2024 NFL Draft Grades - Day 1

Grade: A+ I know it took a great deal of luck, but Poles set this trajectory off after they traded the #1 pick last year. Not only did they net DJ Moore who was great. They also got back another #1 pick via the Panthers in a year with Caleb Williams. I know he got knocked a lot for not winning a lot of games at USC, but he basically has been known to be the top pick in the draft three years ago. The Bears finally get that type of franchise type of guy who could lead them to the promise land.

Grade: B I have stated many times my worries around Daniels who is a one year wonder who was terrible his prior four years in college. He's a slight quarterback who likes to use his legs, but still needs to learn how to protect himself. At 23 there is also a lot of questions if he can grow into a bigger frame and continue to improve. I am not in love with his arm talent or his mechanics with a lot of batted passes. That being said if used with the correct game plan I can see him being a unique talent to slow down off his athleticism alone. The question is if he can go from just athlete to an actual passer. We have seen another QB similar in Justin Fields who has failed to make that jump.

Grade: A I have never wavered on Williams as QB1 and Maye as QB2 so this is a value pick being taken after Daniels in my opinion. I love his arm talent and athleticism that I liken to Josh Allen, but with a slightly weaker arm. He is a good athlete too in the open field. If he had landed anywhere else I would say Maye should be able to play right away, but the Patriots really have no help around him so sitting for his own sake feels like the right move to me.

Grade: A+ I bet every Cardinals fan has to be letting out a sigh of relief that GM Monti Ossenfort decided to keep the pick and not get too cute with it. Yes, he earned praise for moving around last year, but do we forget he passed up on Will Anderson? In any case, I think Harrison Jr enters the league as a potential top 10 receiver with his ability to make plays at every level and with pure consistency. He reminds me a ton of AJ Green back in the day who was never seen as flashy and often to be honest was overlooked. Harrison Jr is going to be overlooked because he's just good and makes it look easy. Kyler Murray has to be happy to finally get a true true number one target to throw to.

Grade: A+ I love Alt and I never understood the thought that the Chargers would take JC Latham because he's a better right tackle. Cause you know what? Alt is the best tackle in this class period who I trust will be able to slide his talents to the right tackle spot seamlessly. He will help Harbaugh set up his hard nosed build through the trenches mentality and help keep Herbert upright after being beaten up over the past few seasons.

Grade: A+ I for one never believed the smoke around the Giants trading up or drafting a QB here. Especially if it's JJ McCarthy who just feels like a slightly better version of Daniel Jones or Drew Lock if I'm being honest. I almost thought Odunze would be the better fit here due to his true X ability and their over abundance of slots on the roster already. However, I can't argue Nabers being better by miles than guys like Wan'Dale Robinson and Jalin Hyatt. He will give them that explosive element on the offense that they lost with Saquon Barkley going to the Eagles. Now let's see if they will stay with Daniel Jones or get frisky later with another quarterback.

Grade: B- I know it's not fair, but Alabama's string of bad blockers outside of Ryan Kelly the center has been a bit of a disappointment over the years. Now I know the Titans needed a blocker here desperately so I guess they just pivoted from Alt to Latham. My issue is that Latham might not be a perfect fit as a left tackle, which the Titans desperately needed here. He does bring a road grader mentality which would have fit in the old regimes offense with Derrick Henry. He will get the coaching from the legendary offensive line coach Bill Callahan who maybe can get the most out of his high end potential once they figure out where to use him.

Grade: D Why spend the money and energy to go out to get Kirk Cousins then to just draft an older quarterback. I actually like Penix Jr a lot too and hoped he'd go to the Raiders or Vikings to get a chance to shine. Now he'll have to wait 2-3 years behind Kirk Cousins and by then he'll be 27-28 with only 1-2 years left on his deal. I know the defensive players at the top here aren't top 10 worthy in my opinion, but I would imagine there had to be a trade down partner to do so. However, I will say once Penix gets a chance to start I do think he could be a really good quarterback. I just don't understand the process at all here.

