2024 NFL Draft Grades: Day 2 Picks By Team
Day 2 of the 2024 NFL Draft has come to a close, and it was far more exciting than yesterday. The trades finally got flowing, and a majority of the players drafted were on defense. Those guys really deserved a good couple of rounds. We shockingly had 0 QBs, but we did get major runs on WRs, CBs, and DTs. Here you’ll find my grades for how the teams did on day 2. I’ll try to touch on every player taken. If you’re looking for my round one grades, head to this link.
All team picks are grouped together, and the teams are listed in reverse order of their records (i.e., what the order would have looked like if no picks were ever traded). Each player is accompanied by a value in parentheses such as (2-44). In this case, the player was picked in the 2nd round with the 44th overall selection. I also add an up arrow ↑ if the team traded up for the player, and I add a down arrow ↓ if the team traded down before making their pick. * means that the team acquired the pick in a pre-draft trade or a draft-day trade for a player.
1. Carolina Panthers – RB Jonathon Brooks, Texas (2-46↑); LB Trevin Wallace, Kentucky (3-72↓): B
The Panthers still have a very small cache of picks from the Bryce Young trade, but they had one in each round on day 2. Their first selection seemed like a reach to me. Chuba Hubbard and Miles Sanders are already on the roster, and Carolina traded up for a good but injured (torn ACL) RB in Brooks. As a team looking toward 2025, I suppose that’s alright. Wallace is more intriguing. He has size and speed and is only scratching the surface of his talent. I like him as a replacement for Frankie Luvu. Overall, Carolina did pretty well given their general lack of capital.
2. Washington Commanders – DT Jer’Zhan Newton, Illinois (2-36); CB Mike Sainristil, Michigan (2-50↓); TE Ben Sinnott, Kansas State (2-53↓); OT/G Brandon Coleman, TCU (3-67); WR Luke McCaffrey, Rice (3-100*): B-
Washington’s trades netted them a pile of picks, including 5 in rounds 2 and 3. I love the value they got for Newton, my #1 DT, but he doesn’t fit a team with Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne. Sainristil probably fits in the slot, and teammates loved him. The Commanders needed help all across the secondary, so a nickelback will suffice. Sinnott felt like a reach to me, but he’s probably the 2nd-best TE available. I see Coleman moving inside to guard, so there’s still no blindside protector for Jayden Daniels. McCaffrey is a nice project with great bloodlines. This is a decent haul but not an optimal one.
3. New England Patriots – WR Ja’Lynn Polk, Washington (2-37↓); OT Caedan Wallace, Penn State (3-68): B+
After selecting Drake Maye yesterday, the Patriots knew they needed to support him. They started by trading down and still landing Polk, one of the 3 good WRs from Washington. He’s a big target who had 1159 yards last year, so hopefully he can move from the #2 role in college to a WR1 in the NFL. Like the Commanders, New England needed a left tackle but selected something else, as Wallace was a right tackle at Penn State. Even in that role, I had him slotted a little lower. Among their 2 picks, NE nailed the first but reached somewhat on the second. That’s still a pretty good evening.
4. Arizona Cardinals – CB Max Melton, Rutgers (2-43↓); RB Trey Benson, Florida State (3-66); OT/G Isaiah Adams, Illinois (3-71*); TE Tip Reiman, Illinois (3-82↓); CB Elijah Jones, Boston College (3-90*): C+
Picking more frequently than almost anyone else, the Cardinals got more quantity than quality. Melton is a fine player, but Ennis Rakestraw Jr was available, and I like him a lot more. Benson seems redundant with James Conner, but he could work out for 2025. Adams and Reiman are average players. The former could be a swing tackle, while the latter had a great Combine but is more of a blocker. Jones could be a fine player in the slot, and he showed great ball skills in 2023 with 5 INTs. I see a lot of new depth and maybe a couple starters, but Arizona didn’t add many premium players.
5. Los Angeles Chargers – WR Ladd McConkey, Georgia (2-34↑); LB Junior Colson, Michigan (3-69): A-
It’s about time the Chargers got around to replacing players they lost this offseason. McConkey will hopefully substitute for Keenan Allen, as he’s a slot WR who can also run outside routes when called upon. Many scouts were extremely high on him, and he ran great at the Combine. Justin Herbert will love him. With their other pick, of course HC Jim Harbaugh got a Michigan man. Colson replaces Kenneth Murray, a former bust, and he can be a defensive leader who helps implement Harbaugh’s scheme. The man just produces. Though the trade up disappointed me, these were both quality selections.
