The first round of the 2024 NFL Draft is in the books and it was the most offensive-heavy first round in the history of the annual player selection meeting. 23 offensive players — highlighted by 14-in-a-row to start the draft — was an all-time record.
While there was little drama with the first pick, where Caleb Williams went to Chicago, heads turned at the tail end of the top 10 when the Atlanta Falcons picked quarterback Michael Penix Jr. in the most surprising pick of the night. The Falcons signed Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract earlier this offseason.
Quarterbacks also tied a record with six of them going in the first round, matching the legendary 1983 class. All of the quarterbacks went in the top 12, culminating with Bo Nix to Denver with that 12th pick.
Next up on Friday, are rounds two and three of the NFL Draft, and the Buffalo Bills have pick No. 33 overall, and will get the draft going again at 7 p.m. ET from Detroit.
When is the 2024 NFL Draft?
April 26 — Second and third rounds, 7 p.m. ET
April 27 — Fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh rounds, noon ET
How can I watch the 2024 NFL Draft?
The 2024 NFL Draft will be broadcast live on NFL Network and also ESPN, ABC and ESPN Deportes.
How can I stream the 2024 NFL Draft?
You can stream it on ESPN+, YouTube TV, Hulu+ Live TV, Sling TV and Fubo TV.
Where is the 2024 NFL Draft being held?
It’s being held in the area around Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza in downtown Detroit, less than a mile from Ford Field, home of the Lions.
Where can I find more info about the 2024 NFL Draft?
Right here on Yahoo Sports’ 2024 NFL Draft page.
Live75 updates
-
-
Expert Commentary: Pick No. 32 — Xavier Legette
-
Draft Grade: C+
-
Pre-Draft Rank: 76
-
School: South Carolina
-
Height: 6′ 1″
-
Weight: 221
This is a fine pick for the Panthers. They probably didn’t need to trade up, but moving up one spot to secure your guy isn’t the worst move in the world. They also needed to add a bigger player to their wide receiver room. This is solid pickup for the Panthers who really needed juice on offense.
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA – DECEMBER 30: Xavier Legette #17 of the South Carolina Gamecocks catches a pass for a touchdown against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the second half of the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl at TIAA Bank Field on December 30, 2022 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images) -
-
Expert Commentary: Pick No. 31 — Ricky Persall
-
Draft Grade: D
-
Pre-Draft Rank: 85
-
School: Florida
-
Height: 6′ 1″
-
Weight: 189
Huh? This pick seems a bit out of nowhere, especially considering no one really had Pearsall going at this point in the draft. Perhaps this is the 49ers bracing for a move at wide receiver, but Pearsall could have been had later than this.
BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA – NOVEMBER 11: Ricky Pearsall #1 of the Florida Gators runs with the ball against the LSU Tigers during a game at Tiger Stadium on November 11, 2023 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) -
-
Expert Commentary: Pick No. 30 — Nate Wiggins
-
Draft Grade: B-
-
Pre-Draft Rank: 31
-
School: Clemson
-
Height: 6′ 1″
-
Weight: 173
Baltimore definitely has a need for a cornerback, but it took a bit of a project at the position at this point in the draft. Wiggins is a rangy, fast corner, but he needs to add weight and strength before he can be a real contributor for the Ravens defense.
MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA – OCTOBER 21: Nate Wiggins #2 of the Clemson Tigers looks on during the second half of the game against the Miami Hurricanes at Hard Rock Stadium on October 21, 2023 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images) -
-
Expert Commentary: Pick No. 29 — Tyler Guyton
-
Draft Grade: C+
-
Pre-Draft Rank: 37
-
School: Oklahoma
-
Height: 6′ 8″
-
Weight: 322
The Cowboys needed a left tackle to develop and at least have a prospect now in Guyton. He’s got a bit of a way to go as far as technique is concerned, but the physical tools and frame to grow into something for the long term are there. Guyton might have a lower floor than some of the other tackle prospects, but the upside is still here.
