4 2024 NFL Draft picks who landed with the absolute wrong team

The square peg fits into the round hole. For every door that says pull, sometimes you just need a good, ole push. Yes, even the best and most well-intentioned ideas don't pan out. After all, the road to hell was paved with good intentions. So when it goes to hell in a hand basket for your beloved NFL franchise, look no further than the suits who drafted your team for you without your consideration.

While we as fans should be thrilled about seeing these 250-plus men's lives forever changes after hearing their name called, where you land matters. Football is the ultimate team sport. You can do your job to the best of your ability, but if one of your 10 teammates on the field with you messes up, there could be hell to pay. While competitive balance breeds hope, it also perpetuates dysfunction.

So what I am going to do today is take a look at a few first-round picks where I really like the player, but am not so over the moon about where they landed. I wish them nothing but the best, but we may look back on a few of these picks many years from now, scratch our heads collectively and say, "huh?" I would love nothing more than to be wrong here, but I've got a bad feeling about a few of these guys.

Here are four first-round picks I think went to the wrong team, and where I wish they would have gone.

4. Graham Barton is fine in Tampa Bay, but was better served elsewhere

Graham Barton was a fast riser throughout the draft process, one who went from a versatile veteran at Duke to being a top-32 lock. Admittedly, this was as offensive heavy of an NFL Draft as I can ever remember. I thought his ability to start pretty much anywhere across the offensive line would have had him coming off the board higher than No. 26 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tampa Bay is fine...

While expected offensive line prospects like Joe Alt, Olu Fashanu and Taliese Fuaga to be long gone before Barton's name was creeping towards the top of anyone's draft boards, I thought he would have gone before Troy Fautanu to Pittsburgh at No. 20, and definitely before Jordan Morgan to Green Bay at No. 25. Like I said, the Buccaneers should be good this year, but they might be trending down.

I feel with the Buccaneers that Jason Licht is trying to plug and play the guy, to counterbalance losing any of Tom Brady's former offensive linemen of note to injury, free agency and retirement. This team should make the playoffs with Baker Mayfield under center. However, I wonder if Barton's career trajectory aligns with where Tampa Bay is at in its competitive life cycle. Their paths are crossing.

I would have much rather seen Barton go to the Pittsburgh Steelers a few picks before Tampa Bay.

My preferred landing spot: Pittsburgh Steelers

3. Chop Robinson may not take the Miami Dolphins over the top in 2024

This was a weird draft for defensive players. We did not see our first defensive prospect taken until former UCLA edge rusher Laiatu Latu went No. 15 to Indianapolis. Guys like Alabama's Dallas Turner and Florida State's Jared Verse went a couple of picks later. Then, the Miami Dolphins slightly reached on Penn State's Chop Robinson. I wanted him to go to the Detroit Lions so badly a few picks later, man.

While I would say that Miami does have a rich history in identifying great pass-rushers throughout my time following along with the league (namely Jason Taylor and Cameron Wake), I feel like Miami could have moved back a couple of picks and gotten him a few slots later. He may not have made it past the Arizona Cardinals picking at No. 27, but I still think Robinson going No. 21 overall was a bit of a reach.

My problem with Robinson going to the Dolphins is the franchise is in win-now mode, but may be pressing a bit to solve a few needs to round out its roster. I see Robinson as a high-end No. 2 edge rusher. I would have loved nothing more than for him to play opposite of Aidan Hutchinson in Detroit, getting drafted in front of the home crowd. Regardless, this is a good pick for the Dolphins anyway.

For whatever reason, I feel like Robinson's ceiling is stifled a bit by going to Miami with this selection.

My preferred landing spot: Detroit Lions

2. Brock Bowers to the Las Vegas Raiders feels like a waste of talent

How Brock Bowers' father sat on the other side of the couch in Napa said it all. The greatest tight end in college football history from my beloved alma mater of the University of Georgia went to the NFL's rebel franchise in the Las Vegas Raiders. I get that he probably improves the Raiders' pass-catching abilities and versatility on offense, but they failed to address their biggest need, which is quarterback.

For as much as I may like Aidan O'Connell as a second-year pro out of Purdue, or just the amount of cool vibes Gardner Minshew II gives off, Antonio Pierce needed a quarterback to attach himself to. He may have won over the locker room as their interim head coach, but new general manager Tom Telesco didn't do him any favors. Does he realize he no longer works for the Los Angeles Chargers?

Bowers projects to be somewhat like Darren Waller was at his prime in the NFL, if not better. To me, I would have loved to have seen Bowers go to a team that is either ready to win a Super Bowl now, or one that could be pushing for playoff contention if all goes according to plan. The New York Jets were the team I thought he would be the ideal fit for, but clearly, Joe Douglas likes Penn State offensive tackle Olu Fashanu a bit more.

In most other drafts, Bowers would have been a top-five pick. Instead, he fell to the Raiders at No. 13.

My preferred landing spot: New York Jets

1. Michael Penix Jr. and Kirk Cousins felt mutually exclusive in Atlanta

I mean, there was no other option. Even though I think Bo Nix's limited ceiling is thwarted a bit in Denver, the Broncos just kind of work for him. While I would say that Michael Penix Jr. could be a huge hit in Atlanta, the Falcons just paid big money to Kirk Cousins in NFL free agency. To me, Cousins and Penix were mutually exclusive entities. Clearly, Terry Fontenot saw differently than every one of us.

Regardless, I expect that the Atlanta Falcons will challenge the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC South race. It would not shock me if they won multiple playoff games if they were to qualify. The change of guard with the coaching staff is a huge boost for this team, as it Cousins and Penix. The problem is only one of those two quarterbacks can play at any given time. It felt like a wasted pick.

Truth be told, we have seen teams do questionable things when drafting a quarterback. Look no futher than the Green Bay Packers taking Jordan Love four years ago when they still had Aaron Rodgers. Who could ever forget that Washington traded up to No. 2 with the Rams to take Robert Griffin III out of Baylor, only to draft Cousins a bit later in the fourth round out of Michigan State?

No, I don't think Penix would have made it past the Raiders at No. 13, which is why he was selected.

My preferred landing spot: Las Vegas Raiders