2024 NFL Draft Class: Ranking The Teams
All Access Football ranks the draft haul for all 32 NFL teams. Presented by Sports Management Worldwide.
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2024 NFL Draft Class: Ranking The Teams
Impact. There are several kinds. Immediate. Long-term. Developmental projects who you hope achieve impact. Within every NFL organization, you will find various leadership types with vastly different approaches, philosophies, in addition to a wide array of circumstances that leaves no time for an offseason.
Each process is different, yet aims to achieve the same goal. Improve towards a championship. The accumulation of each NFL Draft Class is typically three-years (in the COVID era, sometimes more) of compiling scouting reports, gathering intel, leaning on contacts and gaining a decisive feel for prospects to help lower risk and increase hit-rate.
The rule of thumb has traditionally been that it takes at least five years to truly grade a draft class. However, that won’t prevent us from having an immediate reaction on how the 2024 NFL Draft in Detroit unfolded. We have ranked the draft classes for all 32 NFL teams below.
Keep it locked to the All Access Football Newsletter, as we continue to provide further in-depth analysis from the 2024 NFL Draft throughout the offseason. AAF will continue to provide 24/7/365 coverage of the NFL Draft and EVERYTHING football!
1. Chicago Bears: No team improved themselves more than ‘da Bears,’ who, are back! The decision to double down at wide receiver with Rome Odunze after signing Keenan Allen, places Chicago in the upper-echelon of offenses, alongside the likes of Kansas City, San Francisco and Miami. Nabbing Troy Taylor, the best punter in the draft in the fourth round was a shrewd move and will help in flipping the field. Initial Letter Grade: A+
2. Arizona Cardinals: GM Monti Ossenfort was wheeling and dealing more than Ric Flair on a Saturday night with his calculated draft maneuvering, working the trade chart, as well as he worked the draft board. This draft class is littered with players expected to contribute immediately. With a much improved offense and reinforcements on an already tough defense, the pressure will be on Kyler Murray to deliver. Initial Letter Grade: A
3. Los Angeles Chargers: Few teams did a more exceptional job than the Chargers of identifying fits for their scheme. The first three picks; offensive tackle Joe Alt, wideout Ladd McConkey and linebacker Junior Colson seem to be solid hits. Compact runner Kimani Vidal could be more productive than Austin Ekeler was a year ago, while receivers Brenden Rice and Cornelius Johnson have a chance to contribute right away. Initial Letter Grade: A
4. Minnesota Vikings: A determined Vikings front office was rewarded for their patience in landing JJ McCarthy, which makes for a fascinating marriage with offensive whiz Kevin O’Connell. Coming back to land edge rusher Dallas Turner was a savvy move. The experienced Walter Rouse could play a pivotal role as a swingman tackle and Minnesota deserves kudos for unearthing defensive tackle monster Levi Drake Rodriguez. Initial Letter Grade: A
5. Atlanta Falcons: The Falcons front office was under pressure to be competitive in the short-term, so the signing of Kirk Cousins accomplishes that. Cousins has a ceiling though and has won just one playoff game in 12 seasons. Enter Michael Penix who owns a greater upside. When Penix is ready for the job, Atlanta can surely flip Cousins for a first round pick. They also strengthened their front seven significantly. Initial Letter Grade: A
6. Pittsburgh Steelers: It started with a bang, as first round pick Troy Fautanu fits like a glove on the Steelers offensive line, along with center Zach Frazier, the offense got significantly nastier. In the third round, they added slot weapon Roman Wilson who shows excellent separation ability and linebacker Payton Wilson, who might be the best defensive player in this year’s draft but fell due to medical concerns. Initial Letter Grade: B+
7. Philadelphia Eagles: The cornerback value had with the selections of Quinyon Mitchell (No.22) and Cooper DeJean (No.40) is absurd. The Eagles secondary is stout with Darius Slay, James Bradberry and CJ Gardner patrolling the backend. Much like Saquon Barkley, fourth round runner Will Shipley is an all-purpose dynamo who plays special teams. The move to nab Jeremiah Trotter Jr. on Day 3 only seemed fitting. Initial Letter Grade: B+
8. Indianapolis Colts: Team brass believes they landed the best defensive player in the draft with the selection of Dallas Turner at No.15, a great value! The big-bodied Adonai Mitchell provides upside out wide on offense, while slot/return extraordinaire Anthony Gould might be the most electrifying player in the draft. Excellent value was had on Day 3 with fancy footwork center Tanor Bortolini and ball-hawk safety Jaylin Simpson. Initial Letter Grade: B+
9. Seattle Seahawks: Securing two projected starters in the trenches on each side of the ball was key for John Schneider, as he landed defensive tackle Brandon Murphy II in round one and UConn mauler Christian Haynes in round two. The Auburn cornerback duo of Nhemiah Pritchett and DJ James will be one of the more exciting storylines to follow throughout the season. This is a fantastic, young secondary unit. Initial Letter Grade: B+
