The NFL draft is behind us, and pundits, evaluators and fantasy experts can all take a collective breath as we await the next step in the NFL offseason. With training camps still a few months away, we’ve officially entered the “slow season” for NFL addicts like myself. We have plenty of time ahead of us for fantasy projections, trade rumours and guessing team over/under win totals. But now that we’ve had a moment to take in all the picks from the draft weekend, we’ll look to break down each teams picks, division by division.
We’ll kick this series of articles off by checking in on the North divisions.
AFC North
Notoriously one of the hardest divisions in football, the AFC North also contains some of the best drafting teams across the entire NFL. The division sent three teams to the playoffs last season, with the Bengals missing out despite a 9-8 record as they lost superstar quarterback Joe Burrow for multiple games. The 2024 season will be another dogfight, and most of the teams in the division have once again set themselves up for success this coming season.
Baltimore Ravens:
- 1 (30): CB Nate Wiggins, Clemson
- 2 (62): T Roger Rosengarten, Washington
- 3 (93): EDGE Adisa Isaac, Penn State
- 4 (113): WR Devontez Walker, North Carolina
- 4 (130): CB TJ Tampa, Iowa State
- 5 (165): RB Rasheen Ali, Marshall
- 6 (218): QB Devin Leary, Kentucky
- 7 (228): C Nick Samac, Michigan State
- 7 (250): S Sanoussi Kane, Purdue
Coming into the draft, I wasn’t completely sold on Nate Wiggins as a star caliber NFL CB. Standing at 6’2” but only weighing 185 lbs, his weight was a major flag to me, especially after Emmanuel Forbes (6’1”, 180 lbs) didn’t make a successful leap to the NFL last season with the Washington Commanders. Then he was drafted into the perfect situation and I am now convinced that the Ravens got yet another steal in round one. Wiggins will be joining Marlon Humphrey and Kyle Hamilton in the secondary in Baltimore. Two defensive stars that will help insulate him as he learns how to handle the strength of receivers at the NFL level. Wiggins always had the potential to become a high level player – he has elite closing speed and has some experience in press coverage at the college level – but he really needed to land in the right spot to succeed. And Baltimore is absolutely that spot.
The Ravens also managed to grab a likely starting right tackle in Rosengarten in the second round, an edge rusher with excellent hand work who they can develop in Isaac who shouldn’t have still been hanging around at pick 93, a field stretching wide receiver in Walker, and ended the massive slide of T.J. Tampa in round 4. Tampa is a versatile defender who can slot in as a safety and could become a starter earlier than his 4th round selection would indicate. The Ravens defence lost quite a few pieces in the offseason, and they still might end up with a better defence in 2024.
Another absolute win at the draft by the Ravens as they look to repeat as division champs.
Cleveland Browns:
- 2 (54): DI Michael Hall Jr., Ohio State
- 3 (85): G Zak Zinter, Michigan
- 5 (157): WR Jamari Thrash, Louisville
- 6 (206): LB Nathaniel Watson, Mississippi State
- 7 (227): CB Myles Harden, South Dakota
- 7 (243): DI Jowon Briggs, Cincinnati
The Browns are still suffering from throwing away most of their draft picks on Deshaun Watson. So with limited resources, they weren’t expected to make much of an impact in the draft.
Michael Hall Jr. has some upside as a pass rusher and should have some lanes open up playing next to Myles Garrett and Za’Darius Smith. But he’s undersized and has yet to show much in run defence. He was a bit of a reach at 54th overall, but he should be a day one rotational piece on the defensive line at the very least and will be under the tutelage of some of the best defensive lineman in the league.
Zac Zinter is still recovering from a nasty leg injury suffered in Michigan’s final regular season game, but he has potential to be a future starter for the club. Meanwhile Thrash gives the team some depth at wide receiver.
Their best pick of the weekend might be their seventh round pick of Harden. While the Browns already have a deep defensive backfield, Harden comes in with four years of starting experience and could compete for the starting role as a slot defender. That’s great value with the 227th pick.
The Browns didn’t do anything wrong at the draft, but with their lack of resources it’s hard to think that they really did much to improve their team when compared to the rest of the division.