6. New York Giants – S Tyler Nubin, Minnesota (2-47*); CB Andru Phillips, Kentucky (3-70): B+
I’ll give the Giants credit: they knew their secondary was a major weakness and attacked it. After losing Xavier McKinney, New York grabbed the best safety in the class. Nubin is slightly limited athletically, but he’s very instinctive and is just a sound football player. Phillips is a physical slot corner who doesn’t have the size to go up against bigger outside WRs. I think this is approximately fair value for him. So far, the Giants haven’t made any splashy picks, but crucially, they haven’t messed anything up either. I consider that a win with how the team has drafted in recent years.
7. Tennessee Titans – DT T’Vondre Sweat, Texas (2-38): C-
This is a tough one to grade. I once talked about how much I liked Sweat as a prospect but that he would be dependent on his scheme. That’s not the issue. A monster NT, he complements Jeffery Simmons, an interior rusher, really well. Sweat has some off-field issues though that are concerning. He had a DUI within the last month, though I’m told he handled that well when speaking with Tennessee. There are also questions about his effort and motor, especially in terms of conditioning. With all of those red flags, I thought he could be a steal in round 3 or 4. As much as I like Sweat as a player, this was too high.
8. Atlanta Falcons – DT Ruke Orhorhoro, Clemson (2-35↑); DE Bralen Trice, Washington (3-74): D+
For two consecutive rounds, the Falcons gave us a master class in how NOT to draft. After their debacle with Penix last night, they traded up for some reason to draft a DT who was not Jer’Zhan Newton or Chris Jenkins. Orhorhoro is a 4th-round prospect to me, so this is a pretty egregious reach. I liked their second pick much better, but they were very late in picking an edge rusher. Trice was a good college producer and was once a first-round prospect, but athletic limitations sunk his stock. He gets abused in the run game, so he needs to be shielded. I’m happy with the value there, but this is still a poor draft for Atlanta.
9. Chicago Bears – OT Kiran Amegadjie, Yale (3-75): C
With only one pick today and one pick tomorrow, Chicago probably should’ve traded down. At the very least, they had to make each pick count. I’m not sure they did that. Amegadjie is an athletic player with good upside, but Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright are good tackles that are already on the roster. I also expect a long development period for an Ivy League player, something the current regime can’t afford given their pressure heading into the 2024 season. They got two blue-chip talents on day 1, so we can’t be too upset, but I wasn’t crazy about the use of this resource.
10. New York Jets – WR Malachi Corley, Western Kentucky (3-65↑): A-
The Jets had just one pick on day 2 after trading up to the very top of the 3rd round for Corley. As the team bypassed a weapon for Aaron Rodgers in round 1 (despite Brock Bowers being on the board), they had to overcorrect here. A mismatch weapon, Corley often gets compared to Deebo Samuel. That’s a bit rich for my taste, but he did produce in WKU’s air raid offense and is a good downfield threat. He also is elusive in the open field. I think Corley was the last of his tier of WRs available, so I can understand the urgency to move up the board. Everything is about winning now for the Jets.
11. Minnesota Vikings – N/A
The Vikings were the only team that didn’t have a pick in either round 2 or round 3. That’s a direct result of their trades for the 23rd pick over a month ago and their two upward moves during round 1. I suppose we can judge their day 2 results a little bit based on how JJ McCarthy and Dallas Turner, the two players selected yesterday, end up performing. Until then, I cannot grade them for these rounds until we reach the overall draft grades later.
12. Denver Broncos – DE Jonah Elliss, Utah (3-76): A
Still light on draft capital, Denver had only their original 3rd-round selection to spend. I would say they made it count. Elliss is a bit of a polarizing prospect. His production is undeniable. He earned 12 sacks and 16 TFLs in 10 games last year; only Laiatu Latu had more sacks among Power 5 players in 2023. Elliss’ detractors say that he has limitations for the NFL and is a bit undersized. I think he’d have gone higher if he wasn’t coming off a torn labrum because he’s quick and has a relentless motor. In my opinion, Elliss will be a rotational rusher at minimum, but he could become a quality starter.
13. Las Vegas Raiders – C Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon (2-44); OT/G Delmar Glaze, Maryland (3-77): B+
Some thought that the Raiders might go for a lineman in round 1. It turns out that they could get their 1st-round center after all…in the middle of the second frame. I don’t know what made Powers-Johnson fall 20 spots below where I had him graders, but Las Vegas won’t complain. That was a steal. It’s that pick that makes Glaze look redundant. He was a college tackle, but I view him as a guard in the pros, and the Raiders didn’t need two consecutive interior linemen. Still, offensive line depth is always good, and maybe Glaze can be a swing tackle with some development.
