2024 NFL Draft Roundtable: Steals, Reaches, Fantasy Stars and More
We are almost ready to move onto 2025, but we take one final look back at the 2024 NFL draft as a whole. We've had a week to process all of the madness that went down over the course of draft weekend. Dylan Edelman, Dakota Wayne and Chris McGlynn break down the best moves, biggest surprises and a whole lot more.
Biggest Steal
Dylan Edelman: Calling a top 3 pick a steal isn't easy, but Drake Maye entered this past collegiate season and the draft this year as the consensus QB2. Maye has a scheme-proof skill set, with all of the size, athleticism and arm talent to succeed at a high level in the NFL. The Patriots leave the draft with a direction as a franchise thanks to Drake Maye falling to them at 3.
Dakota Wayne: I'm with Dylan on this one. Maye was my clear-cut QB2 behind Caleb Williams, and with the Commanders taking Jayden Daniels, the Patriots were gifted a top-2 quarterback without having to move at all.
Chris McGlynn: I was not as high on Maye as either of you. For me, this has to be Cooper DeJean. He was my top corner and the Eagles drafted him at No. 40 in the second round. He has positional flexibility to line up outside, in the slot, or at safety. His ball skills are impressive and he is a really good athlete. I could see him and Quinyon Mitchell being bookend starters for the Eagles' secondary in a couple of years.
Biggest Reach
Wayne: Atlanta's addition of Michael Penix Jr. wasn't bad in my eyes, but doing so at No. 8 is what causes this to be the biggest reach. Sure, Penix Jr. could be the solution down the road, but I'd be shocked if no team was willing to move up to their spot, giving them a chance to take Penix later and accumulate more stock.
Edelman: This category was easy for me. The Bears drafted Tory Taylor, the punter from Iowa, at 122nd overall. Taking a specialist as early as the 4th round is essentially the same as lighting a pick on fire. As good of a punting prospect as Taylor is, he would have to enter the league and sustain top 3 punter play to even consider warranting such a high investment. Taking a player in the 4th round who will see the field 3-4 times a game on a good day is a bad process.
McGlynn: For me, it was J.C. Latham. I know Tennessee was desperate for a tackle, but taking Latham, a career-right tackle with questionable movement skills, in the top 10 is not a wise move. He was the sixth tackle on my board. Taking Rome Odunze here would have been better value, or trading out of this pick to take Latham or another tackle prospect further down the board would be a much better use of resources.
Best Draft Class
Edelman: Even after taking the 4th round punter, it would be difficult to undermine what the Bears did at the top of their draft. With their two top 10 picks, the Bears took the best player in the class in Caleb Williams, and an elite wide receiver prospect in Rome Odunze.
Williams is a player who can shape the entire momentum of a franchise and should easily be the best passer in Bears history. Pairing him with Odunze made all the sense in the world, getting the best player available at a position of need to grow alongside their rookie quarterback. Throwing in freaky project players like Kiran Amegadjie and Austin Booker is just the icing on the cake of a future-altering draft class.
Wayne: Dylan has it right again. While they only ended with five selections, each pick for the Bears was nearly a home run. Caleb Williams (arguably the best QB in the draft), Rome Odunze (arguably the second-best WR behind Marvin Harrison Jr.), Kiran Amegadjie (a very high-end OT prospect who will likely take a year to develop), Tory Taylor (the undisputed top punter prospect in YEARS), and Austin Booker (higher-end developmental EDGE in an edge-needy team). All in all, great draft.
McGlynn: I agree with both of you that the Bears had a great draft. However, I have to give the edge to the Steelers. They rebuilt their offensive line, found a difference-making wide receiver and added depth at key positions in the later rounds. Fautanu was my OT3 and a top-15 prospect. He should win the left tackle spot.
Zach Frazier was a top-40 player who should start at center right away. Mason McCormick is a developmental interior prospect as well who could be a starter in a year or two. I love how Roman Wilson will fit in a Russell Wilson-led offense and if Payton Wilson can stay healthy, that will end up being one of the biggest steals of the draft.
Most Underrated Draft Class
McGlynn: I haven't seen a ton of love for them so far, but I think the Buccaneers had an incredible draft. Graham Barton is a Day 1 starter. Braswell is an excellent complement to what Tampa already has at edge rusher and solid value in the second round. Tyeke Smith, Jalen McMillan and Bucky Irving are all players who will contribute right away. They took a couple swings in the later rounds as well. I think the Buccaneers got a lot better over the course of the draft, which bodes well for a team that reached the divisional round in 2023.
Edelman: The New York Giants acquired some very good football players in this years' draft. Starting things off with Malik Nabers, Brian Daboll finally gets an explosive receiving weapon for his offense that he can design the passing offense around. The meat and potatoes of their class came on Day Two, drafting two defensive backs in safety Tyler Nubin, and cornerback Andru Phillips.
Nubin is an underwhelming athlete but a great instinctual football player, who should step into the role that Xavier McKinney left open. Phillips is a feisty versatile corner and should immediately be competing for that second outside corner spot opposite of Deonte Banks. They also added Theo Johnson, and Tyrone Tracy Jr. on Day 3, both players with athletic upside who may see larger roles than they had as collegiate players in the NFL.
Wayne: There was a lot of noise about the Chargers missing on Nabers and choosing to stick with Joe Alt at No. 5. Alt was a slam dunk, and then the Chargers followed it by selecting one of my favorite "do it all" receivers in Ladd McConkey. The class could've ended there and it would've been impressive, but L.A. also added Junior Colson and Cam Hart, both whom could make an impact immediately. While some Chargers fans are upset at this class, I think Harbaugh and Co. knocked it out of the park.