2024 NFL Draft tracker, takeaways: Round-to-round picks by team, grades, analysis as three-day event concludes

Round 2, pick 46: Panthers select RB Jonathon Brooks

Jonathon Brooks is a well-built prospect with classic feature back size and modern-day wiggle for a larger back. Not ultra elusive but creative in his jukes, will hit defenders in space with an extra step or two to really keep them on their heels. Elusiveness stands out for being a larger back. Burst through the second level is legit for a larger back, and had glimpses of running away from defenders down the field. At times, his vision is a bit lacking but loves to get North-South and is unafraid of laying the lumber. Good, not amazing contact balance, and should stay on his feet more frequently after contact. Very capable receiving back but won't run a variety of routes. Young prospect with barely any mileage on his legs. Ascending talent.

Pro Comparison: Tyler Allgeier

About
-- 2023: Second-team All-Big 12
-- 2023: Suffered season-ending ACL injury last November

Strengths
-- Above-average elusiveness for larger back
-- Young without much mileage on his legs
-- Demonstrated downfield burst

Weaknesses

-- Vision has to improve
-- Contact balance should be better for his size

Panthers trade up

Round 2, pick 45: Packers select LB Edgerrin Cooper

Edgerrin Cooper has good top-end speed to play sideline to sideline as well as great grip strength to finish the play as long as he comes to balance. Cooper has been inconsistent in coverage assignments and lacks ideal mass to play in the box. However, he does a good job of keeping his jersey clean by not getting sucked down into the box, which allows him to play sideline to sideline.

Pro Comparison: Jerome Baker

About
-- 2023: First-team All-American (AP)
-- 2023: Led SEC with 17.0 tackles for loss

Strengths
-- Great grip strength
-- Does a good job of not getting sucked down into the box
-- Builds speed quickly

Weaknesses
-- Offers little in the way of coverage
-- Lacks ideal mass to play in the box
-- Can do a better job coming to balance in the open field

Round 2, pick 44: Raiders select OG Jackson Powers-Johnson

Jackson Powers-Johnson consistently wins with effort and strength and is one of the best offensive linemen in the class. He is at his best when he is uncovered at the line and can step freely to defensive linemen, or climb to the second level.

Pro Comparison: Creed Humphrey

About
-- 2023: Unanimous All-American (5th in Oregon history)
-- 2023: Better pass-blocking grade than former top center prospects Tyler Linderbaum and Creed Humphrey

Strengths
-- Uses hands well to shock defensive linemen in pass pro
-- Shows ability to re-anchor vs. nose tackles
-- Good athlete, can combo block and lock up second-level defender quickly to ensure gap integrity in run game
-- Tenacious, consistent in both run and pass-blocking

Weaknesses
-- Can struggle to block defenders and create movement when he is covered

Round 2, pick 43: Cardinals select CB Max Melton

Max Melton is a speedy, press-man corner who has excellent deep speed and also explodes when coming downhill in run support.

Pro Comparison: Derion Kendrick

About
-- Younger brother of 2022 seventh-round pick Bo Melton
-- 2023: Led all combine CBs (and second among all prospects) with 11-foot-4 broad jump

Strengths
-- Fluid movements in space, can flip hips and change direction well
-- Shows ability to stay in phase on vertical routes
-- Is physical enough to match up vs. TEs in coverage

Weaknesses
-- Only average frame, which could be exposed vs. bigger NFL WRs

43. Arizona Cardinals

Team needs: WR, EDGE, DL, CB, RB, IOL, LB, EDGE, DL
Players acquired: DT Justin Jones, OT Jonah Williams, CB Sean Bunting, DT Bilal Nichols, QB Desmond Ridder
Players lost: WR Rondale Moore, WR Hollywood Brown, DT Leki Fotu  

Arizona has already taken Marvin Harrison Jr. and Darius Robinson.

