Atlanta Falcons pick Michael Penix Jr. No. 8 and here is what they’re getting
Lorenzo Reyes breaks down the strengths and weaknesses of Michael Penix Jr. and what he’ll bring to the NFL.
The first round of the 2024 NFL draft started off as many expected. Then, things took a wild turn.
In all, the first night of the draft Thursday featured plenty of surprises, including a record six quarterbacks flying off the board in the first 12 picks and an all-time high of 23 offensive players being claimed.
Analyzing the draft shortly after the picks are made is always an imperfect exercise. Breaking down teams’ moves on a pick-by-pick basis is even trickier. But with franchises making their long-awaited decisions on their potential stars of tomorrow, it’s time to provide some snap judgments while still accounting for the bigger picture for each team.
Here are USA TODAY Sports’ grades for all of the picks in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft:
GM Ryan Poles pushed back on the narrative about the Bears’ QB history by saying “we were hired to break a cycle.” Too early to say mission accomplished, but it’s hard to argue with the steps that got Chicago here. Yes, much of this good fortune comes back to the Panthers’ helplessness in 2023, which provided a massive payoff to the Bears’ trade the previous offseason. But Poles enacted an impressive plan to get the right setup in place for Williams ahead of this selection. With a solid offensive supporting cast, it’s now on coach Matt Eberflus and offensive coordinator Shane Waldron to help Williams play on schedule while still harnessing his creativity. But all the hype is warranted for a singular player who has the poise, accuracy and arm strength to become a top NFL signal-caller in short order.
Make no mistake, this is a plenty exciting move for Washington to kick-start a new day under Dan Quinn and Adam Peters. But this might not necessarily be the safe pick some deem it to be. The Heisman Trophy winner can be an electric presence behind center. Still, Daniels needs to speed up his processing and learn to attack the middle of the field more often. Above all, it’s on the Commanders to leverage his scintillating running skills and ability to pick apart defenses from the pocket while keeping him off a Justin Fields-like trajectory in the early portion of his career.
Patriots director of scouting Eliot Wolf said at the combine he wanted to “weaponize the offense.” With Maye, no doubt that New England has a catalyst capable of providing a serious spark. The spotty ball placement and devil-may-care decision-making can be worrisome. But many of Maye’s biggest problems are fixable with proper coaching, and he gives the Patriots someone who can attack the entire field with his rare arm strength and knack for delivering off-platform throws.
No trade here for Monti Ossenfort despite all the speculation. Unless he had a massive offer on the table, staying put made sense. Harrison is one of the most dominant pass catchers of the past decade or more in college football, and it’s hard to find serious fault with his game. He could be a transformative figure for Kyler Murray and the rest of the Arizona offense.
If you weren’t listening to Jim Harbaugh and Co. before about their vision for this team, pay attention. Despite all the consternation about the Bolts’ receiving corps, Harbaugh and GM Joe Hortiz opted to invest in their front as they build out a hard-charging attack. Passing on the likes of Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze leaves Los Angeles open to a good deal of second-guessing, but Alt is a steady blocker who can pair with Rashawn Slater to give the Chargers bookend tackles for the foreseeable future. But the pressure is on to find an immediate contributor in the receiving corps on Day 2.
Breathe easy, Daniel Jones – at least for now. Not only did Big Blue turn down the option of selecting your potential replacement, team brass equipped their incumbent starter with a legitimate go-to threat. Nabers is electric both as a downfield target and a run-after-catch weapon, and he can take much of the pressure off Jones as the quarterback works his way back from an injury-shortened campaign. If the Giants’ drought of 1,000-yard receivers is going to end soon – which dates back to 2018 with another LSU product in Odell Beckham Jr. – Nabers will be the guy to break through.
With Alt off the board, this was a fitting response to Ran Carthon. A tone setter for the Crimson Tide, Latham is the kind of punishing presence the Titans covet. Despite operating on the right side, Latham maintains he can be a left tackle in the NFL. We’ll see if he can handle the role of protecting Will Levis’ blindside, if Tennessee wants to try that out. At the least, though, the Titans can be comfortable with the superlative athleticism and strength Latham displays on every snap.
