The 2024 NFL Draft begins Thursday and picks will be panned, praised and picked apart by the countless draft experts out there. But the truth is we won’t know how teams drafted this week until we see how these players careers play out over the next few years.
That is why we do this annual exercise where we look back at the last five drafts for each team to see who is doing the best job in the NFL’s annual talent grab. This is our 10th annual examination of the last five years of the draft (2019-23) to see how teams fared.
The rankings are based upon how many games the draft pick has played, Pro Bowl appearances, first-team All-Pro selections and awards like MVP and Rookie of the Year. We also factored in how much the team has won during the five years because players on losing teams tend to have an easier path to playing time.
Here are the rankings from best to worst, with last year’s ranking in parentheses:
1. Baltimore Ravens (1)
Pro Bowlers: 5
Best Pick: Kyle Hamilton (2022, first round)
Worst Pick: Rashod Bateman (2021, first round)
The Ravens take the crown for the second straight year in our rankings. I thought they might slide this year because the Lamar Jackson draft came off the books. But GM Eric DeCosta continues to draft extremely well. Patrick Queen, Justin Madubuike, Kyle Hamilton and Tyler Linderbaum all look like star players and Zay Flowers showed a lot of potential as a rookie last year.
2. Dallas Cowboys (4)
Pro Bowlers: 8
Best Pick: Micah Parsons (2021, first round)
Worst Pick: Trysten Hill (2019, second round)
Dallas has accumulated a lot of talent through the draft. That is why it is now faced with some tough contract decisions. Parsons and CeeDee Lamb are two of the best picks of the last five years. Trevon Diggs, Tony Pollard, Tyler Biadasz, Tyler Smith and DaRon Bland are also all good picks. The Cowboys have won a lot of games during this period, but postseason success has not followed.
3. San Francisco 49ers (3)
Pro Bowlers: 4
Best Pick: Nick Bosa (2019, first round)
Worst Pick: Trey Lance (2021, first round)
The 49ers have been excellent drafters with John Lynch as GM. If Brock Purdy, the last pick in the 2022 draft, winds up being the long-term answer at quarterback, it will go down as one of the best picks ever. It also will make people forget their biggest draft blunder: taking Lance with the No. 3 overall pick in 2021.
4. Detriot Lions (8)
Pro Bowlers: 8
Best Pick: Amon-Ra St. Brown (2021, fourth round)
Worst Pick: Jeff Okudah (2020, first round)
The Lions did not reach the NFC title game by accident. They have been piling up good picks in recent years and the talent was on display in the playoffs. They took heat for last year’s draft class and they ended up with two Pro Bowlers — Jahmyr Gibbs and Sam LaPorta. Aidan Hutchinson, their top pick in 2022, and Penei Sewell, their top pick in 2021, are both cornerstones to build around.
5. New York Jets (22)
Pro Bowlers: 3
Best Pick: Sauce Gardner (2022, first round)
Worst Pick: Zach Wilson (2021, first round)
The Jets had one of the best draft classes of the last five years in 2022, landing Gardner, Garrett Wilson, Jermaine Johnson and Breece Hall. That class elevates this ranking to the top 5 after years of the Jets being in the 20s. Quinnen Williams, the top pick in 2019, is also a top-tier player that helps cover up mistakes like Zach Wilson and Mekhi Becton in the first round.
6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5)
Pro Bowlers: 4
Best Pick: Tristan Wirfs (2020, first round)
Worst Pick: Kyle Trask (2021, second round)
GM Jason Licht has done a nice job drafting for a long time. That is why the Bucs did not fall apart after Tom Brady’s retirement. They remain a playoff team because of picks like Wirfs, Antoine Winfield Jr. and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka.
7. Las Vegas Raiders (12)
Pro Bowlers: 3
Best Pick: Maxx Crosby (2019, fourth round)
Worst Pick: Damon Arnette (2020, first round)
The Raiders have the biggest variance of highs and lows over the last five drafts. The 2019 class produced Crosby and Josh Jacobs, two great players. The 2020 class had Arnette and Henry Ruggs III in the first round, and both proved to be bad-character guys who are now out of the league. I would expect this ranking to drop significantly next year when the 2019 class comes off the books.
8. Philadelphia Eagles (14)
Pro Bowlers: 3
Best Pick: Jalen Hurts (2020, second round)
Worst Pick: Jalen Reagor (2020, first round)
GM Howie Roseman seems to add 2-3 impact starters every year in the draft, which is how good team building is done. I know there are questions about Hurts but the Eagles have had a lot of success with him at quarterback, and landing your starting quarterback in the second round is an achievement.
9. Seahawks (13)
Pro Bowlers: 3
Best Pick: D.K. Metcalf (2019, second round)
Worst Pick: Marquise Blair (2019, second round)
The Seahawks have drafted Pro Bowl cornerbacks in back-to-back years with Riq Woolen and Devon Witherspoon. GM John Schneider has been drafting well for a long time. It will be interesting to see if anything changes without Pete Carroll at his side now.
