In the 2024 NFL draft, there were 257 players selected.
Some are going to become solid role players. Others will make a Pro Bowl or two. Then there are the select stars who become perennial Pro Bowlers and even see some All-Pro teams. Finally, a couple will be fitted for gold jackets in Canton.
Unfortunately, there’s the opposite reality as well. For every star, there will be 20 players who don’t make an impact. Of those, many will be late-round fliers. But a few will come from the first few rounds, players expected to make a difference only to fade into football oblivion.
So which of the AFC picks surrounded by hype could be cautionary tales in the coming years? It’s time to take a hard look at not only the player but the team and situation, along with potential pitfalls out of their control.
5. Drake Maye, QB, New England Patriots
Why he’ll be a bust: To be clear, Maye has a very good chance of succeeding. He has all the tools. This is more about the situation around him, and the pressure on Maye because of the past few years under Bill Belichick.
Maye is going to a team with a first-year, defensive-minded head coach in Jerod Mayo. He’s also entering a roster which doesn’t have a proven, star weapon on the outside. It’s a big ask of Maye, although it’s not impossible. Want proof? Look at C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans.
4. Keon Coleman, WR, Buffalo Bills
Why he’ll be a bust: Coleman is a massive receiver. At the combine, the Florida State product checked in at 6’3″and 213 pounds. With the Seminoles in 2023, he was the top receiver for a team which almost made the College Football Playoff.
The problems, though, are evident. He struggled to separate against college corners, largely because of his 4.6 speed. And his contested catch rate was 33% last season despite a size advantage on almost every snap. For the Bills, this is a gamble on measurables and Josh Allen. Fair enough, but the bust potential is there.
3. Amarius Mims, OT, Cincinnati Bengals
Mims started only eight games in college.
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Why he’ll be a bust: Mims might be the biggest wild card in this class. On tape, he’s an absolute monster in both the run and pass game, dominating edge defenders with considerable ease. Also, at 6’8″and 340 pounds, the size is unquestionable.
However, Mims started only eight games in college, and injuries were a consistent concern, too. The Bengals are banking on him finally staying healthy and reaching his potential, which is becoming an All-Pro talent. For Cincinnati, which has struggled to field a quality offensive line in front of Joe Burrow, it’s an understandable risk.
2. T’Vondre Sweat, DT, Tennessee Titans
Why he’ll be a bust: Sweat is powerful as a defensive tackle who can get up the field and destroy blockers at times. The problem? He wasn’t always that guy. At Texas, Sweat played in 51 games and totaled just 17.5 tackles for loss and five sacks.
Additionally, there are questions about Sweat away from the field. In early April, he was arrested on suspicion of DWI. Tennessee took a chance on him anyway as a second-round pick despite some believing he shouldn’t come off the board until Day 3. It’s a risky move at a position that wasn’t a huge need, considering Tennessee already has Jeffrey Simmons inside.
1. Bo Nix, QB, Denver Broncos
Why he’ll be a bust: Nix has a few things going against him. First, the Broncos are terrible around him. One could argue they have the worst roster in the NFL, including a leaky offensive line and a weapons group that has Courtland Sutton and not much else.
But the problems aren’t only about the supporting cast. Denver is also taking a chance on a kid who struggled mightily at Auburn, leading to his transfer. When playing within a pro-style offense with the Tigers for three seasons, Nix completed less than 60 percent of his attempts. Finally, he’s 24 years old. Has he already hit his ceiling?
Many were ready to pencil in the Atlanta Falcons as the NFC South winners for their 2024 NFL playoff predictions. That might have changed after the Falcons made their stunning selection of Michael Penix Jr. in the 2024 NFL draft.
The signal-caller out of Washington should help the Falcons in the future, but he didn’t make them better in the present, allowing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers to close the gap on the talented Falcons, who added immediate impact players with their first-round selections.
Kirk Cousins, who was signed in free agency to a four-year, $180 million deal, was left scratching his head at the Falcons’ first-round pick. But a few other teams in the NFC also made questionable moves during last week’s three-day draft as well.
Let’s examine how each NFC team did in the 2024 draft by ranking them from 16 to 1. Don’t expect a surprise for No. 16 …
16. Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons used the No. 8 pick on Penix, who’s ready to start now after six years of college experience, including guiding Washington to the national title game. Instead of Penix following in the paths of Russell Wilson and Brock Purdy starting as rookies, he will have to wait his turn for a year or two, maybe three. And let’s not forget that Cousins’s contract includes guarantees of $90 million in the first two years with a $10 million option in Year 3.
