Eagles Draft CB Quinyon Mitchell At No. 22
The first cornerback has come off the board, and to little surprise the Eagles are the team to make the first move at the position. Philadelphia has selected Toledo cover man Quinyon Mitchell 22nd overall.
This selection comes after multiple reports tabbed Howie Roseman as exploring a move up the first-round board for a corner. The Eagles had traded up in four of the previous five first rounds, but the team — either unable to find a suitable trade or preferring to stay put based on how the board stacked up — stood pat and will begin developing the mid-major prospect to likely emerge as a starter. Age has become an issue for the NFC East club at this position.
Mitchell exploded onto the scene in his second full season as a starter. While leading the MAC in interceptions with five, two of which were returned for touchdowns, Mitchell earned first-team All-MAC honors. But he caught the national eye after leading the country in passes defensed with 25, helping him to earn second-team All-American honors. He followed that up with a strong 2023 season, as well, in which he recorded one interception and 19 passes defensed (leading the MAC) and earned the same All-MAC and All-American accolades.
The Eagles desperately needed help at cornerback. With Slay at 33 years old and James Bradberry turning 31 before the start of the 2024 season, Philadelphia was lacking effective youth at the cornerback position. Both players had down years in 2023, as well, with Slay ranking as Pro Football Focus’ 55th-best cornerback in the league and Bradberry ranking 100th. The Eagles may continue to start Slay and Bradberry, considering how much money they’ve sunk into the two, but expect Mitchell to find his way onto the field early and often as a rookie.
Mitchell becomes the first first-round draft pick out of Toledo since Dan Williams in 1993. Mitchell also becomes the Rockets’ second-highest draft pick in NFL history behind Williams, who was drafted 11th overall. He’ll look to join Kareem Hunt and Diontae Johnson as the next pick name out of Toledo in the NFL.
Ely Allen contributed to this post.
Rams Select DE Jared Verse At No. 19
The Rams’ first Day 1 selection in the Sean McVay era is in. Los Angeles has chosen Florida State edge rusher Jared Verse at the No. 19 spot. As pass rushers are starting to fly off the board, the Rams get their guy out of Tallahassee.
Rumored to be eyeing a move into the top 10, the Rams instead stood pat. This is their first Round 1 selection of the Sean McVay era, with the team having famously traded away its past seven first-round choices. With a major change taking place along Los Angeles’ defensive front this offseason, a move for a pass rusher makes sense.
Verse began his college career at FCS Albany as a zero-star recruit coming out of high school. He turned zero FBS offers into a transfer opportunity after leading the Great Danes in sacks with 10.5 and transferred to Florida State in 2022. In both years with the Seminoles, Verse led the team in sacks and finished with first-team All-ACC honors. When playing FBS opponents, Verse racked up 18.0 sacks and 29 tackles for loss in two years as a full-time starter.
The Rams lose a lot of sack production with the retirement of Aaron Donald. After defensive tackle Kobie Turner, who had nine sacks for Los Angeles last year, pass rushers Byron Young (8.0), Michael Hoecht (6.0), and linebacker Ernest Jones (4.5) followed for the sack lead. Verse looks to slot in as an immediate stater in LA. As a rookie, look for Verse to line up opposite Young on defense and compete for the sack lead in 2024.
Verse continues a tradition of professional pass rusher production out of Tallahassee. Though not always to stellar results, since 2013, the Seminoles have sent Bjorn Werner (24th overall in 2013), Mario Edwards (35th overall in 2015), DeMarcus Walker (51st overall in 2017), Josh Sweat (130th overall in 2018), Brian Burns (16th overall in 2019), Janarius Robinson (134th overall in 2021), Joshua Kaindoh (144th overall in 2021), and Jermaine Johnson (26th overall in 2022) to the NFL.
Ely Allen contributed to this post.
Seahawks Select DT Byron Murphy With No. 16 Pick
The Seahawks did not host Byron Murphy on a top-30 visit, but the team has nevertheless gone ahead with adding him. Seattle has drafted the Texas defensive tackle 16th overall. 
With the litany of offensive picks to open the night, a number of top defensive players were naturally going to slide. Seattle is able to land the top defensive tackle on the board at No. 16 overall. Murphy was a second-team All-American for the Longhorns in 2023. After impressive contributions in a rotation during his freshman and sophomore year, Murphy’s production more than doubled. He comes out of Austin with five career sacks and 15 tackles for loss.
