The 2024 NFL Draft certainly carried more surprises compared to previous years. Once again, we saw several teams reach big-time and select a player much earlier than expected, while some of the more highly-touted prospects slid down the board considerably.
Before we start, just a note: “greatest” picks, we don’t include obvious guys like Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and Marvin Harrison Jr. Rather, we’re focusing strictly on guys who were great value picks that should easily outperform their draft spots.
So, which five picks of the 2024 NFL Draft already look like giant head-scratchers, and which value picks are poised to pay major dividends? Let’s get right into it.
Which players in the 2024 NFL draft were the worst, and which ones were the best?
Best: Rome Odunze
In most other NFL draft classes, Odunze would have been the first wide receiver off the board — and certainly a top-five pick. But alas, he’s just one of three “can’t miss” wideouts this year, alongside Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. and LSU’s Malik Nabers.
Harrison Jr. went fourth overall to the Arizona Cardinals, and the New York Giants picked up Nabers at No. 6. Fortunately for the Chicago Bears, the Tennessee Titans needed an offensive lineman at No. 7….and the Falcons lost their minds by taking Penix.
So Bears GM Ryan Poles didn’t have to bother trading up to select the Washington product. Odunze fell right into the Bears laps at No. 3, ensuring that Caleb Williams will have a game-wrecking superstar to throw the ball to for years to come.
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Remember, trade pickup Keenan Allen is only under contract for one more year. Even if Odunze doesn’t go off as a rookie, he and DJ Moore should easily emerge as a top-three NFL receiving tandem within a couple of years.
You always want to put your young QB in the best position to succeed. Adding Odunze to an arsenal with Moore, Allen, D’Andre Swift, Khalil Herbert, and Cole Kmet tells us one thing: Caleb is bound to take the Bears to the playoffs in year one.
Worst: Michael Penix Jr.
Literally nothing about this pick makes sense at all.
The Atlanta Falcons just handed Kirk Cousins a four-year deal worth $100 million guaranteed. That move signals an intention to WIN-NOW. Hence, Atlanta should have used the eighth overall pick on a player who can help them win now — specially an elite pass-rusher like Dallas Turner, Laiatu Latu or Jared Verse.
But the Falcons instead used that pick on boom-or-bust QB prospect Michael Penix Jr., who’s not exactly young for a rookie at 24 now. If Cousins stays healthy and performs well, Penix won’t be a starter until he’s in his late 20s. Someone make it make sense!
If Atlanta needed a quarterback THAT BADLY, why not Michigan’s JJ McCarthy? And if it HAD to be Penix, why not trade down? Trust us, nobody else was going to select Penix in the top 10.
We would have understood if a QB-needy team like the Denver Broncos or Las Vegas Raiders took a chance on Penix. But why in the world would Atlanta pay Cousins $100 million if they were going to reach for a QB this early?
We honestly can’t think of a more questionable top-10 pick over the past decade. Good luck to Penix and Atlanta on proving all of us wrong!
Best: Terrion Arnold
The Alabama Crimson Tide superstar was the consensus No. 1 cornerback in the 2024 NFL Draft. When you look at how many teams needed a corner in the No. 10 to 21 slots, it’s absolutely unbelievable that he fell out of the top 20.
Detroit Lions GM Brad Holmes finally pounced on the opportunity by trading into the No. 24 spot via the Dallas Cowboys to select Arnold.
It’s not just Arnold’s skill set that makes us LOVE this pick. It’s the fact that corner was an organizational need for the NFC’s runner-ups. Detroit ranked 27th against the pass last year, but Arnold has the talent to single-handedly make this a top-10 unit in 2024.
Holmes already addressed the need for cornerback help by acquiring Carlton Davis in a trade with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But Arnold is the real headliner and newcomer here.
Fellow Alabama defensive back Brian Branch showed signs of future stardom in his rookie year with Detroit. Now opposing QBs must account for Branch…AND ARNOLD…AND Davis.
