-
Jordan Reid
Close
Jordan Reid
NFL draft analyst
- Jordan Reid is an NFL draft analyst for ESPN, providing in-depth scouting on the nation’s top pro prospects. Jordan joined ESPN in 2021 and also contributes to SportsCenter and ESPN Radio. He played quarterback at North Carolina Central University and then went on to coach there from 2014-18. You can follow Jordan on Twitter via @Jordan_Reid.
-
Matt Miller
Close
Matt Miller
NFL draft analyst
- Matt Miller is an NFL draft analyst for ESPN, providing in-depth scouting on the nation’s top pro prospects. A Missouri native, Matt joined ESPN in 2022 and also contributes to SportsCenter, NFL Live and ESPN Radio. You can follow Matt on Twitter via @nfldraftscout.
The 2024 NFL draft is officially over. We saw a little bit of everything over the course of three days, with 257 players landing with new teams. Records fell for offensive prospects, quarterbacks flew off the board on Day 1 and it didn’t take long for some pretty massive surprises.
Draft analysts Jordan Reid and Matt Miller spent the past year studying this exciting class, and they each have some immediate reactions to how things played out in Detroit. So, we asked them to break down the class in 27 categories, from best (and worst) picks to some long-term predictions.
Who were the best value selections in each of the seven rounds? Which teams dominated, and what were the best trades? Which picks surprised the most, and what are the most ideal QB fits? Reid and Miller tackle it all. Plus, they pick out Rookie of the Year predictions, standout classes, confusing slides, intriguing developmental prospects, undrafted free agents to know and big takeaways. Let’s get to it, with 27 post-draft superlatives.
Jump to:
Best picks | Perfect fits | Biggest surprises
QB landing spots | Best/worst team classes
Sizing up trades | Rookie of the Year candidates
Fantasy league winners | Predictions
What was your biggest overarching takeaway from the draft?
Miller: The NFL has a crisis when it comes to quarterback valuation, and because of it, we’re seeing more and more passers elevated to Round 1 status each year while the middle class at the position is nonexistent. The 2024 group saw consensus second-rounders Michael Penix Jr. and Bo Nix elevated into the top 12 picks — then we didn’t see a single quarterback drafted after Nix until pick No. 150 when Spencer Rattler came off the board to the Saints. An NFL scout told me in the pre-draft process that “Day 2 quarterbacks are dead,” and it sure seems like it’s becoming a trend to watch.
Reid: NFL teams were excited about this year’s offensive line class, which was seen as historic coming into the draft. Eight offensive tackles were drafted in the first round, which tied the record for the common draft era (since 1967) set in 2008. Twenty-five offensive linemen (including 17 OTs) were selected in the first three rounds of the draft, the most ever during the first two days of the draft. And to cap it off, the 55 offensive linemen and 28 offensive tackles selected across 257 picks each set records for the seven-round draft era (since 1994).
This group of blockers is unprecedented, and there are going to be a lot of future stars and high-level contributors from this class.