With the first day of the draft in the books, here’s a look at how the round played out and what I thought of each team’s work.
2024 NFL Draft: First-Round Grades
The obvious pick for a reason. Chicago’s decision to trade down last year pays off, as they land a prospect I have rated higher than I had Bryce Young, while also ending up with players like D.J. Moore and Darnell Wright from the same trade.
Draft Grade: A
I love Jayden Daniels’ projected fit in Kliff Kingsbury’s offense. Given how much success Kyler Murray enjoyed in the scheme, this seems like a logical fit, with Daniels being the more composed pocket operator of the two. He was my No. 2 ranked passer in the class.
Draft Grade: A
What the Patriots do to support Drake Maye will go a long way toward determining whether or not this pick works. If they can land a No. 1 receiver and left tackle, and give him time to sit and develop, he could become a star.
Draft Grade: A-
This was always the best move for the Cardinals. They’ve accumulated a ton of picks and trading out of the top 10 would have been questionable when they have the opportunity to complement their smaller receivers with a true No. 1 guy.
Draft Grade: A
Joe Alt hasn’t played right tackle, but I don’t think there should be any major issues with his transition from the blind side. It’s hard to criticize Los Angeles for taking my top player remaining, although Malik Nabers or Rome Odunze would have worked.
Draft Grade: A-
In most of my early mock drafts, I had the Giants taking Rome Odunze to give them another dimension offensively. But Malik Nabers is the better fit for Brian Daboll’s scheme and, according to most, the better prospect overall. He fills a major need.
Draft Grade: A-
After missing on Andre Dillard, this pick fills a major need for the Titans. I’m not sure JC Latham has the ideal quickness to flip to the blind side (someone like Olu Fashanu or even Taliese Fuaga is a more natural left tackle), but it fits Tennessee’s identity.
Draft Grade: B
The first true shocker. This would have been a solid pick if Atlanta hadn’t landed Kirk Cousins in free agency, but as it stands, it’s one of the more inexplicable top-10 picks in memory. The Falcons could have had their choice of any defender in the class.
Draft Grade: C
As mentioned above, I have Rome Odunze with virtually the same grade as Nabers, so the value looks nice here, and I love the fit. Odunze is a savvy receiver with excellent ball skills and the functional strength to step in right away. He fell into Chicago’s lap.
Draft Grade: A
We all knew the Vikings wanted to trade up for a quarterback, but probably no one had them swapping picks with the Jets. They give up two mid-round selections but get their guy. This makes sense, as their team is built to win now.
Draft Grade: A-
This came as a surprise to me, as New York just signed three starting offensive linemen in free agency. I like the value, and it makes sense from a long-term perspective, but I thought the Jets would try to help Aaron Rodgers win now with a Day 1 starter.
Draft Grade: B+
I’m probably higher on Bo Nix than others, as I like the rhythm and accuracy he shows, as well as his ability to make plays out of structure when pressured. Given the assets some teams have given up to land quarterbacks in recent years this seems okay.
Draft Grade: B
Brock Bowers to the Raiders was a pick I had in some early mocks and I think he can coexist with Michael Mayer in two-TE sets. Thayer Munford looked good last year, so I didn’t buy tackle as an obvious need. This was a best pick available selection.
Draft Grade: B+
I view Talies Fuaga as more of a right tackle or right guard, but in the modern game, I suppose the differences between the tackles aren’t as large as they once were. With Fashanu gone and Troy Fautanu reportedly flagged medically, I like this.
Draft Grade: A-
This doesn’t feel like a typical Colts EDGE to me, though I like Laiatu Latu. I would have thought they’d go with a stronger, more toolsy type if anything, like a Dallas Turner. But overall, other positions seemed like bigger needs, like corner or maybe receiver.
Draft Grade: B-
Given how badly Seattle played the run last year, adding to the front makes sense, and this is a good value. Presumably, Mike Macdonald views Murphy as his new Justin Madubuike, although I didn’t have him pegged as an ideal scheme fit for them.
