The Bears have been hoping for the savior to end their 75-year quarterback curse for a very long time, and Caleb Williams is next man up in that very long line. He has all the attributes to make that happen, but he’ll need to play with more of a sense of structure to really make that particular dream come true. The minus comes from the fact that I prefer LSU’s Jayden Daniels here, but it is what it is. 

Of all the quarterbacks in this draft class, Daniels has more on the ball in terms of the balance between structure from the pocket, and the ability to play above and beyond the Xs and Os. The Commanders had a quarterback very much like this when they selected Robert Griffin III with the second overall pick in 2012. History may be on the way to repeating itself. 

The Mac Jones experiment the Patriots fell into in the Tom Brady Replacement Program didn’t work out, but Drake Maye walks into the building in Foxboro with more to offer than Jones ever did. Maye is incredibly dynamic as a thrower and as a runner, and if he can clean up a few mechanical things, he’ll give the Pats far more of a chance than they’ve had since Brady walked out the door. 

The Cardinals need receivers more than any other NFL teams needs just about anything, and it’s smart of them to go with Marvin Harrison Jr. here. Harrison might not be the most explosive receiver in this class, but he’s got everything else, and when you’re building a receiver room from scratch, that’s what you want. He reminds me of Larry Fitzgerald, another highly-drafted receiver who worked out pretty well for this franchise. 

When I spoke with Jim Harbaugh during Super Bowl week, he talked a lot about how important it was to protect Justin Herbert. Alt can do that, but I’m not entirely sure what the plan is when Rashawn Slater already at left tackle. Maybe they move Slater to the right side? In any event, Alt doesn’t look like a power right tackle to me — he never played a single snap there in college. I might have either traded down for more talent (which the Chargers need), or taken another tackle here. 

Outside of Jayden Daniels and Caleb Williams, there wasn’t a player I regarded more highly in this draft class than Malik Nabers. This is WR1 here, and Nabers gives head coach Brian Daboll all kinds of options all over the formation. Nabers has Justin Jefferson-level polish to the intermediate and deep levels of the field, and he brings a serious DAWG style to the field. The Giants still have some serious questions at quarterback, but they just got exponentially better at receiver. 

Well, the Titans certainly have a type. Last season, they took Peter Skoronski with the 11th overall pick, and Skoronski landed at guard. Now, they take the hyper-strong Latham with the seventh pick, and Latham projects as a right tackle or guard. Given their need for a more athletic blocker, I’m mystified. I’m inclined to give the Titans a bit of grace here since Bill Callahan is running their offensive line… but, whoa. 

Well, this was unexpected. Michael Penix Jr. is the best pure thrower in this draft class, and he’s got a ton of weapons in his new home, but the Falcons just gave Kirk Cousins a mega-contract. It will be fascinating to see how Raheem Morris lines this all up, but Penix’s talent is undeniable if he can fix some iffy throws under pressure.  

This could not have gone much better for the Bears. Offensive coordinator Shane Waldron might be the happiest man on Earth now that he has Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze to design around. Odunze has all the alpha traits you want in a No. 1 receiver, and those traits are transferable to the NFL immediately. 

J.J. McCarthy is a good quarterback. If you trade up into the top 10 of a draft to get a good quarterback, as opposed to a field-tilting quarterback, you had better hope everything goes well around him. Head coach Kevin O’Connell has the playbook and the weapons to make the most of McCarthy, but the low ceiling shows up all over his tape. This seems like a misunderstanding of his NFL potential, and that’s why the grade is so low. 

Well, the Jets traded down from 10 to 11, and still got the guy who may be the best pure left tackle in this draft class. Fashanu isn’t the most powerful guy, but he’s ready-made as a blindside protector, and boy, did the Jets need that. 

Two picks after the Vikings really reached for J.J. McCarthy, the Broncos got Bo Nix, who I think would have been a better fit in Kevin O’Connell’s offense, and certainly is a good fit for what Sean Payton wants to do. A coach’s son who impressed everyone he’s talked with in the NFL with his understanding of the game, Nix has all the attributes to be the perfect instrument for one of the most exacting offensive conductors in the league. 

