2024 NFL Draft Team Rankings, Grades
How do you do this?
How do you rank, grade, and analyze and NFL Draft that just happened and is all about speculation and potential?
Maybe that sure-thing first round pick is awful at football, and maybe that last pick in the draft is another Brock Purdy?
Should it be about value? Sort of, but that's all based on the opinions of pundits and prognosticators. Should it be about how talented these prospects seem to be?
Here's how we do this every year.
1. Assume none of the picks after the third round will work - at least when it comes to finding a decent starter. More credit is given to teams with a ton of picks – more picks, more chances to find someone who'll stick. That's why the Bears and Texans don't get a ton of love.
2. Do the prospects have the freakish tools? It's that simple. Does he have the next-level measurables?
3. Value. Yeah, again, that's all based on what the market says, but some players are simply better prospects than others - at least according to our rankings - and sometimes a player was selected early when there were lots and lots of other options at the same position available later.
4. Were the needs filled? Every team has holes that will probably be filled in free agency or after camps start, but were they addressed in the draft, and did the team throw a lot of options at the problem?
With all of that, here's our ranking of all 32 NFL teams and how they did in the 2024 Draft.
2024 NFL Draft Rankings 1-32
Top 5 | 6-10 | 11-15 | 16-20 | 21-25
College Football Team Rankings By School
College Football Conference Draft Rankings
32 Houston Texans
What Went Right: There wasn't much to work with - the first pick was in the 2nd - but they did a nice job of grabbing options. Linebacker, safety, and tight end value dropped in this, and the Texans got a part of all of those positions. TE Cade Stover in the 4th should be a huge get for fellow Buckeye CJ Stroud.
What Went Wrong: If there's anyone who makes the team after the Stover pick in the 4th, consider it a minor miracle. There are plenty of good college football players taken, but there's little to no wow.
Best Value Pick: Cade Stover TE Ohio State, 4th
Biggest Reach: Jamal Hill LB Oregon, 6th
Draft Grade: C-, 2023 Ranking: 1
2 (42) Kamari Lassiter CB Georgia
2 (59) Blake Fisher OT Notre Dame
3 (78) Calen Bullock S USC
4 (123) Cade Stover TE Ohio State
6 (188) Jamal Hill LB Oregon
6 (205) Jawed Jordan RB Louisville
7 (238) Solomon Byrd EDGE USC
7 (247) Marcus Harris DT Auburn
7 (249) LaDarius Henderson OT Michigan
31 Las Vegas Raiders
What Went Right: Brock Bowers. In a wide receiver-rich draft, several teams - looking at you, Chicago - could've traded down or waited for a top target, but there was only one great tight end prospect among the bunch, and Vegas got him. C Jackson Powers-Johnson will be a longtime starter from the 2nd round, but ...
What Went Wrong: No quarterback, little value over the last six picks, and not a ton to get too excited about without a lot of creative ideas. Everything after Powers-Johnson screams "TRADE DOWN!"
Best Value Pick: Jackson Powers-Johnson C Oregon, 2nd
Biggest Reach: Delmar Glaze OT Maryland, 3rd
Draft Grade: C-, 2023 Ranking: 31
1 (13) Brock Bowers TE Georgia
2 (44) Jackson Powers-Johnson C Oregon
3 (77) Delmar Glaze OT Maryland
4 (112) Decameron Richardson CB Mississippi State
5 (148) Tommy Eichenberg LB Ohio State
6 (208) Dylan Laube RB New Hampshire
7 (223) Trey Taylor S Air Force
7 (229) MJ Devonshire CB Pitt
30 San Francisco 49ers
What Went Right: Uhhhhhhh, the 49ers did better late than early? Ricky Pearsall is fine, but they could've traded down for him. On the plus side, Jacob Cowing in the 4th was nice, OG Jarrett Kingston in the 6th was a good flier, and LB Tatum Bethune in the 7th might be a steal.
What Went Wrong: It's San Francisco - it's doing something right with this drafting thing - but ehhhhhhhhh. Just about everyone was a reach, there wasn't anything real done for the offensive line, and there's little overall value up and down the picks.
Best Value Pick: Jacob Cowing WR Arizona, 4th
Biggest Reach: Ricky Pearsall WR Florida, 1st
Draft Grade: C-, 2023 Ranking: 32
1 (31) Ricky Pearsall WR Florida
2 (64) Renardo Green CB Florida State
3 (86) Dominick Puni OG Kansas
4 (124) Malik Mustapha S Wake Forest
4 (129) Isaac Guerendo RB Louisville
4 (135) Jacob Cowing WR Arizona
6 (215) Jarrett Kingston OG USC
7 (251) Tatum Bethune LB Florida State
29 Atlanta Falcons
What Went Right: Beyond all the noise and all the screaming, Michael Penix Jr. really is a very, very good QB prospect. That's all anyone wanted to talk about, but it overshadowed a nice run of picks for the defensive front over the next three selections. Let's put it this way - had the Falcons gone defensive line with the first three picks and went QB in the 4th round, no one would've said anything.