Round 2, pick 42: Texans select CB Kamari Lassiter 

Pro Comparison: 

Marlon Humphrey

Summary

Kamari Lassiter is a solidly built, no-nonsense, physical and twitchy outside CB. You can tell he's been well coached. He displays a low, composed crouch in his backpedal. His click and close is high-end for a CB his size. His speed is great, not amazing, and he finds the football well in the air. He's not a magnet to the football in the air, though. He's decently springy and can play all coverages; he can smother you in man or make plays downhill in off-man or zone. He's best on an island, as he can really mirror routes. At times he get stuck to blocks. When he sees the football, he hits with authority. It's hard to find a true flaw to his game. He's not tremendous in any area, either, but his traits absolutely stand out. Lassiter is pro ready with upside. 

About

• Two-time CFP national champion (starter in 2022)
• Allowed 0 TDs in 986 career coverage snaps

Strengths

• Serious coverage versatility
• Authoritative, strong tackler
• Mirrors WR routes awesomely

Weaknesses

• Can get stuck to blocks
• Speed is good, not great

42. Houston Texans

Team needs: CB, DL, IOL, TE, LB, EDGE
Players acquired: EDGE Danielle Hunter, LB Azeez Al'Shaair, DT Denico Autry, DT Tim Settle, WR, Stefon Diggs, RB Joe Mixon
Players lost: EDGE Jonathan Greenard, DT Sheldon Rankins, LB Blake Cashman, RB Devin Singletary, OT George Fant, DT Maliek Collins

Round 2, pick 41: Saints select CB Kool-Aid McKinstry

Kool-Aid McKinstry has been a key contributor for the Alabama defense since his freshman campaign. He has good top-end speed, but it is not always evident on film. McKinstry is a smart player with good route recognition, but he can do a better job of tracking the ball downfield. He shows good foot quickness to mirror receivers up the boundary and transition across the field. 

Pro Comparison: Antoine Cason

About
-- 2023: First-team All-American (2-time first-team All-SEC)
-- Career: 0 TD allowed on 1,206 coverage snaps

Strengths
-- Good top-end speed
-- Does a good job transitioning across the field
-- Good foot quickness to mirror receivers
-- Smart cornerback who understands his responsibilities

Weaknesses
-- Can catch him leaning at the stem in man coverage
-- 8.1% missed tackle rate in 2023, per TruMedia
-- Downfield tracking

Round 2, pick 40: Eagles select CB Cooper DeJean

Cooper DeJean is an extremely physical cornerback at the catch point who has big size and great speed. He can run with any wide receiver and is very smooth when flipping his hips and staying in phase on vertical routes. He also adds something in the return game.

Pro Comparison: Jaycee Horn

About
-- 2023: Unanimous All-American (2-time first-team All-Big Ten)
-- 2022: 5 INT (including Iowa single-season record 3 pick-sixes)

Strengths
-- Extremely physical at catch point, even if he gets beaten earlier in route; has ability to recover and make play on ball
-- Even from off man, can drive downhill and close separation gap in a hurry on in-breaking routes
-- Has return ability

Weaknesses
-- Is his NFL future at CB or safety?
-- Can get too handsy at times in coverage

Terms of the Eagles trade

Terms of the Packers trade

And now the Rams are moving up 

40. Philadelphia Eagles

Team needs: CB, LB, S, OT, IOL, WR, TE
Players acquired: EDGE Bryce Huff, RB Saquon Barkley, S Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, LB Devin White
Players lost: RB D'Andre Swift, S Kevin Byard, QB Marcus Mariotaota

Eagles already took Quinyon Mitchell but, could they be moving up to take another? Cooper DeJean and Kool-Aid McKinstry still available. 

Eagles trade up with a target in mind

Round 2, pick 39: Rams select DT Braden Fiske

Braden Fiske is a MAC transfer who excelled in his first season at Florida State. He is a team player who plays to the whistle. Fiske has good first-step quickness and good strength to win at the point of contact, but needs to develop more counter moves to get off blocks. He has a thick lower body build, which allows him to control the line of scrimmage in the run game. He does a good job of breaking his feet down in space and containing the edge.

