• Washington's new regime is on the right track: General manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn likely couldn’t have imagined that their first offseason together would go so well, adding several key free agents and coming away with an impressive 2024 draft class.
• The Cowboys' underwhelming offseason leaves question marks: The team has a lot to figure out in the trenches, with several young players expected to contribute on the offensive and defensive lines.
• Check out PFF's fantasy football rankings: PFF’s fantasy football rankings include ranks from our experts, projections and our strength of schedule metric.
Estimated Reading Time: 15 minutes
Every NFL team hopes to improve its roster through the draft process, and it seems that the vast majority of teams did so to some extent during the 2024 NFL Draft.
Several teams improved significantly at positions of need, while others either went against the consensus or took a more unconventional approach to their selections (See: Michael Penix Jr. to Atlanta).
We’ll examine three teams that improved the most and then three that improved the least during the 2024 NFL Draft. Some honorable mentions who just missed the cut for most improved teams include Carolina, Cincinnati and Tampa Bay.
Most Improved
Washington Commanders
General manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn likely couldn’t have imagined that their first offseason together would go so well. They inherited a team that lacked a franchise quarterback and ranked in the bottom 10 of grading in all three facets of defense, resulting in the team allowing, by far, the most points in the NFL last year.
They signed a ton of veteran free agents, none of whom are making more than $11 million per season. Defensively, productive players like Bobby Wagner, Frankie Luvu and Dorance Armstrong were brought in to fortify a weak front seven. They also bulked up on offense by signing starting center Tyler Biadasz, as well as guard Nick Allegretti and running back Austin Ekeler.
The Commanders entered the draft with major needs at quarterback, especially after jettisoning Sam Howell to Seattle, as well as the offensive line and all over their defense. Somehow, they managed to check all of the boxes.
There will be a long debate as to whether the Commanders should’ve selected Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye with the second overall pick, but it’s hard to deny Daniels’ talent and improvement over the past two seasons.
Daniels was the best offensive player in college football in 2023. He led all offensive players with a 94.7 overall grade. He nearly tripled his big-time throw rate from 2022. He also owns the best turnover-worthy play rate, 1.7%, by a Power Five quarterback in PFF College history (since 2014, minimum of 600 dropbacks). Lastly, his 91.5 career rushing grade is the best by a Power Five quarterback in PFF College history.
Daniels could be seen by many as a one-year wonder. While he greatly improved upon his play from his Arizona State days, he was still very good for LSU in 2022. Daniels began to show his worth down the stretch last season, which brings us to a greater sample size of elite play.
Jayden Daniels | Week 6, 2022 through 2023
| Overall Grade | 94.1 (1st) |
| Passing Grade | 91.7 (2nd) |
| Rushing Grade | 90.5 (2nd) |
| Big-Time Throw % | 6.3% (17th) |
| Turnover-Worthy Play % | 1.2% (3rd) |
| Yards Per Attempt | 9.8 (2nd) |
Ranked among 119 FBS QBs who played at least 600 snaps in that span
After a poor start against Auburn in 2022 — his lowest-graded game in two years at LSU — Daniels figured out his SEC competition and never looked back. He managed to improve the vertical aspect of his passing game while maintaining his elite ball security and rushing prowess.
Over the past three seasons, Washington quarterbacks own the worst turnover-worthy play rate in the NFL. Even if Daniels doesn’t immediately make explosive plays like he did in Baton Rouge, his elite ball security makes the Commanders’ offense a lot better.
The team also secured incredible value on two defensive players in the second round.
Illinois defensive tackle Jer'Zhan Newton, PFF’s 11th-ranked player in the class, fell into the team's lap at the 36th overall pick. While interior defense may not have been the most pressing need, with Jonathan Allen and Da’Ron Payne still around, Newton was simply too good to pass up.
Newton led all Power Five defensive tackles in snaps played over the past two seasons and is the only Power Five defensive tackle with 90.0-plus grades in run defense and pass rush in that same span. He was consistently elite for two years, even as he played through a foot injury in 2023. Selecting an elite talent in Newton is incredibly smart for a team with a defensive line that ranked 29th in overall grade last season.
