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NFL draft winners, losers: Steelers surge, Cardinals confound on Day 2
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- NFL draft winners, losers: Steelers surge, Cardinals confound on Day 2
While the first round of the NFL draft commands the brightest spotlight, Day 2 is where much of the most important work is done.
Teams still need to find consistent starters in the second and third rounds while hoping they hit it big on an underrated talent somewhere along the way. The stakes seemed to be raised even further this year, with the class' questionable depth likely leaving few potential gems to be unearthed on Day 3. And with the board still featuring several names drew first-round buzz not long ago, many teams moved quickly to snatch up the best players still available .
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Here are the biggest winners and losers from Friday's Day 2 of the 2024 NFL draft:
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell introduces members of the University of Michigan football team and their recent National Championship trophy before the start of the second round of 2024 NFL draft in Detroit on Friday, April 26, 2024.
Winners
Pittsburgh Steelers
This has been a throwback draft class for Pittsburgh in the best way possible. The Steelers double-dipped along the offensive line by following up Thursday's selection of offensive tackle Troy Fautanu with center Zack Frazier. A four-time state wrestling champion in high school, he should be a brawler who solves a pressing problem up front. Roman Wilson might be the latest in a long line of Day 2 wide receiver gems for the franchise, with his long speed likely to make him a particularly attractive weapon for Russell Wilson . And while linebacker Payton Wilson might have trouble staying on the field after injury concerns dropped him to very end of the third round, the Bednarik Award winner can be a playmaking force if he is able to shake off his past problems.
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Jim Harbaugh
He quickly quelled the questions about the Bolts' receiving corps by trading up to No. 34 for Georgia's Ladd McConkey , a precise route-runner who sets himself apart from the competition with his knack for creating separation. Then, in Round 3, the Chargers set up a Michigan reunion with linebacker Junior Colson , a reliable presence Colson has long lacked on the inside. Very solid start to Harbaugh's first draft class in Los Angeles .
Michigan football
Friday was a good day for former Wolverines all around. In all, six players from the defending champions were selected on the day. Defensive tackle Kris Jenkins ( Cincinnati Bengals ) and cornerback Mike Sainristil ( Washington Commanders ) started things off in the second, followed by Colson, running back Blake Corum ( Los Angeles Rams ), Wilson, and offensive guard Zak Zinter in the third. Corum, Wilson and Zinter were chosen in consecutive selections, too. On Saturday, the school might end up breaking Georgia's NFL draft record of 15 players selected in one class. Nice coincidence that this could go down in Detroit , too.
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Vic Fangio
Things were already breaking well for the Philadelphia Eagles ' new defensive coordinator when Howie Roseman ended the franchise's first-round cornerback drought by taking Toledo coverage ace Quinyon Mitchell . On Friday, Roseman again boosted the secondary with Iowa 's Cooper DeJean , a supremely athletic cornerback capable of handling an array of coverage assignments. In the third round, he brought on promising but raw Houston Christian pass rusher Jalyx Hunt , who can sit and learn behind Bryce Huff and others. Not much more that Fangio could ask in this draft in terms of loading up on personnel who will help this unit flip the page.
Jeff Hafley
In seeking to put his imprint on the Green Bay Packers ' defense, the coordinator and former Boston College coach wants to pursue a more active attack that hunts for turnovers. Rallying to the ball is no problem for Texas A&M linebacker Edgerrin Cooper and Georgia safety Javon Bullard , both selected in the second round. The two should take on significant roles right off the bat in helping Hafley usher in a new day with his scheme.
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Florida State
The Buffalo Bills ' selection of wide receiver Keon Coleman to kick off the second round proved to be a nice sign of things to come for the Seminoles . Four more Florida State products would be taken by the end of the night. Defensive tackle Braden Fiske even got to reunite with first-round defensive end Jared Verse on the Rams. Saturday should provide landing spots for several other key figures from last year's 13-1 squad, including wide receiver Johnny Wilson , tight end Jaheim Bell and quarterback Jordan Travis .
'The YAC King'
Western Kentucky wide receiver Malachi Corley earned that nickname due to his singular ability to rack up yards after the catch. But as a 5-11, 207-pound pass catcher who hadn't run a full array of routes throughout his career, he wasn't going to be a fit for every scheme. No matter. The New York Jets scooped him up to begin the third round, positioning Corley as a safety valve for Aaron Rodgers as he continues to operate in the underneath areas. So long as he can navigate Rodgers' demanding style when it comes to incorporating rookies in an offense, he could see a steady volume of targets early on.
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Ezekiel Elliott
Amid reports that the Dallas Cowboys could be headed for a reunion with their three-time Pro Bowl running back, the Cowboys passed on the chance to grab a lead ball carrier. Owner Jerry Jones said a move for a back could still be ahead in the draft, but Dallas isn't scheduled to pick again until the fifth round, when the franchise's options might be further depleted. Said Jones on Friday night to reporters, according to ESPN: "(W)e also are keenly interested in seeing what the future might look like with Zeke." There's no better opportunity out there for a 28-year-old who averaged a career-low 3.5 yards per carry last season.
Losers
Arizona Cardinals
Monti Ossenfort and Co. held seven picks in the top 90, marking the highest total for any team since the Cowboys' 1991 class. Why, then, does it feel as though the Cardinals came away with so few building blocks? Florida State running back Trey Benson might be somewhat of a luxury given the presence of James Conner . Tight end is one of the few secure spots on this roster thanks to breakout target Trey McBride , but that didn't stop the Cardinals from nabbing Illinois ' Tip Reiman, whose most notable football-related achievement to date is convincing people at the NFL scouting combine that he doesn't think birds are real. While Marvin Harrison Jr. should elevate the aerial attack in short order, the roster still seems like it's lagging beyond the rest of the NFL - and at a time when it could have undergone a full relaunch.
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Spencer Rattler
The quarterback market seems fully dried up after a record-tying six signal-callers went in the first round, as the next two rounds did not feature a single passer having his name called. Left in a tough spot is Rattler, the South Carolina product who looked to have a solid chance at landing in the third round as the next player in line at the position. Instead, he's still waiting heading into Saturday, meaning he's more likely seen as a developmental prospect rather than one on track to start in a year or two. And it's not clear what teams have an interest in that kind of project.
Jerry Jones
After the first round, Jones couldn't hide his affinity for Texas running back Jonathon Brooks , who had yet to be selected. "In my 30 years I thought it was the best interview that I ever interviewed with a player," Jones said of Brooks, according to ESPN's Todd Archer . "He's outstanding. And he's a great football player. We got him high, high, high. And he's a good player." Too bad for Jones that the Carolina Panthers swooped in at No. 46 to take Brooks, making him the first ball carrier to be chosen in the draft. Maybe this was just gamesmanship by Jones. But now the Cowboys could be left to consider the next tier of running backs in Notre Dame's Audric Estime , Kentucky's Ray Davis or Purdue 's Tyrone Tracy Jr.
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New England Patriots
Director of scouting Eliot Wolf said at the NFL scouting combine that he wanted to "weaponize the offense." After Saturday, it still doesn't seem like rookie quarterback and No. 3 overall pick Drake Maye will have a lot of firepower to work with. Second-rounder Ja'Lynn Polk isn't the most dynamic wide receiver, and offensive tackle Caedan Wallace could have trouble locking down the left side. Out of necessity, Maye might end up playing a lot of the heroball that got him into trouble at North Carolina .
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2024 NFL draft winners, losers: Steelers surge, Cardinals confound
