The 2024 NFL draft is in the books, and it was certainly a memorable one kicking off with a chaotic first round that featured an historic run on quarterbacks, wide receivers and offensive tackles, along with trades galore and some surprising picks.
While it’s far too early to evaluate these draft classes in full — considering they haven’t yet along played an NFL game — there’s been plenty of reaction to these 2024 rookie classes. There were several teams that were clear winners while others had some questionable moves that garnered early criticism. But we truly won’t know who won or lost this draft for at least three years.
Our NFL Wire editors shared their initial grades for their respective draft classes. See who got the top marks:
The Cardinals came up big with their first four selections, landing WR Marvin Harrison Jr., DL Darius Robinson, CB Max Melton and RB Trey Benson. S Dadrion Taylor-Demerson is promising. I love TE Tip Reiman, as he fits exactly what the Cardinals lack at the position, although drafting him in the third round seemed a little high. They really like their picks on Day 3, but aside from Taylor-Demerson, there are questions.I love the beginning of the draft. I am underwhelmed by most of Day 3, but, overall, a solid draft class. – Jess Root, Cards Wire
Atlanta’s first-round selection of Washington QB Michael Penix has been highly criticized, but I had no problem with the pick. The Falcons have wasted multiple seasons by ignoring the quarterback position. Kirk Cousins might be upset, but he’ll be 36 this season and is coming off a torn Achilles injury. My biggest issue was giving up a third-round pick to move up eight spots for Clemson DL Ruke Orhorhoro in Round 2. Orhorhoro is an athletic, versatile player, but he was considered a third-round prospect by most scouts. Washington’s Bralen Trice was my favorite pick as he was a good mix of value and need in Round 3. Ultimately, the Falcons helped themselves in the future but did little to improve the team in 2024. – Matt Urben, Falcons Wire
Nate Wiggins is super smooth at the cornerback position, and the Ravens received the ultimate value in the pick after the Clemson star slid all the way to pick No. 30. Roger Rosengarten is a solid pick in the second round and the likely starter at right tackle. Adisa Isaac was another value pick who slid to the third round. The Devontez Walker pick could be considered a reach, but he offers potential as a big play, outside threat. Cornerback T.J. Tampa could be the steal of the draft, and Baltimore landed a potential first or second-round pick on Day 3. – Glenn Erby, Ravens Wire
The Bills traded out of the first round, first with the Chiefs and then with the Panthers. Which goes to show that general manager Brandon Beane is realistic about his team’s short-term prospects — they’re in a bit of a rebuild now.
We all know about Keon Coleman, social media star, but the guy is also a huge, contested-catch receiver who should become Josh Allen’s new best friend on all those YOLO throws. And the secondary that seemingly got old overnight in 2023 was reinforced with Utah safety Cole Bishop, who can play everywhere from press to the deep third, and sixth-round Penn State cornerback Daequan Hardy, one of the more underrated players at his position in this class. Third-round running back Ray Davis, who has overcome a lot in his personal life to excel, could be an immediate contributor with his hammerhead running style.
Beane and his staff also went for some developmental prospects — Troy edge-rusher Javon Solomon has great tape and room for growth. Offensive linemen Sedrick Van Pran-Granger and Tylan Grable each have a lot on the ball, but don’t have to start right away. Seventh-round pick Travis Clayton is a former rugby player who came through the International Pathway Program, and the Bills are clearly hoping for a Jordan Mailata story there.
Overall, Beane did what you’re supposed to do when you’re both competing and rebuilding — he traded back for extra picks, and made sure that there were star players added at the most pertinent positions of need. — Doug Farrar, Touchdown Wire
Did the Panthers “overdraft” a few of their selections? Maybe they did, maybe they didn’t. We might never really know anyway. The biggest takeaway, rather, is the shrewdness first-year general manager Dan Morgan demonstrated throughout the weekend. He began by jumping from the opening pick of the second round to the final pick of the first round for Xavier Legette, securing a fifth-year option on the wideout at the measly cost of a late-round pick swap. Morgan also got Carolina back into next year’s second round, a spot they lost in the deal for 2023’s No. pick, by trading down 13 spots with the Los Angeles Rams. Plus, coming out with a receiver, the top running back and a tight end for his young quarterback was quite prudent, too. – Anthony Rizzuti, Panthers Wire
The Bears got an A as soon as they managed to land an elite quarterback-wide receiver duo in Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze in the top 10. Williams has been the pick for weeks and landing him would’ve already made this draft a win. But managing to snag Odunze at No. 9 put this over the top. Chicago now has one of the best receiving trios in the NFL with DJ Moore, Keenan Allen and Odunze – and they’ve set their quarterback up in an ideal situation where he could have immediate success as a rookie.