Later in the second round, Washington managed to acquire Michigan cornerback Mike Sainristil. He’s a perfect fit for a defense that ranked 27th in slot coverage grade last season. Sainristil earned an 87.4 overall grade when lined up in the slot over the past two seasons, the third-best mark among all Power Five defenders with at least 300 slot snaps in that span. His receiver background is evident in his ball skills, and his aggressive mentality is surely something that enticed Dan Quinn.
Those three players alone would make for an excellent draft class, but Washington also added potential starters at tight end (Ben Sinnott), offensive tackle (Brandon Coleman) and slot receiver (Luke McCaffrey). Combine that with defensive depth selected in the late rounds, and you have a franchise that is off to an excellent start in their rebuild.
Philadelphia Eagles
It seems to be an annual tradition that the Eagles end up with the league’s best draft class. If they aren’t the best this year, they are at least in the argument again. At the forefront are two potentially elite talents who will hope to improve a cornerback room that ranked 31st in coverage grade in 2023.
First up was Toledo’s Quinyon Mitchell, an outside cornerback with incredible physical talent who ranked ninth overall on PFF’s big board. Mitchell’s production over the past two seasons is unmatched among FBS cornerbacks.
Quinyon Mitchell | 2022-2023
| Coverage Grade | 95.5 (1st) |
| Forced Incompletions | 35 (1st) |
| Interceptions | 6 (T-15th) |
| Yards Allowed per Coverage Snap | 0.65 (T-16th) |
Ranks among 315 cornerbacks with at least 400 coverage snaps
Mitchell’s ball production vaulted him into elite status among FBS cornerbacks. Perhaps more frightening for opposing offenses is that he actually dropped eight interceptions over the past two seasons, twice as many as any other cornerback in the nation. Mitchell has all of the ability to be one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL.
Of course, Philadelphia wasn’t done there with their secondary. Iowa’s Cooper DeJean, the eighth-ranked player on PFF’s big board, fell to the second round and the Eagles traded up to snatch an incredible value.
DeJean will be a smooth, yet athletic, presence wherever Vic Fangio chooses to deploy him. He posted a 91.1 coverage grade at Iowa over the past two seasons, tied for ninth in the FBS. He allowed just a 45.0 passer rating into his coverage in that span, and his elite tackling ability gives him the potential to start in the slot for the Eagles, which is a desperate need. Philadelphia ranked last in the NFL, by a wide margin, in slot coverage grade (31.9) last season.
Further emphasizing their need for pass defense improvement were the selections of edge defender Jalyx Hunt and linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. Hunt, a converted safety, posted a 90.2 pass-rush grade for FCS-level Houston Christian last season. He should be in the mix for a situational pass-rush role.
Trotter, whose name is very familiar to Eagles fans, is an absolute steal in the fifth round. He is a tad thin, but his play says otherwise. He ranked inside the top five among FBS linebackers in overall grade and coverage grade over the past two years. He could immediately help a linebacker group that posted a below-average 56.1 coverage grade last season.
Philadelphia also picked up several intriguing offensive weapons, including running back Will Shipley and wide receivers Ainias Smith and Johnny Wilson. It was especially shocking to see Wilson fall to them in the sixth round. This is a draft class that could get the Eagles back into Super Bowl contention.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Despite making the postseason in 2023, it was painfully obvious that the Steelers weren’t championship contenders due to subpar play at quarterback and on the offensive line. They did an excellent job of acquiring Russell Wilson and Justin Fields for basically nothing after letting go of their entire 2023 quarterback room.
The primary focus in this draft was improving an offensive line that ranked 26th in overall grade last season and 31st in pass-blocking grade.
Mission accomplished.
Pittsburgh selected three offensive linemen among its first five picks, all of whom could make an immediate impact.
First was Washington’s Troy Fautanu, who finished 2023 with an 88.2 pass-blocking grade, the fifth-best mark among FBS tackles. He posted that excellent figure in an offense that was not aided by many RPOs and screens, which can shield linemen from true pass sets. Fautanu’s 77.6 true pass set grade also ranked inside the top 25 nationally.
