Winner – Chicago Bears

Well, this an obvious team to choose for the best draft. Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze headlined this incredible draft that could be remembered in Chicago for years.

A franchise QB and maybe a franchise WR in Rome Odunze, Chicago probably has the best reciever core in the league with DJ Moore Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze. Tory Taylor is also just a special punter and will be a dominant one for years to come.

Loser – Atlanta Falcons

The falcons had a great opportunity this year to majorly upgrade their pass rush by getting the likes of Dallas Turner or Laitu Latu. Instead, they draft their successor of Kirk Cousins in Micheal Penix Jr.

Penix is a great quarterback, but the value was too high and the situation truly doesn’t add up. Cousins is on a 4-year deal that pays him a lot of money. Penix has a chance to be great but everything needs to fall in place. Moving onto the later rounds, Ruke Orhorhoro with the 35th pick was a bit of a reach but, mainly fine. 

Winner – New Orleans Saints

The Saints crushed this draft. Tailese Fuaga with the 14th pick was perfect value and a great fit. The main steal of the draft were two picks, Kool-Aid Mckinstry with the 41st pick and Spencer Rattler with the 150th pick.

These two guys have huge upside and can be not only productive starters, STARS. In terms of Rattler, his upside is through the roof, he throws a better ball than a lot of guys in the league currently. 

Loser – Las Vegas Raiders

Las Vegas didn’t get a quarterback, it’s that simple. I love the Brock Bowers pick, but in a league as competitive as the NFL, you need to at least have a guy that’s a lottery ticket. When I say lottery ticket I mean a 4th rounder or 5th rounder that could boom and become a franchise guy, take Spencer Rattler for example or for someone actually in the league Dak Prescott. 

The post Who Were the Winners and Losers of the 2024 NFL Draft? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

As with every draft we won’t know how these players pan out until several years down the line. For now we can offer grades based on scouting research and the value of each pick. Below we provide 2024 NFL Draft grades for all 32 teams including the best pick and the most questionable pick.

