All three days and 257 picks of the 2024 NFL draft are done, and there’s only one way to celebrate the conclusion of such an event: a return of the Hot Read. Here’s my comprehensive column on everything that went down this weekend: the important, the niche, and the fun.
The Big Thing: All Offense
A lot happened in the NFL draft. If there’s one thing you need to know, it’s this.
As the dust settles on the 2024 NFL draft, I’m left thinking about something I knew long before a single pick was made: This was an offense-heavy draft class. Everyone was excited for the quarterbacks, the wide receivers, the offensive linemen. Linebacker, safety, and edge rusher were known to be a little weak.
So when 55 total offensive linemen were drafted over three days, it wasn’t too much of a surprise. When six quarterbacks went in the top 12 … well, that was an enormous surprise, but we’d been warned that it was possible. On day one, 14 consecutive offensive players were drafted before the first defensive player came off the board, smashing the previous record of seven. Twenty-three total offensive players came off the board in the first round, breaking the previous record of 19.
The run on offense was so dramatic, it raises the question: Is this a shift in strategy for the league, a prioritization of one side of the ball at the expense of the other, or just a product of a draft class that happened to be loaded on offense? I lean more toward the latter explanation. Take offensive tackle. Teams would love to draft 17 offensive tackles in the first three rounds of every draft, as they did in this draft—there’s a huge deficit of offensive tackle talent in the league, and it’s an expensive position to fill on the free agent market. But they usually can’t, because there just isn’t enough talent. This year, eight offensive tackles went off the board in Round 1, which ties the record.
Seven wide receivers left the board in Round 1, which ties that record, too. While wide receivers are more readily available in the league and in the draft than tackles are, the league still drafted this class aggressively. But there is more opportunity in the league for wide receivers than there perhaps is for players at any other position—three are on the field on any given play, which is more than any position save for defensive back, and wide receivers rotate more than DBs do.
So many different body types work at wide receiver, as well: 165-pound Xavier Worthy went four picks before 223-pound Xavier Legette. Even if you already have a good receiver (or two), you often still need to draft the position to fill roles left unfilled by your current depth chart and prepare for imminent departures. Just ask the 49ers, Bengals, Bears, and Buccaneers, who have some of the best wide receiver rooms in the league. All of those teams drafted a receiver in the first three rounds.
But just like tackle, the wide receiver enthusiasm is largely a product of the 2024 class—draft analysts were talking about the record-setting potential of this wide receiver class months ago. From a leaguewide level, there is a little bit of a trend here, yes—but we shouldn’t expect records for offensive players drafted to be broken every year from here on out.
From a team level, the focus on offense is a little more interesting. A few specific classes this year were dedicated to offensive improvement, no matter the cost. The Patriots spent seven of their eight selections on offense (more on them below in the Zag). The Steelers spent four of their first five picks on offense. The Jets spent all of their first five picks on offense.
What really interests me is that all of those teams are at different stages of contention. The Patriots are at the young QB stage—they’re building an incubator for Drake Maye. The Bears did much of the same for Caleb Williams, albeit with less draft capital: They took WR Rome Odunze with the ninth pick and tackle Kiran Amegadjie with their next selection (75th overall). The Panthers got Bryce Young a wide receiver, running back, and tight end with three of their first four picks. This is a familiar and reasonable approach.
But the Steelers are not at the young QB stage; they’re at the no-QB stage. With Russell Wilson and Justin Fields vying for the chance to resurrect their careers on one-year deals, the Steelers poured resources into the offensive line. Three of their first five selections are offensive linemen, and WR Roman Wilson slides into the shoes previously filled by Diontae Johnson.
The plan here is QB-agnostic. Both Fields and Russ are notorious for standing back in the pocket and inviting pressure. No matter who starts for the Steelers this year, Pittsburgh needs to protect them well and run the football well. And hey, guess what you need to do with a rookie quarterback, too? Establish a strong running game.
And finally, the Jets, whose plan isn’t so QB-development or QB-agnostic but rather QB-centric. The only way the 2024 Jets work is if Aaron Rodgers is healthy and productive. Heck, it feels like GM Joe Douglas’s and head coach Robert Saleh’s jobs rest on the success of the 2024 Jets, which means they rest on the health and productivity of Rodgers. Saleh and Douglas have done an excellent job of acquiring and developing defensive talent over their shared tenure, but no defensive picks would save them this year if the offense flounders again.
So they added a tackle in Round 1 (Olu Fashanu) and a wide receiver with their next pick (Malachi Corley) after spending their free agency money on those same positions (Tyron Smith, Morgan Moses, Mike Williams). Later picks were spent on depth at running back and quarterback. Building up the offense is the only way forward for New York.
