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Even with everything that has happened, all six quarterbacks selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft would still likely be Day 1 picks if teams were given the option of a do-over two and a half seasons later.
J.J. McCarthy failed as the Vikings’ top-10 selection, but they’re likely wishing they still had him after how poorly it’s gone with new quarterback Kyler Murray this season. Also, McCarthy has gotten his career back on track with how well he’s played in five quarters as the Giants’ signal-caller. As for a fun fact: three players who went in the top 19 of this draft have already been traded, including McCarthy, Jared Verse and Marvin Harrison Jr.
The first three picks, all quarterbacks, have panned out in the star-studded draft. But would the Commanders go a different way now, knowing all the injuries that Jayden Daniels has sustained over the past two years?
That’s one of many interesting scenarios that occurred in my re-do of the 2024 draft. Here’s how it played out.
Despite how rocky it started for Williams in Chicago, you can now probably say he’s been the best No. 1 pick since the Bengals took Joe Burrow to begin the 2020 draft. Williams’s physical gifts and his ability to extend plays has him on the same trajectory as Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers. He’s that good, and coach Ben Johnson can help him reach his potential.
Maye and Daniels are different types of quarterbacks, but they’re both franchise players at their position. However, Maye doesn’t have Daniels’s durability concerns, playing in every game since taking over as New England’s starter five games into his rookie season. Maye might be what we all thought Justin Herbert would eventually become.
Daniels is the closest player we’ve seen to matching the skill set of two-time MVP Lamar Jackson. He had an electric rookie season, frustrating opposing defenses with his athleticism and downfield accuracy. But along with the injuries, Daniels has struggled to maintain the elite production he had during his first season, which ended with Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.
It didn’t work for Harrison in Arizona partly because he never found ways to assert himself into the flow of the offense. Nabers has an alpha demeanor on and off the field and practically forced his quarterbacks to feed him with how open he got downfield. Nabers has been the full package, even after a devastating knee injury that cut short his second season. Meanwhile, Harrison is now in Houston, still searching for ways to get more involved.
It would have been great to pair Herbert with the next player on this re-do list, but the Chargers would likely be five times worse than they already are if they never had Alt. Frankly, the team should seriously consider making Alt its permanent left tackle. He’s been the better tackle between him and the often-injured Rashawn Slater. Alt is the team’s starting right tackle, but has flourished on the left side whenever Slater is sidelined.
The Giants don’t get Nabers here, but land arguably the league’s best pass-catching tight end—it’s very close between Bowers and Arizona’s Trey McBride. Bowers is tough to cover because he blends physicality with smoothness. He’s a true positionless skill player.
Latham has shown steady progress on the field, but about three to four tackles have played just as well if not better, and were drafted outside the top 10, including Fashanu, who originally went No. 11 to the Jets. From the jump, New York knew it had a cornerstone player patrolling the left side. Latham struggled at left tackle in his rookie season and was moved to the right side before his second season.
Penix was starting to put it together before a disastrous game against the Buccaneers last week. It reminded everyone that Penix still has ways to go to prove himself as a legitimate franchise quarterback. He also had a rocky second season, which is why the team brought in Tua Tagovailoa to push for the job. As for Murphy, he has taken off since a slow rookie season. He makes life easier for his teammates with how much havoc he creates in the trenches.
Top-10 picks should be for future No. 1 wideouts. At the moment, it doesn’t seem as if Odunze will become that for the Bears after being leapfrogged on the pecking order by second-year wideout Luther Burden III. Top-10 picks are also meant for weekly shutdown perimeter corners. Mitchell has been just that for the Eagles.
Two and a half seasons after taking McCarthy, the Vikings are still searching for a quarterback. Coach Kevin O’Connell lost patience with McCarthy’s growing pains and the team traded him to the Giants in September. They’re now stuck with Murray, who hasn’t gotten the passing game going. Nix can be erratic at times, but he has proven to be a quick learner. He took command of Sean Payton’s complex offense and played a pivotal role in Denver reaching the AFC championship game last season.
As mentioned, Penix is still finding his way, but he’s shown flashes of one day becoming a true franchise quarterback. Before Sunday’s ugly rain game, the Falcons had averaged 31 points per game with Penix in the lineup. The Jets are still searching for a franchise quarterback and haven’t even been close to landing one in more than a decade.
With McCarthy being a slow learner, it would have been interesting to see how much patience Payton would have had for him. This is the same coach who took play-calling duties away from offensive coordinator Davis Webb after only four games. But after what McCarthy has displayed in a short time with Giants coach John Harbaugh, he would likely go high again in a draft do-over. He’s always had the arm strength, but now he’s adding ball placement and accuracy.
The Raiders somewhat caught a break when six quarterbacks went inside the top 12, letting a player as good as Bowers fall into their lap. They don’t get Bowers here, but still secure a versatile defensive chess piece for a unit that has struggled for years. It’s easy to forget that DeJean plays cornerback with how many roles he manages under Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.
Fuaga has played at both tackle spots and hasn’t looked comfortable on either side. Perhaps Turner wouldn’t have had to fight for snaps early in his career if he’d landed with the Saints. Turner is in the midst of a breakout third season with six sacks after the Vikings traded Jonathan Greenard to the Eagles.
