NFL draft grades: Who aced? who didn’t?
The 2024 NFL draft is complete — which naturally means it’s time to prematurely dissect, parse, overanalyze and, yes, grade it. That’s the world we live in, and that’s what you want even if it takes about three seasons to really get a fair read on any team’s rookie crop.
With that in mind, here are your 2024 NFL draft grades, with team classes ranked from best to worst:
1. Chicago Bears (A+): Duh. They got this draft’s best player, USC QB Caleb Williams, off the top and – perhaps – its next best in Washington WR Rome Odunze at No. 9.
Kudos to GM Ryan Poles for the forward-looking trade of the No. 1 pick last year to Carolina, a deal that ultimately netted the franchise-shifting selection of Williams – opportunity being the convergence of luck and preparation and all that. There’s more. Last season’s trade deadline move for DE Montez Sweat for a second-rounder was the right call, expensive as it was.
2. Pittsburgh Steelers (A+): After HC Mike Tomlin and GM Omar Khan upgraded their quarterback options via Groupon during free agency, the team proceeded to conduct what looks like a monster rookie haul.
Top picks Troy Fautanu (Round 1, Washington) and Zach Frazier (Round 2, West Virginia) – along with 2023 first-rounder Broderick Jones – should immediately remediate an offensive line that will be expected to refuel the run game new OC Arthur Smith will doubtless lean on.
3. Philadelphia Eagles (A): They got, arguably, the draft’s best defensive back (Toledo first-rounder Quinyon Mitchell). They got, arguably, the draft’s most athletic and versatile defensive back (Iowa second-rounder Cooper DeJean).
Third-rounder pass rusher Jalyx Hunt is an intriguing project, and fourth-round Clemson RB Will Shipley could maximize the plays Saquon Barkley takes off.
4. Los Angeles Chargers (A): Maybe it was a microcosm of the new identity they want to forge, but HC Jim Harbaugh and GM Joe Hortiz didn't get cute in their first draft – steadily plucking quality players who addressed their needs (and/or philosophy) in a windfall that should have this relative rebuild or retool well ahead of schedule.
First-round OT Joe Alt (Notre Dame), second-round WR Ladd McConkey (Georgia), third-round LB Junior Colson (Michigan) and fourth-round DL Justin Eboigbe (Alabama) could all be opening day starters, Alt's prodigious talent clearly trumping the fact he exclusively played left tackle for the Irish and will now have to adjust to the right side opposite established Pro Bowler Rashawn Slater.
5. New York Giants (A): The Daniel Jones haters may not be mollified, but given the team was wed to him contractually this season anyway, GM Joe Schoen and HC Brian Daboll went about the draft the right way.
First-round WR Malik Nabers (LSU) should be a field-flipping asset to Jones and/or whomever eventually replaces him. Third-round Kentucky CB Dru Phillips will compete against anybody.
6. Washington Commanders (A-): No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels (LSU) could be their galvanizing, long-sought franchise quarterback after the previous regime spent years kicking that can down the road.
Second-round DT Johnny Newton (Illinois) and DB Mike Sainristil (Michigan) could be foundational players for the incoming staff … though Newton's arrival seems to signal Jonathan Allen or Daron Payne could be a short-timer.
7. Los Angeles Rams (A-): They drafted in Round 1 for the first time in eight years, which kicked off a run that seemed to bring four immediate contributors in the first three rounds: Edge rusher Jared Verse (Round 1), DT Braden Fiske (Round 2) – the former Florida State teammates thrilled to transfer once again and reunite ahead of their collective task to replace retired DL Aaron Donald – before Michigan RB Blake Corum and Miami (Fla.) S Kamren Kinchens landed in Round 3.
8. Indianapolis Colts (A-): They might have gotten the draft's best defender, UCLA pass rusher Laiatu Latu at No. 15 before getting a Round 1-caliber wideout in Adonai Mitchell at No. 52 – and he arrives carrying an ax to grind with the rest of the league.
9. Minnesota Vikings (A-): After losing QB Kirk Cousins in free agency, they went on the offensive and obtained a second first-round choice from Houston last month – a move presumed to necessitate a subsequent climb up the board.
But GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah played his cards right and got to select twice in Round 1 – coming away with highly regarded but highly divisive Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy and highly regarded (period) Alabama pass rusher Dallas Turner.
10. Green Bay Packers (B+): Maybe not supremely sexy – again, no Round 1 wideout – but just another solid job by GM Brian Gutekunst.