Arizona Cardinals: B+

Best Pick: Max Melton, CB – Rutgers

Questionable Pick: Isiah Adams, OL – Illinois

Atlanta Falcons: B-

Best Pick: Bralen Trice, EDGE – Washington

Questionable Pick: Michael Penix Jr., QB – Washington

Baltimore Ravens: B

Best Pick: Nate Wiggins, CB – Clemson

Questionable Pick: Devontez Walker, WR – UNC

Buffalo Bills: B-

Best Pick: Cole Bishop, S – Utah

Questionable Pick: Keon Coleman, WR – FSU

Carolina Panthers: C+

Best Pick: Jonathon Brooks, RB – Texas

Questionable Pick: Trevin Wallace, LB – Kentucky

Chicago Bears: A

Best Pick: Rome Odunze, WR – Washington

Questionable Pick: Tory Taylor, P – Iowa

Cincinnati Bengals: A-

Best Pick: Kris Jenkins, DL – Michigan

Questionable Pick: Jermaine Burton, WR – Alabama

Cleveland Browns: B-

Best Pick: Jamari Thrash, WR – Louisville

Questionable Pick: Zak Zinter, OL – Michigan

Dallas Cowboys: C+

Best Pick: Cooper Beebe, OL – Kansas State

Questionable Pick: Marshawn Kneeland, EDGE – Western Michigan

Denver Broncos: B

Best Pick: Troy Franklin, WR – Oregon

Questionable Pick: Bo Nix, QB – Oregon

Detroit Lions: B-

Best Pick: Mekhi Wingo, DL – LSU

Questionable Pick: Giovanni Manu, OT – University of British Columbia

Green Bay Packers: B+

Best Pick: MarShawn Lloyd, RB – USC

Questionable Pick: Jordan Morgan, OT – Arizona

Houston Texans: B

Best Pick: Calen Bullock, S – USC

Questionable Pick: Cade Stover, TE – Ohio State

Indianapolis Colts: B+

Best Pick: Matt Goncalves, OT – Pitt

Questionable Pick: Tanor Bortolini, OL – Wisconsin

Jacksonville Jaguars: B+

Best Pick: Brian Thomas Jr., WR – LSU

Questionable Pick: Jordan Jefferson, DL – LSU

Kansas City Chiefs: A-

Best Pick: Kingsley Suamataia, OT – BYU

Questionable Pick: Jared Wiley, TE – TCU

Las Vegas Raiders: B-

Best Pick: Delmar Glaze, OT – Maryland

Questionable Pick: Brock Bowers, TE – Georgia

Los Angeles Chargers: B

Best Pick: Brenden Rice, WR – USC

Questionable Pick: Tarheeb Still, CB – Maryland

Los Angeles Rams: B-

Best Pick: Blake Corum, RB – Michigan

Questionable Pick: Braden Fiske, DL – FSU

Miami Dolphins: B

Best Pick: Malik Washington, WR – Virginia

Questionable Pick: Jaylen Wright, RB – Tennessee

Minnesota Vikings: C+

Best Pick: Dallas Turner, EDGE – Alabama

Questionable Pick: Will Reichard, K – Alabama

New England Patriots: B+

Best Pick: Ja’Lynn Polk, WR – Washington

Questionable Pick: Joe Milton III, QB – Tennessee

New Orleans Saints: A-

Best Pick: Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB – Alabama

Questionable Pick: Bub Means, WR – Pitt

New York Giants: B-

Best Pick: Theo Johnson, TE – Penn State

Questionable Pick: Andru Phillips, CB – Kentucky

New York Jets: B

Best Pick: Malach Corley, WR – Western Kentucky

Questionable Pick: Isiah Davis, RB – South Dakota State

Philadelphia Eagles: B

Best Pick: Quinyon Mitchell, CB – Toledo

Questionable Pick: Jalyx Hunt, LB – Houston Baptist

Pittsburgh Steelers: B+

Best Pick: Zach Frazier, OL – West Virginia

Questionable Pick: Roman Wilson, WR – Michigan

San Francisco 49ers: C+

Best Pick: Renardo Green, CB – Florida State

Questionable Pick: Isaac Guerendo, RB – Louisville

Seattle Seahawks: A-

Best Pick: Christian Haynes, OL – UCONN

Questionable Pick: Tyrice Knight, LB – UTEP

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: B

Best Pick: Chris Braswell, EDGE – Alabama

Questionable Pick: Tykee Smith, S – Georgia

Tennessee Titans: C+

Best Pick: Cedric Gray, LB – UNC

Questionable Pick: T’Vondre Sweat, DT – Texas

Washington Commanders: A

Best Pick: Jer’Zhan “Johnny” Newton, DL – Illinois

Questionable Pick: Luke McCaffrey, WR – Rice

The post 2024 NFL Draft Grades appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

The Good

Penix is a phenomenal prospect and definitely worthy to go first round. Penix has the rocket arm and athleticism to justify taking him top 10.

An underrated part of the pick is letting Penix sit behind Cousins for a year or two the figure things out as a backup. Penix could learn a lot from a veteran QB in Kirk Cousins and could no doubt change a lot of minds coming into Atlanta.

The Middle

The only problem with taking Penix this early is the other candidates on the board. Dallas Turner, Laiatu Latu, Rome Odunze were all on the board but instead you get the most important position a couple of picks earlier. Importantly, the projected spot for Penix was late first round maybe even late second. Nevertheless, the Falcons got their guy and are ready to roll.

The Bad

Kirk Cousins doesn’t seem to be to happy with the pick. The Falcons called Cousins earlier in the week and informed him they’d be taking a quarterback in the later rounds. Naturally, Cousins was shocked when Penix was taken at eighth. Cousins was “stunned at the news” per ESPN’s Dianna Russini.

This probably isn’t the greatest sign considering the organization just paid Cousins 100 million guaranteed to come play quarterback for them. This could play out like another Jordan Love situation where Atlanta keeps Penix in their back pocket for years. 

Overall, I think the good trumps the bad by a small margin and gives the Atlanta’s fanbase something to look forward to. The question now remains: Will Kirk Cousins stay healthy? 

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Minnesota Vikings

I think the vikings will trade up to get J.J. McCarthy. Now where he will end up falling to is unknown but if I had to pick a team to trade with it would be the Arizona Cardinals. Moving up to 4 from 11 would be a hefty price, but one the Vikings need to pay. 

New Orleans Saints

There is no bigger need in the NFL right now than the saints at offensive tackle. It would shock me to see them wait around and stay at 14 when the Jets #10 overall pick could be for sale. Watch for Olu Fashanu to go in the early/middle picks of the first round with New Orleans being his new home.

Carolina Panthers

The Panthers have many needs in critical places, this draft is a deep draft but I could see the panthers wanting to trade into the first round with currently not owning one. Green bay at 25 is an interesting pick, with Green bay needing a wideout and this being a deep draft I could see them moving down. The Panthers own the 33rd pick which is only 8 spots down from Green Bay.