Outside of the first round, Chicago landed a developmental offensive tackle in Kiran Amegadjie, a generational punter in Tory Taylor and a potential late-round steal in edge rusher Austin Booker, who might’ve been a first-round pick in next year’s draft had he returned to school. While some aren’t keen on the Bears drafting a punter in the fourth round, the organization sees Taylor as a true weapon who can help them win games. When all is said and done, GM Ryan Poles made the most of just five selections filling some holes at key positions while taking some impact players who will contribute immediately and long-term. – Alyssa Barbieri, Bears Wire
The Bengals took some semi-uncharacteristic risks on high-upside prospects in the hopes of extending the contention window. Amarius Mims at No. 18 is a gamble because of his low snap count in college – yet the film suggested he could be the best right tackle from the class. Jermaine Burton in the third round was a character risk, yet flashes first-round talent that certainly projects nicely in the same offense as Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. And Erick All boasts massive upside at tight end, provided he can overcome the medical issues that plagued his collegiate career. Overall, it’s hard to complain. The team addressed the line in front of Joe Burrow, the defensive line twice in the top 100 after losing DJ Reader and future-proofed units such as wideout, the secondary and even hit tight end twice over the course of 10 selections. – Chris Roling, Bengals Wire
For the final year, the Browns were without a first round pick. Without one, it’s hard to land immediate contributors. The Browns did draft Ohio State defensive tackle Michael Hall Jr., who is as good of a scheme fit as you could find for defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. That was their only pick in the top-80, and outside of that it is extremely difficult to find players who will contribute as a rookie. Given the age of OG Joel Bitonio, the selection of Michigan OG Zak Zinter is a fine one in the third round, but there is no immediate role for any player not named Hall in this draft class. Wide receiver Jamari Thrash could turn heads, but depth was the name of the game for the Browns in this year’s draft. – Cory Kinnan, Browns Wire
The Cowboys painted themselves into a bit of a corner with the way they handled free agency, but they did a relatively good job of navigating the draft. Getting two potential starting offensive linemen out of a single first-round pick is incredible draft guile. OT Tyler Guyton has traits though he may not be ready to excel in Year 1 and OC Cooper Beebe seems like a steal. Adding Marshawn Kneeland in between as the heir to DeMarcus Lawrence at LDE looks tremendous. This isn’t an A draft though for two reasons, though. They did right by recognizing RBs don’t matter, but because they were tired of trades (after just one), didn’t slide back from No. 87 and instead took a linebacker (who mattered only slightly more) a round early, while other teams were still moving all over the place. The rest of the draft haul is a “who knows until camp.” – K.D. Drummond, Cowboys Wire
The Broncos found some great value in the draft (notably including wide receiver Troy Franklin in the fourth round), but pundits knock them for picking Bo Nix at No. 12 when he was expected to be available later in the first round. Denver didn’t want to move down and risk losing him, though, and that’s understandable because the QB-needy Raiders picked right behind them. We can truly grade this class in three or four years from now when we see how Nix has developed in the NFL. – Jon Heath, Broncos Wire
The Lions aggressively addressed the long-term needs at cornerback by trading up to land Terrion Arnold in the first round and selecting Ennis Rakestraw in the second. Two trades into the fourth round produced RB Sione Vaki and massive Tongan/Canadian OL project Giovanni Manu, while Day 3 concluded with DT Mekhi Wingo and OG Christian Mahogany. Only Arnold is expected to play significantly in 2024, but the rest all add needed depth and long-term upside to a Lions roster that is ready to compete for the Super Bowl. – Jeff Risdon, Lions Wire
