Re-Drafting 2024 NFL Draft Class

Zak Drapeau
5 days ago
8 min read

by Zak Drapeau 7/28/2025 FansOnlySportz

Bears draft QB Caleb Williams

Original Pick: Caleb Williams

Jayden Daniels rightfully took home OROY last season but I still look at Caleb as the better prospect. Daniels had a much better rookie season and could be on his way to being a superstar but Williams fits this offense extremely well and Chicago should still believe they have the right guy.

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Commanders draft QB Jayden Daniels

Original Pick: Jayden Daniels

This pick needs no defense as few rookies have ever had the immediate impact for their team as Jayden Daniels did last year. From 2023 Heisman to 2024 NFL OROY, Daniels would also lead his team to a Conference Championship appearance just one year after a 4-13 record. Along with Dan Quinn and Kliff Kingsbury, Daniels is on his way to resurrecting football in Washington.

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Patriots draft TE Brock Bowers

Original Pick: Drake Maye

This will be my hottest take of this exercise but I will stand by the Patriots new selection of Brock Bowers over Drake Maye. While Maye has shown true potential to lead this franchise, his lack of experience and injuries are cause for some concern. On the other hand, Bowers' rookie season was sensational and his fit within New England would be perfect.

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Cardinals draft WR Malik Nabers

Original Pick: Marvin Harrison Jr.

The Cardinals took the first non-QB of this draft in Marvin Harrison Jr. who was thought to be the best pure prospect of the draft. While I still believe Harrison will be an All-Pro in this league, Malik Nabers is straight up nasty. Cardinals trade up in the same position they drafted and walk away that much better.

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Chargers draft WR Brian Thomas Jr.

Original Pick: Joe Alt

Joe Alt had a good rookie year and the Chargers would love to draft him again here but they would love to take Brian Thomas Jr. even more. Among the greatest rookie WR class in NFL history, Brian Thomas Jr. produced the most out of anyone. The Chargers offense last year could have looked even better and that's a scary thought.

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Giants draft QB Bo Nix

Original Pick: Malik Nabers

As someone who severely doubted Bo Nix's abilities as a rookie, I have no problem saying he proved me completely wrong. After the Giants-Daniel Jones marriage officially ended last season, Bo Nix would have been the perfect backup plan. Without Nabers he may not have anyone to throw to yet but is certainly worth building around.

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Titans draft OT Joe Alt

Original Pick: J.C. Latham

JC Latham had a good not great rookie season, but if Joe Alt is still on the board at this point this would have easily been the pick. Alt's size and pass blocking would have done a great deal in keeping Will Levis upright and especially for the future career of Cam Ward.

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Falcons draft OLB Jared Verse

Original Pick: Michael Penix Jr.

The Falcons shock selection of Michael Penix may look better now that Kirk Cousins fell off but it still wasn't the best pick they could have made. The reigning DROY, Jared Verse is a pure rush threat on the outside and the Falcons have needed an edge for years. Thankfully they filled this need in the 2025 draft but if they had made this pick in the first place, they wouldn't have needed to.

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Bears draft WR Marvin Harrison Jr.

Original Pick: Rome Odunze

Marvin Harrison Jr. didn't have the rookie season we expected home to but he still had 885 and 8 and Odunze's season was even worse. While these two studs both have a lot of potential in front of them, Maserati Marv still has as much potential as anyone in this class.

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10. Jets draft QB Drake Maye

Original Pick: Olu Fashanu

Taking a QB like Drake Mate at #10 would have been a steal. With hindsight being 20/20, through the Rodgers experiment with the Jets, having Drake Maye sit behind him for a year would have been a dream scenario for the franchise. Maye is very talented but his injuries and limited experience may limit his ceiling at least for now.

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Vikings draft S Cooper DeJean

Original Pick: J.J. McCarthy

One of the biggest falls on the original draft day, Cooper DeJean balled out and helped the Eagles to their Super Bowl victory last year. If the Vikings had known what they had with Sam Darnold last year they may have gone another route, specifically their deleted secondary where DeJean would have instantly been one of the best players.

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Broncos draft QB Michael Penix Jr.

Original Pick: Bo Nix

This pick in my eyes... may not have changed that much of Denver's awesome season last year. Nix may have a more consistent and game manager-style than Penix but they both had very similar pedigrees in college that leads me to believe this change in QBs for the Broncos would be just as good if not a little bit better for the Broncos' vertical threat.

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Raiders draft RB Bucky Irving

Original Pick: Brock Bowers

I will tell it to anyone who will listen, I knew Bucky Irving was going to be great but even I didn't expect him to be as good as he was. Similarly to how the Raiders expect to be in 2025, the Raiders could have been last year with Bucky Irving. Granted Irving' production won't be as good as Bowers was, he still would've added a lot of offensive firepower.

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Saints draft WR Ladd McConkey

Original Pick: Taliese Fuaga

Another re-selection that's hard because Fuaga had a good rookie season and seems to be a huge part of the solid, you O-line in New Orleans. However, the Saints are holding on to Chris Olave by a shoestring and don't have much else for receiving. Ladd McConkey would fit perfectly in their system and could be the focal point in New Orleans for a long time like he figues to be for the Chargers.

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15. Colts draft QB J.J. McCarthy

Original Pick: Laiatu Latu

Another tough re-selection especially for a Colts fan like myself. Latu will be a good D-End for the Colts but their bigger problem is the QB room. Anthony Richardson still has a lot of potential and could really prove himself this year but I'd feel better with a great game managing and improvising Quarterback like J.J. McCarthy waiting behind him.