14. New Orleans Saints – CB Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama (2-41↑): A+
The Saints traded up, leaving themselves with just 1 selection on day 2. To me, the move was completely worth it. Sensing a run on CBs beginning, New Orleans swooped in ahead of several teams that needed secondary help to grave McKinstry, a first-round talent. McKinstry has plenty of talent, but some inconsistency and a reputation for not being the hardest worker caused him to slide. Needing an outside CB across from Marshon Lattimore, the Saints have to be thrilled to acquire the last Nick Saban-trained corner. I’m still stuck wondering why so many CBs fell though.
15. Indianapolis Colts – WR Adonai Mitchell, Texas (2-52↓); OT Matt Goncalves, Pittsburgh (3-79↑): B
When Mitchell dropped to the Colts, I applauded them for taking him (after smartly trading down no less), but I had to find out what went wrong. Mitchell is big and fast, and he was by all accounts a first-round prospect. Apparently, meetings with teams didn’t go well for him, and they weren’t happy with how he manages his type-1 diabetes. It sounds like he’s motivated to prove doubters wrong, and he can be the dynamic threat the Colts were missing. Goncalves is a more boring selection. I’m not sure he’s an NFL starter, and depth is not really worth a 3rd-round trade up.
16. Seattle Seahawks – G Christian Haynes, Connecticut (3-81*): A-
Seattle FINALLY drafted a lineman. Better late than never I suppose, but this isn’t what fans had in mind given the great round 1 talent at those positions. Regardless, Haynes is actually good value here. If you play the board right, you can definitely find starting guards in the 2nd and 3rd rounds. The Seahawks seem to have done so with Haynes. He’s not the tallest guy (6’2″), but he’s tough and scrappy. Somewhere, Pete Carroll is smiling right about now. New HC Mike Macdonald wants to build through the trenches, and both of his picks so far have followed that philosophy.
17. Jacksonville Jaguars – DT Maason Smith, LSU (2-48); CB Jarrian Jones, Florida State (3-96): B-
The Jaguars chose two players who have higher upside than their draft slots would indicate. Both players have also notably failed to reach their potential as of yet. High-upside players who need to be coached up? I wouldn’t expect anything else from GM Trent Baalke. Smith was a star in high school was adequate but not spectacular in college. He certainly has the athletic ability to shine. Jones is even more raw, but he’s 6’0″ and fast, so there’s upside here as well. I just don’t think he’s ready to play right now and won’t be for a while. We might not know how well these picks went for several seasons, which says something right there.
18. Cincinnati Bengals – DT Kris Jenkins, Michigan (2-49); WR Jermaine Burton, Alabama (3-80); DT McKinnley Jackson, Texas A&M (3-97): B+
Lou Anarumo’s defense struggled to stop the run last year, and that was before losing DT DJ Reader. Another large man is taking his place, with Jenkins coming to snuff out opposing running backs. Some drafts had Jenkins sneaking into round 1, so this is great value. Burton is also a savvy choice, as he comes with plenty of talent, but he needs a little maturation. He’ll be a good replacement for Tyler Boyd (and maybe even Tee Higgins in 2025). Their third pick perplexed me. Why two run-stuffing DTs? Jackson is more like Reader, and I’m fine with attacking a weakness, but this is overkill.
19. Los Angeles Rams – DT Braden Fiske, Florida State (2-39↑); RB Blake Corum, Michigan (3-83); S Kamren Kinchens, Miami (3-99): C
I think GM Les Snead likes the FSU defensive line. After taking Jared Verse yesterday, he doubled up with Fiske, a relentless interior rusher with good explosiveness. I hated the trade up, as they surrendered a 2025 2nd-round pick. Fiske also has some weakness against the run, so the selection isn’t perfect. NFL Network’s Rich Eisen lost his mind about the Corum pick, but it wasn’t necessary with Kyren Williams. A day-3 back would’ve sufficed. Kinchens is a good value. His slow 40 time wrecked his stock, but he’s just a good player with tremendous instincts and ball skills. I view this as a mixed bag for LA.
