With the 2024 NFL Draft now in the books, it’s time for us to put on our teacher caps and assign our final draft grades for all 32 teams.
So how did your team do on draft weekend in Detroit? Let’s dive into NFL Draft report card season for all 32 teams.
What grade did your favorite NFL team get after the draft?
Arizona Cardinals: A
The Cardinals got the best prospect in this class in Marvin Harrison Jr. at No. 4 overall, and that alone makes for a high draft grade.
Darius Robinson was a reach at No. 27, but he addresses Arizona’s need for pass-rushing depth. Loved how Monti Ossenfort loaded up on defensive backs, and Florida State running back Trey Benson should be a multi-time 1,000-yard rusher in that Arizona offense.
Atlanta Falcons: C-
We don’t understand taking Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8 overall when you just have Kirk Cousins $100 million in guarantees.
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Was that ever a reach? I mean, take JJ McCarthy if you REALLY want a QB in that spot. Ruke Orhorhoro was also a reach at 35. Bralen Trice was a nice value pick in round three, but he’s far from a finished product and might not see much playing time as a rookie.
Baltimore Ravens: A-
Nate Wiggins is a boom-or-bust prospect, so the Ravens oughta hope they hit the jackpot with the Clemson corner. With Ronnie Stanley an annual injury-risk, this NFL team pulled off a coup by getting Washington offensive tackle Roger Rosgengarten in round 2.
No clue how Iowa State corner TJ Tampa fell to Baltimore in the No. 130 spot. And North Carolina receiver Devontez Walker could serve as the speedy deep threat Lamar Jackson has longed for.
Buffalo Bills: C+
The Bills handed Xavier Worthy to the rival Chiefs on a silver platter and settled on another boom-or-bust guy, Keon Coleman, with the No. 33 pick after trading down twice.
Our favorite pick for Buffalo was Utah corner Cole Bishop, who should get every chance to start given the turnover in the Bills’ secondary. But why use late-round picks on running back Ray Davis and center Sedrick Van Pran-Granger when you already have James Cook and Mitch Morse?
Carolina Panthers: B+
First-year GM Dan Morgan traded up into the No. 32 spot to select South Carolina wideout Xavier Legette before taking Texas RB Jonathan Brooks.
Speaking of Longhorns, tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders was a home run grab in the 101st spot. That’s three new shiny toys for Bryce Young!
Chicago Bears: A+
Chicago GM Ryan Poles got his new franchise QB at No. 1 overall in Caleb Williams — thanks, Carolina! — and a future all-pro receiver in Washington’s Rome Odunze with the No. 9 pick.
Yale offensive tackle and third-round pick Kiran Amegadjie allowed just one sack in 860 offensive snaps over his last three years, per PFF. He’s a work in progress, but the high upside is there for the player in this NFL team.
Cincinnati Bengals: C
Stunned to see Cincy take boom-or-bust tackle Amarius Mims in round one… considering they have veteran mainstays Trent Brown and Orlando at the OT positions.
With Tee Higgins on borrowed time in Cincy, we liked the pick of Alabama wideout Jermaine Burton in round three. Defensive tackles Kris Jenkins and McKinnley Jackson are good run-defenders, but who’s going to rush the QB off the edge — especially if Trey Hendrickson’s trade request is denied?
Cleveland Browns: C+
The Browns had limited draft capital because of the Deshaun Watson and Jerry Jeudy traders, so we can’t criticize GM Andrew Berry too much here.
We loved the Michael Hall Jr. pick in round two. He should solidify the depth on one of football’s most imposing defensive lines. Michigan guard Zak Zinter was a good find in round three, considering that the Browns have done a masterful job in developing their linemen.
Dallas Cowboys: A
Jerry Jones got himself two potential long-term cornerstones on the o-line in Tyler Guyton and Cooper Beebe.
Dallas needed defensive line depth, too, and second-round pick Marshawn Kneeland out of Western Michigan, has the physical tools to be a star in this league. Might he be the running mate Micah Parsons has needed off the edge for a while now?
Denver Broncos: A-
Debate all you want if Bo Nix was a reach at No. 12 or not. But Denver needed a QB, and Nix is fortunate to have landed with one of the all-time great offensive-minded head coaches in Sean Payton.
Utah linebacker and third-round pick Jonah Ellis should be a day-one starter. And snagging Nix’s Oregon teammate, Troy Franklin, at No. 102 overall was another coup for this NFL team.
Detroit Lions: B-
Detroit gets a “B-” here strictly because they moved up to 24 and got the best prospect in this year’s class in Alabama’s Terrion Arnold. Corner was Detroit’s main weakness, but Arnold will shore that up and emerge as a top-flight cover man in a short time.
