What happened in the NFL Draft first round: Full recap, picks by team, grades and trades

LSU, Alabama and Washington each had three first-round picks tonight, while Penn State, Georgia and Texas had two.

The updated list of the most first-round picks in the modern NFL Draft era since 1967:

• Ohio State 78
• USC 75
• Alabama 72
• Miami 62
• Florida 56
• Florida State 47
• Notre Dame 46
• Michigan 44
• Georgia 43
• Tennessee 41
• LSU 40
• Penn State 39
• Oklahoma 39
• Texas 36
• Clemson 36

Why would Atlanta use their eighth pick in the draft on a QB?

The team believes they won’t have a top pick with Kirk Cousins under center the next few years, and now is the time to get a great one.

DK Metcalf ceiling with Rashid Shaheed floor. That gives you an idea of his potential, and Xavier Legette can add value in the return game. The Panthers haven't seen Terrace Marshall develop the way they want, and Jonathan Mingo struggled more than expected and might already be down the depth chart. Legette can step in as the No. 3 behind Diontae Johnson and Adam Thielen, or even push Thielen in 2024 for the No. 2 role. He'll also help Bryce Young improve, though, Young needs to take a big step forward for all of the receivers to hold value. I could see Legette posting Josh Reynolds numbers (40-608-5) as a rookie, which makes him a WR5, but he has future WR3 potential, as early as 2025.

Conference breakdown for the first round: SEC 11; Pac-12 8; ACC 4; Big Ten 4; Big 12 3; MAC 1; Independent 1

Positional breakdown: OL 9; WR: 7; QB 6; Edge: 5, CB: 3; DT: 1; TE: 1; RB 0; LB: 0; Safety: 0; ST: 0.

One of the main takeaways of the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft is that no running backs were selected.

From a fantasy football perspective, this may seem like a downgrade for the ground game, but the reality is that nine of the first 29 picks of this draft were offensive linemen. In addition, Jayden Daniels is cut from a similar rushing quarterback mode as Lamar Jackson or Jalen Hurts and thus adds another potential dual-threat QB1 candidate.

Combine that with the heavy emphasis on upgrading offensive lines and it shows that NFL teams are still likely to continue the recent transition towards leaning on the ground game more and more often. Fantasy managers should keep this in mind when building teams, as RB values have increased recently due to this and are still likely to ascend.

The Carolina Panthers drafted South Carolina wide receiver Xavier Legette with the No. 32 pick after a trade with the Buffalo Bills.

The Athletic NFL Draft expert Dane Brugler on Legette: A four-year starter at South Carolina, Legette was an inside/outside receiver in offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains’ scheme (64.6 percent wide, 34.0 percent slot in 2023). A quarterback out of necessity as a senior in high school, he was raw when he joined the Gamecocks and didn’t break out until his fifth season (he and Malik Nabers were the only two SEC players to average more than 100 yards receiving per game in 2023).

Legette is at his best on runway routes (verticals, posts, crossers) or sweeps and end-arounds that get his long-striding acceleration going. He doesn’t consistently shake tight man coverage, but he will use his size to play strong through contact.

Overall, Legette needs to continue developing his route proficiency and tempo, but his film gives off DK Metcalf vibes, and he has the explosive speed and physicality to be a matchup weapon. He should be an immediate contributor on special teams before competing for starting reps outside.

The trade speculation — Brandon Aiyuk or Deebo Samuel — will start, and if one is moved, Ricky Pearsall can be a WR4 as a rookie with numbers similar to Darius Slayton (50-770-4). Honestly, the touchdown mark is low in this offense, but again, that's if Aiyuk or Samuel is gone. As it stands with both on the roster, Pearsall is a 2025 and beyond value. He's buried, as we haven't even mentioned the volume for Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle. Pearsall likely won't be more than a WR5/6 with around 35-40 receptions and 500+ yards, as the roster currently stands.

This feels like either a reach or an insurance policy in case Brandon Aiyuk ends up getting dealt. Florida receiver Ricky Pearsall will make some tough catches and could wind up running plenty of interior routes alongside tight end George Kittle.

A five-year veteran with three seasons at Arizona State and his final two at Florida, Pearsall (6-1, 189) has built a reputation for his toughness and ability to haul in difficult catches. Last year with the Gators, Pearsall caught 65 balls for 965 yards (14.8 yards per catch) and four scores. As a junior, Pearsall averaged 20.0 yards per catch (33-661) with five scores. At the combine, Pearsall ran a 4.41-second 40 and had a 42-inch vertical jump.

Grade: B-

The San Francisco 49ers selected Florida wide receiver Ricky Pearsall with the No. 31 pick.