Pittsburgh Steelers:
- 1 (20): T Troy Fautanu, Washington
- 2 (51): C Zach Frazier, West Virginia
- 3 (84): WR Roman Wilson, Michigan
- 3 (97): LB Payton Wilson, NC State
- 4 (119): G Mason McCormick, South Dakota State
- 6 (178): DI Logan Lee, Iowa
- 6 (195): CB Ryan Watts, Texas
The Steelers are big winners coming out of the draft for yet another season. Over the past two seasons Pittsburgh has completely rebuilt their offensive line and it wouldn’t be surprising if they have one of the best units in the league by the end of the season. With new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith in place, the Steelers will definitely be prioritizing the run game this year, and have set themselves up for success as much as they possibly could.
Fautanu gives them positional versatility across the line as he already has experience playing both inside and outside. He could be a day one plug and play starter at left tackle if needed, but could also fill in along the line wherever the Steelers feel like he fits best. I’m legitimately excited to see the training camp battles this summer to see where he ends up starting for this club, but there’s no doubt in my mind that he’ll be a longtime starter, however they decide to integrate him into the NFL. Pittsburgh wasn’t done there as they used their second round pick on a bruising centre in Zach Frazier who has the potential to be a standout starter for the club for the next decade. The offensive line reconnaissance was completed with the selection of McCormick out of South Dakota State in the fourth round, who will begin his career as a rotational piece but will push for a starting role as soon as this coming season.
Roman Wilson is one of the most pro ready receivers in the draft and is an incredible value in the 3rd round. Pittsburgh needed another receiver to line up opposite of George Pickens after the Diontae Johnson trade and Wilson has all the tools to be an excellent complement to their new WR1. Wilson is electric with the ball in his hands and will be an immediate threat in the red zone for the Steelers.
I was already incredibly high on Payton Wilson as a linebacker prospect, but the landing spot also bodes well for his development. He’s a first round talent, but unfortunately has had multiple major injuries that resulted in surgeries. Despite being healthy for the past two seasons, reports from the likes of Ian Rapoport stating that he’s “Missing an ACL” definitely took him off of many team’s draft boards.
None of the Steelers picks are sexy, but nothing the Steelers ever do tends to be. They’re quietly building an incredible supporting unit, and if they get even adequate quarterback play from Russell Wilson/Justin Fields, Mike Tomlin will be coaching his team to another above .500 record and be real threats in the playoffs.
Cincinnati Bengals:
- 1 (18): T Amarius Mims, Georgia
- 2 (49): DI Kris Jenkins, Michigan
- 3 (80): WR Jermaine Burton, Alabama
- 3 (96): DI McKinnley Jackson, Texas A&M
- 4 (115): TE Erick All, Iowa
- 5 (149): CB Josh Newton, TCU
- 6 (194): TE Tanner McLachlan, Arizona
- 6 (214): EDGE Cedric Johnson, Ole Miss
- 7 (224): S Daijahn Anthony, Ole Miss
- 7 (237): C Matt Lee, Miami
The Bengals entered the draft with genuine questions as to their future at the wide receiver position with reports of Tee Higgins requesting a trade after not receiving what he and his agent deems to be a reasonable contract extension. But that didn’t seem to force the Bengals hand as they held fast, didn’t move Higgins and made some very good picks that will set the team up in the long run.
Amarious Mims was off of several teams draft boards due to the fact that he only has 8 career starts in college and suffered an ankle injury in 2023 that required tightrope surgery. Despite this, Mims has as much upside as any offensive lineman in the draft. He’s heading to a team that’s realized over the past couple of seasons that they need to invest more resources in their offensive line to protect Joe Burrow, and Mims finds a perfect landing spot. The offensive line is in good shape, so the Bengals will be able to bring Mims along slowly, and bring him up to speed at the NFL level. Once Mims is fully healthy, the 21 year old 6’8” 340 lb athletic freak has already shown good hand technique and should develop into an elite level blocker. This is a pick that has a massive upside for the Bengals.
After losing some pieces along their defensive line, the Bengals snagged arguably the pound for pound strongest defensive tackle in the draft. Jenkins has some shortcomings in pass rush situations, but he’s one of the highest graded run defenders of this year’s class and is a dream fit for Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo. Being able to snag him to try and replace what D.J. Reader brought to the table at 49 is a big win for the club.
WR Jermaine Burton could end up being a steal in a few years if/when the team is forced to move on from Tee Higgins. He’s another player that fell due to some character concerns in college, but on the field he has extremely sticky hands and can make plays on all three levels of the field. Erick All also has some injury concerns but is an extremely athletic tight end who brings some serious tackle breaking ability and fills a position of need.