NORMAN, OKLAHOMA – SEPTEMBER 30: Right tackle Tyler Guyton #60 of the Oklahoma Sooners runs onto the field for a game against the Iowa State Cyclones at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on September 30, 2023 in Norman, Oklahoma. Oklahoma won 50-20. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images) -
-
-
-
Expert Commentary: Pick No. 28 — Xavier Worthy
-
Draft Grade: C+
-
Pre-Draft Rank: 63
-
School: Texas
-
Height: 5′ 11″
-
Weight: 165
The Chiefs add some speed to their wide receiver room and some playmaking for Patrick Mahomes. This does feel a tad redundant with Marquise Brown on the roster, but that’s only a one-year deal. Mahomes solves all problems, and having Rashee Rice on the roster is a nice changeup from the Brown and Worthy combo, but a 165-pound player in the first round is a bit of a tough sell.
FORT WORTH, TX – NOVEMBER 11: Texas Longhorns wide receiver Xavier Worthy (#1) runs up field after a catch during the college football game between the Texas Longhorns and TCU Horned Frogs on November 11, 2023 at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, TX. (Photo by Matthew Visinsky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) -
-
-
-
Expert Commentary: Pick No. 27 — Darius Robinson
-
Draft Grade: C
-
Pre-Draft Rank: 62
-
School: Missouri
-
Height: 6′ 5″
-
Weight: 285
Robinson isn’t a bad player, but he’s not the most dynamic guy on the defensive line. He’s a steady player who should be a solid piece for the Cardinals’ defensive line rotation, but that’s not necessarily the type of player that feels like a need in the first round. Still, he’s someone that will help the Cardinals up front.
MANHATTAN, KS – SEPTEMBER 10: Missouri Tigers defensive lineman Darius Robinson (6) after a college football game between the Missouri Tigers and Kansas State Wildcats on September 10, 2022 at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium in Manhattan, KS. Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) -
-
-
-
-
Expert Commentary: Pick No. 25 — Jordan Morgan
-
Draft Grade: C+
-
Pre-Draft Rank: 25
-
School: Arizona
-
Height: 6′ 5″
-
Weight: 311
This is a very safe pick for the Packers. Morgan needs to develop some strength as he enters the NFL, but should have the footwork and skill to at least be a quality pass blocker. It just feels like there might have been more juice to squeeze here with some of the defensive players still on the board.
FILE -Arizona offensive lineman Jordan Morgan looks to block during the team’s NCAA college football game against Arizona State, Nov. 25, 2023, in Tempe, Ariz. The Green Bay Packers selected Morgan with the 25th overall pick in the NFL draft Thursday. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri, File) -
-
Expert Commentary: Pick Np. 25 — Graham Barton
-
Draft Grade: A
-
Pre-Draft Rank: 12
-
School: Duke
-
Height: 6′ 5″
-
Weight: 313
Barton is a stud offensive lineman who can play all five positions up front. He was announced as a center, so he may wind up on the interior after playing left tackle at Duke, but he’s well-equipped for the move. He’s the most versatile lineman in the draft and the Buccaneers may have just gotten a steal.
DURHAM, NC – NOVEMBER 12: Graham Barton (62) of the Duke Blue Devils gets set on the line during a football game between the Duke Blue Devils and the Virginia Tech Hokies on Nov 12, 2022 at Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham, NC. (Photo by David Jensen/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) -
-
-
-
Expert Commentary: Pick No. 23 — Brian Thomas Jr.
-
Draft Grade: B+
-
Pre-Draft Rank: 15
-
School: LSU
-
Height: 6′ 3″
-
Weight: 209
The Jaguars get brownie points for trading down here. Thomas is an explosive wide receiver who has the physical frame that the Jaguars needed in their wide receiver room. Thomas is a bit raw on some of the finer points of wide receiver play, but there’s no doubting his potential to be a truly dynamic playmaker in the NFL.
ORLANDO, FL – SEPTEMBER 03: *LSU Tigers wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (11) runs after a catch during the Camping World Kickoff game between the LSU Tigers and the Florida State Seminoles, on Sunday, September 3, 2023 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla. (Photo by Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) -
-
