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.
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. 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.
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area that competes in the National Football League.
Buffalo Bills had the longest playoff drought of any team which came to an end in 2017. 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.
The Las Vegas Raiders are a professional American football franchise based in Las Vegas. The Raiders began playing in 1960 as a member club of the American Football League; they have been a member club of the National Football League since the 1970 AFL–NFL merger... 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.
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.
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. 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.
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 North division... read more
John Terrence Lynch, Jr. is a former American football strong safety who played fifteen seasons in the National Football League and is a current color commentator for the Fox network's coverage of the NFL.
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. 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.
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. 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).
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 4 Super Bowls and 13 NFL championships. 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.
The New York Jets are a professional American football team located in the New York metropolitan area. 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.
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football franchise located in the Miami metropolitan area.
The New York Giants are a professional American football team located in the New York metropolitan area. 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.
