2024 NFL Draft Grades
7 Rounds and 257 picks are officially in the book and every team's 2024 draft class is locked in and ready to go. Handing out grades and giving my thoughts on every teams 2024 haul below...
Arizona Cardinals
1.4 - Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State
1.27 - Darius Robinson, EDGE, Missouri
2.11 - Max Melton, CB, Rutgers
3.2 - Trey Benson, RB, Florida State
3.7 - Isaiah Adams, OT, Illinois
3.18 - Tip Reiman, TE, Illinois
3.27 - Elijah Jones, CB, Boston College
4.4 - Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, SAF, Texas Tech
5.3 - Xavier Thomas, EDGE, Clemson
5.27 - Christian Jones, OT, Texas
6.15 - Tejhuan Palmer, UAB, WR
7.6 - Jaden Davis, CB, Miami
The headliner for the Cardinals class is obviously Marvin Harrison Jr, a true #1 WR who can be an impact starter, but some of my favorite picks came later in the draft. Darius Robinson (23 vs 27) and Trey Benson (49 vs 66) were both values according to my board and Taylor-Demerson and Xavier Thomas were Top-90 players they were able to get on Day 3. Arizona did a good job using trade backs to get multiple bites at the apple in this draft, spreading their picks across multiple positions adding an influx of talent to a roster that badly needs it.
Grade: A -
Atlanta Falcons
1.8 - Michael Penix Jr, QB, Washington
2.3 - Ruke Orhorhoro, IDL, Clemson
3.10 - Bralen Trice, EDGE, Washington
4.9 - Brandon Dorlus, IDL, Oregon
5.8 - JD Bertrand, LB, Notre Dame
6.10 - Jase McClellan, RB, Alabama
6.11 - Casey Washington, WR, Illinois
6.21 - Zion Logue, IDL, Georgia
The Atlanta Falcons had one of the worst and frankly most confusing drafts this year, there's really no sugar coating it. Just from a value perspective Penix at 8 (40th on my Big Board) and Orhorhoro at 35 (63rd on my big board) were massive reaches. When you fold in spending a Top-10 pick on a QB after handing out a 180 million dollar free agency contract to Kirk Cousins and sending a 3rd Rounder to move up 6 spots for a project IDL it’s even worse. Trice and Dorlus are solid late round picks but the poor asset management and lack of secondary help really tanks this draft.
Grade: D+
Baltimore Ravens
1.30 - Nate Wiggins, CB, Clemson
2.30 - Roger Rosengarten, OT, Washington
3.30 - Adisa Isaac, LB, Penn State
4.13 - Devontez Walker, WR, UNC
4.30 - T.J. Tampa, CB, Iowa State
5.30 - Rasheen Ali, RB, Marshall
6.42 - Devin Leary, QB, Kentucky
7.8 - Nick Samac, IOL, Michigan State
7.30 - Sanoussi Kane, SAF, Purdue
Stop me if you have heard this one before, but Baltimore did a great job picking the best talent available on the board. Their first five picks of the draft were all plus value in retrospect to where those players fell on my board. Not only did they take players at good value, they were able to check off their biggest needs as well in CB, OL, WR and CB.
Grade: A
Buffalo Bills
2.1 - Keon Coleman, WR, Florida State
2.28 - Cole Bishop, SAF, Utah
3.32 - DeWayne Carter, IDL, Duke
4.28 - Ray Davis, RB, Kentucky
5.6 - Sedrick Van Pran-Granger, IOL, Georgia
5.25 - Edefuan Ulofoshio, LB, Washington
5.33 - Javon Solomon, Troy, EDGE
6.28 - Tylan Grable, OT, UCF
6.43 - Daequan Hardy, CB, Penn State
7.1 - Travis Clayton, IOL, England
The Bills had one of the more exciting starts to the draft without even making a pick, trading down twice to end night one and not even selecting in the first round. They were much maligned (unfairly I might add) for their trade with Kansas City but ended up taking a badly needed X WR in Keon Coleman, while adding draft capital in the process. They also did a fantastic job adding players at positions of need without reaching on value later in the draft. Cole Bishop, DeWayne Carter and Sedrick Van Pran are all players who can contribute right away and fit snugly into the Bills scheme.
