NFL Draft tracker: Grading every first-round pick in 2024 (2024)

Caleb Williams gives the perennially downtrodden Bears a chance at something most of their fans have never seen: a legitimate superstar quarterback.

There is nothing the former USC talisman can’t do. He has an elite pocket presence. He can throw and create magic from the most ridiculous and absurd angles. He’s got an absolute cannon of an arm. Perhaps most importantly, like all the greats, he is capable of putting his team on his back even under the most adverse circ*mstances. With him at quarterback, you are never truly out of a game.

Williams walks into a Chicago situation tailor-made for him to have success from the get-go. The pressure to turn the Bears into a championship contender will be tremendous, at times likely even overwhelming. Many have crumbled under these immense expectations, and understandably so. But Williams has the requisite talent and the moxie to finally break a disturbing quarterback trend that has flat-out tortured Bears fans for decades. The best part is that he seems to understand all of this, and he isn’t shying away from the moment at all.

If anyone can become the first great Bears quarterback of the modern era, it’s him.

Grade: A+

The Commanders wielded a double-edged sword by sinking all the way up to No. 2. That gave Washington its choice of quarterbacks, but the pressure of choosing between an established draft prospect coming off an OK year (Drake Maye) and a star who rose up with a transcendent, Heisman Trophy-winning 2023 while surrounded by NFL talent (Jayden Daniels).

Daniels’ high ceiling was too much for a rebuilding franchise to pass up. At his best, he plays like Baker Mayfield imported to NCAA Football ‘14 and playing on rookie mode. He’s a dual-threat nightmare who can be Washington’s best quarterback since … Mark Rypien? … Joe Theismann? But he’ll be forever linked with Maye, and if he can’t outplay the quarterback who directly followed him it’ll be yet another loss for the Commanders.

Grade: B

The Commanders overthinking a surefire top quarterback prospect is the greatest gift to Jerod Mayo’s Patriots. Since September, Maye has been the consensus 1QB to Caleb Williams as a draft prospect to most, and for good reason. He’s a tremendous processor, can make every throw in the book and is a flat-out magician with the ball in his hands. It’s so classic Patriots to luck into a potential generational signal-caller in the top three. If New England can surround him with real receivers, the Patriots can be a championship-caliber team again soon enough.

Grade: A

There may have been room to trade back, but Arizona kept things simple. The fourth overall pick allowed the Cardinals to take the draft’s top player – and he just so happens to play a position of need. Kyler Murray played the last six games of 2023 like a top-10 quarterback, but his wideout room for 2024 looked grim… until now.

Grade: A+

Jim Harbaugh’s rebuild only gets off to a moderately weird start! Standing at a listed 6-foot-9, 321 pounds, Alt is a monster of a human being. He has incredible balance paving running lanes and is quite fluid as a pass protector for someone of his stature. With Rashawn Slater already in the fold, the Chargers very well might have a young All-Pro tackle duo on their hands.

Grade: A

You know how good you have to be to give Marvin Harrison Jr. a true run to be 2024’s best receiving prospect? So, so good. That’s Nabers, a player with ludicrous body control and the explosion to leave lockdown corners in the dust for clutch pickups. This season is likely Daniel Jones’ last chance to prove he can be the Giants’ franchise quarterback. For the first time in his career, he’ll have a true WR1 to bail him out.

Grade: A

The Titans are taking “build from the trenches” to heart. Latham is a veritable bowling ball, a man who could likely play and thrive inside at guard if he wasn’t so athletic. His natural gifts will give him a high floor as one of Tennessee’s hopeful building blocks for the future. However, he’s not great against pass-rushers with speed and might need time for seasoning to get up to speed. It’s a good thing the Titans can afford to wait.

Grade: B+

…what?

[Editor’s note: We’re gonna need more than that.]

Whatever. Fine. Let me stop cackling and explain.

Kirk Cousins is under contract through 2027, even if he may not play that long (he’s 36). Penix turns 25 years old in less than two weeks. He’s not a rising young quarterback who can wait a few years; he’d be 27 by the time Atlanta can get out of Cousins’ contract with minimal cap damage.

