10 best value picks of the 2024 NFL Draft

Amarius Mims, Jer'Zhan Newton, and Cooper Dejean came away as massive value picks in the 2024 NFL Draft. Who else followed suit?

Apr 25, 2024; Detroit, MI, USA; Georgia Bulldogs tackle Amarius Mims is selected as the No. 18 pick / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The 2024 NFL Draft is now a week in the rearview mirror as we can now reflect with a bit less bias on who came away as winners and losers from the event. It was a shock to see names like Iowa cornerback Cooper Dejean and Illinois defensive tackle Jer'Zhan Newton slip into the second round, while offensive tackle Amarius Mims could turn into one of the best value picks of the entire event.

Those were not the only value picks of the draft, however, as a flurry of players came off the board later than anticipated. This sets up the team that drafted those players to come away as massive winners.

Here are 10 players who could turn out to be some of the best value picks in the entire 2024 NFL Draft.

Cincinnati Bengals: OT Amarius Mims, Georgia (Round 1, Pick 17 )

While I was much higher than consensus on Amarius Mims, there is a good reason to believe that no player in the entire draft class has a higher ceiling than the Georgia right tackle.

Yes, he started just eight games at the college level for the Bulldogs, but that does not mean he is a developmental tackle. The injuries are a big concern for Mims, but when he is on the field, he was consistently the best player on the field week in and week out. He is a refined pass blocker, strong as an ox, moves extremely well at his size, and has enormous length to keep defenders out of his chest at will.

Apparently, he Cincinnati Bengals want 6-foot-7 offensive tackles only, and Mims will fit right in with Orlando Brown Jr. and Trent Brown. While Mims will have the luxury to sit his rookie season behind these two behemoths (barring injury), that's not a necessity as the young man from Georgia is pro-ready.

The Bengals hit a home run with this pick.

Washington Commanders: DT Jer'Zhan Newton, Illinois (Round 2, Pick 36)

Some had Illinois defensive tackle Jer'Zhan Newton as the best overall defensive player in the entier 2024 NFL Draft. And he slipped completely out of the first round after a late-season foot injury costed him the ability to participate in the pre-draft festivities. Even the Atlanta Falcons traded up to take Clemson defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhorho over him.

And it is to the gain of the Washington Commanders as they add Newton to a defensive tackle room that already consists of DaRon Payne and Jonathan Allen. Newton is an explosive, slippery pass rusher who will bring day-one heat to NFL quarterbacks. This might have been the steal of the draft.

Philadelphia Eagles: CB Cooper Dejean, Iowa (Round 2, Pick 40)

Another shocking Big Ten player to fall out of the first round was Iowa defensive back Cooper Dejean. With certainty, there were teams that did not know how to deploy him in their defense with questions about if he was a slot-only, a safety, or if he could handle outside cornerback responsibilities.

However, the Philadelphia Eagles traded up to take Dejean with the 40th overall pick in the draft as they worked hard to repair their broken secondary (they drafted the first cornerback off the board in Toledo's Quinyon Mitchell in the first round as well).

Dejean is a baller. Straight up. He makes plays defensively and on special teams, and is a tremendous talent to lodge onto the defensive side of the ball for Philadelphia.

Indianapolis Colts: WR AD Mitchell, Texas (Round 2, Pick 52)

In terms of raw talent, Texas wide receiver AD Mitchell is oozing with it.

And that's an extremely safe be to make in the second round, even if there are other questions about the player. Mitchell is a silky smooth athlete for being 6-foot-2, has sure hands, tracks the ball extremely well, and has no issues beating press man coverage.

Look out for the Indianapolis Colts. With a healthy Anthony Richardson, this could turn into the most explosive offensive in the NFL as he is surrounded with running back Jonathan Taylor and wideouts like Mitchell, Michael Pittman Jr., Alec Pierce, and Joshua Downs.

