Believe it or not we are midway through the NFL season and some teams are extremely pleased with their first round picks while others are having second thoughts. Draft weekend is hugs and kisses and it’s a truly special time in both – players and families lives. But after that – it’s time to get to work and to prove why you were a first round draft pick. And we all know why we’re here. In today’s video we will be grading the 2024 NFL Draft midway through their rookie year. Today’s video will be picks 1-16 and there will be a video next week grading picks 17-32. And before we get started I do want to make a quick note. JJ McCarthy sustained ending injury in the pre season and Michael Penix is a backup to Kirk Cousins. Both players will take over at some point – but when it is time to discuss those picks – both of those selections will receive an incomplete grade. We will be going in reverse order from 16 to 1 so we will start with Seahawks defensive tackle Byron Murphy and finish with Bears quarterback Caleb Williams. We all know why we’re here so let’s dive right in.
16 – Byron Murphy was the Seahawks first round pick and the first pick of the Mike Macdonald era. Murphy was a very good defensive tackle prospect from Texas and it definitely wasn’t a sexy pick by any means – but one that Seattle desperately needed. The Seahawks were absolutely gashed against the run in 2022 and 2023 – and Murphy was supposed to help against the run – while also being able to get after the quarterback. Murphy played the first 3 games and Seattle was 3-0 in those games. He then missed the next 3 games and Seattle was 0-3 in those games. Unfortunately they are just 1-2 since he came back – but Seattle is averaging 122 rushing yards per game allowed when Murphy plays – and averaged 173 rushing yards per game when he was out of the lineup. Obviously it doesn’t all attribute to Byron – but he has been a good contributor – both as a run defender and pushing the pocket. Defensive tackles are at a disadvantage from the national media standpoint because Byron will never lead the league in sacks, and he’s never going to lead the league in tackles. But Murphy is a rock solid player, and he will be the anchor of this defense for years to come. I loved this pick from the moment it was made because it he went to a team that desperately needed him. This will improve with time, but for now it’s a B+
15 – Laiatu Latu was the first defensive player taken in the 2024 draft at number 15 overall and through half a season – Latu is currently third in rookies in pressures with 20 through 9 games and is behind two Rams players – in Jared Verse and Braden Fiske. The biggest thing that has to be remembered about rookie edge rushers is they’re going to take time – and Latu is no exception. He had a big sack against the Bears back in week 3 and there’s been several flashes from Latu early in his rookie year that I think he’s going to figure it out – he just needs some time. Obviously Late has no control over this – but I do get really frustrated with how the Colts play games from a time of possession standpoint and I think that sets their entire defense up for failure – which of course includes Latu. I would be surprised if he ever leads the league in pressures or sacks, but I think he has a very high floor as a player and will be the player the Colts wanted Kwity Paye to be. Even as a rookie Latu is a solid pass rusher and he shows that with his bag of moves on a week to week basis. I would like to see him finish his rookie year with roughly 45 pressures and 6 to 7 sacks and it important to note he is a bit of an older rookie, but I like what we’ve seen so far. A B+ grade
14 – Taliese Fuaga was an underrated tackle prospect in what was a very strong draft class. He started the year off by allowing a grand total of 0 pressures in his first two games. The Saints absolutely killed the Panthers and Cowboys in those first two games – but it’s been downhill for the Saints since. And Fuaga has also had several rookie moments since then and the Chiefs and Broncos game were particularly rough for him. And this is in pass protection to be clear. There’s been several clips where Fuaga is out on the run and you can tell he is one of the most athletic tackles in the league and he has been very good in the run game. But left tackles aren’t drafted to be run blockers – even despite how good Fuaga is as a run blocker. And since weeks 1&2 he has a pressure rate allowed of 9.3% and this is one of the tricker picks to grade because the flashes have been there – and especially early on. But it’s usually the opposite for rookies. Usually they struggle early on, and develop later in the year. Fuaga is credited with allowing 5 sacks – although I don’t think all of them were specifically on him as sometimes quarterbacks walk right into sacks – or don’t do their lineman any favors – but I think Fuaga is a very good player and I do think he will be a Saint for several years. And this team is going to need players to build around because they are in a tough situation. Right now this is a B+
