Credit: Bella Schreiber

Join Staff Reporter Bowen Morrison as he discusses the 2024 NFL draft and analyzes team decisions.

The first round of the National Football League (NFL) Draft took place in Detroit, Michigan Thursday, April 25 at 8 p.m.. NFL teams have chosen who they want to lead their team for years to come. Draft order is dependent on the teams’ 2023 regular season record. They will either have a pick in the early first round or the later round picks, but everyone is given a pick the first night.

Chicago Bears – Caleb Williams (quarterback – University of Southern California)
Williams was the consensus number one pick throughout many expert mock drafts. It is no surprise that Williams was selected number one overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. I think this was a great choice by the Bears’ front office.

Washington Commanders – Jayden Daniels (quarterback – University of Michigan)
As I predicted in my mock draft, Daniels was drafted at the number two spot in the draft by the Commanders. Hopefully this mobile quarterback will pan out in Washington. I think he was a great selection for the Commander’s situation.

New England Patriots – Drake Maye (quarterback – University of North Carolina)
In my opinion, Maye is the second best quarterback in this NFL draft class and it was a great selection by the Patriots to choose the best option available at pick three. The Patriots had a very underrated draft this year. Throughout all seven rounds in this draft, the Patriots did a good job filling almost every hole in their roster, mostly with offensive weapons. Arguably the most important thing that New England did this draft was finding their franchise quarterback.

Arizona Cardinals – Marvin Harrison Jr. (wide receiver – Ohio State University)
Harrison is the one of the best wide receivers we’ve seen in recent years. He was the best pick for Arizona in this situation, however, I have doubts about how much production he’ll have with Kyler Murray as his quarterback.

Los Angeles Chargers – Joe Alt (tackle – Notre Dame University)
The fifth pick in this draft unfortunately ended my four-pick hot streak of guessing these draft choices. Even though I didn’t predict it, Alt is a great option for the Chargers at pick number five. He is a great prospect and I think his skills will help Los Angeles.

New York Giants – Malik Nabers (wide receiver – Louisiana State University)
The Giants were in need of a new wide receiver to bring some life to its offense. Nabers was the best choice for New York’s situation, and he is a very talented wide receiver who will hopefully give quarterback Daniel Jones some help.

Tennessee Titans – JC Latham (tackle – University of Alabama)
Latham is a solid tackle prospect and I think Tennessee made a pretty good choice selecting Latham here. Latham is a great stepping stone for Tennessee to continue to flourish on the offensive side of the ball.

Atlanta Falcons – Michael Penix Jr. (quarterback – University of Washington)
This draft pick surprised NFL fans around the country, including me. After the acquisition of Kirk Cousins, some expected the Falcons to have their quarterback situation dealt with for at least the upcoming year. However, the Falcons have seemed to take after the Green Bay Packers in how they will conduct their future quarterback situation. They have a veteran quarterback, so they picked a rookie who can watch and learn from the veteran. There are two problems here, Penix Jr. is 24 years old. He can’t afford to have his young years sitting behind another quarterback. He’s already old enough as is. The other problem is that this next year will be Cousins’ first season starting for Atlanta. He is not in the place to be a mentor for Penix Jr. if he just recently joined the team. Cousins needs to learn for himself before mentorship. I believe that this choice will have a negative impact on Cousins’ morale and will prove to be a mistake for Atlanta in the coming years.

Chicago Bears – Rome Odunze (wide receiver – University of Washington)
I believe that this draft choice was the best pick the Bears could have made in this situation. Odunze will prove to be a great pick for Chicago, and I think he will blend well with Caleb Williams’ quarterback play and Chicago’s offensive scheme.

Minnesota Vikings (via trade with New York Jets) – JJ McCarthy (quarterback – University of Michigan)
First off, this trade with the number 10 and 11 picks between the Vikings and the Jets is completely pointless. I don’t understand why the Vikings would ever trade away their late-round value picks just for the 10th pick in the draft. The Jets were never in the position to draft any quarterback, much less McCarthy. I believe the number 10 draft pick was too high for a player of McCarthy’s caliber. I think that he was selected prematurely and that he will prove to be too young and inexperienced for the position. Maybe in a couple years McCarthy will be able to figure it out, but for right now, I don’t think he will be the franchise quarterback that the Vikings hope he will be.

New York Jets (via trade with Minnesota Vikings) – Olu Fashanu (tackle – Washington University)
After the trade between the two franchises, the New York Jets selected Fashanu, a top tackle out of Washington. Fashanu is a great choice for the Jets. He will build the Jets’ offensive line and help protect Aaron Rodgers until his departure.

Denver Broncos – Bo Nix (quarterback – University of Oregon)
This selection for the Broncos at pick number 12 is yet another choice that I don’t understand and disagree with. Nix did not deserve to be picked in the first round, much less in the top 15. I think the Broncos should’ve waited to draft Nix so they could draft another position of higher value.

Las Vegas Raiders – Brock Bowers (tight end – University of Georgia )
Although I chose cornerback Terrion Arnold in my mock draft, I like the pick of Bowers, as he’s a great tight end. However, they do already have Michael Mayer in their other tight end spot, so I don’t really see the vision. Nonetheless, the pick isn’t bad.

New Orleans Saints – Tailese Fuaga (tackle – Oregon State University)
Tailese Fuaga is a good tackle and a pretty good selection at pick 14 for the Saints. In my opinion, he isn’t quite on the same level as Alt or Fashanu, but still a good pick considering the circumstances at pick 14.

Indianapolis Colts – Laiatu Latu (edge rusher – University of California Los Angeles)
Latu is a fine selection for the Colts and hopefully he can improve the team’s defense. Unfortunately for Latu, he is injury prone and he was even forced into medical retirement in 2021 after sustaining a neck injury. I think that if this injury didn’t hold him back, he would’ve been selected higher, and I would’ve debated ranking him above edge rusher Dallas Turner.

