Falcons Are Losers, Chiefs Are Winners: 2024 NFL Draft Winners & Losers

There was plenty of pre-draft talk that the Giants were ready to select a quarterback in the first round. There were whispers of them possibly trading up to No. 3 with the Patriots to select Drake Maye, reaching at No. 6 for JJ McCarthy, or taking Michael Penix Jr. if he was available in the second round. 

None of those scenarios came to fruition. Six of the first 12 draft picks were quarterbacks including a stunner a No. 8 when Atlanta selected Penix Jr. It looks like Daniel Jones will be the starting quarterback for the Giants next year barring a trade. Not only will he be the starting quarterback, he'll have a new weapon in Malik Nabers on his side. This could be Jones' final chance to prove he belongs in the NFL or else the Giants will be in the Shedeur Sanders sweepstakes next season. 

WHAT ARE THE FALCONS DOING?! The Falcons just signed Kirk Cousins this offseason to a $180 million contract. The deal was already questionable because Cousins is coming off an achilles injury at an older age. The Falcons shocked the world by taking 23-year old Michael Penix Jr., who was projected to go late in the first or even early second round by several NFL Draft experts. 

Unless there's news that we don't know of Cousins being hurt or unavailable to play this year, it's hard to justify this pick. You have a rookie quarterback who turns 24 years old in May that can't afford to be on the bench for several years. Penix will be 27 years old when Cousins' guaranteed money is off the books. There wasn't even a need to draft a quarterback when there are several great non-QB prospects available. 

If you're a Falcons fan, we are praying for you. 

A defensive player wasn't taken in the draft until the No. 15 pick when the Colts drafted UCLA pass-rusher Laiatu Latu. This isn't a weak pool for defense, there was just a lot reaching in the first 12 picks. Six quarterbacks were taken in the first 12 picks and while the top three were guaranteed, no one expected Michael Penix Jr. and Bo Nix to go that high. There were several teams desperate to find their future gunslinger and they took the risk of reaching because they wouldn't have a chance to take a quarterback later. It's risky for the teams but it's a win for the QBs as more more fell into their laps. 

There is hope in Chicago. There's probably no one happier than Bears fans right now. Of course, we knew for weeks that Caleb Williams was going No. 1 but the Bears front office had to nail the No. 9 pick as well and it did just that. Chicago selected star wideout Rome Odunze with their second pick in the first round, giving their new franchise quarterback another weapon going into his first year. The Bears wide receiver room is impressive now with DJ Moore, newly-acquired Keenan Allen, and now Odunze anchoring the core. 

Whether you like him or not, Caleb Williams has all the talent in the world and the Bears are building a foundation that could make them a competitive team sooner than later. 

Everyone knows that Jim Harbaugh is big on the run game and defense. That has been his calling card forever and it was the reason why Michigan just won the national championship but man, Justin Herbert needs HELP! The Chargers' wide receiver room is beyond mediocre right now and at that No. 5 slot, you had a chance to take Malik Nabers or Rome Odunze, who both have WR1 potential. You can block all you want but who is catching those passes from Herbert? If you truly believe in Herbert being a franchise-changing quarterback, you have to give him a chance to succeed. After losing Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, the task will be tougher next year. 

It's rare that a back-to-back champion can still have a lot of room for improvement but the Chiefs had to bolster their wide receiver room coming into this NFL Draft. They did just that by selecting wideout Xavier Worthy in the first round. Worthy, who we projected to go Kansas City in our latest mock, is pure speed. That 4.21 40-yard dash will show on the field and he'll add a dynamic to the Chiefs offense that has been missing since Tyreek Hill left. There will be more explosive plays with this Chiefs offense next season. 

It's funnier knowing that the Bills traded their pick to the Chiefs and allowed them to take Worthy, who could ultimately hurt them next year in a playoff matchup. 

The Panthers didn't have a draft pick in the first round until a last-minute trade with the Bills for the final pick of the first round so by default, they are losers. They watched the Bears use their No. 1 pick this year to take a prospect many see as generational. They traded a No .1 pick for a No. 1 pick (Bryce Young) while also shipping off DJ Moore, two second picks, and another first round pick from 2023. They got fleeced so that will not go unnoticed. 

The Eagles needed to reset their defense after a putrid performance last year and Howie Roseman got off to a good start by adding the best cornerback in the draft without trading up. I just don't get how the Eagles have gotten away with drafting Jordan Davis, Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith, and now Quinyon Mitchell in the past three drafts. They're building a solid core on the defensive unit that could eventually put them back amongst the best defenses in the league.