A solid draft class for Brian Gutekunst, who attacked needs along the offensive line, safety, linebacker and in the slot. The Packers got players who could contribute immediately in offensive lineman Jordan Morgan, off-ball linebacker Edgerrin Cooper, safety/slot Javon Bullard and running back MarShawn Lloyd with their first four picks and potentially found steals in quarterback Michael Pratt and cornerback Kalen King in the seventh round. A second off-ball linebacker to end Day 2 (Ty’Ron Hopper) and trades going up for Evan Williams and Jacob Monk on Day 3 could be questioned. Kitan Olapado has a chance to really surprise as an underrated pick on Day 3. This is an experienced draft class packed with team captains and leaders. If Morgan’s versatility allows the Packers to remain good up front on offense, Cooper and Bullard help the defense take a step forward and one or two Day 3 picks provide valuable depth, this could be a great class. – Zach Kruse, Packers Wire
There’s nothing to love about the Texans’ draft, but there’s also nothing to hate. There is, however, a lot to like and be excited about when looking at the big picture past the nine new prospects added over the past two days. Kamari Lassiter ran a 4.6 40-time, but his play was worthy of first-round buzz. This is a pure DeMeco Ryans’ cornerback who should start immediately in the nickel. Calen Bullock has that center-field-type mentality that can stay back in coverage to force incompletions and create turnovers. Cade Stover should be a reliable No. 2 tight end for a decade, and already has a budding relationship with his new [and old QB]. Even the Fisher selection makes sense given Houston’s offensive line woes from a season ago. For not having a first-round pick, Nick Caserio landed quality players and improved the organization. That’s all that matters in the end, folks. – Cole Thompson, Texans Wire
Overall, I thought the draft played out quite well for the Colts. They were able to address two of their biggest needs at edge rusher and receiver right away and did so by selecting Laiatu Latu, who many considered the top defender in the class, and Adonai Mitchell, who has true No. 1 receiver potential. I also really liked the emphasis on building around Anthony Richardson by adding a second wide receiver and investing two fairly early picks into the offensive line. Given the need at cornerback entering the draft, you can point to not addressing that need until the fifth round as a missed opportunity, but there are also only so many needs that can be tackled with premium picks. On top of all that, a few trade backs netted the Colts nine picks after entering the draft with just seven – Paul Bretl, Colts Wire
Jacksonville’s first-round trade-back with Minnesota was genius. The Jaguars dropped six spots, picked up three picks — including third and fourth-rounders in 2025, making for valuable potential trade chips until then — and addressed one of their biggest needs by taking wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. He was the top-rated receiver available when Jacksonville was first on the clock, making the trade even sweeter.
The consensus board says Jacksonville reached on all but one of its next eight selections. However, one could argue their approach of attacking needs with high-upside prospects like Maason Smith (second round) at defensive tackle, Jarrian Jones (third round) in the nickel, and even Myles Cole (seventh round) on the edge made for a sound risk/reward ratio. Drafting special teamers is unpopular, but the Jaguars applied the same logic to their choices of cornerback/gunner Deantre Prince (fifth round), return specialist Keilan Robinson (fifth round) and kicker Cam Little (sixth round), in the wake of the NFL’s installment of new kickoff rules. Re-grading this class in two or three years will be fascinating. – Zach Goodall, Jaguars Wire
Brett Veach’s bold decision to target 40-yard dash record holder Xavier Worthy in Round 1 set the tone for the rest of Kansas City’s draft. After trading up with the Bills to grab Worthy, Veach moved up again in Round 2 to take BYU tackle Kingsley Suamataia, who the Chiefs hope can bring new life to their offensive line next season. Kansas City’s Day 3 picks, particularly defensive backs Jaden Hicks and Kamal Hadden and tight end Jared Wiley, were intriguing, but it is unclear if they will make meaningful contributions for the team in 2024. All in all, this class has a great mix of potential, but only Worthy and Suamataia are expected to play a role for the Chiefs in their effort to three-peat as Super Bowl champions. – John Dillon, Chiefs Wire
