2024 NFL Draft Grades AFC edition: Broncos come away with a steal, Chargers get smarter, Bills get terrific value
The AFC has two of the best teams in the league, the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens, as well as one of the worst, the New England Patriots. All three entered the draft with needs, yet they left with differing results. Here are the draft grades for teams from the AFC.
2024 NFL Draft grades: AFC edition
Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens entered the draft with needs at cornerback, receiver and on the offensive line. They hope they answered their cornerback need with Nate Wiggins in Round 1. Wiggins is fast and feisty but rough around the edges and thinly built. Roger Rosengarten was a terrific pick in Round 2 and offers starting potential at right tackle or guard.
Third-rounder Adisa Isaac is a perfect fit for the Ravens scheme and an outstanding pass rusher. T.J. Tampa ran poorly before the draft, but he was great value in Round 4, Rasheen Ali will be a terrific compliment to Derrick Henry and seventh-rounder Sanoussi Kane could be a steal.
Grade - A
Buffalo Bills
The Bills had a rocky offseason, and their window to win the Super Bowl seems to be closing. They had a big need at receiver, and they hope surehanded, big-bodied pass catcher Keon Coleman fills the hole left by Gabe Davis when he signed with the Jaguars in free agency.
Second-rounder Cole Bishop is an underrated safety, DeWayne Carter brings a lot of athleticism and intensity at defensive tackle and running back Ray Davis will fill a complementary role as a rookie. All their Day 3 picks were terrific value and could make the active roster.
Grade - B+
Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals had a desperate need at right tackle and filled it with Amarius Mims, who could turn into one of the top three blockers to come from this draft in due time. Kris Jenkins is a good system fit and offers a lot of upside, but he must start to live up to expectations.
Third-rounder McKinnley Jackson received first-round grades before the season, yet he’s another who underperformed last season. Tight end Erick All and edge rusher Cedric Johnson were solid Day 3 picks.
Grade - B
Cleveland Browns
The Browns entered the draft without a pick in Round 1 then made Michael Hall their initial choice of the draft in the second round, which was a questionable decision. Hall watched his play regress last season after a terrific campaign in 2022. He has an upside, but someone needs to light a fire under him.
Zak Zinter broke his leg late in the 2023 season, but he was one of the better guards in this draft. If he gets back to health and prior playing form, he could turn into a great pick. Seventh-rounder Myles Harden could turn into a solid nickel back. There is a lot of potential in the Browns’ draft, yet there’s an equal amount of downside risk.
Grade - C+
Denver Broncos
The Broncos drafted Bo Nix as most thought they would. Yet selecting him with the 12th pick of the draft was risky. Third-round edge rusher Jonah Elliss has an upside, yet he must complete his game. Troy Franklin in Round 4 was one of the steals from this draft. The Broncos’ draft comes with a lot of risk. Right or wrong, it will ultimately be graded based on the performance of Nix.
Grade - C
Houston Texans
After trading out of Round 1, the Texans chose Kamari Lassiter with the 42nd selection. Lassiter is a terrific cornerback with polished ball skills but ran poorly during pro day. Blake Fisher was a reach in Round 2. He’s big and strong, yet he lacks balance and does not block with leverage. Calen Bullock is a natural center fielder who must improve his tackling. Except for Lassiter, the Texans draft was uninspired.
Grade - C-
Indianapolis Colts
The Colts entered the draft with a need for an edge rusher as well as a playmaker on offense, and they got neither. It was a bit of a surprise when Indianapolis made Laiatu Latu the first edge rusher drafted over Dallas Turner as well as Jared Verse. He’s an explosive defender who can be a difference maker if he stays healthy.
AD Mitchell was great value at the end of Round 2, as he’s a reliable wideout with sneaky speed and terrific size. And regardless of the rant by Chris Ballard, it was interviews, attitude and play that did not meet expectations that pushed Mitchell a round later than his physical talents warranted.
Offensive linemen Matt Goncalves and Tanor Bortolini are athletic blockers with upside. Surprising to me was the Colts seemed to draft for depth rather than need and often bypassed best player available.
Grade - C
Jacksonville Jaguars
I mentioned on Jacksonville radio prior to the draft that it would come down to a cornerback or Brian Thomas when the Jaguars selected in Round 1. They went with the latter, and I think it was a great choice. Thomas possesses terrific size and speed and is coming off a great season. He has tremendous upside and could develop into a dominant No. 1 wideout.
After that, the Jaguars’ draft went sideways. Mason Smith was a terrific player, three years ago. The defensive lineman was drafted two rounds earlier than his grade warranted. Jarrian Jones has terrific size and speed, but he needs a lot of work on his game, and better cornerbacks were available.
While Javon Foster and Jordan Jefferson were both solid picks in the fourth round, Keilan Robinson was a reach in Round 5. He’s an unpolished version of Travis Etienne who’ll have to make his mark as a return specialist. Thomas makes this draft for me.
Grade - C
Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs traded up for Xavier Worthy to make the speedy playmaker their pick in Round 1. Opponents will now be faced with the daunting task of covering Worthy, Marquise Brown, eventually Rashee Rice and Kadarius Toney; good luck with that.
The team would’ve drafted Kingsley Suamataia with the 32nd pick, and it was manna from heaven when he fell to them in the second round. The underclassman from BYU is talented, can play left or right tackle and just needs to take his game to the next level.
Tight end Jared Wiley is a solid prospect who should take over once Travis Kelce retires, while offensive linemen Hunter Nourzad and C.J. Hanson were both terrific late-round picks. The only problem with this draft is that there are too many talented players and not enough spots open on the Chiefs’ roster for their services.