While stout at just over 6-feet tall, Murphy makes up for a lack of ideal size with impressive leverage and power off the snap. His high motor and determination make him a disruptive menace. He was expected to be able to step in as a starter immediately.
In Seattle, though, Murphy may have to wait for his snaps. The Seahawks are set to return three starters on their defensive line. Jarran Reed, Dre’Mont Jones, and Leonard Williams — re-signed after arriving as a deadline rental piece last year — are back to create a daunting defensive front. Reed is set to be a free agent after this season, so perhaps Murphy is being brought in to eventually replace the veteran.
Regardless, Murphy provides a strong option to come in and compete for snaps on the defensive line as a rookie and into the future. Murphy becomes the first first-round defensive tackle to come out of Austin since Malcom Brown in 2015.
Ely Allen contributed to this post.
Saints Select T Taliese Fuaga With No. 14 Pick
Offensive linemen continue to come off the board, and the Saints have unsurprisingly added up front. With the 14th overall pick, New Orleans has selected Oregon State’s Taliese Fuaga. 
Fuaga made a big jump in his fourth year in Corvallis. After a pretty good redshirt sophomore season with the Beavers, Fuaga exploded onto the scene in 2023, grading out as Pro Football Focus’ second best tackle in the nation. The first-team All-American has the size, strength, and balance to be an immediate starter at the NFL level, and many scouts thought he may play best as a guard, showing the versatility he brings as a prospect.
In New Orleans, they will value that versatility. With the Wednesday retirement of guard James Hurst and the free agency status of guard-turned-tackle Andrus Peat, the Saints are looking to replace two starters on the offensive line. Stalwart right tackle Ryan Ramczyk‘s season is also in jeopardy, after a knee injury became a big-picture concern last year.
The team drafted Trevor Penning in the first round two years ago with the hope that he may eventually take over at offensive tackle. The Northern Iowa alum has failed to become a reliable NFL blocker. Penning failing to win the starting LT job this year could prompt the Saints to plug in Fuaga. If the team has faith in Penning, though, Fuaga may find his way inside to guard as a rookie starter, regardless.
Fuaga is the fourth offensive tackle off the board at No. 14 overall, which aligns pretty well with where he was ranked by most draft pundits. Fuaga becomes the Beavers’ highest draft pick since quarterback Terry Baker was taken first overall in 1963, and he’s the school’s first first-round pick since Brandin Cooks in 2014.
Ely Allen contributed to this post.
Vikings Acquire No. 10 Pick From Jets, Select QB J.J. McCarthy
The first trade of Thursday’s opening round has taken place. The Jets have sent the 10th overall pick to the Vikings, also dealing No. 203. In exchange, New York will receive Nos. 129 and 157 from Minnesota in addition to the 11th choice.
With the No. 10 pick, the Vikings have selected Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy. The national champion represents the fifth quarterback to be selected so far, and his addition means each of the first 10 selections are players on the offensive side of the ball.
McCarthy was one of the surprise early risers in the pre-draft process. For much of his college career, including his final season with the Wolverines, McCarthy was not considered a first-round talent. Shortly after winning the College Football Playoff Championship with Michigan, McCarthy began to shoot up draft boards. He would eventually solidify his status as a likely Day 1 pick with his performances at the NFL scouting combine and his pro day.
In Minnesota, the Vikings will have the opportunity to sit McCarthy for at least a year to learn and develop behind the newly acquired Sam Darnold. There’s always a chance that McCarthy could surpass Darnold for a starting job as a rookie, but between McCarthy’s lack of production at the college level and Darnold’s experience in the NFL, it makes sense to let McCarthy marinate.
The Vikings could’ve sat back and addressed other positions of need on the offensive line and defense, instead they opted to part with two Day 3 picks in order to ensure no one moved ahead of them to take McCarthy. This could have been aimed at boxing out the Broncos, who were believed to have been interested in the ex-Jim Harbaugh starter. Sitting one spot ahead of Denver, Minnesota did not need to use the second first-round pick it acquired (via Houston) to nab its quarterback. Based on where mock drafts had the Vikings trading up to in order to nab McCarthy, moving from 11 to 10 represents good value. The Broncos ended up with Bo Nix two spots later, completing a staggering stretch that brought six QBs in the first 12 picks.