The Raiders would have loved to come out of Round 1 with a future franchise quarterback, but that didn’t happen. Instead, they took the best player available at No. 13. Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer should be the league’s best tight end tandem, and they bring some dynamism to the offense. In Round 2, they addressed their offensive line by adding Oregon C/G Jackson Powers-Johnson. The rest of the draft was hit or miss, but the fact that Las Vegas added two Day 1 starters with their first two picks makes this draft a solid B. – Marcus Mosher, Raiders Wire
Jim Harbaugh said it loud and clear that they view offensive linemen as weapons after selecting Joe Alt and passing on Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze. Alt and Rashawn Slater, who have the opportunity to be one of the best tackle duos in the league, will be sure to keep Justin Herbert upright and pave the way on the ground. Speaking of Herbert, the Chargers didn’t neglect the wide receiver, as they traded up a few spots for Ladd McConkey, who is a speedy and refined route runner with excellent hands. McConkey should quickly develop into Herbert’s best friend with his ability to consistently get open. In the following round, they added a play-making linebacker in Junior Colson, who is familiar with Jesse Minter’s defense. Colson has a chance to be a Day 1 starter. On Day 3, they got some great value picks with Cam Hart and Brenden Rice, who were taken in the fifth and seventh rounds, respectively after being touted as top-100 players. – Gavino Borquez, Chargers Wire
It’s probably not fair to say the Rams played it safe in the 2024 NFL draft, but their haul was very sensible and smart. They targeted high-character players, most of whom were either captains, seniors or both. The selection of Jared Verse at No. 19 was a combination of the best player available and filling a need, adding a pass rusher who should help right away. Coming back with his teammate, Braden Fiske, in Round 2 was also a wise move, even if the cost of the trade was high. Later on, the Rams added another edge rusher, another defensive tackle and two interior linemen, filling out the trenches with talented big men. The selection of Blake Corum raises some questions considering Kyren Williams is a similar player and coming off a breakout season, but other than that, the Rams knocked it out of the park. – Cameron DaSilva, Rams Wire
With their first three selections, the Dolphins added Chop Robinson, Patrick Paul, and Jaylen Wright. That gave them a rotational rusher who can combine with Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillip, along with successors for Terron Armstead and Raheem Mostert. It was a sensible approach that could help one of the NFL’s better rosters from falling off as aging veterans leave and provide injury insurance at a couple important spots. On the other hand, there’s a good chance zero of the Dolphins draft picks will crack the starting lineup in 2024. That’s especially concerning when you consider Miami’s issues in the trenches on both sides of the ball. The Dolphins opted against drafting any interior offensive lineman or defensive tackles, and will likely need to sift through the remaining free agents to find a player capable of taking over at center or right guard. – Adam Stites, Dolphins Wire
The Minnesota Vikings got their franchise quarterback in J.J. McCarthy in round one. They topped that off by getting one of the best defenders in the draft, Dallas Turner, who fell with the offense dominating the board. The downfall to both of those picks is they required trade-ups that left Minnesota with limited value in the 2024 NFL Draft and almost none in 2025. The rest of the class was filled with rotational or spot starters, which could develop into something but remain an unknown value, with a lot having to go their way to turn into anything substantial. Call me old fashioned, but knowing what they gave up to get what they got, I am not over the moon about this class, but it shows Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell are all in, finally. – Andrew Harbaugh, Vikings Wire
The Patriots made the right call in avoiding the temptation to trade down and sticking with their initial plan of drafting Drake Maye at No. 3 overall. They have their future franchise quarterback, and they went above and beyond to improve the offense around him. Jerod Mayo and Eliot Wolf used seven of the eight draft picks on offensive players.