First-round OT Jordan Morgan (Arizona), secondround LB Edgerrin Cooper (Texas A&M), second-round S Javon Bullard (Georgia) and third-round RB MarShawn Lloyd (USC) should all be cheaper, more effective upgrades for David Bakhtiari, De'Vondre Campbell, Darnell Savage and AJ Dillon, respectively, Dillon the only who returns (and probably only for 2024).
11. Houston Texans (B+): It's a really difficult draft to parse in a big-picture way. They used their firstrounder in a deal to get DE Will Anderson Jr. last year, and he wound up as the league's Defensive Rookie of the Year.
They sent their final first-rounder from Cleveland in the Deshaun Watson offload to Minnesota for, in part, two second-rounders – one of those already used to obtain WR Stefon Diggs from Buffalo, who's now on a oneyear deal.
From a draft acquisition perspective, GM Nick Caserio continued resourcing a 23rd-ranked pass defense with second-round CB Kamari Lassiter (Georgia) and third-round DB Calen Bullock (USC) – though questions linger regarding whether either is up to the job.
12. Seattle Seahawks (B): Potential thievery with Texas DT Byron Murphy II, likely a linchpin of new HC
Mike Macdonald's defense going forward, coming with the 16th pick. Third-round G Christian Haynes (Connecticut) addresses a desperate need on the other line.
13. Baltimore Ravens (B): When you're drafting at the end of every round, maybe you reach just a little in spots. Yet it seems like they did a good job – per usual – marrying value, talent and need.
First-round CB Nate Wiggins (Clemson) is a supreme athlete, and his tackling will improve – because the Ravens will demand that. Second-rounder Roger Rosengarten (Washington) should be the new right tackle, while third round OLB Adisa Isaac (Penn State) could be a factor on passing downs straight away.
14. Detroit Lions (B): They've now tripled down an 27th-ranked pass defense, drafting CBs Terrion Arnold (Round 1) and Ennis Rakestraw (Round 2) – they join trade arrival Carlton Davis III – as this team continues to load up for the ever-elusive Super Bowl run. Alabama's charismatic Arnold, in particular, should be a great culture fit.
15. New York Jets (B): For a team with a win-now mandate, might it have made more sense to take Georgia TE Brock Bowers at No. 11 and add to the offensive line depth – given its eminent availability in this draft – later? TBD.
But coming away with Penn State All-American LT Olu Fashanu in the first round and Western Kentucky WR Malachi Corley in the third could also be a winning combo given the latter's ability to make an immediate splash as a pure playmaker between WRs Garrett Wilson and Mike Williams.
16. Kansas City Chiefs (B): Perhaps the anti-Jets, taking the superfluous receiver (Texas blazer Xavier Worthy) in Round 1 before the offensive lineman (BYU OT Kingsley Suamataia) they arguably should have prioritized in Round 2?
And, again, maybe the league's new dynasty shouldn't be questioned – Worthy's 4.21 speed added to free agent signing Hollywood Brown, and what they could mean to an offense triggered by three-time Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes.
17. San Francisco 49ers (B): First-round Florida WR Ricky Pearsall and second-round Florida State CB Renardo Green have the ability to contribute heavily to another Super Bowl push while also being foundational pieces beyond 2024 – especially if Pearsall has to eventually replace former Arizona State teammate Brandon Aiyuk's production.
18. Cincinnati Bengals (B): Felt like your typically solid, if often unspectacular, Cincy draft – first-round OT Amarius Mims (Georgia), second-round DT Kris Jenkins (Michigan) and third-round WR Jermaine Burton (Alabama) all virtually certain to be starters … no later than 2025.
19. Buffalo Bills (B): A team with a clear receiver need following the trade of Diggs and departure of Gabe Davis took some heat Thursday for dropping out of Round 1 rather than aggressively targeting a replacement.
Yet in a deep wideout draft, GM Brandon Beane did just fine, getting Florida State's Keon Coleman, arguably a first-round talent, at the top of Round 2 – and even if he isn't a blazer, he's fast enough, catches contested balls and will provide QB Josh Allen with a big target.
20. Arizona Cardinals (B-): They didn't overthink it off the top, staying put at No. 4 for Ohio State WR stud Marvin Harrison Jr. before getting Mizzou DL Darius Robinson at the bottom of Round 1.
Second-round CB Max Melton also has huge upside at a position that was bereft of talent. But it didn't feel like the Cards got quite enough despite having seven of the top 90 picks?
21. New England Patriots (B-): Though it must have been tempting to sell the No. 3 pick for the draft assets a fallen dynasty clearly needs, new director of scouting Eliot Wolf was probably wise to stay in the fairway and take North Carolina QB Drake Maye … and hope it all goes much better than the Mac Jones experience.