Good luck throwing against these guys, ladies and gentlemen. And we end the entry with this note: It won’t take long for opposing GMs to regret passing on the future All-Pro in Mr. Arnold.
Worst: Ricky Pearsall
We hate questioning one of the NFL’s best executives John Lynch…but this one truly is a head-scratcher.
With Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle headlining a prolific offense, pass-catcher was not a need here.
How about a cornerback to bolster your secondary that has no answer for Patrick Mahomes? What about another edge rusher? Or how about a new offensive lineman, since Trent Williams is nearing the end of his Hall of Fame career?
If San Fran was so set on a receiver, what made them think Pearsall was a better pick than Ladd McConkey, Adonai Mitchell, Keon Coleman, or Xavier Legette? All four of those guys were protected to be late firsts or early second-rounders. San Fran could have EASILY traded down from No. 31 and taken the Florida Gators wideout later on.
Pearsall didn’t exactly light up the scoreboard in college, either. He never hit 1,000 yards or more than five receiving TDs in a season. He’s far from a finished product…yet the 49ers wanted him over far more explosive and NFL-ready guys like McConkey and Mitchell?
Best: Cooper DeJean
Terrion Arnold, Quinyon Mitchell AND Cooper DeJean were the consensus top-three corners in the 2024 NFL Draft class. Some scouts and analysts even had DeJean ahead of both Arnold and Mitchell.
So with that in mind, DeJean felt like a virtual luck to go in the first round. Not only did he go uncalled in round one, but DeJean had to wait a while on day two to FINALLY hear his name.
The Philadelphia Eagles already won the NFL draft when they selected Mitchell at No. 22 overall. GM Howie Roseman wasn’t done there, trading up into the No. 40 spot via the Washington Commanders so he could take DeJean, too.
So think about that. The Eagles had the league’s second-worst pass D a year ago and addressed it by getting TWO of the top three corners in the 2024 class — one of which they got at No. 40.
I’m not an expert, but does anyone know how exactly opposing QBs will challenge a secondary with DeJean, Mitchell and veteran stalwarts Darius Slay and CJ Gardner-Johnson? Not to mention their pass-rush remains a problem for opposing linemen, too.
DeJean might only be a rotational player as a rookie, but that’s okay. Philly is thinking long-term here, and DeJean’s physical tools, size, and football IQ mean he should quickly grow into a pure shutdown corner.
Worst: Ruke Orhorhoro
No, Atlanta Falcons fans. We don’t hate your team. We just don’t like the way your team conducted business in rounds one and two.
Not only did Atlanta reach big-time for Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8, but they also went wayyyyyyyyy off the board by using the No. 35 pick on Clemson defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro.
Making this pick more baffling? Atlanta traded the No. 43 and No. 79 picks. Something tells us Atlanta could have stayed put at 43 and gotten Orhorhoro anyway.
He’s a solid run defender but generates minimal pressure. Over his five seasons of college ball, Orhorhoro tallied just 12 sacks.
With the next pick, the Washington Commanders took a more talented and NFL-ready defensive lineman in Jer’Zhan Newton. Kool-Aid McKinstry, Cooper DeJean, and Edgerrin Cooper were among the other superior prospects available. All of those guys stand to make longer impacts in 2024 than Orhorhoro.
Best: J.J. McCarthy
As most projected, Michigan’s JJ McCarthy was the fourth QB taken behind the “big three” of Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye.
McCarthy is a fascinating QB prospect because of how polarizing he is.
On one hand, McCarthy has pinpoint accuracy, rarely turns the ball over, and went 27-1 as the Wolverines’ starting quarterback — helping Jim Harbaugh’s squad to a national championship victory over Washington in his final college game.
On the other hand, McCarthy wasn’t the key reason for Michigan’s success. They had an explosive rushing game led by Blake Corum and a top-tier defense, which meant McCarthy rarely had to attempt more than 25 passes in a single game.
Those on Team JJ McCarthy believe there’s more to his game than what the game tape showed. And like any “boom or bust” QB, the schematic fit matters tremendously for McCarthy.
