The 2024 NFL Draft is now officialy behind us, as all 32 teams will now begin the long adventure to prepare for the 2024 season. Are these the three biggest winners of the NFL Draft? We can talk all day about who won or lost the NFL Draft, but the harsh truth is that we truly do not know and will not know until years down the line.
However, we can at least try to predict who appears to be the biggest winners from the last three days of hearing over 200 players get their names called. It was a dream come true type of weekend for those prospects, and there are some other big winners as well.
Who are the three biggest?
2024 NFL Draft: Three biggest winners from the jam-packed week
1. The Chicago Bears franchise
It's hard to argue that the Chicago Bears franchise isn't a massive winner of what just went down. They took Caleb Williams with their top pick, cementing their status as playoff contenders for 2024. And then, with their ninth pick, they took Washington WR Rome Odunze, who was arguably the top WR in the class.
With Odunze and Williams now on the team, the Bears offense is quite loaded, and it's not like they had some throw-away defense either. The Chicago Bears franchise should not be viewed as the laughingstock that they recently were.
2. Russell Wilson
Troy Fautanu. Zach Frazier. Roman Wilson. The first three selections from the Pittsburgh Steelers may all end up being Week 1 starters, which is going to hugely benefit their likely starting QB, Russell Wilson. Wilson is now going to be on his third team in four seasons, and it clearly not the QB he once was.
However, with added protection to the offensive line and a shiny new toy on the outside, Russell Wilson has to be happy that his new team is adding all of these pieces on offense to make his life easier. For Pittsburgh, they also did seem to fill some long-term needs with their additions of Troy Fautanu and Zach Frazier. Frankly, I'd be shocked if Frazier was not a very good pro with a productive, long career in the NFL.
3. Aaron Glenn
The Detroit Lions defensive coordinator hasn't exactly had all the talent in the world to work with, especially in the secondary, but yet again, Lions GM Brad Holmes totally remade the unit, and now it seems to be in a strong spot. During the offseason, they traded for CB Carlton Davis, formerly of the Buccaneers.
Then, in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Lions added two more CBs in Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw. The Lions and Holmes clearly prioritized the secondary during the 2024 NFL Draft, and let's not forget about them also signing DT DJ Reader and Marcus Davenport earlier this offseason as well.
Aaron Glenn has a ton of new toys to use on his side of the ball, and it was capped off by two-straight selections in the secondary, so Glenn stands out as a huge winner here.