2024 NFL Draft grades using The Simpsons GIFs

The 2024 NFL Draft has come and gone. Some teams have found their new franchise quarterbacks of the future, as evidenced by six of them being picked within the first 12 selections. Other teams added immediate playmakers to help on either the offensive or defensive side of the line of scrimmage. As is the case every year, teams asy they got every player they wanted.

Each team has been graded after the draft to see how well they did, even though none of the players have played a down in the NFL just yet. It's all projection. instead of handing out letter grades to each team, we will use GIFs from the most meme-able show in television history, The Simpsons.

Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears did what we all expected to do -- draft Caleb Williams. But with the ninth overall pick, the Bears picked Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze, who was in the elite tier of prospects in his position which included Marvin Harrison Jr. and Malik Nabers. The Bears didn't have many picks this year, but rounded their draft out with Yale offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie, Iowa punter Tory Taylor, and Kansas edge rusher Austin Booker. A great draft for the Bears, and the future looks bright at Soldier Field.

Washington Commanders

What a draft by the Washington Commanders in general manager Adam Peter's first draft with the team. They did the expected in selecting LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels with the second overall pick. Perhaps their best move came in the second round when they selected Illinois defensive tackle Jer'Zhan Newton in the second round. Newton was projected to be selected in the first round, and now creates a stacked interior defensive line depth chart alongside Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne. Another great pick was Michigan cornerback Mike Sainristil to be an immediate starter in their secondary. The Commanders made the most of their selections, and they should be applauded for it.

New England Patriots

The New England Patriots were open for business for the No. 3 overall pick, but never seemed tempted to move it. That was evident by listening to huge offers from the New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings, both of whom were looking to draft North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye. Instead, the Patriots opted to stand pat and take Maye themselves. While the New England offense entering the draft looked rough, but they added some good receivers for Maye to target in Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker. The Patriots look better on paper than they did before, but it will all be about patience before the team really clicks.

Arizona Cardinals

There was no wheeling and dealing from Arizona Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort in the first round, and there was no need. The team had 11 picks at their disposal. So they took probably the best player in the entire draft in Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. in hopes that he will be their long-term wide receiver like Larry Fitzgerald was. But the Cardinals selected some other good players as well, such as Missouri defensive end Darius Robinson, Rutgers cornerback Max Melton, and running back Trey Benson. Cardinals fans should be excited about what's to come. The team overperformed last season, and look to be getting even better on paper.

Los Angeles Chargers

The Jim Harbaugh era of the Los Angeles Chargers officially began this past week. With their first-round pick, the Chargers ignored the criticism for not securing an elite-tier wide receiver and instead went for Notre Dame offensive tackle Joe Alt. But the team did get one of the better wide receiver prospects in Georgia's Ladd McConkey. Of course, Harbaugh had to draft some of his Michigan men, landing linebacker Junior Colson in the third round and wide receiver Cornelius Johnson in the seventh round. Overall, the Chargers had a solid first draft with Harbaugh and general manager Joe Hortiz. But we can essentially book Michigan players to get selected by Harbaugh in the future.

New York Giants

The New York Giants tried their best to land North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye, reportedly making an offer to the New England Patriots for the No. 3 pick. Instead, the Patriots hung up on them and decided to take Maye themselves. So, the Giants opted against taking a quarterback altogether, instead looking to build around Daniel Jones for one more year. They landed a stud wide receiver in Malik Nabers in the first round, a piece they have been missing for quite some time. Other pieces added on offense include Penn State tight end Theo Johnson and Purdue running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. The Giants also addressed their secondary, selecting Minnesota safety Tyler Nubin in Round 2 and Kentucky cornerback Andru Phillips in Round 3. The Giants' pivot plan saw them address areas of need. Now it's on Jones to show he's worth the contract. If not, they'll really look for his replacement next year.

Tennessee Titans

The Tennessee Titans watched as the Los Angeles Chargers took the best offensive tackle of the class in Joe Alt. However, they did land Alabama's J.C. Latham in the first round to bolster the offensive line in front of quarterback Will Levis. The rest of their draft can be considered "okay," wieth their notable selections being Texas defensive tackle T'Vondre Sweat in Round 2 and North Carolina linebacker Cedric Gray. It will be up to new head coach Brian Callahan to get the most out of this team in what has become a tough AFC South division.