Grade: A The only reason why it's not an A+ is because they still only have 4 picks in the draft. Granted two were used on Montez Sweat and Keenan Allen, which is great value to be honest. Overall I can't complain landing who would've been a top 5 receiver in any other draft without 4 QBs going early and 2 other top receivers to compete with. He comes in with two great mentors with Keenan Allen and DJ Moore who dominate the middle of the field allowing Odunze to be a true deep red zone threat. I honestly would give this draft an A+ even if Poles only comes away with 4 selections. That's just how good both Williams and Odunze can be.

Grade: B Had they moved up to 4 or 5 to get him I would've given them a D grade. Getting him here at 10 and not only that after Michael Penix Jr I think is a steal now. Granted I think Penix is better overall, but I understand the aura of mystery around McCarthy. I am worried about his lack of experience and throws overall to make the jump to the NFL. He is landing in a great situation with great receivers and a really good coach to teach him. He is still only 21 so the upside and talent is still there. My upside for him though is a better Dak Prescott, which is fine, but is that worthy of being a top 10 pick? I don't think so, but QBs are always over drafted so be it. In any case, if he's better than Darnold and gives them Kirk Cousins type production I think the Vikings will be happy.

Grade: B I like other tackles more than him, but this is pretty good value since he's going after Latham who I do think Fashanu is better than. He does need to get stronger, and more powerful at the point of attack in the run game. However, he does have the best foot work as a pass blocker. His lack of versatility is a bit worrisome to me too since he might not be a good fit at guard or right tackle. Luckily for him he could be able to play sooner rather than later with Tyron Smith not having the best ability staying healthy. When called upon he could be a consistent top 10 type left tackle, but I am not sure he will ever crack the top 5 consistently.

Grade: F The Broncos are clearly desperate here with 4 QBs already off the board here and Sean Payton basically just doing whatever he wants here. Fun fact: the Broncos currently (minus the rookies) will only have around 10 or so players under contract for next season. This roster needs players buddy before they need a back up quarterback. Yes, I think Nix is a back up quarterback on par with Gardner Minshew as a talent. He's fine and will be able to run an offense, but will he be able to be a true difference maker? I doubt it and it's what you want with a first round quarterback. The Broncos with Payton running the show feel like the next clown show in the NFL and a poster child to show you why your coach should never be the leader of the draft room.

Grade: B I am not one to drink the Bowers Kool-Aid and to think he's a slam dunk pick. However, on draft board alone getting him at 13 is crazy value after some thought he could go as high as 5 to the Chargers at one point. He is a weapon to use and with Michael Mayer there to be the true in line tight end the two can be a great yin and yang duo. My only issue is tight end is a cherry on top to an offense and kind of is wasted until they find a quarterback here. They did just let the board fall to them I suppose and that's a first for the Raiders in their history of being the ones to make reaching picks.

Grade: A+ I love Fuaga and had him as my 2nd best OT in the class behind Joe Alt. Yes, I do have some concerns if he can stay at tackle, but I don't see why you wouldn't try him out there. Especially at RT where he can just be a brick wall for defenders to try to get by. He has that nasty mentality I want from a blocker and even if he can't work at tackle I think he can be an All-Pro type guard. For the Saints it makes a ton of sense with Trevor Penning being terrible, Ryan Ramczyk could be retiring, and Andrus Peat still a free agent. He comes in and fills a huge need.

Grade: B+ I would give this pick an A+, but the injury concern is still there so it's not as slam dunk as we would like. However, I did see him as the best edge in the class just off his technique alone which was just in a class above the rest in the draft. His athleticism is not the flashiest which holds him back a bit, but with that technique alone I can see him being a very consistent 8-10 sack guy. I do think corner was a bigger need, but the value for the edge is only in the first round. Where corners could be had on Day 2.

Grade: A I honestly wouldn't have been shocked had he gone to the Falcons or Bears in the top 10. He's a dynamic interior pass rusher despite not having the ideal size that fits the box most teams have. However, he does have the skills, power, and savviness to shed his blockers. The Seahawks normally do something dumb here in the draft like reach on a linebacker or a plodding edge rusher. This is the right pick and makes a lot of sense. Only thing that would have made more sense is if they took a tackle or guard here. However, the interior blocker pool is a lot deeper than pure interior menaces like Murphy can be.