Every year, a couple of teams go offense heavy, and a couple of teams go defense heavy (the Titans spent five of their seven picks on defense). But it is interesting to see teams at all different stages of quarterbacking spend an entire draft on bolstering their offense. We often think of team-building in stages or lifespans, but there’s also a universal truth: You could always use another tackle (or two). You could always use another pass catcher (or two). You could always use a developmental QB3. It’s an offense-driven league, and if your depth chart is a little thin on that side of the ball, it becomes the priority every time.
The Little Things
It’s the little things in football that matter the most—zany plays, small victories, and some laughs. The same can be true of the draft. Here are some things that caught my eye this weekend.
1. HAVING A FRIEND
On the last Saturday of April every year, I sit on my couch and cry. Saturday is the day for team social media accounts to release the videos of their draftees getting the good news: that they’ll enter the NFL. For many of the young athletes, this is the realization of a lifelong dream. It came with pain and loss and struggle, and often in the face of challenging odds. So many of the league’s fresh draft picks cry.
But the video of the Rams drafting Braden Fiske, a defensive tackle out of FSU, showed me a side of the emotions that I hadn’t really thought about much. Just as these players are joining a new team, they’re saying goodbye to an old one. Fiske didn’t just play with Rams first-round pick Jared Verse at Florida State—he and Verse both transferred to Tallahassee from smaller programs for the opportunity to play for a contender and audition for the NFL. And then they had to say goodbye to one another and continue their football journeys alone.
Until, suddenly, they didn’t.
You can hear the excitement and relief in both of their voices. There’s so much uncertainty for a rookie joining the league—new faces, new city, new expectations. But Fiske and Verse will know that they have a friend.
So now I’m crying.
2. NEPOTISM (but make it good)
Man, do I wish I still fit into the Jeremiah Trotter jersey I had when I was 6. The Eagles delivered the best fan service pick of the entire draft when they selected Trotter’s son, Jeremiah Trotter Jr., in the fifth round.
Trotter Sr. is an Eagles Hall of Fame member and one of the earliest Eagles I can remember. Is Trotter Jr. the same caliber of linebacker? Probably not (he’s a fifth-round pick for a reason), but hey—the amount of support he’ll get from the fan base gives him a leg up on any other fifth-round pick. And for jersey sales? Another huge win.
3. LET BRAD HOLMES COOK
One of the biggest story lines leaving last year’s draft was critique and consternation surrounding the Lions’ 2023 draft class. They took a running back at no. 12 and a linebacker at no. 18, and we all whined about positional value in the first round. You know the drill.
Well, we all looked very dumb, because Jahmyr Gibbs was incredible, and Sam LaPorta was excellent, and Brian Branch was sublime (what happened to Jack Campbell, again?). And Lions GM Brad Holmes spent much of the offseason telling us that he was smart and we were dumb, which was fair. He even spent time in the recap of the 2024 first round beating that drum.
Then, in the 2024 draft, the Lions started out the other way. Detroit snagged a projected top-15 pick in CB Terrion Arnold at no. 24 (excellent) and double-dipped at cornerback with Ennis Rakestraw Jr. in the second round (a favorite pick of mine). It was as strong of a start to the draft as anyone else had. Holmes was on another heater.
So on day three, Holmes went back to doing Brad Holmes Things. He knew the players he wanted, and he was going to get them—conventional wisdom be damned. He spent future draft capital to trade back into the 2024 NFL draft. He sent a 2025 third-rounder for no. 126 to select Giovanni Manu, a 6-foot-7 developmental tackle from the University of British Columbia. Then he traded up with the Eagles to get Sione Vaki, a safety turned running back out of Utah.
I don’t know how early Vaki or Manu actually would have gone, but The Athletic’s Dane Brugler had Manu as a priority free agent and Vaki as a sixth-rounder (as a safety). This very much feels to me like Holmes moving up to get His Guys.
But … rightfully so! Holmes deserves a lot of faith for his draft process to this point. What a big swing for the Lions general manager—talking a big talk and walking a big walk. I love it.
The Zag: Drake Maye Will Actually Be a Good Rookie
I tend to be a little contrarian. It’s not so much a personal choice as it is an occupational hazard. Here’s where I’ll plant my flag.
No team interested me more entering this draft than the New England Patriots. A first-time, young head coach in Jerod Mayo. A new shot caller in the draft room in director of player personnel Eliot Wolf. Out from under the Belichick mantle, how would a new player grading system manifest itself on draft day? What would the first non-Belichick Patriot draft class of my living memory look like?