This is also the first time in franchise history, the Vikings have selected a quarterback in the top 10, though Daunte Culpepper and Christian Ponder were chosen just outside that point. McCarthy, 21, will be the player tabbed at succeeding Kirk Cousins in the long term. The Vikings were not believed to have come especially close to where the Falcons went for Cousins, who received $100MM in practical guarantees in March.
Both Cousins’ new team and old team chose QBs in the top 10, and the Vikings still have the No. 23 overall pick to bolster their roster around their Cousins heir apparent. Cousins’ former weaponry cadre — consisting of Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson, with Aaron Jones now in the mix — will begin to work with a QB nearly 15 years younger (along with Darnold, for the time being) soon.
Ely Allen contributed to this post.
Falcons Draft QB Michael Penix Jr. With No. 8 Pick
The first major surprise of the 2024 draft has arrived. With the eighth overall pick, the Falcons have drafted Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr.
This surprises on a number of levels, with Penix being ranked as the fifth- or sixth-best quarterback in the draft and after Atlanta signed Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180MM deal. But a Penix-to-Atlanta scenario emerged on the radar earlier this week. Still, this qualifies as a shock for an NFC South team that could have bolstered a now-Cousins-dependent roster with a best-player-available-type pick.
Still, Penix is a strong addition to the roster at No. 8 overall. Penix led the country in passing yards per game en route to becoming the Huskies’ all-time single-season passing leader with 4,641 yards while scoring 31 touchdowns through the air and four more on the ground in 2022. He followed that up with a 14-1 season that would take Washington to the National Championship game. Penix broke his own single-season record with 4,903 passing yards (thanks to two extra games) and passed for 36 touchdowns while rushing for three more. He led the FBS in passing yards, but even with his extra games, he also led the country in passing yards per game for the second season in a row.
This is one of the big shocks of the draft because many teams didn’t even have a first-round value on Penix. The consensus seems to be that Penix has first-round potential in his game, but he has to stay on the field in order to show it.
Penix would redshirt his freshman year with the Hoosiers, appearing in only three games before tearing his ACL. After returning from his injury, Penix entered his redshirt freshman year as the starter. Unfortunately, Penix’s season early after a sternoclavicular joint sprain and clavicle fracture on his non-throwing, right shoulder would keep him out for the back half of the season. Penix would return in 2020 as the starter once again before suffering a second torn ACL to end his third season. His time in Bloomington ended, once again, with his fourth season-ending injury, this one a dislocated joint in his throwing shoulder.
Instead of laying down to watch his football career die, Penix opted to hop into the transfer portal. Thanks to his utilized redshirt and the extra year of eligibility granted to players in school during the 2020 COVID-19 impacted season, the lefty passer still had two years of eligibility left, and finally, in Seattle, Penix was offered the opportunity to play for a contender. Penix became the starter at Washington and immediately led the Huskies to a winning season following their 4-8 2021 campaign.
The Falcons have decided to look past his extensive injury in favor of his 28 straight healthy games in Seattle. They also decided to look past the fact that he is about to turn 24 years old after six years in college.
The second shock of the situation comes from the fact that Cousins is set to run the Atlanta quarterbacks room for the next few years. Or, at least, it would appear that way. The Falcons gave the soon-to-be 36-year-old passer a $100MM practical guarantee, effectively tying the former Washington and Minnesota passer to the team through 2026. Other than the Packers, teams do not make a habit of extended QB developmental programs. The Falcons did not alert Cousins this pick was coming, per NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah, setting up an interesting dynamic in their QB room to start the Raheem Morris era.
Atlanta dedicated significant cap space to acquiring Cousins just weeks before drafting his heir apparent in Penix. This will give Penix a good amount of time to grow and learn behind a veteran, a la Aaron Rodgers and Jordan Love, but it seems like a wild swing to utilize such a high draft pick on a quarterback who was expected to be around a bit longer.
Also of note with the selection of Penix is that this now marks the first time since at least 1970 that no defensive players have been selected in the first eight picks. The closest was in 2021, when Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn was selected eighth overall.
Ely Allen contributed to this post.
Giants Draft WR Malik Nabers Sixth Overall
The Giants were long connected to a quarterback pursuit, but the team will instead add at the receiver position. New York has retained the sixth overall pick and used it on LSU receiver Malik Nabers.
With Marvin Harrison Jr. having come off the board at No. 4, Nabers represents the second wideout available. The latter was viewed by some as the top prospect at the position, though, and he will be counted on to operate as New York’s No. 1 right away.