Grade: A -
Carolina Panthers
1.32 - Xavier Legette, WR, South Carolina
2.14 - Jonathan Brooks, RB, Texas
3.8 - Trevin Wallace, LB, Kentucky
4.1 - Ja’Tavion Sanders, TE, Texas
5.22 - Chau Smith-Wade, CB, Washington State
6.24 - Jaden Crumedy, IDL, Mississippi State
7.20 - Michael Barrett, LB, Michigan
Strictly going off players alone the Panthers had one of my favorite drafts. The new regime flushed a wasted season from last year and looked to add offensive talent regardless of overlap from previous drafts. Legette, Brooks and Sanders are all physical playmakers who can create with the ball in their hands, something Bryce Young and this offense lacked last year. However, their process to get there was a bit iffy. Trades for Legette and Brooks, the latter of which was quite pricey for a RB coming off an ACL tear, were fundamentally poor asset management. Carolina had a good draft but the aggressive moves and value on some trade ups drops the grade a few notches.
Grade: B
Chicago Bears
1.1 - Caleb Williams, QB, USC
1.9 - Rome Odunze, WR, Washington
3.11 - Kiran Amegadjie, OT, Yale
4.22 - Tory Taylor, P, Iowa
5.9 - Austin Booker, EDGE, Kansas
The headliners for the Bears draft are better than anyone else’s in this class. Adding two franchise caliber players in Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze is a haul. Unfortunately you don’t get extra points for drafting good players in the Top-10 (that's what you should do!) Amegadjie and Booker are two solid developmental picks and I think the trade back up for Booker was a smart and worthwhile risk. The pick that drags this class down is Tory Taylor. I love a good Iowa punter joke as much as anyone, but spending Top-150 picks on specialists never results in positive value and for a team with limited draft picks, it's even more of an overpay.
Grade: B+
Cincinnati Bengals
1.18 - Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia
2.17 - Kris Jenkins, IDL, Michigan
3.16 - Jermaine Burton, WR, Alabama
3.34 - McKinnley Jackson, IDL, Texas A&M
4.15 - Erick All, LB, Iowa
5.14 - Josh Newton, CB, TCU
6.18 - Tanner McLachlan, TE, Arizona
6.38 - Cedric Johnson, EDGE, Ole Miss
7.4 - Daijahn Anthony, SAF, Ole Miss
7.17 - Matt Lee, IOL, Miami
There was a very clear theme of the Bengals draft this year…upside. Amarius Mims, Jermaine Burton and Erick All are all Top-100 talents (Top-50 for Mims and Burton) but have injury or off field concerns. If they hit, they are homerun replacements for departing veterans who the team cannot afford/refuse to pay. Cincinnati did a good job adding a higher floor pick in Kris Jenkins in the 2nd but this draft is truly hard to grade until a few years down the line due to it’s Boom/Bust nature.
Grade: B+
Cleveland Browns
2.22 - Michael Hall Jr, IDL, Ohio State
3.21 - Zak Zinter, IOL, Michigan
5.21 - Jamari Thrash, WR, Louisville
6.30 - Nathaniel Watson, LB, Mississippi State
7.7 - Myles Harden, CB, South Dakota
7.23 - Jowon Briggs, IDL, Cincinnati
As a result of the Deshaun Watson trade (among other moves) the Cleveland Browns lacked a large amount of high value picks in this year's draft. Their highest pick, Michael Hall Jr, is really the only one that appears to be a difference maker. My IDL3 in this class is a high upside, explosive 3T who fits perfectly into a Jim Schwartz defense. The rest of their picks are solid depth additions, but none move the needle much or were high value picks according to my board.
Grade: B-
Dallas Cowboys
1.29 - Tyler Guyton, OT, Oklahoma
2.24 - Marshawn Kneeland, EDGE, Western Michigan
3.9 - Cooper Beebe, IOL, Kansas State
3.24 - Marist Liufau, LB, Notre Dame
5.39 - Caelen Carson, CB, Wake Forest
6.40 - Ryan Flournoy, WR, Southeast Missouri State
7.13 - Nathan Thomas, OT, Louisiana
7.24 - Justin Rogers, Auburn, IDL
The Dallas Cowboys were one of the teams with the most pressure to have a good draft due to their lack of activity in free agency and quite frankly they crushed it. Adding picks to move back in the first round and add a high upside tackle, a position of need and an archetype they are great at developing, was a great start. Then they were able to add impact rookies with their next 4 picks, including a player in Cooper Beebe (someone they were able to select due to their trade down) who should be able to be their Day 1 center. Some will nitpick passing on Graham Barton in R1 and not adding a RB but Dallas did a fantastic job of pivoting during the draft and filling some of their biggest needs.
