2024 Post-Draft Thoughts: Rounds 2 and 3
These are my draft notes. This has been one of the site’s more popular pieces over the last few years, and has become an annual tradition. These notes should provide context for the 2024 NFL draft picks - who was a reach, who was a value, and the scenarios that various teams had when they were making picks. Hopefully it will provide a handy reference point in future years. We already recapped Round 1 here. This column will pick up where we left off and evaluate the picks from Day 2 of the draft.
Round 2
Pick 2.01 (33 overall) - Buffalo Bills - Keon Coleman, WR, Florida State. This is too rich for my blood. Coleman is ridiculously athletic, but his yards per route run (1.87) and PFF grade (76.1) were subpar. (Generally, I like to avoid guys who are below 2.0 Y/RR and 80.0 PFF grades with premium picks.) I also don’t like the team fit, as Buffalo presently has a WR room full of guys who are best suited to the slot: Curtis Samuel, Khalil Shakir, and now Coleman.
Pick 2.02 (34 overall) - Los Angeles Chargers - Ladd McConkey, WR, Georgia. The Chargers traded up with the Patriots to acquire this pick. They had a dire need on the WR depth chart after trading Keenan Allen and cutting Mike Williams. McConkey’s addition should help make Justin Herbert breathe a little easier. McConkey wasn’t great in the counting stats, but he excelled in the peripheral metrics like yards per route run (above 3.0) and PFF grade (above 80). He’s got the ability to play inside and out, which is going to allow the Chargers to move him around the formation to exploit matchups. This feels like a great match between team and player.
Pick 2.03 (35 overall) - Atlanta Falcons - Ruke Orhorhoro, DT, Clemson. The Falcons traded up with the Cardinals to get this pick. I don’t understand why. They drafted this guy at least a half-round-to-round too early. I had a third round grade on Orhorhoro. I’d be furious if I were a Falcons fan right now, coming away with Michael Penix and Ruke Orhorhoro with my top-35 picks.
Pick 2.04 (36 overall) - Washington Commanders - Jer’Zhan “Johnny” Newton, DT, Illinois. Outstanding pick by the Commanders. They get a first round talent in the second round. Newton was a multi-time All-American. He is a disruptive 3T with a PFF grade above 90. The Commanders should feel really good about getting core players on both sides of the ball with their first two picks.
Pick 2.05 (37 overall) - New England Patriots - Ja’Lynn Polk, WR, Washington. In my opinion, this was a massive reach. I had a Day 3 grade on Polk. He’s not outstanding in any area, his PFF grade is poor (best season grade of 75), and a Y/RR below 2.0. He fits in quite well with the rest of New England’s crummy pass-catchers.
Pick 2.06 (38 overall) - Tennessee Titans - T’Vondre Sweat, DT, Texas. YASSSSSS!!!! Gutsy pick by the Titans. I had Sweat as a first round talent, but most draftniks thought he would be a 4th rounder based on his DUI a couple weeks before the draft and his reputation as a partier. Although there are questions about his maturity, the guy is MASSIVE (over 360 lbs.) and is absolutely unstoppable when he’s focused. It’s a gamble based on the maturity issues, but the talent is otherworldly. I love the gamble by the Titans. Their defensive front could be scary with Sweat and Jeffrey Simmons.
Pick 2.07 (39 overall) - Los Angeles Rams - Braden Fiske, DT, Florida State. The Rams traded a future second round pick to the Panthers to get this pick. Fiske is a good player, but his production took a dive when he transferred from Western Michigan to FSU in 2023 (86.6 PFF grade at Western Michigan, 73.9 grade at Florida State). He’s also old for a rookie at 24. I like the player quite a bit, but it’s a hefty price for the Rams to give up a future second.
Pick 2.08 (40 overall) - Philadelphia Eagles - Cooper DeJean, CB, Iowa. The Eagles traded up with Washington to get this pick. I had DeJean with a first round grade. He’s tremendously athletic and can play every position in the secondary. The Eagles, who had huge question marks in their secondary heading into the draft, have done a really nice job addressing those needs with DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell.
Pick 2.09 (41 overall) - New Orleans Saints - Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama. The Packers traded this pick to the Saints. GM Mickey Loomis is always willing to move around the board on draft day, and here moves up to grab another first round talent. McKinstry should immediately slide in as a starter opposite Marshon Lattimore.
