Which team had the best draft in 2024 versus which team had the worst? The Steelers impress while the Panthers leave us with more questions.
Now that the 2024 NFL Draft is over and the dust has settled, teams can now look back and analyze the selections they’ve made. That also means so can we. Each team’s draft was not made equal. Some went for volume, some went for quality, some went for startling their quarterback they just signed in free agency, leaving him “stunned”. Whatever your team did, the true grades of each pick won’t be proven until a couple years from now when we look back on this draft with six quarterbacks picked in the first dozen selections.
From a glance, a couple teams stick out as having the best draft this year. They were all efficient with their picks, choosing to attack their needs instead of opting for a best player available strategy. All have new-look offenses with quarterbacks that need to prove themselves and it’s clear that these franchises are trying to invest back to give their offenses the best chance possible.
Honorable Mention: Indianapolis Colts
The Colts had one of the best drafts by far. They rallied around their budding superstar in Anthony Richardson and tried their best to get him weapons. Adonai Mitchell’s pick in the second round when Mitchell had a first round grade was a Chris Ballard staple, adorning the offense with good value without reaching.
The Colts took the first defensive player off the board at the 15th slot, ending a historical run on offensive players. Laiatu Latu from UCLA provides an instant impact on defense on the same line as DeForest Buckner. Latu was the most productive pass rusher in college football over the past two seasons at UCLA, leading all qualifiers in PFF pass-rush grade (94.5) and pass-rush win rate (23.1%).
The rest of the draft focused on bolstering a weak secondary as well as giving Richardson more weapons. None of their picks were full reaches and all of them fit within the Colts’ scheme.
Best Draft: Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers began Thursday morning in an interesting predicament. They have two former starting quarterbacks on their roster that at some point in time were regarded as either the best at their position or a high draft pick. Now, they’re paying bottom-dollar for both and as the saying goes, “if you have two quarterbacks, you have none.” It was unclear just in what way the Steelers were going to rally behind Wilson and if they even were, perhaps signing the former All-Pro under the guise of a pass-thrower to be a possible bridge. Instead, the team invested heavily in the the position group that killed Wilson in Denver– the offensive line.
At pick 20, the Steelers selected offensive tackle Troy Fautanu, who demanded a 15th-overall grade going into the first round of the draft. The Steelers ranked second-to-last in pass-blocking last season per PFF and had one of the worst offensive line units in the league– which could be a possible reason for Kenny Pickett’s inaccuracies and expulsion from the Steel City. Fautanu will be available immediately, and if he can stay healthy in the league will be a solid choice to protect Wilson in a hardy AFC North. Fautanu ranked fifth among all FBS tackles this past season in PFF pass-blocking grade (88.2).
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In the second round, the Steelers kept with the line theme and picked up Zach Frazier from West Virginia. His 84.6 PFF grade since 2021 ranks third among FBS centers, and he owns just a 2.27% pressure percentage allowed over the same span. Frazier’s handwork has shown a true attention to detail in his craft and is also ready to make an immediate impact amongst an offensive line that desperately needed attention.
“We’re looking for guys with talent,” Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said regarding their offensive line pickups. “Oftentimes that talent is coupled with experience. It’s good to have a group that is mature as players and as people, and I think that’s reflective of the collective that you’re talking about. All that means is we should expect those guys to have a high floor and maybe have a good presentation of what they’re capable of early on, and for that, we’re excited certainly.”
The Steelers also picked up offensive weapons in Roman Wilson, who landed to the Steelers in the third round. Wilson had a second round grade, but the cards didn’t fall that way and Pittsburgh managed to get a great value at receiver. After trading away Diontae Johnson, the team needed to add to Russell Wilson’s arsenal. Roman Wilson has been an explosive receiver in the slot for Michigan and made defined impacts and stunning plays throughout the 2023 season. Defined by his good hands, Wilson only had one drop throughout all of last season– a surefire target especially with an uncertain offensive line.
The team then went on to bolster the defense as well as picking up guard Mason McCormick from an offensive line powerhouse FCS school in South Dakota State. It’s clear the team has put the interests of Russell Wilson at heart without breaking the bank. Whether or not this is the extent of the offensive overhaul for Tomlin and general manager Omar Khan is unknown– however, it was a great haul and an executive masterclass on the side of the Steelers.
Worst Draft: Honorable Mention: Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons created a head scratching, mind-numbing dilemma on Thursday night when the team used their eighth-overall pick on quarterback Michael Penix instead of advancing the team’s prospects for the 2024 season. The pick comes after the team spent big money amidst a tampering investigation for free-agent veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins from Minnesota.
Cousins was signed to a four-year, $180 million deal, $100 million of which is guaranteed. Penix’s rookie contract is the same four years, begging a serious question of what the Falcons’ intentions were. Penix’s fifth-year option will have to be picked up after his third season is over, which Cousins hope he will have his final year of his contract intact.
The Falcons managed to tarnish what was otherwise a decent draft with the one pick alone. It’s clear the Falcons’ goal for the three days was to take bets on development but it was terribly executed and the PR response to Cousins might end up backfiring in the long run.
Worst Draft: Carolina Panthers
The Panthers had a lot of work to do going into Thursday, and up until the waning moments of the draft on Thursday night the team had no picks to expend due to them giving the Chicago Bears their selection last year in order to pick up Bryce Young. The team traded up into the last slot of the first round to pick South Carolina wide receiver Xavier Legette. Legette has the physical prowess and route running ability to be a serious factor in the NFL and a dangerous weapon for Young to utilize. However, the Panthers did not invest in offensive line weapons for Young.
They will mostly rely on a core that ranked 27th in the league last season. With their other selections, the Panthers added a running back after the disaster that was Miles Sanders last season but is injury prone after suffering a torn ACL in 2023. Their biggest improvement on defense was Kentucky linebacker Trevin Wallace who has the tangible traits but wasn’t productive enough in college to warrant a selection this high in the third round.
The late round selections weren’t anything to write home about either, in the sixth round the Panthers selected defensive lineman Jaden Crumedy who has proven to be ineffective in the pass-rush department with just 64 quarterback pressures across 1,149 career pass-rush snaps at Mississippi State. Their seventh-round selection was perhaps their best value-wise with Michigan linebacker Michael Barrett who has been a consistent player for the Wolverines in both aspects of his role– run and pass.
At the end of the day, the Panthers didn’t have a lot of picks to work with. They needed a quality draft with a high efficiency per pick or try to accumulate more selections– which they failed to do. They marginally helped Young, who desperately needs an offensive line and protection. Opting for weapons instead of trench production might be a nail in the coffin for Young’s production and a canary in the coal mine for a Panthers’ organization that has suffered much malaise over the past season.
