Biggest Surprises in Round One of the NFL Draft

The Falcons Finding Their Successor

After signing Kirk Cousins to a massive contract in March, the Falcons were not on many people’s radars for needing a quarterback. But with Cousins coming off a major injury, picking his successor makes sense for Atlanta. Terry Fontenot enters a pivotal season as general manager of the Falcons, and this pick may save his job. His team is talented enough to win the NFC South now, and no one would have batted an eye had they waited to find a successor to Cousins. Many expected the Falcons to fill holes at cornerback or edge rusher, but quarterback remained a sneaky need for Atlanta.

Drafting a player who will not likely play for years is often a heavily scrutinized move. On the flip side, that sort of move has paid off for teams like the Kansas City Chiefs and Green Bay Packers. Atlanta may have surprised, but they made the smart pick with Penix.

Raiders Boost Offense with Bowers

Many saw Brock Bowers as being a generational talent. At Georgia, Bowers impacted the game in multiple ways. His skill set as a receiver, blocker, and runner make him an early candidate for Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. The offense in Las Vegas has been revamped but still needs playmakers. Davante Adams remains one of the league’s best receivers, but the team relied too heavily on him in 2023. In his two years in Las Vegas, Adams has received the most targets in his career (per pro-football-preference).

Adding Bowers to the offense will make life easier for Adams and the quarterback. The Raiders could still add a quarterback to the mix, but will likely be rolling into 2024 with Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew. While O’Connell performed well last season, the quarterback room in Las Vegas is far from inspiring. With Bowers, the Raiders will have a player who does his best work with the ball in his hands. With a new offensive coordinator in place, having Bowers in the fold will lessen the burden on either O’Connell or Minshew as they transition to a new offense. Even though the pick was surprising, it makes sense for the Raiders as they rebrand their offense.

Panthers Land Legette

By moving back into the first round, the Carolina Panthers secured a potential cornerstone player in Legette. The South Carolina star was pegged as a player with plenty to prove in the draft and landed in a good spot with the Panthers. Not only does his presence give the Panthers offense a big-bodied weapon, but it gives the organization flexibility in the future. Teams like the Chiefs and Tennessee Titans have opted to trade their star receivers instead of extending them, and this move gives the Panthers a chance to retain Legette on a cheaper deal if he turns into a star. The move bodes well for Carolina, although it was a surprise to see Legette get drafted so high.