10. New York Giants: New York landed a bonafide weapon for Daniel Jones with the selection of Mallik Nabers. More ammunition was added on Day 3, as Theo Johnson looks to help fill the void at tight end created by the retirement of Darren Waller and Tyrone Tracy Jr. owns a multi-dimensional skill-set to make a significant impact as a rookie runner, receiver, or returner. The Giants nailed it in round two with ball-hawk safety Tyler Nubin. Initial Letter Grade: B
11. Green Bay Packers: Nice discipline was shown by GM Brian Gutekunst who stayed true to his board and landed exceptional value on all three days. The selection of first round pick Jordan Morgan will provide an instant upgrade wherever they decide to plug him in on the line, while linebacker Edgerrin Cooper and safety Javon Bullard create added flexibility on defense. Keep an eye on late round gem Travis Glover. Initial Letter Grade: B
12. Detroit Lions: The Motor City is going to love the grit and passion of first round pick Terrion Arnold. Combined with second round selection Ennis Rakestraw, the Lions secured some much needed artillery at the cornerback position. They used the final day on luxury selections such as Canadien Giovanni Manu, running back/safety unicorn Sione Vaki and Christian Mahogany who offers immense value at guard. Initial Letter Grade: B
13. Jacksonville Jaguars: The Jaguars took care of business early on with first round selection Brian Thomas Jr. at wideout. Afterwards, it was all about adding massive depth to the defensive line with LSU teammates Maason Smith in the second and Jordan Jefferson in the fourth, along with Myles Cole in the third. Jacksonville found good value in the mid rounds with nickel back Jarrion Jones and offensive tackle Javon Foster. Initial Letter Grade: B
14. Los Angeles Rams: What are the odds that Florida State roommates Jared Verse and Braden Fiske would remain teammates at the next level? That combo will attempt to compensate for the retirement of Aaron Donald. The one-two punch of Kyren Williams and Blake Corum can wear down opponents, while safety Kam Kinchens provides playmaking prowess in the secondary. Center Beaux Limmer is one to watch. Initial Letter Grade: B
15. Washington Commanders: It’s a new era with a fresh regime and rookie franchise signal caller in Jayden Daniels. A lot will be on his plate from the gate. Commanders fans will learn to appreciate the high motor of second round selection Jer’Zhan Newton, while third round pick Mike Sainristill was the consensus top nickel back in the draft. Look for third round pick, tight end Ben Sinnott to also make an early impact. Initial Letter Grade: B
16. New Orleans Saints: It was wise to invest in the offensive line with the addition of Taliese Fuaga. Unfortunately, it won’t be enough to keep Derek Carr in good graces, making the late-round selection of quarterback Spencer Rattler intriguing. Look for Rattler to make a cameo by season’s end. Excellent defensive depth was at all three levels with corner Kool-Aid McKinstry, linebacker Jaylan Ford and tackle Khristian Boyd. Initial Letter Grade: B-
17. Baltimore Ravens: Watch out the dice are hot! GM Eric DeCosta seems to sense an urgency on this Ravens window with Lamar Jackson entering his prime. In somewhat of uncharacteristic fashion, Baltimore took a gamble on prospects such as Nate Wiggins (small frame), Roger Rosengarten (raw), Devontez Walker (drops), TJ Tampa (speed) and Rasheen Ali (injury). However, each player comes with immense upside! Initial Letter Grade: B-
18. Miami Dolphins: The biggest steal of the entire draft class may have came when the Dolphins chose Malik Washington with the 184th overall pick. His skill-set is a perfect match for the Miami offense. Ironically, seventh round selection Tahj Washington is very similar, just not as twitchy. The ‘Fins also made a splash on the edge, adding pass-rushers Chop Robinson on Day 1 and Mohamed Kamara on Day 2. Initial Letter Grade: B-
19. Las Vegas Raiders: Despite head coach Antonio Pierce pre-draft claims that the Raiders were in the market to add a quarterback, the team failed to do so. They did manage one of the best value picks in Brock Bowers (No.13 overall) and struck gold when Jackson Johnson-Powers fell in their lap in round two. Linebacker Tommy Eichenberg is a two-down thumper, while Dyan Laube adds an all-purpose dimension. Initial Letter Grade: C+
20. New York Jets: Gang Green was all-in on Olu Fashanu, which is hard to argue but one has to wonder how Brock Bowers could have transformed this offense. Instead, they’ll hope that third round pick Malachi Corley can provide a boost in the passing attack, while fourth round selection Braelon Allen is a big, tough, grinding back. At No.176, the Jets scooped up CFL Most Outstanding Rookie Qwan’tez Stiggers, a future NFL starter. Initial Letter Grade: C+
