With the NFL draft coming up on April 25, 2024, there are many exciting prospects on the board for this year. With the Chicago Bears having the first pick in the draft, they have a lot of opportunities to pick up fantastic talent. Some talents include Caleb Williams, Marvin Harrison Jr, Joe Alt, Jayden Daniels, and many more. Many sports networks have covered round one of the draft, and The Madisonian will do the same.
Pick 1: Chicago Bears (via Car)- Wide Receiver Marvin Harrison Jr, Ohio State
The Bears already have a Quarterback in Justin Fields, so going with Caleb Williams with the first pick is not an intelligent decision. If they get Marvin with their pick, they get another weapon for Fields, which would significantly upgrade their receiving core.
Pick 2: Washington Commanders- Quarterback Caleb Williams, USC
Caleb Williams being picked up by the Commanders would be an excellent first pick because they need to find a franchise QB that will help lead the team to a better season next year. If Washington does pick up Williams, it will be a good pickup if they grab a few receivers later in the draft to also boost their receiving core.
Pick 3: New England Patriots- Quarterback Drake Maye, North Carolina
Maye would be a good pick for the Patriots because Mac Jones has not done well these past few seasons, and New England needs a new quarterback to lead the team. Even with Bill Belichick retiring, Drake Maye would be a fantastic addition to the quarterback depth, and he has a chance to bring glory back to New England.
Pick 4: Arizona Cardinals- Wide Receiver Rome Odunze, Washington
Rome would be a fantastic weapon for Cardinals QB Kyler Murray. With how he played with Micheal Penix Jr this past college season at Washington, Odunze would be a great addition and possible franchise player if he progresses well into the season.
Pick 5: Los Angeles Chargers- Tight End Brock Bowers, Georgia
Brock Bowers is a no-brainer here for the Chargers. He has had a fantastic season and is one of Georgia’s most extraordinary tight ends this past season. There is no possible way that he falls outside the top 10 in this year’s draft. Bowers would be a fantastic addition to the tight end spot for Chargers QB Justin Herbert.
Pick 6: New York Giants- Offensive Tackle Olu Fashanu- Penn State
Olu Fashanu was an outstanding offensive lineman this season, and if the Giants want to have a good blocker for their Quarterback, Tommy Devito. Olu would be a fantastic addition to this offensive line if the Giants grab the Nittany Lion.
Pick 7: Tennessee Titans- Wide Receiver Malik Nabers, LSU
Nabers would be a fantastic pickup for the Titans because the Titan’s best receiver right now is 31-year-old Deandre Hopkins, who may only have a few years left in the NFL, so if they grab Malik, then they have a young receiver that they can develop into their play style. Still, they may grab a running back in the first round because of the departure of Titans running back Derrick Henry.
Pick 8: Atlanta Falcons- Quarterback Jayden Daniels, LSU
The Falcons taking Jayden here would be a good pick if he falls this far back because since Matt Ryan left, Atlanta has been going downward, having a 7-10 record this season. In the previous seasons as well, they had a losing record.
Pick 9: Chicago Bears- Cornerback Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo
The Bears return to the clock with the 9th pick in the draft, and if they get Mitchell, then they get a good improvement in their defense with the Toledo corner. Mitchell had 41 total tackles last season, along with an interception. So if the Bears play their first two picks right, they will get a good receiver and defensive threat.
Pick 10: New York Jets- Offensive Tackle Joe Alt, Notre Dame
Joe Alt was a very impressive lineman this year and is probably the best in the draft class. Joe will be a fantastic pickup if the Jets want better protection for Aaron Rogers or Zach Wilson. Alt could go very far in the league.
Pick 11: Minnesota Vikings- Edge Jared Verse, Florida State
Jaden Verse is a defensive threat on the line. Being a considerable edge threat, he could be deadly, with the Vikings having 41 total tackles, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. The Vikings need help on the defensive side of the ball, and if they grab Verse with this pick, it could be a good few years if they hold on to him.
Pick 12: Denver Broncos- Offensive Tackle Taliese Fuanga, Oregon St.
Fuanga is a fantastic pickup for the Broncos, especially since they need help on the offensive line. It could be a good sight for Denver if they snag him here with this pick. The Broncos will have an excellent pickup if they grab Fuanga with this pick.
Pick 13: Las Vegas Raiders- Quarterback J.J. Mccarthy, Michigan
The Raiders need to be in a better spot with either Sam Darnold or Jimmy Garoppolo at QB, so if they pick up national champion J.J. Mccarthy, they get a perfect QB that can become a real threat with the ball in his hands for the Raiders.
Pick 14: New Orleans Saints- Cornerback Terrion Arnold, Alabama
Terrion Arnold is a good corner, and debating how he does in the combine, his draft stock has chances to improve. He has an opportunity to become the savior for the Saints’ defense, with him snagging five picks last season and 40 solo tackles, which is insane for a corner only in his sophomore year.
Pick 15: Indianapolis Colts- Defensive Lineman Jer’zhan Newton, Illinois
Newton would be a great addition to the Colts’ D Line, getting 52 tackles and 7.5 sacks. He would help with the defensive side of the ball for Indianapolis. He could be an even more significant threat than we think.
Pick 16: Seattle Seahawks- Edge Dallas Turner, Alabama
Dallas Turner was impressive, but a team like Seattle needs significant improvements on the defense. They could use a man like Turner to turn that defense around, get it moving in the right direction, and get stops when they matter the most. Dallas is a fantastic player with an excellent chance to be a significant threat in the NFL.
Pick 17: Jacksonville Jaguars- Edge Laiatu Latu, UCLA
With back-to-back edge threats off the board, this one being Laiatu Latu from the UCLA Bruins. Latu was a fantastic player this season and already looks like a significant threat for offenses across the league. If he does well, then his family in Sacramento would be thrilled to see him play and be an absolute freak on the Jacksonville Defense.