Seattle Seahawks – Byron Murphy II (defensive tackle – University of Texas at Austin)
I believe Murphy is the best defense tackle in this draft class. The Seahawks did a great job during this draft and they selected their immediate needs.

Minnesota Vikings (via Jacksonville Jaguars) – Dallas Turner (edge rusher – Alabama)
Dallas Turner is debatably the best edge rusher in this draft class, and, in my opinion, he is a better prospect than Latu. I think he would’ve been a better fit for the Atlanta Falcons, and they even had a chance to select him but decided to go a different route. Overall, he is a steal at pick 17, and the Vikings were lucky to get him this late into the first round.

Cincinnati Bengals – Amarius Mims (tackle – University of Georgia)
This pick by the Bengals was a great one. Unfortunately, they weren’t high enough in the draft to select the top tackles in the class, but they did the best they could. I think Mims will prove to be a good pick for the Bengals offense, and he will definitely contribute positively to their success.

Los Angeles Rams – Jared Verse (edge – Florida State University)
Verse is a great edge rusher prospect. I think he will succeed around his new defensive line, which now includes his old teammate, Braden Fiske. Verse is a solid pickup for the Rams, and I think they did a good job throughout the whole draft selecting players to strengthen their defense.

Pittsburgh Steelers – Troy Fautanu (tackle – University of Washington)
Fautanu is a solid choice for the Steelers at pick 20. In my opinion, he could’ve been selected higher, but nonetheless, he is a solid pickup for the Steelers. He will definitely assist in building the Steelers’ offense into the future.

Miami Dolphins – Demeioun “Pork Chop” Robinson (edge rusher – Penn State University)
The Dolphins have made efforts recently to build up their defense with the acquisition of Jalen Ramsey, Jordan Poyer, Shaquil Barrett and others. I think Robinson was a phenomenal choice for the Dolphins at pick 21, and I would even argue that he should’ve been selected higher. 10/10 pick, 10/10 nickname.

Philadelphia Eagles – Quinyon Mitchell (cornerback – University of Toledo)
Mitchell is yet another steal for the Eagles. Eagles General Manager Howie Roseman is arguably the best current manager in the NFL. He is a superb drafter, and Mitchell possesses the technique and the skills necessary to be a star cornerback in the NFL. Mitchell is a great choice for the Eagles at pick 22.

Jacksonville Jaguars (via trade with Houston Texans) Brian Thomas Jr. (wide receiver – Louisiana State University)
After the departure of Calvin Ridley during the offseason, Jacksonville was in need of a new wide receiver. While Thomas Jr. isn’t a bad option, I think Keon Coleman would have been the better choice for them. Unfortunately for Thomas Jr. he doesn’t possess the ball skills and the route running that Coleman has. Hopefully he will work out for Jacksonville, but I am not sure I agree with this choice.

Detroit Lions (via trade with Dallas Cowboys) Terrion Arnold (cornerback – University of Alabama)
I like this trade that the Detroit Lions made. Especially after Cameron Sutton was released following his arrest on March 21, Arnold is one of the best cornerback prospects in this draft, and I really like this pick at number 24.

Green Bay Packers – Jordan Morgan (tackle – University of Arizona)
In my mock draft, I had the Packers selecting Olumuyiwa Fashanu, but unfortunately for the Packers, he was not available at this point in the draft. Morgan is a fine alternative, and I think this was a solid pick.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Graham Barton (center – Duke University)
The Buccaneers selected Barton as an extra layer of protection for their new quarterback, Baker Mayfield. Although Barton may not have as many skills as the other offensive lineman in this draft, he is a good center and will contribute positively to the Buccaneers offense.

Arizona Cardinals – Darius Robinson (edge rusher – University of Missouri)
Although I didn’t predict Robinson to be drafted in the first round, I think that he is a solid pick and will strengthen the Cardinals’ defense.

Kansas City Chiefs (via Buffalo Bills) – Xavier Worthy (wide receiver – University of Texas at Austin)
I think this is a fantastic trade for the Chiefs, but I don’t understand it from the Bills’ perspective. The Bills could’ve gotten a phenomenal wide receiver prospect who has record breaking speed according to the 40 yard dash time that was clocked at the NFL Combine. This matchup between Patrick Mahomes and Worthy is one that the rest of the NFL should be fearful of. I think this was a great move by the Chiefs’ front office.

Dallas Cowboys (via Detroit Lions) – Tyler Guyton (tackle – University of Oklahoma)
Guyton is a pretty good offensive tackle from Oklahoma who will definitely contribute to the Cowboys’ offensive success. Although this pickup won’t be game-breaking, it’s a good one nonetheless.

Baltimore Ravens – Nate Wiggins (cornerback – Clemson University)
Wiggins is the fastest cornerback in this draft class, and he is incredibly twitchy and fluid in his movements. Wiggins is a steal at pick 30 and he deserved to be picked higher. Wiggins will definitely contribute to the Ravens’ secondary and build a better team in Baltimore.

San Francisco 49ers – Ricky Pearsall (wide receiver – Florida University)
In my opinion, Pearsall was selected too high. He is a fine wide receiver who has great hands and good speed. However, I think the better option at 31 would have been Keon Coleman from Florida State University.

Carolina Panthers – Xavier Legette (wide receiver – University of South Carolina)
Legette is bigger than many other wide receivers, standing at six feet one inch and 221 pounds. He is a very physical prospect who will be sure to overpower other cornerbacks. Similar to DK Metcalf, he also attended University of South Carolina. This was a fine pick for the Panthers, and hopefully he will bring some life to their offense.