Grade: A-
Denver Broncos
1.12 - Bo Nix, QB, Oregon
3.12 - Jonah Ellis, EDGE, Utah
4.2 - Troy Franklin, WR, Oregon
5.10 - Kris Abrams-Draine, CB, Missouri
5.12 - Audric Estime, RB, Notre Dame
7.15 - Devaughn Vele, WR, Utah
7.36 - Nick Gargiulo, IOL, South Carolina
The two biggest reaches on Day 1 of the NFL Draft were Atlanta and Denver with their quarterback selections. The Broncos took Nix a full 40 spots higher than where he was ranked on my board and if rumors are to be believed they were the only team that viewed him that high. However, after that they went on quite the run. Their next four picks had neutral or positive value according to my board, including getting Troy Franklin, a Top-50 player for me in Round 4. While selection one was a bit of a head scratcher the Broncos did a good job rebounding over the next two days.
Grade: B
Detroit Lions
1.24 - Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama
2.29 - Ennis Rakestraw Jr, CB, Missouri
4.26 - Giovanni Manu, OT, British Columbia
4.32 - Sione Vaki, SAF/RB, Utah
6.13 - Mehki Wingo, IDL, LSU
6.34 - Christian Mahogany, IOL, Boston College
The Detroit Lions aggressively looked to remake their secondary this offseason. Trading for Carlton Davis and then adding two tough, physical DBs with their first two picks was a clear message that that room would be different this season. They also had a strong Day 3 adding one of the most fun players in the draft in SAF/RB Sione Vaki as well as two fringe Top-100 players in Round 6 in Wingo and Mahogany.
Grade: A-
Green Bay Packers
1.25 - Jordan Morgan, OT, Arizona
2.13 - Edgerrin Cooper, LB, Texas A&M
2.26 - Javon Bullard, SAF, Georgia
3.25 - MarShawn Lloyd, RB, USC
3.28 - Ty’Ron Hopper, LB, Missouri
4.11 - Evan Williams, SAF, Oregon
5.28 - Jacob Monk, IOL, Duke
5.34 - Kitan Oladapo, SAF, Oregon State
6.26 - Travis Glover, OT, Georgia State
7.25 - Michael Pratt, QB, Tulane
7.35 - Kalen King, CB, Penn State
The Packers had an up and down three days on the draft. Adding Jordan Morgan, while a slight reach according to my board, is a fantastic scheme fit at a position of need. Days 2 & 3 were a little more erratic with Green Bay taking a LB in Edgerrin Cooper at 45 (73rd on my board) and getting jumped in the 2nd for Cooper DeJean and being forced to trade back. They also traded up multiple times on Day 3 for a SAF and IOL who were not projected to go that high. Players like Bullard, Lloyd and Pratt were good value for talented players but inconsistent asset management and getting left out of positional runs creates a draft grade closer to fine than good.
Grade: C+
Houston Texans
2.10 - Kamari Lassiter, CB, Georgia
2.27 - Blake Fisher, OT, Notre Dame
3.14 - Calen Bullock, SAF, USC
4.23 - Cade Stover, TE, Ohio State
6.12 - Jamal Hill, LB, Oregon
6.29 - Jawhar Jordan, RB, Louisville
7.18 - Solomon Byrd, EDGE, USC
7.27 - Marcus Harris, IDL, Auburn
7.29 - LaDarius Henderson, OT, Michigan
Houston was another team without a first round pick due to previous trades. Their first pick in Kamari Lassiter was a home run pick, a team that has long been in search of a nickel CB adds one of the smartest, toughest players in this class to a defense that oozes an aggressive mentality. Their next couple picks were a nice combination of upside (Fisher & Bullock) and high floor backups/special team contributors (Stover & Jordan), to create a solid all around class despite a lack of top picks.