13 – Brock Bowers was the best tight end in the draft and it wasn’t close. And half a season into his career – Brock Bowers is already one of the best at his position. I don’t know how hot of a take this is – but I personally think Brock Boweres is already a top 5 tight end in the NFL and I don’t think it’s a debate. He is the definite of the nice car in a bad garage meme and to put some numbers behind the year Brock is having – he is currently top 5 in the NFL in receptions and top 10 in receiving yards. And we don’t really have to discuss the quarterback play with Brock because we know it’s not good. Not even close. But Brock is also leading tight ends in receptions and receiving yards and I think what’s most impressive about this is he’s doing this at 21 years old. Transitioning to Tight End is very difficult because you really have to do it at two positions – both as a receiver and as a blocker in the trenches. And you can’t be a liability. Brock dominated the SEC for a couple of years and he’s dominating the NFL. I really hope for the sake of Brock’s career the Raiders get him a quarterback this offseason because he is about as a friendly of a target as you’re going to find. I thought he would be good, I didn’t think he would be this good. An easy A+
12- Bo Nix was the 6th quarterback drafted in the first 12 picks and through 9 games has close to 1,800 yards, 8 passing touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. He also has been a really good dual threat quarterback too and has an additional 295 rushing yards and 4 rushing touchdowns. He would be on pace for 3,300 passing yards, 15 passing touchdowns, and 550 rushing yards and 8 rushing touchdowns. I have to be honest – I think Bo has played a lot better than people initially thought he would have. And I think what gets forgotten in the national media – or at least not acknowledged – is – Bo has improved quite a bit since the start of the season just a few months ago. Bo’s first two games were against a Mike Macdonald led defense and the Pittsburgh Steelers and he came out and threw 4 interceptions and not surprisingly the Broncos lost both games. But since then – Denver is 5-2 and Bo has 8 passing touchdowns to just 2 interceptions and has played a lot better. And the supporting cast Bo has – is what would you expect for a number one overall pick to have, not the number 12 pick and a team that’s 5-4 through 9 games. Nix obviously hasn’t been perfect, but he’s been a lot better than I think even Broncos fans could have hoped for. He’s led the team in rushing multiple times and the plan for Denver this offseason is simple – build around Bo. An A- grade
11 – Olu Fashanu was the Jets first round pick and Olu was a player I liked a lot coming out of Penn State. I also made a video prior to the draft about dream landing spots for a couple of prospects and I included Olu going to the Jets as one of them. Heading into the year I knew Olu wasn’t going to start right away as Tyron Smith and Morgan Moses were the slated starting tackles – but I knew Tyron Smith hadn’t played a full season in nearly a decade. Meaning – Olu was going to play at some point. Having said all of this – I don’t think Olu has been set up for success like other first round picks and during the Texans game on Thursday night in week 9 – Olu was forced to play 37 snaps at right guard. Olu himself said he had not taken a single rep at guard until he played in that game – meaning he was strictly a tackle all throughout high school and college. Fashanu has also played 198 snaps so he has taken significantly less snaps than some of his fellow 2024 lineman – and he’s only 21 years old and I always thought this was going to be a bit more of a project pick than some people would have liked. He certainly has had some welcome to the NFL moments during his first few games as a Jet – but my pre draft thoughts of Olu are still the same and I think he will be a good player for a long time. But he has struggled at times and for now this is a C+ grade
10 – As mentioned in the intro Vikings quarterback JJ McCarthy unfortunately sustained a season ending injury also was expected to be a backup to Sam Darnold for the majority of the year even if he was healthy and this is an incomplete grade.