10. Chiefs (23)
Pro Bowlers: 2
Best Pick: Creed Humphrey (2021, second round)
Worst Pick: Khalen Saunders (2019, third round)
Kansas City just drafts solid class after solid class. The Chiefs haven’t drafted many superstars in the last five years but they also haven’t drafted anyone high who is a bust. They get a lot out of their draft picks and this is not an easy lineup to crack, considering they are the most successful team in the NFL over this time period.
11. Jaguars (20)
Pro Bowlers: 2
Best Pick: Quincy Williams (2019, third round)
Worst Pick: C.J. Henderson (2020, first round)
Considering the average position of the Jaguars’ first pick in these five years is No. 9 overall, they probably should have drafted well enough to be higher on this list. They had the No. 1 overall pick in back-to-back years. Trevor Lawrence has not lived up to his draft hype but is a solid starter. Williams has blossomed into an All-Pro linebacker with the Jets but Jacksonville gets credit for taking him in the third round.
12. Titans (16)
Pro Bowlers: 2
Best Pick: A.J. Brown (2019, second round)
Worst Pick: Isaiah Wilson (2020, first round)
Only two teams have had fewer picks than the Titans over this span, which hurts them in terms of landing impact players. Brown and Jeffery Simmons were a great 1-2 pair in 2019 but there has not been much to cheer about since then. Wilson only played one game in the NFL, making him one of the worst first-round picks ever.
13. Minnesota Vikings (9)
Pro Bowlers: 1
Best Pick: Justin Jefferson (2020, first round)
Worst Pick: Jeff Gladney (2020, first round)
The Vikings have had more picks (54) over this span than any other team in the NFL. The volume has given them a number of draft picks who have become solid starters. They only have drafted one true star, though, in Jefferson. Their 2020 class was our No. 1 class for that year in the rankings, with Jefferson leading the way.
14. Denver Broncos (15)
Pro Bowlers: 2
Best Pick: Patrick Surtain II (2021, first round)
Worst Pick: Jerry Jeudy (2020, first round)
Denver has not had a first-round pick since 2021 thanks to the trade for Russell Wilson. That has hurt the Broncos’ draft success over the last two years. Surtain is the only true stud they have drafted in the last five years. Jeudy was a massive disappointment and they just traded him to the Browns.
15. Washington Commanders (19)
Pro Bowlers: 3
Best Pick: Terry McLaurin (2019, third round)
Worst Pick: Dwayne Haskins (2019, first round)
Adam Peters is the new GM in Washington and the team is undergoing a rebuild with Peters, new coach Dan Quinn and its new owners. The Commanders have taken some decent players like Montez Sweat, McLaurin and Chase Young but they just have not hit on any true stars. Add in a failure to find a quarterback and you understand why they are hitting the reset button.
16. New England Patriots (18)
Pro Bowlers: 2
Best Pick: Kyle Dugger (2020, second round)
Worst Pick: Mac Jones (2021, first round)
New England has new leadership for the first time in 25 years and part of the reason is Bill Belichick’s drafts did not pan out. Jones made the Pro Bowl as a rookie but is now in Jacksonville. The other Pro Bowler was punter Jake Bailey. The Pats have landed starters but no standouts. Only the Vikings had more draft picks than the Patriots (50) in this time period.
17. Los Angeles Rams (29)
Pro Bowlers: 2
Best Pick: Puka Nacua (2023, fifth round)
Worst Pick: Logan Bruss (2022, third round)
The Rams have not had a first-round pick in this entire time period. The average position of their first pick is No. 62. Yet, GM Les Snead has found some solid players in the middle and late rounds. He had a home run draft class in 2023 led by Nacua, who was an absolute steal in the fifth.
18. Cinncinati Bengals (21)
Pro Bowlers: 2
Best Pick: Ja’Marr Chase (2021, first round)
Worst Pick: Jackson Carman (2021, second round)
This ranking is hurt a bit by Joe Burrow only playing 10 games last year. Burrow is obviously a great player and the Bengals’ score would be higher if he played a full season. Chase is an outstanding player, but outside of those two, the Bengals have not drafted many stars.
19. New York Giants (24)
Pro Bowlers: 2
Best Pick: Dexter Lawrence (2019, first round)
Worst Pick: Deandre Baker (2019, first round)
Looking at what the Giants did in the first round of the 2019 draft is a perfect illustration of how hard drafting is. They took Daniel Jones, Lawrence and Baker that year in the first round. Lawrence has proven he is a keeper. Jones has been up and down and elicits many different opinions. Baker has not played a snap since 2021 in the NFL. All taken in one round of the draft.
20. Atlanta Falcons (27)
Pro Bowlers: 2
Best Pick: Chris Lindstrom (2019, first round)
Worst Pick: Marlon Davidson (2020, second round)
The Falcons are starting over with Raheem Morris. They have some decent starters from these draft classes but the players you would expect to have a major impact haven’t, like Kyle Pitts and Drake London. Maybe that changes with Kirk Cousins at quarterback.