Pro Comparison: Matthew Ioannidis

About
-- 2023: Third-team All-American (AP)
-- 2023: All 6 sacks and 8.5 of his 9 TFL came in final 5 games

Strengths
-- Plays to the whistle
-- Team player who will do whatever is necessary for the team
-- Good first-step quickness
-- Holds his ground in the run game
-- Great play strength

Weaknesses
-- Short wingspan
-- Needs to develop more pass-rush moves
-- Opponents with longer arms are able to dictate the line of scrimmage

39. Los Angeles Rams

Team needs: DL, EDGE, CB, OT, RB, S, LB, WR
Players acquired: CB Darious Williams, CB Tre'Davious White, TE Colby Parkinson, S Kamren Curl, QB Jimmy Garoppolo, OG Jonah Jackson
Players lost: S Jordan Fuller, C Coleman Shelton

Terms of the Rams trade

Round 2, pick 38: Titans select DT T'Vondre Sweat

T'Vondre Sweat is an enormous, wide-bodied classic NT. Immovable on doubles and has active hands. Some burst to his game and pass-rush moves but won't win consistently with either at the NFL level. Took step forward getting after the quarterback in his final season. Large tackling radius. Not an every down player. Gets relatively low to control blockers with his power that comes from enormous size. Swim and swipe moves are nice but not deployed enough. Essentially nonexistent change of direction. Burst is impressive but throttles down right away. Despite his size, he's not a run-stopping extraordinaire from a technical skill standpoint. Surprisingly not much bull-rush action to his repertoire right now. 

Pro Comparison: Daniel McCullers

About
-- 2023: Outland Trophy winner (best interior defensive lineman in CFB)
-- 2023: Unanimous All-American

Strengths
-- Enormous, engulfing frame
-- Flashed winning pass-rush moves in 2023
-- Burst off the line will threaten

Weaknesses
-- Essentially no change-of-direction ability
-- Can't sustain speed into the backfield
-- Not a premier run defender despite his size

Rams moving up after Titans pick

Thinking out loud: Washington has Jonathan Allen and DaRon Payne on the roster at defensive tackle. The selection of Johnny Newton allows them to be flexible with those positions moving forward. If they want to move either Payne or Allen ahead of the trade. deadline, they can now do that as they look to rebuild.

38. Tennessee Titans

Team needs: OT, DL, EDGE, LB, IOL, WR, CB, TE
Players acquired: WR Calvin Ridley, C Lloyd Cushenberry, CB Chidobe Awuzie, RB Tony Pollard, CB L'Jarius Sneed, LB Kenneth Murray
Players lost: LB Azeez Al-Shaair, CB Sean Bunting, C Aaron Brewer, DT Denico Autry, RB Derrick Henry 

In a story I wrote earlier today about biggest needs, I had the defensive line as the team's biggest need. Florida State's Braden Fiske? Michigan's Kris Jenkins?

Round 2, pick 37: Patriots select WR Ja'Lynn Polk

Ja'Lynn Polk is an explosive, versatile receiver who wins with long speed and athleticism. He has excellent size and length with a muscular build. He is position versatile, as he shows the ability to line up out wide, in the slot and in the backfield.

Pro Comparison: Brandon Lloyd

About
-- 1,159 rec yds in 2023 (6th-most in a season in school history)
-- 2023: 2nd on team in rec, rec yds and rec TD

Strengths
-- Precise route-runner who consistently gets separation at top of the route
-- Hands-catcher in traffic with YAC ability
-- Good job changing speeds and accelerating in the open field

Weaknesses
-- Would like to see him run block with more consistency

37. New England Patriots

Team needs: OT, WR, QB, CB, WR, OT, LB, DL, TE
Players acquired: RB Antonio Gibson, QB Jacoby Brissett, LB Sione Takitaki, WR K.J. Osborn, OT Chuks Okorafor, WR Rondale Moore
Players lost: LB Mack Wilson, OT Trent Brown, TE Mike Gesicki, DB Jalen Mills, QB Mac Jones

New England needs to get some help for Drake Maye whether that is offensive line help or pass catchers. Washington wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk, Texas wide receiver AD Mitchell, BYU offensive tackle Kingsley Suamataia could be on the shortlist.