Draft Grade: B+
This was a nice blend of fit and value, as DC Brian Flores is a Bill Belichick discipline. Having signed Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel in free agency, Minnesota is loading up the defensive front despite a weak cornerback group.
Draft Grade: A-
I had Cincinnati taking Fuaga here, and (if available) I would have liked that more than Amarius Mims, as the former could start at guard. Barring injury, Mims may not be able to play this year, likely being too tall for the inside. This is a nice long-term move, though.
Draft Grade: A-
Credit the Rams for staying put and taking the best front-seven prospect available with this pick. Jared Verse gives them another powerful EDGE to pair with Byron Young, with the build to step in right away on a team trying to make the playoffs this year.
Draft Grade: A
As long as Troy Fautanu’s medicals check out, this seems like a great pick for the Steelers. Fautanu’s positional versatility allows them to figure out where Broderick Jones is most comfortable this year and continue to bring him along slowly. I love the value here.
Draft Grade: A
Count me among those skeptical that Miami would take a rusher here. Chop Robinson brings urgency and violence to the position, but I would have liked to see them trust Jaelen Phillips and Bradley Chubb to recover and take Graham Barton instead.
Draft Grade: B
One of the Alabama players may have fit the Eagles better, especially Terrion Arnold, who could have begun his career in the slot. That said, this still makes a lot of sense and Mitchell has better athletic tools than either.
Draft Grade: A-
Trent Baalke apparently couldn’t resist Brian Thomas’ physical and athletic profile. At this point, it’s understandable. At the same time, he and Gabe Davis overlap stylistically, and neither is a direct Calvin Ridley replacement.
Draft Grade: A-
This might be my favorite pick of the first round. Aaron Glenn must be on cloud nine, knowing he’s getting a scheme-versatile cornerback with the type of makeup and mentality the Lions covet. Corner was a massive need and they got a great value.
Draft Grade: A
This was a bit of a pick against type, as the Packers generally prefer more tools-based prospects. With the likes of Graham Barton still available, it seems like a minor reach, although I suppose there isn’t a huge difference between the two.
Draft Grade: B+
This was another great pick, as Graham Barton falls right into Tampa’s lap without a move up. The interior of Tampa Bay’s line is relatively uncertain and Barton’s positional versatility should be a welcome addition. I thought he’d go five or six picks earlier.
Draft Grade: A
Upgrading the defensive front was a need for the Cardinals, although given their three investments on the defensive line to date, I thought this might have been more of a true EDGE, rather than a five-technique type. This feels like a slight reach value-wise.
Draft Grade: B
I flirted with matching Xavier Worthy to Kansas City in my final mock draft. Ultimately, he didn’t make it this far. There’s some overlap with Marquise Brown, who’s on a one-year deal. Trading with the Bills to draft a receiver looks like a win.
Draft Grade: A-
Tyler Guyton is a relatively inexperienced tackle who played on the right side last year, but he has the athleticism to man the blind side with time. It’s rare to find someone with these tools at a premium position this late in the draft, so I’m a fan of this pick.
Draft Grade: A
We heard going into the draft Baltimore could consider a cornerback here. I suppose I had Brandon Stephens graded higher than most. Nate Wiggins’ competitiveness should fit well in Baltimore, though he’s not my ideal scheme fit.
Draft Grade: B+
I wonder what this pick means for the 49ers wide receiver room, as rumors of a trade involving Brandon Aiyuk or Deebo Samuel continue. Either way, I’m probably not as high on Ricky Pearsall as others and believe this was at least a round too early.
Draft Grade: C+
While Xavier Legette may not be the consistent separator many thought the Panthers would look for, as an overall prospect, I’m a fan of his game. He offers a different type of physical profile for the team, with the upside of a true No. 1 WR.
Draft Grade: A-
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