Who were the 10 best picks of the 2024 NFL Draft?

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Bring a duck to swampy Florida, and he makes himself right at home. That duck, of course, was from Oregon and named “Bucky Irving.” In his rookie season with the Buccaneers, Irving was the team’s No. 1 running back, rushing for 1,122 yards and eight touchdowns at 5.4 yards per carry, while tallying 392 receiving yards. Irving ranked second among running backs in receiving grade (90.3), fourth in overall grade (90.6) and seventh in rushing grade (89.0), according to Pro Football Focus. Furthermore, Irving’s 1,122 rushing yards were the most in a single season for the Buccaneers since Doug Martin rushed for 1,402 yards in 2015.

In their first offseason at the wheel, general manager Joe Hortiz and head coach Jim Harbaugh prioritized the line of scrimmage for the Chargers offense, and the Notre Dame product rewarded their faith in him. Starting all but one game at right tackle, the 6-foot-8 Alt ranked 19th among offensive tackles in overall grade (77.6), 24th in pass-blocking grade (79.4) and 31st in run-blocking grade (71.6), per PFF.

He was the sixth quarterback selected in the draft, but Nix proved to be worth the wait for Denver. After a bumpy start, Nix came into his own as the Broncos’ starting quarterback, finishing the season with 3,775 passing yards, 29 passing touchdowns, 12 interceptions and a 93.3 passer rating, while completing 66.3% of his passes. He also rushed for 430 yards and four touchdowns. Nix led the Broncos to a 10-7 season, helping them earn a wild-card berth before losing to the Buffalo Bills in the wild-card round.

It was an ugly, 5-12 season for the Bears that featured a 10-game losing streak and Williams getting sacked an NFL-high 68 times, but the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner still showed off his special ability to adlib in his rookie season. Starting all 17 games for Chicago, Williams totaled 3,541 passing yards, 20 passing touchdowns, six interceptions and an 87.8 passer rating, while completing 62.5% of his passes. Williams also rushed for 489 yards.

6. Los Angeles Chargers WR Ladd McConkey (pick No. 34)

McConkey was spectacular for the Chargers in his rookie season. Totaling 82 receptions for 1,149 yards — which each led the team — and seven touchdowns, he was quarterback Justin Herbert‘s No. 1 receiver. McConkey accounted for 31.2% of the Chargers’ regular-season passing yards. Then, in the Chargers’ wild-card round loss to the Houston Texans, McConkey logged nine receptions for 197 yards and one touchdown, which was an 86-yard score.

Verse made an impact across the board for the Rams in his rookie season. Appearing in all 17 games — and making 16 starts — Verse totaled 4.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, 11 tackles for loss and 66 combined tackles. He ranked ninth among edge defenders in overall grade (86.2) and pass-rush grade (83.7) and 11th in run-defense grade (78.4), per PFF. Verse was named a Pro Bowler and the Defensive Rookie of the Year. Then, in the postseason, he had two sacks and a 57-yard scoop-and-score.

Looking to replace the void of Calvin Ridley‘s departure on the outside, Jacksonville selected Thomas, and it paid immediate dividends. In a season that saw starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence be limited to 10 starts, Thomas still managed to register 87 receptions for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns, with all three totals leading the Jaguars. Thomas earned a Pro Bowl nod and ranked 17th among receivers with an 82.0 overall grade, per PFF.

Nabers was one of the only glaring bright spots in an otherwise dark, 3-14 season for the Giants. In 15 games, Nabers totaled 109 receptions for 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns, helping him earn a Pro Bowl nod and finish ninth among receivers with an 86.7 overall grade, per PFF. Leading the Giants in all three of the aforementioned categories despite catching passes from four different quarterbacks, Nabers’ 109 receptions set a new single-season franchise record.

There was little to build on in a 4-13 season for the Raiders, but Bowers’ rookie campaign was certainly among them. Catching passes from three different quarterbacks, Bowers totaled 112 receptions — which ranked third in the NFL — for 1,194 yards and five touchdowns, helping him earn an All-Pro honor. He also ranked third among tight ends with an 85.1 overall grade, per PFF. Leading the 2024 Raiders in each of the mentioned receiving categories, Bowers’ 112 receptions set a new franchise record for a single season.

Daniels had an unbelievable rookie season for the Commanders. In the air, he totaled 3,568 passing yards, 25 passing touchdowns, nine interceptions and a 100.1 passer rating, while completing 69% of his passes and rushing for 891 yards and six touchdowns. Daniels ranked sixth among quarterbacks in overall grade (89.6) and rushing grade (88.2) and eighth in passing grade (83.0), per PFF. Daniels was named a Pro Bowler and the Offensive Rookie of the Year. Furthermore, Daniels helped Washington triple its win total from 2023, winning 12 games and earning a wild-card berth. They then proceeded to win a playoff game for the first time since the 2005 NFL season and reach the NFC Championship Game for the first time since the 1991 season when Washington won Super Bowl XXVI.

Honorable mentions:

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