21. Green Bay Packers (17)
Pro Bowlers: 1
Best Pick: Elgton Jenkins (2019, second round)
Worst Pick: Eric Stokes (2021, first round)
The controversial pick of Jordan Love in the 2020 first round certainly looked better after his first season as a starter. Green Bay made it back to the playoffs and its roster features a lot of exciting, young players. This ranking should rise over the next few years.
22. Buffalo Bills (7)
Pro Bowlers: 2
Best Pick: Dawson Knox (2019, third round)
Worst Pick: Boogie Basham (2021, second round)
The Bills took a big drop in our rankings with the 2018 draft and Josh Allen coming off the books. Since taking Allen, the Bills have landed some solid starting players but not many major impact players. It will be interesting to see how Buffalo navigates the next part of Allen’s career and builds around him.
23. Carolina Panthers (28)
Pro Bowlers: 2
Best Pick: Brian Burns (2019, first round)
Worst Pick: Greg Little (2019, second round)
Carolina has drafted some studs on the defensive line with Burns and Derrick Brown but have not hit on much else. Bryce Young did not live up to his draft hype as a rookie and now has a new coach and GM trying to build a team around him.
24. Pittsburgh Steelers (26)
Pro Bowlers: 2
Best Pick: Diontae Johnson (2019, third round)
Worst Pick: Kenny Pickett (2022, first round)
Mike Tomlin finds a way to keep this team afloat every year, even with his front office struggling to draft good players. Pickett is now out as quarterback after two underwhelming years and the Steelers have failed to find many impact players.
25. Indianapolis Colts (2)
Pro Bowlers: 1
Best Pick: Jonathan Taylor (2020, second round)
Worst Pick: Ben Banogu (2019, second round)
The Colts tumble in our rankings with their superb 2018 draft class exiting the rankings time frame. It shows how hard it is to draft consistently. Their 2018 class was a home run. Since then, they’ve hit mostly singles. Taylor is the only real standout that they have drafted since 2019.
26. Los Angeles Chargers (6)
Pro Bowlers: 2
Best Pick: Justin Herbert (2020, first round)
Worst Pick: Jerry Tillery (2019, first round)
The Chargers have brought in Jim Harbaugh and Joe Hortiz to begin a rebuild around Herbert, one of the only picks the franchise has gotten right over the last few years.
27. Houston Texans (31)
Pro Bowlers: 2
Best Pick: C.J. Stroud (2023, first round)
Worst Pick: Kahale Warring (2019, third round)
The Texans landed two Rookies of the Year in 2023 with Stroud and Will Anderson. That class is going to move the Texans up the rankings over the next few years. They are still going to have to overcome some bad draft classes in years prior but Houston has some young players to build around.
28. Arizona Cardinals (30)
Pro Bowlers: 1
Best Pick: Kyler Murray (2019, first round)
Worst Pick: Isaiah Simmons (2020, first round)
Arizona is in the early stages of a rebuild after years of bad drafting. Murray has played well when he is healthy but he has missed time in each of the last three seasons. The Cards need to stack some draft classes to turn this team around in a tough NFC West.
29. Cleveland Browns (10)
Pro Bowlers: 1
Best Pick: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (2021, second round)
Worst Pick: Greedy Williams (2019, second round)
Cleveland has loaded up on veterans through trades and free agency but there is not much homegrown talent in its starting lineup. It will be interesting to see if the Browns can build a winner around Deshaun Watson through these avenues.
30. Miami Dolphins (11)
Pro Bowlers: 1
Best Pick: Tua Tagovailoa (2020, first round)
Worst Pick: Noah Igbinoghene (2020, first round)
The Dolphins have only had 32 picks, the second fewest, over the last five years. They are another team that has spent on free agents and made trades for veterans in an attempt to go all-in with Tagovailoa. The moves have paid dividends in the regular season but not the postseason so far.
31. Chicago Bears (25)
Pro Bowlers: 1
Best Pick: Jaylon Johnson (2020, second round)
Worst Pick: Justin Fields (2021, first round)
The Bears are about to draft their third quarterback in the first round in the last eight years. That is a sign that things are not going well. Fields had his moments in Chicago but it is a massive bust if you are giving up on a first-round quarterback after three seasons.
32. New Orleans Saints (32)
Pro Bowlers: 1
Best Pick: Erik McCoy (2019, second round)
Worst Pick: Payton Turner (2021, first round)
The Saints finish in the basement for the second straight year in our rankings. Chris Olave is a potential star but there is not much else from these draft classes that will generate excitement. Their 27 draft picks are the fewest over this five-year span.
Best draft in:
2019: Raiders
2020: Vikings
2021: Cowboys
2022: Jets
2023: Rams
Best pick in:
2019: Nick Bosa, 49ers
2020: CeeDee Lamb, Cowboys
2021: Micah Parsons, Cowboys
2022: Sauce Gardner, Jets
2023: C.J. Stroud, Texans