20. Pittsburgh Steelers – C Zach Frazier, West Virginia (2-51); WR Roman Wilson, Michigan (3-84); LB Payton Wilson, NC State (3-98*): A+
With almost all the top linemen off the board, Pittsburgh snatched the last premium center in Frazier, which was a big need. Rich Eisen went even crazier when a second consecutive Wolverine was selected after Blake Corum, and I like this one better. Roman Wilson may be the latest diamond in the rough the Steelers find at the WR position. A smart and rugged player, he fits the Steelers perfectly. Wilson #2 was my #1 inside LB, but we now know why he fell: he’s missing an entire ACL. His performance looks even more incredible now, but he may not last. Still, a compensatory 3rd-round pick is well worth the gamble for a possible star.
21. Miami Dolphins – OT Patrick Paul, Houston (2-55): B-
Down to just 1 day-2 pick as a result of the final penalty for owner Stephen Ross’ tampering, it felt like Miami had to use their 2nd-rounder on protection for Tua Tagovailoa. They did so, but not with the player I expected. Paul is not ready to contribute immediately, so I imagine this was insurance in case Terron Armstead retires after next season. Better linemen like Kingsley Suamataia and Roger Rosengarten were available, but Paul could potentially surpass them once he develops. Given the Dolphins’ status though, I’d have preferred a player who can help right now as the team tries for another playoff push.
22. Philadelphia Eagles – CB/S Cooper DeJean, Iowa (2-40↑); EDGE Jalyx Hunt, Houston Christian (3-94↓): A+
There’s the Howie Roseman we know and love! Philly’s GM loves himself a good trade, and he rocketed 10 spots up the board, trading with the rival Commanders, to grab a prospect I projected they’d want…YESTERDAY. DeJean fell for reasons I can’t currently explain. I know he’s coming off an injury, but he’s athletic, instinctive, and versatile. The Eagles desperately needed someone like him. To recoup some lost capital, Philly traded down in round 3 and selected a major project. Hunt is an FCS player with major upside, but he needs a lot of development. As the Eagles can train him before forcing him to start, they’re a great landing spot.
23. Cleveland Browns – DT Michael Hall Jr, Ohio State (2-54); G Zak Zinter, Michigan (3-85): B+
Welcome to the draft Browns fans! Cleveland was the last team to make their first pick this year thanks to the finale of the Deshaun Watson trade. For the second straight year, they spent a pick on an Ohio State player with supreme talent but questionable maturity. Last year’s selection, RT Dawand Jones, is working out very well, and Hall could as well. Going to Jim Schwartz’s defense will be fantastic for him. Rich Eisen went off the rails with a 3rd straight Michigan player, and Zinter is a good guard who would’ve gone earlier if not for a broken leg. There’s substantial risk here but a great potential reward.
24. Dallas Cowboys – DE Marshawn Kneeland, Western Michigan (2-56); G Cooper Beebe, Kansas State (3-73↓); LB Marist Liufau (3-87): A-
It seems as though the Cowboys tried to trade back from pick 56 but decided to stay. A riser throughout the draft process, Kneeland blew up the Combine with his athleticism despite being raw. I think Micah Parsons can teach him some moves and make this pick look good. They followed that up by taking my favorite guard (future center for Dallas?) in the draft. Beebe is a mauler who doesn’t play pretty but gets the job done every time. Finally, to replace Leighton Vander Esch, Dallas grabbed a similarly reckless LB but one without neck troubles. I like how this draft has gone so far.
25. Green Bay Packers – LB Edgerrin Cooper, Texas A&M (2-45↓); S/CB Javon Bullard, Georgia (2-58); RB MarShawn Lloyd, USC (3-88); LB Ty’Ron Hopper, Missouri (3-91*): C+
Our first inside LB came off the board when the Packers took Cooper. He has talent, but he’s also an inconsistent player and an attitude risk. Bullard is a much safer pick for a team starting to love Georgia defenders (who wouldn’t?). He’s instinctive and will pair nicely with Xavier McKinney. To some analysts, Lloyd is the best RB in this class. I see him as a good player with room to grow. He’ll provide a good 1-2 punch with Josh Jacobs before potentially taking over soon. I don’t know why GB took Hopper after taking a similar player in Cooper a round earlier. The defensive focus is fine, but the results were mixed.