The Falcons didn’t want to wait on a quarterback-succession plan, opting for what the Kansas City Chiefs and the Green Bay Packers did with Patrick Mahomes and Jordan Love despite not having a deep roster as those teams did. The Falcons, who haven’t made the postseason since 2017, dismissed the present for the future and passed on adding an immediate contributor with their first-round pick. Now the pressure is on second-round defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro and third-round edge rusher Bralen Trice to produce right away.
15. Seattle Seahawks
Murphy gives the Seahawks three stout defensive tackles.
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The Seahawks deserve credit for adding defensive tackle Byron Murphy II, even though they have committed plenty of money to Leonard Williams and Dre’Mont Jones. Murphy fits the scheme of new coach Mike Macdonald, but now the Seahawks have a dilemma with a log jam at the position. Murphy will likely receive starter’s snaps because he excels at stopping the run, a weakness of the Seahawks the past few seasons.
Without a second-round pick, the rest of the Seahawks’ draft class seems a bit underwhelming. But the Seahawks have plenty of talent throughout the roster. Perhaps all they need for a bounce-back season is for Macdonald to get the star-studded defense on the same page, which became easier with the selection of Murphy.
14. Carolina Panthers
The Panthers might have prioritized need more than taking the best player available when it came to adding a wide receiver. They found their physical outside receiver, selecting 6'3," 227-pound Xavier Legette with the last pick in the first round. Carolina took Legette over Ladd McConkey, Keon Coleman and Adonai Mitchell. Time will tell if the Panthers selected the right receiver for Bryce Young and new coach Dave Canales.
Taking the best running back prospect in Jonathon Brooks should give Carolina a balanced attack after a dismal ground game in 2023. Overall, the Panthers added help for Young and found a way to gain a first-round pick.
13. Dallas Cowboys
Judging from the social media criticism, the Cowboys’ draft class likely received a low grade from most football pundits. But it wasn’t as bad as many made it seem because they prioritized the offensive line. Sure, the Cowboys haven’t made it to a conference title game this millennium, but they became perennial playoff contenders because they rarely neglected the trenches, drafting Zack Martin and Tyler Smith. They quickly found their Tyron Smith replacement with the first-round selection of Tyler Guyton, a left tackle with plenty of upside.
Dallas also continued loading up on edge rushers, adding Marshawn Kneeland in the second round to fill the void of Dorance Armstrong, who left in free agency to join the Washington Commanders. It’s never a bad draft strategy to add offensive and defensive linemen. But the Cowboys failed to address their needs at running back and inside linebacker. They also could have used another receiver to go with CeeDee Lamb and Brandin Cooks.
12. New York Giants
Nabers has the makings of the next Odell Beckham Jr. or Ja'Marr Chase
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Perhaps the Giants should be ranked lower than 12th on this list, but they landed standout wideout Malik Nabers with their No. 6 pick. Nabers has the makings of the next Odell Beckham Jr. or Ja’Marr Chase. Nabers’s explosiveness will expand the playbook for coach Brian Daboll, making him a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses.
Daniel Jones gets another shot to prove himself with a dangerous downfield threat in Nabers—unless you’re buying the hype of Drew Lock possibly taking Jones’s job this summer. But the Giants likely know by now that Jones won’t ever reach elite QB status in the NFL. They had an opportunity to move up from No. 6 to third to select Drake Maye, but couldn’t come to a trade agreement with the New England Patriots.
11. San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers passed on wide receivers who had more hype from the draft experts to select Ricky Pearsall with the 31st pick. San Francisco deserves the benefit of the doubt because Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk weren’t high-profile prospects when the team selected them. The 49ers might be forced to decide between Samuel and Aiyuk because they have drafted so well in recent years and don’t have enough cap space to keep all of their star players.
San Francisco gave itself flexibility with the Samuel-Aiyuk dilemma by adding Pearsall, who should be ready to slide in as a starter if Samuel or Aiyuk leave during the 2025 offseason. The best teams create options and plan ahead.
10. Minnesota Vikings
If J.J. McCarthy was the target all along, the Vikings played this well by only trading up one spot to get him at No. 10 instead of moving into the top five to select the Michigan quarterback. But Minnesota took a risk by banking on the fifth quarterback taken in the draft. As history has shown, it’s rare when five quarterbacks from one draft class develop into legitimate franchise signal-callers.
The Vikings tried to trade three first-round picks to the Patriots for the right to draft Maye, who likely has the best skill set among all of the QB prospects. McCarthy's ceiling might not be as high as the others, but he proved at Michigan he can run an efficient offense and will now get to throw to Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson. By not getting desperate for a quarterback, the Vikings also added Dallas Turner at No. 17 to pair with free-agent signing Jonathan Greenard.
9. Green Bay Packers
Morgan could compete for the starting left tackle job for the Packers.
