Every year the NFL Draft is a event to look forward too right in the middle of the offseason and is a special moment for players and families whose lives will change forever when their name is called and they step across that red carpet onto the stage. For the most part, the first round picks know who they are but for the guys that played at a smaller colleges hearing their name called in the dying embers of the seven rounds it is a life changing moment and can make for an emotional moment for the casual fan. The New York Giants first round pick at number six Malik Nabers encapsulated what a lot of players may be feeling during the tenuous 3 days.
“Just been thanking God that I'm finally here. The process is over with. I can finally know what team I'm going to. Just been enjoying it every hour of the day with my family.” --Malik Nabers
However, the NFL Draft is not just an emotional moment to dwell on, it is critical for teams looking to make big splashes as well as build depth on their roster in order for continued growth in the upcoming season. Some teams have always drafted better than others but identifying this years winners and losers of the draft is important to who identify is set up for success in the 2024-2025 NFL campaign.
Winners
Starting off with the positive side of things, there were some home run hitters in this year’s draft that will be much stronger teams come next season because of it. To start off, the Philadelphia Eagles had a high rating across the board from a variety of different sources depicting just how well they drafted in an attempt to bounce back from a disappointing first round playoff exit in January. Their first round pick at number 22 Quinyon Mitchell, fell right into their lap and has all the tools and size to become a top cornerback in the NFL. Cooper Dejean also ended up in Philly in what was the steal of the draft getting him at number 40, many draft experts had him going in the first round but because of an injury that ended his senior season at Iowa early his draft stock declined. However, take nothing away from this star that can play anywhere in the secondary and also is great in the return game. Getting these two generational young talents on their defense made it a very exciting weekend for general manager Howie Roseman and his staff.
If there was a prize for winning the draft it probably falls in the middle of Soldier Field in Chicago. For a team that has not been relevant in years and is coming off two of its worst seasons in franchise history, Bears fans have a lot to rally behind this year. Yes, it is risky to trade away a franchise quarterback in Justin Fields for a rookie in Caleb Williams. However, it is a risk worth taking for a quarterback with a strong arm who also has a good scramble game and was compared to Patrick Mahomes throughout his time in college. Additionally, he is set up with all the tools needed to succeed with newly acquired Keenan Allen, D.J. Moore, and the ninth pick of the draft for the bears in wide receiver Rome Odunze. Even with only 5 picks, the Bears had a lot of success and certainly believe that they can make a playoff push in the 2024-2025 season. The final team of the “Big Three” that really took the next step in the draft this year is the Pittsburgh Steelers. After having the worst offensive line in the league in 2023, it was clearly a priority that something like that would never happen again and they made sure to address it in the first two rounds with two instant starters Troy Fautanu and Zach Frazier. Adding Roman Wilson, a dynamic player with good hands and a lot of speed at pick number 83 is also a solid pick for a wide receiver room that is very thin in Pittsburgh. While many other teams will feel as if they set themselves up for next season, none of them had the success these 3 teams did in this year’s draft.
Losers
Plain and simple, the Falcons front office got exposed in the 2024 NFL Draft. Tom Pelissero of NFL Network delivered a legendary quote to describe the situation going on in Atlanta.
“This isn’t a relationship that’s gone south. This is cheating on your wife on the honeymoon.”
After just recently signing 35-year old Kirk Cousins to a 180 million dollar deal, the Falcons baffled fans and draft experts by taking Michael Penix Jr. who shouldn’t have even been taken in the first round and ended up going in the top ten. This wasn’t even the worst of what they did, the front office also failed to grab a cornerback in the draft which was an area they struggled at last season and did not address at all. No franchise in the NFL has a bleaker outlook than the Atlanta Falcons next year and it is hard to see light at the end of the tunnel. Another franchise that disappointed in the draft was the Super Bowl finalists San Francisco 49ers. While it was a questionable draft for the 49ers, they have history of turning late round picks into stars like quarterback Brock Purdy who was deemed as “Mr. Irrelevant” so there is no reason for Niner fans to go into panic mode. However, they selected a receiver in the first round, Ricky Pearsall, who was not expected to go as high as he did by many draft analysts and did not have overly impressive college stats. Coach Kyle Shanahan also took a running back like he does every year which is interesting this year considering he has the best running back in the NFL in his backfield.
The NFL Draft is always a fun event for families and friends to come together and have an excuse to throw a party and watch football. This year was no different, many other teams that were not focused on in this article also had strong showings in the draft and if you are interested to find out who your favorite team drafted then look no further.
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