Winners and losers from first round of the 2024 NFL Draft

The first round of the 2024 NFL Draft is in the books and there was a lot to break down. Six quarterbacks were taken in the top 12 selections, highlighted by quarterbacks going 1-2-3 for the first time since 2021. While many talented players went throughout the first round on both sides of the ball, the conversation about this event is going to be around the quarterbacks and where they were selected.

Here’s a look at the winners and losers from the first round of the 2024 draft.

Day 1 Winners

Chicago Bears, Shane Waldron, Caleb Williams, Rome Odunze

The Bears have been lackluster offensively for decades, largely because they were unable to find a franchise quarterback and then surround him with adequate talent. Chicago has done that for Caleb Williams, who will enter Shane Waldron’s offense as the clear-cut starter with a strong supporting cast. Williams will be a pass-heavy scheme with receivers D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen and rookie Rome Odunze, who was considered one of the best receivers in the country. There’s also D’Andre Swift in the backfield. Bears fans who want offense are going to be excited and they should be. This is a dangerous unit that should put up numbers as long as everyone stays healthy.

Michael Penix Jr. and JJ McCarthy

You can argue both quarterbacks were taken too high, although McCarthy was being mocked as high as No. 2 at one point by draft analysts. However, these are some great situations for them to develop. Penix Jr. gets to potentially sit for a season to get reps behind the scenes with an explosive offense before really challenging for the starting job. McCarthy is surrounded by talented skill players, meaning he won’t have to do too much in Year 1 similar to his time at Michigan. The Falcons and Vikings likely reached for these players but it’s hard to find more ideal situations for Penix Jr. and McCarthy.

Las Vegas Raiders

In a weird way, the Raiders might have been saved by the run on quarterbacks. This franchise has screwed around in the draft for most of the last decade, consistently missing on picks and putting the roster in a bad spot. Taking Brock Bowers, who is set to become a stud at tight end, probably wasn’t in the cards for Vegas at 13 entering the draft. However, the run on passers let Bowers fall. The Raiders will eventually have to find a quarterback but they’re getting a monster at tight end.

Jacksonville Jaguars

After missing out on the top three receivers, the Jaguars traded down with the Vikings to recoup some draft capital and still came away with a talented pass-catcher in Brian Thomas Jr. Many feel Thomas Jr. could be the fourth-best receiver in this deep draft class for the position, and now he’s got an opportunity to take over as the top guy in Jacksonville’s offense with the departure of Calvin Ridley. The Jags not only got a quality player at a position of need, but gained some important draft capital in the process.

Xavier Worthy

The Texas receiver was going to get a lot of attention after his record-setting 40-yard dash but now he gets to go to the defending Super Bowl champions looking to three-peat and play with the best quarterback in the league? We saw what Rashee Rice was able to accomplish with Mahomes in his rookie season, and Worthy has the added speed element Rice does not. Tyreek Hill went nuts in this offense and it’s possible Worthy does the same right away.

Day 1 Losers

Atlanta Falcons

It might be confusing to see the Falcons here, especially since Penix Jr. is considered a winner. But what in the world is Atlanta doing? There was hype around Penix Jr. but he was not considered to go anywhere near the top 10. In fact, he wasn’t even invited to the draft green room. So why wouldn’t the Falcons look to trade down and build up some assets while still likely being able to land their preferred passer? Handing out Kirk Cousins a $180 million deal and then reaching on a quarterback is certainly an interesting way to announce yourself. I do think Penix Jr. has the ability to be a starting quarterback in the NFL and this is a great landing spot for him but the asset management aspect of this is bonkers.

2025 Quarterback Class

Well, it’s going to be hard to get taken early if you’re a quarterback in the next draft class. Six quarterbacks were taken in the first 12 picks in the 2024 NFL Draft, and that likely means these teams are going to give their guys at least a couple seasons to see if they can play. That means guys like Quinn Ewers and Shedeur Sanders will really have to show out to entice teams to take them. Both will be drafted and have the opportunity to compete for a job but there’s no clear-cut landing spot after the early run on passers in 2024.

Sean Payton

No one actually knows what will happen, and there’s a chance Bo Nix does work out in the NFL. My experience watching Auburn games says he won’t but maybe Sean Payton knows something we don’t.

There’s a lot to unpack in that, but thinking Nix is at even close to the same level as the best quarterback in the game is absurd. Payton has a lot to prove in Denver, largely because he failed to turn Russell Wilson’s career around despite being hailed as a great offensive mind. It’s looking more and more like Payton benefitted from the presence of Drew Brees rather than Brees benefitting from Payton. If this Nix pick doesn’t work out (and I don’t think it will), Payton will have a lot of questions to answer.