Now that we’re at the halfway point of the 2024 NFL campaign, report card season is in order! We’ve had enough time now to evaluate the production of most rookies this year.
So, who passes the early NFL test, and who still has room for ample improvement? Let’s dive into our first-round grades of all 32 2024 NFL first-round draft picks so far.
Which first-round picks from the 2024 NFL Draft have obtained the highest grades this season so far?
1. Caleb Williams: B
He’s not having a Dak Prescott or CJ Stroud-like rookie year, but Williams has provided above-average quarterback play in year one with the Chicago Bears. And we all know he’s only going to get better over time.
He’s not lighting up the scoreboard, but Williams isn’t making as many rookie mistakes as most first-year QBs tend to commit. He’s flashed his all-world ability with some highlight reel plays and throws, and his Bears are very much alive in the wild-card race.
2. Jayden Daniels: A+
Daniels’ rookie year is eerily similar to 2023 second-overall pick CJ Stroud. He has fared better than the one guy drafted ahead of him and has immediately turned his team into a playoff contender.
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Daniels set one impressive feat in Week 5, becoming the first rookie to throw for 1,000 yards and rush for 250 over his first five NFL games. The dual-threat star has brought new life to the long-suffering Washington Commanders franchise, to say nothing of that epic walk-off Hail Mary throw against Williams’ Bears in Week 8.
3. Drake Maye: C+
The New England Patriots didn’t give Maye the starting QB duties until Week 6, following a dismal five-game stretch by Jacoby Brissett. So there’s limited action to evaluate here.
It’s hard to complain about the early results, though. Maye threw for 519 yards, five touchdowns, and two interceptions over his first two starts.
New England is a long way away from competing again, but it already looks like they have their next franchise QB in Maye. That alone qualifies as a win this year.
4. Marvin Harrison Jr.: C+
Harrison’s rookie stat line looks solid on paper, but there have been too many quiet outings for a player hyped as a generational wide receiver.
The Arizona Cardinals’ wideout is threatening for 1,000 yards, but instead of consistent week-to-week production, it’s up-and-down like a roller-coaster. The Redbirds can’t be too disappointed, but they also expected better, so a C+ is a fair grade for now.
5. Joe Alt: B+
Alt has been rock-solid as the Los Angeles Chargers’ other bookend opposite Rashawn Slater. Everyone knew that Jim Harbaugh wanted to win in the trenches with a strong running game, and Alt has done his part in strengthening the Bolts’ pass and run-blocking.
Like almost all rookie offensive linemen, Alt has made a few rookie mistakes. But the 6-foot-8 giant is playing at a borderline Pro Bowl level, and it might not be long until he takes over as the league’s top right tackle.
6. Malik Nabers: A
The New York Giants have been a mess this season, but Nabers stands out as one of the few bright spots for Brian Daboll’s group.
New York hasn’t had a 1,000-yard receiver since Odell Beckham Jr. in 2018. Despite missing two games in the first half and despite having to catch passes from Daniel Jones, the explosive Nabers is on pace to hit the 1K mark.
The Giants have their new WR1. Now, if they could just find a new franchise QB…
7. JC Latham: C
This felt like a big reach by the Tennessee Titans at the beginning. So far, Latham’s rookie season has brought mixed results.
We can’t harp on Latham too much, because their o-line has been a problem all season. That includes 2023 first-round pick Peter Skoronski, who hasn’t shown any real progressfrom last year.
Latham has struggled in pass protection and was flagged thrice over his first seven games. But he’s somewhat made up for it with his run-blocking, and his pass-blocking can only improve from here.
8. Michael Penix Jr.: I
This was the most shocking pick of the first round, seeing that the Atlanta Falcons had just committed $180 million to Kirk Cousins in free agency.
With Cousins producing at a high level for Atlanta, the Falcons haven’t had to use their rookie signal-caller at all. Since there’s nothing to go off of, an “I” for “Incomplete” is the only grade to assign Penix.
9. Rome Odunze: C
The Bears’ second-day-one pick here has all the makings to be a superstar in this league, but it hasn’t quite come together in year one.
Odunze is essentially the Bears’ No. 4 offensive weapon behind DJ Moore, D’Andre Swift, and Cole Kmet. He’s struggled to get consistently open and had just one touchdown over his first seven games.
