Thousands of athletes from across the globe wait patiently for their names to be called at the podium. They wait nervously as the clock ticks down and days pass. In the three days that make up the NFL draft, 259 players get their once-in-a-lifetime shot at making it to the league and cementing their legacy as one of the game’s greats. With the conclusion of the previous season, the draft allows franchises the opportunity for a fresh start. Fresh out of college, young players are brought into the professional world of the National Football League to be molded into future stars for their respective franchises.
The draft was first introduced in 1936 in Philadelphia’s Ritz-Carlton Hotel. The draft first started with a pool of 90 players, 81 of whom were drafted, and only 24 of those players chose to enter the league. The first-ever pick in the NFL draft decided to be a salesman instead of entering the league. In the 88 years since the draft’s introduction, what started as a collection of a few dozen men in a hotel event space has expanded into a yearly event that brings hundreds of thousands of fans to the in-person event and millions more watch in anticipation for who their favorite team will draft.
After the Super Bowl, the NFL is almost entirely directed toward the draft. General Managers and Scouts spend thousands of hours watching and studying tapes on the incoming class. The Combine, Senior Bowl, and individual pro days all provide more clarity to the NFL world about the players who will soon be drafted in April. Each draft class is unique, and the 2024 class is no different. The headliner is quarterback (QB) Caleb Williams, of the University of Southern California. He has drawn a ton of media attention for his Patrick Mahomes-like on-field play style, the post-game tears he shared with his mother, and his habit of painting his nails. He is a polarizing figure, but most of the draft community has long penciled him in as the first overall pick, assuming the Chicago Bears’ starting QB job in the fall.
Another major headline for this draft class is the father-son connections entering the NFL this draft cycle. The most prolific receiver in the class, Marvin Harrison Jr. from Ohio State University, is the son of Colts Hall of Fame receiver Marvin Harrison. Outside of Harrison, Notre Dame’s Joe Alt, Michigan’s Kris Jenkins, and University of Southern California’s Brenden Rice, amongst many others, had extremely successful fathers in the league.
The first draft day hosts the first round of picks and is usually the most influential for a franchise going forward. The first round is where the top talent worldwide can be valued as the franchise-altering players they have trained to become. A great pick can start a dynasty, and a poor one can put the team back for years. The first round of the 2024 draft was one for the history books. The draft began with three straight quarterbacks going off the board: Caleb Williams to the Bears, Louisiana State University’s Jayden Daniels to the Commanders, and University of North Carolina’s Drake Maye to the Patriots. Those three would be followed up by 11 more offensive players in a row, setting the record for most draft picks before the selection of a defensive player in the NFL draft’s first round in history.
Amongst those picks, six of them were quarterbacks, the aforementioned three, J.J. McCarthy of Michigan, who the Minnesota Vikings traded up to select, Bo Nix of Oregon drafted by the Broncos, and arguably the most surprising pick of the night, Michael Penix of Washington being chosen by the Atlanta Falcons. The six QBs set three records, including the first time four QBs were taken in the top eight, the first time five QBs were taken in the top 10, and the first time six QBs were taken in the top 12, as well as tying 1983’s draft as the only other one to have six QBs go in the first round.
McCarthy’s selection has been seemingly well received, with the Athletic, Bleacher Report, and SB Nation all grading the selection an A- or above. Nix and Penix, on the other hand, have brewed massive controversies. Nix’s selection has disappointed the draft community with an average C grade from 12 national pundit sources. The selection of Penix was a shocker to all, especially current Falcons QB Kirk Cousins, who had just signed a 4-year $180 million contract with the team this offseason. CBS reported that “Cousins wasn’t given a heads-up by the Falcons, who notified Cousins of their plans just before drafting Penix.” The Falcons seem to be preparing Cousins’ replacement, but it is such a shock for a plethora of reasons. Firstly, the Falcons cannot get out of Cousins’ contract until 2027. Secondly, Penix is already an older prospect and, barring injury, would not start in a Falcons’ uniform until the age of 27. Finally, the Falcons are in a window for Super Bowl contention. They currently have the 12th highest Super Bowl odds in the league, while the rest of their division is ranked in the bottom half by those same odds. While the selection is surprising, there is not a clear verdict on the pick, with major sources giving grades from a B+ to an F and everything in between.
With the 14-strong offensive streak to begin the draft, the first round saw a grand total of 23 offensive players come off the board, besting the previous record of 19. The 2024 draft was also a record-tying one for receivers and offensive tackles. Seven pass-catchers went off the board in the first round, and eight tackles, tying records in 2004 and 2008, respectively.
After the conclusion of the first round, NFL teams continue looking for talent in the next six rounds and a period for undrafted free agents to sign to rosters. As the draft concludes, every roster will look remarkably different, with new players ready to compete and make a name for themselves. First-round pedigree means a little once the pads must go on the facilities open for training camp. The 2024 NFL season will be these young players’ first opportunity to show their skills at the professional level and a fresh slate for every franchise to compete for the touted Super Bowl trophy.