Grade - A
Las Vegas Raiders
Like much of the football world, the Raiders were shocked when the Atlanta Falcons selected Michael Penix Jr., the quarterback Las Vegas wanted, five selections before they were called to the clock.
Many thought the Raiders would regroup and pick Taliese Fuaga of Oregon State, but the team selected tight end Brock Bowers. They received great value selecting the playmaking Bowers, who was graded as the fifth or sixth overall player on most boards around the league.
Round 2 saw more value in Jackson Powers-Johnson, the interior lineman who can play center or guard. Third-round choice Decamerion Richardson is the tall, speedy corner the Raiders like to put on the field, while sixth-rounder Dylan Laube is a Swiss army knife skill player who will help out as a ball carrier, pass catcher and return specialist.
Grade - B+
Los Angeles Chargers
Many penciled a receiver in for the Chargers with the fifth pick, yet I reported all along that head coach Jim Harbaugh wanted a tackle, and he selected Joe Alt, the top one in the draft. The Notre Dame product instantly becomes the starter at right tackle after playing the left side for the Irish. Ladd McConkey was the pick in Round 2, filling the need for a polished, dependable receiver.
Harbaugh drafted a Wolverine next, selecting Junior Colson in the third round. Cornerback Cam Hart in round five and seventh-round receivers Brendan Rice and Cornelius Johnson were all great picks. Harbaugh is staying with the blueprint that made him so successful at Michigan: recruit good football players and prioritize football intellect over athleticism.
Grade - B+
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins came into the draft hoping to move down from the 21st selection then choose an offensive lineman. When that didn’t happen, they went with pass rusher Chop Robinson, one of my favorites. Robinson is a tremendous athlete who forces the action and is consistently in the backfield. Second-round pick Patrick Paul is a pure tackle prospect who needs work, but he has an upside. Fourth-round pick Jaylen Wright is a home run-hitting ball carrier with breakaway speed.
Fifth rounder Mohamed Kamara is another fast, disruptive pass rusher. Miami came away with their types of players, athletes with great speed who are also good football players. They’ve closed the gap on the divisional rival Buffalo Bills and may have even surpassed their recent nemesis.
Grade - B+
New England Patriots
There was plenty of speculation as to what the Patriots would do with the third pick. Would they trade down? Take J.J. McCarthy? Select Drake Maye? In the end, they chose the final option after receiving paltry offers for the third pick. In Maye, they’re getting a quarterback with a large upside who needs at least a year to develop his game.
It was downhill for the Patriots on Day 2. Ja’Lynn Polk continues the Patriots’ tradition of overdrafting slow receivers. Polk is a solid receiver, yet almost a dozen receivers with higher grades were available. Caedan Wallace watched his game regress last season and was a Day 3 prospect. After Drake Maye, the selection of Layden Robinson in the fourth round could be the team’s best, and the offensive guard should be starting by the end of the season.
Grade - C-
New York Jets
Entering the draft, the belief was the Jets were leaning towards selecting tight end Brock Bowers, but they fooled a lot of people and chose left tackle Olu Fashanu with the 11th selection -- a magnificent pick. In 1996, I repeatedly said that the Jets needed to draft Jonathan Ogden over Keyshawn Johnson, and I look at this selection in that lens. Fashanu is a tremendous pass-blocking left tackle who brings back memories of D’Brickashaw Ferguson.
Third-round pick Malachi Corley was a smart choice. While I had other receivers with higher grades, Corley is a good system fit. Fifth-round choices Isaiah Davis and Qwan’tez Stiggers were both sensational picks, and Stiggers could be a major steal. I was not a fan of Braelon Allen in the fourth round or Jordan Travis in the fifth. Allen is large but slow and too one-dimensional. Travis is the second coming of Tajh Boyd. And while I think the Jets did a good job, I question doubling up at running back and bypassing some of the talented pass catchers or blockers available.
Grade - B
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers discussed trading up with the Denver Broncos with the hopes of drafting a cornerback, yet when all was said and done, they stood pat, passed on the cornerbacks and selected offensive lineman Troy Fautanu. The Washington product offers potential at both guard as well as left tackle and should quickly move into the starting lineup.
The team was ready to draft Roman Wilson in the second round; that was until Zach Frazier fell into their laps. Frazier is a smart, tough blocker on the pivot and will be very effective blocking in motion. When Wilson fell to Pittsburgh in Round 3, they quickly swiped him off the board. The former Wolverine is a Hines Ward type who will help out as a receiver and return specialist. Fourth-round pick Mason McCormick fits the Steelers profile and is a future starter. The Steelers draft was offense-heavy, yet they came away with two, potentially three starters on the offensive line and an explosive receiver who’ll be a great gadget player.
Grade - A
Tennessee Titans
The Titans entered the draft needing help on both sides of the line of scrimmage as well as needing a few receivers. They left the event with a lot of risk. Taking JC Latham with the seventh pick of the draft was a surprise and could turn out to be a dud. Latham is large, probably too big, and the history of massive offensive linemen coming out of Alabama has not been a good one.
Defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat was a questionable choice in Round 2. Sweat has a history of being overweight (he was close to 390 pounds before the Senior Bowl), out of condition and undisciplined. Just weeks before the draft, Sweat was arrested for a DWI. He’s athletic and has a lot of ability, but he must mature as a person and do the little things off the field to be a better player on the field. Linebacker Cedric Gray was a solid fourth round pick as was Jaylen Harrell in the final frame. The Titans’ draft has boom or bust written all over it.
Grade - C-