That said, we were surprised they doubled down at corner by taking Ennis Rakestraw Jr. in round two. And with o-line being their main strength, why reach for Giovanni Manu in round four? NOBODY saw that one coming.
Arnold is the sole reason why the Lions don’t call into “C” territory here.
Green Bay Packers: A-
The Packers reached a bit for Jordan Morgan with the No. 25 pick, but they did have to take an offensive tackle there. So we’re not allowed to harp on that pick too much.
Green Bay got two great value picks on defense with second-round selections Edgerrin Cooper and Javon Bullard — arguably the top all-around safety in this class. We were surprised they used the No. 88 pick on MarShawn Lloyd since RB depth isn’t an issue.
But the Packers’ top three picks made for a mostly tidy piece of work by GM Brian Gutekunst.
Houston Texans: A
Houston lacked a first-round pick because of the savvy trade-up for Will Anderson Jr. at No. 3 overall. Yet GM Nick Caserio still put together a rock-solid weekend of work in Motor City.
Georgia corner Kamari Lassiter and USC safety Caden Bullock have superb cover skills and could both emerge as quality day-one starters. Offensive tackle isn’t a pressing need, but Notre Dame’s Blake Fisher was a fantastic value pick at No. 59.
Indianapolis Colts: A+
Laiatu Latu might be the best pass-rusher to come out of this draft, and Indy somehow got him a No. 15. As if a D that racked up 51 sacks a year ago wasn’t scary enough to begin with…
Adonai Mitchell was supposed to be a first-round pick, yet he slipped all the way to the Colts at No. 52. So now we’re obsessed with the idea of Anthony Richardson throwing to Mitchell, Michael Pittman Jr. AND JOsh Downs. And that Jonathan Taylor guy’s pretty good, too.
Jacksonville Jaguars: B+
Despite trading down to No. 23, the Jaguars got great value with the pickup of LSU wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. He should be a nice weapon for Trevor Lawrence, but cornerback was a far greater need here.
But the Jags may have a hidden gem here in Florida State’s Jarrian Jones, whom they took at 96. And Second-round pick Maason Smith out of LSU could be a rock-solid starter on a ferocious Jaguars’ front seven.
Kansas City Chiefs: A
The Chiefs traded up to select Texas speedster Xavier Worthy 28th overall. He’s another boom-or-bust guy, but KC is the best possible landing spot for the lightning-quick speedster.
BYU offensive tackle Kingsley Suamataia has some issues to clean up in pass-blocking, but don’t be shocked if he ends up starting in Donovan Smith’s place at tackle.
And getting TCU tight end Jared Wiley was a fascinating pick at No. 131. Could that be Travis Kelce’s successor?
Las Vegas Raiders: A
In round one, Vegas took a can’t-miss tight end in Georgia’s Brock Bowers.
GM Tom Telesco struck gold when he got Oregon center Jackson Powers-Johnson at No. 44, considering that he was supposed to be a day-one pick.
Seeing how well the Raiders have developed their day two and three picks at the corner, we are also high on the Decameron Richardson pick at 112.
Los Angeles Chargers: A
If Joe Alt comes as advertised, Justin Herbert has his next blindside protector for the rest of his prime years for this NFL team.
For those who wanted the Bolts to take a receiver at No. 5, hopefully, you were thrilled with the Ladd McConkey pick at No. 34. That, folks, should be your new No. 1 receiver for Herbert.
And pardon us for loving the son of Brenden Rice in the seventh round. It’s a great value pick, and hopefully, Jerry’s son hits his ceiling.
Los Angeles Rams: A+
You don’t replace Aaron Donald, but using your first two picks on high-upside defensive linemen in Jared Verse and Braden Friske is one way of minimizing the damage.
LOVED the Blake Corum pick in round three. A Corum-Kyren Williams rushing duo should terrify the rest of the league. And how in the world did Miami safety Kamren Kinchens fall to them at 99?
Miami Dolphins: C+
Pass rush was Miami’s main need, so we have no complaints about taking Chop Robinson in round one. And snagging Houston offensive tackle Patrick Paul in round two oughta put a smile on the face of Tua Tagovailoa.
The rest of the draft, however, left a lot to be desired. Jaylen Wright in round four when you already have the league’s best rushing duo? Wideouts Malik and Tajh Washington, when do you have enough weapons? We’d like GM Chris Grier to explain these picks.
Minnesota Vikings: A
Minnesota got its quarterback of the future in JJ McCarthy at No. 10 overall. They traded up to get Dallas Turner, the best edge rusher in this draft, at 17 overall.
Call it aggressive if you want, but both of those men could be franchise cornerstone pieces. Oregon corner Khyree Jackson should vie for a starting job on Brian Flores’ defense, too.
New England Patriots: B-
The Pats were right to take Drake Maye at No. 3 overall. He’s got plenty to work on, but you have to roll the dice on the game’s most important position.
