The first night of the NFL Draft is in the books!
There was plenty of excitement, twists, and turns in the first 32 picks. As a result, some players and teams saw their stock rise, while others saw their stock dip. It is very early, as there are still six more rounds to go, but here are some of the early risers and fallers after the draft’s first night.
This one is pretty chalky and not a surprise.
Trading with the Buffalo Bills of all teams, the Kansas City Chiefs selected the blazing-fast Xavier Worthy with the 28th overall pick.
Worthy broke the all-time 40-yard dash record at the NFL Combine with a 4.21 time. On tape, he constantly showed his otherworldly speed, easily beating defenders off the line. Worthy also displayed great route running to complement his upper-echelon speed.
Worthy has a significant downside, as he is a massive size and weight outlier at the NFL level. But heading to a team with legendary coach Andy Reid and legendary quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Worthy will thrive in 2024.
Overall, the Chicago Bears had a banner night on Thursday.
On top of adding star quarterback prospect Caleb Williams, they were able to sit at the ninth overall pick and snag top wideout prospect Rome Odunze.
Williams is set to become one of the most prominent young stars in the NFL. He can do it all at the quarterback position, from standing in the pocket and delivering a laser to creating a chunk play out of thin air. Odunze is a monster contested-catch threat that can create separation in various ways. He can win his routes in all areas of the field.
Combined with a deep roster on paper, the Bears look ready to compete for the playoffs in the NFC in 2024.
Speaking of young stars in the NFL, Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence is another riser after the draft’s first round.
The Jaguars added LSU wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. with the #23 overall selection, acquired after trading down from the #17 overall pick. Thomas Jr., while raw as an overall player, is a monster-deep threat. He has the speed to take the top off a defense and open up plenty of room for his offense in the intermediate and short areas of the field.
With Thomas Jr. added to a unit with Christian Kirk, Zay Jones, and Gabe Davis, Jacksonville seems primed to be a team aiming to push the ball down the field in 2024.
That will be highly beneficial to Lawrence, who has a rocket of an arm that has not been fully utilized at the next level. With all of their offensive additions, the former Clemson quarterback seems poised for a big 2024 season.
Despite there being multiple winners, there are also some losers after night one of the NFL Draft.
Night one of the NFL Draft was… interesting for the Falcons.
They selected Michael Penix Jr., the star quarterback out of Washington, with the number eight overall pick in the draft. In a vacuum, it was an awesome moment. Penix, who has fought through mountains of adversity in his career, finally reached the mountaintop and had a moment he would never forget.
However, exterior circumstances made the night not so smooth for the Falcons. For starters, multiple teams were interested in moving up to #8. The Jets reportedly wanted Rome Odunze, while the Seahawks, Saints, and Raiders wanted Penix.
Additionally, the team already signed quarterback Kirk Cousins to a lucrative contract worth over $100 million. The team did not inform the veteran about the selection, causing his agent to leak that Cousins was not thrilled.
Ultimately, the Falcons made one of the most confusing decisions of the entire draft. Penix, almost 24 years old, is an NFL-ready quarterback who will likely sit until he is at least 26. They did not take additional draft capital, any of the defensive players on the board, or Rome Odunze, all decisions that would have benefitted a team in win-now mode.
This verdict will be mainly incomplete until we see it play out on the field, but at this moment, Micheal Mayer is a player with their stock faller.
The Raiders selected Georgia tight end Brock Bowers with the #13 overall pick in the draft, taking the best available player on the board. While rumored to go quarterback or defense, Las Vegas took a position they already had a young option at.
It is possible that the Raiders could play Mayer and Bowers at two different spots or on the field together. Mayer is the more in-line type of player, doing his work on the line of scrimmage. Bowers is a chess piece that can line up in-line, in the slot, or as an H-back.
Until then, though, Mayer’s stock has taken a hit. He is no longer the sole valuable tight end for Vegas and has likely seen his target share decrease significantly.
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