This move came with J.J. McCarthy still on the board, clearing the runway for a sixth season of Daniel Jones as the Giants’ unchallenged starting quarterback. While Giants brass once again backed Jones this offseason, he is coming off an ACL tear and was off to a poor start — albeit behind an injury-ravaged O-line — on his four-year, $160MM contract. The Giants can escape that deal in 2025, but as of now, they would not have a replacement lined up. Instead, they are giving Jones the kind of weapon he has not possessed.
Nabers had an impressive sophomore season two years ago with 1,017 yards and three touchdowns in 2022, but he took the college football world by storm in 2023, leading the country in receiving yards (1,569) while finishing third in the country in receiving touchdowns (14). Stats like these helped his quarterback win the Heisman Trophy and get drafted by the Commanders at No. 2 overall. They also contributed to many believing Nabers was the top receiver prospect in this year’s draft. Instead, he comes off the board as WR2 at No. 6 overall.
New York is looking for its first 1,000-yard receiver since fellow LSU product Odell Beckham Jr. accomplished the feat back in 2018. The Giants have spent plenty of high draft capital on the position in the past few years, drafting Wan’Dale Robinson out of Kentucky in the second round two years ago and Jalin Hyatt out of Tennessee in the third round last year, but they’ll turn to the SEC once more, bringing in Nabers to help complete the offense.
Nabers will join Robinson, Hyatt, Darius Slayton, and tight end Darren Waller as the top receiving options for quarterback Daniel Jones. The Giants could’ve gone quarterback and drafted Jones’ potential eventual replacement. Instead, they’ve doubled down on the sixth-year quarterback, who they’ll need to rely heavily on after the departure of Saquon Barkley in free agency.
Although McCarthy loomed as a potential Giants target, and the Michigan product said he spent more time with the NFC East club than any other during the draft run-up. But the past two weeks featured a stream of Giants-Drake Maye ties. With the Patriots not moving off the No. 3 pick, where they took the North Carolina passer, the Giants were faced with a McCarthy-or-WR call. They chose the skill player and will see if Nabers can help elevate Jones to justify the $40MM-per-year payment.
Ely Allen contributed to this post.
Cardinals Draft WR Marvin Harrison Jr. At No. 4
The first non-quarterback has come off the board. Turning aside trade interest, the Cardinals have retained the No. 4 pick and used it on Ohio State receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. Kyler Murray gets a new WR1 with an NFL pedigree. 
The son of Hall of Fame Colts wide receiver Marvin Harrison, the younger Harrison has been on the radar of NFL scouts since his sparse freshman year with the Buckeyes. In the next two seasons, though, Harrison proved why he deserved their attention, combining for 2,474 yards and 28 touchdowns through the air as a sophomore and junior.
In Arizona, Harrison becomes the immediate WR1. The Cardinals saw Marquise Brown depart for Kansas City in free agency and only return Michael Wilson and Greg Dortch while adding Chris Moore in free agency. Murray will now be able to rely on Harrison and budding tight end Trey McBride as his top targets in 2024.
There had been lots of speculation of teams trading up to the No. 4 overall pick in order to draft a fourth quarterback in a row. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, though, all such rumors were hearsay as the Cardinals took part in “no trade talks prior” to making their pick.
This makes sense when you look at the roster and the team’s recent struggles in the wide receiver room. The Cardinals have said goodbye to Christian Kirk, DeAndre Hopkins and Brown over the past three offseasons. After 2023 negotiations with Brown, they let the 2022 trade pickup defect to the Chiefs. That left a gaping hole at wideout, one the Cards did not fill in free agency.
This marks the first significant investment in the position during the Monti Ossenfort–Jonathan Gannon era. Although some teams were believed to have placed LSU’s Malik Nabers — he of a 4.35 40-yard dash — as this draft class’ best wideout prospect, the 6-foot-3, 209-pound Harrison has hovered on the top tier of this prospect pool for several months. The latest Ohio State receiving sensation made a point to inform teams he would not train for the Combine or pre-draft workouts, instead taking the rare step to prepare his body for his NFL team’s offseason program. This unorthodox strategy did not end up docking Harrison.
