NFL draft: 3 best picks of each round
The Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Commanders and Pittsburgh Steelers all dominated this year's draft.
The 2024 NFL Draft is in the books. What an amazing weekend it was. Six quarterbacks, seven wide receivers and 9 offensive linemen all went in the first round. It was madness.
I’ve had a few days to digest each pick that transpired in Detroit, Mich., and I really like some values and fits throughout the entire draft.
First round
Rome Odunze, WR, Chicago Bears (No. 9)
Odunze joins No. 1 pick Caleb Williams in a tremendous situation. Odunze is a big, athletic and acrobatic wide receiver with great route running. He has some shades of Keenan Allen in his game, and now he’ll be able to learn from him in Chicago.
Dallas Turner, Edge, Minnesota Vikings (No. 17)
Turner was the heavy favorite to be the first defender selected in the draft. Instead, he was second — Laiatu Latu went two picks ahead of him to the Indianapolis Colts. The value here is incredible, and the Vikings thought so too. That’s why they traded up from No. 23 to No. 17, their second trade-up of the first round, to get who many thought was the best pass-rusher in the draft.
Terrion Arnold, CB, Detroit Lions (No. 24)
It was shocking that the cornerbacks fell, but the Detroit Lions capitalized on that. For a team that desperately needed help on the outside, they moved up four spots to get the second-best CB in the draft. I also love the fit with Dan Campbell. Detroit is going to love Arnold.
Second round
Cooper DeJean, DB, Philadelphia Eagles (No. 40)
Howie Roseman deserves his flowers — not only for this pick but for the entire draft. After drafting Quinyon Mitchell 22nd overall in the first round, he wasn’t deterred from bolstering the team’s secondary even more with DeJean. Mitchell and DeJean were my top cornerbacks in the draft. This is a home run pick.
Mike Sainristil, CB, Washington Commanders (No. 50)
The Commanders are building something special in D.C. On paper, they crushed this year’s draft. They’ve focused on adding elite talents and leaders — and Sainristil is both. He was a two-year captain at Michigan and a key playmaker for the defense. For a team that’s looking for a new identity, Sainristil will help create one.
Adonai Mitchell, WR, Indianapolis Colts (No. 52)
Reports stated that the Colts were looking for speed at WR. Not only did they get that in Mitchell, who ran a 4.34 40-yard dash at the combine, but they got one of the overall better wide receivers at a great value. Mitchell has excellent size and speed and is a natural catcher.
Third round
Junior Colson, LB, Los Angeles Chargers (No. 69)
We knew Jim Harbaugh wouldn’t leave the draft without someone from Michigan, it was just a matter of when he would take one. Colson falling to the 69th pick is incredible value, and it fills an immediate need for the Chargers. And here’s the best part: Not only is Colson reunited with his former head coach at Michigan, but he’ll be playing under his former defensive coordinator, Jesse Minter, who is in the same role. It’ll be a seamless transition for Colson.
Christian Haynes, G, Seattle Seahawks (No. 81)
I thought Haynes could’ve went in the second round after his dominant performance at the Senior Bowl. For the Seahawks, they’re getting a pro-ready guard that I think can start right away.
Payton Wilson, LB, Pittsburgh Steelers (No. 98)
Wilson was my LB1 in this class, so I thought if he went in the second round it would be of value. But at the end of the third round, well, that’s an outright steal. I’m aware of his injury history and the fact that he doesn’t have an ACL in one of his knees. But he played last season under those conditions, and he absolutely balled out. Pittsburgh is getting a good one.
Fourth round
Troy Franklin, WR, Denver Broncos (No. 102)
The Broncos drafted former Oregon Duck Bo Nix as their hopeful franchise QB, so why not pair him with his WR1 in college? Franklin was once considered a first-round pick after the 2023-24 college football season ended, so it was a little shocking to see him still available at the start of day 3. WR was a position of need for the Broncos after trading Jerry Jeudy, and they got the best one available at that spot.
Javon Baker, WR, New England Patriots (No. 110)
After selecting QB Drake Maye at No. 3 overall, the Patriots made sure to get him some weapons. Baker was highly underrated throughout the draft process. He flashed on tape. He’s a great route runner with outstanding ball-tracking ability, allowing him to create big plays downfield frequently.
Mason McCormick, G, Pittsburgh Steelers (No. 119)
The Steelers revamped their offensive line in this year’s draft. Troy Fautanu in the first round, Zach Frazier in the second and McCormick in the fourth. It’s great value for the Steelers; many teams had given McCormick a day-2 grade.
Fifth round
Kris Abrams-Draine, CB, Denver Broncos (No. 145)
Outside of Patrick Surtain II, the Broncos’ CB room needed some additions. Abrams-Draine has a knack for making plays. I expected him to go earlier than this — maybe late in the third round or early fourth. Luckily for the Broncos, he lasts until pick 145. Due to his size, 5-foot-11, 175 pounds, he projects as a nickel, but that’s a job he can win pretty easily.
Jeremiah Trotter Jr., LB, Philadelphia Eagles (No. 155)
What’s not to love about this pick? His father, Jeremiah Trotter, had an illustrious career in Philadelphia. Trotter Jr. hopes to follow that same path. Not only is the story great, but it fills a need for the Eagles. Linebacker play has always been a negative for Philadelphia’s defense — since, well, the elder Trotter last swung his infamous imaginary axe at Lincoln Financial Field. Now, it’s Trotter Jr.’s turn to swing the axe.
Mohamed Kamara, Edge, Miami Dolphins (No. 158)
I had a third-round grade on Kamara, so the value here is incredible. But he also provides the Dolphins with much-needed depth. Their pass rush took a massive hit after Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb went down last season, so they made sure to add to that room with Kamara and first-round pick Chop Robinson.
Sixth round
Tanner McLachlan, TE, Cincinnati Bengals (No. 194)
Bengals fans would’ve loved to come out of Thursday night with Georgia’s Brock Bowers. Well, here’s the discount version. Like Bowers, McLachlan lacks the ideal size for the position, but he is one of the better pass-catching tight ends in the class. He has great length and speed.
Kristian Boyd, DT, New Orleans Saints (No. 199)
Boyd is a stout and explosive nose tackle. He has the size and strength of a prospect that could be considered a day-two player, but he lacks length.
Dylan Laube, RB, Las Vegas Raiders (No. 208)
Two things: I think Laube should have been selected earlier than this, but I love the fit with Antonio Pierce. They share the same football mentality — that dog mentality. The Raiders depth chart at running back is also thin. There is a path for Laube to contribute as a third-down, pass-catching back right away.
Seventh round
Brenden Rice, WR, Los Angeles Chargers (No. 225)
The son of Jerry Rice figured to go a couple of rounds higher than this, especially after a great week in Mobile, Ala., but this is a good spot for him. After the Chargers traded Keenan Allen to the Bears and let Mike Williams walk in free agency, the wide receiver room became abysmal. There is development needed with Rice, but he could see playing time early.
Michael Pratt, QB, Green Bay Packers (No. 245)
Pratt should have been drafted before Florida State’s Jordan Travis and Kentucky’s Devin Leary, in my opinion. He had a great draft process and his film looked good. I think he’s good enough to push Sean Clifford to the side and win the backup QB job.
Kalen King, CB, Green Bay Packers (No. 255)
King was considered a safe bet to be drafted in the first round before the 2023 college football season. So, it’s not ideal to see his name this late. Frankly, he just wasn’t good in 2023. But he’s shown he can be good. The Packers are taking a chance on King hoping he returns to his 2022 form. It’s a good chance to take.