Here are the results:
Round 1 (3): Drake Maye, QB, UNC
Round 2 (37): Ja’Lynn Polk, WR, Washington
Round 3 (68): Caedan Wallace, OT, Penn State
Round 4 (103): Layden Robinson, iOL, Texas A&M
Round 4 (110): Javon Baker, WR, UCF
Round 6 (180): Marcellas Dial, CB, South Carolina
Round 6 (193): Joe Milton III, QB, Tennessee
Round 7 (231): Jaheim Bell, TE, Florida State
Of their eight picks, seven were on offense—and all seven of those players will contribute to the passing game. The emphasis in New England couldn’t possibly be more clear: We need to develop a franchise quarterback—that’s Drake Maye. And we need to put the pieces around him necessary to make that happen.
It was important for the Patriots to soften the landing spot for their rookie quarterback, whomever it would be. Many of the other teams who were looking for franchise quarterbacks in this draft—Chicago, Minnesota, even Washington—had far superior supporting casts on offense. Rookies landing in those cities would be throwing to DJ Moore, Justin Jefferson, and Terry McLaurin, respectively—in New England, they’d be throwing to Pop Douglas and Kendrick Bourne.
So the Patriots snagged Polk, a riser for much of the draft process. While Polk was second fiddle to Rome Odunze in Washington, he was a well-rounded prospect, with size, strength, ball skills, and blocking. He’s the exact sort of receiver who can fit on any roster, with any other receivers—something that will be valuable to the Patriots as they inevitably add more bodies to the room.
The Patriots also added Baker, a favorite of draft media who slipped into the fourth round. Like Polk, Baker has good size and length and strength, but he brings more juice as a runner. Baker was often used on jet sweeps and screens at UCF, and his ability to turn an easy touch into an explosive gain will help the fledgling Patriots offense.
But Polk and Baker are not just solid receivers—they are good fits specifically with Maye, the big-armed passer who loves to push the ball downfield.
Polk and Baker win downfield in different ways—Polk with elevation and adjustment, Baker with runaway speed—but both are huge downfield winners. The potential marriage between Maye, Polk, and Baker is encouraging to project.
So the Patriots did well to build around their young quarterback (I also love Jaheim Bell in the seventh round, a uniquely gifted YAC athlete for the tight end position). But many evaluators considered Maye predraft as a quarterback who would benefit from sitting for at least a season, and that advice continued when he landed on the shaky Patriots roster behind veteran QB Jacoby Brissett.
I disagree. I think you can play Maye right away in New England, and it won’t break him. In fact, I think he can be a pretty good rookie.
While I agree that terrible environments can hamper the development of young passers, the poor state of the Patriots’ offensive roster was exaggerated before the draft. Four of the five starters on the offensive line are set and solid, with two above-average starters in RT Michael Onwenu and RG Sidy Sow, who grew nicely into his role as a rookie last season. Neither Hunter Henry at tight end nor Bourne at wide receiver (the latter of whom is coming off of an ACL injury) is a particularly sexy player, but both would be starters on most NFL teams. Rhamondre Stevenson is a great receiving back. The Patriots were below average offensively last year, but they weren’t terrible.
Throw in the new pieces, and there’s enough there to incubate a young quarterback. And you know what? We overrate the importance of that, too. I watched Trevor Lawrence’s rookie season in Jacksonville, when he threw 220 targets to Marvin Jones and Laviska Shenault Jr.—yes, the Jags were awful, but Lawrence was clearly good. In Houston last year, nobody was singing the praises of Nico Collins and Dalton Schultz and Bobby Slowik until C.J. Stroud walked in and brought everyone’s game up a few notches. Maye has the sort of talent that can shine through a poor supporting cast and elevate a below-average one.
I loved Maye as a prospect. Would I have preferred if he landed in Minnesota? Sure. But I disagree with the idea that he’s too raw to start, and I disagree with the idea that the Patriots offense isn’t good enough around him. Will they finish first in points scored? Probably not. But if Maye needs to learn by doing, then throw him out there and let him do. I bet the results will be far better than anyone expects.
Future Screenshots
Let’s put some takes in a time capsule.
This time last year, I was a Puka Nacua fan. Not a huge one, but enough that I mentioned him on a couple of podcasts. Then Puka was incredible as soon as he started playing games, and I went looking through my articles and tweets for a screenshot to share, some sort of receipt of my early faith. Alas, there was nothing.
Never again. I want to put some takes out into the world now that the dust has settled on the draft so that I can prove my flag was planted when the games are real this fall. Either I will use these to prove how smart I am, or you will use them to prove how dumb I am. Let’s go.