Hard to think of a better landing spot for him than the Minnesota Vikings, who traded up one spot through the New York Jets to snag McCarthy at No. 10. Just as countless mock NFL drafts projected, JJ landed here in the Gopher State.
McCarthy gets to work with a top offensive-minded head coach like Kevin O’Connell, who oversaw the career years of Matt Stafford and Kirk Cousins.
Oh, and something tells us McCarthy will do wonders throwing the ball to the league’s No. 1 receiver in Justin Jefferson, rising star Jordan Addison, and Pro Bowl tight end TJ Hockenso.
Vikings QBs have a long history of underperforming in pressure situations. McCarthy’s big-game experience and national championship title tell us he’s built for big moments.
Even if McCarthy learns behind Sam Darnold for one year, so what? The Vikes can take their time drafting this proven winner before he takes over the reins on a full-time basis. Add it all up, and this McCarthy pick should go down as one of the greatest and most impactful in Vikings history.
Worst: Amarius Mims
The Cincinnati Bengals have aced their last few drafts, but we really are struggling to comprehend the decision to take Georgia offensive tackle Amarius Mims at No. 18 overall.
The Bengals are in win-now mode and must prioritize players ready to start. The Bengals already have two rock-solid starters at offensive tackle in Orlando Brown Jr. and Trent Brown, so why bother taking Mims when he’s barely gonna see playing time as a rookie?
If Cincinnati really wanted a lineman, why not a more polished guy like Washington’s Troy Fautanu, who instead went to the archrival Pittsburgh Steelers two picks later?
The Bengals had more pressing needs like wide receiver and edge rusher, especially with Tee Higgins and Trey Hendrickson both seeking trades.
Subsequent picks like Jared Verse, Quinyon Mitchell, Brian Thomas Jr., Terrion Arnold, and Xavier Worthy are more NFL-ready guys who could have made immediate impacts for the Bengals.
Best: Adonai Mitchell
The Texas Longhorns wide receiver was projected to be a late first or early second-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft.
Yet somehow, Mitchell fell all the way down to the Indianapolis Colts in the No. 52 spot. Gotta wonder if GM Chris Ballard will send gift baskets to the rival GMs who reached for other guys in round two, allowing Mitchell to fall into their laps?
The big-bodied receiver should immediately slot in as the new No. 2 receiver alongside Michael Pittman Jr. Indy has needed a running mate for Pittman since his rookie year, and Mitchell just might be the solution here!
Mitchell is a deep-threat specialist who averaged 15.4 yards per catch in his final season at Texas. He’ll do plenty of damage in the red zone, too, taking much of the focus away from Pittman and Jonathan Taylor.
Anthony Richardson had a nice set-up with Pittman, Taylor, Josh Downs AND offensive-minded head coach Shane Steichen. Now he has three capable 1,000-yard receivers and a consistent 1K rushing threat.
With Mitchell coming to Indy, all the pieces are there for Richardson to go off in year two.
Worst: JC Latham
It wasn’t surprising that the Tennessee Titans took an offensive tackle at No. 7. It was surprising, however, that they reached for JC Latham.
Latham committed 18 penalties over his last two seasons at Alabama, per Pro Football Focus, so don’t get too “wowed” by the fact he didn’t allow a single sack over that span. In the pros, those “flags” will turn into sacks allowed.
It was stunning to see Tennessee pass on a more complete, well-rounded, and NFL-ready lineman like Washington’s Troy Fautanu, Penn State’s Olu Fashanu, and Oregon State’s Taliese Fuaga. They have higher upsides than Latham, and they all would have been safer picks.
This is another case of “why not trade down”? Seeing how the board plays out, it feels like Tennessee could have moved down ten or so spots and still landed one of the top offensive line prospects.
GM Ran Carthon did a wonderful job expanding Will Levis’s supporting cast by bringing in Calvin Ridley and Tony Pollard. But using a No. 7 pick on a guy whom many didn’t even view as a top-15 prospect was awfully mind-boggling.
