A wild first round of the 2024 NFL Draft is in the books. The league broke the record for most offensive players selected to start a draft (14), most offensive players drafted overall (23) and the fewest amount of picks needed for six quarterbacks to come off the board (12).
Here are our winners and losers from Day 1.
WINNER
Chicago Bears: The Bears have never had a 4,000-yard passer, but with quarterback Caleb Williams and wide receiver Rome Odunze joining wideouts D.J. Moore and Keenan Allen in Chicago, they have the potential pieces for the most explosive passing offense in franchise history. For one of the most storied franchises in the league, it’s about time Chicago entered the 21st century.
LOSER
Atlanta Falcons: No one knows what the Falcons are doing, least of all their starting quarterback, Kirk Cousins, who signed a four-year, $180 million contract this offseason. Atlanta could have used its No. 8 overall pick on an edge-rusher, which is the team’s most glaring need, but instead brass wasted the pick on quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who won’t play meaningful snaps for as long as Cousins is on the roster.
WINNER
Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy: No rookie quarterback enters the NFL in a better position than McCarthy. He has the best wide receiver in football, Justin Jefferson, plus promising second-year pro Jordan Addison. Head coach Kevin O’Connell received praise last season for keeping the Vikings afloat after Cousins’ season-ending Achilles injury forced backups Jaren Hall, Joshua Dobbs and Nick Mullens to start the final nine games. It’s impossible to know this early if McCarthy is a future franchise quarterback, but he’ll have every tool a young quarterback needs to succeed.
LOSER
Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers: Once the excitement of being drafted No. 6 overall wears off, Nabers will be hit with the reality that he’s about to experience a massive drop-off in quarterback quality. Last season at LSU, he had Heisman Trophy-winner Jayden Daniels throwing him the football. In New York, he’ll be saddled with Daniel Jones, who had two touchdowns and six interceptions in six starts last season.
WINNER
Jacksonville Jaguars: The Jaguars acquired three draft picks from the Vikings to move down six spots, and they still landed a top player at a position of need. After watching wide receiver Calvin Ridley depart for the Titans in free agency, Jacksonville added former LSU wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., who led the NCAA with 17 touchdowns last season. He ran a 4.33 40-yard dash at the scouting combine, and his blazing speed will make him a favorite target for quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
LOSER
Buffalo Bills: Do the Bills know they’re competing against the Chiefs? Buffalo curiously threw Kansas City a lifeline at the end of Round 1, trading down from No. 28 overall and allowing the Chiefs to draft Xavier Worthy, the fastest player in NFL scouting combine history and the potential next Tyreek Hill. For their illogical move, the Bills only received the paltry reward of a third-round pick, a seventh-round pick swap and many more years of being Kansas City’s little brother.