NFL Draft Preview

Detroit is set to host the 2024 NFL Draft, where all 32 NFL teams convene to choose which players will bring new successes to their camps. 

Football fans nationwide will tune into the action from April 25-27 to see their favorite team add talent to the roster. The event’s popularity is surprising to some, as in 2023, the NFL Draft had nearly double the viewers that the NBA Playoffs had. 11.29 million people viewed the draft’s first round, while an average of 5.74 million watched the NBA Playoffs that year.

An interesting take from certain fans of the sport is that draft order doesn’t matter as much as one might think. Although the worst teams from the previous years get the top picks, legends like Tom Brady were drafted extremely late. The Michigan quarterback was selected in the sixth round as the 199th overall pick. Similarly, Brock Purdy, selected with the final pick in 2022 was given the nickname “Mr Irrelevant” when he was picked by San Francisco. Both of these quarterbacks have already left their mark on the league, with Brady holding the record for most Super Bowl wins by a player at 7, and prodigy Brock Purdy going from “Mr. Irrelevant” to competing in the 2023 Super Bowl.

Sophomore Ayden Gabrielson gave his opinion on the stars from this year’s rookie class. He said, “I think that the #1 pick will be Caleb Williams, just based off of all the hype behind him, and the Bears traded Justin Fields for the #1 pick, so they’re definitely looking for a new guy to lead their squad.” He explained further, “Caleb Williams will not succeed in the NFL, and the Bears will still be cursed with terrible QBs.”

Cam Flug, a sophomore, gives his take on which team will fare the best in this year’s installation of the draft. “The Bears definitely. They have the number 1 overall pick and another first-round pick with pick 9, but the Rams always draft well. [For example] Puka Nacua last year and Kyren Williams. They have some sort of system that allows them to find sleeper picks in the draft, so it wouldn’t surprise me at all if the Rams drafted very well again.” Puka Nacua had completions totaling 1,486 yards during his rookie regular season. His image has expanded beyond the NFL, appearing in the 2024 NBA Celebrity Game with 16 points. Kyren Williams played 12 of LA’s 17 regular season games, running for 1,144 yards.

Another part of the draft that prospects have to look out for is the NFL Combine. It is one of the main ways athletes are highlighted for their individual skills. Sophomore Carson Mohr said, “I think T’Vondre Sweat could’ve done better at the combine, but I still think whatever team he ends up on he will make a big impact.” Sweat was a consensus All-American in 2023 and is the brother of Josh Sweat of the Philadelphia Eagles. He added, “Xavier Worthy and his speed really stood out to me. He now holds the new fastest 40 [yard dash] time. Because of that, he will most likely be a late first-round pick.”

With so many talented players in this year’s rookie class, the NFL Draft is set to impact the league in a way we haven’t seen for years. Tune in on April 25 until April 27 to see all of the action in store for 2024.