Winners And Losers Of The 2024 NFL Draft: Round One
The 2024 NFL Draft is in full swing. Last night, the first round kicked off from Detroit, Michigan, starting with the Chicago Bears selecting quarterback Caleb Williams from USC. The night finished off with the Carolina Panthers trading up to the 32nd pick to select South Carolina wide receiver Xavier Legette.
So, who were the big winners of the first round? With a lot of action, some franchise-changing picks were made and some clueless decisions that will set a franchise back a few years. After one round of drafting, here are my winners and losers of the NFL Draft.
Winners Of The 2024 NFL Draft
Chicago Bears
Chicago has had a terrific start to the NFL Draft. After selecting franchise quarterback Caleb Williams, who has so much talent and potential to be a superstar, the team added the third-best wide receiver in Rome Odunze, who will be a great weapon for Williams and will give the Bears relief if D.J. Moore or Keenan Allen have to miss any games this season.
Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals have a lot of holes to fill, but they addressed two of their biggest with wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr and edge rusher Darius Robinson. Harrison is the most NFL-ready playmaker seen since Ja'Marr Chase and will make an immediate impact in Arizona. Meanwhile, Robinson is an elite edge rusher, and although some say the Cardinals should have taken a cornerback here, the good news is that most of the top corners are still available on Day 2.
Detroit Lions
The Lions traded up and were able to secure arguably the best cornerback in the draft in Terrion Arnold from Alabama. They also held off Green Bay from taking the Florida native as well. The Lions continue to draft well.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville was able to trade down with the Vikings and secure a good amount of late-round picks, but it still selected wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. as the 23rd overall. The LSU product might be the steal of the draft and will make him, Christian Kirk, and Gabe Davis one of the best receiving trios in the NFL.
Losers Of The NFL Draft
Atlanta Falcons
After throwing over 150 million dollars to 35-year-old Kirk Cousins and handing a four-year contract, Atlanta decided to pass on one of the best edge rushers in Dallas Turner or a playmaker for Cousins to throw to and drafted his replacement. Not only did the Falcons draft a quarterback they don't need, Michael Penix Jr is going to be 24 so even if he does sit to develop, he will be 28 years old when Cousins' contract expires. Penix is a great player, but I don't understand this pick by the ATL.
Buffalo Bills
The Bills desperately needed a wide receiver, and the team traded down twice, once with Kansas City, who took receiver Xavier Worthy from Texas, and then Carolina, who took Xavier Legette with the final pick in the round. Buffalo allowed two receivers to get selected and gave the fastest receiver in the class to their rival Chiefs, who are the main obstacle in the Bills' path to the Super Bowl.
San Francisco 49ers
Despite rumors that the 49ers were taking Iowa safety Cooper DeJean (who they should have), they opted for receiver Ricky Pearsall from Florida. Pearsall was listed as a Day 3 prospect by Pro Football Network, yet San Francisco took him 31st overall. This signals that either Deebo Samuel or Brandon Aiyuk could be traded very soon.
Tennessee Titans
This wasn't Tennessee's fault, but the Titans were widely expected to take tackle Joe Alt, the best offensive lineman in the draft. Unfortunately, the Chargers snatched him two picks before, so the team settled with Alabama tackle J.C. Latham, who was ranked towards the middle of the first round.
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