Winners
Chicago Bears. Anybody with an web connection may have drafted Southern California quarterback Caleb Williams with the primary decide. However Williams’ arrival is a victory unto itself for the Bears, who’ve been within the QB wilderness for many years. Chicago followers will count on Williams to be the workforce’s finest quarterback ever, and it gained’t even be so unreasonable of them given his chic expertise and the workforce’s barren historical past on the place. Common supervisor Ryan Poles has additionally completed properly to encompass Williams with among the best teams of receivers in soccer. Poles traded for Los Angeles Chargers star Keenan Allen earlier this 12 months, and he then used the ninth decide so as to add Washington’s Rome Odunze to a fold that already included the gifted and productive DJ Moore. Possibly the Bears gained’t win large in 2024, however they need to be extra enjoyable to look at than they’ve been. And for the primary time in ages, there’s a basis in place upon which the membership may construct a Tremendous Bowl workforce.
Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings misplaced their quarterback, Kirk Cousins, to the Atlanta Falcons in free company. They have been poised to spend 2024 in distress, with veteran disappointment Sam Darnold sliding in as a stopgap. Now if Vikings followers have to look at Darnold, it ought to solely be for a number of video games. Michigan’s JJ McCarthy fortuitously slid to the tenth decide, and the Vikings traded as much as nab him as their signal-caller of the longer term. McCarthy is a hotly debated prospect. He gained the nationwide championship at Michigan, however the Wolverines have been dedicated to having him throw the ball little or no in a run-obsessed offense. When he did throw, he was extra good than nice. However he’s simply 21 and has a bushel of athletic upside, and Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell has a strong monitor document along with his QBs; McCarthy turns into his newest pupil. And after buying and selling into one other first-round decide, Minnesota obtained a extremely succesful edge rusher in Alabama’s Dallas Turner at No 17. McCarthy will be the future, however Turner needs to be NFL participant instantly.
Pittsburgh Steelers. Talking of fine fortune in how the draft unfolded, the Steelers obtained a great deal of it when Washington offensive deal with Troy Fautanu was accessible for them with the twentieth decide. Pittsburgh have two gaping holes on their offensive line, one at middle (the place they’ve virtually nobody) and the opposite at left deal with (the place they begin one of many league’s worst gamers). In Fautanu, they obtained a gifted and critically versatile large man who can add some nastiness to what has usually been an underachieving line. Including somebody like Fautanu was a prerequisite if the Steelers hoped to provide new quarterback Russell Wilson an opportunity, and different groups’ selections allowed Pittsburgh to handle its drawback. The Steelers’ good draft continued when West Virginia middle Zach Frazier was there for the taking within the second spherical. In the meantime, Michigan receiver Roman Wilson, a third-round selection, may play quite a bit as a rookie ready group the place the Steelers lack depth.
Losers
Atlanta Falcons. Spending the eighth total decide on a QB most projected to not be taken till the late first and even second spherical? Hey, all of us make daring selections generally. However doing it instantly after guaranteeing $100m to a longtime veteran who performs the identical place? And with out speaking to that quarterback beforehand? The Falcons’ determination to take Washington’s Michael Penix Jr, a 24-year-old with a giant left arm and a equally large damage historical past, seems weirder in that context. Cousins’ will play this season at 36 years previous, so it’s not unreasonable to plan for 3 years down the road. However for the Penix determination to repay, the Falcons might want to have been the neatest guys within the room. That has not traditionally been true of the boys working this specific franchise, which can clarify why long-suffering Atlanta followers appeared perturbed by the Cousins-Penix two-step.
Denver Broncos. Grabbing Oregon quarterback Bo Nix at No 12 was a bit much less bizarre than what the Falcons did with Penix, however solely just a little. Nix is one other previous prospect at 24 himself. He developed into a superb faculty QB by the top of his five-year profession, however that’s simply the problem: It took Nix a very long time (and a pleasant age benefit over his competitors) to grow to be helpful at Oregon, the place the teaching employees helped him succeed with a barrage of fast, quick throws that allowed his teammates to make performs with the ball. How a lot improvement he has left in entrance of him within the NFL is an inexpensive query, and it’s why most thought he would, like Penix, stay undrafted till later within the first spherical and even the second. It isn’t simple to see Nix changing into an above-average starter, however now the Broncos want that from him. In the meantime, they may pay Wilson practically $40m whereas he performs elsewhere this season. It smells like questionable asset administration from a workforce that has missed the playoffs eight instances working.
Defensive gamers. The primary 14 names referred to as in Thursday’s first spherical all belonged to offensive prospects. The drought didn’t break till UCLA edge defender Laiatu Latu joined the Indianapolis Colts at No. 15. That marked by far the worst stretch of draft futility for defenders within the post-1970 merger NFL, as 2021 (when the primary defender taken was the No 8 decide) represented the earlier low level. Why was 2024 so distinctive? A league-wide thirst for even satisfactory quarterback play contributed, as six QBs have been off the board within the first 12 picks. Additionally enjoying a task was an unusually robust class of huge receivers (led by Marvin Harrison Jr, now of the Cardinals) and the presence of an elite tight finish, Brock Bowers (who went to the Las Vegas Raiders). The run on offensive gamers was principally a run on throwers and catchers. However that gained’t make the misplaced earnings any higher for defenders who slid down draft boards.
