Instant Grades and Reaction to the 2024 NFL Draft First Round

The 2024 NFL Draft is finally here. After months of speculation and study, hundreds of mock drafts, and thousands upon thousands of hours of film study, now is the time for NFL teams to make the final call. We are going to be along for the ride, grading and reacting to every first-round selection as it happens!

It's impossible to give this pick anything other than an A+ grade. Williams is the best quarterback in the draft and potentially the best QB in Bears history. At the very least, he should be fun to watch

Daniels is an electric player who could light the NFL on fire, we do have some reservations about his willingness to stay in the pocket and deliver the "NFL-type" throws, but he's going to be fun.

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We love Drake Maye as a prospect, even if there is some work to be done on some of the finer points of quarterbacking. The Pats were reportedly fielding calls for the number three pick, per Ian Rapoport but instead of trading back, they stayed at three and took their guy.

The Cardinals also stick and make their selection despite rumors by many in the NFL media that they could trade back. Harrison is a special talent and one you don't want to miss out on.

Despite even more rumors surrounding the Chargers' pick, they also stick and pick, selecting the monster offensive tackle, Joe Alt from Notre Dame. Alt is Daniel Jeremiah's eighth overall prospect and top offensive lineman.

The Giants added arguably the most explosive offensive weapon in the draft in Malik Nabers, who ended his career as the leading receiver in LSU history, per Bleacher Report.

Latham has the size and potential to become an excellent player in the NFL, but there are some concerns about his "foot quickness" and "awareness" per Daniel Jeremiah. With Rome Odunze on the board, if Latham doesn't work out, this could be a tough pick to look back on for Titans fans.

Huh? We don't get this pick at all after the Falcons signed Kirk Cousins in the offseason to a four-year contract, per the team website. By the time Cousins' contract is up, Penix will be entering his fifth season in the NFL. Bizarre

The Bears use their two top 10 picks on their franchise QB and his new number-one receiver. All of a sudden, the Bears' skill positions look stacked. Get excited, Bears fans.

The Vikings send the Jets picks 11, 129, and 157 in return for numbers 10 and 203, per Mike Garafolo. Minnesota use the pick to select J.J. McCarthy. We don't see McCarthy becoming an elite NFL QB, but if the Vikings rank him as the next-best QB on the board, this pick makes sense.

We had a feeling the Jets would take a wide receiver with this pick but with the top three off the board, they trade back a spot and select their left tackle of the future who can sit and learn behind Tyron Smith for a year or two.

We were mocking Nix to Denver in February but cooled on the idea as it became clear he may slip to later in the first round. We like Nix and can see him succeeding under Sean Payton, but number 12 seems high.

This is a difficult selection to grade as Bowers was a dominant player in college and could become a stud in the NFL, however, the history of first-round TEs is bad and this is a luxury pick for a team with weaknesses everywhere.

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Ian Rapoport suggested the Saints were listening to offers for the 14th overall pick but ultimately chose to sit and select Taliese Fuaga. Fuaga is the typical road-grading right tackle/guard prospect that the Saints seem to love. Daniel Jeremiah had him as his second offensive lineman on his big board.

There have been rumors recently that Latu has overtaken Dallas Turner as the top EDGE defender in the draft and his production in college backs that up. However, his age and previous neck injury that led to a doctor recommending he medically reties, per Sporting News, leads to some concerns.

Murphy has been mocked to the Seahawks for some time, and there's good reason for that. Outside of Leonard Williams, Seattle lacks talent along the defensive line, something that new head coach Mike MacDonald was sure to address.

The Vikings send the Jags picks 23 and 167 this year plus their 2025 3rd and 4th rounders in exchange for 17, per Field Yates. With the 17th overall pick, the Vikings select many analyst's top pass rusher in the draft, Dallas Turner. Minnesota exit round one with a new QB and potentially elite EDGE, a very solid haul.

Mims could become the best right tackle in football given his size and pedigree, but his lack of college experience was a concern for some. Still, the Bengals desperately need offensive line help and Mims gives them that.

The Rams add some pass rush help to their defensive line as most in the media predicted following Aaron Donald's retirement. We like Verse, but there are some concerns that his signature power-rush move may be found out in the NFL, per Tommy Lawlor.

The Steelers sit at 20 and take Daniel Jeremiah's 11th-ranked prospect Troy Fautanu. He projects as a tackle or guard (possibly even center) in the NFL, meaning the Steelers can bring him in and see where he fits best.

In his two full seasons of college football, Robinson only racked up 6 sacks, per ESPN, which is not suggestive of NFL success. His size and athleticism proved too tempting for the Dolphins, however, who are desperate for pass-rushing help following injuries to their established guys.

The board fell kindly for the Eagles who ended up with the choice of Terrion Arnold or Quinyon Mitchell—credit to Zach Berman of PHLY for breaking this pick. With the top tackles off the board, Howie Roseman bolsters an aging secondary by selecting the former Toledo stud.

The Jags traded back with the Vikings, picking up the 23rd overall selection as part of the deal. This proved to be a great process from the Jags as they take Brian Thomas Jr. despite moving back 6 picks. Thomas' size and speed is an off-the-charts combination suggesting he should become Trevor Lawrence's number one target immediately.

The Lions trade picks 29 and 73 to move up to 24 (and a Dallas 7th-round pick), per Ian Rapoport for NFL Network. The Lions use the 24th overall pick on Terrion Arnold, a player we really like, but his fall suggests the NFL may be a little concerned by his speed (4.5 40-yard dash per NFL).

Daniel Jeremiah ranked Morgan as the 47th-best player on his big board. Given the players still available, this feels like a huge reach.

Adam Schefter for ESPN breaks that Barton is going to Tampa. The versatile Duke offensive lineman projects as a guard or center in the NFL, so while not the most exciting pick, should help give Baker Mayfield some more time in the pocket.

We had Robinson to the Cardinals in a number of mocks throughout the process as it was a fit we believed made a lot of sense given Arizona's lack of pass-rush and Jonathan Gannon's need for pressure on the QB.

The back-to-back Super Bowl champs jump up to 28 (also getting 133 and 248), sending the Bills picks 32, 95, and 221, per Ian Rapoport. The Chiefs select the closest thing to Tyreek Hill in the draft in Xavier Worthy who Daniel Jeremiah describes as, "After the catch, he has a jet pack on his back. He explodes away from defenders and racks up big plays," sounds very dangerous in an Andy Reid offense.

Per Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports, the Cowboys take Tyler Guyton. Another pick that was often mocked by us and others given the Cowboys' need for offensive line help. The only knock on Guyton is his lack of polish, but the raw talent is there.

The Ravens go with Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins with pick 30. Wiggins is not an overly physical player, but his speed and ball skills were too tempting for Eric DeCosta and the Ravens.

Ricky Pearsall is a, "loose, smooth wideout with outstanding hands and toughness," but there are others still on the board we have higher. This also suggests Brandon Aiyuk is on the way out which is a tough loss for San Francisco.

Buffalo trade back once again, with the Panthers sending picks 33 and 141 in exchange for picks 32 and 200, per Field Yates of ESPN. Carolina use the last pick in the first round on Xavier Legette, a huge, explosive wide receiver who should add a new dynamic to an otherwise turgid offense.

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