The first round of the highly anticipated 2024 NFL draft started and ended on Thursday April 25th. Boy did it produce an exciting event. There were many obvious picks in this draft, however, there were also many picks that were unknown which excited the viewers. The Chicago Bears had the first pick in the draft and every football fan knew who they were taking. 

The First overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft was Caleb Williams, quarterback, out of the University of Southern California. Caleb Williams was the obvious number one choice in this year's draft. His playmaking ability at the quarterback position is far greater than the other prospects. Many people compare Williams to the great Patrick Mahomes playstyle. They both have that unique playmaking ability with the ability to throw from awkward angles, side arm almost. They both can also make plays with their feet as well. However, there is still one thing Mahomes has proven that Caleb Williams now has the opportunity to show, winning games. Mahomes is a 3x superbowl winner, the youngest quarterback to ever do it. If Caleb Williams truly is like Patrick Mahomes, he has to go out there and win games.

 The second pick of the draft belonged to the Washington Commanders. This offseason, the Commanders traded their starting quarterback, Sam Howell, to the Seattle Seahawks. It was clear that the Commanders were going to take a quarterback in this draft. With the 2nd overall pick, they took Jayden Daniels, quarterback, out of Louisiana State University. Jayden Daniels was the heisman trophy winner this year and it was no surprise that he would go this early in the draft. Jayden Daniels is a really good player. He is comparable almost to Lamar Jackson. Jayden Daniels is a really fast quarterback and can make huge plays with his feet. He also has a great arm to attack the defense with as well. With the horror of Jayden Daniels legs and throwing ability, it is going to be hard for defenses to try to stop him once he progresses in the league as a quarterback. 

The third pick in the NFL draft was held by the New England Patriots. It was clear they were going to draft a quarterback with the third pick, and every NFL fan knew who the quarterback was going to be. However, it was the first time in NFL history where quarterbacks were taken with the first three picks in the NFL draft. With the third pick in the NFL draft, the New England Patriots took Drake Maye, quarterback, out of the University of North Carolina. Drake Maye is a tall strong quarterback who has that gunslinger arm. He can make throws from awkward angles and can really put the ball on the money. A player you can compare him to is Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen. Josh Allen and Drake Maybe both have these big strong builds. They can take the game into their own hands and can really lead a team to victory. Drake Maye will do great on a team that desperately needs help with competing against the other teams in the AFC East. 

The 4th pick in the NFL Draft belonged to the Arizona Cardinals. With Kyler Murray being out the beginning half of the season, it was hard for the Cardinals to ever get going. Once Murray came back, they seemed to have found their groove a little bit. However, it was all too late as the Cardinals playoff hopes were very slim once Murray made his return. Going into this year's draft, their focus was all about getting Kyler Murray the help on offense that he needs, and they did just that. With the fourth overall pick in the NFL Draft, the Arizona Cardinals took Marvin Harrison, wide receiver, Ohio State. Marvin Harrison was arguably the best prospect in the NFL Draft. If there was an athlete who was the most pro ready, Marvin Harrison would fill that role. His ability to catch throws from all different directions is unheard of. However, him not being a quarterback hurt his chances of going higher in the draft.     

The 5th pick belonged to the Los Angeles Chargers. This offseason, the Chargers hired Jim Harbough as their new head coach. Harbough came from coaching the Michigan Wolverines and leading them to a win in the national championship. The Chargers had many options to take off the board from quarterback, receiver, and offensive line. However, Jim Harbough’s style of offense is a very old school, running the ball style of offense. With the 5th pick in the NFL draft, the Los Angeles Charges selected Joe Alt, offensive lineman out of Notre Dame. Joe Alt was most likely the best offensive lineman in the draft. He is a really good pass blocker and has really good speed for his size to be able to block defensive players down field in the run game. The Chargers got themselves a really good player in Joe Alt. 