Some initially thought Fautanu was headed for a transition to guard in the NFL, but it appears, for the moment, that he will start at left tackle and Broderick Jones will stay at right tackle.
The Steelers also landed a likely starter at center in West Virginia’s Zach Frazier. Frazier is a rugged former wrestler who just feels like he belongs in a Pittsburgh uniform. He ranked inside the top 20 this past season in run-blocking and pass-blocking grades. Mason Cole’s departure should allow Frazier to start at his natural position, where the Steelers ranked 28th in overall grade last season.
The team wasn’t done on Day 3 and selected South Dakota State guard Mason McCormick in the fourth round. McCormick is less likely to start than his classmates, with Isaac Seumalo and James Daniels currently holding down the starting guard spots. He is, however, a terrific talent to develop after he posted 80.0-plus overall grades in each of the past two years.
In between those three, Pittsburgh added an excellent vertical threat in Michigan wide receiver Roman Wilson. Wilson, the leading receiver for the national champion Wolverines, tied for the FBS lead with a 99.9 deep receiving grade last season. He may immediately be the best deep threat for an offense that ranked 24th in deep receiving grade last season.
The Steelers' only defensive selection within the first five rounds is one who many regarded as the best linebacker in the draft. Injury concerns caused North Carolina State's Payton Wilson to fall down the draft order. The Steelers snagged Wilson, PFF’s 30th-ranked player, with the 98th overall pick. He finished fourth in the FBS last year with an 89.9 overall grade. He could start rather soon in a linebacking corps that ranked 26th in the NFL in overall grade in 2023.
The Steelers added more defensive depth on Day 3, but they made headlines by rebuilding their offensive line and adding great value players on Day 2. Pittsburgh’s first five picks should make the team significantly better moving forward.
Least Improved
Cleveland Browns
There is a caveat here in the fact that the Browns were short on draft capital due to the Deshaun Watson trade. They made just six selections, only two of which were inside the top 150.
Cleveland had two major weaknesses coming into this offseason: run defense and receiving.
Ohio State defensive tackle Michael Hall Jr. is almost certainly an NFL-caliber pass rusher and joins a team that already led the league in pass0rush grade in 2023. The problem is that it’s hard to find more than a situational pass-rush role right now for Hall in Cleveland’s defense.
During his three years in Columbus, Hall posted a decent, but not great, 73.5 run-defense grade. He also played just over 300 run-defense snaps in those three years in the run-heavy Big Ten. Hall may be a better run defender than given credit for, but there isn’t much of a sample size that says otherwise.
In Cleveland’s defense, there was a massive run on defensive tackles, including several proficient run defenders, early in the second round. Hall certainly fits into the team's pass-rush plans, but it’s hard to see how he, along with late-round fliers like defensive tackle Jowon Briggs and linebacker Nathaniel Watson, will significantly improve a unit that ranked 26th in run-defense grade last season.
On offense, Louisville wide receiver Jamari Thrash was the only weapon the Browns selected in this year’s draft. Thrash is a solid player who is quietly good at forcing missed tackles, but it’s fair to wonder if they could’ve selected someone like Malachi Corley or Jalen McMillan earlier to push Elijah Moore for the starting slot job.
Cleveland ranked 29th in the NFL last season in team receiving grade. The additions of Thrash and Jerry Jeudy help, but it’s a stretch to say those acquisitions move the needle for their passing game.
New Orleans Saints
New Orleans added two very talented players with their first two picks. Offensive tackle Taliese Fuaga and cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry should be starting-caliber players very soon, if not immediately. This exercise is one of assessing improvement, though, and it’s tough to see where the Saints improved their roster.
Given Ryan Ramczyk’s knee issues, which could force him to miss significant time or perhaps retire, there are two potential outcomes in 2024 for Fuaga: Either Ramczyk misses time and Fuaga starts at right tackle or Ramczyk is healthy and Fuaga will play out of position early in his career.
