5 biggest losers of the 2024 NFL Draft

All 32 teams had an opportunity to better themselves this past weekend with the 2024 NFL Draft. It remains to be seen what the true outcome will be for each team after their multiple selections. But at least through first glance, without any of these players so much as touching an NFL field yet, our judgments will be passed and criticisms shown as we label the winners and losers.

Is it fair? No. But it is worth evaluating what each of these teams did and their thought processes to some or most of their selections. Here, we're focusing on the five biggest losers of the 2024 NFL Draft.

Atlanta Falcons

The first NFL Draft under new head coach Raheem Morris will be one to remember for sure. He and general manager Terry Fontenot made the strange decision to draft quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with their No. 8 overall pick. The issue, however, isn't Penix or his talent; it's the $180 million quarterback they signed just weeks ago to solve that problem for them for the next four years.

Fontenot and Morris' logic was that they are building for the future, yet their decision has an immediate impact on the present. The Falcons didn't get better by adding a much-needed pass rush or even Rome Odunze, the third of the talented wide receivers still left on the board at No. 8. Instead, they shocked everyone and took Penix, who could eventually be great, but they won't know that anytime soon. And worse yet, they can't even maximize both him and Cousins during their first contracts with the team. It was just an absurd decision, and one that trickled down to the rest of their draft decisions.

They probably drafted Ruke Orhorhoro way too soon in the second round. Plus, they overlooked Jer'Zhan Newton, a much better defensive tackle prospect from Illinois, not to mention one of the talented corners still remaining in the second round. This team just has to hope their later-round picks pay off now.

Dallas Cowboys

Have the Cowboys just given up? That's what it feels like with this team since they were drubbed by the Green Bay Packers in the NFC divisional round of the playoffs. Since then, this team has done little to no efforts to try to improve their team whatsoever. They did virtually nothing in free agency, meanwhile let eight of their players, five of which were starters, walk elsewhere. Their 2024 NFL Draft picks didn't do much else either.

“We feel great about what we've been in free agency. All in. All in. All in,” Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said, via CBS Sports. “We're all in with these young guys. We're all in with this draft. We're all in with knowing that you have to go. We've had adjustments. … Again, without sounding defensive at all, the youth, the young guys coming in here and playing are incrementally viable. We're counting on them and we've had that happen for us.”

There's not a team in the NFL that relies on “their guys” like the Cowboys do. They've made that painfully obvious from not making moves at last year's trade deadline to free agency. Well, last weekend's draft gave them the opportunity to get their players, like offensive lineman Tyler Guyton out of Oklahoma.

Guyton was one of three offensive linemen taken by the Cowboys in this year's draft. They also addressed their front-seven needs with defensive end Marshawn Kneeland in the second round and Marist Liufau in the third round. But where is the running back that was desperately needed? This was nowhere close to a great running back draft class, but anything may have been better than what their current room looks like. Do the Cowboys really think bringing back Ezekiel Elliott will help?

The bottom line here is, what did this team do to get better, and maybe better said, compete with the Eagles?

Buffalo Bills

The Bills came into the 2024 NFL Draft with a lot of needs, specifically ones that benefited their franchise quarterback Josh Allen. Allen lost virtually all of his notable weapons in free agency in Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis, which in turn made many wonder if the Super Bowl window for the team had officially closed.

Overall, the Bills aren't the biggest losers out of this draft because of how they finished and did get some help for Allen. However, trading back twice and eventually out of the first round led to Buffalo missing out on three potential wide receiver prospects in Xavier Worthy, Ricky Pearsall, and Xavier Legette. Who's to know if any of those three were targets, but one in particular is noteworthy.

Trading back with the Chiefs allowed the Super Bowl champions to not only get a talented wide receiver that the Bills needed, but it also gave Patrick Mahomes another speedy weapon to use to beat the Bills with, like they continue to do. The Chiefs haunt the Bills enough; they didn't need more ammunition.

At least Bills fans can look at the upside of guys wide receiver Keon Coleman, running back Ray Davis, safety Cole Bishop, and even center Sedrick Van Pran-Grander.

Las Vegas Raiders

Having to round this out to five teams, the Raiders have to be put into the losers' category. They needed a quarterback, yet they left with none, making Antonio Pierce's first official season as head coach an interesting one. It probably wasn't for lack of trying, though, and the Falcons surprising everyone with their Penix selection threw everything off. But now it will likely be left up to Aidan O'Connell to lead the way in 2024.

Still, the Raiders “settled” for one of the most talented prospects in the entire draft with tight end Brock Bowers. Then in the second round, they followed up by getting the highest-rated center in the draft with Oregon's Jackson Powers-Johnson. After that, though, the Raiders may have made some reaches with guys like offensive tackle Delmar Glaze or even cornerback Decamerion Richardson. Both positions, especially corner, should have been addressed earlier.

Cleveland Browns

The Browns were still paying for the Deshaun Watson trade in the 2024 NFL Draft, not having a first-round pick. That left them making their first selection in the second round at No. 54, which they chose Michael Hall Jr. out of Ohio State.

Hall did fit a need at defensive tackle, but as Mel Kiper alluded to, his tape was “maddening at times,” which made him inconsistent. Also, with the talent still around at No. 54, the Browns maybe should have gone in another direction. Still available were some wide receivers like Jermaine Burton or Roman Wilson, or even running backs like Trey Benson or Marshawn Lloyd.

The Browns finally selected a receiver in the fifth round at pick No. 156 in Jamari Thrash, who dealt with drop issues, with eight total last season. But they didn't go after a single running back. They now have to rely on 28-year-old Nick Chubb, who is coming off a season-ending knee injury last season.