Is this all an elaborate prank on Cousins to prove he’s the Pizza Ranch version of Aaron Rodgers? Penix was supposed to be a second round talent. He’s an electric playmaker who only became elite with a Washington team loaded with NFL talent. The Falcons needed a pass rusher and other defensive pieces. Instead they used a top 10 pick on a backup quarterback for at least the next two seasons.

So, yeah. …what?

Grade: D

We haven’t even left the top 10, and this is already a dream draft for the Bears. Odunze was one of the best receiver prospects in recent memory. He only fell because he shared a draft with Harrison and Nabers. The former Husky now joins a stacked receiver room in Chicago featuring two Pro Bowl-caliber veterans in D.J. Moore and Keenan Allen. They are the perfect players to learn the position from. In time, it wouldn’t be a shock to see this young playmaker surpass both in the pecking order.

Grade: A+

The Vikings got their quarterback without having to trade a second first-round pick, two spots after the team who stole their prior quarterback, Kirk Cousins, selected a lower-rated passer. The NFL is weird, man. But McCarthy is an efficient, high-floor quarterback who excelled in a power-run, motion-heavy offense that can be replicated at the next level. He’s not a perfect prospect, but he’ll have the chance to shine in an offense with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson easing his transition to Sundays.

Grade: B

Fashanu is one of those blue-chip prospects we’ll one day make fun of people for passing on in the top 10. A tackle with all the prototypical tools, the 21-year-old Fashanu has a First-Team All-Pro ceiling if he’s brought along the right way. He should be a Day 1 starter and someone Aaron Rodgers is ecstatic to see lining up in front of him, protecting his blind side. This is an absolute grand slam of a pick for a New York team that desperately needed an injection of homegrown offensive line talent.

Grade: A+

It’s possible we got too excited by this year’s quarterback class. Yes, next year’s is not super great, but … Bo Nix? Top-12 pick? We’re really doing this?

OK, we’re really doing this. Nix had a 45-to-3 touchdown-interception ratio, which is stunning. He also had the FBS’s sixth-lowest average pass distance at 6.9 yards downfield, so it’s not like he was threading needles through rapidly closing holes. Still, if any coach is capable of handling a short-pass maestro, it’s the one who guided late-stage Drew Brees — whose arm was a sock filled with vegetarian lasagna between 2018 and 2020 — to an annual playoff berth.

Grade: C-

Some tight ends are compared to future Hall of Famer Rob Gronkowski simply because they are large and can catch the ball. It’s absurd and reductive in almost every instance. Bowers is the rare breed of player where the sentiment applies perfectly. The arguably greatest tight end in college football history should be a dynamic lynchpin for the Las Vegas offense as a blocker and pass-catcher from the jump. The rebuilding Raiders probably didn’t need a tight end, but Bowers is just too exceptional to pass up.

Grade: A

New Orleans’ eternal place in salary cap purgatory means there’s a premium when it comes to finding inexpensive players at high-priced positions. And if it means they don’t have to start Trevor Penning, well, all the better.

The Saints got relief on both fronts by selecting Fuaga, who plays every down like someone just insulted the bartender at his place. He’s nimble when it comes to moving and flattening linebackers, but his toughness and hand quickness make him an able and relentless presence as a pass blocker.

Grade: A-

Every great team needs a franchise offensive player and a franchise defensive player. The Colts already had Anthony Richardson on the attack, and now they’ll have Latu mercilessly chasing quarterbacks around on defense. What an ideal setup. Concerns with a neck injury aside, Latu is a complete all-around defender who can seamlessly win on the edge with power and speed. The Colts should be salivating at the opportunity to pair him with human wrecking ball DeForest Buckner because… phew.

Grade: A

It’s nearly impossible to find a Pro Bowl-caliber defensive tackle on the open market. An NFL team’s only real way to get one – particularly one with pass rushing chops – is in the first three rounds of the draft. That’s what Seattle did, taking the draft’s top interior lineman to punch up a defense that was less than the sum of its parts in 2023.

Murphy has great explosiveness off the ball, commanding constant double teams with his ability to fire into gaps. He’ll have decent sack numbers, but his value increases exponentially when you consider how much easier he’ll make life for the rest of the Seahawks’ front. And now he gets to play alongside Leonard Williams? Hot damn.