Grade: C+ I am not the biggest fan of Turner who has all the measurables and traits, but it's nowhere to be seen on the tape. He feels like a boom or bust type edge rusher to me. Plus, I think his ceiling isn't all that high either since it may take him a bit to figure it out. I also thought the Vikings did enough adding Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel to their defense. What they really needed was a corner which I would have been fine here to trade up for. The Vikings also gave up a lot to move up gutting their draft for this year and next year.

Grade: B+ or F This is a hard grade for me on a guy who's been injured and only played 8 games in college. He did have to sit behind a good rotation of blockers before he got his chance this year, but an ankle injury stole his opportunity. Coaching is key for him to become the player we all expect him to be with his rare blend of size and athleticism. He does get the benefit of developing behind Trent Brown and Orlando Brown to become that great player he can become. The Bengals also clearly have a type of tackle they like to get and that's BIG.

Grade: B+ I think Latu is probably the best edge rusher in the class, but I think Verse is probably the safest. Mainly because he doesn't come with the injury concern that Latu does. He is a dog of an edge who brings energy and power on every down. I don't think he will ever be confused as a sack master which is why I thought taking him in the top 10 was a little rich. However, getting a high floor DE2 here who can be a culture guy is a great pick. A little safe for my liking for the Rams who haven't had a 1st rounder since taking Jared Goff. This isn't a home run type of pick, but a very solid double off the wall who can be a quick contributor.

Grade: A- I am only dinging this grade a bit because the top corners are still on the board and I think they fill a bigger need for the Steelers. I also generally think both are top 10 caliber. Anyways I do think tackle was another big need for the Steelers with Dan Moore Jr being a bare minimum average blocker. Both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields love to hold onto the ball which leads to a lot of sacks. So they needed to find a better option and yes I am of the mind set that Fautanu will be able to stay at left tackle. He's athletic as all get out and has the length to do the job with excellent prowess.

Grade: C+ I am on record of not being a fan of Robinson's at all. Sorry I just like to see my edge rushers get some sack production in college. He reminds me way too much of Odafe Oweh who was a similar athlete with the same issues coming out of Penn State. I don't know what it is there with how raw their players have been the past few seasons or so and not many have really improved in the NFL either. I get the need for the Dolphins to reload that defensive line after last year's debacle when everyone got hurt. I just think a guy like Johnny Newton would make more sense after losing Christian Wilkins and to be honest is just a better prospect.

Grade: A++ This pick is amazing value and why Howie Roseman and the Eagles just keep winning the draft. Yes, he's from a smaller school, but he's proven he can play with the big boys during the draft process. He also has sneaky good tape against Marvin Harrison Jr two years ago when he had CJ Stroud throwing to him. I find it crazy that he and Terrion Arnold are still on the board here to begin with if you ask me both are top 10 worthy talents. Just crazy how the draft works sometimes.

Grade: B+ I don't love Brian Thomas Jr as a prospect with how raw he is as a route runner and his hands being not that elite. What he does have is elite speed and upside to bring to an offense as he grows into a role outside of just a nine route runner at LSU. I do give them a boost of this pick by moving down and getting him. They could have easily taken him at 17 and it would have made a ton of sense. I am curious how they utilize him since Gabe Davis sort of runs the same route tree granted just not as fast as Thomas Jr. Overall, I don't hate it for them, but I also don't love the prospect.

Grade: A+ I am not normally one to advocate trading up for anything other than a QB in most scenarios, but this one made a ton of sense for the Lions. They have to be stunned how far down he fell in the draft to the point where they had to feel like they needed to get him. With not many other huge glaring needs on the roster they really didn't need a ton of picks this draft. I also don't think they gave up all that much to do so (especially after what the Vikings gave up for a lesser prospect in my opinion). He should slot in right away as the Lions top corner and paired with an equally good corner in Carlton Davis if he can stay healthy. As a Bears fan I must say, I am not thrilled of this pick for one of our rivals.

