The 2024 NFL Draft is officially in the books after three days of intrigue and plenty of action.
Teams will round out their rosters with undrafted free-agent signings over the next several days. But the puzzles largely have been put together. The experimentation will begin in a few weeks when minicamps and offseason practices begin. And some questions will remain unanswered until training camp and the preseason.
But for now, we’re evaluating which teams appear to have helped themselves the most following the draft and which teams fell short in their quest to position themselves to contend.
Winners
Philadelphia Eagles
General manager Howie Roseman continued his wheeling and dealing Saturday, when he pulled off five more trades to finish with a record nine during draft week. The Eagles received some good fortune, as cornerback Quinyon Mitchell fell to them in Round 1. Then Roseman pulled off a trade that positioned the Eagles to take another cornerback, Cooper DeJean, in Round 2. From there, Roseman and company continued to improve the depth of their roster while also stockpiling picks for 2025. For now, the Eagles have nine picks in next year’s draft. That gives Philadelphia a cushion in case the NFL’s investigation of potential tampering with Saquon Barkley reveals any wrongdoing and the Eagles are docked a pick or two.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers overhauled their quarterback group this offseason by acquiring Russell Wilson and Justin Fields and entered the draft with the mission of becoming stronger in the trenches. Mission accomplished. Tackle Troy Fautanu, center Zach Frazier and guard Mason McCormick were three of their first five picks. The Steelers also added toughness on defense by selecting linebacker Payton Wilson and defensive tackle Logan Lee.
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Washington Commanders
The moment certainly didn’t appear too big for Commanders rookie general manager Adam Peters. Not only did he select Jayden Daniels as the team’s franchise quarterback, but he also added playmakers on offense and defense. Peters used his eight picks after Daniels to plug holes along the defensive front, in the secondary, at tight end and on the interior of the offensive line.
Los Angeles Chargers
Jim Harbaugh and the Chargers entered the draft with numerous holes to fill as they revamp. In response, they delivered a sound board with big, tough, physical building blocks in offensive tackle Joe Alt, linebacker Junior Colson and defensive tackle Justin Eboigbe. The Chargers also added intriguing offensive prospects in running back Kimani Vidal and wide receiver Brenden Rice (Jerry’s son), who could be sleepers.
Kansas City Chiefs
The rich get richer. Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes have yet another speedy wide receiver following the first-round pickup of Texas’ Xavier Worthy. Then they got a steal with BYU tackle Kingsley Suamataia in the second round before adding two more offensive linemen to bolster their depth. Tight end Jared Wiley (fourth round) is another intriguing pick who could contribute now before assuming a larger role once Travis Kelce begins to decline.
Michigan Wolverines
A whopping 13 players from the national champions heard their names called this weekend. That leads all schools (Texas followed with 11 players drafted). Quarterback J.J. McCarthy led the way, going 10th overall to the Minnesota Vikings, and then round after round, the Wolverines got snatched up. Four more signed immediately afterward as undrafted free agents. Harbaugh even reunited with two of his former players: Colson and wide receiver Cornelius Johnson.
Losers
Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons were heavily scrutinized following their selection of quarterback Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8 just weeks after giving Kirk Cousins $100 million guaranteed. Yes, as the Green Bay Packers have shown, it’s wise to draft a quarterback before you need him. But the Falcons aren’t close enough to contending to make luxury picks like this. They really need second-round defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro and third-round outside linebacker Bralen Trice to shine as rookies to help soften the blow of passing up an immediate impact talent in the top 10.
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Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys made additions that will help improve the quality and depth of their offensive line. But it’s hard to look at this week’s selections and feel like Dallas gained ground on the rival Eagles. The Cowboys emerge from the draft with a glaring hole. They needed a quality running back and went the entire draft without selecting one, even though there were plenty of opportunities.
Miami Dolphins
Despite forfeiting their third-round pick because of impermissible contact with Tom Brady and the agent for Sean Payton, the Dolphins still finished the draft with seven picks. Yet they didn’t seem to hit on any big-time stars. Edge rusher Chop Robinson has upside, but he’ll need time to develop. So will second-round offensive tackle Patrick Paul. A team needing to shrink the gap between itself and the Buffalo Bills needed more slam-dunk selections.
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders needed to leave the draft with a long-term answer at quarterback. They couldn’t pull off a trade to move up in the first round, then passed on the chance to draft passers in the second, third and fourth rounds. Spencer Rattler remained on the board until the New Orleans Saints took him in the fifth round, and some scouts believe he has the potential to develop into a starter.
The Raiders obviously didn’t agree, so Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew will duke this thing out. First-round tight end Brock Bowers is a promising addition to the offense. The Raiders appeared to get better on defense thanks to Saturday’s additions of cornerback Decamerion Richardson, linebacker Tommy Eichenberg, safety Trey Taylor and cornerback M.J. Devonshire. But entering yet another season without a franchise quarterback in a division that features Mahomes and Justin Herbert is disconcerting.
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(Photo: Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)
2024-04-28 03:58:21
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