2024 NFL Draft Grades: NFC South
Let’s have a talk. Just you and me. The 2024 NFL Draft is in the books. You can make the choice now. You can choose to read other people’s draft grades. You know, the grades where you get lied to and nobody has the balls to hand out anything lower than a C for any of the teams. OR you can read mine where I tell the truth. The choice is yours.
By the way, how come nobody grades Mel Kiper’s draft grades after the fact? I’ll happily stack up my resume compared to anybody else out there. It’s not a battle they will win based on past evidence. We’re starting things off with the NFC South. Let’s do this thing.
Atlanta Falcons: Grade F
Round 1, Pick 8: Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington
Round 2, Pick 35: Ruke Orhorhoro, DL, Clemson
Round 3, Pick 74: Bralen Trice, Edge, Washington
Round 4, Pick 109: Brandon Dorlus, DL, Oregon
Round 5, Pick 143: JD Bertrand, LB, Notre Dame
Round 6, Pick 186: Jase McClellan, RB, Alabama
Round 6, Pick 187: Casey Washington, WR, Illinois
Round 6, Pick 197: Zion Logue, DL, Georgia
Do I even need to say anything? Okay… fine I’ll say some things.
A: I had Michael Penix Jr. as my QB7. The Falcons picked him with the 8th pick in the entire draft.
B: The Orhorhoro pick was comical. We do get that Orhorhoro made third team All-ACC. They passed on Johnny Newton who was the Big 10 defensive player of the year. Does anybody have a logical explanation how that picked happened? Oh, and they traded up for that too.
I can keep going but there’s really no need. This entire organization is a clown show. Is anybody defending them for this train wreck? They better hope Dorlus is a hit. If he’s not I’m not sure they got a single player that’s going to help them.
Carolina Panthers: Grade F
Round 1, Pick 32: Xavier Legette, WR, South Carolina
Round 2, Pick 46: Jonathon Brooks, RB, Texas
Round 3, Pick 72: Trevin Wallace, LB, Kentucky
Round 4, Pick 101: Ja’Tavion Sanders, TE, Texas
Round 5, Pick 157: Chau Smith-Wade, CB, Washington State
Round 6, Pick 200: Jaden Crumedy, DL, Mississippi State
Round 7, Pick 240: Michael Barrett, LB, Michigan
The Bears turned in the card for Caleb Williams at the top of the draft. That was Carolina’s pick. That alone makes this class an F.
Except it didn’t really stop there. They moved up for Xavier Legette, who I like a lot but he’s still incredibly raw and was a one year wonder. I would have loved to have him in the third round. Carolina moved up and may not want to pick up that option down the road.
Speaking of trading up, yes, this team found a way to trade up for running back, Jonathon Brooks. Just totally egregious to not only move up but to also take a running back that high in this draft.
Wallace, Sanders, and Smith-Wade could turn into contributors but this is a stinky draft any way you slice it.
New Orleans Saints: Grade B
Round 1, Pick 14: Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State
Round 2, Pick 41: Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama
Round 5, Pick 150: Spencer Rattler, QB, South Carolina
Round 5, Pick 170: Bub Means, WR, Pittsburgh
Round 5, Pick 175: Jaylan Ford, LB, Texas
Round 6, Pick 199: Khristian Boyd, DL, Northern Iowa
Round 7, Pick 239: Josiah Ezirim, OL, Eastern Kentucky
This draft is pretty similar to what the Raiders did. Struck gold with their first two picks, accomplished nothing after that. You can’t complain with landing Fuaga and Kool-Aid. That’s a good haul right there. I just can’t go higher than a B for simply bombing the rest of the draft.
Don’t ask me why the Saints want Spencer Rattler as the backup quarterback. That’s going to be a nightmare. Bub Means and Jaylan Ford might be alright depth pieces but if that’s your entire draft, you’re going to be disappointed.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Grade C-
Round 1, Pick 26: Graham Barton, OL, Duke
Round 2, Pick 57: Chris Braswell, Edge, Alabama
Round 3, Pick 89: Tykee Smith, S, Georgia
Round 3, Pick 92: Jalen McMillan, WR, Washington
Round 4, Pick 125: Bucky Irving, RB, Oregon
Round 6, Pick 220: Elijah Klein, OL, UTEP
Round 7, Pick 246: Devin Culp, TE, Washington
This draft is a lot of meh for me. Barton and Braswell feel like huge reaches to me. I had them rated much lower compared to where they got picked. Better centers went off the board in the second round and Braswell is a one trick pony and needs to improve his pass rushing arsenal.
The draft isn’t a total failure because they did some great work in the third and fourth rounds. The trio of Smith, McMilan, and Irving should all contribute in some way. Maybe not world beaters but I’m high on all of them.
Outside of that, not a ton to be excited about.
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