Our 2024 NFL Draft grades are now live with a look at all 32 picks from Thursday’s first round. From Caleb Williams at No. 1 to the final pick of the initial round, there was a lot of intrigue.
Six quarterbacks went within the first 11 picks. There were two major reaches in that span. The top half of the first round was also dominated by the offensive side of the ball in historic fashion. Here, we provide NFL Draft grades for each of the 32 picks Thursday night from Detroit.
Related: Updated 2024 NFL Draft tracker
1. Chicago Bears: Caleb Williams, QB, USC
This was obviously a no-brainer pick. Pretty much since the Bears assured themselves of the No. 1 pick (via Carolina Panthers) after the 2023 season, Caleb Williams was going to be the pick. The 2022 Heisman winner has a rare combination of arm strength, accuracy and speed. He’s a dual-threat QB and a generational talent. That was evidenced during a college career in which Williams tallied 110 total touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Finally, it looks like the Bears have their franchise quarterback.
- Grade: A
Related: Chicago Bears draft tracker with grades
2. Washington Commanders: Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU
Despite some pre-draft drama between Daniels and the Commanders, this pick seemed pretty obvious throughout the pre-draft process. New Commanders general manager Adam Peters was always going to target a quarterback with the second pick. The reigning Heisman winner separated from others in the pack behind Williams. Last season at LSU, the young man tallied 50 total touchdowns compared to four interceptions. He gives Washington a future at the all-important quarterback position.
- Grade: A
Related: NFL world reacts to Washington Commanders selecting Jayden Daniels
3. New England Patriots: Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina
New England received several trade offers for Maye when it was on the clock. That included last-ditch efforts from the Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants. Instead, the Patriots took all of five minutes to make the selection. Sure, Maye might be a heck of a quarterback in the pros. But he’s not going to succeed out of the gate given the lack of talent on New England’s roster. One has to wonder whether the Pats dropped the ball here.
- Grade: C
Related: Did New England Patriots drop the ball with the Drake Maye pick?
4. Arizona Cardinals: Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State
We knew that the Cardinals were entertaining trade offers. Well, we thought they were. Apparently, general manager Monti Ossenfort played a great poker game. He did not discuss a trade for the fourth selection. It resulted in the Cardinals finding a generational receiver for quarterback Kyler Murray. Pretty much since the start of the 2022 season at Ohio State, Harrison Jr. was the consensus No. 1 receiver in this class. He has a rare combination of speed, strength and hands that could make the dude a legitimate Pro Bowler out of the gate. Value and need here.
- Grade: A+
5. Los Angeles Chargers: Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame
While Joe Hortiz had his hand in it, this was a typical Jim Harbaugh pick. A potential franchise left tackle. A road grader. Someone who absolutely dominates opponents at the line. A multi-year starter at Notre Dame. We read reports of the Chargers looking to trade down. They had a major need at wide receiver after moving off both Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. None of that mattered. Los Angeles’ brass sought out to find two book ends for quarterback Justin Herbert in that of Alt and former first-round pick Rashawn Slater. Whether it was a good pick remains to be seen.
- Grade: B-
Related: Los Angeles Chargers draft tracker
6. New York Giants: Malik Nabers, WR, LSU
If the Giants were not going to trade up for a quarterback, this was the obvious selection. Regardless of what you think about Daniel Jones as a quarterback, he did not have weapons at wide receiver. It’s that simple. Some teams had Nabers ranked higher than Marvin Harrison Jr. on their big board. He can take the top off the defense. He has elite hands. He gets immediate separation. He broke records at LSU. What is there to not like about this pick? Our NFL Draft grades show this in a big way.
- Grade: A+
7. Tennessee Titans: JC Latham, OT, Alabama
It was not a sexy selection by Titans general manager Ran Carthon. That much is obvious. But it was a need. Tennessee did not have one starter-caliber offensive tackle in front of young quarterback Will Levis leading up to the draft. Latham saw his stock skyrocket big time in recent weeks. He’s a plug-and-play tackle. Again, this was not sexy. But it was needed.
- Grade: B
8. Atlanta Falcons: Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington
What are we even doing here? This made absolutely no sense. The Falcons just handed Kirk Cousins $100 million in guarantees during free agency. Instead of continuing to load up, they select a 24-year-old signal caller who suffered multiple knee injuries in college. Even if Penix is great down the road, he likely won’t be starting until his Age 27 season. Apparently, Cousins didn’t find out about this selection until Atlanta was on the clock. This is a fail, and our NFL Draft grades show that in a big way.
- Grade: F
Related: Atlanta Falcons make first surprising decision of the NFL Draft
9. Chicago Bears: Rome Odunze, WR, Washington
D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze as the top wide receiver targets for rookie No. 1 pick Caleb Williams? That’s just absolutely ridiculous. Chicago did not trade down from this selection despite rumors that it was listening. Instead, the team opted to provide its newly-minted quarterback that would have been WR1 in a typical draft. The 6-foot-3 Odunze caught 92 passes for 1,640 yards and 13 touchdowns for Washington a season ago.