That’s our first stunner of the night, and it’s truly a wild decision. Atlanta very much looked to be in win-now mode after signing its long-awaited veteran quarterback this offseason in Kirk Cousins, who landed a four-year, $180 million contract. Instead of addressing a dormant pass rush, however, Raheem Morris and Co. took … another quarterback. Penix turns 24 next month, and it’s not clear when he will see the field with Cousins in the fold. His live arm can unlock new possibilities for Drake London and Kyle Pitts, but he’s hardly a pinpoint passer. He also has major issues when forced off his spot, and he needs to develop his comfort level in attacking the intermediate area.
Much as Matt Eberflus might have wanted to go the defensive route and secure someone to bolster the front four, this was the right call. Odunze is a do-it-all receiver who should make for an electric connection with Caleb Williams. He’ll contrast DJ Moore’s skill set nicely and can learn some finer points of the position under Keenan Allen, who’s only under contract for another year. Most of all, those jump balls that Williams is likely to loft will be a lot easier to stomach when the 6-3, 212-pounder is there to haul them in.
Minnesota didn’t have to give up a bounty to secure its quarterback. That’s a significant victory given the tough spot this franchise is in as it tries to reset while simultaneously competing. Still, it’s fair to feel underwhelmed with McCarthy as the successor to Kirk Cousins. Not only is the signal-caller somewhat of a mystery box after his time at Michigan, he’s also not the drastic stylistic shift from Cousins that Kwesi Adofo-Mensah seemed intrigued by and that the team could have gotten from, say, Drake Maye. The setup for McCarthy is quite promising, though, as Kevin O’Connell can help him play efficiently early in his career with tons of play action and intermediate throws. And it doesn’t hurt to have Justin Jefferson to bail him out.
At first blush, taking a 21-year-old pass protector for Aaron Rodgers doesn’t seem to compute for a team with a mandate to win in a one- or two-year window. Still, Fashanu will pay dividends for this team, even if it’s in the long term. The 6-6, 312-pounder is still green (no wordplay intended) but has all the physical tools to be a Pro Bowl fixture at left tackle, with his fleet feet especially standing out. And Robert Saleh and Co. now have an all-important insurance policy for Tyron Smith, the injury plagued blocker who hasn’t played a complete season since 2016.
With a rush on quarterbacks and the organization lacking a second-round pick, Denver might have been somewhat boxed in during its pursuit of a quarterback. But perhaps this is the signal-caller that best fits Sean Payton’s exacting style. With a Football Bowl Subdivision-record 61 starts under his belt, Nix stands out from other rookies with his experience and all that comes along with it. But that’s to be expected of a 24-year-old. He’ll have to prove he can let plays develop after operating out of a quick-hit offense that provided him an abundance of easy throws behind the line of scrimmage and in the underneath range. Payton, however, likely will heavily emphasize the screen game as he works Nix into the offense. Ultimately, however, Nix might not elevate this team so much as keep it afloat as it enters what could be a trying 2024 season.
Who would have thought the Raiders would be shut out of options at quarterback at No. 13? This certainly is an unexpected landing spot for Bowers, who seemed bound for a top-10 slot. The two-time Mackey Award winner can certainly take pressure off Gardner Minshew II or Aidan O’Connell as a major threat after the catch. But even with how much he can bring to an offense, it’s worth noting that NFL teams’ track records of evaluating first-round tight ends is extremely spotty. Holes at cornerback and right tackle will need to be addressed later on.
Between Trevor Penning’s ineffectiveness and Ryan Ramczyk’s questionable health outlook, a New Orleans team always focused on the present essentially had no choice but to take an offensive tackle here. Fuaga would be more of an option as a replacement for Ramczyk than Penning given that he looks likely to stick on the right side. But he can step into a starting role right away if needed, and his protection could be important in allowing Derek Carr to take advantage of Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed on downfield routes.
The first defensive player of the board makes for a very appropriate Chris Ballard pick. Latu is by far the most polished pass rusher in this class, so there’s a good chance he makes waves out of the gate. While adding an edge rusher might not have seemed as pressing as bringing on a cornerback – and the top two options in Terrion Arnold and Quinyon Mitchell were both available here – recall that the Colts pushed for Danielle Hunter this spring before the former Minnesota Vikings standout signed with the Houston Texans. So long as Latu’s injury problems don’t flare up again, he should be a reliable presence on the edge who generates consistent pressure.