Grade: B
Indianapolis Colts
1.15 - Laiatu Latu, EDGE, UCLA
2.20 - Adonai Mitchell, WR, Texas
3.15 - Matt Goncalves, OT, Pittsburgh
4.17 - Tanor Bortolini, IOL, Wisconsin
5.7 - Anthony Gould, WR, Oregon State
5.16 - Jaylon Carlies, SAF, Missouri
5.29 - Jaylin Simpson, SAF, Auburn
6.25 - Micah Abraham, CB, Marshall
7.14 - Jonah Laulu, IDL, Oklahoma
The Colts sent a very clear message in the 2024 NFL Draft, we will help Anthony Richardson succeed this year. After going defense in Round 1 with Laiatu Latu, a player who should immediately step in as a premier EDGE rusher in this league, it was nothing but offense until Round 5. Mitchell is a high upside X, a position this offense badly needed, who as long as the character concerns check out could be a star. Their next three picks added high quality depth pieces to keep the offense afloat in case of injury. The one concern is a lack of defensive backs for a team with a poor CB room, but in a class without athletes at the position it’s not shocking we didn’t see any selected until Day 3.
Grade: A-
Jacksonville Jaguars
1.23 - Brian Thomas Jr, WR, LSU
2.16 - Maason Smith, IDL, LSU
3.33 - Jarrian Jones, CB, Florida State
4.14 - Javon Foster, OT, Missouri
4.16 - Jordan Jefferson, IDL, LSU
5.18 - Deantre Price, CB, Ole Miss
5.32 - Keilan Robinson, RB, Texas
6.36 - Cam Little, K, Arkansas
7.16 - Myles Cole, EDGE, Texas Tech
Jacksonville started their draft with one of my favorite picks in this years draft by trading back and adding Brian Thomas Jr. WR is a position they have needed to invest in (and hit on) badly for a while and Thomas adds an archetype (down-field ball winner) this offense desperately needs. Things started to go off the rails a bit on Day 2 with GM Trent Baalke reaching for big long athletes in Smith and Jones, two selections much higher than the consensus. Day 3 featured a couple nice picks with swing tackle Javon Foster and EDGE Myles Cole but this draft comes down to an excellent Day 1 versus a head scratching Day 2.
Grade: B-
Kansas City Chiefs
1.28 - Xavier Worthy, WR, Texas
2.31 - Kingsley Suamataia, OT, BYU
4.31 - Jared Wiley, TE, TCU
4.33 - Jaden Hicks, SAF, Washington State
5.24 - Hunter Nourzad, IOL, Penn State
6.35 - Kamal Hadden, CB, Tennessee
7.28 - C.J. Hanson, IOL, Holy Cross
Kansas City lit twitter on fire with a night one trade up for speedster Xavier Worthy. A fun pick to be sure, but the actual value on the trade and player according to my board was average at best. Where the Chiefs made their money was Days 2 and 3. Trading up one spot to secure a high upside OT in Suamataia followed by the selections of Wiley (my TE2), Hicks (a consensus Top-100 pick) and Nourzad were the true values of this draft.
Grade: B+
Las Vegas Raiders
1.13 - Brock Bowers, OT, Georgia
2.12 - Jackson Powers-Johnson, IOL, Oregon
3.13 - Delmar Glaze, OT, Maryland
4.12 - Decamerion Richardson, CB, Mississippi State
5.13 - Tommy Eichenberg, LB, Ohio State
6.32 - Dylan Laube, RB, New Hampshire
7.3 - Trey Taylor, SAF, Air Force
7.9 - M.J. Devonshire, CB, Pittsburgh
In a shocking turn of events the Las Vegas Raiders learned how to take the best player available in the NFL draft. Brock Bowers and Jackson Powers-Johnson were both selected as the best player on the board according to both mine and the consensus with the later pick also coming at a position of need. Their class's value began to get a little inconsistent as the draft went on with Delmar Glaze being one of the bigger reaches of Day 2 but with two stellar picks to start the draft it’s hard to knock it down too much.
Grade: A-
Los Angeles Chargers
1.5 - Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame
2.2 - Ladd McConkey, WR, Georgia
3.5 - Junior Colson, LB, Michigan
4.5 - Justin Eboigbe, IDL, Alabama
5.2 - Tarheeb Still, Maryland, CB
5.5 - Cam Hart, CB, Notre Dame
6.5 - Kimani Vidal, RB, Troy
7.5 - Brenden Rice, WR, USC
7.33 - Cornelius Johnson, WR, Michigan
WR or OT at #5 was one of the biggest pre draft discussions this year, once again reigniting the Sewell vs Chase memes from just a few years back. The end result is a pretty favorable one for the Chargers with consensus top OT Joe Alt and a Top-50 player in WR Ladd McConkey, a result that is likely better than Malik Nabers + any other tackle at 34. Add in my LB1 in Junior Colson and a high upside CB in Cam Hart in the 5th and few, if any teams had a better draft than Los Angeles.