Denver Broncos

Denver is also a popular QB destination but the problem is draft capital/ position. I’d suspect a potential trade down here with #12 being a great value spot in the draft they could have a run on tackles/WR’s and a team get desperate and trade up. Basis of the NFL draft: anything can happen.

Los Angeles Rams

With the rams not owning much draft capital they could easily be a candidate to trade down, but in this instance I see them trading up to grab their left tackle to protect Stafford. Possible candidates could be Troy Fautanu (UW), Amarius Mims (UGA) or Taliese Fuaga (Oregon State)

The post Which Teams Could Trade Up on Day 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

Vikings Move Up for J.J. McCarthy

The Minnesota Vikings have the draft capital and need to find their quarterback of the future. In comes J.J. McCarthy who has shot up draft boards this offseason. Whether you think McCarthy is worthy of a top 5 pick doesn’t matter at this point. Its become clear that many NFL execs are enamored with his ability to run a pro-style offense. Head coach Kevin O’Connell knows how to run an offense and if he likes McCarthy the Vikings will go all in.

Minnesota also brought in Sam Darnold this offseason but I see him more as a backup who can mentor the young QB. The Vikings have weapons and a strong o-line that can protect McCarthy.

Michael Penix Jr. to the Seahawks

Another quarterback to keep an eye on in this year’s draft is Michael Penix Jr. Penix is starting to climb up draft boards with some having him as 5th quarterback taken. The Seahawks seem like a perfect destination for the former Washington QB.

Penix can learn behind Geno Smith and compete with Sam Howell who Seattle traded for this offseason. Although he is not known as a runner Penix is sneaky athletic and can escape pressure if needed.

The post 2024 NFL Mock Draft V3 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

Caleb Williams to Chicago

After the block buster move to send Justin Fields to Pittsburgh, it’s more clear than ever that Caleb Williams will be the guy in Chicago. In years past, this would be considered a bad situation to go to, but with one of the best WR duos in the league (Keenan Allen and D.J. Moore) the pressure is on for Williams to perform. Williams is the most NFL ready QB and the clear #1 prospect in this draft.

Drake Maye to Washington.

Drake Maye is one of my favorite prospects in the draft. His big arm and big production makes him a Josh-Allen esque talent. More teams everyday are taking a chances on big talent big risk guys after seeing how well it has worked out. Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson should produce very well for Maye.

The only downside to his game is the turnovers, 9 INT’s and 4 particularly in the last 3 games of 2023 is definitely concerning, but it would be criminal to pass on him at 2. 

Marvin Harrison Jr. to the Patriots.

Marvin Harrison is probably the best non-QB prospect in this draft. The patriots having many holes to fill in this roster should just take the best player available. The route of going QB is interesting but the question remains if you want to throw a rookie QB into a bad situation so early on. 

Malik Nabers to the Cardinals

Nabers would be an electric addition to the WR-needy Cardinals. Kyler Murray’s production would skyrocket with Nabers and could seriously upgrade the Cardinals offensively, the option of trading down always remains of course, but going with Nabers seems like the smart choice.

Jayden Daniels to the Vikings (Trade)

Here is the blockbuster trade of the evening, Minnesota trades up 6 places to grab their franchise guy at 5. Daniels had a career year at LSU winning the Heisman and skyrocketing his draft value. Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and Daniels have the potential to be the best offense in the league and would make this a crazy good pick.

The post Who Will be the First 5 Players Drafted? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

Commanders Trade Up for Caleb Williams

Early on in the offseason, it seemed like a lock the Chicago Bears would select Caleb Williams with the first pick. Fast forward to today and that is no longer a guarantee. As it stands quarterback Justin Fields is still on the Bears roster and hasn’t been traded. Most assume that is because nobody wants him but what if the Bears intend to keep him instead?

Yesterday, Chicago pulled off a surprising trade with the LA Chargers and received Keenan Allen for a 4th round pick. Allen is no longer in his prime but is still a top-level receiver in the league. Pairing him with DJ Moore gives the Bears something they have been lacking for years. Weapons.

Some would assume getting Allen is to help Caleb Williams but what if it’s for Fields instead? Fields has not had a great supporting cast since he was drafted. This move could put less pressure on Fields and allow him to stay in the pocket more as these two receivers will eventually get open. Keep in mind the Bears also signed running back De’Andre Swift in free agency. Swift is another weapon that Fields could utilize.

So what would it take for the Commanders to move up? Well with the trade yesterday the Bears now only have 4 picks in the upcoming draft. I believe Washington who just acquired an additional 3rd round pick for Sam Howell could offer the below package.