9 – Rome Odunze was the second Washington Husky taken in the 2024 draft and through 8 games Rome has nearly 400 yards and a singular touchdown. Entering the year Rome was always going to be limited in regards to the numbers he could put up. It wouldn’t be fair to sit here and compare Rome to Malik Nabers knowing how many more targets Nabers was going to get than Rome. In fact – Rome is currently 58th in the league in targets as he has just 44 on the year. What also has to be remembered is this was a selection made so that Caleb Williams and Rome could go grow together as each player is only 22 years old. And while the offense hasn’t lived up to the expectations they had entering 2024 – that’s not exactly Romes fault and he already has two 100 yard games in a relatively limited role. He also has Keenan Allen and DJ Moore to take targets away from him – so he was never going to be a record breaking rookie. I think he’s played fine, not elite by any means and half a year this is a B grade
8- Michael Penix has thrown 1 pass and is technically tied for the career NFL completion percentage record at the moment – so Falcons fans run with that while you can – but this an incomplete grade
7- JC Latham was the Titans first round pick and the second tackle taken in the top 7 picks. I was a little surprised Latham was taken at number 7 as I thought he was going to go in the 10-12 range – but he’s been a solid player for the Titans through the first half of the year. We often talk about setting quarterbacks up for success and especially young quarterbacks – but I don’t think JC is really set up for success from a roster standpoint. The Titans have been very frustrating in 2024 – and it’s not just a quarterback problem – it’s also an offensive line problem. JC has given up a fair amount of pressures on the stat sheet – but a decent amount of them were because the quarterback walked right into them. From the being set up for success standpoint – having Bill Callahan teach JC from the start is great for JC as he can mold him from being a 21 year old rookie – to an eventual above average starter. He definitely can work on some things in the ground game – but I like what I see from JC through the first several games of his career, and am looking forward to the second half of his rookie season. A B+ grade
6 – Malik Nabers was one of best receiving prospects over the past 10 years. And the only real weakness I had on Malik Nabers scouting report when he was coming out of LSU – was – that he was in the same draft class as Marvin Harrison Jr. And he’s played like a can’t miss prospects through the first several games of his career. Nabers has unfortunately missed a few games – but he has 55 receptions in the first 7 games of his career and if this were to translate to a full 17 game season – he would be on pace for over 130 receptions and over 1,300 yards. He is by far the best player in the Giants offense and we all know the Giants have struggled over the past several years – but they didn’t miss on this draft pick. Nabers fell into their laps and received permission to wear number one from the family of Ray Flaherty and if it weren’t for a tremendous rookie season from his collegiate quarterback – I think Nabers would be in the rookie of the year discussion. He is a very bright spot on what is a not good football team and is averaging nearly 80 yards per game. His fellow LSU receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson averaged 85 and 87 yards per game as a rookie – but Nabers quarterback play is nowhere near Joe Burrow in 2021, or Kirk Cousins in 2020. Regardless, Malik makes it happen every week and this is an A+ grade.
5- Joe Alt has been a really good player for the Chargers through the first half of his rookie season. He unfortunately missed the Kansas City game in week 4, but when he’s been in the line up – he has been a good player. For reference – he has allowed 10 pressures on 243 pass blocking snaps which for any player is good – let alone a 21 year old rookie. He was often referred to as the best tackle prospect since Penei Sewell and Penei is in his 4th season and for reference – he has allowed 8 pressures on 253 blocking snaps. The only thing I would nitpick on Alt is he has allowed multiple sacks early in his career and that’s going to happen. Defensive players – and especially pass rushers – are paid to make plays too. I’m sure we all saw the sack TJ Watt got him on, and most recently against Myles Garrett too. I think is a very good tackle and if you want to give him an A+ grade – by all means go for it – but I am trying to keep the A+’s for the truly rare rookie offensive lineman. I think Alt could easily be an A+ grade at seasons end – but for now – we are going with an A grade.