The 6th pick in the NFL draft belonged to the New York Giants. The Giants made a lot of moves in the offseason. Saquon Barkely, their star running back signed with the Philadelphia Eagles, and their star safety Xavier Mckinney signed with the Green Bay Packers. However, the Giants made a very impressive move trading for Brian Burns, a very good pass rusher who came from the Caroline panthers. With that being said, the Giants still had a lot of question marks on the roster. For example, their quarterback Daniel Jones. With him tearing his ACL, there was a lot of concern whether or not this was the year to move on from Daniel Jones and draft a quarterback. With the 6th pick in the NFL draft, the New York Giants selected Malik Naber, wide receiver from LSU. Malik Naber was a great pick for the New York Giants. They decided not to move on from Daniel Jones, but to give him another weapon. Malik Nabers is a very strong and very fast receiver that can do it all. He is very similar to another LSU wide receiver who was drafted by the New York Giants, Odell Beckham Jr. Both have very skilled route running, and their speed is a whole other level. Malik Nabers will be a great fit for the New York Giants offense.  

The 7th pick belonged to the Tennessee Titans. The Titans just recently signed Brian Callahan as the new head who was originally the offensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals. The Tennessee Titans are one of the biggest question marks in the league right now. They just released star running back Derrick Henry. They also are trying to develop their second-year two quarterback Will Levis. He showed a lot of promise last year, however still has a lot to learn in the NFL. However, the Titans made a lot of great offseason pickups. They signed star receiver Calvin Ridley and Tony Pollard, a really gut running back who they’re hoping can replace the workload of Derrick Henry. With Deandre Hopkins already in the lineup, this offseason can be really dangerous. With the 7th pick in the NFL draft, the Tennessee Titans selected JC Latham, offensive tackle, Alabahma. Latham was one of the best offensive lineman in the draft. He is a really amazing pass blocker and can get to that second level in run blocking when needed. The Tennessee Titans can prove themselves to be very dangerous this year. 

The 8th pick in the NFL draft belonged to the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons pick was by far the most surprising pick in the first round of the draft. The Falcons brought in a new coach named Raheem Morris who was originally the defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams. The Falcons also picked up veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins, who was originally with the Minnesota Vikings. Cousins has proven to be a very good quarterback in the NFL, but has never really been able to prove that he can win games in the playoffs or take his team to the superbowl. Yet despite all his flaws, the Falcons pick was still a shocker to most. With the 8th pick in the NFL draft, the Falcons selected Michael Penix, quarterback, out of Washington. The Falcons just signed Kirk Cousins to a 4 year deal and then they drafted a quarterback. It was a very surprising pick to say the least. However, they are still getting a very good quarterback in Penix. He throws a very accurate ball and can really put power into it whenever he needs to. Michael Penix will be a very good quarterback in the NFL.  

The 9th pick in the NFL draft belonged to the Chicago Bears. The Chicago Bears got this pick from a blockbuster trade last year with the Carolina Panthers. Earlier in the draft, the Bears took quarterback Caleb Williams. One of the best quarterback prospects to come out of college, the NFL is going to be a real test for him to see if he really is a great quarterback. With this 9th pick comes an opportunity to give Caleb Williams the offensive help he needs to further his playing ability. With the 9th pick in the NFL draft, the Chicago Bears selected Rome Odunze, wide receiver out of Washington. Rome Odunze was a great pick for the Bears. It gives Caleb William yet another offensive weapon. Rome Odunze is a very big and strong receiver with a large catch radius and can make any play you ask for him. Rome Odunze will be a great fit in Chicago's offense.

The 10th pick in the NFL draft belonged to the Minnesota Vikings. This offseason they lost their veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins. Cousins brought the offense together and helped lead them to the playoffs in the years he was healthy. However, without a quarterback, the Vikings will be a huge mystery going into the next season. So, with the 10th pick in the NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings selected J.J Mccarthy, quarterback out of Michigan. Mccarthy was a great leader and passer for the Michigan Wolverines and led them to a win in the national championship game. He had great game sense and awareness and made all of the right reads and plays on the field. If he can build his chemistry with his new receivers, especially with one of the best in the league Justin Jefferson, he can be a huge factor for the Minnesota Vikings.

Overall, this draft brought a lot of excitement for NFL fans. These future players are going to bring a lot of entertainment to the league. It’s going to be fun to watch these guys play and improve as they get further along in their careers.