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – DE Chris Braswell, Alabama (2-57); S Tykee Smith, Georgia (3-89); WR Jalen McMillan, Washington (3-92*): A
I thought Chop Robinson might make it to Tampa’s pick yesterday, but the Bucs had to wait a round for their edge rusher. A top recruit, Braswell mostly went under the radar due to playing with Will Anderson and Dallas Turner. He’s better than he gets credit for and is a nice find at this juncture. Smith is another solid Georgia DB, but I might move him to the slot due to size constraints. McMillan is the last of the good trio of Washington WRs, and though he often gets overlooked, he’s a quality playmaker who will be a great WR3 until Mike Evans retires. The Buccaneers have been quiet, but they’ve been effective.
27. Houston Texans – CB Kamari Lassiter, Georgia (2-42↓); OT Blake Fisher, Notre Dame (2-59); S Calen Bullock, USC (3-78↑): A
Utilizing the pick they acquired in last month’s deal with Minnesota, the Texans addressed their biggest weakness: a CB to go across from Derek Stingley Jr. Lassiter needs some more ball skills, but he’s extremely sticky in coverage. Fisher has more upside than you’d expect from a tackle taken 59th overall, but he’s actually good enough to start today and shift Tytus Howard, who hasn’t panned out, to guard. Bullock is another good addition to the secondary, as he’s a strong pass defender. His slight frame makes him weak against the run though, so Houston will need to plan around that.
28. Buffalo Bills – WR Keon Coleman, Florida State (2-33↓); S Cole Bishop, Utah (2-60); DT DeWayne Carter, Duke (3-95↓): A
Finally, the Bills made a pick. They traded down twice on opening night, but they still got one of the tier-2 receivers. Coleman only fell because of his poor 40 time. Everything you see on tape suggest a dynamic potential #1 receiver. Bishop is a player whose stock soared at the Combine when he proved more athletic than anyone anticipated. He’s a jack of all trades who excels in coverage and at the line of scrimmage. Carter doesn’t really fill a need, but he has some juice and can rotate with Buffalo’s other guys to keep them fresh. I was skeptical, but Buffalo really shined in the end.
29. Detroit Lions – CB Ennis Rakestraw Jr, Missouri (2-61): A+
As with the Eagles, I didn’t care how many CBs the Lions took to try and solve their secondary problem. In this case, they got a 2nd player at the position who had first-round projections. Rakestraw could’ve easily gone to Detroit with their original choice yesterday, but his size scared teams off. I don’t know why. He covered really well in the SEC and is one of the few CBs in this class who really tackles well. DC Aaron Glenn is going to enjoy that. While the Lions had just 1 pick on day 2, they nailed it, and we have to remember that their 3rd-round choice was used to acquire Terrion Arnold yesterday, which was great.
30. Baltimore Ravens – OT Roger Rosengarten, Washington (2-62); DE Adisa Isaac, Penn State (3-93): B+
It took a round longer than we thought, but Baltimore addressed their hole at RT. The fit is a little odd, as the Ravens are a running team, but Rosengarten is much more of a pass protector. He isn’t the strong mauler that Morgan Moses was and plays with more finesse. That’s fine in the passing game, so maybe that’s what Baltimore was going for. Isaac is very similar to teammate Chop Robinson in that he’s athletic but unrefined. The difference is that Isaac was taken two full rounds later, so the value is much better. However, I haven’t seen the Ravens do a great job of developing raw edge players with traits.
31. San Francisco 49ers – CB Renardo Green, Florida State (2-64↓); OT/G Dominick Puni, Kansas (3-86↑): D
Why are rivals trading with the Chiefs? First it was Buffalo yesterday, and now their Super Bowl opponents let KC jump up for a tackle. SF really needed a right tackle prospect given that it likely cost them that very Super Bowl. Their other big need was a CB, which they did end up acquiring. Green may be more of a slot guy than an outside player, but I think he’ll be useful in whichever role he eventually fills. Puni was the price of trading back. He played tackle in college, but he’s more likely a guard in the NFL. The 49ers also made a costly trade up to get him, which I didn’t like. Helping KC killed this grade.
32. Kansas City Chiefs – OT Kingsley Suamataia, BYU (2-63↑): A+
My last mock draft had the Chiefs landing Suamataia in round 1. They got him at the end of round 2! I’m not entirely sure they needed to move up 1 spot, but given the value of this pick, I can forgive that. Suamataia slid because he didn’t play nearly as well in 2023 as he did in 2022. The ability is there though, and Andy Reid is someone who can coax it out of his fellow Cougar. To embark on their three-peat, KC needed to patch two major holes: WR and LT. With two picks, they might’ve solved both problems. That’s why this team is so good; they outmaneuver everyone to optimize their team and fill every need.