Cardinals loading up on picks

Round 2, pick 36: Commanders select DT Johnny Newton

Johnny Newton is a polished, hand-work master at DT. He has plus athletic gifts and can threaten either shoulder of a guard or center on any rush; he's not strictly an upfield rusher. He has a full pass-rush arsenal. He has legitimate counter ability and knows he has to be urgent with those counters. Goes swipe into a bull rush often and he's effective with it. Rushes a bit higher than what's ideal. Good pop on contact, but not a certified people mover. Not incredibly explosive. Far from a slow plodder. His bull rush flashes were there, too; just not a trademark of his game. He's a solid block-dispatcher and a quality run defender with good vision/awareness to locate RBs. If his rushes were lower, this would be a squeaky clean DT prospect. But altogether, he's quite the refined specimen on the inside.

Pro Comparison: Kobie Turner

About
-- 2023: Consensus All-American and 2023 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year
-- Led FBS defensive tackles with 102 QB pressures over past two seasons (35 more than next-highest)

Strengths
-- Full arsenal of pass-rush moves are locked and loaded
-- Understand how to counter off his initial rush
-- Some pop to his game upon contact

Weaknesses

-- Not a tremendously explosive or fluid athlete
-- Rushes tend to get high and lose steam
-- Final season wasn't as good as 2022

36. Washington Commanders

Team needs: QB, OT, EDGE, CB, WR, S, LB, IOL
Players acquired: EDGE Dorance Armstrong, LB Frankie Luvu, C Tyler Biadasz, OG Nick Allegretti, RB Austin Ekeler, LB Bobby Wagner, LB Jeremy Chinn
Players lost: WR Curtis Samuel, QB Jacoby Brissett, CB Kendall Fuller, S Kamren Curl, RB Antonio Gibson, QB Sam Howell 

Washington needs offensive linemen, but they could also take a cornerback. BYU offensive tackle Kingsley Suamataia and Cooper DeJean, Kool-Aid McKinstry come to mind.

Terms of the Falcons trade

Round 2, pick 35: Falcons selects DT Ruke Orhorhoro

Ruke Orhorhoro has good athleticism and above-average length, and he shows the ability to shoot into the backfield and be disruptive. As a run defender, he's primarily asked to two gap and read the offensive lineman in front of him, which he does well.

Pro Comparison: DeMarvin Leal

About
-- Career: 97 TKL, 25.5 TFL, 12 sacks in 53 games (30 starts)
-- 2023: Third-team All-ACC

Strengths
-- Plays with power and a good base as a 3-technique
-- Moves well laterally; can jump gaps, find hole and get to RB
-- Consistently stout vs. double teams

Weaknesses
-- Not super-twitchy or explosive but a good athlete who uses hands and leverage well to win early in rep
-- Doesn't have an array of pass-rush moves but is consistently active throughout the rep with good hand usage

35. Atlanta Falcons

Team needs: EDGE, CB, DL, LB, S, WR, CB
Players acquired: RB D'Andre Swift, TE Gerald Everett, S Jonathan Owens, S Kevin Byard, C Coleman Shelton, WR Rondale Moore
Players lost: WR Darnell Mooney, DT Justin Jones, OG Dan Feeney, RB D'Onta Foreman, QB Desmond Ridder

Iowa cornerback Cooper DeJean, Alabama cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry, Illinois defensive tackle Johnny Newton and Western Michigan pass rusher Marshawn Kneeland come to mind.