And it should given the support the new regime should provide, not to mention the Jacoby Brissett Band-Aid option. An offense awash in WR2s took another in Washington WR2 Ja'Lynn Polk, Odunze's understudy … though fourth-round WR Javon Baker of Central Florida could be a steal here.
22. Miami Dolphins (B-): Taking Penn State pass rusher Chop Robinson in the first round was probably a good call given the injuries to veteran OLB Bradley Chubb (ACL) and Jaelan Phillips (Achilles) and fact a surplus of edge players is never a bad thing.
Choosing OT Patrick Paul in Round 2 was a defensible hedge given the appearance that LT Terron Armstead seems to be coming to the end of the line – though Miami seems to remain quite vulnerable up the middle. Mid-round RB Jaylen Wright (Tennessee) and OLB Mohamed Kamara (Colorado State) could add bonus juice.
23. Las Vegas Raiders (B-): A team that openly coveted a quarterback – or, at least, new HC Antonio Pierce did – had been frozen out of the market entirely by the time the 13th pick rolled around Thursday.
Maybe they miscalculated, maybe first-year GM Tom Telesco played it conservatively as he tended to do with the Chargers.
24. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (B-): Like the Ravens, they keep winning … so they keep drafting late. But first-round OL Graham Barton (Duke) and secondround OLB Chris Braswell (Alabama) arrived at the intersection of need and value. Round 3 Washington WR Jalen McMillan could be the relative sleeper who delivers nicely.
25. Carolina Panthers (C): One wants to like rookie GM Dan Morgan's first draft despite the boom-orbust element of it. But it was imperative to give secondyear QB Bryce Young more weapons, and first-round WR Xavier Legette (South Carolina), despite his lack of production prior to 2023, and second-round RB Jonathon Brooks (Texas), despite his November ACL tear, should be.
26. Jacksonville Jaguars (C): Trading down in Round 1, for a pair of mid-round picks next year, and still getting LSU WR Brian Thomas Jr. is solid use of the board. Trading a Day 2 pick for WR Calvin Ridley, getting too cute in a bid to re-sign him, then having to take Thomas to replace him … not such good use.
27. New Orleans Saints (C): First-round OT Taliese Fuaga (Oregon State) and second-round CB KoolAid McKinstry (Alabama) are good players at positions of need.
Previous trades stripped the Saints of third- and fourth-rounders. And while a Round 5 spot spent on South Carolina QB Spencer Rattler isn't hugely expensive, the team already had five quarterbacks on the roster if you also include Taysom Hill.
28. Denver Broncos (C-): The sins of the trade for former QB Russell Wilson have not only retarded this roster's development but moving on from them boxed the Broncos in, at least partially, to taking Oregon QB Bo Nix at No. 12 – even if that's tantamount to an overdraft.
Giving Nix WR Troy Franklin, a Ducks teammate, in Round 4 could prove an efficient stroke. A fifth-rounder isn't a huge investment in Notre Dame RB Audric Estimé, a highly productive player for the Irish … but how many ball carriers with 4.7 speed turn into reliable pros?
29. Atlanta Falcons (D): They did the expected by reinforcing the defense with a highly talented but not all that productive front seven player (Ruke Orhorhoro, Round 2) – when they could have had Newton – and a highly productive but not physically remarkable front seven player (Bralen Trice, Round 3).
But, naturally, their draft will forever be regarded and defined by the shocking decision to select Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 selection.
30. Tennessee Titans (D): Not their fault that the Chargers took Alt two spots ahead of them, but could they have moved back and added assets rather than sticking and picking Alabama OT JC Latham?
The risk is magnified by the decision to move him to second-year QB Will Levis' blind side – Latham played exclusively on the right side in Tuscaloosa – though if anyone is going to make it work, it's legendary O-line coach Bill Callahan.
31. Dallas Cowboys (D): An organization that's allegedly “all in” uses its first-rounder on a tackle (Oklahoma's Tyler Guyton) with tremendous upside but who may or may not be ready to play immediately.
And while Dallas needed help in the trenches (second-round DE Marshawn Kneeland, third-round G Cooper Beebe) and potentially filled a hole with thirdround Notre Dame LB Marist Liufau, what's the plan at tailback? Run it back with Ezekiel Elliott? All … in?
32. Cleveland Browns (D): View the deal however you choose, but they've finally paid off their Watson debt ... though its aftermath continues to loom over the franchise from football, financial and fan-relation vantage points.
The top picks they made – second-round DT Michael Hall Jr. (Ohio State) and third-round G Zak Zinter (Michigan) – don't seem ready to contribute meaningfully in 2024.