The first round of the 2024 NFL Draft has officially concluded — and it didn't disappoint. Thirty-two players found their new teams on Thursday night, as those teams felt they were the biggest need that had to be added to their rosters. But some of those teams got a steal in their first-round selections.
Call it luck or call it strategy, or maybe even a little of both, but sometimes things just work in your favor. You never truly know just how the draft will play out, especially in the first round. Teams can often get lucky just by having a player fall in their laps they had never expected to be there to begin with. It happens every year.
So, let's now look at the five biggest steals from the first round in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Joe Alt, OT, Los Angeles Chargers – pick No. 5
Okay, can you really say that anyone in the top five is a steal? Usually not, but in this case, the thievery comes in the form of taking him from the Tennessee Titans, along with what the Chargers are building overall.
Once free agency hit, the Chargers quickly released wide receiver Mike Williams and then traded Keenan Allen to the Chicago Bears, leaving a massively depleted receiver room. The obvious thought was that the Chargers would then select Malik Nabers or Rome Odunze at No. 5 since Marvin Harrison Jr. was taken by the Arizona Cardinals at No. 4. But that obviously didn't happen.
Jim Harbaugh is notorious for building big, aggressive offensive line units that not only protect their quarterback but also open up large running lanes. That's exactly what Joe Alt can do. He was the most highly-touted offensive lineman in this year's draft. Sure, he went two picks earlier than most expected, but he's a steal, just not the usual kind.
Dallas Turner, Edge, Minnesota Vikings – pick No. 17
The Vikings made themselves very active in the 2024 NFL Draft. They traded up not only once but twice to make their two first-round selections. They got their quarterback in JJ McCarthy to replace Kirk Cousins, and then they got lucky when they traded up to No. 17 for Alabama's Dallas Turner to replace Danielle Hunter.
Turner was supposed to be long gone by No. 17. Most had predicted he would be taken by the Atlanta Falcons at No. 8, but they shocked the world with their pick of quarterback Michael Penix Jr. Turner even had to watch fellow edge rusher in UCLA's Laiatu Latu be selected before him.
Minnesota is already having a heck of a draft. Who knows what they would've done had Turner already been selected earlier.
Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Philadelphia Eagles – pick No. 22
There were plenty of other Power-Five level corners in this draft that were likely more well-known than Quinyon Mitchell, but it seems like the Eagles knew better.
Mitchell should be considered a massive steal for the Eagles just because of how much he was probably overlooked by the other teams drafting ahead of them because he played at Toledo. For a two-year sample size, Mitchell recorded some of the best advanced coverage metrics, according to Pro-Football-Focus. With his talent, he probably should have been selected much higher than No. 22.
Brian Thomas Jr., WR, Jacksonville Jaguars – pick No. 23
Just one pick later at No. 23 was Jaguars, who found themselves a new weapon for quarterback Trevor Lawrence with Calvin Ridley gone to the Tennessee Titans now.
Thomas, although considered a first-rounder, was the forgotten wide receiver in the 2024 NFL Draft. He was overlooked by Marvin Harrison Jr., Rome Odunze, and his fellow LSU teammate Malik Nabers. At 6-foot-4, 205 pounds, he's going to be the Jaguars' new, big vertical threat that will give opposing defenses fits. The Jaguars got a steal.
Terrion Arnold, CB, Detroit Lions – pick No. 24
Similar to Mitchell, Terrion Arnold should have probably been long gone before he was selected by the Lions at No. 24. He's one of the best athletes for his position in the entire draft. He also fills the Lions' biggest need. Defensively, they were one of the worst in the league in passing yards allowed.
In 14 games last season, Arnold came away with five interceptions and two touchdowns, allowing a passer rating of 50.7. He's pretty much a perfect fit for the Lions and well worthy of them trading up five picks to get him as they look to improve their defensive backfield.
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