Grade: C A bit of a reach on a Day 2 graded player on my board. However, the tackles were going quick so I get the urgency to take him. My issue is Graham Barton, Kingsley Suamataia, and even Tyler Guyton are better prospects in my book. I also don't think offensive line was a super urgent need here for the Packers. Granted they do know how to develop blockers so he could be good in a year or two. I just don't think he's a huge difference maker overall. He'll be a nice player though, but not one I think will make or break this roster.

Grade: A+ Barton to me is a top 20 type talent who resembles a lot of Zach Martin in my opinion. He might not be a perfect fit as a tackle, but as an interior blocker I see many All-Pros and Pro Bowls in his future. There's an opening at center with Ryan Jensen retiring so he should seamlessly fit in there for them. He is one of the safest prospects with a ton of upside to boot. Great pick here.

Grade: B I like this Robinson a ton more than the one from Penn State. My issue is where you play him as a bit of a tweener tackle/edge hybrid type. I am glad he's landing in Arizona with head coach Jonathan Gannon who has experience getting the most out of his defensive linemen during his time with the Eagles. Robinson actually reminds me a bit of a Brandon Graham type edge who utilizes a lot of power more so than quickness. He fits a big need for the Cardinals who just need to start loading up on defensive talent for the rest of this draft.

Grade: A- The irony of the Bills allowing the Chiefs to get a weapon like Worthy is just wild. Especially, since it would have made a ton of sense for the Bills to just stay there and take him themselves. I actually like Worthy for more than just his 40 time. When I watched Texas film his route tree, hands, and all in all effort was a lot more noticeable than his teammate Adonai Mitchell. Now with Mahomes throwing him the ball it almost looks like history is repeating itself after we all witnessed what he did with Hill who was a similar explosive weapon and one Worthy could try to emulate.

Grade: B I don't love the prospect again, but I 100% get the pick. Just curious if they project him to be a left tackle or right tackle. They need both unless if they move Tyler Smith to LT, but that would just open up a hole at LG. Overall though it makes a lot of sense for them to take him here to build up their offensive line more. I just don't think he can really start right away since he still needs to get a lot stronger and more refined. At minimum I do think he's an upgrade at right tackle if that's his home down the line.

Grade: B- Wiggins is an impressive athlete who is still super young at only 21 and can clearly fly. I am just curious if he's a fit for the Ravens with how indifferent he is about playing the run game and seems to allow himself to be blocked. He is an excellent cover corner though and does play well despite his thin frame. I just don't feel like this is a true Raven type pick despite Louis Riddick who's raving about him being a good fit. He's a good player potentially, but we just saw a similar size corner in Emmanuel Forbes be played off the field. I also have to admit the Ravens draft record of late isn't as flawless as people want you to believe of late. Overall, I don't think this is a slam dunk pick at all despite him having fans in the media.

Grade: F Pearsall is a fine prospect who should be a good slot, but not a first round talent in my opinion. Though I do feel vindicated thinking they would take a 2nd tier receiver like Franklin here. I just got the wrong receiver. Taking Pearsall over a talent like Legette, Coleman, or Mitchell is a bit of an oversight to me. He does fit their style though and maybe he's an insurance pick to cover their basis if they do decide to trade either Aiyuk or Deebo at some point.

I know this is the Panthers pick, but the simulator won't let me make the trade. Grade: A I love Legette and thought he deserved to be a first round talent. He is fast, big, and strong as a receiver. When I watch him he reminds me a ton of Steve Smith with how angry and powerful he runs in the open field. He is a bit of a one year wonder after 5 years in college so it is a bit worrisome if this is what he'll be or if there's more development there. Regardless he'll give 100% effort on every snap which is about 99% more than we saw from guys like Terrace Marshall and Jonathan Mingo who just looked terrible last year. At minimum Legette should be a useful receiver for Bryce Young to work with.