NFL Draft Fan Survey: How Optimistic is Your Franchise’s Fanbase in 2024?

Don’t look, fans of the Panthers, Broncos, and Browns…

As the 2024 NFL Draft in Detroit approaches, the optimism levels among the 32 franchise fanbases vary. Underscoreg Review has analyzed the data to determine which fanbases are the most and least hopeful leading up to the draft, comparing the results to last year’s optimism survey.

We conducted a survey of over 2,000 passionate football fans in North America, asking them to rate their level of optimism for their favorite teams’ drafts on a scale of 1 to 10.

Most Pessimistic NFL Fanbases

(Source: Underscoreg Review survey)

Everything is finer than the mood in Carolina

Carolina fans may be forgiven for feeling at their lowest point as they approach the 2024 Draft.

In less than a year, the team’s optimism from securing the No. 1 overall pick has quickly faded as they now find themselves at the bottom of our 2024 confidence survey with a score of just 4.75 out of 10. The Panthers’ disappointment is understandable, as not only did their (potential) future franchise QB Bryce Young struggle compared to No. 2 pick C.J. Stroud, but Carolina also ended the season with the worst record in the NFL. Additionally, the team had given up their 2024 first-round draft pick in a trade with Chicago the year prior.

We will discuss the Bears in more detail soon.

Denver Broncos general manager George Paton was recently ranked last on an NFL.com list of top GMs in the league. As a result, the Broncos find themselves among the five most pessimistic fanbases with a 5.05 optimism score. In the Underscoreg Review survey, Denver has consistently ranked in the bottom four for draft optimism over the past two years.

It’s not shocking that the Browns are third from the bottom on this list, given their inconsistent history. Experts view their performance in 2023 as unimpressive, which is one spot higher than before the draft. Being a Browns fan can be tough.

The Giants are part of the group of struggling NFL teams with negative fanbases, as they rank fourth-lowest in confidence at 5.59. This is a significant drop of 13 spots from their previous ranking in 2023. Despite having the sixth overall pick in the upcoming draft, the team’s poor performance in the 2023 Draft Class rankings has left fans questioning the team’s ability to make good choices. Fans are now eagerly waiting to see if the team can prove them wrong.

The Dallas Cowboys finish in the top 5, but fans of The Star are probably still upset about last year’s disappointing playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Adding to the frustration is the fact that the Cowboys had a rough 2023 season, with just five out of their eight draft picks making an impact on the field.

Most Optimistic NFL Fanbases

Bears Fans Wild For Williams

The NFL thrives when the Chicago Bears are performing well, and it appears as though they may be making a comeback after years of difficulties.

Bears fans are feeling very positive about the team’s draft prospects, leading our confidence survey with an impressive score of 7.28 out of 10. Securing the top spot in the draft certainly contributes to this optimism, especially with standout quarterback Caleb Williams being a likely choice. Additionally, Chicago also has their own pick at No. 9, further boosting their chances for a successful draft.

The following two teams are familiar with the top of the list. The Lions are ranked second in the confidence rankings at 7.21, moving up two spots from their 2023 ranking. Over the past four seasons, Detroit has selected seven players who have each made at least one Pro Bowl, generating significant goodwill from their loyal fanbase who have endured years of disappointment.

The Kansas City Chiefs, current Super Bowl champions, are ranked third on this list, a slight drop from last year. Despite not making many standout draft picks in recent years, with only two Pro Bowlers selected since 2018, their success on the field with three NFL titles in that time period gives them some leeway.

After finishing as the Super Bowl runner-up, San Francisco has climbed nine spots on the list for the upcoming season. 49ers fans are optimistic that their team will be able to convert their high number of draft picks (10 in total, with four in the third round) into a successful roster.

The Steelers maintain their position in the top five with consistent optimism, ranking the same as last year. Pittsburgh has the smallest change in year-over-year scores, with a 6.71 in 2023 and a 6.72 this year.

Biggest Movers

We have discussed the significant decline of Carolina, but the Panthers were not the only team to experience a significant decrease in draft confidence.

The New York Jets and Jacksonville Jaguars experienced the largest declines among AFC teams, with the Jets falling 18 spots and the Jaguars dropping 17 spots. The Jets only have one pick in the first 71 selections, while the Jaguars have eight picks this week. However, in the past four years, the Jaguars have only drafted one Pro Bowl player, Trevor Lawrence.

The Houston Texans made a significant jump of 17 spots on the “most optimistic” side, suggesting that fans may be embracing a regime that successfully turned the No. 2 and No. 3 picks in 2023 into Offensive Rookie of the Year C.J. Stroud and Defensive Rookie of the Year Will Anderson.

The Bears climbed 14 spots, the Dolphins rose 13 spots, and the Raiders jumped up 12 spots, making them the only franchises to see double-digit increases. The Raiders’ rise is especially noteworthy considering Vegas fans were the most pessimistic in the league before last season’s draft.

Methodology: A total of 2,005 NFL fans from the United States and Canada participated in our survey, rating their optimism regarding their NFL team’s drafting on a scale of 1 to 10.

Follow-Up: We will be conducting a survey with the same group of people mentioned above following the NFL Draft to assess the effect it has had on fans’ confidence in their team for the upcoming season.