What Went Wrong: There wasn't anything for the offensive line or secondary. It was a corner-rich draft, and the Falcons didn't do anything for the need position. And yeah, the Penix pick didn't make a ton of sense - they could've traded down and had him (maybe). All of that, and they sort of mailed in most of Day 3.
Best Value Pick: Brandon Dorlus DT Oregon, 4th
Biggest Reach: JD Bertrand LB Notre Dame, 5th
Draft Grade: C, 2023 Ranking: 17
1 (8) Michael Penix Jr. QB Washington
2 (35) Ruke Orhorhoro DT Clemson
3 (74) Bralen Trice EDGE Washington
4 (109) Brandon Dorlus DT Oregon
5 (143) JD Bertrand LB Notre Dame
6 (186) Jase McClellan RB Alabama
6 (187) Casey Washington WR Illinois
6 (197) Zion Logue DT Georgia
28 Cleveland Browns
What Went Right: For not having a pick until later in the 2nd, this isn't bad. The Browns went big on the lines with DT Michael Hall a good pick in the 2nd, and Zak Zinter a nice guard prospect in the 3rd, but LB Nathanel Watson might be the biggest get and one of the value stars out of the 6th.
What Went Wrong: There's not a lot here. It was a smallish class with just six picks and four of them on Day 3. The Browns address the defensive interiors, but the didn't try for any sort of pass rusher or defensive back.
Best Value Pick: Nathaniel Watson LB Mississippi State, 6th
Biggest Reach: Jowon Briggs DT Cincinnati, 7th
Draft Grade: C, 2023 Ranking: 5
2 (54) Michael Hall DT Ohio State
3 (85) Zak Zinter OG Michigan
5 (156) Jamari Thrash WR Louisville
6 (206) Nathaniel Watson LB Mississippi State
7 (227) Myles Harden CB South Dakota
7 (243) Jowon Briggs DT Cincinnati
27 Miami Dolphins
What Went Right: It was better late than early. You can't count on anything on Day 3, but the Dolphins got some terrific players in Edge Rusher Mohamed Kamara in the 5th and WRs Malik Washington and Tajh Washington.
What Went Wrong: They did nothing for the defensive interior and didn't throw anyone for the inside of the offensive line. RB Jaylen Wright in the 4th round was unnecessary - good player, but value-wise, every RB shines in this offense - and OT Patrick Paul was too early.
Best Value Pick: Mohamed Kamara EDGE Colorado State, 5th
Biggest Reach: Patrick McMorris S Cal, 6th
Draft Grade: C+, 2023 Ranking: 15
1 (21) Chop Robinson EDGE Penn State
2 (55) Patrick Paul OT Houston
4 (120) Jaylen Wright RB Tennessee
5 (158) Mohamed Kamara EDGE Colorado State
6 (184) Malik Washington WR Virginia
6 (198) Patrick McMorris S Cal
7 (241) Tahj Washington WR USC
26 Chicago Bears
What Went Right: They caught every possible break to get the No. 1 overall pick, and they didn't mess around. The Bears got Caleb Williams, they got a potentially devastating WR in Rome Odunze, and they even landed a sneaky-good pass rusher in Austin Booker in the 5th, and ...
What Went Wrong: A punter. Tory Taylor is a fantastic prospect, but when you work your way to only five draft picks, grabbing a punter in the 4th round is a luxury item. That, and Odunze had better be amazing. This was a LOADED class of receivers, and the Bears paid retail at the 9. Overall, the ranking is so low because it's really a two-player draft - but they're good ones - with just the five picks.
Best Value Pick: Austin Booker EDGE Kansas, 5th
Biggest Reach: Tory Taylor P Iowa, 4th
Draft Grade: C+, 2023 Ranking: 24
1 (1) Caleb Williams, QB USC
1 (9) Rome Odunze WR Washington
3 (75) Kiran Amegadjie OT Yale
4 (122) Tory Taylor P Iowa
5 (144) Austin Booker EDGE Kansas
2024 NFL Draft Rankings 1-32
Top 5 | 6-10 | 11-15 | 16-20 | 21-25
College Football Team Rankings By School
College Football Conference Draft Rankings
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