Both of those options carry risk for New Orleans. If Fuaga is to start at right tackle, his natural position, he would be filling a pair of incredibly large shoes.
Ryan Ramczyk | Career PFF Grades
| Overall Grade | 90.9 |
| Pass-Blocking Grade | 80.7 |
| Run-Blocking Grade | 90.7 |
Since he was drafted in 2017, Ramczyk, a three-time All-Pro, ranks inside the top seven among offensive tackles in overall grade and run-blocking grade. His 80.7 pass-blocking grade is also a top-25 mark. While Fuaga’s talents are very similar to Ramczyk's, it would be a tough ask for him to immediately replace one of the best tackles in the NFL.
If Ramczyk is healthy enough to play right tackle, he would leave Fuaga in no man’s land. He took all his 1,564 career snaps at Oregon State at right tackle. The Saints currently have Trevor Penning penciled in at left tackle, though there is speculation that he could move inside.
If Fuaga were amenable to a transition inside, there would be immediate questions about why the Saints took him so early in the draft only to play him out of position, as opposed to selecting someone like Troy Fautanu, a natural left tackle.
Regardless, New Orleans' offensive line currently consists of a vacant left guard spot, a player with a potential career-ending injury at right tackle and two first-round picks who are currently unsure of their positions. There’s a lot to figure out up front in New Orleans.
The Saints adding cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry in the second round gives them a very talented cornerback room. The team already ranked fifth in the NFL in coverage grade last season, but you can never have too many talented players in the secondary.
The problem with McKinstry is one of fit as opposed to talent. New Orleans had no issue with its outside cornerback play last season. Veteran Marshon Lattimore and 2023 breakout Paulson Adebo led a unit that ranked third in the NFL in coverage grade, behind the Buffalo Bills and the New York Jets.
The problem for Dennis Allen’s defense was defending the slot. The Saints ranked 25th in the NFL in slot coverage grade last season and allowed the third-most receiving yards in the NFL during the regular season when their slot players were targeted.
Meanwhile, McKinstry played just 28 slot snaps during his Alabama career, so it seems that the team will continue to rely on 2022 second-round pick Alontae Taylor in the slot this season. McKinstry is an excellent player, but he may currently be something of a luxury in New Orleans.
Dallas Cowboys
Salary cap management and free-agent departures were a theme in Dallas throughout the offseason. The team lost several veterans, including multiple starters on the offensive and defensive lines. The Cowboys selected some talented prospects, but it’s hard to imagine them improving upon last year’s performance when they could be starting multiple rookies in the trenches.
Dallas’ first-round pick, Oklahoma tackle Tyler Guyton, is considered one of the biggest projects in the draft as a former defensive end. His 59.0 true pass set grade in 2023 was far lower than that of his first-round counterparts.
Like Taliese Fuaga’s situation in New Orleans, we also don’t necessarily know where Guyton will be playing in 2023. He played right tackle almost exclusively at Oklahoma, but Dallas has an incumbent in Terence Steele, who signed a five-year contract extension that begins in 2024.
If Guyton can’t supplant Steele, then he would take the starting spot on the left side vacated by Tyron Smith, who led the NFL in pass-blocking grade in 2023. That scenario would see Tyler Smith stay inside at left guard but offer no starting opportunity for third-round pick Cooper Beebe unless he learns to play center, which is the only position he never played at Kansas State.
The Cowboys' defensive line is in a similar state of flux. Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence remain the stalwarts, but the team lost several depth players, including Dorance Armstrong and Johnathan Hankins. The Cowboys also have 2023 first-round pick Mazi Smith, but he struggled to a 31.8 run-defense grade in limited action last season.
Given the above situation, there will be high expectations for second-round pick Marshawn Kneeland. The Western Michigan product will have to adjust to a big jump in competition, but he is a natural run defender who posted an 88.0 PFF run-defense grade in 2023, which was the best mark among FBS edge defenders who played at least 300 run-defense snaps in that span.
Dallas drafted a few talented trench players, but it's not ideal for a team perpetually trying to keep a championship contention window open to be relying on a lot of young players on those units.
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