2024 NFL DRAFT: CHOP ROBINSON TO DOLPHINS, TREY BENSON TO CARDINALS AMONG BEST SINGLE PICKS MADE BY EACH TEAM
I gave to you my team draft grades right after the 2024 NFL Draft. How about a more micro angle with them? Instead of giving a grade for the entire draft class, let's highlight the best pick made by every franchise from Day 1 through Day 3.
Here are the best individual picks for all 32 teams. Value was slightly factored in, as was opportunity for said draft pick to produce in the NFL. I also included an honorable mention for every club.
Arizona Cardinals
RB Trey Benson (Round 3, No. 66 overall)Honorable mention: WR Marvin Harrison Jr.
My take on Benson the entire draft process -- we should've viewed him in a similar light to Breece Hall. Sure, Hall was a more decorated runner at Iowa State. But the two have similar size, speed and elusiveness, and I love that Benson toted the rock like almost exactly 400 fewer times than Hall in college. But this isn't just about what I think is a very apt Benson/Hall comparison. It's about the Cardinals landing their future dynamic feature back in the third round. So shrewd.
Atlanta Falcons
DL Brandon Dorlus (Round 4, No. 109 overall)Honorable mention: EDGE Bralen Trice
Dorlus is one of those defensive linemen you're not quite sure where it's best for him to align, but just wins everywhere up front. His frame is one that would've given him a daunted tweener label a decade ago. It's now held in high regard. He's 6-foot-3 and 238 pounds with a wingspan in the 70th percentile among defensive linemen. And how about this for steady production? Dorlus registered three straight seasons of 40-plus pressures on fewer than 400 pass-rushing snaps at Oregon.
Baltimore Ravens
OT Roger Rosengarten (Round 2, No. 62)Honorable mention: OL Nick Samac
Rosengarten is ready for battle on the edge. And what I mean by that is -- he wants to quick set defensive linemen (be the aggressor) on passing plays, and he's one of the rare cats at offensive tackle with the athletic twitch and hand work to do it. At nearly 6-foot-6 and 308 pounds, Rosengarten ran 4.92 in the 40-yard dash (96th percentile at the position) at the combine and starred in pass protection. And that's vital now in Baltimore, right? The Ravens are a passing team under Todd Monken. Remember, Lamar Jackson set a career high in passing attempts in 2023. Rosengarten is plug and play at right tackle.
Buffalo Bills
S Cole Bishop (Round 2, No. 60 overall)Honorable mention: OC Sedrick Van Pran-Granger
Bishop was the ideal selection for the Bills in the second round, especially after moving on from Jordan Poyer this offseason. Bishop was the questioned quarterback of Utah's defense in each of the past two seasons. Directed teammates, etc. And he was ev-er-y-where himself -- aligning in the slot, in the box and at free safety all more than 90 snaps each in 2023. He even took 38 snaps as an overhang linebacker and 25 snaps as slot corner. At 6-foot-2 and nearly 210 pounds with 4.45 speed, he's a sizable, explosive athlete. He feels like a defender who'll be a captain and star sooner than later in Buffalo.
Carolina Panthers
CB Chau Smith-Wade (Round 5, No. 157 overall)Honorable mention: RB Jonathon Brooks
Contrary to popular belief, Mike Sainristil was not the only sudden, ultra-agitating slot cornerback in this class. Smith-Wade was one of the many in the 2024 draft actually. He just played at Washington State, so most of the country didn't catch his late-kick games from Pullman.
He's only 21 years old and had 16 pass breakups with three interceptions across four seasons for the Cougars. His feet are lightning-quick and he plays much bigger than his size. He's the spark plug this Panthers defense desperately needed on defense.
Chicago Bears
OL Kiran Amegadjie (Round 3, No. 75 overall)Honorable mention: QB Caleb Williams
I kept seeing visions of Chiefs stud right guard Trey Smith while watching Amegadjie demolish the entire Ivy League on film in 2023. And they're similarly sized with comparable length and athletic traits. Remember, too, Smith played some tackle at Tennessee, and that's where Amegadjie aligned in college. Just a nasty, powerful, reasonably balanced masher inside. Another bouncer in front of Caleb Williams.
