The 2024 NFL Draft has come to an end. Three days and 257 draft picks later, this year’s rookie class has it’s initial landing spots for where they will at least start their respective professional football careers. As the dust has settled, we leave the draft with some clear winners and some clear losers moving forward. Below, we will break them down, including their short-term and long-term outlooks, as the teams now turn their attention to getting ready for the 2024 regular season.
Winners
Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals had the fourth overall pick in the draft, and there was plenty of speculation that they would be moving back to acquire more draft capital. Instead, they addressed one of their biggest team needs and selected wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., the top wideout in the class. He should be a Week 1 starter and be a top target for quarterback Kyler Murray.
Arizona addressed its need for an EDGE rusher by bringing in Missouri’s Darius Robinson later in the first round. The Cards finished taking care of their biggest team needs with CB Max Melton in the second round. After that, Arizona brought in a backup running back in Trey Benson, who could take over for James Conner next year and some much-needed depth across both sides of the ball.
Chicago Bears
Chicago had the No. 1 and No. 9 picks in the first round, and they didn’t miss. Caleb Williams was long thought to be the unquestioned number one pick and the Bears wasted little time in selecting him. Williams will join an offense of DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, D’Andre Swift and Cole Kmet. The Bears used the ninth overall pick to bring in Rome Odunze, giving Williams a wide receiver he can develop alongside, and that can take over if Allen isn’t with the Bears after this season.
Chicago then only had three picks for the remainder of the draft and took an offensive tackle, a punter and an EDGE rusher. The Bears addressed all of their team needs, and it will be on their coaching staff to develop the mid-round players into starters. For now, though, the combo of Williams and Odunze alone make Chicago a winner.
Washington Commanders
Washington was on the clock second, and everyone wondered if they would take the Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye. The Commanders sided with Daniels and completed their offensive firepower. Washington will have Daniels join Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, Zach Ertz, Brian Robinson Jr. and Austin Ekeler. They added Luke McCaffrey in the third inning to be another option for Daniels and brought in some offensive line depth. Overall, Washington addressed their team needs and their offense looks poised to compete in a tough NFC East as long as they can keep Daniels upright.
Losers
Atlanta Falcons
I get it, but I don’t. The Falcons drafted Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick in the draft. Atlanta signed veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million deal this offseason with $100 million guaranteed. If Cousins isn’t ready, or they move on from him after the 2025 season, or if the Falcons end up losing a draft pick in the future for tampering with Cousins, then it makes sense. Their GM said that if Penix doesn’t start during his rookie deal, then that means that they have been great at that position, and that is a horrible mindset for your third consecutive eighth-overall pick.
Atlanta’s biggest team needs entering the draft were considered to be EDGE, cornerback and wide receiver. The Falcons selected an EDGE in the third round and a wideout in the sixth round. Atlanta did end up taking four players for its defensive line, but when you have the worst pass rush in the league, you should trade back to a range where you are comfortable taking a pass rusher. If they didn’t want to do that at No. 8, fine, but drafting almost 24-year-old Penix that high doesn’t seem like the answer. Hopefully, in the long-term, this works out for them, but for now, the Falcons are losers of draft weekend.
Denver Broncos
This likely just comes down to whether or not you believe in Bo Nix. Once he was selected, another quarterback wasn’t drafted for over 150 picks. Denver didn’t draft another player until the third round, so Nix likely would have been gone later, but it feels like the Broncos could have taken the top corner in the draft at No. 12 or the top EDGE rusher and then traded into the second round to grab Nix. They did well to pair him with his college teammate Troy Franklin, but at this point, Nix feels like a reach and like head coach Sean Payton is putting way too much faith in him.
Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota being linked to J.J. McCarthy was the worst-kept secret of this offseason. At times, there were analysts who thought they’d have to move up to No. 2 to get him, so thankfully, that didn’t happen, but the Vikings did have to move up one spot. Similar to Nix, this pick could certainly work out for them, but it just depends on how much faith you have in McCarthy. He was the least experienced of the starting quarterbacks but is a reigning national champion. McCarthy will have an outstanding supporting cast to start his career, but this pick looks a lot worse when you realize the Vikings only have three draft picks next year and have a gigantic contract with Justin Jefferson looming over them like a large cloud. Until McCarthy shows that he is worth the draft capital that was used to get him, or unless one of the later draft picks breaks out.