The first round of the 2024 NFL Draft might grab the headlines and highlight the top prospects from the college game but the second and third rounds often yield the most contributors for teams even if they aren’t stars. Day 2 is usually when teams can really make moves to either re-stock the cupboard or add more impactful players without paying a substantial price. Here’s a look at some of the winners and losers from the second day of the draft.
Day 2 Winners
Commanders
Washington got two second-round picks when it traded out of the 40th spot with the Eagles, and the Commanders put those to good use. They added Mike Sainristil from the national champions Wolverines before grabbing Ben Sinott at the tight end spot as the eventual successor to Zach Ertz. Jayden Daniels will get most of the attention but Washington’s second day should be praised. Picking up another skill player in Rice wide receiver Luke McCaffrey to close out the third round might be a reach but obviously the NFL lineage is fantastic.
Bills
Buffalo traded down twice at the end of the first round, picking up some important draft capital. The Bills also seemingly got their preferred wide receiver in Keon Coleman despite doing this, which makes the moves worth it. Coleman is a big body who should immediately become Josh Allen’s top target on the boundary. The receiver will be determined to prove his worth after falling out of the first round and seeing several receivers being taken right ahead of him. Adding Utah’s Cole Bishop at safety to replace Jordan Poyer is savvy, and closing out the night with DeWayne Carter to bolster the line was also solid.
Packers
Yes, the Packers did get scooped on cornerback at seemingly every turn in the draft and saw the four best on most boards go right before they were up to make a pick. However, Green Bay can afford to wait a bit on cornerback with more pressing needs at linebacker and safety. The Packers added two impact players with Edgerrin Cooper and Javon Bullard while also getting some draft capital for trading down. Green Bay has typically been strong at identifying talent later in the draft, so adding players at positions of need while stocking up on picks is not bad business. Grabbing MarShawn Lloyd at running back and adding Mizzou’s Ty’Ron Hopper as a second linebacker ends a solid Day 2 for Green Bay.
Cardinals
Arizona has quietly added impact players at several spots through the first two days, helping shape up this roster quickly after a disastrous 2023 campaign. The highlight might be getting running back Trey Benson at the start of the third round to give the Cardinals yet another threat on offense. Max Melton has drawn good reviews as a corner, and bolstering the line is always a good call with Kyler Murray trying to get back to his usual self. If these rookies perform as expected, Arizona might be one of the surprise teams in the NFC. The Cardinals added a speedy corner to close out the day with Boston College’s Elijah Jones, who shut down the aforementioned Coleman in their matchup last year.
Junior Colson
This is one of the best stories in the NFL and life. The native Haitian was adopted by Steve and Melanie Colson when the couple was visiting the country on a church mission. Junior, who was in an orphanage at the time after his father passed away, said he remembered the family wearing Michigan hats when he first arrived to the United States. He went to a football camp and was offered a scholarship by Jim Harbaugh, who was the Wolverines head coach at the time. And now, he’s going to play for Harbaugh in the NFL with the Chargers. It doesn’t hurt that he’s considered one of the top linebackers in the draft and fills an immediate need for LA. You can’t script things better than this.
Jermaine Burton
The Alabama product was not necessarily considered a lock to go on Day 2 but lands in a great situation with the Bengals. He’s likely going to see the field immediately as the third option for Joe Burrow, and could eventually replace Tee Higgins in this offense. The Bengals might also trade Higgins as he’s demanded, which would further elevate Burton. He had some development question marks heading into the draft but it’s hard to think of a better spot for him to improve his skills.
Day 2 Losers
Cowboys
After claiming the team would go “all in” during the offseason, owner/GM Jerry Jones has done little to show that. The Cowboys got leapfrogged by the Panthers, who took running back Jonathan Brooks. Dallas had publicly stated it was eyeing Brooks and was blown away by his visit. The Cowboys likely got good value out of Marshawn Kneeland and Cooper Beebe, but these seem like moves to fit the team in the salary cap down the line with looming extensions for Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb rather than trying to impact this year’s group. We’ll see how much playing time third-round pick Marist Luifua gets at the linebacker spot but it’s hard to imagine him being a “win now” type of contributor.
Falcons
A lot of mock drafts were off this year with the run on quarterbacks early in the first round, so it’s hard to read too much into perceived value. But I’m genuinely curious as to what the process is in Atlanta right now. The Falcons gave up a third-round pick to move up a few spots in the second round to take a player who was projected to be a third-round pick. By the way, the player they added was at a position where they’ve already committed big money to. Sound familiar? Getting a pass rusher in the third round is not the worst but once again, there’s not necessarily going to be an immediate impact. Ruke Orhorhoro and Bralen Trice might eventually be good players but the asset management is incredibly concerning.
Troy Franklin, Bucky Irving and the Oregon system
Bo Nix was the sixth quarterback off the board, taken at No. 12 by the Broncos. However, his Oregon skill players Franklin and Irving, who were considered decent prospects at their respective positions, have to wait until Day 3 to hear their name called. Franklin saw plenty of receivers go ahead of him, with even some teams who didn’t necessarily need pass-catchers taking them. Running backs were also going on Day 2, but Irving was not part of that group. If Nix is considered a top quarterback, shouldn’t the two most important skill players in the Oregon offense also get a boost? Or does the Ducks system inflate the status of skill players? It’s not a good look for the program, especially if Nix fails.