Caleb Harris
2024 NFL Draft served as an introduction to several first-year general managers. While it’s a small sample size, we can look back at this year’s selections, as well as their track record, to inform future plans.
Porters: General Manager Joe Hortiz
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- Auburn graduate assistant – coach (1995-1997)
- Ravens personnel assistant (1998-2000)
- Ravens scout (2001-2008)
- Ravens director of college scouting (2009-2018)
- Ravens Director of Player Personnel (2019-2023)
First preliminary class
- OT Joe Alt, Notre Dame (Round 1, No. 5 overall)
- WR Ladd McConkey, Georgia (Round 2, No. 34 overall)
- LB Junior Colson, Michigan (Round 3, No. 69 overall)
- DT Justin Eboigbe, Alabama (Round 4, No. 105 overall)
- CB Tarheeb Still, Maryland (Round 5, No. 137 overall)
- CB Cam Hart, Notre Dame (Round 5, No. 140 overall)
- RB Kimani Vidal, Troy (Round 6, No. 181 overall)
- WR Brenden Rice, USC (Round 7, No. 225 overall)
- WR Cornelius Johnson, Michigan (Round 7, No. 253 overall)
Los Angeles used six of its nine selections on premium positions such as wide receiver, quarterback, offensive tackle, cornerback and edge rusher. Rice was the only reported prospect who came to town on a pre-draft visit. Fans shouldn’t make too much of a big deal about who coach Jim Harbaugh brings for one of these visits, considering he’s hosted several Wolverines. There couldn’t be anything more the coach could learn from his former players on that trip. Two Michigan prospects were part of the inaugural recruiting class.
The Chargers’ draft class had an average RAS (Relative Athletic Score) of 8.41, which would be among the top 10 averages since 2019. Relative athletic scores do not measure a player’s caliber, but rather their competency in athletic tests such as the vertical jump, 40 yard dash, 3 cone drill and more. Former general manager Tom Telesco, now in the same role with the Raiders, has ranked 19th in the metric since 2019. Hortiz comes from an organization that was below average in annual RAS but drafts a high percentage of Power-5 players. The running joke is that they had a quota of one Alabama prospect per year to fill, under the guidance of former general manager Ozzie Newsome. Hortiz made his former employer proud with his selection of Eboigbe.
The Ravens historically trade and trade to obtain additional draft picks throughout the draft. Los Angeles traded once. After the draft, Baltimore waits until free agent signings no longer count in the compensatory formula before filling remaining roster holes. Harbaugh has control based on this offseason’s transactions: moving from beloved veteran players and throwing assets in the trenches to becoming a more physical team.
Commanders: General Manager Adam Peters
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- Patriots Scout (2003-2008)
- Broncos scout (2009-2013)
- Broncos assistant director of college scouting (2014-2015)
- Broncos director of college scouting (2016)
- 49ers Vice President of Player Personnel (2017-2020)
- 49ers assistant general manager (2021-2023)
First preliminary class
- QB Jayden Daniels, LSU (Round 1, No. 2 overall)
- DT Johnny Newton, Illinois (Round 2, No. 36 overall)
- CB Mike Sainristil, Michigan (Round 2, No. 50 overall)
- TE Ben Sinnott, Kansas State (Round 2, No. 53 overall)
- OT Brandon Coleman, TCU (Round 3, No. 67 overall)
- WR Luke McCaffrey, Rice (Round 3, No. 100 overall)
- LB Jordan Magee, Temple (Round 5, No. 139 overall)
- S Dominique Hampton, Washington (5th round, #161 overall)
- EDGE Javontae Jean-Baptiste, Notre Dame (Round 7, No. 222 overall)
Peters was credited with helping build Super Bowl competing lineups in San Francisco and New England. Washington brought three of his chosen projects, Daniels, Coleman and Jean-Baptiste, for pre-project visits. Five of their nine teams play in premium positions. The Commanders negotiated back once.
49ers general manager John Lynch targets good, productive football players. He is less concerned about age, RAS and premium positions than most other general managers. Lynch is below average in all three aspects. However, Peters is not following this model exactly. In his first opportunity as newsroom manager, his selections had an average RAS of 9.42, which, if maintained, would be the highest average since 2019. Listening to his post-Day 2 press conference, he shared the organization’s belief in add responsible players with the Captaincy in your past.