This year’s draft class might not make an immediate impact for a team that’s in win now mode. But this is the type of draft class we may look back on in a couple of seasons if the Bengals finally get over the hump and point to all of the star caliber players they were able to acquire.
NFC North
The NFC North is on the rise and are looking to become one of the top divisions in the league for years to come. With the Detroit Lions seemingly taking over the division following years of disappointment, they now find themselves surrounded by three young, high potential quarterbacks who are being insulated with high octane offences. This division will be thrilling to watch week in and week out.
Detroit Lions
- 1 (24): CB Terrion Arnold, Alabama
- 2 (61): CB Ennis Rakestraw Jr., Missouri
- 4 (126): T Giovanni Manu, University of British Columbia
- 4 (132): S Sione Vaki, Utah
- 6 (189): DI Mekhi Wingo, LSU
- 6 (210): G Christian Mahogany, Boston College
The Detroit Lions entered the draft with a major need in the defensive backfield after finishing 30th in coverage grade in 2023 and came away with two day one starters at cornerback.
With cornerbacks plummeting down draft boards in round one, the Lions made a quick trade up to take one of the top three cornerbacks in the draft in Terrion Arnold, and then were able to pair him with Ennis Rakestraw Jr. in the second round to completely revamp their defence. Arnold led all SEC cornerbacks in interceptions and pass breakups in 2023 while also leading the conference with a 90.6 PFF run grade. Arnold is also one of the most competitive players in the entire draft and his hard working mentality will fit in seamlessly with the locker room culture Dan Campbell has built in Detroit.
Doubling up on a position of need with Rakestraw, along with what they were able to do in free agency, turns the team’s weakness into a potential strength. Rakestraw is slightly undersized, but makes up for it with his relentless physical style of play that will endear him to Lions fans the second he sees NFL action.
Detroit then added some Canadian content to the roster, grabbing an absolute monster of a man in tackle Giovanni Manu from UBC. Manu is definitely a project, but the Lions have depth. Giving the 6’7” 350 lbs athlete some time to get used to the jump in competition will bode well for his development. Manu is a nasty blocker with long arms and surprisingly good bend for his size, so if he can’t make the leap to play tackle he can certainly make it as an interior lineman. Patience will be needed, but he landed in the right environment in Detroit.
Christian Mahogany also has the potential to be one of the steals of the entire draft after allowing only 7 pressures as a 3 year starter in college. He’s ideally suited for a downhill running scheme and is as aggressive as they come. Teams will absolutely hate to play against him. If he can get avoid taking too many penalties, he can be a strong starter for the Lions making him an impressive steal with the 210th overall pick.
After criticizing the Lions last year for not drafting for positional value in mind and still coming away with one of the best draft classes, they went and attacked a position of need and continued to bring in players that fit the team’s overall mentality. Brad Holmes and his team have done an A+ job of scouting and drafting over the past couple of seasons, and wearing this shirt to post draft pressers will only endear him further to Detroit fans.
Green Bay Packers
- 1 (25): T Jordan Morgan, Arizona
- 2 (45): LB Edgerrin Cooper, Texas A&M
- 2 (58): S Javon Bullard, Georgia
- 3 (88): RB MarShawn Lloyd, USC
- 3 (91): LB Ty’Ron Hopper, Missouri
- 4 (111): S Evan Williams, Oregon
- 5 (163): OT Jacob Monk, Duke
- 5 (169): S Kitan Oladapo, Oregon State
- 6 (202): OT Travis Glover, Georgia State
- 7 (245): QB Michael Pratt, Tulane
- 7 (255): CB Kalen King, Penn State
The Green Bay Packers are probably a year or two ahead of where most people projected them to be following Jordan Love’s first season as their starting quarterback, but they still played it quite safe in this year’s draft. They definitely found some potential starters in positions of need, but it’s more like they were swinging for contact and not looking to hit any home runs.
Jordan Morgan is an ok to good prospect, and after coming back from a torn ACL had an excellent season in Arizona at tackle. There are questions about his ability to play outside in the NFL due to his shorter arms and lack of high level strength, but he could slot in as a rotational offensive lineman in year 1. With such a deep class of offensive lineman, it would have been nice to see the Packers take a more impactful player with this pick.
The linebacker group in this draft class was also particularly shallow, and the Packers were the first to select one with their second round pick of Edgerrin Cooper out of Texas A&M. I wasn’t high on any of the linebacker prospects, but I actually see this as being a great fit. Green Bay relies on their linebackers more than most teams, and Cooper will blend in nicely next to Quay Walker. Cooper needs to improve his instincts in coverage, but otherwise he’s a solid player.