The Athletic NFL Draft analyst Dane Brugler on Pearsall: A two-year starter at Florida, Pearsall was schemed across the formation in head coach Billy Napier’s offense, doing most of his work (62.0 percent) from the slot. After three seasons at Arizona State, including time spent learning from Brandon Aiyuk in 2019, he moved on to Gainesville in 2022 and had a career season in ‘23, leading the Gators in receiving.

With his play speed and footwork, Pearsall earned the nickname “Slick Rick,” because of the rhythmic movements he uses to shake free in his routes or make a defender miss in the quick game. Though he can be outmuscled at times versus press or at the top of routes, he has Velcro hands and never shies from attacking throws that lead him into impending contact.

Overall, Pearsall wasn’t a home-run hitter on tape, but he is a reliable receiving option with the route quickness and ball skills to quickly become a favorite target for an NFL quarterback. He has the skill set and toughness to work inside or outside and return punts at the next level.

Nate Wiggins was the top-ranked corner on the Football GM Podcast, ahead of Quinyon Mitchell. He lands in Baltimore, which is a very good place for defensive players to land.

The Baltimore Ravens selected Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins with the 30th pick.

The Athletic NFL Draft analyst Dane Brugler on Wiggins: A two-year starter at Clemson, Wiggins was an outside cornerback in defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin’s scheme. An ascending player throughout his time with the Tigers, he combined for 25 passes defended in 23 games over the last two seasons and allowed just 43.9 percent completions when targeted in 2023. (Two of his three career interceptions came against Drake Maye).

Wiggins moves with quiet, controlled feet/hips to seamlessly transition out of breaks and accelerate to top gear (allowed only one catch of 20-plus yards on 41 targets in 2023). Though he needs to improve his consistency as a run defender, he shows tremendous effort in pursuit and had two chase-down forced fumbles that saved touchdowns in 2023 (Miami and North Carolina).

Overall, Wiggins’ slight frame and suspect play strength are legitimate concerns, but he is a fast and fluid athlete with the cover awareness and on-ball production to be a starting perimeter corner in the NFL. He projects as a longtime NFL starter with tools like those of Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.

Dallas had a big hole at two spots — center and right tackle — and the Cowboys opted to fill the hole on the outside with Oklahoma tackle Tyler Guyton. It’s an upside move with Guyton, who could start at right tackle and perhaps flip to left tackle within time. Or, if he reaches his potential, he could form a solid tandem with Tyler Smith.

Still raw and developing, Guyton earned 15 career starts at TCU and Oklahoma before declaring for the draft. He started 13 games at right tackle and one at left tackle for the Sooners, while opening one game at tight end for TCU. Guyton (6-7 ½, 322) has the requisite body for an NFL tackle with 34 1/8-inch arms. It might take him some time, but his upside is immense,

Grade: B

The Dallas Cowboys selected Oklahoma offensive tackle Tyler Guyton with the No. 29 pick.

The Athletic NFL Draft analyst Dane Brugler on Guyton: A two-year starter at Oklahoma, Guyton was the starting right tackle in former offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby’s inside-zone, gap-focused scheme. A basketball-focused athlete much of his life, he moved to the offensive line while at TCU and later developed into a starter for the Sooners, protecting Dillon Gabriel’s blindside at right tackle.

A nimble big man, Guyton stays square to pass rushers with balanced lateral steps to easily redirect, and he does a great job working into open space with remarkable range (NFL scout: “The OU coaches just marvel at him. They call him different than everyone else they’ve had.”). He stays controlled with his punch to be a sticky blocker, although his accuracy and fit entry are underdeveloped, and his overall timing is not yet a strength to his game.

Overall, Guyton is a work in progress in several areas and a steep learning curve should be expected for his rookie season, but he has the athletic tools and fundamental skills to develop into a high-level offensive tackle. He has the talent to play left or right tackle, although his comfort level is clearly on the right side. As long as he stays motivated and healthy, he will continue on an upward trajectory.

Patrick Mahomes has yet to meet a player he can overthrow. We’ll see if Xavier Worthy gives him a run for his money. The Chiefs moved up from 32 to 28 to snag the fastest player in the draft in the form of the former Texas receiver. Worthy set the combine record with a 4.21 40-yard dash earlier this spring and will enter Kansas City’s offense with electric speed from the get-go.

This feels like a very good fit for Kansas City’s offense and for Mahomes in general, as Worthy is very dynamic with the ball in his hands. However, he’s also very small at just 165 pounds. Whether or not he’ll be able to hold up with a high catch volume deep into a season is a fair question. He can be inconsistent with his hands and his play strength will limit some of what he can do a the next level. It’s fair to wonder if Worthy was a first-rounder in this draft, especially with some of the talent on the board. But also tough to hate the fit.

Grade: B