Which 4 teams had the worst 2024 NFL Draft results?

Some teams could have exited the weekend on a higher note...

Apr 26, 2024; Flowery Branch, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons first round draft pick quarterback Michael / Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

The 2024 NFL Draft is now in the rearview mirror as the Atlanta Falcons and Denver Broncos took on the roles as stunners in the first round. All-in-all the first round was not as wild as it was hyped up to be as the first seven picks played out just as many had imagined they would from a positional perspective and without trades

Seven rounds and three days later, we are already looking ahead to the 2025 NFL Draft. Before we do, however, we take a look at some teams that could have exited the weekend with a more substantial haul at better value.

So which four teams had the worst drafts around the league?

Atlanta Falcons

There is not a way to convince many that the move to sign Kirk Cousins to $90 million guaranteed to then immediately draft his backup who won't see the field until he's 27 years old was a good move. And that's because it was a downright awful move.

With a championship window open in the lackluster NFC South, the Falcons opted not to use an extremely valuable asset on an immediate contributor. Instead they draft the 24-year-old Michael Penix Jr. to sit behind Cousins for at least two seasons.

Baffling move.

And while defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro is one of the best defensive tackles in the class, moving up and giving up extra draft capital for him was an interesting move. Bralen Trice is a productive and solid edge rusher, so no complaints there.

However, their first round pick is borderline negligent.

Denver Broncos

There is a difference between reaching for a quarterback and being downright desperate to get one. And by selecting Oregon's Bo Nix 12th overall, the Broncos proved to be desperate. While Nix is pegged as an accurate quarterback who plays with wits, he also threw the most passes under 10 yards of any of the quarterbacks in the class.

He broke out late, and did it in an offense that did not ask a lot of him. I am not bullish on his NFL outlook.

Jonah Eliss is a solid budget pick for the Broncos and will be a productive player at the NFL level. They ended the slide of wide receiver Troy Franklin as well, but he is just a vertical threat who is not a polished route runner or tracker of the football after drafting Marvin Mims just a year ago.

The quarterback selection weighs down the Broncos' overall draft as well as the haul of Elliss and running back Audric Estime are great value picks for Denver.

Carolina Panthers

Taking South Carolina Xavier Legette in the first round was quite an overdraft. If they wanted a true X receiver, Florida State's Keon Coleman and Texas' AD Mitchell were a better, well-rounded player. If they wanted just any type of receiver, Georgia's Ladd McConkey also has more impressive tape than Legette.

With a late breakout, the Panthers went all on in Legette's ability after the catch. Which is a risky bet to make. After bolstering their trenches in free agency, the Panthers then took the first wide receiver off the board in Texas' Jonathan Brooks, who suffered a season-ending ACL injury this past season with Chuba Hubbard and Miles Sanders already on the roster. This felt like a luxury pick for a team that does not have the talent for a luxury pick.

Linebacker Trevin Wallace was their best pick in the draft, and while I am not a fan of the player, the value on tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders is fine. However, lacking a future at two premium positions at edge rusher and cornerback, the Panthers opted not to use a significant asset on either.

The resources could have been used more resourcefully.

Tennessee Titans

Reaches across the board for the Tennessee Titans.

JC Latham is a fine player, but taking him over Penn State's Olu Fashanu and Georgia's Amarius Mims is a bold, bold move for the Titans. Then reaching on a nose tackle who was just arrested for a DWI two weeks before the draft with pick No. 39 was an even bolder move.

In fact, outside of fourth round pick Cedric Gray it is hard to find a player in their class that will make an impact in the first two years of their careers on Day 3 of their draft. For a team entering a new era with a new head coach, this draft still leaves then a year or so away from being competitive.

And with their quarterback situation, that might be the way the Titans view it as well.