- Grade: A+
10. Minnesota Vikings (via NYJ): J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan
The worst-kept secret leading up to Thursday was the Minnesota Vikings’ interest in J.J. McCarthy after he led Michigan to the national championship a season ago. McCarthy was ascending draft boards in a big way. Instead of moving into the top five and exhausting a ton of capital, Minnesota moves a couple of Day 3 selections this weekend for the quarterback it wanted to replace Kirk Cousins. The cost was small. Whether he pans out remains to be seen.
- Grade: B
Related: Minnesota Vikings draft tracker
11. New York Jets (via MIN): Olu Fashanu, OT, Penn State
The Aaron Rodgers special. We know for a fact that New York listened to what its future Hall of Fame quarterback wanted to do in the draft. Hence, adding a polished offensive lineman who could very well start at guard out of the gate after the Jets added veterans Tyron Smith and Morgan Moses earlier in the offseason. Adding a couple mid-round picks by trading down one spot was a good move, too.
- Grade: A
12. Denver Broncos: Bo Nix, QB, Oregon
What? After six of the first-11 picks in the draft were quarterbacks, it seemed as if the Broncos panicked big time. Leading up to Thursday, there was a lot of talk about Nix falling to the second round. Instead, he finds himself heading to a questionable situation as the 12th pick in the NFL Draft. Nix will now join a quarterback room under Sean Payton that includes Zach Wilson and Jarrett Stidham. Oh, the humanity.
- Grade: F
Related: Denver Broncos absolutely blasted for drafting Bo Nix
13. Las Vegas Raiders: Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia
Quarterback or cornerback? Those seemed to be the options for first-year Raiders general manager Tom Telesco. Both were major needs. That did not come to fruition. Instead, Vegas adds a generational tight end prospect at 14. Was it a need? No. Did it represent value? Yes. Outside of that, adding Bowers to the mix doesn’t do a whole lot to help Las Vegas compete with the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West. Hence, why they get a near failing mark in our NFL Draft grades.
- Grade: D-
Related: Las Vegas Raiders shock NFL Draft by selecting Brock Bowers
14. New Orleans Saints: Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State
Need? Check. Value? Check. Pro Bowl tackle Ryan Ramczyk missed five games due to a knee injury a season ago. After this selection was made, reports surfaced that the Saints are concerned about said knee moving forward. With no real option other than to add a plug-and-play tackle in front of Derek Carr, Mickey Loomis did his thing here.
- Grade: A
15. Indianapolis Colts: Laiatu Latu, EDGE, UCLA
This could be a home run pick for the Colts. If it weren’t for injury concerns earlier in his college career, Latu likely would have been a top-10 pick. Once he transferred from Washington to UCLA ahead of the 2022 season, the EDGE rusher proved he can stay healthy. Last season saw him record 21.5 tackles for loss and 13 sacks. Latu now joins a defensive front that includes DeForest Buckner and Kwity Paye.
- Grade: A
16. Seattle Seahawks: Byron Murphy II, DT, Texas
Murphy was a fast riser leading up to the draft due to his ability to both get into the defensive backfield and stop the run. His dominance at the point of contact and surprising speed showed up big time on tape. It’s not a sexy pick, but the Seahawks had a major need on the interior of their defensive line. General manager John Schneider knew what he was doing here.
- Grade: A
17. Minnesota Vikings (via JAX): Dallas Turner, EDGE, Alabama
For the second time in the first round, Minnesota traded up. It acquired a player in Turner who some had pagged as a top-10 pick. This is also a major position of need after losing Danielle Hunter to the Houston Texans in free agency. As far as NFL grades go, the Vikings absolutely aced this. After all, Turner put up 14.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks against elite-level SEC competition for the Crimson Tide last season.
Grade: A
18. Cincinnati Bengals: Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia
Some may question this selection for Cincinnati. But it’s clear offensive tackle was a major need for the team after Jonah Williams departed in free agency. If it weren’t for injury concerns, Mims would have likely found himself as a top-15 pick in the draft. As far as unsexy selections go and NFL Draft grades, this is almost an ace.
- Grade: A-
19. Los Angeles Rams: Jared Verse, EDGE, Florida State
The Rams were linked to EDGE rushers at nearly every stop during the pre-draft process. General manager Les Snead wanted to find a running partner for 2023 standout rookie Byron Young. He got just that in Verse who has proven himself to be a consistent edge guy through the years. Over the course of his final two seasons at Florida State, Verse recorded a combined 29.5 tackles for loss and 18 sacks.