Grade: A+
Los Angeles Rams
1.19 - Jared Verse, EDGE, Florida State
2.7 - Braden Fiske. IDL, Florida State
3.19 - Blake Corum, RB, Michigan
3.36 - Kamren Kinchens, SAF, Miami (FL)
5.19 - Brennan Jackson, EDGE, Washington State
6.20 - Tyler Davis, IDL, Clemson
6.33 - Joshua Karty, K, Stanford
6.37 - Jordan Whittington, WR, Texas
6.41 - Beaux Limmer, IOL, Arkansas
7.34 - KT Leveston, IOL, Kansas State
For the first time in a long time the Rams had a significant amount of draft picks. There was a clear emphasis on rebuilding the defensive line, with 4 picks towards that group, two of which came in the Top-50. Players like Verse, Fiske, Kinchens and Davis are all high floor players who should contribute right away but outside of Verse lack much upside. LA also had one of the more questionable trades of the draft, sending a future 2 in order to move up and take Fiske, a pick that was largely considered a reach at that spot. The Rams draft falls into the bucket of a team who took good/solid players but the asset management and value fall short.
Grade: C+
Miami Dolphins
1.21 - Chop Robinson, EDGE, Penn State
2.23 - Patrick Paul, OT, Houston
4.20 - Jaylen Wright, RB, Tennessee
5.23 - Mohamed Kamara, EDGE, Colorado State
6.8 - Malik Washington, WR, Virginia
6.22 - Patrick McMorris, California, SAF
7.21 - Tahj Washington, USC, WR
The Miami Dolphins had a much stronger finish to the draft than they did start. Chop Robinson and Patrick Paul are both athletic players with good upside but for a team who is trying to win now adding projects with their first two picks is questionable. Day 3 was the exact opposite. Wright and both the Washingtons are fantastic athletes who fit the scheme and should contribute Day 1. Mo Kamara out of Colorado State is also a high floor player who can soak up snaps early in the season with their top EDGEs out.
Grade: C+
Minnesota Vikings
1.10 - J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan
1.17 - Dallas Turner, EDGE, Alabama
4.8 - Khyree Jackson, CB, Oregon
6.1 - Walter Rouse, OT, Oklahoma
6.27 - Will Reichard, K, Alabama
7.10 - Michael Jurgens, IOL, Wake Forest
7.12 - Levi Drake Rodriguez, IDL, Texas A&M-Commerce
If you told Vikings fans they would leave Round 1 with both JJ McCarthy and Dallas Turner they would be ecstatic. Two uber talented players at positions of need early plus a good value pick according to my board in Khyree Jackson, is a good base line for a draft. Where the questions arise for this class is asset management. Two separate trade ups to get to Pick 23 cost the equivalent of two first round picks just to select Tuner. Add in a 6th round pick on a Kicker and the Vikings had a very expensive draft that sapped their buying power in 2025.
Grade: C+
New England Patriots
1.3 - Drake Maye, QB, UNC
2.5 - Ja’Lynn Polk, WR, Washington
3.4 - Caeden Wallace, OT, Penn State
4.3 - Layden Robinson, IOL, Texas A&M
4.10 - Javon Baker, WR, UCF
6.4 - Marcellas Dial, CB, South Carolina
6.17 - Joe Milton III, QB, Tennessee
7.11 - Jaheim Bell, TE, Florida State
The New England Patriots had one goal in mind for the 2024 draft and that was to improve their offense. After adding a franchise signal caller in Round 1 (my personal QB1) the Patriots added two high floor WRs via trade backs in Polk and Baker as well as a moveable chess piece TE in Jaheim Bell. They also attacked OL hard later in the draft with back to back picks in Rounds 3 and 4. Unfortunately the OL they selected were both pretty big reaches according to the consensus board, which when combined with a lower ceiling draft overall (outside of Maye) reduces an otherwise very high grade.