Cincinnati Bengals
WR Jermaine Burton (Round 3, No. 80 overall)
Honorable mention: DL Kris Jenkins
Burton apparently has some maturity concerns, but tracking down a truthful description of a prospect during draft season is as easy as winning tickets to The Masters. On film, Burton is a speedy, squeaky clean vertical-route star. He catches everything in his vicinity. He feels like the perfect complement to Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, who thrive at the intermediate level.
Cleveland Browns
DL Michael Hall Jr. (Round 2, No. 54 overall)Honorable mention: WR Jamari Thrash
Hall with Jim Schwartz? This is the defensive equivalent of giving Andy Reid Xavier Worthy. I'm serious. Hall still isn't 21 years old, but rocked at Ohio State as a multi-faceted winner on the inside. He can win with burst, some power, an array of pass-rush moves and he's reasonably stout against the run.
Dallas Cowboys
WR Ryan Flournoy (Round 6, No. 216 overall)Honorable mention: OL Nathan Thomas
Flournoy has the size, speed and moose-like characteristics after the catch to not just make this minimally reworked Cowboys roster but actually contribute as a rookie. A rugged 6-foot and 202 pounds with 4.44 speed and a vertical and broad both above the 88th percentile at the position, this is a real specimen I'm highlighting here. And, he forced a sizable 33 missed tackles on 121 career catches at Southeast Missouri State.
Denver Broncos
WR Troy Franklin (Round 4, No. 102 overall)Honorable mention: CB Kris Abrams-Draine
Franklin will be catching passes from ... Bo Nix? It's like they graduated from college and got jobs with the same startup. Franklin is spindly, but have we not realized the receiver spot getting lighter and lighter over the past five-plus years and it not mattering, really? The bend and route-running subtleties are Franklin's counters to physicality at the line and in the route. I love that he and his quarterback have an already-established rapport.
Detroit Lions
CB Terrion Arnold (Round 1, No. 24 overall)Honorable mention: DT Mekhi Wingo
Instead of getting cute with a late-round pick, I'm going with the first-round thoroughbred here. Arnold surged in the SEC a season ago, "surpassing" ultra-hyped teammate Kool-Aid McKinstry in the process. If he was a bit taller than his nearly 6-foot frame and ran 4.49 instead of 4.50, he would've been long gone by No. 24 overall. The Lions desperately needed a highly confident, highly talented boundary cornerback. They got one with Arnold.
Green Bay Packers
RB Marshawn Lloyd (Round 3, No. 88 overall)Honorable mention: S Kitan Oladapo
Lloyd is the absolute perfect type of runner to be deployed in Matt LaFleur's offense. Compact, thick-lower half, one cut burner to either stay on his intended course on the frontside of stretch plays or plant his foot in the ground one time to hit the cutback lane and crank the acceleration throttle. This is not just a 5-9, 220-pound rocket with 4.46 speed. He's quite elusive in space, too. I know Josh Jacobs is there in Green Bay now, but Lloyd is a better scheme fit for this offense.
Houston Texans
S Calen Bullock (Round 3, No. 78)Honorable mention: TE Cade Stover
Houston's going to score plenty of points in 2023. Therefore, the new-look defense that features Danielle Hunter up front will likely be in many scenarios in which it can put games away by turning over the football in obvious passing situations from its opponent. And that's where Bullock comes in. At 6-2 and 188 pounds, he's uniquely sized for the safety position but floats to the football with ease, as his 4.49 speed would indicate. And this isn't just a traits projection -- Bullock snagged nine interceptions in three seasons at USC.
Indianapolis Colts
WR Adonai Mitchell (Round 2, No. 52 overall)Honorable mention: S Jaylin Simpson
Maybe there are character concerns with Mitchell. I don't know. What I do know is, despite minimal YAC production at Texas, this was a tall, fast, ultra-smooth route runner with plus ball-tracking capabilities. He's the exact type of field-stretcher this club with a bunch of tight-end types -- and Alec Pierce -- really needed to grow with Anthony Richardson.