Pick 2.10 (42 overall) - Houston Texans - Kamari Lassiter, CB, Georgia. Lassiter played really well in college, but I question whether he has the speed to succeed in the NFL after he posted a 4.6 forty at the combine. Maybe he just had a bad day, but I’m always scared of corners who run 4.6 or slower. My mantra for drafting always is, “Don’t draft outliers with premium picks.” Lassiter is an outlier.
Pick 2.11 (43 overall) - Arizona Cardinals - Max Melton, CB, Rutgers. This is an athleticism pick. Melton had a 9.68 RAS, so he’s an elite athlete, and he’s got 32” arms, which is really nice for a corner. He needs a bit of refinement, but he’s got all the tools a secondary coach could possibly want.
Pick 2.12 (44 overall) - Las Vegas Raiders - Jackson Powers-Johnson, Guard, Oregon. JPJ played center in college and was a darn good one, but the Raiders announced him as a guard. This is a quality player that should immediately improve the offensive line.
Pick 2.13 (45 overall) - Green Bay Packers - Edgerrin Cooper, LB, Texas A&M. The first linebacker off the board, Green Bay gets a first round talent in the middle of round 2. They love long-armed linebackers. This just fits with their “type.”
Pick 2.14 (46 overall) - Carolina Panthers - Jonathan Brooks, RB, Texas. The Colts traded this pick to the Panthers. Brooks was widely regarded as the top RB in this class, and likely would have been a first round pick if he hadn’t torn his ACL near the end of the college football regular season. The Panthers have had a putrid offense and embarrassing offensive line, but he doesn’t have much competition ahead of him on the depth chart unless you’re a believer in Chuba Hubbard.
Pick 2.15 (47 overall) - New York Giants - Tyler Nubin, S, Minnesota. Nubin was generally regarded as one of the top safeties in the class, so New York should feel good about getting him near pick 50 as the first safety off the board.
Pick 2.16 (48 overall) - Jacksonville Jaguars - Maason Smith, DT, LSU. Smith was a five-star recruit, but he never really put it together at LSU. I had a Day 3 grade on him. I’d be quietly disappointed with my team’s draft haul if I were a Jaguars fan.
Pick 2.17 (49 overall) - Cincinnati Bengals - Kris Jenkins, DT, Michigan. This kid is living off his daddy’s name, but he ain’t the player his daddy was. This feels like Cincinnati just doing what Cincinnati always does, reaching a bit for need. Cincinnati loves to draft players from winning programs, which is what pushes a player like Jenkins up their board. Given the talent that was still on the board, this is a bit of a disappointing pick, but they had to take a defensive tackle (I’m miffed they didn’t trade up for Johnny Newton). To look at the glass half full, Jenkins excels at stopping the run, which is what Cincinnati desperately needs.
Pick 2.18 (50 overall) - Washington Commanders - Mike Sainristil, NB, Michigan. The buzz leading up to the draft was that teams loved Sainristil. It’s unusual for a nickel back to be a team captain, but that’s exactly what Sainristil was for the national championship-winning Wolverines. But it’s also unusual for graduate-student defensive backs - let alone nickel backs - to be second round picks. On balance, he feels like too much of an outlier for me to feel comfortable with him as a top-50 pick. But I say that based on history, not based on the player himself. He’s a really solid player.
Pick 2.19 (51 overall) - Pittsburgh Steelers - Zach Frazier, C, West Virginia. I hate this pick so much because he’s such a good player and it’s such a good fit for them. (I don’t like the Steelers.) Tough, reliable player for the interior of Pittsburgh’s line. Frazier graded out as a top-25 center for 3 straight years for the Mountaineers, and dragged himself off the field with a broken leg this past season. He’ll bring his savvy, experience, and toughness to anchor the Steelers’ offensive line for a decade.
Pick 2.20 (52 overall) - Indianapolis Colts - Adonai Mitchell, WR, Texas. Don’t care for this player at all. I had him rated as a 4th rounder. Bad metrics all the way around, but he’s super athletic, and that’s what the Colts prioritize.
Pick 2.21 (53 overall) - Washington Commanders - Ben Sinnott, TE, Kansas State. A pick based on outstanding athleticism. Sinnott is a bit of a project, but I agree with him going as the second tight end off the board.
Pick 2.22 (54 overall) - Cleveland Browns - Michael Hall, Jr., DT, Ohio State. Great pass rusher, but can’t play the run. Too light in the pants. Feels like Cleveland just burned its first pick on a situational player.
Pick 2.23 (55 overall) - Miami Dolphins - Patrick Paul, OT, Houston. A two-time captain, Paul fills a need for the Dolphins on the offensive line, who haven’t been able to rely on the health of last year’s prized free-agent acquisition, Terron Armstead.