4 – Marvin Harrison Jr has had an up and down rookie year and I think that’s putting it mildly. He had the 1 catch for 4 yard NFL debut where everyone was talking about his first game and there were a whole bunch of next gen stats with his speed and how people were legitimately concerned after one game. To be honest I thought that was ridiculous. Marv responded with a 130 yard 2 touchdown performance in week 2, and even had 4 total touchdowns in the first 4 games of his career – but there was a dry spell for him where he hauled in just 5 catches for 57 yards in a span of 3 games smack in the middle of his rookie year – and granted he did leave one game really early in the game. I am under the belief the Cardinals should do whatever it takes to get Marv the football because I think he is a rare talent, but he hasn’t come close to maximizing what he can do as a pro – yet. Right now Marvin is on pace for 841 yards – but I still think he can be a 1,000 yard rookie receiver – and he should be because the talent is undeniable. He currently has 2 100 yard games in his first 9 games played and I think we will see a big second half from him. An A- grade
3 – Drake Maye has only started 4 games so for clarity – we are grading him on what we’ve seen – and not saying well his stats are significantly worse than Jayden Daniels – so it’s an F. We all knew entering Drake’s rookie year that the situation he was entering was not ideal. And it hasn’t been ideal through his first 4 starts – whether it being due to the offensive line, or due to poor receiving play. And for reference – in the second Jets game before leaving with a concussion – Drake Maye threw 6 passes and of the 3 incomplete passes he had in this game – 2 of them were dropped. I think there’s been a lot of good flashes from Drake Maye so far in his career that I am buying in on him as a player. But the current situation he’s in is awful. There’s no way to accurately judge what type of player he can be at the NFL level when he doesn’t have time to throw the ball, and his receivers aren’t getting open – at least consistently. He’s thrown 6 touchdowns so far and has added another one on the ground and has been one of very few bright spots for New England in 2024. A B grade
2- Jayden Daniels was the number 2 overall pick from LSU and when this pick was made I was happy for Commanders fans that they were finally getting a young quarterback to build around and to cheer for. As we know the Commanders fan base has been through it over the past few years and I was also excited for Terry McLaurin to finally have a competent quarterback. But I underestimated just how good Jayden would be in his rookie year. He is completing passes at an unreal rate of 71.5%, and he is on pace for over 3,600 yards and 17 passing touchdowns all while throwing just 4 interceptions. Jayden is also a very good dual threat player and is on pace for over 850 rushing yards and 8 rushing touchdowns. In back to back years now we have seen the number 2 overall pick completely transform a franchise and look like they are going to be there for not just 4 or 5 years – but for the next 8 or 9 years. It’s not an exaggeration to say Washington hasn’t been this excited since RG3’s rookie season 12 years ago. This team is also 7-2 for the first time since 1996 – which was a few years before Jayden was born – and I think we can all agree on this one. This is an easy A+
1 – Caleb Williams was the number one overall pick and was the best quarterback prospect since Trevor Lawrence. But there was a lot of hype heading into Caleb’s rookie year – and I mean a lot. This was by far the best situation a number one overall pick had ever been in as a rookie, and the Bears fan base expected big things – and early. Unfortunately Caleb didn’t throw his first touchdown pass until week 3, and it’s been a bit of a rollercoaster throughout the first half of his rookie year. I still think Caleb is going to be fine and I think he will be the Bears franchise quarterback for several years – but the coaching situation he has is not ideal. And it’s fair to say the Bears are not maximizing Caleb’s talents and to be honest – that is downright frustrating. I think Caleb is one of the harder picks to grade because the flashes have certainly been there – whether it was in the Jags game, or the Colts game, or the Panthers game. I also think it would be ignorant to say well Caleb’s coaches haven’t helped him out as much as they could and boost his grade because of that – I mean this is a number one overall pick franchise changing quarterback we’re talking about here. He is on pace for a 3,500 yard 19 touchdown 11 interception rookie season midway through his rookie year and right now this pick is a B- grade. I hope you enjoyed today’s article about the 2024 NFL Draft class! Have a great day. Love you guys