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The Packers failed to add a top offensive tackle in last year’s draft, but they didn’t make that same mistake again, one they couldn’t afford because of the departure of David Bakhtiari. Jordan Morgan, the 25th pick, could compete for the left tackle job against Rasheed Walker, who filled in admirably for the injured Bakhtiari in 2023.
Morgan also has the flexibility to play guard, which could explain why the Packers chose him over Guyton, the Cowboys’ first-round pick. In the second round, the Packers took the first off-ball linebacker with Edgerrin Cooper. Perhaps the Texas A&M product could flourish as an immediate starter. Green Bay has invested plenty of draft picks in recent years on defensive players, but hasn’t received many positive returns.
8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
With Canales now calling the plays for Young, the Buccaneers needed to find another way to make life easier for Baker Mayfield, who received a lucrative contract extension after a career year with Canales as the offensive play-caller in Tampa Bay. They did that by drafting center Graham Barton with the No. 26 pick. On paper, the Bucs’ offensive line has come a long way since 2022, when the unit failed to protect Tom Brady during his final season.
With a stout offensive line, Mayfield is well positioned to prove his 2023 season was no fluke. Coach Todd Bowles’s defense got better with second-round selection Chris Braswell, who will join last year’s standout rookie edge rusher Yaya Diaby.
7. New Orleans Saints
The Saints had a sensational start to the draft, selecting offensive tackle Taliese Fuaga and cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry in the first and second rounds, respectively. New Orleans had concerns at tackle with Ryan Ramczyk’s injury issues and Trevor Penning’s struggles on the field. Now they have less problems with the arrival of Fuaga, arguably the best run blocker in the draft.
Fuaga probably will start at right tackle, but he would fix more problems if he’s able to play left tackle. The Penning experience hasn’t worked out and it might be better for New Orleans to move him as a backup tackle. As for McKinstry, it won’t be easy for him to earn a starting job, but he adds youth to a veteran-filled defense. The Saints need more draft picks to become cornerstone pieces to finally gain cap-space flexibility.
6. Arizona Cardinals
Harrison has drawn comparisons to Larry Fitzgerald Jr. and A.J. Green.
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The Cardinals didn’t overthink it and took Marvin Harrison Jr., possibly the best prospect in the draft. Yes, the Cardinals have many needs and would have benefited from the extra picks had they traded out of the No. 4 spot. But you don’t pass on a wide receiver prospect as good as Harrison, who has drawn comparisons to Larry Fitzgerald Jr. and A.J. Green.
Kyler Murray will benefit from Harrison’s presence, as will offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, who had impressive game plans in 2023 despite a poor roster. After taking the dominant Harrison, the Cardinals added Darius Robinson, who could be Arizona's best pass rusher this upcoming season. He’ll join a defensive unit lacking talent outside of safety Budda Baker.
5. Los Angeles Rams
The Rams filled defensive needs with two standout prospects. First, they took edge rusher Jared Verse to pair him with Byron Young, last year’s rookie standout. They followed that by moving up from No. 52 to 39 to select defensive tackle Braden Fiske, who impressed many at the Senior Bowl.
Fiske will have the pressure of filling the massive void left by the retirement of Aaron Donald, but he won’t have to do it alone because the Rams planned ahead. Last year, they drafted Young and defensive tackle Kobie Turner, who became a Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate. L.A. lost a legend in Donald, but now have four intriguing players on the defensive line. Also, the Rams were wise to select running back Blake Corum in the third round. He has a similar skill set to last year’s breakout star Kyren Williams. They should form a dominant duo, and Corum could help as a starter in case Williams deals with injuries again.
4. Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles neglected the secondary last offseason and it cost them during their end-of-season collapse. The secondary should be much improved after Philadelphia added cornerback Quinyon Mitchell and defensive back Cooper DeJean. Mitchell could soon take over as the team’s No. 1 outside cornerback because of his elite traits and athleticism. DeJean will probably flourish in Vic Fangio’s scheme because he can play cornerback and safety.
And it wouldn’t be a Howie Roseman draft without him taking at least one edge rusher. Third-round pick Jalyx Hunt has plenty of upside and could quickly find a rotational role behind Josh Sweat and Bryce Huff.
3. Detroit Lions
Similar to the Eagles, the Lions addressed their secondary needs with a pair of first-round defensive backs. Detroit gets the nod over Philadelphia because Terrion Arnold might be one of the safest picks in the draft. He’s a polished technician with a similar skill set to Seattle’s Devon Witherspoon. Arnold going at No. 24 could end up being the steal of the draft.