Jacksonville Jaguars
WR Brian Thomas Jr. (Round 1, No 23 overall)Honorable mention: OL Javon Foster
Thomas has the height, burner speed and flexibility as a route-runner to excel as an "X" receiver in Jacksonville alongside Christian Kirk in the slot and Gabe Davis on the other boundary. Thomas gets to the football like a fast center-fielder, too. While he feels like a tall vertical-only perimeter pass-catcher, Thomas forced 30 missed tackles on 127 catches at LSU.
Kansas City Chiefs
S Jaden Hicks (Round 4, No. 133 overall)Honorable mention: OL C.J. Hanson
How in the world did Hicks last until the fourth round? I think it was a testament to the league getting smaller at more positions than just receiver. This Washington State star is a nearly 6-foot-2, 211-pound do-everything safety who had a blisteringly fast 6.88 three-cone time and knocked away 10 passes while intercepting three others over the past two seasons. He asserts his will as a tackler and doesn't miss many.
Las Vegas Raiders
OC Jackson Powers-Johnson (Round 2, No. 44 overall)Honorable mention: CB Decamerion Richardson
Powers-Johnson may take some time to acclimate to the power he'll see on a regular basis from the freaky athletic defensive tackles in the the NFL, but once he does, I will not be shocked if he's playing at an All-Pro level. JPJ is built like a strapping guard at nearly 6-4 and 328 pounds but moves like he's an undersized center. Even if the Raiders don't have a long-term answer at quarterback, I like how they landed a long-term offensive line centerpiece in Round 2.
Los Angeles Chargers
WR Ladd McConkey (Round 2, No. 34 overall)Honorable mention: RB Kimani Vidal
McConkey might catch 75 passes as a rookie. He's such a crafty route salesman but brings above-average burst and long speed, too, as evidenced by his 4.39 time in the 40-yard dash. Without Keenan Allen or Mike Williams, the Chargers needed to rebuild the receiver room in this new Jim Harbaugh era. And they got off to a tremendous start with the slippery separator from Georgia.
Los Angeles Rams
DT Braden Fiske (Round 2, No. 38 overall)Honorable mention: DT Tyler Davis and IOL Beaux Limmer
Fiske isn't Aaron Donald 2.0. But he's one of the few defensive tackles at least in the same stratosphere as him athletically. And that's really saying something. Now, he does have short arms and enters the NFL as a 24-year-old. But everything else about his game -- burst, sustained speed, pass-rush moves, premier hustle -- indicates he and Kobie Turner are going to wreck the interior of many interior offensive lines in 2024 and beyond.
Miami Dolphins
EDGE Chop Robinson (Round 1, No. 21 overall)Honorable mention: WR Malik Washington
As my EDGE1, I have to feature Robinson here, and his selection filled a low-key need in Miami given the late-season injuries to Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb. What I like too is -- Robinson doesn't necessarily need to be the No. 1 700-snap outside rusher as a rookie. There is development to be had with his game. But the upside is magnificent. Oh, and he was productive at Penn State. It just didn't show in the sack department. A career pressure-creation rate of 17.5% is darn good, especially for someone as young as Robinson.
Minnesota Vikings
QB J.J. McCarthy (Round 1, No. 10 overall)Honorable mention: CB Khyree Jackson
The Vikings got a quarterback -- a highly talented one at that -- and didn't have to trade the farm to get him. McCarthy is a rare-case passer in that he he's plenty experienced with 28 career starts, but is still only 21 years old. I saw an ascending quarterback who almost always made clutch plays when Michigan asked him to during his years as the starter in Ann Arbor. Imagine what he could become with Justin Jefferson and Co. in Minnesota.
New England Patriots
QB Drake Maye (Round 1, No. 3 overall)Honorable mention: WR Javon Baker
Maye has the natural talent to quickly change the organizational fortunes in New England. Will there be some interceptions early? Sure. But there'll also be some ridiculous, jaw-dropping throws not seen in that stadium by a Patriots quarterback since 2019, Tom Brady's last in that helmet.
