The opening game of the 2024 NFL Draft has been decided.
This was a round dominated by quarterback discussions, especially those within the first 12 picks.
Six signal-callers were selected during that span, from Caleb Williams to the Chicago Bears with the No. 1 overall pick, Bo Nix to the Denver Broncos with the No. 12 pick.
However, not all of the selections were well-received, especially one in the top ten.
Let's take a closer look at the winners and losers of the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Winner: Quarterback
It's a good time to be a quarterback. The quality at this position isn't all that high league-wide, so I can see the logic behind some poor teams wanting to grab a gem early on. The signal callers who participated in the first round are:
- Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears (1st overall)
- Jaden Daniels, Washington Commanders (2nd overall)
- Drake Maye, New England Patriots (3rd overall)
- Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta Falcons (8th overall)
- JJ McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings (10th overall)
- Bo Nix, Denver Broncos (12th overall)
Will they all work out? Probably not. But teams can't win a Super Bowl without their star quarterback, so the responsibility shifts to their respective franchises to properly develop new players.
Loser: Atlanta Falcons
However, there are cases in which players are drafted too early. Especially for quarterbacks, when a team just signed a free agent to a lucrative contract.
The same was true for the Falcons, who selected Washington's Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick. The Falcons, led by new head coach Raheem Morris, have some holes to fill on defense, but the 24-year-old quarterback will have to sit behind soon-to-be 36-year-old Kirk Cousins. I chose the back.
Cousins, who is recovering from a torn ACL, signed a four-year, $180 million contract with Atlanta in free agency.News that Penix Jr. has been drafted reportedly Cousins said he was “a little stunned.” So he doesn't like it?
Winner: Chicago Bears
The Bears got two first-round picks right up front, but at least they didn't mess it up. Since Justin Fields was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers, it was clear that Williams would be selected No. 1 overall, followed by Washington wideout Roma Odunze at No. 9 overall.
Considering Williams is in a much better situation than he is, Field must be frustrated somewhere, especially considering star wide DJ Moore is already on the roster.
It may take time for Williams to lead Chicago to title contention (or at least lift it out of mediocrity), but there's no doubt that the foundation has been laid for the next era.
Loser: Defender
While the attacking players dominated the early stages, the defenders couldn't help but feel ignored. Basically, it took half the first round for the defender to get off the board.
Laiatu Latu, who dominated UCLA, was eventually traded to the Indianapolis Colts with the 15th overall pick to break the trend. This wait set a record for the most offensive player drafted at the start of the event. The number was set at seven players in 2021, but that was doubled in the 2024 draft.
Toledo's Quinyon Mitchell was the first defensive back taken when he was called up 22nd overall by the Philadelphia Eagles.
Defense wins championships, but having the best talent was not the thought process this time around.
Winner: Kansas City Chiefs
The talking point throughout the 2023 season was Kansas City's lack of receiving talent outside of tight end Travis Kelce. That criticism was valid, as Patrick Mahomes and the offense often struggled during the regular season, but things improved with the arrival of then-rookie Laci Rice.
And somehow, the Chiefs turned that struggle into their third Vince Lombardi Trophy in five years. And now they have a young, talented wideout who could provide extra help to Mahomes: Texas' Xavier Worthy.
Worthy had the fastest 40-yard dash time at the combine with a 4.21, so he will bring Tyreek Hill-like dynamism to Andy Reid's offense. The Chiefs got even scarier.
Honorable mention:
Las Vegas Raiders: Sometimes draft picks are simple, and sometimes they aren't. The Raiders have a history of making confusing picks that ultimately don't pan out, but Antonio Pierce's new era is off to an interesting start. The Raiders selected Georgie tight end Brock Bowers with the 13th pick, making him the best player at his position. The Raiders come out of the first round as winners, as he was essentially the highest pick available there.