The Lions didn’t settle at cornerback and took Ennis Rakestraw Jr. in the second round. The Lions swung and missed on cornerback Cameron Sutton, who was released recently after being a top free-agent addition in 2023. Arnold should be a Day 1 starter, joining last year’s rookie sensation Brian Branch and veteran newcomer Carlton Davis III. It likely won’t take Rakestraw long to crack the cornerback rotation in Detroit.
2. Washington Commanders
Daniels gives the Commanders a chance at long-term success.
Matthew Dobbins-USA TODAY Sports
Jayden Daniels is set up for long-term success after all of the savvy moves Washington has made in its first offseason with a new owner, GM and head coach.
Daniels received a talented tight end in Ben Sinnott, a second-round pick. Daniels also might have the luxury of playing with a much-improved defense. The Commanders’ first pick in the second round was defensive tackle Jer’Zhan “Johnny” Newton, who was viewed by many as a first-round prospect. The Commanders’ second second-round pick was cornerback Mike Sainristil. Coach Dan Quinn now has enough talent to turn the Washington defense from one of the worst to a respectable unit in 2024.
1. Chicago Bears
The Bears could have two Offensive Rookie of the Year candidates after using their two top-10 picks on Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze. On paper, GM Ryan Poles executed one of the best trades in recent years after flipping last year’s No. 1 pick to the Panthers for wide receiver DJ Moore and many draft picks, including two that turned into offensive tackle Darnell Wright and Williams.
But this trade won’t be remembered positively for years to come without Williams turning into an elite quarterback. The pressure is on the USC product, but the Bears have built an ideal surrounding for the top pick, with the trade for Keenan Allen and selection of Odunze, the savvy route router who can create plays on the outside and in the slot. Start the Bears’ hype train because they might be fun to watch with their two top-10 picks.
Five years ago, in “The Art of Coaching” documentary that highlighted the bond between Bill Belichick and Nick Saban, the then-Alabama coach ripped off a rant on NFL teams, and how they handled evaluating his players ahead of the draft.
“One thing that you do, that a lot of the NFL guys don’t do, I don’t know that you’ve ever picked one of our guys if you never talked to me before picking him,” Saban said to Belichick. “And there’s a few other guys in the league that do that. But then there’s another 30 teams that I never hear from, and then they pick somebody and I’m saying, ‘They picked that guy?’ And then they say, ‘Well, we didn’t know this.’ Well, all you had to do is call and I would have told you the good stuff and I would’ve told you any issue.”
Count the Detroit Lions as a team that listens to Saban.
Two consecutive years, they’ve come away from the NFL draft with the guy NFL folks had tabbed as the legendary coach’s favorite in the class. Last year, it was Brian Branch, who became an integral part of the Detroit defense, and a Swiss Army knife for defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. This year, it’s Terrion Arnold, a corner the Lions never thought would be there in the 20s.
Detroit had actually laid groundwork for a trade up—I believe Missouri DE Darius Robinson was the target—which made it easy to pivot and get aggressive in going up from No. 29 to No. 24 to land a falling Arnold.
For his part, Saban loved how Arnold took hard coaching, and attacked the challenge the coaches put in front of him, in sticking with him at corner rather than projecting him to safety like other schools had in recruiting him. Also, Detroit took note of how Saban played him at the “star” position (nickel corner), as well as outside corner. As the Lions see it, being deployed as the star at Alabama is a huge sign of trust and respect from Saban, because of the mental and physical burden he puts on that spot, and the versatility he demands from it.
Branch, for what it’s worth, played a lot there, too.
In this case, it wasn’t like it had been the year before, where GM Brad Holmes personally connected with Saban (they’d talked about Branch and Jahmyr Gibbs last year). But Detroit did have a couple of high-level staffers get to Saban on Arnold, confirming what they’d seen. Which, in the end, made going after Arnold a no-brainer when he slipped.
• There are a lot of stories where a fortunate twist can play into a team drafting a certain player—and the Chargers will have one of those from 2024 if, years from now, OT Joe Alt becomes the sort of franchise cornerstone Joe Hortiz and Jim Harbaugh think he can be.
The fact that the GM and coach were new did limit, to a degree, what they were personally able to do during this draft cycle. But the Chargers were able to get guys out on the road enough, both on the coaching and scouting side. And one such lieutenant that traveled around was veteran line coach Mike Devlin.
As luck would have it, he was assigned to run drills for the offensive line prospects at Notre Dame’s pro day in March. That allowed Devlin to challenge Alt, and to also get to know him better with the extra time he’d get with the Irish captain. Now, it’s not like there were too many revelations on the visit. Everyone knew what sort of player he was. But with the Chargers also liking Alabama RT JC Latham, the little things did make a difference.
