NFL Player News

The Raiders selected Bowers in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 13th overall.

Despite investing a high second-round pick in tight end Michael Mayer in 2023, the Raiders couldn't pass up on Bowers in the first round. Bowers is the highest-drafted tight end since Kyle Pitts in 2021 and has an impressive prospect profile. Athletic enough to run from the slot and split defenders down the seam but physical enough to play in-line and block, Bowers is the complete package. He led Georgia in receiving in all three of his seasons in Athens and left school with the second-most touchdown catches (26) in program history. A hamstring injury prevented Bowers from testing at the combine and his measurements (6-3, 243) are not that of a prototypical tight end. However, the film and standout production paint Bowers as a weapon in the passing game and that will be his primary function in the Raider offense. Given Bowers' skill set and high draft capital, he projects to be the primary tight end over Mayer right away.

The Broncos selected Nix in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 12th overall.

The Broncos might have preferred to target Nix in a trade back, but it might have understandably scared them a bit when the Falcons shockingly selected fellow quarterback Michael Penix eighth overall, inflating the quarterback market at a time that the Broncos probably weren't expecting. Nix (6-foot-2, 214 pounds) in any case always made sense as Denver's eventual target, especially after dominating at Oregon the last two years (74 passing touchdowns to 10 interceptions and 20 rushing touchdowns in 27 games). His two years at Auburn before that were less promising, as the Tigers offense routinely struggled and Nix only threw for 23 touchdowns in his 21 games. Perhaps Nix's Auburn struggles can be forgiven since he was a true freshman/sophomore on a team with a lot of problems. Nix's fantasy upside could be considerable if his rushing activity carries over to the NFL level, and it seems like it should. Nix is unafraid and seasoned as a runner, but he might need to be as the Denver offense rebuilds.

The Jets selected Fashanu in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 11th overall.

Fashanu is an interesting choice for a Jets team that is built to win now and also added veteran tackles in Tyron Smith and Morgan Moses this offseason. However, given the age and contracts of those vets, getting a tackle for the future does make sense. Fashanu, who was teammates with Caleb Williams in high school, starred at Penn State as a three-year starter at left tackle. He could have left school after the 2022 season and been selected in the first round but went back to Happy Valley for one more year and became a consensus All-American for the second time. He did not allow a sack in his 29 appearances and tested well at the combine. Fashanu can either be brought along slowly by the Jets or challenge for a starting spot somewhere along the offensive line this year.

The Vikings selected McCarthy in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 10th overall.

The Vikings moved up from the 11th spot to nab McCarthy, who was almost universally expected to go before fellow quarterback Michael Penix (eighth overall, Atlanta). From that frame this could arguably be a good value for the Vikings. What's less clear is whether McCarthy is immediately prepared to take the starting Minnesota quarterback role from free agent pickup Sam Darnold. McCarthy (6-foot-3, 216 pounds) was extremely successful but largely untested at Michigan, where he averaged only 22.6 pass attempts per game over the last two years. The good news is that McCarthy raked with his otherwise limited pass volume, finishing his Michigan career completing 67.6 percent of his passes at 8.7 yards per pass, with 49 touchdowns versus 11 interceptions. If McCarthy can immediately earn the starting role in Minnesota then it would bode well for his long-term future, and it would also make him an immediate fantasy consideration if only for his enviable group of pass catchers (Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson).

The Bears selected Odunze in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, ninth overall.

Chicago has changed the outlook of its entire offense in the first 10 picks of the draft by scooping quarterback Caleb Williams with the first pick and pairing him with a top-flight receiver in Odunze. The Washington product, and top target of Michael Penix, sports a great combination of on-field production and athletic measurables. Odunze racked up 24 touchdowns in the last three seasons along with two 1,000-yard seasons. At the combine, he checked in at 6-foot-3 and 212 pounds with 4.45 speed. He has the long speed to win downfield, the size to make contested catches, and the route-running ability to be deployed at any level of the field. For fantasy, he joins a crowded receiver group that already features DJ Moore and Keenan Allen. However, there's still room for Odunze to produce as a rookie thanks to his talent and versatility.

The Falcons selected Penix in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, eighth overall.

