Top 10 Losers in the First Round of the 2024 NFL Draft
The NFL Draft started on Thursday night, and there were surprises. However, some teams made questionable decisions or encountered unexpected outcomes.
Here are 10 losers of the first round of the NFL Draft.
-
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Falcons compete in the National Football League as a member club of the league's National Football Conference South division. The team was established in 1965 and has appeared in two Super Bowls.
Atlanta already signed Kirk Cousins to a four-year deal to be their quarterback this season. They also needed help on the defensive side of the ball (much like last year). However, the Falcons surprised everyone when they selected Washington quarterback Michael Pennix with the eighth pick.
While Pennix is a great talent, it's hard to envision why the Falcons would do this. Perhaps it's a succession plan for Cousins when he leaves, but this pick is a stunner and perhaps a waste of that deal for Cousins.
-
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo-Niagara Falls metropolitan area that competes in the National Football League (NFL). The team is a member of the league's American Football Conference East division. The Bills had the longest playoff drought in NFL history... read more
It's been a bad stretch for the Bills. From losing to KC in the playoffs again to having their two best receivers leave in the offseason, things couldn't get worse for the Bills.
But they did, as last night, Buffalo selected...no one in the first round. They traded back twice and failed to pick anyone, even a receiver. While they will get their guy, they missed out on a chance to draft players like Xavier Worthy or Xavier Leggette.
One of the teams Buffalo traded with? KC, who got the fastest 40-yard man in the NFL. The Bills' Super Bowl window isn't closed, but it's slowly shutting down.
-
Defensive Players
The NFL Draft produced a whopping 23 players on offense selected. This included a stretch of 14-straight players picked before the Colts ended that run. But in the end, nine defenders were selected, which raises the question of whether defensive players were viewed as highly valuable as the offense.
-
Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders are a professional American football franchise based in Las Vegas. The team began playing in 1960 as a member of the American Football League and joined the National Football League following the 1970 AFL - NFL merger. In 2020, the Raiders relocated from Oakland, California to Las... read more
Although the Raiders succeeded in acquiring the best tight end prospect available, they also became losers when they failed to acquire one of the six quarterbacks taken in the first round. Not their fault since no one expected six quarterbacks to go in the first 12 picks, but now they're stuck with Gardner Minshew, who has had some moments to shine before.
Still, the Raiders can wish they could've attempted to move up to get one.
-
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas - Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League as a member club of the league's National Football Conference East division. The team was established in 1960 and has won five Super Bowl championships... read more
Talk about going all-in. The Cowboys have been doing that, but not in the way a rational Cowboys fan would like. Failing to make a splash in free agency, Dallas traded back their pick with Detroit and selected Oklahoma's Tyler Guyton for the offensive line.
-
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football franchise based in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Bengals currently compete in the National Football League as a member club of the league's American Football Conference North division. They have appeared in the Super Bowl three times, most recently... read more
Before the NFL draft started, the Bengals were stunned to learn that both Tee Higgins (WR) and Trey Hendrickson (DE) had requested trades. This could've been alleviated if Cincinnati had chosen a wide receiver or pass rusher with their pick. But they went to get an offensive tackle named Amarius Mims of Georgia to help protect Joe Burrow.
Things might not be looking up for the Bengals in 2024.
-
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are an American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960 and first took the field for the 1961 season. They have made four Super Bowl appearances but have not yet secured a championship.
Minnesota was able to hit on pick #10 after a trade with the Jets to grab quarterback JJ McCarthy, who looks to replace Kirk Cousins. But it was the trade afterward that had some fans surprised. Minnesota traded with Jacksonville a boatload of picks to move up six spots.
While the Vikings were able to land linebacker Dallas Turner of Alabama, the problem is that next year, they will have at least three picks (one first, two fifths).
-
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. The Browns compete in the National Football League as a member team of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division... read more
-
Zach Wilson
-
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League as a member club of the league's National Football Conference North division. The Packers have won four Super Bowls and a record 13 NFL championships overall... read more
Green Bay had always owned Detroit, but in recent years, the Lions have gotten better, and that was significant when Detroit leaped them at pick 24 to take their cornerback Tarrion Arnold. The Packers still drafted Arizona offensive lineman Jordan Morgan at 25, but they feel that the Lions just got better with their trade.
-
?
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football franchise located in the Miami metropolitan area. The team competes in the National Football League as a member club of the American Football Conference East division. The Dolphins were established in 1966 and have won two Super Bowls.
-
?
Trevor Lawrence
-
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The Jets play their home games at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, which... read more
The New York Jets, under general manager Joe Douglas, once again took an offensive lineman in the first round with their choice of Olu Fashanu. The fact that Douglas' first-round OLs have been nothing but disappointments to this point should be a red flag for New York.
With Aaron Rodgers hitting 40 and the Jets remaining the laughingstock franchise they are, one has to wonder how much Fashanu can help on the offensive line.
-
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team located in the New York metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League as a member club of the National Football Conference East division. The franchise was founded in 1925 and has won eight NFL championships, including four... read more
The Giants missed out on a potential opportunity to draft a signal caller with the sixth pick in the draft, instead taking wide receiver Malik Nabers. The pressure is now on Nabers to help Daniel Jones, who hasn't been as effective as a Giants quarterback.
If Nabers can be the great receiver the Giants have needed since Odell Beckham Jr., then this will be a huge hit. But if any of the other quarterbacks they missed (Pennix, McCarthy, Nix) play well, then the Giants will be searching for QBs for the next few seasons.
-
Justin Herbert
Justin Patrick Herbert (born March 10, 1998) is an American football quarterback for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL).
He played college football for the Oregon Ducks, winning the 2019 Pac-12 Championship, and was selected by the Chargers as the sixth overall pick... read more
-
John Lynch
John Terrence Lynch Jr. (born September 25, 1971) is a former American football strong safety who played fifteen seasons in the NFL for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Denver Broncos. He won Super Bowl XXXVII with Tampa Bay and was selected to nine Pro Bowls. After retiring, Lynch worked as a Fox NFL color... read more