The Cardinals have not had a 1,000-yard receiver since Hopkins did so in 2020, which also happened to be Larry Fitzgerald‘s final season. It looks like Arizona fans only had to wait three years for another potential legacy wideout. The team gets the No. 1 wide receiver on the board at fourth overall.
Ely Allen contributed to this post.
Bears Draft Caleb Williams First Overall
As expected, the Bears have kicked off the 2024 draft by adding their quarterback of the present and future. Chicago has selected Caleb Williams with the first overall pick. 
The 2022 Heisman winner entered the past campaign in pole position to be the first player off the board. His highly productive campaign that year – upon following Lincoln Riley from Oklahoma to USC – led to massive expectations and many evaluators deeming him a generational prospect. While the Trojans did not have a stellar showing in 2023 and Williams’ statistical output (both in the air and on the ground) regressed slightly, he has long remained the favorite for the No. 1 slot.
The Bears acquired Carolina’s first-round pick as part of last year’s blockbuster deal which delivered Bryce Young to the Panthers. Now, Chicago general manager Ryan Poles has taken advantage of the 2024 draft’s top choice to add a replacement for Justin Fields. The latter spent the past three years at the helm of Chicago’s offense, and he entered 2023 as a critical evaluation period. With the Bears still struggling to move the ball through the air and Fields failing to show tangible signs of improvement, Poles and Co. elected to start over at the QB spot.
Following through on the stated goal of “doing right by” Fields, Chicago dealt the 2021 first-rounder to the Steelers in March. That swap yielded less compensation than what other teams are believed to have been willing to offer, but it allowed Fields to go to his preferred destination. It also, of course, cleared the way for Poles to draft his own franchise QB in his third season in charge.
Williams’ pre-draft process was not seen as the greatest amongst 2024 quarterbacks, and some teams reportedly have Jayden Daniels ranked as the class’ top signal-caller. Chicago only hosted one QB prospect this spring, though, and Williams in turn only met in-person with one potential employer. Team and player can now officially move forward with a relationship which has long been foreshadowed.
The Bears’ offense has seen a number of changes this offseason, including the hiring of new OC Shane Waldron. Chicago has also signed running back D’Andre Swift and traded for wideout Keenan Allen, adding those players to a skill-position corps already featuring D.J Moore and Cole Kmet. That unit may see another notable move made at a pass-catching position or along the offensive line with the No. 9 pick.
Williams will thus enter a situation where he will not need to be as much of a catalyst as he was with the Trojans. If things go according to plan, though, he will provide Chicago with a long-term solution under center and thus fill a massive organizational need.
Steelers, Bills, Chiefs Aiming To Move Up In First Round?
The final build-up to the 2024 draft has seen several reports link teams to a move up the first-round order. A new shortlist of suitors in that regard has emerged. 
[RELATED: 49ers Eyeing Trade-Up Involving Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel]
The Steelers have made calls with respect to trading up from the No. 20 slot, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network notes (video link). Pittsburgh is positioned to add an offensive lineman – either at tackle or along the interior – as things stand, given the depth of the O-line class. A move up the order could give the team access to a wider range of blockers, however, and/or highly rated prospects at other positions The Steelers will have competition, though.
As Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports, “multiple teams” are looking to move into the top half of the Day 1 order. Numerous suitors are already known (as this afternoon’s updates have demonstrated), and it would come as no surprise if teams currently in possession of selections in the teens made an incremental move. However, some of those in the back of the order will also be worth watching depending on how the board falls.
Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report names the Bills as a team which is “hoping” to trade up and land an offensive weapon in the process. Buffalo owns pick No. 28, but to little surprise its draft board does not have that many prospects with round one grades. In need of a starting-caliber wideout, the Bills were one of several teams recently linked to a trade-up maneuver which would see them add a rookie at the position.
Another of those was the Chiefs, a team which veteran NFL reporter James Palmer tweets have been “really working” to move up from the 32nd slot. Palmer adds Kansas City would look to get aggressive in the hopes of landing one of the class’ “speedy” wideouts, which could put the defending champions in line for a prospect like Xavier Worthy. The Texas product set a new Combine record with a 4.21 40-yard dash time, and he could provide an immediate impact for a team which was already seen as being in need of a WR addition before reports of Rashee Rice facing a potential suspension.
With the first round less than one hour away, the efforts of teams interested in moving around the board will soon result in swaps being accepted or rejected. As the board takes shape throughout the night, Pittsburgh, Buffalo and Kansas City will be worth monitoring closely.