21. Cincinnati Bengals: With a goal of getting meaner in the trenches, the Bengals accomplished that feat with three of their first four picks used on offensive and defensive linemen. They also acquired a young rookie in the wings in Jermaine Burton with J’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins both due pay raises soon. It was quantity over quality, as Cincinnati had 10 total picks, so they could afford to double down at tight end and hope one hits. Initial Letter Grade: C
22. Denver Broncos: This draft class (and Broncos legacy of Sean Payton) will hinge on the performance of Bo Nix, the pint-sized dual threat signal-caller that has team brass beaming with hope that he can invoke the spirit of Dree Brees. On Day 3, they took a chance on Nix’s favorite target in Troy Franklin who brings questions about his size and runner Audric Estime who could have an Alfred Morris type impact. The soda tastes flat. Initial Letter Grade: C
23. Dallas Cowboys: Bigger doesn’t necessarily always guarantee to be better. Dallas certainly added the beef with offensive linemen Tyler Guyton and Cooper Beebe, along with Marshawn Kneeland (a combined 911 pounds) on defense but patience will be needed. The Cowboys have a lot of moving parts on the offensive line that they’ll need to mesh, while Kneeland takes a major step up in level of competition. Initial Letter Grade: C
24. Houston Texans: The Texans accomplished their goal of getting younger and deeper in the secondary, utilizing two of their first three picks on cornerback Kamari Lassiter and safety Calen Bullock. Adding offensive tackle Blake Fisher was wise as injuries have bitten Houston along the offensive line. Tight end Cade Stover is a great compliment Dalton Schultz. Initial Letter Grade: C
25. Kansas City Chiefs: With all the hoopla surrounding Rashee Rice, the trade maneuver with conference-rival Buffalo to move up and select speedster Xavier Worthy was a brilliant move. Anyone up for some pitch and catch? The Chiefs have done well developing offensive linemen and Kingsley Suamataia is a project who possesses great athleticism. Look for Jared Wiley to be an excellent addition in 12 and 13 personnel. Initial Letter Grade: C-
26. Cleveland Browns: Building from the inside-out seemed to the be the main strategy Cleveland employed with defensive tackles Mike Hall Jr. taken with the first pick and Jowon Briggs chosen with the last pick used. The selection of Zak Zinter at No.85 indicates strong value, as he stands a good chance to develop into a starter. Just two of their six selections came on offense and just one skill position player. Initial Letter Grade: C-
27. Carolina Panthers: It was evident that Carolina sorely needed to surround Bryce Young with some weapons. Slight upgrades were made by investing three of their first four selection con complimentary parts on offense, including at running back, wideout and tight end. With Chuba Hubbard and Miles Sanders already on the roster, there’s no need to rush Jonathon Brooks who is coming off injury. Initial Letter Grade: C-
28. Tennessee Titans: Was offensive tackle JC Latham ranked that high on any other draft board? We may never know but that seemed to be a bit too rich at No.7 overall. No doubt he’ll add girth and toughness, just like second round pick T’Vondre Sweat who enters the league clouded with a legal matter. The best of the litter on Day 3 would be linebacker Cedric Gray who can cover lots of ground sideline-to-sideline. Initial Letter Grade: D
29. New England Patriots: There’s a growing sense that Patriots owner Robert Kraft had a big role in the decision to select Drake Maye at No.3. He’ll likely begin as the backup to Jacoby Brissett. New England believes they got a steal in wideout Ja’Lynn Polk, although they traded out of the spot that landed Ladd McConkey, who was a much higher-rated prospect. It’s possible that fourth round pick Javon Baker makes a greater impact. Initial Letter Grade: D
30. Buffalo Bills: While Keon Coleman could turn into a fantastic addition, it’s puzzling that Buffalo would trade with Kansas City, a team they’ve been unable to knock off the mountain. In the blink of an eye, Andy Reid and Co. landed the fastest player in the NFL, which is sure to be a nightmare for opponents. Otherwise, it appears to be a rather low-impact draft full of players who could carve out situational roles. Initial Letter Grade: D
31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: A plug-and-play starter at center, Graham Barton owns All Pro upside. Look for second round pick Chris Braswell to be utilized in a situational pass-rush capacity, while third round pick Jalen McMillan can stretch the field on offense. The Buccaneers final day was rather lackluster, don’t expect much contributions from the backend of this draft class. Initial Letter Grade: D
32. San Francisco 49ers: Did San Fran misjudge the board? Early indications would seem so, with wideout Ricky Pearsall and cornerback Renardo Green chosen in the first two rounds. A team on the brink of a Super Bowl needs immediate contributors. Something that versatile offensive lineman Dominick Puni should be able to do. On Day 3, they enlisted runner Isaac Guerendo and jitterbug receiver Jacob Cowing as the latest offensive weapons. Initial Letter Grade: D
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