens
Nate Wiggins, CB, Clemson
Strengths: Elite recovery speed and smooth through transitions, smart in zone coverage and competes hard in man coverage
Weaknesses: Lacks physicality, particularly as a tackler with the play in front of him, rail thin, won’t always trust technique when working down the field
The Ravens needed cornerback help, but the offensive line is a far more glaring problem right now. Wiggins isn’t a significantly better value than BYU’s Kingsley Suamataia, Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson, Kansas State’s Cooper Beebe or Kansas’ Dominick Puni. Baltimore will now be forced to wait until the end of the second round to fill its holes at right tackle and both guard spots.
Grade: D
Pick 31: San Francisco 49ers
Ricky Pearsall, WR, Florida
Strengths: Vertical threat, outstanding ball skills, sets up moves at the top of his stem, tempos different routes
Weaknesses: Build-up speed and lacks suddenness off the snap, shorter arms, not as dynamic playing through contact
This selection raises more questions about Brandon Aiyuk’s future in San Francisco as he heads into the final year of his rookie contract. Dianni Russini of The Athletic reported Thursday that the Niners had conversations with teams leading up to the draft about trading either Aiyuk or Deebo Samuel, so they seem to be planning ahead with this selection of Pearsall.
Grade: C
Pick 32: Carolina Panthers (via KC through BUF)
Xavier Legette, WR, South Carolina
Strengths: Hulking receiver frame, true top-end speed coupled with tremendous ball skills, strong after the catch to create chunk plays
Weaknesses: Questionable route-running and releases, needs to gather in and out of his breaks
The Panthers didn’t take Legette with the 33rd pick, though. General manager Dan Morgan got a little antsy and flipped a fifth-round pick to the Buffalo Bills for No. 32 overall and a sixth-round selection. Legette gives Young another legitimate target alongside Adam Thielen and Diontae Johnson. Plus, Carolina will now have a fifth-year option on his rookie contract.
Grade: B-