For the second straight season, the Raiders have made a tight end a major part of their draft plan after selecting Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer with the 35th overall pick in the 2023 draft. It’s an interesting construct for offensive coordinator Luke Getsy in that Mayer is more of an in-line reliable guy, while Brock Bowers can mess up linebackers and safeties to the second and third levels of the field. There were certainly more pressing needs here, but there’s no denying what Bowers can do for an offense. 

The Saints needed a tackle here with Ryan Ramczyk’s injury situation, and Trevor Penning approaching bust status, and I like Taliese Fuaga as a pure power guy. But he’s got a lot of work to do before he’ll be an elite pass protector, and that worries me. Fuaga is a total pancake merchant who will need to time the snap better and work on blockers beating him when they cross his face. Sure, he’s a power guy, but the Saints need more than that. 

The only question at all I have about this pick is Latu’s medical history. If he’s clean through his NFL career, the Colts just got the best technical pass-rusher in this draft class by an absolutely crushing margin. I compared Latu to Raiders edge terror Maxx Crosby because he brings a combination of tools and athleticism that you don’t usually see in a guy coming out of college. Both the floor and ceiling are high here, and it’s an amazing get for Gus Bradley’s offense. 

New Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald is one of the NFL’s finest defensive minds, so you have to back off a bit if you don’t like this pick. But in a draft where Seattle had the pick of every defensive player except Laiatu Latu, I’m of two minds about the Murphy choice. I had Illinois’ Johnny Newton as my top interior defensive lineman, and with all the edge talent here matching the Seahawks’ needs there, I’m not a fan. Murphy is a very good player, but given the way this fell, he’d have been seventh or eighth on my list. 

As much as I didn’t like the J.J. McCarthy pick at 10 (especially with the trade up), I can’t argue at all with Dallas Turner going to Minnesota after the Vikings traded up with the Jaguars. Vikings defensive coordinator now has Turner, Jonathan Greenard, and Andrew Van Ginkel in his edge palette, and that will be very bad news for opposing quarterbacks.  

The only way to grade this pick is “Incomplete.” Amarius Mims is from another planet with his measurables, and the Bengals needed help at offensive tackle. But given Mims’ lack of experience and injury history, can be the one to help Joe Burrow stay healthy in the short term? Last season, Cincinnati’s tackles combined to allow 15 sacks and 100 total pressures. Perhaps a more immediate starter might have been a better idea, especially with multiple Bengals (Trey Hendrickson, Tee Higgins) asking to be traded out of town. 

The Rams stuck and stayed in the first round for the first time since the 2016 draft, and they got the most physically imposing edge-rusher in this class with Jared Verse. Verse can be bendy to a point, but he really wins with power and technique. His physical profile is a lot like that of Texans edge-rusher Will Anderson Jr., the reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year. 

The Steelers had a lot of obvious needs along their offensive line, and I didn’t expect them to be able to avail themselves of a talent like Troy Fautanu with the 20th overall pick. A lot of people see Fautanu moving inside, but I think he’s a credible tackle at the NFL level. He reminds me of Packers star David Bakhtiari with his tough, technical, resourceful playing style that works outside despite a lack of ideal measurables. 

This seemed like a smart place for Chop Robinson to land. I didn’t have him graded as I did Laiatu Latu, Jared Verse, or Dallas Turner, but those guys were all gone at 21, and there’s a bit of a drop after Robinson to the second tier of edge defenders. As long as Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver puts it together for Robinson so he can use his blinding speed to the pocket as his primary attribute, it’s all good. He’s a bit of a one-trick pony at this point, but the one trick is pretty impressive. 

Most people didn’t know about Quinyon Mitchell until he blew up the Senior Bowl, but everybody knows about him now. The Eagles were in obvious need of another fast, aggressive cornerback with ball skills to pair with Darius Slay, and to be the team’s Darius Slay of the future. Mitchell absolutely can be that guy — his tape brings to mind both Slay and Richard Sherman. 