- Grade: A
20. Pittsburgh Steelers: Troy Fautanu, OT, Washington
We’re absolutely shocked that Pittsburgh passed up on a wide receiver with a major need there for Russell Wilson after trading away Diontae Johnson earlier in the offseason. Instead, the team opted to go with an offensive tackle in Troy Fautanu who has significant red flags due to a knee injury that could impact the length of his NFL career. Yuck!
- Grade: D
21. Miami Dolphins: Chop Robinson, EDGE, Penn State
With both Jaelan Phillips (Achilles) and Bradley Chubb (knee) coming off serious injuries, Miami needed to address the EDGE rush position. It did just that by selecting a pass rusher in Chop Robinson who was ascending draft boards leading up to the annual event. Value and need. Not too bad.
- Grade: A-
Related: Miami Dolphins 2024 NFL Draft tracker
22. Philadelphia Eagles: Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo
Most teams had Mitchell as their top cornerback in the draft class. Being able to acquire him at 22 was absolutely a coup for the Eagles. This is also a major area of need with Darius Slay and James Bradberry not getting any younger. Howie Roseman does it again.
- Grade: A+
23. Jacksonville Jaguars (via MIN): Brian Thomas Jr., WR, LSU
Jacksonville trades down a half-dozen spots, adds a few picks to the mix and gets a high-value player at a position of need. This is especially true after losing Calvin Ridley in free agency. The 6-foot-5 Thomas will bring it big time for Trevor Lawrence and Co. He averaged 17.3 yards per catch and caught 17 touchdowns for LSU last season.
- Grade: A
24. Detroit Lions (via DAL): Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama
General manager Brad Holmes just continues to ace drafts throughout the past few years. Moving up a few spots for a seasoned Arnold was absolutely a win for Detroit here. He could very well be a Year 1 starter given the cornerback’s experience at Alabama. Need and value here.
- Grade: A
25. Green Bay Packers: Jordan Morgan, OL, Arizona
Reach? Need? No value? Packers fans are going to be questioning this pick for a while. There is no telling whether Morgan will be ready to play Day 1. It’s also an open question about what position he will play. Cornerback, linebacker and EDGE seemed to be bigger needs here.
Grade: C
Related: Green Bay Packers NFL Draft tracker
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Graham Barton, iOL, Duke
Fortifying the offensive line at this stage in the first round is not a bad thing. That’s especially true after Tampa Bay spent a lot to re-sign quarterback Baker Mayfield ahead of free agency. Barton is a Day 1 starter at either guard or center. This was a safe pick for general manager Jason Licht.
- Grade: A
27. Arizona Cardinals (via HOU): Darius Robinson, EDGE, Missouri
After addressing a need at wide receiver earlier in the draft, Arizona doubles down with this philosophy. EDGE pass rush is a major need for the team on a defense that lacks true playmakers in the front seven. Robinson brought it big time last season for Missouri, recording 14 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks.
- Grade: A
28. Kansas City Chiefs (via BUF): Xavier Worthy, WR, Texas
Sure, Worthy ran the fastest 40-time in the history of the NFL Scouting Combine earlier this year. But it’s an open question whether he was just a workout warrior. The positive here is what Worthy’s speed can do in the Chiefs’ offense with Patrick Mahomes. It was also a position of need.
Grade: C
29. Dallas Cowboys (via DET): Tyler Guyton, OT, Oklahoma
Love this selection for Dallas. Trading down, acquiring an additional third-round pick and finding value at a need position. Guyton was projected to go higher and could potentially slot in as a starting right tackle out of the gate.
- Grade: A
30. Baltimore Ravens: Nate Wiggins, CB, Clemson
We knew Baltimore was going to be selecting a cornerback at some point early in the NFL Draft. There is a lack of depth behind Marlon Humphrey. With that said, there were higher-graded cornerbacks available in that of Cooper DeJean and Kool-Aid McKinstry.
- Grade: C
31. San Francisco 49ers: Ricky Pearsall, WR, Florida
NFL Media did give Pearsall a second-round grade and indicated that he could eventually be a plus-level starter. He’s seemingly a great fit in the 49ers’ offensive scheme under Kyle Shanahan with his ability to create separation at the line and be used as an offensive weapon. The question here is obvious. What does it mean for Deebo Samuel or Brandon Aiyuk in San Francisco moving forward.
- Grade: C
32. Carolina Panthes (via BUF): Xavier Legette, WR, South Carolina
The 6-foot-1 wide receiver caught all of 42 passes and five touchdowns during that span. He also missed parts of the 2020 and 2021 campaign to injuries. However, something clicked for Legette after being granted a fifth season of eligibility. He absolutely dominated SEC defenses in catching passes from fellow 2024 NFL Draft prospect Spencer Rattler. He’s going to be a major weapon for Bryce Young.
- Grade: A+