The Three Best Picks From The 2024 NFL Draft

The NFL Draft Came And Went, And It Did Not Disappoint

As the NFL Draft unfolded, it was a rollercoaster of surprises. Many, including myself, anticipated a flurry of trades as teams vied for the top spot to draft JJ McCarthy. However, this scenario never materialized. Apart from a few minor deals like the Minnesota Vikings swapping picks 10 and 11, and the Buffalo Bills giving the Kansas City Chiefs the fastest player in the NFL, the draft was relatively stable, lacking the anticipated shake-up trades. 

However, many teams did not need to make trades as they killed the NFL draft right from where they were sitting. So here are the three best draft picks from the past weekend and how they were so good for each team that made them.

#3: Jordan Travis To The New York Jets

This was a very late pick, but one that is incredibly slept on. With the 171st overall pick, the Jets were able to snag the Florida State product at an extraordinarily low-risk and high-reward spot. Travis has a lot of potential, as he displayed this season, leading his team to a 12-0 season before tearing his ACL. Travis has all the tools you want to see in your young quarterback: good accuracy, leadership, and resilience, which are more apparent in Travis than anyone. Travis has been bombarded by injuries which had severely dampened his time in college and required him to get several surgeries. He could have been a much higher-drafted prospect had he not been injured this past year.

Regardless of injury history, you draft a smart, high-ceiling quarterback who can sit behind your current one, who is getting older. Besides, it worked out for Green Bay when they forced a quarterback named "Jordan" to sit behind Aaron Rodgers; why wouldn't it this time?

#2: Adonai Mitchell To The Indianapolis Colts

I have no idea how Mitchell fell this far, but he did. The Colts made an incredible selection and gave their young quarterback another elite playmaker to throw to. Mitchell was an astonishing talent out of Texas, with elite height, speed, and ball skills that should have made him a first rounder. I'm not entirely sure how he fell to the second-rounder but given that he is 6 ' 0 and runs a 4.34 forty-yard dash, he is a steal for nearly any value. Expect him to be something other than Jamaar Chase or Odell Beckham Jr. and be a top-tier receiver as soon as he enters the league. Expect Mitchell to grow as a threat for the Colts and partner up with his new firing mate Anthony Richardson. 

#1: Dallas Turner To The Minnesota Vikings

I thought the Vikings absolutely crushed the draft. But none of the draft's homerun picks was better than this. Turner was a player picked by many, including myself, to be the first defensive player off the board at number eight. But after the Falcons picked Michael Penix at eight (stay tuned for the worst picks article), not a single defensive player was taken until the fifteenth overall. Turner was also highly projected to go to the Vikings regardless at 11 if he didn't end up in Atlanta. The Vikings got a guy they expected to use a higher pick on much later than they initially believed. Not to mention, Turner has the potential to be the best defensive player out of this entire class. This was a robbery by the Vikings. 

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