Well, we can probably stop bashing Jaguars GM Trent Baalke for allowing his receiver group to atrophy with the departure of Calvin Ridley. Malik Nabers was obviously LSU’s WR1, but Thomas was no second banana. He brings a great (and much-needed) combination of field-stretching speed, route correctness, and the ability to get open just about anywhere. He’s not a contested-catch bruiser, but the Jaguars already have those guys. What they didn’t have was a receiver who makes post safeties nervous. Now, they do. Add in the value of trading back with the Vikings, and this is a very nice pick.

The Lions don’t have a ton of needs, but cornerback was obviously one. Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn has had to work in defensive schemes he’d rather not have to because of the talent he had (or didn’t have), but there’s a reason the Lions traded up with the Cowboys to get here. Arnold is perhaps the best man/match cornerback in this class, and he will erase receivers in press coverage. That’s a big win for Glenn, and for the Lions. 

The Packers needed a replacement on the left side of their offensive line with David Bakhtiari out of the picture, and with the run on offensive line that had already happened in the first round, they did a nice job in the person of Arizona left tackle Jordan Morgan. Morgan has positional versatility to possibly kick inside to guard, but I’d leave him outside and develop his smooth pass-blocking style, work on his power and leverage, and wind up with a top-tie starter. Morgan is also great on the move and in the screen game.

A lot of analysts I trust and respect love Graham Barton’s game, and while I did see flashes when I watched his tape, I’m not sure exactly what he does at a dominant level. If I’m taking a player in the first round — even the late first round — I want at least one alpha trait. Barton obviously brings intelligence and positional versatility to the field, but when a prospect shows a relatively low ceiling at the NCAA level, what does that mean for his NFL potential? 

The Cardinals are light on talent just about everywhere on the roster, and their defensive line is especially, painfully thin. That will change to a degree with the addition of Missouri DL Darius Robinson, who can bully offensive linemen from anywhere on the defensive line. I try to avoid same-school comparisons unless absolutely necessary, but Robinson reminded me so much of Aldon Smith so quickly, the comp stuck. This is a major get for Jonathan Gannon’s defense. 

The Chiefs have won two Super Bowls since they traded Tyreek Hill to the Dolphins, but they’ve had to do it with more singles than home runs in a downfield sense, and they’ve had to do it with receivers who were… well, let’s be kind and just say “inconsistent.” When the Chiefs traded up with the Bills to make their pick, everybody knew what was coming. Worthy’s track speed absolutely transfers to the field, and while he has his own consistency issues (get him a JUGS machine, stat), he immediately gives Patrick Mahomes that dynamite vertical target he’s been lacking. And Worthy’s size is less of an issue in an offense where shifts and motions will give him so much open space.

Guyton was one of my favorite pass-blocking tackles in this class, and he has enough on the ball in the run game to be an immediate starter and Tyron Smith replacement right away. He’ll have to fix a few things with power and leverage, but he’ll be Dak Prescott’s best friend in a big hurry.

The Ravens like aggressive cornerbacks, and there aren’t too many more aggressive cornerbacks in this class than Wiggins, who will press and match and carry receivers all over the field. He’s not the biggest guy at 6′ 1⅜” and 173 pounds, so maybe he’ll need to down a few crab cakes when he hits town, but everything else is on point.

This obviously clears the way for a Brandon Aiyuk or Deebo Samuel trade should the 49ers want to do either of those things, though Pearsall is more of an expert slot target who knows how to get open and get yards after catch at the short and intermediate levels. And I’m wondering if Georgia’s Ladd McConkey might be the better player if you want that type of receiver.

Lord knows the Panthers needed to get some explosive receivers who can create separation if Bryce Young is ever going to get over that disaster of a rookie season that wasn’t his fault at all. I like Legette as a height/weight/speed target who can take everything from tunnel screens to posts to the house. My only hesitation is that the Panthers made this selection with Texas’s Adonai Mitchell and Oregon’s Troy Franklin left on the board. That said, Legette does have some Deebo Samuel and A.J. Brown to his game, and who wouldn’t want that?