Pick 2.24 (56 overall) - Dallas Cowboys - Marshawn Kneeland, DE, Western Michigan. Surprisingly, the Cowboys didn’t take a running back here despite having a barren depth chart. Opinions are divided on Kneeland, but I’m in the camp that likes him. He had a 7.02 3-cone, which is a metric typically predictive of future success. He also had an 89 PFF grade, and a 9.54 relative athletic score. The only knock on him was the level of competition. I’m willing to overlook that based on the size, testing, grades, and athleticism.
Pick 2.25 (57 overall) - Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Chris Braswell, LB, Alabama. Probably one of the more overlooked pass rushing prospects in the draft. He fills a need for the Bucs, but I don’t have a strong take one way or the other.
Pick 2.26 (58 overall) - Green Bay Packers - Javon Bullard, S, Georgia. Bullard is a good player that obviously can compete on winning teams. This feels about right in terms of draft slot.
Pick 2.27 (59 overall) - Houston Texans - Blake Fisher, RT, Notre Dame. The Texans were helmet scouting here, plain and simple. I’m one of the biggest Notre Dame fans there is, and Fisher isn’t really of the caliber of the offensive tackles that the Irish have been putting in the NFL in recent years. He’s not a bad player, per se, but doesn’t merit this high of draft capital. Too stiff.
Pick 2.28 (60 overall) - Cole Bishop, S, Utah. Buffalo definitely needed a safety with Jordan Poyer’s departure, and Bishop feels like the sort of guy that should be able to step in as a starter right away. He really turned some heads at the Senior Bowl.
Pick 2.29 (61 overall) - Ennis Rakestraw, CB, Missouri. Rakestraw is seen as a “dog” by the film guys who wins with his tenacity and will. Analytics guys will question his subpar athleticism. But at the end of the second round, you could do worse.
Pick 2.30 (62 overall) - Roger Rosengarten, RT, Washington. Baltimore does a great job staying patient and grabbing falling prospects to fill needs. They jettisoned Morgan Moses in the offseason, and swiftly replaced him with Rosengarten in Round 2. Rosengarten was underrated coming into the draft process because a lot of people were surprised that he declared for the draft. By coming out early, the Ravens got him for a steal.
Pick 2.31 (63 overall) - Kansas City Chiefs - Kingsley Suamataia, OT, BYU. The Chiefs traded up one spot to make this selection. I hate seeing the Chiefs get a good player (and former 5 star recruit) to fill a need. He’s raw, but this team desperately needs offensive tackle help.
Pick 2.32 (64 overall) - San Francisco 49ers - Renardo Green, CB, Florida State. Oooh, I like this pick. He’s a press-man corner with good PFF grades who shut down LSU’s first-round WRs, Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas. Good enough for me!
Round 3
Pick 3.01 (65 overall) - New York Jets - Malachi Corley, WR, Western Kentucky. The Jets traded up to get this pick from the Panthers. Some compare Corley to Deebo Samuel; others compare him to Amari Rodgers and Laviska Shenault. I think I’m in the latter camp. He doesn’t really run routes, and played against the future gym teachers of America at Western Kentucky. I’m not all that impressed by his profile. He’s not Deebo. There’s only one Deebo.
Pick 3.02 (66 overall) - Arizona Cardinals - Trey Benson, RB, Florida State. Great landing spot for Benson. James Conner is getting long in the tooth, so Benson should have the opportunity to be the starter as soon as 2025.
Pick 3.03 (67 overall) - Washington Commanders - Brandon Coleman, OG, TCU. Lots of split opinions on Coleman. He was a tackle in college but likely has to move to guard in the pros. I’m probably lower on Coleman than most, and had a Day 3 grade on him.
Pick 3.04 (68 overall) - New England Patriots - Caedan Wallace, RT, Penn State. I liked Wallace a bit, but this was about a round too early for me. He’s a 24-year-old prospect with a subpar success rate, but a decent relative athletic score.
Pick 3.05 (69 overall) - Los Angeles Chargers - Junior Colson, LB, Michigan. Colson reunites with his college coach, Jim Harbaugh. I had a second round grade on Colson (my LB3 in this class, behind only Edgerrin Cooper and Payton Wilson), so this represents a good value for the Bolts.
Pick 3.06 (70 overall) - New York Giants - Andru Phillips, CB, UK. Some had Phillips as an early 2nd round talent, and that was just too high for me. But this spot feels about right. He’s going to have to improve his ability to generate takeaways at the next level.
