The first round of the NFL Draft has come to an end. We had the usual picks, and then we had the surprises. In the end, some teams won the first round, and those who made us question what they were doing. Let’s dive into it.
Winner: Chicago Bears
With two first-round picks, how could you mess up? Not the Bears, who nabbed their quarterback of the future in Caleb Williams with the first overall pick. Chicago also grabbed another weapon for their signal-caller, selecting WR Rome Odunze from the University of Washington.
Looking at the offense now, it is completely stacked. The receiving corps has gone through a complete makeover, with Keenan Allen and the aforementioned Odunze joining D.J. Moore to create a scary trio. Don’t forget about tight end Cole Kmet and running back D’Andre Swift, and Williams has no excuses to not succeed in year one.
I could have seen Chicago going defensive tackle at ninth overall. But, Odunze is a guy you couldn’t let fall.
Loser: Los Angeles Chargers
I understand that Joe Alt is a need for the offensive line. But, when you look at the receiving corps Justin Herbert will have to work with, you wonder what GM Joe Horitz was thinking.
Malik Nabers was right in front of them at fifth overall, and you pass on the electric receiver for an offensive tackle (who is solid but Trey Pipkins III has played well). You have Joshua Palmer and Quentin Johnson as your top two receivers on the depth chart. That doesn’t scream intimidating, does it?
Instead of adding/replenishing that room, you decided to be different and draft Alt. The Chargers are losers not because of the player Alt will be. Rather, their decision to ignore a position needed to have success in the league will be remembered as a bad one in this year’s NFL draft.
Winner: Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs had the 32nd overall pick in this year’s draft. They managed to fleece the Buffalo Bills and traded up four picks to select wide receiver Xavier Worthy. The Texas receiver ran a 4.21 40-yard dash, and will make the offense more dangerous. A vertical threat they haven’t had since Tyreek Hill, Patrick Mahomes and Co. are going to win the Super Bowl again, aren’t they?
Loser: Buffalo Bills
Really, guys? Don’t you remember the last time you traded with the Chiefs? You allowed them to select Patrick Mahomes. And now, you helped them again by allowing them to trade up to get a dangerous weapon.
That’s not all. Buffalo would also trade out of the first round completely. They allowed the Panthers to trade up back into the first round (32nd overall), where they would select wide receiver Xavier Legette.
Buffalo was originally scheduled to make the 28th pick, but made the deal with Kansas City which also included the Bills sending pick 133 in the fourth round and pick 248 in the seventh round in exchange for No. 32, pick 95 in the third round, and pick 221 in the seventh round.
The deal gave the Panthers No. 32 and pick No. 200 in the sixth round, and the Bills received pick 33 which is the first one in the second round, and pick No. 141 in the fifth round.
Democrat & Chronicle on the Buffalo Bills’ decisions in round one of the 2024 NFL Draft
Yes, you get a lot of picks. But, you could have used a guy like Worthy to improve the depleted wide receiver room.
We will see if they select Adonai Mitchell or Troy Franklin to kick off round two. But, right now, they’re one of the losers in this draft for continuing to help Kansas City for no reason whatsoever.
Winner: New York Giants
You thought I wasn’t going to bring up the Giants?
They did the right thing, not reaching out for a quarterback like JJ McCarthy or Bo Nix and instead opting to get a WR1 in Malik Nabers.
Of course, all top-six quarterbacks are off the board now. But, mid-round options like Spencer Rattler and Michael Pratt remain to be selected. Also, no matter who is under center, the Giants finally have their best wideout since Odell Beckham Jr. (who also hails from LSU).
The 6’0″ wideout is shifty, can change direction and accelerate in a blink, and will be dangerous in the slot or on the outside. One of the highest-graded receivers in college football (92.9 PFF grade), GM Joe Schoen made the best decision for this team and got a weapon to improve this lackluster offense.
We’ll see if a quarterback will be selected in the later rounds.
Winner: Philadelphia Eagles
It’s as simple as this. Philadelphia did not need to trade up whatsoever (rumored to), and still nabbed the best cornerback in the draft. Mitchell led all college cornerbacks in PFF grades during the past two seasons and is a phenomenal defensive back in coverage. The only knack is his lack of experience in press coverage, but that’s nothing and can be fixed by easily giving him playing time. He can make a play on the ball with ease, thanks to his excellent anticipation. With veterans like Darius Slay and James Bradberry getting older, it was good to see the Eagles replenish their secondary.
Loser: Atlanta Falcons
You sign Kirk Cousins in free agency. Then, you draft Michael Penix Jr? Read that again. That’s all you need to know about the Falcons in this year’s NFL Draft.
Loser: San Francisco 49ers
It was rumored that San Francisco had wide receivers Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel on the trade market. They wanted to move up into the top ten. That failed. So, you would think they looked to get a complementary piece with the 31st pick to help their defense. Wrong. They instead add wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, who most had going in the second round. A reach? Yes. Though he was productive and reliable, the 49ers had other needs they needed to address more, which included the offensive line and secondary.
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