If the Bears are to stick around in the playoff race, they’ll need a lot more from Odunze down the stretch.
10. JJ McCarthy: I
The Minnesota Vikings were dealt a tough blow when McCarthy was ruled out for the entire 2024 season after suffering a torn meniscus.
Sam Darnold has enjoyed a career year under Kevin O’Connell, so QB, at least, hasn’t been the problem. With McCarthy sidelined for the entire year, though, there’s no other grade to hand other than an I.
11. Olu Fashanu: D
A team in win-now mode, like the New York Jets, should have drafted a player who could contribute right away.
Fashanu’s lackluster performance as a rotational piece means he probably won’t get much more playing time this year, so it’s hard to imagine him improving this record.
12. Bo Nix: B-
The Denver Broncos took a calculated risk by releasing Russell Wilson before taking a polarizing QB prospect in Oregon’s Bo Nix. But so far, mostly good.
Nix’s passing numbers aren’t great, but it’s not as if he has any star weapons at his side. Nix has dazzled as a runner, though, and is essentially playing like a game manager, thanks to the Broncos’ lockdown defense that has carried them into the playoff mix.
The goal in 2025 is to add more playmakers around Nix, who has at least been better than expected as a rookie.
13. Brock Bowers: A+
Almost nothing has gone right for the Las Vegas Raiders…except for their 2024 NFL Draft selection, tight end Brock Bowers.
Bowers has been everything the Raiders could have asked for. He’s near the league lead in receptions and well on his way to a 1,000-yard season…despite an awful QB room of Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew II.
With Davante Adams gone, there’s no questioning who the face of the Raiders’ offense is.
14. Taliese Fuaga: C+
The New Orleans Saints’ o-line has been a disaster with Ryan Ramcyzk out for the entire season, so we won’t be too harsh on Fuaga.
Though the Oregon State product has struggled mightily in pass protection, he ranks among PFF’s top run-blocking tackles. If Alvin Kamara didn’t have anywhere to run, how much worse would this offense be?
Fuaga was always going to be a project. If he fixes up his pass blocking in the next couple of years, he’ll be an All-Pro in this league.
15. Laiatu Latu: C
The Indianapolis Colts already have plenty of pass-rushers, so we were a bit surprised that they took Latu here.
He’s playing just over 50 percent of defensive snaps and hasn’t exactly lit up the stat sheet. His run D has been suspect, and hindsight tells us Indy would have been better off addressing the o-line or the secondary with this pick.
But hey, he’s a rookie, so patience is a virtue for Colts fans.
16. Byron Murphy II: C-
The Seahawks needed help on the d-line, so Murphy was the right pick. But at the same time, you know Mike Macdonald’s squad wanted more up to this point.
Murphy is being used in a rotational rule but hasn’t exactly excelled in any area. He hardly generates pressure when he’s on the field, and he’s done next to nothing to help a Seahawks D that keeps getting gashed on the ground.
17. Dallas Turner: D
The Vikings acquired a second 2024 first-round pick weeks before the NFL draft and settled on Alabama edge rusher Dallas Turner. Though he was the consensus top pass-rusher in this class, Turner’s first season has been mediocre at best.
He’s only playing about one-fifth of Minnesota’s defensive snaps. He had just one sack over his first six games, and the good folks at PFF don’t paint a good picture of his production this year.
18. Amarius Mims: C-
The Georgia offensive tackle was likely going to be a rotational player, but a season-ending injury to Trent Brown forced Mims into starting duties.
Can’t be too harsh on him, but Mims has been the weak link of the Cincinnati Bengals’ offensive line. Joe Burrow is still taking too many hits, and the run-blocking has been a problem for Zack Moss and Chase Brown.
19. Jared Verse: A+
Verse’s stat sheets won’t “wow” you, but the advanced stats community loves the new Los Angeles Rams star.
Verse ranks near the top of ESPN’s leaderboard for pass-rush win rate among edge rushers. He also ranks among PFF’s highest-graded rookies. Man, imagine if Aaron Donald was still playing with Verse as his sidekick.
20. Troy Fautanu: I
Unfortunately, the Pittsburgh Steelers rookie offensive tackle suffered a dislocated kneecap that required season-ending surgery after a stellar NFL debut against the Broncos in Week 2.