• Commanders get 1st overall pick —> Bears get 2nd overall pick, 36th pick, 67th pick and a 2025 1st round pick

That may seem like a lot to move up one spot but if Washington believes that Williams is their franchise QB of the future they have to pull the trigger.

Vikings Move Up and Draft Drake Maye

Earlier today the Minnesota Vikings pulled off a trade to swap draft picks with the Houston Texans. This gives Minnesota the 23rd pick in the upcoming draft. The Vikings now have two first-round picks at their disposal and I believe they will use them to move up for Drake Maye.

As it stands the Vikings are too far back to wait on a quarterback and with the departure of Kirk Cousins they need to address the position. I do realize the Vikings picked up Sam Darnold this week but I don’t think he is there to be the starter. Maye makes a lot of sense for this Vikings team who still have star Justin Jefferson and recently brought in ex-Packer Aaron Jones.

The post 2024 NFL Mock Draft V2 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

Quarterback

Long story short, this quarterback class is loaded. In most drafts, a prospect like Jayden Daniels is a lock to be a top 3 picks but there is a true chance with all the talent on the board he could fall to maybe 8-10th overall. On the other hand, the first few picks are looking like they will be quarterbacks as well.

Caleb Williams is nearly a lock to go number 1 overall, the discussion is surrounded around where he will go with the Bears currently owning the first overall pick. Drake Maye would be the first quarterback taken off the board in 90% of other classes, he’s just that talented. A couple of other guys like Micheal Penix Jr. and Bo Nix from Washington and Oregon have  chance to go in the 1st round if not very early second. 

Wide Receiver

Well, this was a popular position during the combine with guys like Xavier Worthy lighting it up in the 40 yard dash. To look at it frankly this is the best wide receiver class in years and maybe in a decade or so. Marvin Harrison Jr is a blue chip and a lock to go top 5 overall and Malik Nabers shouldn’t fall to far behind him.

This class is not only top heavy with MHJ, Nabers and Rome Odunze but has some really good depth with Brian Thomas Jr (LSU) and Keon Coleman being available late first round maybe even second round. Xavier Worthy’s draft stock is also rapidly rising with his impressive 40 yard dash time, he wouldn’t be a surprise for his name to be called on day 1. 

Offensive Tackle

Joe Alt is the big name for this class, the left tackle out of Notre Dame has a very good shot to go top 7 in this year’s draft. Also at the top Olu Fashanu (Penn St.) is very likely to go early. My personal favorite prospect is Taliese Fuaga (Oregon State). Tackle is a very big need for NFL teams needing to protect their Quarterbacks, so I could see a world in where some trades are made maybe by the Cardinals to protect their guy.

The 2024 class is one of the more exciting classes in recent years considering how strong this particular class is. The only true class that is bad is the running back. Everything else has top to bottom quality starters, and we could potentially look back at the 2024 class and think of it as the turning point.

Out of all three classes listed I would give the slight edge to the Wide Receivers, much more depth than both other positions and maybe even more talent at the top. 

The post What Position in the 2024 Draft Class is the Best? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

In my mind, there is a clear favorite and it’s Daniels. Not only that but the more I study his game the more I am convinced Daniels is closer to Williams than Maye.

The Intangibles

Jayden Daniels had the best season of any quarterback prospect in the upcoming draft. Daniels finished his 2023 campaign with 40 touchdowns and just 4 interceptions. He also rushed for over 1,000 yards and had 10 rushing touchdowns. This was all against SEC defenses and he capped off his season by winning the Heisman trophy in December.

Daniels is listed at 6′ 4″ and 210 lbs according to his latest measurements. He has ideal size but will need to put on 10-15 lbs this offseason. He is a top level athlete with an excellent arm and can make all the throws you look for in an NFL quarterback. Perhaps his greatest intangible is his quick release which looks at times almost effortless.

Another trait that stands out for Daniels is his pocket movement. He has the ability to maneuver the pocket like an NFL quarterback and take off and run when he needs to. The play below vs. Florida is a perfect example of this.

This play is what many NFL execs look for in a modern-day quarterback. It is sometimes referred to as the 2nd play. If the play breaks down does the quarterback have the ability to reset, take off or scramble and find the open receiver. Lamar Jackson is elite at doing this and you can see many of the same traits in Daniels game.

Jayden Daniels is not without weaknesses though. He tends to take too many unnecessary hits and this is a concern considering his frame. Once he gets to the NFL this will be the main focus for whichever team selects him. There are also times he can move on from his reads too quickly. Again, this can be addressed at the next level.