Los Angeles Chargers: LB Junior Colson, Michigan (Round 3, Pick 69)

The consensus was that Michigan's Junior Colson and Texas A&M's Edgerrin Cooper where the top linebackers in the 2024 NFL Draft. Except Cooper went a full round earlier to the Green Bay Packers as Colson fell back into the lap of his college coach Jim Harbaugh in the third round.

A sideline-to-sideline savant, Colson has the explosiveness and agility to track down ball carriers with ease. While there is room for him to become more physical through the trenches, there is no doubting the ceiling of the Michigan linebacker. He is smooth in his backpedal in coverage, and does not miss tackles.

The Chargers got a day-one starter outside of the first two rounds.

Seattle Seahawks: OG Christian Haynes, UConn (Round 3, Pick 81)

UConn guard Christian Haynes is a nasty, nasty player. And the Seattle Seahawks were fortunate enough to get him with the 81st overall pick. Despite playing at a smaller, less prestigious program, Haynes went to the Reese's Senior Bowl and looked like the best offensive lineman there, dominating Power Five talent at will.

And now he lands with a team that is going to ask him to win in a phonebooth with frequency as the Seahawks transition to a new offense under former Washington offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb. With a need at guard as well, there is reason to believe that Haynes (already a 24-year-old prospect) will become a plug-and-play starter from the moment he enters the facility.

Kansas City Chiefs: S Jaden Hicks, Washington State (Round 4, Pick 133)

This year's draft lacked safeties with range to erase deep balls over the top. But Washington State's Jaden Hicks had that. Some analysts though Hicks was the best safety in the class, and the back-to-back Super Bowl-winning Kansas City Chiefs got him for just the price of a fourth rounder.

Adding Hicks to an impressive haul that also included Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy and BYU offensive tackle Kingsley Suamataia, general manager Brett Veach once again looks like a genius. Justin Reid becomes a free agent after the season, and Bryan Cook has had some issues staying on the field as well. Hicks is a long-term play for the Chiefs here, as he could become a full-time starter by 2025.

Chicago Bears: EDGE Austin Booker, Kansas (Round 5, Pick 144)

The Chicago Bears added one of the most explosive pass rushers in the 2024 NFL Draft despite what some arbitrary testing numbers said. The play speed of the former Jayhawk Austin Booker is tremendous as he explodes off the football. He is elusive and flexibile as well as he can reduce the surface area that opposing linemen have to throw their initial punch at.

While Booker will not see the field in running situations, at least early in his career with the Bears, he will find himself out there as a designated pass rusher extremely early. He's too lethal off the edge not to deploy in obvious passing situations.

New Orleans Saints: QB Spencer Rattler (Round 5, Pick 150)

The natural gifts that quarterback Spencer Rattler possesses can only be bested by Caleb Williams and Drake Maye in this class. Playing behind a brutal offensive line over the past two seasons at South Carolina, his production was tamped down a bit, but make no mistake: Rattler can sling the football.

He even improved his pocket presence after transferring from Oklahoma, kicking some of the bad habits he had picked up in a strictly-shotgun offense. His deep ball might be the best in the class as well.

Sure, there are the attitude things to be worried about with Rattler, but he was humbled after getting the boot from Oklahoma, and he has been humbled again here as he fell to the fifth round. The New Orleans Saints got a potential future starting quarterback with the 150th overall pick in the draft.

Detroit Lions: DT Mekhi Wingo, LSU (Round 6, Pick 189)

He's a slippery dude who brings some of the same pass rush savvy as 2023 first rounder Calijah Kancey did to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a year ago. Except the Detroit Lions got him for the price of a sixth round pick. Not only that, but LSU defensive tackle Mekhi Wingo brings a high character and strong leadership skills to the Lions as well.

While he battled some injuries in 2023, Wingo proved to be an ultra-productive when he was on the field. Now entering the NFL as a situational pass rusher, the Lions got a good one late.