We were confused by the Ja’Lynn Polk selection at No. 37. Xavier Worthy was there for this team to grab and he’s far more polished and NFL-ready. The Caedan Wallace and Layden Robinson picks also surprised us since the Pats have enough depth on the o-line.
Joe Milton is a fun prospect, but why take him in round six when you already have Maye, Jacoby Brissett, and Bailey Zappe at QB? That was a head-scratcher.
New Orleans Saints: A+
Taliese Fuaga shores up the Saints’ dire need for a nasty pass-blocker up front. That was one of our favorite picks in terms of value and fit.
The Saints then snagged Alabama corner Kool-Aid McKinstry at No. 41 overall. If he comes as advertises, McKinstry and Lattimore could be the league’s best cornerback duo for the foreseeable future.
And we loved the Spencer Rattler pick. Why not take a flier in round five on a QB with a high upside?
New York Giants: A
We kinda wanted the Giants to take JJ McCarthy at No. 6, but there’s no issue taking an explosive weapon in Malik Nabers at No. 6. The Giants have lacked All-Pro playmakers for a while, and Nabers will produce immediately.
Safety Tyler Nubin and corner Andru Phillips should see plenty of playing time as rookies. Nubin could slot in as the Giants’ next star safety following the departure of Xavier McKinney.
New York Jets: B
Penn State offensive tackle Olu Fashanu fills a long-term organizational need, with Tyron Smith only on a one-year deal.
Malachi Corey, Braelon Allen, and Isaiah Davis have nice skill sets…but why would the Jets go with depth pieces on offense when they’re in win-now mode with Aaron Rodgers?
That said, we loved the Jordan Travis pick in round five. He’s worth taking a flier on because who knows? Travis might flourish as Rodgers’ successor once the future Hall of Famer retires.
Philadelphia Eagles: A+
Philly gets an A+ because they got two of the top-three cornerback prospects in Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. Not smart for 31 other GMs to let an already star-studded Eagles team get even more dangerous.
Linebackers Jalyx Hunt and Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and receiver Johnny Wilson could all be quality rotational players or starters down the road, too.
Pittsburgh Steelers: A+
The draft was sure fun for Pennsylvania football fans, huh?
The Steelers got a future star on the o-line in Washington’s Troy Fautanu and a potential long-term answer at center in Zach Frazier. Michigan receiver Roman Wilson was a savvy find in round three.
Speaking of Wilsons, NC State linebacker Payton Wilson could be a steal at 98 for this NFL team. He only dropped because of concerns over a torn ACL, but this guy carries an elite skill set that could make him a special weapon for Mike Tomlin’s group.
San Francisco 49ers: B
Florida wideout Ricky Pearsall was a massive reach at 31, but John Lynch did a good job the rest of the way. He found two promising defensive backs in Renardo Green and Malik Mustapha, who could add more ball-hawking power to this defense.
Third-rounder Dominick Puni has some work to do in pass-blocking, but he’s an elite run-blocker and could be a long-term starter for Kyle Shanahan’s squad.
Seattle Seahawks: B
The Hawks addressed their main weakness by getting an interior defensive lineman in Byron Murphy II. He’ll single-handedly improve their run Defense and provide ample pass-rushing support for his edge guys.
We loved the pickups of guard Christian Haynes and run-blocking force and tight end AJ Barner. Seattle’s prolific rushing game stands to actually get even better in 2024!!
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: B
Tampa is tough to grade because they mostly went with talent levels instead of organizational needs.
They found their replacement for Ryan Jensen at center in Graham Barton. Edge-rusher Chris Braswell, safety Tykee Smith, and wideout Jalen McMillan have lots of upside, but the Bucs are already rich at those positions…so you decide if Tampa had the right idea at the draft or not.
Tennessee Titans: C
Didn’t like the JC Latham pick at No. 7. Why not a more NFL-ready guy like Troy Fautanu, Olu Fashanu or Taliese Fuaga?
Second-rounder T’Vondre Sweat is a risk because of his off-the-field issues. Even if he pans out, the Titans are loaded on the defensive line and don’t really need him. Linebacker Cedric Gray was a reach in round four, and waiting until round six to take a receiver was rather surprising.
Washington Commanders: A+
Washington has its HOPEFUL franchise QB in Jayden Daniels, who was taken second right after Caleb Williams. Rookie GM Adam Peters got excellent value with the pick of Jer’Zhan Newton at No. 36, too.
Michigan corner Mike Sainristil is a fascinating prospect; a Swiss Army Knife who’s elite in coverage but also dynamic as a run-stopper and edge-rusher. Oh, and how about grabbing Christian’s younger brother, Luke McCaffrey, with lucky pick No. 100?