Could Jayden Daniels go #1?

Before the start of the 2023 season, it would’ve been crazy to think Daniels could leap over Caleb Williams. Fast forward to now and it’s worth a debate. As we get closer to the 2024 NFL draft I believe this will be more of a topic and the Daniels hype train to heat up. Still, when the Chicago Bears do make their pick I expect them to grab Williams.

This would mean Daniels would be available for the Washington Commanders and I expect them to select him with the 2nd pick. This is reflected in our latest 2024 NFL Mock Draft. A lot could change between now and April so buckle up!

The post Is Jayden Daniels the Best Quarterback in the Upcoming NFL Draft? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

Every few years, there is a draft that produces stars in nearly every pick of the first round, for example 2017’s draft produced Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes, Browns DE Myles Garrett, 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey, and Saints CB Marshon Lattimore. With all head coaching vacancies being filled and staffs rounding out it is officially mock draft season, so let’s take a look at 5 teams who could make some waves in the upcoming draft. 

1. Chicago Bears

When you look at the NFL draft, the Chicago Bears should be one of your first if not the first teams you think of. One of the more unique situations in NFL history with a team already having a potential franchise Quarterback in Justin Fields or a generational prospect in Caleb Williams.

Caleb would likely have all the help he would need with the bears potentially having two other first round picks to pick a receiver to lineup opposite of DJ Moore. The market for Justin Fields would likely be a first round pick at best and a second round pick if worst comes to worst. Caleb’s market should be a hefty price as in a few firsts, few seconds and a blue chip guy was the price for the 1st overall pick last year. Teams may be hesitant after seeing Young struggle in year 1, but the haul for Caleb should be elite. 

2. Arizona Cardinals

The cardinals while having a franchise guy in Kyler Murray could be involved in some very interesting trades at the top. A lot of speculation has gone around about the Cardinals having doubt about Kyler Murray, but I don’t buy it. The cardinals’ 4th overall pick is a popular trade piece because they are in a prime position to move down and get more capital or move up and secure their chance to get blue-chip prospect Marvin Harrison Jr.

The more likely is Kyler stays and the cardinals hope MHJ falls in their lap to pair with Micheal Wilson and Trey Mcbride. Thinking about trading Kyler is unrealistic but very fun. Do the cardinals really trade a guy who has shown he can play at a high level in this league when they can easily just give him all the help he needs? Probably not.

3. Las Vegas Raiders

As mentioned above, the Las Vegas Raiders should be a super interesting team to watch in the draft. Antonio Pierce is now head of the helm and with his aggressive nature, I do not expect him to sit back and watch 12 picks go by. You might ask; what will the raiders trade up for?

Maybe a quarterback, maybe a star edge to pair with Crosby in Dallas Turner. The possibilities are limitless with a struggling franchise in the Raiders. One positive thing about the raiders is they do have what seems to be the right guy leading this team. Antonio Pierce is a legit HC in this league which gives them all the room to make a blockbuster this spring. 

4. Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys are the kings of under performing in the playoffs. Jerry Jones is unhappy with the performance, questions about Dak Prescott, talks of trades, the usual Dallas cycle. The cowboys do not have a high pick in the draft but what they do have is an aggressive owner.

The 24th overall is more than enough for Jerry Jones to strike a deal with someone, and I believe they need to. It is evident the offense was rolling for much of the year with Dak and star wideout Ceedee Lamb being largely responsible for that. Then it seems like Dallas reached a point in the year they weren’t connecting as often and everything went stale. Trade the 24th overall and some future picks to get in the high teens and grab a guy like Rome Odunze out of Washington and see if that changes anything. The cowboys already filled a defensive hole in the roster with Mazi Smith last year, so if there is any year to get aggressive and grab a potential star, it is this one.

5. Houston Texans

What a turnaround last season was for this franchise. 10-7 and an AFC South Championship for the first time since 2019 when they had QB Deshaun Watson. With that being said, this franchise is gunning for it this year and could go all out to fill some needs they have. Right now corner is the biggest concern which there are some guys there at 23 (CLE Pick) but the one I’m targeting is Kool-Aid Mc Kinstry (Alabama) this would be a huge get for the texans and very possible even at 23.

One team they most likely will have to jump is the Eagles who also have a hole at corner. Speculation has arisen about maybe trading 23 straight up to get an established star like Lattimore or a big name WR. The Texans front office has a serious chance to be a contender every year if they play this draft right, the question is: will they?

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