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Seahawks draft OG Dominick Puni

Original Pick: Byron Murphy II

The Seahawks finally drafted an O-lineman in the 2025 draft but if they had Puni on the roster from this class they would have been even better off now. Puni was a 3rd round pick who not only set the 49ers record for snaps from a rookie, but was the most consistent run blocker on the 49ers with multiple position values.

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Jaguars draft CB Andru Phillips

Original Pick: Dallas Turner

The Jaguars traded back in the draft but for this exercise they'll keep the #17 pick and take the Giants Cornerback Andru Phillips. Phillips was another 3rd round pick who outperformed everyone's predictions and became the best corner on the Giants last year. Amongst the weak corner room in Jacksonville, he wouldn't have made as much of an impact as Brian Thomas Jr., but it would have been close.

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Bengals draft CB Quinyon Mitchell

Original Pick: Amarius Mims

Quinyon Mitchell fell way too far on Draft Night 2024 and even now at #18 it's too far. The Bengals defense is really bad now and the secondary may be the weakest part. If the Bengals had taken Mitchell here, they could be in a COMPLETELY different stage of this unit.

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Rams draft DT Braden Fiske

Original Pick: Jared Verse

The Rams miss out on the DROY Jared Verse but still take their 2nd round pick Braden Fiske who himself was 3rd in DROY voting. Fiske isn't quite an Aaron Donald replacement but still rushes the passer form the interior exceptionally well.

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Steelers draft LB Edgerrin Cooper

Original Pick: Troy Fautanu

Edgerrin Cooper was a stud in college and in Green Bay last year and plays the game like some of the Steeler Linebackers in the 70's. Troy Fautanu was good in Pittsburgh last year but Cooper was better and with Mike Tomlin always building from the defense first, this fit would have been perfect.

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Dolphins draft ED Chop Robinson

Original Pick: Chop Robinson

Chop Robinson had a pretty good rookie year in Miami and while there may be a few players that technically did better, the Dolphins would take him again in a re-draft for his role within the team and his athletic potential. Robinson could become a star edge rusher in the league and you can't do much better than that even in a re-draft.

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Eagles draft CB Tykee Smith

Original Pick: Quinyon Mitchell

Tykee Smith was so good and adaptable in Tampa this season... I'm not sure he wouldn't be just as good as Cooper DeJean had he been drafted to Philly. Smith's ability and skill as Cornerback, Nickelback and Safety is extremely valuable and the kind of player like DeJean, Blankenship and Slay that have been elite in Philadelphia.

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23. Texans draft OT Taliese Fuaga

Original Pick: Brian Thomas Jr.

The Texans are gaining on the Seahawks' lack of seriousness about building an offensive line so i'm making them take one here. If Taliese Fuaga was still on the board, C.J. Stroud might not have had to run for his life in every game last season.

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Cowboys draft OT J.C. Latham

Original Pick: OT Tyler Guyton

Tyler Guyton may still have more athletic potential than JC Latham but in terms of production, Latham was far and away the better of the two. Somewhat of a mold for the past Cowboys' O-lines, Latham's size and mauling ability in the run game would have been awesome to see in Dallas.

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Packers draft CB Mike Sainristil

Original Pick: Jordan Morgan

Unfortunately Jordan Morgan's rookie season was cut short by injury. Especially now that Jaire Alexander was released, their secondary has been hurting for a few years now and Mike Sainristil could have really changed that. I can see Sainristil becoming a Top-3 slot corner in the league in the next 5 years and he could've gone higher in Green Bay.

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Buccaneers draft C Zach Frazier

Original Pick: Graham Barton

Graham Barton is a great fit for versatility on the O-line but Zach Frazier has emerged as the best IOL in the class so far. In terms of run-blocking, Frazier was one of the best Centers in the whole league and could have made Tampa's great offense ELITE if he went here.

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Cardinals draft C Jackson Powers-Johnson

Original Pick: Darius Robinson

Darius Robinson had a very tough rookie season so the cardinals need to go in a different direction here and I love the fit of JPJ.

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Bills draft WR Rome Odunze

Original Pick: Keon Coleman

Neither Coleman or Odunze hit the ground running this season but Odunze still had loads more potential. The original #9 pick is a tall and fast route runner that would become overpowered if paired with Josh Allen.

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Lions draft OLB Dallas Turner

Original Pick: Ennis Rakestraw Jr.

Turner was nowhere near as productive as he was expected to be but if he were to fall all the way to the Lions chances are he'd pair with Aidan Hutchinson for one of the best pass rush duos in the league for years to come.

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Ravens draft CB Tarheeb Still

Original Pick: Nate Wiggins

The best late-rounds pick in the 2024 draft was CB Tarheeb Still to the Chargers. 4 interceptions and a 73.3 PFF coverage grade is good enough for a 1st-rounder and unreal for Still's actual pick in the 5th round. Nate Wiggins had a good rookie year but Still would have made Baltimore even better.

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49ers draft OT Troy Fautanu

Original Pick: Ricky Pearsall

The 49ers )-line went from Top-5 two years ago to maybe Bottom-5 this season. Taking Pearsall was needed for the expected exodus of Deebo and Aiyuk but taking Fautanu as a Tackle/Guard swingman would have given them someone to build that unit around for years to come.

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Chiefs draft DE Laiatu Latu

Original Pick: Xavier Legette

Finally, the pick that was traded to Carolina will stay in Kansas City where they'll add Laiatu Latu. A similar build to George Karlaftis, Latu has tremendous end presence and pass rush moves. With 4 sacks in his rookie season in Indianapolis, he would've been even better on Kansas City's Top-5 defense last season.

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