RSS Feed2024 NFL Draft First Round
By Chris Malumphy
With the first pick in the 2024 NFL Draft the Chicago Bears select quarterback Caleb Williams from USC who won the Heisman Trophy in 2022. The Washington Commanders followed by taking 2023 Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Jayden Daniels from LSU. The New England Patriots selected North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye with the third pick in the draft marking the fourth time quarterbacks were selected 1, 2, 3 in an NFL Draft. The others were: 1991 (Jim Plunkett, Patriots; Archie Manning, Saints; Dan Pastorini Oilers), 1999 (Tim Couch, Browns; Donovan McNabb, Eagles; Akili Smith, Bengals) and 2021 (Travor Lawrence, Jaguars; Zach Wilson, Jets; Trey Lance, 49ers).
Breaking the run on quarterbacks, the Arizona Cardinals selected wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr from Ohio State.The Los Angeles Chargers under new coach Jim Harbaugh added Notre Dame tackle Joe Alt to protect quarterback Justin Herbert. With the top quarterbacks gone, the New York Giants picked Malik Nabers who may have the most potential of any receiver in the draft. The Tennessee Titans nabbed massive tackle JC Latham from Alabama. Despite signing Kirk Cousins to play quarterback the Atlanta Falcons selected Michael Penix from Washington. Caleb Williams and the Bears are excited that Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze will join a receiver's room that already includes Keenan Allen and D.J. Moore.
The Minnesota Vikings traded up one pick to obtain the 10th choice from the New York Jets and selected Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy. The Jets followed with Penn State tackle Olumuyiwa Fashanu. The Denver Broncos picked Oregon quarterback Bo Nix, the sixth quarterback selected in the 2024 Draft, setting the record for the most quarterbacks picked in the first 12 choices in a draft.
With six quarterbacks off the board, the Las Vegas Raiders added tight end Brock Bowers from Georgia. The New Orleans Saints took Oregon State tackle Taliese Fuaga. The Seattle Seahawks bulked up the middle of their. defensive line. with Byron Murphy from Texas. The Vikings moved up again by trading with the Jacksonville Jaguars to select edge rusher Dallas Turner from Alabama. Amarius Mims, tackle from Alabama, will block for Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals. The Los Angeles Rams decided to NOT f' them picks in 2024 and chose edge rusher Jared Verse of Florida State. The Pittsburgh Steelers recognized a continued need to improve the team's offensive line and picked guard Troy Fautanu from Washington. Penn State edge rusher Chop Robinson will play for the Miami Dolphins. Toledo cornerback Quinyon Mitchell was picked by the Philadelphia Eagles.
With the choice obtained from the Vikings, the Jaguars picked LSU wide receiver Brian Thomas. The Detroit Lions traded up with the Dallas Cowboys to pick Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold. Arizona tackle Jordan Morgan was selected by the Green Bay Packers. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers added Duke guard Graham Barton. Missouri defensive tackle will be an Arizona Cardinal. The Buffalo Bills traded their top pick to their AFC rival, the Kansas City Chiefs, who then selected Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy, the fastest player in the draft albeit a mere 165 pounds. The Dallas Cowboys, going all in, picked tackle Tyler Guyton from Oklahoma. The Baltimore Ravens selected Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins. Florida wide receiver Ricky Pearsall was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers who have questions regarding the future of their wide receiver room which currently includes Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings. The Bills traded completely out of the 1st round by sending the pick they had just obtained in a swap with the Chiefs to the Carolina Panthers, who picked South Carolina wide receiver Xavier Legette.
The first round included 23 offensive players and 9 defensive players. On offense there where 6 quarterbacks (tying 1983 for the most ever in the 1st round), 7 wide receivers, a tight end, 7 tackles, 2 guards and no running backs or centers. On defense there were 4 edge rushers, 2 defensive tackles and 3 cornerbacks with no linebackers or safeties.
The Bears, Cardinals and Vikings each had two picks while the Bills, Browns and Texans had none.
Alabama, LSU and Washington each sent three players to the pros while Georgia, Penn State and Texas sent two. Toledo was perhaps the smallest (competitively) school to have. a player drafted.
| 2024 NFL Draft Round One | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round | Pick | Player | Name | Team | Position | College | Source |
| 1 | 1 | 1 | Caleb Williams | Bears | QB | USC | Panthers |
| 1 | 2 | 2 | Jayden Daniels | Commanders | QB | Louisiana State | |
| 1 | 3 | 3 | Drake Maye | Patriots | QB | North Carolina | |
| 1 | 4 | 4 | Marvin Harrison | Cardinals | WR | Ohio State | |
| 1 | 5 | 5 | Joe Alt | Chargers | T | Notre Dame | |
| 1 | 6 | 6 | Malik Nabers | Giants | WR | Louisiana State | |
| 1 | 7 | 7 | JC Latham | Titans | T | Alabama | |
| 1 | 8 | 8 | Michael Penix | Falcons | QB | Washington | |
| 1 | 9 | 9 | Rome Odunze | Bears | WR | Washington | |
| 1 | 10 | 10 | J.J. McCarthy | Vikings | QB | Michigan | Jets |
| 1 | 11 | 11 | Olumuyiwa Fashanu | Jets | T | Penn State | Vikings |
| 1 | 12 | 12 | Bo Nix | Broncos | QB | Oregon | |
| 1 | 13 | 13 | Brock Bowers | Raiders | TE | Georgia | |
| 1 | 16 | 16 | Byron Murphy | Seahawks | DT | Texas | |
| 1 | 17 | 17 | Dallas Turner | Vikings | EDGE | Alabama | Jaguars |
| 1 | 18 | 18 | Amarius Mims | Bengals | T | Georgia | |
| 1 | 19 | 19 | Jared Verse | Rams | EDGE | Florida State | |
| 1 | 20 | 20 | Troy Fautanu | Steelers | G | Washington | |
| 1 | 21 | 21 | Chop Robinson | Dolphins | EDGE | Penn State | |
| 1 | 22 | 22 | Quinyon Mitchell | Eagles | CB | Toledo | |
| 1 | 23 | 23 | Brian Thomas | Jaguars | WR | Louisiana State | Browns via Texans and Vikings |
| 1 | 24 | 24 | Terrion Arnold | Lions | CB | Alabama | Cowboys |
| 1 | 25 | 25 | Jordan Morgan | Packers | T | Arizona | |
| 1 | 26 | 26 | Graham Barton | Buccaneers | G | Duke | |
| 1 | 27 | 27 | Darius Robinson | Cardinals | DT | Missouri | Texans |
| 1 | 28 | 28 | Xavier Worthy | Chiefs | WR | Texas | Bills |
| 1 | 29 | 29 | Tyler Guyton | Cowboys | T | Oklahoma | Lions |
| 1 | 30 | 30 | Nate Wiggins | Ravens | CB | Clemson | |
| 1 | 31 | 31 | Ricky Pearsall | 49ers | WR | Florida | |
| 1 | 32 | 32 | Xavier Legette | Panthers | WR | South Carolina | Chiefs via Bills |