Pick 3.07 (71 overall) - Arizona Cardinals - Isaiah Adams, G, Illinois. Finally, Arizona addresses the interior of their offensive line with the former Illini team captain. This is a nice get at a position that’s been a sore spot for the Cardinals for a half-decade or more.
Pick 3.08 (72 overall) - Carolina Panthers - Trevin Wallace, LB, UK. I’m generally bad at evaluating linebackers. I had a high Day 3 grade on Wallace, so this feels slightly high, but not enough to bat an eye at. Payton Wilson, who I graded as an early second round talent, was still available at this spot.
Pick 3.09 (73 overall) - Dallas Cowboys - Cooper Beebe, LG, Kansas State. Beebe was one of my favorite players in this draft. First-team All-American, three straight years grading in the top 25 among all guards in PFF’s grading system, and steadily improved each year. I don’t care if he has short arms. This kid is awesome.
Pick 3.10 (74 overall) - Atlanta Falcons - Bralen Trice, LB, Washington. Trice was a defensive end at Washington, so I’m not sure how I feel about them announcing him as a linebacker. He had back-to-back years with an 88+ PFF grade, but it remains to be seen whether he can maintain that level of production changing positions to linebacker full-time. I would have felt a lot better about him if he had landed with a team that allowed him to remain as a traditional 4-3 defensive end.
Pick 3.11 (75 overall) - Chicago Bears - Kiran Amegadjie, OT, Yale. I had a second round grade on Amegadjie, so this is good value for the Bears. He’s a project, given he played in the Ivy League, but gives the Bears good depth at the tackle spots.
Pick 3.12 (76 overall) - Denver Broncos - Jonah Elliss, LB, Utah. The son of Luther Elliss, Jonah Elliss was a first team All-American. He reportedly had a 6.69 3-cone drill at his Pro Day. That is likely an exaggerated time, but if it’s accurate, it really bodes well for his NFL future as a pass rusher.
Pick 3.13 (77 overall) - Las Vegas Raiders - Delmar Glaze, OT, Maryland. I like Glaze, but like Caedan Wallace, I had him rated as a fourth rounder. He’s a decent pass blocker and had one of the better success rates in the class.
Pick 3.14 (78 overall) - Houston Texans - Calen Bullock, S, USC. Houston traded up with Philadelphia to get this pick. Bullock is a ballhawk, but that doesn’t always translate for safeties at the next level. He’s only 20 years old, though, and you always have to love getting an ascending player that is young.
Pick 3.15 (79 overall) - Indianapolis Colts - Matt Goncalves, OT, Pitt. The Colts traded up with the Cardinals to get this draft pick. This is purely a depth selection, as Braden Smith and Bernhard Raimann man the outside tackle slots. He may be able to compete for the right guard spot if they want him to change positions.
Pick 3.16 (80 overall) - Jermaine Burton, WR, Alabama. Good route runner, but the kid has attitude problems. He could never truly “break out” in college. This feels like a wasted pick by Cincinnati. They’ve done a great job of steering clear of character risks in the Zac Taylor era, but here they are again, taking a plunge into the deep end of the pool. The WR experts, like Reception Perception’s Matt Harmon and PFF’s Steve Palazzolo, seem to really like him, so I’m going to have to defer to the guys who know the most about this sort of thing. But as a Cincinnati fan, it was disappointing to see them go this route, especially with wideouts that I liked a lot more - like Troy Franklin, Javon Baker, and Malik Washington - still on the board.
Pick 3.17 (81 overall) - Seattle Seahawks - Christian Haynes, G, UConn. The third-team All-American was an absolute monster, but he’s entering the NFL at an advanced age for a rookie (24). Seattle desperately needed help on the interior offensive line, so it definitely fills a team need.
Pick 3.18 (82 overall) - Arizona Cardinals - Tip Reiman, TE, Illinois. Great blocker and great athlete, but this is too early.
Pick 3.19 (83 overall) - Los Angeles Rams - Blake Corum, RB, Michigan. Perhaps Kyren Williams’ run as a fantasy football bell cow is over? Corum posted amazing PFF grades at Michigan and carried his football team’s offense. Compact build and good vision. This is a fair value at this point in the draft.
Pick 3.20 (84 overall) - Pittsburgh Steelers - Roman Wilson, WR, Michigan. Wilson was a TD-maker his final season in Ann Arbor, but didn’t have much production before that. He should get an opportunity to compete immediately for a starting spot in Pittsburgh. I’m lower on him than some others, but a late third round selection seems about right.