It's a stunning pick for Atlanta to make, both because Penix wasn't expected to go this high and because the Falcons just gave Kirk Cousins a four-year, $180 million contract. Penix will be about 24.5 years old as a rookie, and he'll have no shot to play anytime soon if Cousins is healthy. Penix in any case boasts a uniquely strong arm, and he was memorably good at avoiding sacks as a college quarterback. Before Penix emerged as a star passer for Washington he did his best to carry the Indiana program before that, but unsurprisingly he found it easier to move the ball in a Washington offense with three NFL receivers and two NFL tackles. Despite possessing a 40-yard dash time just under the 4.60 mark, Penix very rarely attempted to run in college and therefore is unlikely to leverage his speed in the form of rushing production at the NFL level. It's possible that Penix's lack of rushing activity was influenced somewhat by his injury history, as he tore his ACL twice (2018 and 2020).

The Titans selected Latham in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, seventh overall.

The Titans drafted their quarterback of the future with Will Levis in 2023 and are now investing in keeping him upright. Latham arrives via Alabama, where he routinely mauled SEC defenders with his massive frame (6-foot-5, 342 pounds) long arms (35.13 inches, 73rd percentile) and tenacious play. He immediately projects as a franchise tackle to protect Levis as Tennessee looks to get back into contention in an increasingly tough AFC South. It's worth noting, however, that Latham played exclusively at right tackle in college, so that may be his destination, at least at the outset of his career.

The Giants selected Nabers in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, sixth overall.

Nabers (6-feet, 200 pounds) is the latest top wideout prospect out of LSU, hopefully following a successful path like Justin Jefferson and Ja'Marr Chase before him. Nabers was wildly productive for the Tigers, drawing a mammoth 31.6 percent target share in 2023 even while sharing the offense with fellow soon-to-be NFL wideout Brian Thomas. To draw that many targets at a 68.5 percent catch rate and 12.1 yards per target is a dizzying level of dominance, and it's made more impressive yet by the fact that Nabers won't turn 21 until July 28. Since Nabers is so young it might make a fast start difficult, especially in an offense as challenged as the Giants, but the other side of the coin is that it also means he might not be done improving anytime soon. Although he's not a big wideout Nabers plays fearlessly and should apply well at all levels of the field, though there's no doubt that it's Nabers' rare big-play ability -- both downfield and after the catch -- that makes his upside scenario so particularly intriguing. Hopefully the Giants' passing game woes can resolve themselves, perhaps largely thanks to Nabers' arrival.

The Chargers selected Alt in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, fifth overall.

Los Angeles had been circled as a possible trade-down candidate, or a team that would be interested in dipping into the wide receiver pool given the team's weakness at that position. However, the new regime led by coach Jim Harbaugh opted to bolster the trenches with Alt. The latest Notre Dame tackle to be selected high in the draft, Alt checks in at a mammoth 6-foot-8 and 321 pounds with 34.25-inch arms. He started for three seasons in South Bend and profiles as a tackle who can do it all, whether it's in pass protection or run blocking. Rashawn Slater was a high draft pick for the Chargers who has been holding down the left tackle spot for years, so Alt may be tasked with learning how to play right tackle.

The Cardinals selected Harrison in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, fourth overall.

Sharing the same name as his star NFL wideout father, the younger Harrison somehow heads into the NFL with even higher expectations out of Ohio State than the senior Harrison did out of Syracuse in 1996. Although not quite as fast as his father, the younger Harrison is much bigger (6-foot-3, 209 pounds) and seemingly possesses much of the same technical prowess that made the senior Harrison a Hall of Fame receiver and Peyton Manning's all-time leading target. Harrison is so technically sharp that the game looks almost effortless to him, and he brings enough speed to threaten all levels of the field on almost any play design. For the Cardinals it's a near lock that Harrison immediately establishes himself as the team's WR1, and potentially by a significant margin. Indeed, it seems like Harrison's competition for targets is tight end Trey McBride rather than the likes of wideouts Michael Wilson and Greg Dortch. There's a good chance that Harrison proves the best NFL wideout between himself and former Ohio State teammates Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave and Jaxon Smith-Njigba after logging back-to-back 1,200-yard seasons at over 10.0 yards per target the last two years.