2024 NFL Draft: 7 Worst Potential Player-Team Fits in Round 1

On some level, there's no "wrong" time to hear your name called in the NFL draft, especially on Day 1. Getting chosen in the first round is the culmination of a lifelong dream. It's public confirmation that they are one of the best in college football.

Sliding a bit in the draft didn't seem to end up hurting Aaron Rodgers or Lamar Jackson.

However, the good times can end abruptly once it's time to put on pads and play. There isn't a slot in Round 1 that hasn't produced a colossal bust.

Much of the time, it turns out that the prospect just isn't what draftniks and NFL teams thought. But sometimes, where a player is drafted can matter as much as who he is. Land in the ideal spot, and players can take off like a rocket; land in the worst possible one, and they can be stuck in the mud.

Coaching and scheme, the talent (or lack thereof) around him or a franchise's circumstances can all contribute to a match made in heaven ending up on a road to hell.

This is the sort of list no player wants to be on.

This one will probably send an eyebrow or two skyward.

There's no question that edge-rusher is among the top priorities for the Atlanta Falcons in the 2024 draft. They ranked outside the top 20 in the league in sacks last year, and as things stand, their projected starters on the edge are Arnold Ebiketie and Lorenzo Carter.

And as Matt Holder noted in his B/R scouting report for Dallas Turner, the 6'3", 247-pounder has athleticism to spare and a sky-high ceiling.

"Turner's athleticism stands out as a pass-rusher, as he's able to execute a difficult ghost rush move at a high level," he wrote. "A lot of that has to do with his bend, as he has a limber lower half to turn tight corners at the top of the rush. The latter also pops up during his dip-rip move and when he wins around the edge in general. Overall, Turner has plenty of tools to work with to warrant a top-15—and maybe even a top-10—selection in this year's draft class. Schematically, his best fit is as a standup outside linebacker for a team that uses a lot of odd fronts."

The scheme fit is there. So is the need. And the talent. So, what's the problem?

Expectations.

From the moment Kirk Cousins arrived in Atlanta, expectations for the Falcons in 2024 changed. This is no longer a team that just needs to improve. They are now the favorites in the NFC South and need to make the playoffs.

With precious little around him, Turner will be expected to immediately become Atlanta's No. 1 edge-rusher. It's a position that carries a fairly steep learning curve, and the Alabama product isn't a can't-miss prospect a la Myles Garrett or Nick Bosa.

Atlanta needs a better pass rush, but Turner would be better served falling a bit farther in the round to a team where he'd have some Year 1 help.

This is admittedly an unlikely situation, for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, the Denver Broncos have quite a few needs that are arguably greater than wide receiver. Their acquisition of Zach Wilson from the New York Jets doesn't exactly solve the issues they have under center. The offensive line, defensive edge and cornerback are also potential problem spots.

It's also more likely than not that Washington wideout Rome Odunze will be off the board by the time the Broncos pick at No. 12. Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr., LSU's Malik Nabers and Odunze are all expected to be picked in close succession. All three could go in the top 10.

However, if the Washington product does dip outside the top 10, Scotty Payne of Mile High Report noted that a case could be made for drafting the 6'3", 212-pounder:

"He is a big physical playmaking wide receiver who would give the Broncos an alpha at the position. I know the question will be asked 'Who will be throwing him the ball?' and it is a valid question to ask, but weapons will need to be added regardless of who is throwing him the ball. Plus, after this year Tim Patrick will be a free agent and Courtland Sutton will have no guaranteed money left on his contract while opening up $14 million dollars in cap space if released. So, playmakers will need to be added regardless of the quarterback."

As good as Odunze was for the Huskies, there's no guarantee he would immediately supplant Sutton as the team's No. 1 wideout.

The Broncos have more pressing problems.

Last year, the Jacksonville Jaguars fell apart down the stretch. That was due in part to a banged-up quarterback, but also on account of a pass defense that ranked 26th in the NFL.

The Jaguars added veteran Ronald Darby to the secondary in free agency, but cornerback remains a popular pick for Jacksonville with its first pick in the draft.

For Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports, that pick is Quinyon Mitchell of Toledo.

"Quinyon Mitchell has 4.33 speed, legitimate NFL boundary cornerback size, and defended 45 passes the past three seasons," he said. "What's not to like?"

Bleacher Report's Scouting Department is a fan of Mitchell as well, and he's its No. 1 prospect at his position.

"Mitchell has the skill set to play both man and zone, but he would be best served in a zone scheme, where he can play from off coverage and see the routes develop in front of him," Cory Giddings wrote. "He has the ceiling of a top-15 selection, with the potential of being a Day 1 starter and lengthy NFL career."

Therein lies the rub.

When Ryan Nielsen was introduced as the Jags' new defensive coordinator in February, he told reporters the defense was going to be aggressive.

"First of all, we're going to be- kind of the overview of everything is we want to be attacking and aggressive in everything that we do," he said. "How we fit the run, how we attack blocks, how we play coverage. We want to be a forward-leaning, forward-running, going-forward defense. And you're going to say, well what about in the secondary and backpedal and all that but when we make our break, we're coming out of that break to go hit you."

It's just a bad fit—at least for what Mitchell does best.