The biggest question now is where Alt will fit on the line. All 33 of his starts at Notre Dame came at left tackle, the position Rashawn Slater plays for the Chargers. The plan is to let Alt compete for the starting right tackle spot. That said, he played tight end in high school, and wound up starting at left tackle as a true freshman at Notre Dame. So the lift might not be as heavy for Alt as it would be for others.
And that’s what made this pick so easy for the Chargers. Alt will figure it out, and at a baseline be a really good pro with a chance to be much better, making him the rare high floor-high ceiling prospect. He has some stuff to work on such as his ability to anchor (though the Chargers would tell you to watch how, in those spots, he bends and recovers). But with the presence and intelligence he showed the Chargers in meetings, it’s a good bet that Alt will keep ascending.
The Chiefs guaranteed all $17 million of Kelce's salary for 2024.
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• The Chiefs did right by Travis Kelce, giving the future Hall of Famer what amounts to a plain-old raise Monday—usually teams will require adding years to a player’s contract in exchange, or moving money away from a future year, for giving them this sort of pay bump.
Kelce’s existing contract had a $12 million base salary for this year, with another $750,000 in per-game roster bonuses, and a $250,000 roster bonus. The Chiefs gave him another $4 million, guaranteeing all $17 million for 2023. They left his $17.25 million for 2025 intact, added a trigger that’ll guarantee most of it in March (in the form of an $11.5 million roster bonus due on the third day of the league year), and force the team to make a decision on whether to keep him at the start of free agency.
The two-year deal makes Kelce the highest paid tight end in the NFL heading into a season in which he’ll turn 35. It’s also, truth be told, not that big of a number. He’s making less, in fact, on an APY (average per year) basis than Cleveland Browns WR Jerry Jeudy. Which is to say everything is relative, and in that sense a great tight end is a much better deal in today’s NFL than is a good receiver.
• As happy as the Minnesota Vikings were to get J.J. McCarthy where they did with the 10th pick, I’d say they were more surprised that pass rusher Dallas Turner slipped as deep into the teens as he did, which prompted the reaction from Kevin O’Connell that the team’s in-house crew captured.
In the end, they got two guys who were projected in the top 10 in a series of trade-ups without giving up an additional first-round pick to do it. The downside? It comes in volume. They wound up with seven picks after coming in with nine, and none of those picks came on Day 2 (they had one pick between 17 and 177, and that was at 108). As it stands now, they will have only four picks next year—their own first-rounder, a third-round compensatory pick for Kirk Cousins, their own fifth-rounder, and another fifth-rounder they acquired in the Za’Darius Smith trade.
• With the deadline Thursday, we know that nine of the top 12 picks in the 2021 draft have had their fifth-year option picked up. The three that haven’t, and won’t, are all quarterbacks who have been traded—Zach Wilson, Trey Lance and Justin Fields.
The teams that took those three certainly felt the pain of the misses, but each has recovered nicely. And throw Mac Jones in there, and you have four of five first-round quarterbacks from that year’s class dealt, without a single Day 1 or Day 2 pick included in any of the four trades.
• Interestingly enough, only six of the remaining 22 first-rounders from that year have had their fifth-year options picked up.
• Ezekiel Elliott showed last year with the New England Patriots that he can still play. That said, the Dallas Cowboys can’t run him the way they did in Elliott’s previous stint. I was pretty surprised, as such, that the Cowboys didn’t use one of their eight picks on the position, though they do think highly of Rico Dowdle and Deuce Vaughn.
• It wasn’t a huge surprise that the New York Giants punted on quarterback with Drake Maye three picks before their first-round selection at No. 6—word circulated around the NFL that New York had become a Maye-or-no-QB team over the couple of weeks leading up to the draft. And since they did offer their 2025 first-rounder to get to No. 3, you can see New York saw a gap between the top three and the next three in the class.
• As for how the teams had the guys ranked, the Vikings really dove in on the guys after the top two, and had Maye (for whom they offered 11, 23 and a 2025 first-rounder, with pick swaps favoring them bringing some value back), then McCarthy. The Falcons had Michael Penix Jr. behind Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels (with a few folks in their building personally having Penix second). And Denver had Nix behind only Williams and Daniels.
Latu could be a huge get for the Colts if his neck in healthy.
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
• I can appreciate the video of Colts GM Chris Ballard saying the Indianapolis Colts got the draft’s best pass rusher in Laiatu Latu. Most people, maybe all, I talked to about the UCLA star before the draft told me his tape was the best among the pass rushers. But that’s not the question with Latu; it’s the condition of his nick. But if he’s healthy? Paired with DeForest Buckner in that front, look out.
With the 2024 NFL draft in the books, teams can now form their initial depth charts before mandatory minicamps in June and training camps in late July.