Atlanta Falcons

Seriously, Atlanta Falcons? That was how you wanted to use the eighth-overall pick? Look, we know the Falcons were stuck in quarterback purgatory ever since they moved on from Matt Ryan. But to select Washington's Michael Penix Jr., despite signing Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract ($100 million guaranteed) one month earlier? We get the logic of having a young quarterback sit for a couple of years, but Penix is going to be 24 years old entering his rookie season. It's a shame for Penix, he could have gone to a team where he had a legitimate chance of starting in the near future. Other than that, the Falcons didn't really make many remarkable moves with their remaining picks. Out of every team, the Falcons probably had the worst draft.

Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings were the biggest traders in the first round. After watching four quarterbacks get taken ahead of them, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah made a deal with the New York Jets to move up one spot to select their new quarterback, Michigan's J.J. McCarthy. Realistically, whichever quarterback the Vikings landed was entering a favorable situation (you get to throw to Justin Jefferson, after all). Then, Adofo-Mensah negotiated a trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars seven picks later to select one of the top edge rushers in the draft in Alabama's Dallas Turner. Other notable picks included Oregon cornerback Khyree Jackson in the fourth round and Alabama kicker Will Reichard in the sixth round. This was a great draft for the Vikings, as they look to be on the same level as the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers entering Week 1 of the upcoming season.

New York Jets

The New York Jets were unable to land either Marvin Harrison Jr., Rome Odunze, or Malik Nabers when they were on the clock. Instead of using their first-round pick on Georgia tight end Brock Bowers, they decided to address the offensive line and take Penn State tackle Olu Fashanu. This was a wise move, considering how much the offensive line contributed to the team's struggles.

The Jets would land some solid players later on, such as Western Kentucky wide receiver Malachi Corley, Wisconsin running back Braelon Allen, and a potential future quarterback in Florida State's Jordan Travis. This is a make-or-break year for the Jets, and they brought in immediate contributors.

Denver Broncos

Yes, the Denver Broncos were one of the winners of the draft. Sure, there are a lot of people down on Bo Nix, but he couldn't have gone to a better destination than Denver, where he'll learn from Sean Payton. Oh, and they managed to bring along one of his top receiving options from Oregon in Troy Franklin to help continue their chemistry into the pros. Plus, one of their underrated moves was the Audric Estime selection in the fifth round. Good luck tackling him, opposing defenses.

Las Vegas Raiders

The Las Vegas Raiders were unable to land a quarterback in this year's NFL Draft. After the run of QBs in the first 12 selections, the Raiders opted against it. But there's no need to panic, the Raiders ended up with some stud players for Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell in Georgia tight end Brock Bowers and Oregon center Jackson Powers-Johnson. Still, in a division featuring Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert, the Raiders need to find their future quarterback soon.

New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints didn't have too many early picks in the NFL Draft, but they made the most of them. In the first round, they drafted one of the best offensive tackles in Oregon State's Tailese Fuaga, and addressed an area of need. Then in the second round, they traded up to select Alabama cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry, who was projected to go in Round 1. Plus, they finally brought in a young quarterback with high upside in Spencer Rattler. Overall, an excellent draft for the Saints.

Indianapolis Colts

The NFL Draft fell right to the Indianapolis Colts. The first 14 selections were used on offensive players. That meant the Colts had their choice of defensive players on the board. They opted to choose UCLA edge rusher Laiatu Latu with the 15th overall pick. There were some other great picks, such as Texas wide receiver Adonai Mitchell in the second round and Pittsburgh offensive tackle Matt Goncalves in the third round. This is a draft that could help the Colts make it back into the playoffs after narrowly missing out this past season.

Seattle Seahawks

Somehow, some way, one of the best defensive players fell to the Seattle Seahawks. It will be weird without Pete Carroll, but Mike Macdonald gets a stud defensive tackle in Texas' Byron Murphy. The Seahawks also brought in UConn offensive guard Christian Haynes, Michigan tight end A.J. Barner, and Auburn cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett. The thing is, the rest of the NFC West division had much better drafts.

Cincinnati Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals watched star quarterback Joe Burrow get hurt twice last year, one of which required season-ending surgery on his wrist. With that, giving Burrow help was a priority. In the first round, they landed Georgia offensive tackle Amarius Mims, who is a giant. Plus, they got some receiver help in the form of Alabama's Jermaine Burton in the third round. Their second-round pick was a home run landing stud Michigan defensive tackle Kris Jenkins. Overall, a solid draft for Cincinnati.

Los Angeles Rams

The Los Angeles Rams actually did it! They made a selection in the first round of the NFL Draft for the first time since 2016. And they made quite the selection in Florida State edge rusher Jordan Verse. Then in the second round, they got Verse's linemate in tackle Braden Fiske. With Aaron Donald retired, the Rams made sure to bolster the defensive line. Plus, they made a real solid selection in the third round by taking Michigan running back Blake Corum. What he did at Ann Arbor should have Rams fans excited.

