2024 NFL Draft: Former GM, draft analyst list favorite team picks from NFC, AFC

FRISCO, Texas —  Every NFL Draft season involves live look-in shots to the 32 teams’ war rooms with team executives and scouts high-fiving all the way around the room after selecting their picks.

Are they crazy? Every team can’t have a good draft, can they? On Friday night, the Dallas Cowboys’ front office peeled back the curtain to provide insight into this phenomena.

“Everybody puts up their own board, of course. Everybody’s going to feel good about the draft,” Cowboys COO and EVP Stephen Jones said after Day 2 of the 2024 NFL Draft concluded. “The proof is going to be: Do they play? Do they make the Pro Bowl? Are they All-Pros? Do you win games? do you win playoff games? That’s what it boils down to.

“The reason everybody’s high-fiving is because they drafted off their own board. We feel the same way. We feel strongly about our board. I know 31 others feel strongly about their board. So, it just boils down to, the proof will be probably not even one year from now, it’s going be two years from now, three years from now to see how you really drafted.”

There’s also the bias of feeling like the college player a team selects all of the sudden looking like he has a lot more potential after putting on his new NFL team colors.

“When you start the draft, well, he still got Baylor on him, he’s still got Notre Dame on him, he’s still got Alabama on him, and not

only that, he’s one of 300. The second he is yours, he all of a sudden gets prettier and better,” Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said late Friday night.

The hours upon hours that scouts spend traveling the country to analyze these college players in order to provide the best projections possible to their front office is also reflected in the war room draft day jubilation.

“I do have to say this, these scouts work really hard on this and they believe in these players,” Dallas Cowboys vice president of player personnel Will McClay said Friday night. “That’s what their job is and they’re supposed to bring that conviction so it comes across and you sell it and you watch it on tape and you get it. Yeah, we want to get excited. You guys get a new toy you open it up or whatever and you get excited about that. You want to use it and we want to see how they fit into what we do and help us win. We can’t wait to see your post draft grades.”

While there aren’t any draft grades here, there is plenty of conviction regarding the best value from each NFL team’s draft class. Two of CBS Sports’ top draft analysts and hosts of the “With The First Pick” podcast — Rick Spielman, who spent 16 seasons as the Minnesota Vikings (2006-2021), and CBS Sports HQ NFL analyst Ryan Wilson — highlight their favorite new toy from each team’s draft class.

Some are obvious like the Chicago Bears taking new face-of-the-franchise quarterback Caleb Williams first overall while others reflect a greater appreciation for the value of where a solid player prospect was selected.

Rick Spielman (NFC)

NFC East

Dallas Cowboys: Kansas State OL Cooper Beebe (3rd Round, 73rd overall)

Philadelphia Eagles: Clemson LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr. (5th Round, 155 overall)

Washington Commanders: Kansas State TE Ben Sinnott (2nd Round, 53rd overall)

New York Giants: Minnesota S Tyler Nubin  (2nd Round, 47th overall)

NFC North

Minnesota Vikings: Alabama edge rusher Dallas Turner (1st Round, 17th overall)

Chicago Bears: USC QB Caleb Williams (1st Round, 1st overall)

Green Bay Packers: Texas A&M LB Edgerrin Cooper (2nd Round, 45th overall)

Detroit Lions: Boston College OL Christian Mahogany (6th Round, 210th overall)

NFC South

Atlanta Falcons: Notre Dame LB JD Bertrand (5th Round, 143rd overall)

New Orleans Saints: Northern Iowa DL Khristian Boyd (6th Round, 199th overall)

Tampa Bay Buccanneers: Georgia S Tykee Smith (3rd Round, 89th overall)

Carolina Panthers: Washington State CB Chau Smith-Wade (5th Round, 157th overall)

NFC West

San Francisco 49ers: Arizona WR Jacob Cowing (4th Round, 135th overall)

Los Angeles Rams: Michigan RB Blake Corum (3rd Round, 83rd overall)

Arizona Cardinals: Texas Tech Dadrion Taylor-Demerson (4th Round, 104th overall)

Seattle Seahawks: Auburn CB D.J. James (6th Round, 192nd overall)

Ryan Wilson (AFC)

AFC East

Dolphins: Colorado State DL Mohamed Kamara (5th Round, 158th overall)

Patriots: Florida State TE Jaheim Bell (7th Round, 231st overall)

Bills: Penn State CB Daequan Hardy (6th Round, 219 overall)

Jets: Wisconsin RB Braelon Allen (4th Round, 134th overall)

AFC North

Steelers: N.C State. Payton Wilson (3rd Round, 98th overall)

Ravens: North Carolina WR Devontez Walker (4th Round, 113th overall)

Browns: Ohio State DL Michael Hall Jr. (2nd Round, 54th overall)

Bengals: Arizona TE Tanner McLachlan (6th Round, 194th overall)

AFC South

Jaguars: Missouri OT Javon Foster (4th Round, 114th overall)

Colts: Oregon State WR Anthony Gould (5th Round, 142nd overall)

Texans: Georgia CB Kamari Lassiter (2nd Round, 42nd overall)

Titans: Tulane WR Jha’Quan Jackson (6th Round, 182nd overall)

AFC West

Raiders: Oregon IOL Jackson Powers-Johnson (2nd Round, 44th overall)

Chiefs: Washington State S Jaden Hicks (4th Round, 133rd overall)

Broncos: Utah edge rusher Jonah Elliss (3rd Round, 76th overall)

Chargers: USC WR Brenden Rice (7th Round, 225th overall)