Grade: B+
New Orleans Saints
1.14 - Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State
2.9 - Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama
5.15 - Spencer Rattler, QB, South Carolina
5.35 - Bub Means, WR, Pittsburgh
5.40 - Jaylan Ford, LB, Texas
6.23 - Khristian Boyd, IDL, Northern Iowa
7.19 - Josiah Ezirim, OT, Eastern Kentucky
The New Orleans Saints had quietly one of the better drafts in this year's class despite a lack of picks. Fuaga and McKinstry, their top two selections, were both picks at premium positions with good value according to my big board. Yes, the Saints currently have starters at both those spots in Ramcyzk and Lattimore but for a team strapped for cash, being able to move off of those deals is a welcome reprieve. They also had one of the best Day 3’s adding two Top-100 players on my board in Boyd and Ford as well as adding Spencer Rattler, a QB who I had graded higher than Bo Nix who went 12th overall.
Grade: A-
New York Giants
1.6 - Malik Nabers, WR, LSU
2.15 - Tyler Nubin, SAF, Minnesota
3.6 - Andru Phillips, CB, Minnesota
4.7 - Theo Johnson, TE, Penn State
5.31 - Tyrone Tracy Jr, RB, Purdue
6.7 - Darius Muasau, LB, UCLA
The New York Giants didn’t make any trades in this year's draft simply letting their picks come to them and frankly knocked them out of the park. Every single one of their picks was good value according to the consensus board. They added both high floor and high upside picks on both sides of the ball. While they were unable to add another QB to a below average room at no point did they force a position instead opting to take the best player available at each of their picks.
Grade: A
New York Jets
1.11 - Olu Fashanu, OT, Penn State
3.1 - Malachi Corley, WR, Western Kentucky
4.34 - Braelon Allen, RB, Wisconsin
5.36 - Jordan Travis, QB, Florida State
5.38 - Isaiah Davis, RB, South Dakota State
5.41 - Qwan’tez Stinger, CB, Toronto Argonauts
7.37 - Jaylen Key, SAF, Alabama
The Jets got off to an extremely strong start to their draft, deciding to pass on the flashier picks and instead eat their vegetables. Trading back one spot and adding Fashanu, a high ceiling OT, was a smart and calculated move to insulate injury risk this year and plan for the future. They were still able to add a quality playmaker in Malachi Corley, who brings an element of play with the ball in his hands they lacked in previous years. Day 3 is where their approach started to make less sense. Adding multiple running backs after drafting one each of the past two years is questionable. So is adding Jordan Travis, a QB who wasn’t even the best on the board at his position.
Grade: B
Philadelphia Eagles
1.22 - Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo
2.8 - Cooper DeJean, CB, Iowa
3.31 - Jalyx Hunt, EDGE, Houston Christian
4.27 - Will Shipley, RB, Clemson
5.17 - Ainias Smith, WR, Texas A&M
5.20 - Jeremiah Trotter Jr, LB, Clemson
5.37 - Trevor Keegan, OG, Michigan
6.9 - Johnny Wilson, WR, Florida State
6.14 - Dylan McMahon, OT, NC State
Howie Roseman does it again! It feels like every year the Eagles find a way to stop the slide of a highly rated player. This year they did it twice, adding Mitchell and DeJean well below their slotted value and instantly overhauling an aging secondary that was a major weakness last year. The first two rounds of the Eagles class was an A+ but it became a little more scattershot after. Spending a 4th on a scatback RB as well as two 5ths on a special teams player with low upside is fine but not exactly awe inspiring.
Grade: A-
Pittsburgh Steelers
1.20 - Troy Fautanu, OT, Washington
2.19 - Zach Frazier, IOL, West Virginia
3.20 - Roman Wilson, WR, Michigan
3.35 - Payton Wilson, NC State, LB
4.19 - Mason McCormick, IOL, South Dakota State
6.2 - Logan Lee, IDL, Iowa
6.19 - Ryan Watts, CB, Texas
The Steelers over the course of three days turned a weakness from last year in their offensive line, into a strength. Fautanu, Frazier and McCormick are all tough glass eating lineman with the ability to start from the get-go. Adding in two third round picks in Roman and Payton Wilson, both of whom were second rounders on my board, and filling positions of need was just the cherry on top of the best draft class this year.