Grade: A

Minnesota believes in Turner so much it was willing to trade away a duke’s ransom just to get back into position to draft him. And honestly? It’s not a bad bet. Turner’s length, explosion and frame should give opposing offensive tackles a nightmare once he reaches his final form. While he is a bit more slight, coming in at less than 250 pounds, they make edge defenders like Turner in labs. In terms of finding a Danielle Hunter replacement, the Vikings couldn’t have done any better – even if it came at a hefty cost.

Grade: B+

Jonah Williams’ departure left a clear need at right tackle in Cincinnati. Mims has as high a ceiling of anyone in his draft class, but just eight college starts on which to fall back. Would a win-now Bengals team have been better off with a high-floor addition like Troy Fautanu or Tyler Guyton? Would defensive reinforcements have been more prudent than a high-upside mountain of a tackle? Maybe. But Mims has been great when he’s been on the field, and his pass blocking gives Joe Burrow something to smile about on Thursday night.

Grade: B

Is this a panic pick by Sean McVay’s regime after losing Aaron Donald? Well… not entirely, anyway. Even after a surprising winning season, L.A. needed to set the table for a new defensive era the right way. Verse certainly applies. A dynamite speed rusher, Verse’s first step will strike fear into the hearts of every offensive coordinator who has to game plan for him. He understands innately using his leverage to his advantage, which will also likely make him a plug-and-play player. And suddenly, a no-name Rams defense actually has someone to build around.

Grade: A

Fautanu and Fuaga were the most Steeler-y guys on the board. Lunchpail offensive linemen who like nothing more than to battle and showcase their scars in a toughman competition. Fautanu is great because he has the chops to play any position on the line, and concerns about his ability to remain at tackle were assuaged by his perfectly reasonable 34.5-inch arm length. He can take over for Dan Moore at left tackle or kick inside wherever needed, paving the way for either Russell Wilson or Justin Fields to have plenty of time in the pocket before underthrowing their target.

Grade: A+

In a draft with lesser offensive players, we would’ve hyped up Robinson for the electricity he provides to the point of nausea. Watching him explode off the defensive edge is more reminiscent of a ruthless demon than a bog standard pass-rusher. It’s patently overwhelming for offensive linemen and breathtaking to take in as a spectator. This is said all while knowing that his technique still needs a lot of refinement.

Throwing Robinson into a trio with Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb is an exciting foundation for the Dolphins. It’s this kind of pass-rushing arsenal that can finally win Miami an AFC East division title.

Grade: B

The draft board couldn’t have fallen better for Philadelphia. It has a massive need in the secondary and got to select the draft’s first cornerback. Mitchell lacks the blue-chip high school pedigree of his new teammates, but all he’s known in his career is dominance. He had 37 pass breakups his final two years at Toledo. He crushed his Senior Bowl practices and showed out at the combine.

No matter what challenge has been put in front of him, he’s passed with flying colors. Next up: filling the shoes of the aging James Bradberry and Darius Slay.

Grade: A+

Thomas shared pass targets with an absolute stud LSU teammate, but that doesn’t mean he’s a slouch. Far from it. In fact, at this point in the draft, the Jaguars should be thrilled they could still find a reliable and mature possession receiver like Thomas as their replacement for Calvin Ridley.

Thomas doesn’t possess high-end speed at a consistent rate, and he might struggle to separate against smarter cornerbacks. But he will make the tough catch, he will run every route in the playbook and that should suffice as he learns the game on a struggling Jaguars team trying to center itself again. The talent is undeniable. Somewhere, Trevor Lawrence is beaming with joy right now.

Grade: B+

Yes, Detroit overpaid here, giving up a top-80 selection to move up five slots toward the end of the first round. But Arnold is a worthwhile luxury, a cornerback who can have an immediate impact in a secondary that badly needs it.

The Lions 91.5 passer rating allowed was 12th worst in the NFL last season, and that was before Cameron Sutton was released following a domestic violence arrest. This is a team that could afford to make a win-now swing after landing at the Super Bowl’s doorstep, even if the Cowboys got a great deal as well.