Some teams, such as the Chicago Bears, suddenly have fewer holes on the rosters after stellar draft classes. It helped that the Bears had an extra first-round pick, which they used on Caleb Williams, courtesy of last year’s trade with the Carolina Panthers.
That trade seems to get worse by the month for the Panthers, but they too have fewer needs on their roster with the selection of wide receiver Xavier Legette (though they still have a long way to go before fielding a playoff-worthy roster).
No matter how pleased each club is feeling about their post-draft and post-free agency roster, there are still improvements to be made. Here are the biggest remaining holes for all 32 teams.
Arizona Cardinals: IDL, LB, CB
Wide receiver is no longer a critical need after the selection of Marvin Harrison Jr. The Cardinals, however, have a long way to go to fill out the defense. The unit did benefit from the team’s second first-round pick, edge rusher Darius Robinson. Coach Jonathan Gannon’s defense will rely on veteran cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting to help in the secondary.
Atlanta Falcons: Edge, CB, LB
The Falcons go into another season without much help for defensive lineman Grady Jarrett. Instead of using the No. 8 pick on an edge rusher, the Falcons chose to draft Michael Penix Jr., who likely won’t play in 2024 because of the arrival of Kirk Cousins. Perhaps this blurb will be wrong in November if second-round pick Ruke Orhorhoro and third-round selection Bralen Trice make immediate impacts.
Jackson formed a strong connection with Flowers, who had a team-leading 858 receiving yards in 2023.
David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Baltimore Ravens: WR, OT, Edge
The Ravens addressed their needs at cornerback and offensive guard with the draft selections of Nate Wiggins and Roger Rosengarten in the first and second rounds, respectively. Those were likely the right moves, but again, Lamar Jackson will have a thin receiving corps unless Rashod Bateman finally puts it together to help Zay Flowers. Baltimore is also thin at edge rusher, with Odafe Oweh and Kyle Van Noy as the top options.
Buffalo Bills: Edge, WR, CB
Buffalo hit on some needs in the draft, selecting WR Keon Coleman and S Cole Bishop to shore up immediate weak spots. However, it was surprising to see the Bills not take another receiver. Additionally, Buffalo is thin at pass rusher with only Gregory Rousseau and A.J. Epenesa as reliable pieces. The Bills are also dancing with danger at corner, as the first reserve is Kaiir Elam.
Carolina Panthers: TE, OT, Edge
The Panthers deserve credit for improving the receiving corps with the trade for Diontae Johnson and first-round selection of Xavier Legette. And they might finally have a reliable running back after drafting Jonathon Brooks. But they also might be hurting at tight end with Tommy Tremble and fourth-round pick Ja’Tavion Sanders. As for another glaring need, Carolina has issues at offensive tackle and are banking on a bounce-back season from Ikem Ekwonu, the 2022 No. 6 pick.
Chicago Bears: Edge, IDL, OL
The Bears could be a fun offense to watch after the draft selections of Williams and Rome Odunze. But they’re going to need the offensive line to play better than last year after veteran guard Nate Davis and right tackle Darnell Wright—a 2023 first-round pick—both struggled. Chicago has plenty of talent throughout the defense, but the team could use more depth on the defensive front.
Cincinnati Bengals: CB, Edge, G
Cincinnati used three of its first four draft picks to build in the trenches, but never added a guard. With Alex Cappa entering the final year of his deal and Cordell Volson being inconsistent, that could have been an option on the second or third day. Meanwhile, with Trey Hendrickson demanding a trade, the Bengals are already thin on the edge and could be in a huge bind if Hendrickson plays hardball.
Cleveland Browns: QB, ILB, OLB
The Browns really need a quarterback, but they’re stuck with Deshaun Watson and his contract for two more years. Defensively, the second level is a big concern beyond Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. Jordan Hicks and Devin Bush are in line for serious playing time, and at this juncture, neither are prolific. Losing Sione Takitaki this offseason in free agency may loom large.
Dallas Cowboys: RB, C, IDL
Ezekiel Elliott is once again the Cowboys’ No. 1 running back. Just one problem: It’s 2024. Elliott is no longer in his prime and the Cowboys don’t have much stability behind him on the depth chart. Dallas also has concerns at center, but the team drafted Cooper Beebe in the third round. He’ll likely compete with Brock Hoffman for the starting job. Regardless of who’s snapping the ball to Dak Prescott, they’ll be surrounded by plenty of talent with Zack Martin, Tyler Smith and 2024 first-round pick Tyler Guyton.
Denver Broncos: C, ILB, CB
The Broncos’ list could have been 10 positions deep, but let’s be kind. Denver lost Lloyd Cushenberry in free agency and never replaced him. Denver also saw Josey Jewell head for the Panthers and did little to shore up that spot, with Alex Singleton and Cody Barton in line to start. At corner, it’s Patrick Surtain II and a lot of question marks—specifically if Levi Wallace will hold onto his job for 17 weeks.
