Judging overreactions to 2024 NFL draft picks, team classes - ESPN

Ah, the NFL draft. Our annual rollicking marathon of hope, hype and blind guessing about the future pro performance of college players. It is a long time coming, a long time happening and a heck of a good time for football fans everywhere.

It's also fantastic for an edition of overreactions, where we determine which potential takeaways are legitimate. Nobody knows anything, and everybody thinks they do, and as a result, the reactions among every fan base span a glorious spectrum of emotion.

On Friday morning, I ran into a Giants fan who was absolutely miserable about the team's Malik Nabers pick. I walked 15 steps, turned a corner into a different hallway and met another Giants fan who was absolutely ecstatic about the Nabers pick. There's a 100 percent chance that a pick you hated this weekend will turn into a Pro Bowler, just as there's a 100 percent chance that a pick you thought was a can't-miss prospect will… well… miss. So you'd better believe we're doing draft overreactions after the first three rounds.

Jump to:
CHI to the playoffs? | Massive mistake for ATL?
Brady to LV? | BUF handed Worthy to KC?
Jones sticking in NY? | Aiyuk out of SF?
Eagles re-overtook Cowboys in NFC East?

When the Bears went 4-2 over their final six games of the 2023 season — likely saving coach Matt Eberflus' job in the process — they ranked second in the NFL in defensive efficiency, third in defensive EPA and first in scoring defense, allowing just 15.5 points per game. Half of those games were against playoff rosters, too. The Bears have plenty of reasons to be excited about their defense.

Then on Thursday night, they selected quarterback Caleb Williams at No. 1 and wide receiver Rome Odunze at No. 9 to help juice up an offense that had