1. Philadelphia Eagles Grade A+
The Eagles are winners of the NFL Draft for the second year in a row. Tying a record for most draft day trades, Howie Roseman and the Eagles moved up and down in this draft and consistently picked players at good to great value at positions of need. Before even talking about their picks, lets marvel at the fact they were able to walk away with an extra 3rd and 4th round pick for next year as well.
Drafting Quinyon Mitchell at 22 and then Cooper DeJean at 40 were spectacular. Mitchell was my CB1 and DeJean was my SAF1 and to get them both at least 10 picks after where they were projected is insane.
Jalyx Hunt was taken at pick 94 and is a freaky athlete with potential closer to a second-rounder. Which was followed by Will Shipley in the 4th and a legacy pick in Jeremiah Trotter Jr. at pick 155 (#93 on my big board). Ending the draft with two solid interior linemen in Trevor Keegan and Dylan McMahon in rounds 5 and 6 along with Johnny Wilson who could add some versatility and size to the Eagles receiver room and this draft may be talked about for years to come.
2. Baltimore Ravens Grade A
The Baltimore Ravens hit home runs on their first 6 picks in the draft including 3 steals and potentially 4 starters as early as next season.
The Ravens had two needs going into the draft, cornerback and offensive tackle. Well let's just go ahead and take the best athlete in the class Nate Wiggins at 30, (#15 on my big board) and T.J. Tampa at 130, (#49 on my big board). For tackle, they got Roger Rosengarten at pick 62 which may be early than expected for some, but he should be a starting RT for them for some years.
They would take talented pass rusher Adisa Isaac at pick 93 (#70 on my big board) and would add more offensive playmakers in Tez Walker and Rasheen Ali in rounds 4 and 5. A glorious draft where they hit all of their needs and got some great young players on both sides of the ball.
3. Cincinnati Bengals Grade A
The Bengals had 10 picks in the 2024 draft which was tied for 3rd most of any team and of all the teams that had 10 or more picks, the Bengals had by far the best haul.
From round four or later, the Bengals were able to find four players who can make an immediate contribution to the team, which would be almost unheard of. OC Matt Lee in the seventh round, edge rusher Cedric Johnson in the sixth and Josh Newton in the fifth are all steals that the rest of the league could be kicking themselves over for letting them slip so far.
The Bengals may have the best upside of the draft, but some could also say they have the most risk as well. 1st round OT, 3rd round WR Jermaine Burton and 4th round TE Erick All all have question marks for inexperience, character concerns and injuries respectively. Each player can be an immense talent and a starter this season, but also has the downside of short careers.
4. Los Angeles Chargers Grade A-
Jim Harbaugh's first draft for the Chargers went extremely well. Expected to have an aggressive front-seven on defense and a run heavy offense, Harbaugh went right after it with his picks.
Drafting Joe Alt should cement his two offensive tackles for the next decade or so along side Rashawn Slater. They would take Ladd McConkey in the second round to tie up there receiver problem who can become an instant starter on this offense. Then they hit on two starting caliber defensive players in Junior Colson and Justin Eboigbe. Taking Cam Hart in the fifth and Brendan Rice in the seventh are two players that almost assuredly will be on the team for years at positions of need as well.
5. Detroit Lions Grade A-
The Lions were one of the few teams that traded up in the first round and took Terrion Arnold to bolster their secondary and then took Ennis Rakestraw Jr. at 61 overall to complete the group. With the secondary being the only real hole on this team, getting these two solidified a good draft at the very least.
The Lions would hit home runs with their final three picks to turn this good draft into a great one. Sione Vaki adds depth to their secondary especially at free safety, then adding Mekhi Wingo and Christian Mahogany to the defensive and offensive lines respectively in the sixth round are some of the best value picks in the entire draft.
6. Seattle Seahawks Grade A-
At first glance, I only thought the Seahawks would get a B for this draft. When I took a deeper dive into their team and team needs however, I quickly realized they had one of the best drafts in the league.
Byron Murphy II will instantly start on this defensive line and complete the group. Christian Haynes will be a starter at guard, along with possibly their sixth round pick Sataoa Laumea. Fifth and sixth round DBs Nehemiah Pritchett and D.J. James will be great depth pieces and possibly even starters down the line. Add A.J. Barner to the list who can be a starting TE in this league within two years or so and the Seahawks just drafted 6 potential starters in 8 picks. Not addressing needs at QB and WR hurt them ever so slightly and barely push them out of the Top-5.
7. Carolina Panthers Grade A-
The worst team in the league last year needed to have an exceptional offseason and they've now had better than average Free Agency and Draft. Their biggest need: help for Bryce Young, and while they did so in Free Agency a bit, they nailed it in the draft.
Drafting 3 offensive weapons along with a few playmakers on defense and nabbing a 2nd round pick next year in the process, I'd say the Panthers were among the upper echelon on the weekend. Xavier Legette, Jonathan Brooks and Ja'Tavion Sanders will all be starters on offense and instantly make the Panthers terrible offense from a year ago, one with potential oozing from every position. In rounds five through seven, the Panthers hit on 3 dynamic defensive players with upside too.
The one negative from the Panthers' draft was their selection of Trevin Wallace in the 3rd. Wallace is a good player who could be productive on the team, but 72 was too high for him especially with the players left on the board.
8. Pittsburgh Steelers Grade A-
The Steelers were another team who didn't make any crazy headlines but made good solid picks the whole draft.
Hitting on team needs in the offensive line and at receiver, the Steelers offense should be much better in all phases this season. Offensive line picks in rounds one, two and four should be starters or rotational pieces on their team for years and are among some of the most versatile O-linemen in the draft.
Drafting for more value, Payton Wilson at pick 98 is maybe the biggest steal of Day 2. Roman Wilson also went in Day 2 at pick 84 and should be another staple in this offense alongside George Pickens.
9. Buffalo Bills Grade B+
The Bills take the best draft class of the AFC East and they sure needed it. Everyone knew they needed to get a WR in this draft and they were able to get Keon Coleman after trading back TWICE outside of the first round.
After that, the Bills would do what they do best, draft good defensive players. Cole Bishop in the second round should be a starter within his first year, followed by DeWayne Carter in the third who will be a key run stopping piece among this great D-line for years. Drafting Edefuan Ulofoshio and Javon Solomon in the fifth round are tremendous value for this team and should usher in a new generation for this defense. Adding a 4th rounder from the Bears within the draft is also a positive that helps get the Bills into the Top-10 on this list.
10. Denver Broncos Grade B+
After the Broncos took Bo Nix at 12, the fact they were able to make the Top-10 means they must've killed it from Day 2 on.
The Broncos would only have 6 more picks without a Round 2 selection, the Broncos would not only hit on good players for each pick, but maintain value at positions of need. Jonah Elliss, Troy Franklin, Kris Abrams-Draine and Audric Estime were the best picks of value and need in the draft at the time of their selections. While Bo Nix was definitely a reach at 12, even that pick was of need and a QB selection early can always be defended if he can play, making that 5/5 for the Broncos of valued needs in the draft. If they took a better play at 12 or were able to draft Nix at a later pick the Broncos could've easily seen themselves in the Top-5 with this draft.