Hutchinson (No. 97) has posted 21 sacks over his first two seasons.
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Detroit Lions: WR, Edge, LB
It was tough finding three roster holes for the stacked Lions. They might be forced to draft a wide receiver next season if Jameson Williams doesn’t make the leap in 2024 to help recently-paid Amon-Ra St. Brown. Also, star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson needs a long-term running mate. For now, they’re banking on free-agent newcomer Marcus Davenport. After spending the past year writing about the Lions’ needs at cornerback, they drafted Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw Jr. to form an intriguing cornerback group.
Green Bay Packers: OL, CB, IDL
The Packers’ offensive line appears incomplete because they haven’t decided what to do with first-round pick Jordan Morgan, who can play tackle and guard. If Morgan plays guard, this unit might be close to complete. But Green Bay is going to need another stellar season for Rasheed Walker, who filled in admirably last season at left tackle. Cornerback Jaire Alexander might again need help, but at least the team made defensive upgrades with free agent addition Xavier McKinney and rookie linebacker Edgerrin Cooper.
Houston Texans: DT, CB, OLB
Not surprisingly, the Texans’ needs are exclusive to the defense. Houston brought in Denico Autry to shore up the interior of its line, but the rest of the defensive tackles are underwhelming, and Autry is 34 years old. On the second level, Houston is thin, relying heavily on Christian Harris and Azeez Al-Shaair. At corner, it’s Derek Stingley Jr. and a ton of hope, with rookie Kamari Lassiter expected to play a big role.
Indianapolis Colts: CB, S, TE
This wasn’t a great year to need a tight end, but the Colts not making any effort to upgrade at the position was a bit surprising. Defensively, Indianapolis has a solid front seven that should be good against the run and the pass. However, the secondary is banking big on corners JuJu Brents and Kenny Moore II, while hoping Dallas Flowers and Nick Cross are ready for increased roles.
Jacksonville Jaguars: CB, S, Edge
The Jaguars treated the cornerback position this offseason as though they have Sauce Gardner. Unfortunately, that’s not the case, and corner is a major concern. Safety isn’t much better, with Andre Cisco and questions galore. At edge, the starters are terrific in Josh Allen and Travon Walker, but Jacksonville could have used a rotational pass rusher. Perhaps it still finds one.
Kansas City Chiefs: RB, DT, CB
After trading L’Jarius Sneed to the Tennessee Titans, the Chiefs created a need at corner, but didn’t address it until the sixth round. They’re banking on Jaylen Watson and Joshua Williams, who are both in their third year but have so far been unspectacular. At defensive tackle, Chris Jones is incredible, but depth is a minor question. Finally, who backs up Isiah Pacheco? Maybe Jerick McKinnon comes back later.
Las Vegas Raiders: QB, RB, CB
Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell will compete for the starting job under center, while running back Josh Jacobs left in free agency and was never replaced. Suffice to say, Las Vegas has some problems in the backfield. Defensively, the front seven is rounding into form under coach Antonio Pierce, but the secondary remains a concern with corner being the biggest problem.
Johnston was a first-round pick in 2023 but struggled during his rookie season, tallying just 38 catches for 431 yards.
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Los Angeles Chargers: WR, ILB, CB
Los Angeles is in the middle of overhauling its roster, and should be competitive in Jim Harbaugh’s first year. That said, the Chargers have significant questions at receiver, with rookie Ladd McConkey and 2023 draftee Quentin Johnston headlining the group. On defense, Los Angeles has weak points on all three levels. The biggest questions are whether rookie linebacker Junior Colson can play immediately and if Ja’Sir Taylor can hold up in the slot.
Los Angeles Rams: OT, LB, CB
The Rams had a near perfect draft on the defensive side after using first- and second-round picks on edge rusher Jared Verse and defensive tackle Braden Fiske. If they add a veteran linebacker in the coming months, the Rams could have a sneaky good defense during their first year without Aaron Donald. Los Angeles, however, is taking a chance with Alaric Jackson as the starting left tackle again.
Miami Dolphins: C, DT, S
The Dolphins have real questions on both sides of the ball. At center, Connor Williams remains a free agent after tearing his ACL late last season, and while Aaron Brewer was signed, he’s not on the same level as Williams. Defensively, Christian Wilkins’s departure leaves a huge hole in the middle of the front. On the back end, Miami needs help at safety and corner, with Jordan Poyer being heavily relied upon.