Grade: B

It’s thoroughly cliché, but sometimes, the best ability for a starting offensive lineman is availability. A three-year starter who battled back from a 2022 ACL tear, Morgan will do everything to help his team. He is Mr. Dependable through and through. Morgan is not particularly athletic, and he doesn’t really pop off the page as a technician, but he does everything competently. He is not terrible at anything in particular and owns enough patience and intelligence to hold his water against bigger, stronger and faster pros.

In other words: You couldn’t think of a more classic Packers player if you tried. Here’s yet another prudent investment in the most important position group of any football team by Green Bay.

Grade: B

Barton played tackle at Duke but is slated to slide inside in the pros. Which, thank goodness, because Tampa Bay has needed to shore up the interior of its line since opponents effectively bullied Tom Brady into retirement. The Buccaneers’ have finished dead last in yards gained per rush before contact each of the last two years, leaving entirely too much heavy lifting on quarterbacks with limited time in the pocket. Barton isn’t a sexy pick, but he can fix that.

Grade: B+

This is a fascinating pick purely because of Robinson’s versatility. He is the kind of Swiss Army Knife you can utilize inside and outside in the interest of seeking favorable matchups. Aside from the usual field-tilting game-wreckers on the edge, he plays easily the most valuable style of defender in the modern NFL because of how much flexibility it affords your defense.

For Arizona, Robinson instantly becomes the face of their next generation on defense. Up until now, the Cardinals spent the offseason using stopgaps to fill in the blanks. Robinson is the first real chess piece to get excited about as this defense in the desert gets a facelift.

Grade: B+

Kansas City has lacked a true deep threat the last two years. Marquez Valdes-Scantling was supposed to be the guy but was better known for his drops as a Chief than his positive contributions. This didn’t matter, of course. Patrick Mahomes won two Super Bowl rings anyway.

Now, he’s got the fastest wideout of the modern era to throw to. Worthy wasn’t the college home-run hitter you’d expect from a player with 4.21-second 40 speed, but his lack of deep success was attributed to Quinn Ewers’ struggles finding him downfield. Mahomes won’t have that issue. While this may have been a bit high for Worthy, Kansas City saw something it liked and, given its past success with Tyreek Hill, it’s tough to fault the effort.

Grade: B-

Now that’s how you avoid a mini offensive line crisis! With Tyron Smith’s departure, the Cowboys were left in dire straits up front, seemingly forced to reshuffle key young pieces like the promising Tyler Smith. This will no longer be the case thanks to Guyton, who will allow Dallas to keep Smith at guard where he can continue burying defenders into the ground.

Guyton is a bit more raw and will have to add the requisite “grown-man” strength to succeed at the next level. But this is a school project worth taking on for the Cowboys, if only to keep all their players in their natural positions.

Grade: B

Wiggins’ college skills aren’t in doubt. His ability to play in the NFL at 6-foot-1 and 173 pounds, however, is. Will he be able to get off blocks or bring down 240-plus pound ball-carriers? Will he be able to fight through static and get to the ball against a different class of wideout?

Baltimore has drafted so well it’s easy to give the Ravens the benefit of the doubt. Wiggins is a boom-or-bust prospect being put in a place where he can thrive. But if he succeeds at his current playing weight, he’ll be an outlier.

Grade: C+

OK, c’mon. Who told the already-stacked 49ers they were allowed to add more weapons?

Jokes aside, nabbing a reliable slot target like Pearsall this late in the first round is probably a dream for Kyle Shanahan. He gives this Bay Area offense someone a little more dependable while working in between Brandon Aiyuk (if he stays) and Deebo Samuel. Pearsall won’t burn any defenders, and he will have to be schemed open a ton, but that’s alright.

Good thing the 49ers have the best play-caller in football!

Grade: B

It’s very nice of Buffalo, a team that badly needs wide receiver help, to keep making trades so other teams can draft wideouts in their place. The Bills let another Xavier slip past them, this time in the well-built South Carolina star, who has exactly one year of meaningful production in five seasons as a Gameco*ck.

Legette is an upside pick for a team that badly needs stars. But he was also largely considered a Day 2 selection thanks to sloppy routes and difficulty snapping off coverage. He’s bulky and fast and could have A.J. Brown type potential. Or he could struggle to get open for a bad offense and fade into oblivion as a Panther.

Grade: C+