Pick 18: Cincinnati Bengals- Cornerback Nate Wiggins, Clemson
Nate Wiggins to the Bengals would be the best bet for Cincinnati, with Wiggins being one of the best corners out of the ACC. Even though Clemson didn’t do that well this season, Wiggins is a fantastic corner who knows how to be in any coverage and try to make a play on the ball.
Pick 19: Los Angeles Rams-Quarterback Micheal Penix Jr., Washington
Micheal Penix Jr. was one of the best Quarterbacks on this list, but he does not deserve to be in the top 10, maybe the top 15. With the Rams picking him up, they can get rid of current quarterback Matthew Stafford and replace him with a younger quarterback with one heck of an arm. With Penix leading Washington to a national championship, he can raise his draft stock during the combine.
Pick 20: Pittsburg Steelers-Offensive Tackle JC Latham, Alabama
JC Latham has been an absolute beast coming out of Alabama. If the Rams take him here, they have another way to protect new Steelers QB Russel Wilson. Latham has blocked his QB Jaylen Milroe well this year, and if he gets picked up by the Steelers, Stafford may have a ton more time in the pocket.
Pick 21: Miami Dolphins- Edge Chop Robinson, Penn State
Miami would have an excellent pick with Nittany Lion Chop Robinson. This year, Chop was an outstanding edge threat for Penn State, getting 15 total tackles, two forced fumbles, and four sacks. So if Miami snagged Chop, it would be a good few years for him and Miami, and we all expect big things from him.
Pick 22: Philadelphia Eagles- Wide receiver Keon Coleman, Florida State
This year, Keon Coleman was an absolute weapon for FSU, catching 50 passes for 11 touchdowns and a dominant performance in the ACC Championship against Louisville. So if the Eagles take Keon here, they can see a significant improvement in the Philidelphia receiving core, with Keon alongside Aj Brown, a duo that may be unstoppable.
Pick 23 Houston Texans (Via Cle)- Cornerback Cooper Dejean, Iowa
Cooper Dejean would be a good pick for Houston, bringing in a defensive player who can prove himself. With him being on a team that needs some defensive help for plays in the air, Dejean could help because Will Anderson Jr. can’t carry the whole defense on his back. So, if he had a man like Cooper, it could be a tough time for some opposing offenses.
Pick 24: Dallas Cowboys- Offensive Tackle Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon
With Cowboys QB Dak Prescott being sacked 39 times this past season, Jackson Powers-Johnson would be a great plus to the Cowboys’ offensive line and help Dak out so he can air the ball downfield in the pocket. If Dallas makes the right decision here with Jackson, they could have a better offensive line than most of the league.
Pick 25: Green Bay Packers- Defensive lineman Darius Robinson, Missouri
With the offense settled for Green Bay, they can start rebuilding the defense, and they have a good choice here with Darius Robinson. Robinson is a significant threat on the defensive line for the Packer’s play style and would be a way to get the Packers further in the playoffs.
Pick 26: Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Wide Reciever Brian Thomas, LSU
Brian Thomas was an outstanding wide receiver this year and has the chance to improve in the coming NFL season. This kid has been a staple of the LSU offense, hauling 68 receptions for 1,177 yards and 17 touchdowns. Thomas has a lot of room to improve, and there could be multiple seasons with 1,000+ yards for him in the NFL.
Pick 27 Arizona Cardinals (Via Hou)- Cornerback Kool-Aid Mickinsrty, Alabama
Kool-Aid Mickintry, even with an exciting name, is a fantastic corner for Alabama, and we can see if he can lock down receivers in the NFL as he did in college. He had 32 total tackles with two picks in his whole career in college, but low numbers mean room to improve and become a lockdown corner for the Cardinals.
Pick 28: Buffalo Bills- Defensive Tackle Byron Murphy, Texas
Murphy was an absolute unit for the Longhorns with 29 tackles and five sacks last year. If the Bills pick him up with this pick, they will have their hands on a Defensive Tackle that can quickly improve and become a monster for offenses.
Pick 29: Detroit Lions- Offensive Tackle Amarius Mims, Georgia
Mims would be an excellent pick for the Lions, and they have another protector for Gerad Goff with the Lions. Mims had ankle surgery earlier but still had a good year. So if the Lions pick up Mims, they would have a good blocker for the Lions.
Pick 30: Baltimore Ravens- Wide Receiver Adonai Mitchell, Texas
The current Ravens’ receiving core is led only by Zay Flowers. Hence, if they get Adonai, they get another receiver who can lead the team and set goals for the Ravens to make it to the Super Bowl next year. Adonai could be a good slot receiver while Zay runs deep, which puts Lamar in a spot to throw a check-down to Mitchell for easy yards.
Pick 31: San Fransico 49ers- Offensive Tackle Troy Fautanu, Washington
The 49ers have some good offensive linemen, but adding Fautanu would be a good pickup and blocker for Niners quarterback Brock Purdy. The 6 foot 4 317 pound Junior would be the best bet for the Niners. They could have a great offensive lineman shortly and quickly become a star.
Pick 32: Kansas City Chiefs- Offensive Tackle Tyler Guyton, Oklahoma
With the Cheifs winning the Super Bowl this past year, they have the last pick in the draft’s first round. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was sacked three times during the Super Bowl. If they grab Guyton, they will soon have a good protector for him.
With the Chiefs wrapping up the first round of the draft, The Madisonian has high hopes for all these first-round picks and hopes that they can all make it far in the NFL, bring hopes back to teams that need it, and continue a legacy for teams that are in the making of a new dynasty.