The two rookie receivers in particular, Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker, are intriguing additions to the roster. There are still some offensive line questions, especially at the left tackle position, which was still never truly addressed. The hope is that rookie right tackle Caedan Wallace’s athleticism allows him to jump to the other side of the line. Regardless, this is a strong starting point for the Patriots’ new regime. – Jordy McElroy, Patriots Wire
Before we talk about the picks, we should acknowledge the Saints took a much different approach to the draft by staying put and letting the bird fall to them. They didn’t mortgage their future by trading next year’s draft picks to move up this year. That’s how you sustain success. As for the picks they did spend? They addressed their most important need with great value in the first round by picking Taliese Fuaga, a Day 1 starter at right tackle. Kool-Aid McKinstry, their second-round pick, could start in the slot if he learns the position quickly enough. Either way his presence strengthens the depth chart if Marshon Lattimore gets traded or Paulson Adebo leaves in free agency next year. Backup quarterback Spencer Rattler was a good value pick in the fifth round, and sixth-round defensive tackle Khristian Boyd could play right away in the rotation. The other late-round picks have some work to do but all possess solid athletic traits and good attitudes. I wanted to see the Saints add a left guard or another pass rusher but they did well with the picks at their disposal after some ill-advised trades in previous years. – John Sigler, Saints Wire
The good news is that the Giants hit home runs at several positions of need. Malik Nabers was my No. 1 receiver in this class, and he’ll be the team’s best receiver since Odell Beckham Jr. in his prime. Nabers is a speed receiver with Steve Smith’s playing personality (the Panthers/Ravens Steve Smith, not the Giants Steve Smith), so that’s pretty good. Second-round safety Tyler Nubin from Minnesota has the tools to make Xavier McKinney’s departure sting a bit less. I wasn’t as high on third-round cornerback Andru Phillips as some were, but he’ll be a nice presence in the slot. Big Blue also got some nice steals with fourth-round tight end Theo Johnson from Penn State and sixth-round linebacker Darius Muasau from UCLA. Perhaps my favorite value pick here was Purdue running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. with the 166th pick in the fifth round. The former Iowa receiver (who was actually productive in that wreck of an offense) switched positions when he switched schools in 2022, and had some of the NCAA’s most athletic runs last season.
The bad news? When Daniel Jones and Drew Lock are your quarterbacks, the ceiling is pretty low. – Doug Farrar, Touchdown Wire
The Jets did a good job of attacking their main needs in the draft and also came away with future capital. Olu Fashanu may not have been the flashy pick some folks wanted — Brock Bowers was still on the board — but the Jets needed extra depth and future starters up front. Fashanu can be the swing tackle and immediate depth behind Tyron Smith and Morgan Moses this year and eventually take over at left tackle. Some have compared him to Jets’ great D’Brickashaw Ferguson. Then in round three, the Jets traded up for the YAC King, Malachi Corley. He’ll add an extra dynamic to the Jets’ offense, making it more explosive than it already was on paper heading into the draft.
The sleeper pick of this draft is 5th-round corner Qwan’tez Stiggers, who shined as a rookie last year with the Toronto Argonauts. New York also found who they hope is their developmental and future quarterback in Jordan Travis, who should be cleared in the near future following his leg injury. The talent and mobility are there and he can learn behind Aaron Rodgers. The only head-scratcher for the Jets was double-dipping at running back. But even at that, Braelon Allen is a tough runner and Isaiah Davis was a key cog for a South Dakota State team that won back-to-back national championships. And in the midst of all that, the Jets traded down three times in the fourth round and picked up a third-round selection for next year in the process. Overall, the Jets had a solid draft to finish up what was another solid offseason. Can they finally put the prices together on the field? That’s the biggest challenge for the Jets. – Billy Riccette, Jets Wire
The draft is all about value, and Philadelphia landed at the top of the list after landing Quinyon Mitchell and did not have to trade up or risk draft capital. The Eagles then traded up in the second round to draft Cooper DeJean, a player they would have targeted with pick No. 22. Jalyx Hunt could be considered a reach in the third round. Still, Howie Roseman again got value with his next four picks, landing Will Shipley (RB), Ainias Smith (WR), Jeremiah Trotter Jr. (LB), Trevor Keegan (OL), and Johnny Wilson (WR) while amassing three 2025 draft picks via trade. – Glenn Erby, Eagles Wire