Javon Bullard was my favorite pick of the draft for the Packers. After signing Xavier McKinney in free agency, they still had a major need at safety and Bullard will step in and be a strong day one starter for the team. He’s excellent in coverage and has experience playing in the slot in Georgia, and is both a fierce competitor and leader.
Jacob Monk might sneak his way into a starting role at center sooner rather than later, and MarShawn Lloyd should have no issues supplanting A.J. Dillon as the team’s backup running back behind Josh Jacobs.
Again, a solid if unspectacular draft in green bay.
Minnesota Vikings
- 1 (10): QB J.J. McCarthy, Michigan
- 1 (17): EDGE Dallas Turner, Alabama
- 4 (108): CB Khyree Jackson, Oregon
- 6 (177): T Walter Rouse, Oklahoma
- 6 (203): K Will Reichard, Alabama
- 7 (230): C Michael Jurgens, Wake Forest
- 7 (232): DI Levi Drake Rodriguez, Texas A&M–Commerce
The worst kept secret in the entire draft process was that the Vikings wanted to draft J.J. McCarthy to be the heir to the Kirk Cousins throne. They were able to hold fast and only move up one spot to select him tenth overall despite rumors that they would have to move into the top 5 to make the selection. I may not be the biggest McCarthy believer, but drafting someone who will fit with Kevin O’Connell’s offence without having to give up the future is great news for Vikings fans. McCarthy didn’t have to do much behind a run dominant offence in Michigan, but did show plenty during the rare third and long situations. At 21 years old he has plenty of growth left ahead of him, especially considering he’ll be surrounded by Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson.
With the additional draft capital the Vikings had previously obtained, they decided to package some picks and move up to take one of the top edge rushers in the draft in Dallas Turner. Turner was mocked as a top 10 pick leading up to the draft. And while the Vikings did use a lot of assets to get to the 17th overall pick, they’ve more than replaced the departure of Danielle Hunter with Turner and free agent signees Jonathon Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores loves to mix up his rushing packages and send blitzes from all over the field and Turner gives him yet another versatile weapon to unleash.
Khyree Jackson was another nice pickup in the fourth round. He has rare size for a cornerback at 6’4” and 194 lbs which allows him to match up against NFL caliber receivers, although he’s still raw and needs to improve his discipline on the field.
Overall, the Vikings got some players that fit into what they want to do on both offence and defence, but the cost was great. The Turner move alone cost them six picks if you count what they gave up to acquire the 23rd overall pick prior to the draft. They put lots of eggs into this basket which could end up hurting their overall depth in the long run.
Chicago Bears
- 1 (1): QB Caleb Williams, USC
- 1 (9): WR Rome Odunze, Washington
- 3 (75): OT Kiran Amegadjie, Yale
- 4 (121): P Tory Taylor, Iowa
- 5 (144): EDGE Austin Booker, Kansas
When your team finishes 7-10 with an inspired second half of the season and you still get to select a bonafide superstar quarterback with the number one overall pick, it has been a good weekend.
There’s not much more that needs to be said about Caleb Williams. He has all the tools to become the next great NFL quarterback both on and off the field. He was charismatic and endearing during interviews and will be the face of Chicago football for years to come as the franchise looks to have their first ever 4,000 yard passer. His interactions with the more reserved Odunze after they were both selected highlight what will be an intriguing combination to watch as they develop into NFL stars alongside each other.
Giving Williams as many weapons as possible was an absolute must for GM Ryan Poles as the offseason trade for wide receiver Keenan Allen didn’t dissuade the Bears from taking Rome Odunze with the ninth overall pick in the draft. Odunze has the skillset to be an elite X receiver in his own right. And while his targets might be limited in year one with Allen, D.J. Moore and Cole Kmet already on the roster, he gets to learn under one of the greatest route runners of the past decade and will be ready to take on a more important role in year 2.
Kiran Amegadijie is a supremely athletic left tackle prospect who’s extremely long and has a very high ceiling. As long as he’s given the right path for development he could become a key starter for the Bears and fits in with their ascending timeline.
The Bears moves in the 2023 draft paid off in spades and they’re looking like a team to watch in the 2024 season. The selections of Williams and Odunze are almost good enough to let me ignore the fact that they took a punter in the fourth round despite only having five total picks. Almost.
-Devon Gallant
Twitter: @DevGallant
Photo: SteelCityHobbies. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.