As such, it’s unfair to be overly generous or too harsh with Fautanu. We’ll give him an “I” and hope that he can stay healthy next season. Remember, the upside is really high for this kid.
21. Chop Robinson: D
The new Miami Dolphins’ edge rusher was regarded as a boom-or-bust prospect coming into the 2024 NFL draft. So far, however, it’s been a bust.
Robinson is getting snaps on defense and special teams, but he hasn’t at all made an impact. Miami has every reason to use him in a rotational piece unless he shows rapid improvement.
22. Quinyon Mitchell: B+
Vic Fangio isn’t getting enough credit for his hand in turning the Philadelphia Eagles’ defense back into a top-tier unit. That is largely thanks to the production of rookie corners Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, who are quietly playing at All-Pro levels.
Mitchell has been excellent in pass coverage when targeted, and we assume opposing QBs got the memo to stop throwing to him. That would explain his low IN numbers!
23. Brian Thomas Jr.: A+
The Jacksonville Jaguars have been a disaster this year, but it’s not at the fault of rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr.
Thomas will likely finish as the leading rookie wide receiver in receiving yards. He has emerged as Trevor Lawrence’s new No. 1 weapon and is on his way to receiving over 1,000 yards in year one.
24. Terrion Arnold: C+
Widely considered the top cornerback of the 2024 NFL Draft class, Arnold’s production has been up and down for the Detroit Lions.
Arnold is flourishing as a ball-hawker but is getting picked apart too often in coverage. Most rookie corners struggle at first, though, and Arnold is being bailed out by the strong play of fellow defensive backs Carlton Davis III and Brian Branch…so let’s not be too critical of him.
25. Jordan Morgan: C
The Green Bay Packers are taking their time developing Morgan, who’s only playing about a third of their offensive snaps. He’s been solid in pass-blocking, but his run-blocking needs to improve by the time he’s thrust into a starting role next year.
26. Graham Barton: C+
Barton has done what you’d expect for a starting rookie offensive lineman. He hasn’t lit it up a la Tristan Wirfs Jr. with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020, but he hasn’t been a total disaster, either.
The 2024 NFL Draft 26th pick’s biggest strength is run-blocking, and the Duke center has been pivotal in Bucky Irving’s success as a first-year RB.
27. Darius Robinson: TBD
Robinson missed the first two months of his rookie year recovering from a calf injury. He wasn’t activated from the IR until Week 9, so stay tuned.
28. Xavier Worthy: C+
Worthy’s “meh” production early on wasn’t a shock, given the wealth of weapons Kansas City started the season with. But with Rashee Rice out for the year and Isiac Pacheco also missing time, you’d like to see more from Worthy.
But hey, the Chiefs keep winning. And reinforcements arrived with JuJu Smith-Schuster and DeAndre Hopkins anyway, so the pressure isn’t super high on Worthy to produce as a rookie.
29. Tyler Guyton: C-
The Cowboys had to address the o-line after losing franchise icon Tyron Smith in free agency. But a team in win-now mode like Dallas needed a lot better from Guyton, to say the least.
He’s had too many struggles as a rookie — with nine penalties and four sacks allowed over the Cowboys’ first seven games. Jerry Jones is used to excellent rookie years from his first-round picks, but Guyton has struggled mightily in year one.
30. Nate Wiggins: B
Wiggins’ production is getting overlooked because the usually stingy Baltimore Ravens have been a mess this year. Especially the secondary.
But 2024 NFL Draft first-rounder has been really solid in coverage and has been one of Baltimore’s best run defenders, albeit in a limited role on defense.
31. Ricky Pearsall: TBD
Pearsall missed the San Francisco 49ers’ first six games, recovering from injuries sustained in a horrific shooting incident.
Pearsall was shot in the chest after fighting off a robber who tried to take his Rolex. So we’re not ready to hand a grade yet for the 2024 NFL draft first-rounder. We’ll revisit this after we’ve seen him in extended playing time.
32. Xavier Legette: C
Nothing has gone right for the Carolina Panthers this season, and they’re well on their way to restarting at quarterback with a top-three pick on the way.
As such, Legette’s rookie season has been an Average Joe at best. You can’t blame him for being stuck with bad QB play, and he has shown flashes as a speedy, deep threat.