There aren't many players whose NFL draft stock has risen more over the past year than Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy II.

In fact, after a strong 2023 season with the Longhorns and excellent pre-draft process, ESPN's Adam Schefter wrote recently that Murphy has an outside shot to be the first defensive player selected:

"It's possible a defender might not be picked until Atlanta at No. 8 or Chicago at No. 9. Murphy could be a consideration for both teams. Murphy, who had five sacks last season, is talented, plays a coveted position and has gotten clean character reports. He might interest new Falcons coach Raheem Morris, who had Aaron Donald dominate at that position when he was the coordinator in Los Angeles."

OK, let's slow down a bit with the Aaron Donald comparisons. If he becomes Grady Jarrett (B/R's comparison), he'll have been a success.

Murphy going that early could be a blessing in disguise for the New York Jets because while they have bigger fish to fry in terms of need, they are creating a potentially dominant defensive front by adding him to a front seven that already brought in edge-rusher Haason Reddick.

The thing is, the Jets may already have that. Quinnen Williams is one of the best 3-techniques in football, and New York also added 2020 first-round pick Javon Kinlaw to play opposite him.

Teams drafting in the top 10 usually have at least one obvious need. The Jets either have to fill one of those requirements with a player who can contribute in 2024 or get a clear upgrade at a premium position. Murphy no doubt just wants to get on the field and play.

Neither could wind up getting what they want with this pairing.

Despite the fact that the Los Angeles Chargers jettisoned their top two wide receivers, Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, in the offseason, there's growing sentiment in the draft community that they will either trade back with a QB-needy team or take an offensive tackle with the No. 5 overall pick.

Jim Harbaugh is a coach who leans heavily on power football and the run game, and the offensive line in Los Angeles needs work.

It would be hard to fault the Chargers trading back and stockpiling picks as they have multiple needs on both sides of the ball. But moving back more than a spot or two likely means losing out on Notre Dame's Joe Alt, who is considered the top tackle in the class.

If that's the case, the team could look to Penn State's Olumuyiwa Fashanu as a consolation prize of sorts. The B/R NFL Scouting Department ranks the 6'6" 312-pounder as the No. 2 player at his position in the class of 2024.

Brandon Thorn wrote: "Fashanu has high-end physical tools with rarely seen polish as a pass-protector that is counterbalanced with being more underdeveloped as a finisher in the run game. His ability to thrive on an island in pass protection right away with the tools, runway and flashes necessary to make improvements as a run-blocker indicates a franchise-caliber blind-side protector who can at least be average in the run game."

Therein lies the problem though—Fashanu is just a so-so run blocker who would fit better in a zone-heavy scheme. Harbaugh's brand of football is more about power runs and brute force up front.

It's like drafting an apple and then asking it to be an orange.

Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy is riding as much positive hype into Round 1 of the 2024 draft as any player in the class.

Not that long ago, he was the clear QB4 on most draft boards. Now, there's speculation that he could go as early as second overall to the Commanders.

The 21-year-old's pocket presence and success in college aren't debatable. But Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner told ESPN's Get Up that he questions whether he can carry an NFL offense:

"Definitely a bunch of things to like, I like the technique by which he plays, obviously you like the fact that he won a lot of football games, but if I'm drafting someone in the top five, I want to know that I can trust him to win games with his right arm. We never saw the pressure on him to have to make throw after throw after throw, week after week to carry his football team, you will have to do that in the National Football League with the way the league is built, with the talent at the quarterback position, so that is a huge question for me because we've never seen it."

Given the hype surrounding McCarthy, it's entirely possible he won't even make it to New York at No. 6. But if he does, New York might want to listen to Tiki Barber and take a pass.

The G-Men are a mess offensively—the line allowed a whopping 85 sacks a year ago, and the pass-catchers aren't intimidating anyone. McCarthy wouldn't be surrounded with high-end talent like he was in Ann Arbor.

And in that situation, it's possible he really he wouldn't be much of an upgrade over Daniel Jones.

You would be hard-pressed to find many mock drafts that don't have quarterbacks being selected with the first three picks of the 2024 NFL draft.

Just about everyone thinks Caleb Williams will go to the Chicago Bears first overall. From there things begin to digress, although two of J.J. McCarthy, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye are expected to be taken by the Washington Commanders and New England Patriots.

Daniels captured the Heisman Trophy last year, with his running ability playing a big part in that award.

While appearing on Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson's Nightcap podcast, the LSU product said he thinks his athleticism will set him apart at the professional level:

"Just my escapability, man. My legs—I don't know, God blessed me with those so I gotta keep using them. I'm a dog, man… my escapability… you give me a lane, I could go 80 [yards]…that separates me. I mean I know they all got high football IQs, but I'll say just that dog in me…this is all I know, you know I grew up football. I was always doubted, people doubted me to this day. But I take that and add it to the fire."

Daniels does have a multi-dimensional game, but it could be neutered somewhat if he landed with the Patriots. It's a matter of an offense that is as bereft of passing-game weaponry as any in the NFL, and it's also not a great scheme-fit. Alex Van Pelt is something of an old-school offensive coordinator who spent the past four seasons running Kevin Stefanski's play-action heavy intermediate passing scheme in Cleveland.

This fit just doesn't mesh especially well from either side.