The Mike Macdonald era is officially underway in the Pacific Northwest. The former Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator lands his version of Justin Madubuike, the defensive tackle who broke out in 2023 with 13 sacks. The Seahawks have tied up a lot of resources in their defensive front after re-signing Leonard Williams and bringing aboard Dre’Mont Jones last offseason, but Murphy is massively disruptive and is poised to be a foundational piece for Macdonald moving forward.
Brian Flores, meet your new favorite weapon. Turner figures to be an absolute wrecking ball off the edge, and Flores should have plenty of fun figuring out how to best deploy him on blitzes. Acquiring No. 23 from the Texans and then moving up again to land Turner is questionable management of draft capital, but the edge rush looked due for another piece after swapping in Jonathan Greenard for Danielle Hunter this offseason.
Big player. Big risk. Big reward. The 6-8, 340-pound Mims is massively talented and might develop into one of the NFL’s most imposing blockers over time. With only eight career starts, though, he’s very much an unproven product. Trent Brown likely will have to handle the starting role at right tackle in the early going, but Mims fits the bill of what Cincinnati seems to want from its offensive linemen. But when can the Bengals trust him to keep Joe Burrow clean?
Things sure fell into place nicely for Los Angeles as it looks to reconfigure its pass rush after Aaron Donald’s retirement. Verse isn’t the most pliable threat off the edge, but he ticks almost every other box for a player who will create consistent havoc for opposing quarterbacks. With Verse, Kobie Turner and Byron Young, the Rams have several long-term building blocks one year after it looked like the defense was devoid of any outside of Donald.
Omar Khan made a drastic move to overhaul the Steelers’ quarterback room this offseason by adding Russell Wilson and Justin Fields and dumping Kenny Pickett. Now, it’s back to business for Pittsburgh, which snaps up a versatile and powerful piece in Fautanu. Mike Tomlin said the Steelers plan to start Fautanu off at offensive tackle, giving the organization a promising pairing at the position after taking Broderick Jones in the first round last year. Now, Khan will have to see if he can continue the franchise’s run of hitting it big on Day 2 receivers.
With Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips both recovering from season-ending injuries, Miami might have felt uncomfortable with the outlook for its pass rush being able to slow other AFC contenders. Robinson is a feast-or-famine kind of player at this point in his development, but all the athletic traits are there for him to become an extremely difficult matchup for any blocker. Operating in a spot role might be a favorable situation for the early part of his career.
Never say an NFL decision-maker can’t change his ways. First, Howie Roseman finally made a splashy running back signing this offseason by securing Saquon Barkley. Now, he broke the Eagles’ first-round cornerback drought that dated back to 2002, when the team picked Lito Sheppard. Mitchell is a legitimate top-10 talent in this draft, with elite ball skills and the size, speed and composure to thrive in man coverage with more experience. The marriage of need and value is outstanding, and the Eagles didn’t have to part with other picks to get here.
It’s hard to argue against the concept of providing Trevor Lawrence more help after Calvin Ridley left to join the Tennessee Titans this offseason. Still, it’s more than a bit surprising that Jacksonville spurned Quinyon Mitchell once and Terrion Arnold twice given the shaky situation at cornerback. Thomas can be a premier deep threat after averaging 17.3 yards per catch last season and hauling in 17 touchdowns, but he sort of resembles a supercharged Gabe Davis at this point. Lawrence and Doug Pederson will have to figure out how to bring the pieces to this passing attack together into something cohesive.
Here are your flowers, Brad Holmes. One year after the Lions general manager was roundly criticized for going against the grain with his first-round selections, Holmes makes a pick that deserves instant applause. Arnold is hypercompetitive and seems like the kind of cornerback Dan Campbell would make in a lab. He could be a stabilizing piece in a Detroit secondary that continued to be thrown into flux after Cam Sutton’s domestic violence case and subsequent release. And what better way to follow up last year’s hit with Brian Branch than by taking another hard-nosed, underrated Crimson Tide defensive back?
Some depth and versatility along the offensive line could go a long way for Green Bay, especially with Jordan Love’s continued ascension and an impressive collection of young pass catchers in the fold. Morgan can hang at either guard or tackle, giving the Packers plenty of flexibility for its front. His hand usage and core strength could prove problematic, however, particularly as he first adapts to squaring off against more athletic and savvy pass rushers.
