NFL Draft 2024: Winners and losers

The 2024 NFL Draft has been and gone, we are now presented with the chance to deep dive into all 32 teams, to see who added the missing pieces they needed and who still has gaps missing on their roster. 

Winners

The Carolina Panthers are one of my first winners. Bryce Young didn’t have much chance to succeed in his rookie season, but with Legette, Brooks and Sanders added, that’s three exciting offensive weapons that can aid in helping Young rediscover his college form.

Next up on my winning list is the Chicago Bears. Williams was always going to the windy city, the question was who would join them with the ninth overall pick. Odunze looks a great choice, I stand by the fact that his physical attributes make him more NFL ready than most and when you add in the off season acquisitions the Bears have made, I can’t help but feel they are learning from their previous mistakes.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are another team who put good use to their draft picks fixing a key issue for them, their offensive line. They took an O-lineman one day 1,2 and 3 showing a real commitment to adding young talent to an area that needed it.

The New Orleans Saints did a sneakily good job also picking up two players who might present major value in this draft. We won’t know that for a couple years, but it wouldn’t surprise me. Kool-Aid McKinstry fell to no 41, a DB from Alabama that I thought was very likely to go in the first round, so you’re looking at first round talent and I’m confident he will play a big part in their upcoming season.

The second pick was Spencer Rattler who I’ve made clear already I’m a big fan of, his Netflix show looks to have been a key factor in teams overlooking him but again that might have resulted in the Saints getting a bargain. He will be QB2 this season, right so, but if Carr gets injured or has some sloppy games, then expect to see Rattler get some game time and this guy is made for the big occasion. 

Losers

Now we look at some of the teams who have maybe left a few questions unanswered after the Draft. You have to start with the Falcons. Penix JR might turn out to be a star and he might turn out to be their future, but the way in which it all unfolded has left many people scratching their heads.

It was a chance to add some much needed talent on the defensive side of the ball or to give newly signed quarterback Kirk Cousins another weapon to give the team even more strength in depth offensively. So when a QB was their choice, it just felt like an odd and bizarre move. Time will tell with this one, it will either be an incredible choice or a massive opportunity missed.

Next up on the board for questions being unanswered is the Bills. They got a quality player in Keon Coleman, but after losing Diggs and Davis, they still look to have a void in their receiver room. Coleman is seen as a slot receiver and they don’t seem to have added anyone who can blow the top off and give Allen an option for the deep ball. Xavier Worthy, selected by the Chiefs, was the option I felt best fitted their needs and I thought maybe they might have been a team willing to make a trade for maybe Aiyuk or Higgins. That never happened but even with Coleman, they look to have a far weaker receiving room.

Last up is the Cardinals who are another team in a similar position to the Bills. They needed to add some weapons for Murray especially receivers Marvin Harrison Jr. was heavily linked with the Cardinals and he is a great pick, I just felt like they needed to add another couple receivers to go alongside Harrison Jr. They gave a good effort last season, but I am concerned that Harrison Jr. might have too much on his plate in his rookie season and if he is being focused on by opposing defences, who are the other targets going to be and how effective can they be. 

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Other teams to note in the Draft were the Colts who looked to have done some shrewd work. The Eagles who were trading non stop throughout the draft look to have done some nice work. Their GM Howie Roseman knows how to get the most out of most situations, something he might have just done again.