It is also clear that decisions are being made with the future in mind. A year ago at the trade deadline, they traded edge rushers Montez Sweat and Chase Young. The selection of Newton suggests that veteran interior defenders DaRon Payne and Jonathan Allen could be available for the right price in the future.
After day 2 of NFL Draft, Peters had each of his scouts sit at the table, so to speak, for a player they felt was a good fit for Washington. They call it ‘Commander Caucus’.
Panthers: General Manager/President of Football Operations Dan Morgan
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- Seahawks scout (2010)
- Assistant Director of Professional Personnel for the Seahawks (2011-2024)
- Seahawks Director of Professional Personnel (2015-2017)
- Account Player Personnel Director (2018-2020)
- Panthers assistant general manager (2021-2023)
First preliminary class
- WR Xavier Legette (Round 1, No. 32 overall)
- RB Jonathon Brooks, Texas (Round 2, No. 46 overall)
- LB Trevin Wallace, Kentucky (Round 3, No. 72 overall)
- TE Ja’Tavion Sanders, Texas (Round 4, No. 101 overall)
- CB Chau Smith-Wade, Washington State (5th round, #157 overall)
- DT Jaden Crumedy, Mississippi State (Round 6, No. 200 overall)
- LB Michael Barrett, Michigan (Round 7, No. 240 overall)
Carolina fired former general manager Scott Fitterer only to hire his deputy, Morgan, who also worked alongside new head coach Dave Canales in Seattle. The Panthers used three of their pre-draft visits on the prospects they drafted: Legette, Brooks and Sanders. An average RAS score of 7.27 would be considered below average.
The draft was a continuation of the offseason plan to surround second-year quarterback Bryce Young with more talent. They traded cornerback Donte Jackson for wide receiver Diontae Johnson, then signed free agent offensive guards Damien Lewis and Robert Hunt to lucrative contracts. Three of the first four draft selections were skill positions.
They only used two of their draft picks at premium positions. The first draft probably isn’t a good representation of what fans should expect in the future, considering the concerted effort to support Young.
Carolina traded four times during the draft: twice up and twice back.
Seahawks general manager John Schneider is in the middle of the road when it comes to draft age, RAS and premium positions. He builds his board based on the player’s skill set and ability to help his team, and then follows the board throughout the draft regardless of how closely it mirrors the public consensus.
Patriots: Executive Vice President of Player Personnel Eliot Wolf
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- Packers professional personnel assistant (2004-2008)
- Packers assistant director of professional personnel (2008-2011)
- Direct assistant to Packers player personnel (2011-2012)
- Packers director of professional personnel (2012-2015)
- Packers Director of Player Personnel (2015-2016)
- Packers director of football operations (2016-2017)
- Browns assistant general manager (2018-2019)
- Patriotas Consultant (2020-2021)
- Patriots director of scouting (2022-2023)
First preliminary class
- QB Drake Maye, North Carolina (Round 1, No. 3 overall)
- WR Ja’Lynn Polk, Washington (Round 2, No. 37 overall)
- OT Caedan Wallace, Penn State (Round 3, No. 68 overall)
- OG Layden Robinson, Texas A&M (Round 4, No. 103 overall)
- WR Javon Baker, UCF (Round 4, No. 110 overall)
- CB Marcellas Dial, South Carolina (Round 6, No. 180 overall)
- QB Joe Milton III, Tennessee (Round 6, No. 193 overall)
- TE Jaheim Bell, Florida State (7th round, No. 231 overall)
Wolf does not have the title of general manager, but he holds an important position in that organization’s personnel department. The franchise brought back five of its eight draft picks on pre-draft visits, including both quarterbacks. Each of their selections came from one of the Power 5 conferences.
New England’s average RAS score this year was 8.12, which is above average. Wolf spent 14 years with the Packers. Green Bay has a tendency to double down on positions of need. They can put two players in a position of need to increase the chances that at least one will pan out. Wide receiver is the only position where this applies in the Patriots’ draft.
The Patriots traded back once.