In an offseason that could have been a disaster for the Buccaneers, Jason Licht found a way to keep everything together. His solid effort extends to the draft, as Tampa Bay addressed its shaky interior with Barton. A left tackle for the last three seasons at Duke, the 6-5, 313-pounder exhibits the strength, smarts and smooth movements to slide back to the pivot, where he started his career with the Blue Devils. He should help lead the charge for improving a run game that averaged a league-worst 3.4 yards per carry in 2023.
The 6-5, 285-pounder is truly something to behold, as he can either push offensive linemen backward or rip past them with his long arms. But where can he consistently win at the next level? Robinson lacks the burst and fluidity to be a prolific pass rusher off the edge, but his breakout season in 2023 came after a move to the outside. The Cardinals can be patient with his development, but a defense that has a serious deficiency of difference-makers could have used someone who was a bit more of a clean projection.
The excitement of handing Patrick Mahomes the new record holder for the 40-yard dash is understandable. Even Mahomes himself, who reached out to the speedster after the receiver burned a 4.21-second run, seemed excited at the prospect of teaming up. But anyone convinced that the defending champions just found the next Tyreek Hill should cool their jets. While Worthy’s game-breaking speed means he might only require a handful of opportunities to put his imprint on any matchup, the equilibrium of the Chiefs’ receiving corps might be a little out of whack. If Rashee Rice serves a significant suspension due to his recent arrest, can Kansas City count on the rail-thin Worthy and uneven Marquise “Hollywood” Brown to carry the load? Defenses will only ramp up their efforts to deny Mahomes big plays, and Worthy will need to show he can hold up against more physical NFL defensive backs. With enough fireworks from Mahomes and Worthy, this assessment could easily prove flawed, though.
The offseason of “all in” continues to be a dicey one for Jerry Jones. Trading back was a sensible move for Dallas given how the board unfolded leading into the No. 24 selection. Still, if the Cowboys are counting on Guyton to immediately step up and fill the void left by Tyron Smith’s departure, they could be in serious trouble. A former H-back, the 6-8, 322-pound pass rusher has all the tools to become a top-notch pass protector … but only if he polishes up some inconsistencies that seemingly stem from his shortage of experience. It’s no surprise that his traits were alluring to Jones, but it could be a bumpy ride for Dak Prescott and Co. to start the year.
Fluid and fast (4.28 seconds in the 40-yard dash), the 6-1 Wiggins is built to stick with speedy NFL receivers downfield. At 173 pounds, however, he’s liable to get pushed around by the likes of Ja’Marr Chase and George Pickens (who isn’t?) in the AFC North. He’s not much for tackling, either. As he works to fill out his frame and become more physical, Wiggins should help Baltimore bottle up big plays while making a few himself.
Kudos if you hit on this in your mock draft, as Pearsall was perhaps the most off-the-radar name to make it into the first round. The 6-1, 189-pounder sizes up as a fine fit for Kyle Shanahan’s offense and someone who should quickly endear himself to Brock Purdy with his ability to separate. Still, catches will be hard to come by in an attack that already features Christian McCaffrey, Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel and George Kittle, among others. And while San Francisco is undeniably taking the long view given Aiyuk’s discontent as he enters the final year of his contract, the value doesn’t quite add up for a team that is so close to putting itself over the top. Plus, with the depth of this receiver class and several other promising pass catchers on the board, San Francisco might have jumped the gun.
No one can accuse Carolina of not taking seriously its mission to upgrade Bryce Young’s crew of pass catchers. After securing Diontae Johnson from the Steelers in a trade, the Panthers moved up one spot to get their guy in Legette. A big-bodied target at 6-1, 221 pounds, Legette is an imposing matchup on any vertical routes. But his approach lacks precision, and he’s going to need to develop a solid rapport with Young for the quarterback to trust the rookie on deep heaves. Legette brings a needed dimension to the offense, but first-year coach Dave Canales – who brought along a somewhat comparable receiver in DK Metcalf during his time with the Seahawks – will have significant work to do with a player who doesn’t necessarily make life easier for Young right away.