Had we redone this draft a few months ago, I might have found a spot for Verse inside the top 12. He won Defensive Rookie of the Year with the Rams, and the Browns pushed for him in the Myles Garrett trade for a reason. He’s shown flashes of being a stud edge rusher, but the production hasn’t matched the hype. Verse has zero sacks in his first season in Cleveland and only has 12 total in two-plus seasons. Latu has 14.5 career sacks, but he lacks Verse’s strength and isn’t as polished elsewhere.
Knowing how much the Seahawks have invested in adding more wide receiver help behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba (they signed Cooper Kupp and Rashid Shaheed to multi-year contracts), they likely would have rolled the dice on Odunze in this scenario. Despite his quiet stretches, Odunze is a physical playmaker and likely would have earned a fan in coach Mike Macdonald.
The 2024 draft hasn’t gotten enough credit for how many talented cornerbacks have emerged from this class. Lassiter has been just as good as his teammate Derek Stingley Jr. and might be viewed as the top cornerback on most other teams. Houston will need to find a way to pay Lassiter after locking down Will Anderson Jr. and Stingley.
I nearly left Mims here as the Bengals’ pick because he’s in the midst of a strong third season. But Guyton has been a little better and is doing it at left tackle for Dallas. The Cowboys don’t get much right, but they know how to draft offensive linemen.
The Rams have gotten by for a few seasons with center Coleman Shelton, but Frazier is well on his way to soon being the league’s top center. Frazier’s teammates in Pittsburgh constantly rave about him. But the Rams rarely use first-round picks, and when they do, it’s usually for premium positions. Still, you can’t go wrong with Frazier.
Fautanu is still finding his footing as a left tackle, but he played well on the right side for his first two seasons. Odds are he’ll eventually get the hang of the new role because he played left tackle in college. The Steelers’ strong offensive line play is a big reason why they’re 6–2 and leading the AFC North right now.
Latu has been O.K. at bringing down quarterbacks, but he’s inconsistent in his matchups and can be pushed around in the running game. However, it would be interesting to see whether a different team could bring out the best in Latu, the first defender selected in the 2024 draft.
Robinson could also use a change of scenery after seeing mixed results the past two and a half seasons. Maybe new Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley can eventually bring out the best in Robinson. But in this scenario, Robinson would be in an ideal spot because many pass rushers have flourished in Philadelphia, from Josh Sweat to now Nolan Smith Jr.
It hasn’t worked out for Thomas since he was catching downfield bombs from backup Mac Jones, who started seven games for the Jaguars in Thomas’s rookie season. Perhaps Harrison is a better fit for a scheme designed by coach Liam Coen and made for Trevor Lawrence. For all his flaws, Harrison knows how to get open around the line of scrimmage—when he’s putting full effort for his team.
Maybe the Lions wouldn’t have endured a down 2025 season if they'd invested in a young center in this draft. Detroit had to readjust its stout offensive line after Frank Ragnow's abrupt retirement ahead of last season. But the Lions’ offensive line has turned it around with their new acquisitions, including the signing of center Cade Mays. The same can’t be said for the secondary. Arnold struggled for two seasons before the Lions cut him over for his concerning legal issues.
Morgan didn’t play much in his first two seasons and has struggled at times as the starting left tackle this season. As for Mims, he has taken off as the Bengals’ right tackle after a few uneven seasons.
The Buccaneers have to splurge for Irving here after finding the running back gem in the fourth round. Irving just gashed the Falcons for 170 yards and a touchdown. He’s back to doing what he did as a rookie when he had 1,122 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. After battling injuries last season, Irving has 728 rushing yards through eight games this season.
Latham might not be worthy of a top-10 pick, but he’s still a talented offensive tackle who keeps improving every season. Right now, the Cardinals need a right tackle and just lost left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. to a season-ending biceps injury. Robinson offers versatility, but they needed him on the edge, and he hasn’t done much of that since arriving in the desert.
Thomas with Coen and Lawrence hasn’t worked out. But Thomas with coach Andy Reid and Mahomes probably would deliver better results. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Kansas City land Thomas before next week’s trade deadline. The Chiefs haven’t gotten much from the speedy Worthy, who has gone backward since a strong rookie season with 638 receiving yards.
Wiggins has often displayed strong instincts (four career interceptions), but he’s finally putting it together in coverage. The Cowboys’ secondary could use a player of his caliber. Dallas recently traded for cornerback Joey Porter Jr. and used a first-round pick on safety Caleb Downs, but not much has changed.
Perhaps McKinstry doesn’t offer as much upside as Wiggins, but he’s a feisty defender who rarely gives up on plays. McKinstry, who was a second-round pick, has been New Orleans’s top corner the past two seasons.
Pearsall missed the first six games of his rookie year due to being shot in the chest in an attempted robbery. He was limited to nine games last year due to injuries and likely won’t play a game at all in his third season after undergoing knee surgery in August. McConkey hasn’t matched his strong rookie year (82 catches, 1,149 yards, seven TDs), but he’s a reliable wideout.
Cooper recently sustained a season-ending Achilles injury, but he’s been one of the league’s better off-ball linebackers since the Packers drafted him in the second round. Legette has fallen behind Jalen Coker and Tetairoa McMillan on the depth chart and is currently on injured reserve.
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