Grade: A+
San Francisco 49ers
1.31 - Ricky Pearsall, WR, Florida
2.32 - Renardo Green, CB, Florida State
3.23 - Dominick Puni, IOL, Kansas
4.24 - Malik Mustapha, SAF, Wake Forest
4.29 - Isaac Guerendo, RB, Louisville
4.35 - Jacob Cowing, WR, Arizona
6.39 - Jarrett Kingston, OG, USC
7.31 - Tatum Bethune, LB, Florida State
The 49ers had a clear vision for this year's draft class, adding experienced college players with excellent IQ and toughness. They were able to address positions of need in WR, CB, and OL with their first three picks before hitting special teams on Day 3. For a team that is ready to compete now, looking to hit doubles on their picks is fine, but this class does lack some upside. What truly keeps this class from a higher grade was their asset management. Missing out on the tackle run, a position of need, hurts and spending picks to trade up for a RB is a classic Shanahan move that brings down the value of this class.
Grade: B
Seattle Seahawks
1.16 - Byron Murphy II, IDL, Texas
3.17 - Christian Haynes, IOL, UCONN
4.18 - Tyrice Knight, LB, UTEP
4.21 - AJ Barner, TE, Michigan
5.1 - Nehemiah Pritchett, CB, Auburn
6.3 - Sataoa Laumea, IOL, Utah
6.16 - D.J. James, CB, Auburn
6.31 - Michael Jerrell, OT, Findlay
Possibly no team did more with less than the Seattle Seahawks. With only two picks in the Top-100 they hit massive home runs on both picks adding high value players at positions of need lower than the consensus said they would go. Add in some dart throws on Day 3 with a pair of undersized yet talented Auburn corners it was a great draft. The lone knock would not be working the phones to recoup some lost value via trade but that’s mostly nitpicking.
Grade: A
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
1.26 - Graham Barton, IOL, Duke
2.25 - Chris Braswell, EDGE, Alabama
3.26 - Tykee Smith, SAF, Georgia
3.29 - Jalen McMillan, WR, Washington
4.25 - Bucky Irving, RB, Oregon
6.44 - Elijah Klein, IOL, UTEP
7.26 - Devin Culp, TE, Washington
Tampa Bay had one of the more lowkey but impactful drafts of 2024. No pick they made is particularly flashy but they added a bunch of smart players with high floors. Barton and Braswell both fit positions of need and can play right away. Smith, McMillan and Irving don’t have clear paths to playing time in 2024 but can be quality rotation players and injury fill ins until its their time in 2025.
Grade: A-
Tennessee Titans
1.7 - JC Latham, OT, Alabama
2.6 - T’Vondre Sweat, IDL, Texas
4.6 - Cedric Gray, LB, North Carolina
5.11 - Jarvis Brownlee Jr, CB, Louisville
6.6 - Jha’Quan Jackson, WR, Tulane
7.22 - James Williams, SAF, Miami
7.32 - Jaylen Harrell, EDGE, Michigan
Tennessee had one of the more confusing Day 1 and Day 2 picks but rebounded nicely on Day 3. JC Latham was one of the bigger reaches of the first round per both my board and the consensus, and T’Vondre Sweat was a massive swing on a player with off-field concerns, a continued trend for this Titans ownership group. However, Day 3 saw some good additions in Gray, Brownlee and Williams, players who many thought could potentially sneak into the Top-100 picks.
Grade: C
Washington Commanders
1.2 - Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU
2.4 - Jer’Zhan Newton, IDL, Illinois
2.18 - Mike Sainristil, CB, Michigan
2.21 - Ben Sinnott, TE, Kansas State
3.3 - Brandon Coleman, IOL, TCU
3.37 - Luke McCaffrey, WR, Rice
5.4 - Jordan Magee, LB, Temple
5.26 - Dominique Hampton, SAF, Washington
7.2 - Javontae Jean-Baptiste, EDGE, Notre Dame
The Washington Commanders needed a drastic overhaul in this year's draft and more than succeeded. While I personally wasn’t a fan of Jayden Daniel over Drake Maye at #2 the rest of the draft more than made up for it. Newton and Sainristil were two of the biggest steals in this year's class per my board and the picks of Coleman, Magee and Hampton are all good upside picks that fit Washington’s needs and scheme. While Sinnott in the second round isn’t my favorite pick, it was essentially a free pick via a trade down in the 2nd round that was excellent value.