New Orleans Saints
OT Taliese Fuaga (Round 1, No. 14 overall)Honorable mention: QB Spencer Rattler
The Saints had a crying need for offensive tackle and instead of trading future assets to get one, they landed my OT2 in this class with their original pick. Fuaga is a wide-body masher in the run game who was spectacular in pass protection at Oregon State, thanks to his natural power, length and balance.
New York Giants
WR Malik Nabers (Round 1, No. 6 overall)
Honorable mention: RB Tyrone Tracy Jr.
Never mind the fact the Giants passed on another quarterback class -- this is about individual selections. And none will have a larger impact that Nabers at No. 6. As the most electric athlete at the receiver spot in the class with the most exquisite YAC skills, Nabers was my WR1 in 2024.
New York Jets
OT Olu Fashanu (Round 1, No. 11 overall)
Honorable mention: RB Braelon Allen
Fashanu was my OT1 in the 2024 class because of how capable he proved to be at such a young age at Penn State, his sizable frame -- with room to grow -- and impeccable balance. The power is there, too, and he's a plus athlete. I knew he wasn't a perfect prospect. No one is. But it was a real challenge for me to find a true flaw to his game.
Philadelphia Eagles
CB Cooper DeJean (Round 2, No. 40 overall)Honorable mention: WR Ainias Smith
DeJean at No. 40 was another Howie Roseman special. I don't even care that the Eagles picked Quinyon Mitchell in Round 1. Heck, this defense needs all the young cornerbacks it can get, and as he proved at Iowa, DeJean can make plays at any position you ask of him to play in the back seven.
Pittsburgh Steelers
LB Payton Wilson (Round 3, No. 98 overall)
Honorable mention: CB Ryan Watts
If Wilson stays healthy -- which proved to be a big if at NC State -- you're currently reading about the next great Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker. Burst, speed, instincts, coverage chops, tackling reliability. It's all there with Wilson. Beyond the injury history, he has incredibly short arms and is an older prospect. On the field, he had first-round talent.
San Francisco 49ers
CB Renardo Green (Round 2, No. 65 overall)Honorable mention: WR Jacob Cowing
Green is such a chippy plus athlete at the cornerback spot. He did a marvelous job to start the season against LSU's otherworldly trio and excelled from there in the ACC with 13 pass breakups and a pick. Frankly, he wasn't targeted much due to how his athleticism allows him to mirror routes like a veteran.
Seattle Seahawks
DT Byron Murphy (Round 1, No. 16 overall)Honorable mention: OL Sataoa Laumea
Murphy has the well-rounded game and athletic juice to be a three-down stud on the interior for the Seahawks who eats double teams on first down before beating blockers up the field on second and third. Not 22 until September, the charged-up Murphy registered 45 pressures on a mere 273 pass-rushing snaps at Texas in 2023.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
RB Bucky Irving (Round 4, No. 125 overall)Honorable mention: EDGE Chris Braswell
Nevermind Irving's poor workout ... there are many capable NFL running backs who didn't have a 40-inch vertical or run 4.35 during their pre-draft process. He was an unfathomably hard-to-tackle runner and thrives in space as a receiver. He and Rachaad White might catch 150 total passes in 2023.
Tennessee Titans
LB Cedric Gray (Round 4, No. 106 overall)Honorable mention: WR Jha'Quan Jackson
Gray is one of the younger prospects in this class, but plays with veteran-level headiness. He reads plays quickly, has an NFL body and held up well in coverage, an area where many linebackers simply do not. I love his traits, too. At nearly 6-2 and 234 pounds, he ran 4.64 and had a vertical and broad in the 60th percentile.
Washington Commanders
TE Ben Sinnott (Round 2, No. 53 overall)Honorable mention: DT Johnny Newton
Sinnott was clearly my TE2 in this class, thanks to his supreme explosiveness -- as evidenced by his massive 40-inch vertical -- that breeds excellent YAC capabilities. He has the goods to separate at all three levels and is a wild boar to corral in the open field. Perfect addition down the seam for Jayden Daniels.
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