Pick 3.21 (85 overall) - Cleveland Browns - Zak Zinter, G, Michigan. First team All-American who started a lot of games. Should be a plug-and-play starter from Day 1.
Pick 3.22 (86 overall) - San Francisco 49ers - Dominic Puni, G, Kansas. The Niners got this pick from the Eagles. I had Puni with a second round grade, so this is another example of a team getting good value. He has position versatility but his best spot will likely be at guard. The 49ers need help wherever they can get it on the offensive line.
Pick 3.23 (87 overall) - Dallas Cowboys - Marist Liufau, LB, Notre Dame. Liufau is a good player, and was noticeably all around the ball for the Irish this year. He’s got really good length and is a good tackler, but his tape lacked “wow” moments. He’s a solid but not special player.
Pick 3.24 (88 overall) - Green Bay Packers - MarShawn Lloyd, RB, USC. Lloyd is a strong and compact runner, but he’s older for a prospect and didn’t show much in terms of the passing game. Despite being really fast, he does not have great vision, and has fumbling issues. There were several backs in this class that I preferred to Lloyd, including Jaylen Wright, Audric Estime, and Ray Davis, all of whom were still on the board at this point.
Pick 3.25 (89 overall) - Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Tykee Smith, S, Georgia. How can you not like this guy? Lots of tackles, good speed, good PFF grade.
Pick 3.26 (90 overall) - Arizona Cardinals - Elijah Jones, CB, Boston College. Loved Jones. LOVED. 86.9 PFF grade and 9.74 RAS, with 5 picks and 13 passes defensed in 2023. He’s an older prospect, but a good one.
Pick 3.27 (91 overall) - Green Bay Packers - Ty’Ron Hopper, LB, Mizzou. I don’t have a strong take on Hopper. I had him as an early Day 3 pick, but we’re pretty close to that range of the draft.
Pick 3.28 (92 overall) - Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Jalen McMillan, WR, Washington. I’m not the biggest McMillan fan, but I had him rated as an early 4th round pick. So this is fine; we’re close to that part of the draft. He seems like he could be an adequate slot in the NFL. Still baffles me that guys like Troy Franklin, Javon Baker, and Malik Washington are still on the board.
Pick 3.29 (93 overall) - Baltimore Ravens - Adisa Isaac, EDGE, Penn State. Yet again, Baltimore snags a falling prospect. They just consistently hit doubles. This is a double.
Pick 3.30 (94 overall) - Philadelphia Eagles - Jalyx Hunt, LB, Houston Christian. Yikes! I liked Hunt, but had him as a 6th rounder. In Round 3… yeesh. Could be an awesome player - tested great - but the jump in competition makes the risk too great for me here.
Pick 3.31 (95 overall) - Buffalo Bills - DeWayne Carter, DT, Duke. The three-time captain broke out as a senior in 2022 but regressed a bit in 2023. If he can return to his 2022 form, the Bills are getting a really solid three-technique.
Pick 3.32 (96 overall) - Jacksonville Jaguars - Jarrian Jones, DB, FSU. Great athleticism (9.86 RAS) and great PFF grade (above 90). Gotta love that athleticism and production at this point in the draft.
Pick 3.33 (97 overall) - Cincinnati Bengals - McKinnley Jackson, NT, Texas A&M. This is a bit of a reach - I had him as a fifth rounder - but Jackson is one of the only true nose tackles in the draft, so this pick makes a ton of sense for the Bengals. Cincinnati didn’t have a single nose tackle on the roster, so they snagged a big-bodied plugger for the middle.
Pick 3.34 (98 overall) - Pittsburgh Steelers - Payton Wilson, LB, N.C. State. Awesome player, but fell down the draft board due to multiple torn ACLs, plus a season-ending shoulder injury. There were some rumblings he may never make it to a second contract, due to the state of his knees. Talent-wise, though, he’s a fringe first rounder.
Pick 3.35 (99 overall) - Los Angeles Rams - Kamren Kinchens, S, Miami. Great instincts when the ball is in the air. Posted a 90 PFF grade in 2022 but regressed in 2023. If the Rams are getting the 2022 guy, this is a steal.
Pick 3.36 (100 overall) - Washington Commanders - Luke McCaffrey, WR, Rice. Too high for my tastes. Feels like he’s getting a bump because his daddy is Ed and his brother is Christian. He had a 30% target share at Rice, which is always nice to see, and posted a PFF grade above the magic number of 80. Still, I had several receivers rated well ahead of Rice on my board, including Troy Franklin, Javon Baker, Malik Washington, and Johnny Wilson. I thought he was more of a fifth-round type.