one week. Can you feel it in the air? The 2024 NFL Draft is just around the corner, and NFL fans are filled with hope and the idea that teams are about to select a franchise cornerstone.
This is a strong class at the top of the draft, with several players who can make an immediate impact and take home the hardware after the season. Here are some team/player fits that could get the most out of several talented rookies this season.
Chicago Bears — Caleb Williams, QB, USC
Williams finds himself in a situation that most first-round picks dream of.
In a normal year, the team at the bottom of the league would have the No. 1 pick for a myriad of reasons, most of which are poorly constructed teams that don’t have the talent or identity to accumulate wins. That’s not the case for the Bears, who have a solid foundation and appear ready to take the next step toward becoming a playoff team.
Williams has made several investments on the offensive line, including last year’s top-10 pick Darnell Wright, two Pro Bowl wide receivers, solid tight end Cole Kmet and veteran running back D’Andre Swift. will enter. That’s a blessing! Most quarterbacks taken No. 1 overall have to play in dire conditions with no hope of overcoming for a year or two. Barring health, Williams will be playing in a defense that has the potential to be a top-10 unit in 2024.
This is an incredibly kind situation for a rookie who will definitely need some time to get used to playing in the NFL. Still, Williams has the talent and surroundings to make a big impact in his first year. He will likely be the frontrunner for Offensive Rookie of the Year after the draft, and for good reason.
Arizona Cardinals — Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State University
If Harrison can play with successful quarterbacks in the NFL, he has the talent to have a monster rookie season. He’s a very nice person. In a class that includes Malik Nabors and Roma Odunze, Harrison is considered the unquestioned top wideout in the draft. Harrison has essentially skipped the draft process outside of interviews and weigh-ins at the scouting combine, and no one expects him to fall off the draft board.
Pairing Harrison with Kyler Murray should be immediately exciting for Cardinals fans, and they need him, too. Marquise Brown is going to the Chiefs, Rondale Moore is going to the Falcons, and the best wideout on their roster is probably second-year wide receiver Michael Wilson. He has promise, but he won’t be as dominant as Harrison.
The only thing that could stop the Cardinals from acquiring Harrison would be for the team to trade him to New England and take Harrison off their hands. I hope the Cardinals get Harrison. Because with a true quarterback, he can have a rookie season that everyone will remember for years to come.
Buffalo Bills — Brian Thomas Jr., WR, LSU
Buffalo has a huge need for a wide receiver, but the Bills won’t pick until late in the first round. The 28th pick is too far away to land players like Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabors, and Roma Odunze. maybe It will be a place where they can acquire a promising player like Thomas.
Like Nabors, Thomas is a big-play threat who can do immense damage on the field. Thomas scored 17 touchdowns on just 68 receptions in 2023, averaging nearly 18 yards per reception. Think of him at 6-foot-3, 4.33 speed, and 38.5 inches tall. That’s a profile that oozes high potential in the NFL.
That also sounds like the type of receiver Josh Allen would be a huge success with. If Thomas can become a better version of the Bills’ Gabe Davis (in a world where he gets drafted by Buffalo, of course), he could be a monster as a rookie from a production standpoint while he gets used to the finer points of the job. A talented NFL receiver. Allen, a true big-play threat, will allow Buffalo to maintain a reliable passing game while rebuilding its roster. If it does well enough, Thomas could earn Rookie of the Year votes.
Assuming Aaron Rodgers can get close to being an MVP-level quarterback again, this is probably Bowers’ dream scenario as it stands. The Jets already have a budding superstar at wide receiver in Garrett Wilson, a strong No. 2 wideout in Mike Williams, and a star running back in Breece Hall. A dynamic tight end could take this offense to the next level in a season where they aim to win a Super Bowl.
Bowers gave his all for the Bulldogs offense. Georgia trusted him with everything from traditional tight end duties to playing in the slot, outside wide receiver and even running the ball. Adding him to a highly talented Jets offense could be the secret sauce New York needs to make the playoffs for the first time since 2011.
Mitchell ticks so many boxes to consider a small school. His outstanding on-ball performance as a cornerback, strong performance at the Senior Bowl, and elite athleticism at the NFL Scouting Combine alleviate any concerns talent evaluators have about his ability to transition to the next level. It should be. For Mitchell, the Raiders are a realistic landing spot where he can make a Rookie of the Year-level impact. The Raiders have acquired a large number of players in free agency this offseason.
You’d be hard pressed to find many havoc-creating duos on the defensive line like Christian Wilkins and Maxx Crosby are expected to be. If Tyree Wilson can take the next step toward stardom in his second season, they have a potential three-headed monster up front. It’s a cornerback’s dream. That’s a lot of pass rushers that can cause quarterback misdirects. Mitchell already has the ability to make plays with the ball, but acquiring this defensive lineman could give him a real weapon in the defensive Rookie of the Year race.
