May 13, 2024, 3:59 PM ET
NFL experts offer their individual favorite picks from past college recruiting
He 2024 NFL Draft brought with it record trends, including six quarterbacks selected in Round 1 for the first time since 1983, and eight defensive tackles chosen in the same first round, which ties 2008 for the most. Now that more than two weeks have passed since the event concluded, our experts from the NFL They have had time to evaluate everything.
We asked our analysts and reporters to answer some of the biggest questions about the draft. We begin by answering, “Who is the favorite to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award?“, and from there we continue gradually adding topics, including your favorite selections for our today’s edition.
Malik Nabers could be the first Top-10 NFL wide receiver to play for the Giants since Odell Beckham Jr. Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images
Our experts today debate about the selection that they liked the most, individually speaking, of the 2024 NFL Draft:
Which was the selection of the 2024 NFL Draft that you liked the most individually?
Stephania Bell: Quinyon Mitchell, cornerback, Philadelphia Eagles with the No. 22 pick. When a team fills a need with a top prospect without having to overpay to do so, it’s a winning formula. Mitchell is fast and agile and didn’t allow a touchdown on more than 400 snaps in coverage last season. He has risen in many team rankings in recent months, and yet the Eagles were able to surprise the competition by finding him in that spot.
Matt Bowen: Mike Sainristil, cornerback, Washington Commanders with the No. 50 shift. A slot cornerback with a big-play mentality, Sainristil was one of my favorite defensive backs to study. He led Michigan’s defense last season with six interceptions and seven pass breakups. Expect to take a disruptive role as a rookie in head coach Dan Quinn’s defensive system.
Mike Clay: Ladd McConkey, wide receiver, Los Angeles Chargers with the No. 34 pick. The Chargers moved forward without Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Austin Ekeler and Gerald Everett this offseason, a quartet responsible for 55 percent of the club’s targeted passes over the past couple of seasons. In comes McConkey, who is excellent as a potential replacement for Allen at short-to-intermediate for quarterback Justin Herbert. Even in a run-first offense, McConkey, who hails from the University of Georgia, has a path to massive volume right out of the gate.
Jeremy Fowler: Malik Nabers, wide receiver, New York Giants with the No. 6 pick. For all the doubt surrounding the Giants’ quarterback picture, the truth is that quarterbacks in New York haven’t had a genuine Top-10 wide receiver since Odell Beckham Jr. Nabers might have the highest ceiling of any offensive player in the draft. Several teams within the Top-15 in the selection order coveted him. Give quarterback Daniel Jones a chance with a guy of this caliber, and let’s see what happens.
Editorial Selections
2 Related
Matt Miller: Rome Odunze, wide receiver, Chicago Bears at No. 9 pick. Let’s give the Bears credit for not overthinking and simply taking great players. With rookie quarterback Caleb Williams in the bag, drafting a primary wide receiver to learn and grow alongside was brilliant. Also, it helps that they both trained together, creating chemistry in the pre-draft process. Odunze was my No. 3 overall prospect, meaning Chicago took two of my first three players this year.
Eric Moody: Graham Barton, offensive lineman, Tampa Bay Buccaneers with roster No. 26. As a former offensive lineman, it was a pleasure to study Barton’s tapes. He is consistent and shows maximum effort on all plays with no mental errors. Barton can line up at center, guard, or tackle as a rookie, and I think he’ll have a superior career than some of the names selected ahead of him.
Jason Reid: Michael Penix Jr., quarterback, Atlanta Falcons with the No. 8 shift. I understand everything about the Falcons’ commitment to quarterback Kirk Cousins, the salary cap implications and the potential for a locker room fracture. But if the Falcons are right about Penix, none of that will matter in the long run. If a team believes it has identified a potential player with the power to transform the franchise from the most important position in any sport, well, go for him. It’s that easy.
Jordan Reid: Dallas Turner, linebacker, Minnesota Vikings with the No. 17 shift. Minnesota hadn’t drafted an edge rusher in the first two rounds since 2005 (Erasmus James). The team needed to inject talent from the outside after losing Danielle Hunter in free agency. Although the team signed Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel during free agency, Turner brings tremendous potential attacking quarterbacks in Brian Flores’ defense. Turner led Alabama with 10 sacks and 45 hurries last season.
Aaron Schatz: Adonai Mitchell, wide receiver, Indianapolis Colts with the No. 52 pick. Analytics suggest there’s no such thing as a “draft steal,” because prospects often fall from the consensus for good reason. That being said, Mitchell could have slipped due to off-field concerns, and Colts general manager Chris Ballard spoke out against it. He was the No. 5 wide receiver in the ‘Playmaker Score’ metric, but the No. 11 pick this year.
Mike Tannenbaum: Odunze. He has a legitimate chance to be the best wide receiver in this draft. Under the motto of “win today and develop for tomorrow,” the Bears have Allen on a one-year contract, and Odunze has Terrell Owens-style ability. Odunze had 1,640 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns in 2023. He is ideal for Chicago.
Seth Walder: Laiatu Latu, defensive end, Colts at No. 15 pick. Because of medical concerns and a run on offensive players, the Colts landed an outside pass rusher who led the FBS in pass rush rate in each of the past two seasons — yes, ahead of Will Anderson Jr. and Tyree Wilson in 2022– at pick No. 15. The Colts could have gotten one of the greats at a premium position, in the middle of the first round.
Field Yates: Odunze. The wide receiver falling to No. 9 wasn’t a total surprise, considering the anticipated quarterback rush at the top of the draft order, but it wasn’t a certainty either. The sixth-highest-rated player in my evaluations might have been the first wide receiver taken in so many previous drafts, but the presence of Marvin Harrison Jr. and Nabers (No. 3 and No. 4 players in my evaluations) placed him third in this class. . Make no mistake, Odunze will be an immediate impact contributor as one of this year’s most polished prospects.
2024-05-13 19:59:00
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