Pittsburgh Steelers

The easy winners of the 2024 NFL Draft are the Pittsburgh Steelers, and major credit goes to general manager Omar Khan. In the first round, they landed Washington offensive tackle Troy Fautanu, a former Steelers fan. Pittsburgh wasn't done there, they continued to ensure their offensive line could hold up for either Russell Wilson or Justin Fields by selecting West Virginia center Zach Frazier in the second round and South Dakota State guard Mason McCormick in the fourth round. Additionally, the Steelers added Michigan wide receiver Roman Wilson and North Carolina State linebacker Payton Wilson, a first-round prospect, in Round 3. Take a bow Steelers, you won the NFL Draft and quite possibly the entire offseason.

Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins have their work cut out for them. They had a window to contend for a Super Bowl the past two seasons, only for them to get eliminated in the Wild Card round each time. While the Dolphins did add some good players, will it be enough? Sure the Dolphins used their first round on Penn State pass rusher Chop Robinson to provide depth behind Bradley Chubb and Jaelen Phillips, and used their second-rounder on Houston offensive tackle Patrick Paul, but will they be immediate contributors on what has become a win-now team? Plus, the Dolphins' selection of Tennessee running back Jaylen Wright makes no sense not because of the player's skill. Rather, the team has so many running backs as it is. Let's hope this works, Dolphins.

Philadelphia Eagles

How the Philadelphia Eagles keep getting away with having the best players in the draft fall to them is truly unbelievable. No one could have predicted that no defensive player would be taken off the board until pick No. 15, but that's exactly what happened (thanks, Falcons). But somehow, someway, Toledo's Quinyon Mitchell, the top cornerback prospect in the draft, fell right to them with the No. 22 pick. Oh, and thanks to the Washington Commanders, the Eagles were gifted with another top defensive back prospect in Iowa's Cooper DeJean. Howie Roseman is an evil genius.

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars needed to nail the NFL Draft. The Houston Texans got better by adding Stefon Diggs. Not to mention Calvin Ridley left Jacksonville for the rival Tennessee Titans on a lucrative contract. The Jaguars did land probably the WR4 of the draft in LSU's Brian Thomas Jr., who has high upside. But other than that, they didn't really make any moves that say "Yes, we can totally contend with the Texans for the AFC South." Sorry, Jaguars fans. You just have to hope that Trevor Lawrence can go full superhero on the entire NFL.

Detroit Lions

What a week by the hosts of the NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions. The team got new uniforms and carry high expectations heading into next season. In the first round, they negotiated a trade with the Dallas Cowboys to move up to the No. 24 pick to land Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold. In the second round, they doubled down on corner by selecting Missouri's Ennis Rakestraw Jr. Just like that, an area of need was filled tremendously by the Lions, as the secondary needed an overhaul after their NFC Championship Game loss against the San Francisco 49ers. It's hard not to view the Lions as favorites in the NFC now.

Green Bay Packers

We use this GIF because no team was booed louder in Detroit than the Green Bay Packers. We were saying Boo-urns. The Packers had a hell of a draft. They took a chance on Arizona tackle Jordan Mogan to protect quarterback Jordan Love's blindside. Then, the Packers were able to replenish their safety room by drafting Georgia's Javon Bullard in Round 2, Oregon's Evan Williams in Round 4, and Oregon State's Kitan Oladapo in Round 5. Plus, they added USC's Marshawn Lloyd in Round 3. This was a good draft by the Packers, who hope that this class and their free agents signed can help them get past the NFC Divisional Round and into Super Bowl 59.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers kept Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans this offseason, showing that they are ready to go on another run to the playoffs. They added to the offensive line by selecting Duke's Graham Barton in the first round. Plus, they added Washington wideout Jalen McMillan in Round 3 and Oregon running back Bucky Irving in Round 4. Plus they brought in Alabama edge rusher Chris Braswell in the second round. The Buccaneers may have a chance to win the NFC South once again. It certainly helps that the Falcons drafted the way they did.

Kansas City Chiefs

It should become common knowledge to all NFL fans. No matter how the Kansas City Chiefs' roster looks, you can not count them out of running for the Super Bowl. As long as Patrick Mahomes is there, they have a chance. It certainly helps to have a good draft to bring in difference-makers. Thanks to the Buffalo Bills, they were gifted Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy, who broke the 40-yard dash record at the Scouting Combine. There's your Tyreek Hill replacement, on paper. Not to mention, the Chiefs added BYU offensive tackle Kingsley Suamataia in the second round and TCU tight end and potential Travis Kelce successor Jared Wiley. No matter how the Chiefs' draft went, it wasn't going to make or break their odds of competing for the Super Bowl next season. Luckily for them, they had a solid draft.

Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys had a perplexing NFL Draft. The team had a choice of their running backs to draft, another area that needed some bolstering. Well, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones may or may not have tanked his chances of taking the top running back in the draft in Texas' Jonathon Brooks by gushing about him in a press conference after the first round of the NFL Draft. The thing is, the Carolina Panthers traded up ahead of them in the second round to grab Brooks.

The Cowboys addressed their offensive line by selecting Oklahoma tackle Tyler Guyton in the first round and Kansas State guard Cooper Beebe in the third. Overall, the Cowboys didn't really draft anyone that puts them over the edge. This will be a make-or-break season for the Cowboys, Dak Prescott, and Mike McCarthy.

Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens always find a way to win the NFL Draft. Their ability to scout talent with their value of picks is always impressive. This is why they are usually playoff contenders on an annual basis. With the amount of talent they lost this offseason, they filled the voids by adding the likes of edge rusher Adisa Isaac, offensive tackle Roger Rosengarten, and wide receiver Devontez Walker. Plus, they strengthened their secondary by selecting Nate Wiggins in Round 1 and T.J. Tampa in Round 4.

San Francisco 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers were the talk of the NFL Draft, given reports that they were looking to trade up in the first round, and were including either Deebo Samuel or Brandon Aiyuk in potential packages. Ultimately, nothing came to fruition. But trade buzz only grew after the 49ers used their first-round selection on Florida wide receiver Ricky Pearsall. Then, a report dropped that San Francisco was more likely to trade Samuel than Aiyuk. Nothing transpired, and general manager John Lynch essentially what is captioned in the GIF above, saying that he wants to keep that wide receiver trio.

The 49ers added the likes of Florida State cornerback Renardo Green, Wake Forest safety Malik Mustapha, and Louisville running back Isaac Guerendo. A good draft for the 49ers, but they have repeatedly expressed their desire not to trade either Samuel or Aiyuk.

Carolina Panthers

New Carolina Panthers general manager Dan Morgan delivered a message to quarterback Bryce Young and the entire offense -- help was on the way. Even though the team didn't have a first-round pick due to the trade with the Chicago Bears to get the No. 1 pick last year to draft Young, they were able to get into Round 1 by negotiating a trade with the Buffalo Bills for the No. 32 pick and used it on South Carolina wide receiver Xavier Legette. Then, in Round 2, the Panthers traded up to select Texas running back Jonathon Brooks. In the fourth round, the Panthers drafted Brooks' teammate at Texas -- tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders.

The Panthers offense is in much better shape than it was entering the NFL Draft, and it's thanks to Morgan. Now, it's on head coach Dave Canales to get the most out of Young to prove he was worthy of the first-overall pick last year.

Buffalo Bills

What were the Buffalo Bills thinking? We get it, they may have preferred Florida State wide receiver Keon Coleman over the available pass-catchers and felt trading down to accumulate more picks was the way to go. But the Bills traded with the Chiefs, and they drafted Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy. They gift-wrapped the Chiefs their new wide receiver who may or may not play a role in an impending head-to-head playoff matchup. The logic just didn't make sense.

Besides that, the Bills had a solid draft. They found a new starting safety in Utah's Cole Bishop, with Jordan Poyer now on the Miami Dolphins, and Micah Hyde still a free agent. They added to the running back room with Kentucky's Ray Davis. It's just the Bills' trade with the Chiefs that really brings it down.

Houston Texans

The Houston Texans traded out of the first round weeks ago and received a second-rounder and a sixth-rounder this year from the Minnesota Vikings. They really made the most of their picks, using their very first pick on Georgia cornerback Kamari Lassiter. One plus is that the Texans reunited quarterback C.J. Stroud with former teammate and Ohio State tight end Cade Stover. Plus, the Texans picked their potential future right tackle in Notre Dame's Blake Fisher. The Texans look to be in much better shape than they were entering the draft, which only bodes well for their Super Bowl chances in 2024.

Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns didn't pick in the first round due to the Deshaun Watson trade. Their day began in the second round, using their first pick on Ohio State defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr. In the third round, the Browns got Zak Zinter, their potential starting offensive guard of the future. Other than that, it was an average draft for Cleveland. It certainly doesn't help that the rest of the AFC North division got much better after the draft.