- I think Buccaneers WR Jalen McMillan is extremely talented. He reminds me of Detroit’s Amon-Ra St. Brown, and landing in Tampa Bay behind another excellent slot receiver in Chris Godwin is just perfect for McMillan’s development. I’m not sure he’ll be a 1,000-yard receiver right away while playing behind Godwin and Mike Evans, but if someone gets injured, watch out.
- Browns defensive lineman Michael Hall Jr. is one of my favorite players in this class. Little bowling ball frame with quickness and bend. Such a good fit on a Jim Schwartz defensive line, too. He’ll make a game-winning play this year behind the line of scrimmage.
- I don’t get the Xavier Worthy pick for the Chiefs. They literally already had Marquise Brown at home—why did they get a redux? Jared Wiley, the tight end out of TCU, will be a far more valuable player for Kansas City despite getting picked three rounds later.
- Washington drafted a lot of players I was lower on than consensus. Jayden Daniels, Ben Sinnott, Brandon Coleman, Luke McCaffrey, Jordan Magee. I’m sure a couple of those players will hit, but with this much draft capital, I’m not impressed with the first draft for GM Adam Peters.
- Keon Coleman’s rookie stat line in Buffalo: 76 catches, 1,000 yards, nine touchdowns (not one of them imaginary). There’s so much opportunity for him, and he’s a much better route runner than people are giving him credit for.
- The Ravens drafted a corner at 30 (Nate Wiggins) and a corner at 130 (T.J. Tampa). They got the better pro with the later pick.
- The three 2026 starters drafted in the fifth round of this draft: Broncos RB Audric Estime, Bills LB Edefuan Ulofoshio, and Chargers CB Cam Hart.
- The Bengals took tackle Amarius Mims with the 18th pick. He’s gonna make multiple All-Pro lists in his career.
- Panthers WR Xavier Legette won’t single-handedly fix Bryce Young, and Legette will suffer on a struggling Carolina team for multiple seasons, but his talent will be obvious. After developing into a three-level receiver, he’ll be traded to a different team as a WR1—much like his predecessor, DJ Moore.
Lock the time capsule and bury it. See you in a few years.
Quotables
The NFL draft is always good for some one-liners.
“Bring your popcorn. I make people in wheelchairs stand up.”
That’s New England Patriots WR Javon Baker, who is known for big plays. (Baker, in the same press conference, also remarked on his long wait to be drafted on day three: “Just kill whoever is on the other side of me.” Don’t think that makes any sense, but I love the enthusiasm.)
“He’s got some dirtbag in him. He’s one of these Jersey kids who doesn’t take a lot of crap.”
That’s Lions GM Brad Holmes on new guard Christian Mahogany.
“Oh nah, oh nah, man. I woke up ready, man. I got a call right after I got drafted. They was coming to pick me up at 9:30 in the morning. I told ’em, ‘I’m gon’ be ready.’”
That’s the aforementioned Legette, describing the morning after he was drafted. You really need the video to hear the Carolina drawl.
“Guess where I got this from though. You’ll be wrong though, but guess.”
That’s new Bills WR Keon Coleman, asking a reporter to guess where he got his puffy yellow coat from. The answer? Macy’s. “They be on sale on the rack, all the colors.”
I, like Coleman (and Coleman’s mom), love to shop two seasons ahead. I bought a fleece on sale this week for $20. Big win.
“What’s up big pimpin’?”
That’s new Eagles edge rusher Jalyx Hunt, answering the phone call from Eagles GM Howie Roseman.
If you call me this week, I will answer with “What’s up big pimpin’?”
Next Ben Stats
What it sounds like: Next Gen Stats, but I get to make them up.
137: That’s how many picks went between QB6 (Bo Nix at 12) and QB7 (Spencer Rattler at 150)
A record dearth of quarterback selections in the middle of the draft is more than happenstance. It makes me even firmer in my convictions that Nix and Penix (and you can throw J.J. McCarthy in here too, if you like) were pretty substantially over-drafted. If Nix and Penix went where players of their caliber usually went in the draft (the second round, give or take), then we would have had a large but not record-setting distance between quarterbacks.
I wrote about the head-turning over-drafting of Penix and Nix after Round 1. I still can’t really believe it happened.
2,558: That’s how many days it’s been since the Denver Broncos drafted a true offensive tackle
Garett Bolles in the first round out of Utah in 2017 was the selection. He’s 31 and heading into the final year of his second contract this season!
256: That’s how many picks I liked more than the Falcons’ selection of Michael Penix Jr. at no. 8
It’s a 257-pick draft.