The Pittsburgh Steelers went into the draft with a purpose. After trying to cobble together an offensive line, the Steelers focused on a single goal of building a powerful, nasty offensive line. Getting offensive tackle Troy Fautanu and center Zach Frazier gives the Steelers two new starting offensive linemen and allows Broderick Jones to move to left tackle. The Steelers added wide receiver Roman Wilson in the second who should be in heavy rotation as a slot receiver and then in the third Pittsburgh got an absolute bargain with linebacker Payton Wilson. The rest fo the draft played out well with three developmental prospects in guard Mason McCormick, defensive end Logan Lee and defensive back Ryan Watts. – Curt Popejoy, Steelers Wire
Overall the 49ers had a fine draft considering they didn’t pick until the back end of all seven rounds. One of the keys for San Francisco this year was finding players who could credibly help their immediate depth while also projecting out as starters in the coming years. There’s a direct line to be drawn between this year’s draft picks and a handful of players who are in the final year of their contracts and likely to be priced out of the 49ers’ range next offseason when quarterback Brock Purdy is set to sign a sizable extension. Round 1 wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, Round 2 cornerback Rendardo Green, Round 3 offensive lineman Dominick Puni and Round 4 safety Malik Mustapha could all compete for snaps this year while stepping into bigger roles next year. There may be questions about the overall ceiling of this year’s class, but that’s a solid group of players who will be key in San Francisco extending its Super Bowl window with a different version of its roster. – Kyle Madson, Niners Wire
The Seahawks got superb prospects on Days 1-2 with Byron Murphy II and Christian Haynes, who will boost their interior on both sides of the line of scrimmage. The rest of the draft is up for debate, though. There were several much higher-ranked linebackers on the board when they took Tyrice Knight and picking a second cornerback when they needed a safety was also questionable. Most of all, I’m not sure that they did enough to improve their offensive line. Haynes should be a solid long-term starter at right guard, but they needed to spend significantly more capital overall on that unit, especially inside. Sataoa Laumea and Michael Jerrell may both project as guards in the NFL after playing tackle in college. However, they’re also late Day 3 picks who may not move the needle much in terms of turning around a unit that may have been the league’s worst on paper going into the draft. – Tim Weaver, Seahawks Wire
Landing versatile OL Graham Barton at No. 26 overall in the first round was the perfect start for Tampa Bay’s draft class. He’ll likely be an instant starter at center, but he can play all five positions up front. OLB Chris Braswell is a complete player and a perfect fit for Todd Bowles’ scheme on the edge. Ditto for DB Tykee Smith, who can play safety or the slot/nickel role and make big plays. WR Jalen McMillan would have gone much earlier than the third round if he hadn’t been slowed by a knee injury last year, and he should make an instant impact with all the 3-wide sets new OC Liam Coen likes to run. RB Bucky Irving is a shifty, tough-to-tackle runner to take some pressure off Rachaad White. Road-grading G Elijah Klein and speedy TE Devin Culp both have a strong chance to make the roster. No additions at inside linebacker or outside corner, but the Bucs hit the rest of their major remaining needs, and got solid value at every slot, which is what every team wants coming out of the draft. – Luke Easterling, Bucs Wire
The Titans addressed three major needs with their first three picks in offensive tackle JC Latham, defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat and linebacker Cedric Gray, all of whom should be able to start in Year 1. Tennessee also added some much-needed depth at cornerback with Jarvis Brownlee Jr., and edge rusher Jaylen Harrell and safety-turned-linebacker James Williams will have a shot at depth and special teams roles. The most questionable decision was drafting undersized slot receiver and return man Jha’Quan Jackson over Malik Washington.It was also disappointing that Tennessee didn’t address the need sooner. – Mike Moraitis, Titans Wire
We know it’s virtually impossible to grade a draft until a few years removed but, on paper, the Commanders crushed this draft. GM Adam Peters had a strategy: Get high-character players with high-level college production and at least one elite physical trait. Mission accomplished. Washington had six picks in the first three rounds and if all hit, it could be a franchise-altering draft. QB Jayden Daniels is the headliner. He’s terrific. But DT Johnny Newton was a steal in the second round. He adds another big-time talent to the interior DL. CB Mike Sainristil will be an annual Pro Bowl player. Ben Sinnott is the perfect tight end for this new offense because he’s terrific as a blocker and also an excellent receiver. Sinnott will play every down and having him on the field doesn’t indicate a run or pass. OT Brandon Coleman is the wild card. If he becomes the left tackle, then landing a starting left tackle in the third round is a steal for Peters. WR Luke McCaffrey has only played wide receiver for two years and caught 13 TD passes last year. McCaffrey can play the slot at 6-foot-2 and has elite short-area quickness. – Bryan Manning, Commanders Wire