Minnesota Vikings: OL, IDL, CB
The Vikings don’t have much stability on the offensive line after stud left tackle Christian Darrisaw. Perhaps good coaching and elite skill players could mask the lack of talent on the offensive line. But that might not be enough to help the erratic Sam Darnold and rookie J.J. McCarthy. The Vikings have a fearsome duo at edge rusher with Jonathan Greenard and rookie Dallas Turner. As for the interior, they might not have one standout defensive tackle.
New England Patriots: G, S, K
Yes, kicker. Did anybody else watch Chad Ryland kick the ball last year? He was terrible. Ryland hit on just 16-of-25 field goals, including missing half of his 10 attempts between 40–49 yards. Additionally, safety Kyle Dugger is excellent, but Jabrill Peppers is only decent and the depth behind them is questionable. On offense, the offensive line is a concern, with guard particularly thin.
New Orleans Saints: OL, IDL, Edge
The Saints might be overthinking it by not placing first-round pick Taliese Fuaga at offensive tackle. If they move him to guard, that means they’re giving 2022 first rounder Trevor Penning another shot at proving himself at left tackle. They’re also banking on Ryan Ramczyk staying healthy. If Chase Young has a bounce-back season, the Saints could be in good shape on the defensive front. But they need to get younger on the defensive line.
New York Giants: RB, TE, S
The Giants are going to need Devin Singletary to have a career year in his sixth NFL season because they didn’t do much to replace Saquon Barkley. They could soon have a giant hole at tight end if Darren Waller decides to officially retire. New York gained a dynamic weapon after drafting WR Malik Nabers, but this offense still needs plenty of work.
New York Jets: DT, TE, WR
This might seem like an odd list, but hang in there. The Jets are banking heavily on Mike Williams staying healthy … at 30 years old … on the MetLife Stadium turf. If he doesn’t hold up, it’s rookie Malachi Corley and Garrett Wilson. Not bad, but unsettled. Tight end is much worse, with Tyler Conklin and not much else. At defensive tackle, Quinnen Williams is fantastic, but there’s not much around him.
Philadelphia Eagles: LB, S, IDL
GM Howie Roseman got plenty of love for another impressive draft class. But he neglected the linebacker position, perhaps the weakest group for the Eagles last season. Roseman must really like the free-agency addition of linebacker Devin White. Philadelphia is going to need 2022 draft picks Jordan Davis, a defensive tackle, and Nakobe Dean, a linebacker, to step up and assist the defensive front.
Pickens will need to develop chemistry with a new quarterback in 2024.
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Pittsburgh Steelers: CB, WR, QB
The Steelers have George Pickens on the outside, but beyond him? Quez Watkins, Van Jefferson and rookie Roman Wilson will all compete for serious snaps. Opposite receiver, the corner room is unsettled with Joey Porter Jr. and Donte Jackson starting outside, but question marks Darius Rush, Cory Trice Jr. and rookie Ryan Watts are all projected to serve as rotational pieces. And, yes, Pittsburgh has two quarterbacks and none at the same time.
San Francisco 49ers: Edge, IDL, IOL
The 49ers are banking on veterans to replace edge rusher Chase Young and defensive tackle Arik Armstead. Time will tell if the rotation of Leonard Floyd, Drake Jackson and Yetur Gross-Matos is enough to assist Nick Bosa. The 49ers tend to make it work on the offensive line, but they’re lacking talent on the inside.
Seattle Seahawks: IOL, LB, TE
The Seahawks will need Nick Harris to step up at center to protect Geno Smith. They’re also taking a chance with Noah Fant as the full-time starter at tight end—they lost Colby Parkinson and Will Dissly in free agency. Seattle didn’t do much to fill the voids left by the departures of inside linebackers Bobby Wagner and Jordyn Brooks.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: OG, CB, Edge
Ben Bredeson has plenty of experience as a former starting guard for the Giants, but they had one of the worst interior offensive lines the past few seasons. Perhaps Bredeson will have better luck in Tampa Bay playing alongside a revamped offensive line, which added center Graham Barton in the draft. The Buccaneers lack experience at cornerback outside of Jamel Dean.
Tennessee Titans: ILB, S, RT
The Titans did a nice job with the roster this offseason, upgrading both sides of the ball. However, Dillon Radunz is a question mark at right tackle alongside Nicholas Petit-Frere. On defense, the inside linebacker combo of Kenneth Murray Jr. and Jack Gibbens doesn’t inspire confidence. Teams will try to exploit them repeatedly, especially in play-action situations.
Washington Commanders: OL, Edge, CB
The Commanders might have waited too long to address their need at left tackle. They had three second-round picks and didn’t use one on an offensive lineman. They now need Brandon Coleman, a third rounder, to be an immediate contributor at left tackle. Washington’s defense could have a much-improved season with the many new arrivals, but the unit could suffer from a lack of depth at edge rusher and in the secondary.
