A day after breaking the record for the most offensive players selected in the first round of the NFL Draft (23), the focus shifted predictably to defense on Friday. During the second and third rounds, 37 defensive players were picked, several of whom expect to hear their names called on Thursday.
Here are our winners and losers from Day 2.
WINNER
Washington Commanders: General manager Adam Peters continued to have an outstanding first draft with the Commanders. Along with giving first-round pick LSU QB Jayden Daniels another weapon in Kansas TE Ben Sinnott (No. 53), Peters also seriously upgraded Washington’s defensive unit. At No. 36, he chose Illinois DT Jer’Zhan Newton before selecting Michigan CB Mike Sainristil, who Nick Saban said might be “pound-for-pound” the best player in the draft.
LOSER
Atlanta Falcons: Roughly 24 hours after stunning the NFL world by trading up to select QB Michael Penix Jr. despite having locked up veteran Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $140 million contract, the Falcons made another head-scratching move on Friday. This time, they made a deal to jump ahead in the second-round draft order. While many expected them to pick Illinois DT Jer’Zhan Newton, who some viewed as a first-round talent, Atlanta went with Clemson DT Ruke Orhorhoro. The 6-foot-4, 295-pounder fills a need, but with some draft pundits projecting him as a third-round pick, choosing him over Newton looks like a reach.
WINNER
Philadelphia Eagles: After their defense finished 31st in the NFL in passing yards and touchdowns in 2023, the Eagles needed some massive upgrades to their secondary. In the draft’s first round, the Eagles selected Toledo’s Quinyon Mitchell, arguably the top-rated cornerback on the board. On Friday, general manager Howie Roseman continued to add to the backend, trading up to draft Iowa CB Cooper DeJean (No. 40), who allowed zero touchdowns over 388 coverage snaps in 2023, per Pro Football Focus.
LOSER
Green Bay Packers: Despite a need for depth at cornerback and the ammunition to trade up and grab one in the second round, the Packers traded down, settling to take the first linebacker of the 2024 draft, Edgerrin Cooper. According to PFF, the Texas A&M product was the only LB to post an 85-plus grade in run defense, pass rush and coverage. General manager Brian Gutekunst did pick safety Javon Bullard (No. 58) later in the round, but moving back to take Cooper instead of potentially landing the likes of Cooper DeJean, Kool-Aid McKinstry or Max Melton seems like a miss.
WINNER
Indianapolis Colts: Quarterback Anthony Richardson has a new weapon in explosive wideout Adonai Mitchell. Ranked as high as 23rd overall by some, Mitchell was the 11th receiver taken off the board, offering the Colts outstanding value. Moreover, Indy traded down to get him, gaining two fifth-round picks (No. 142 and No. 155) after swapping second-rounders with the Carolina Panthers.
LOSER
Carolina Panthers: Unsurprisingly, the Panthers have several holes to fill before they can think about crawling out of the league’s basement. However, on Friday, instead of adding an impact player at a premium position with their first pick of the night, they traded up to take the first running back off the board at No. 46, Texas’ Jonathon Brooks. Ranked by many as the top RB in this year’s draft, Brooks has the skill set to potentially play the Christian McCaffrey role for QB Bryce Young. But, for a team coming off a 2-14 record, there were more impactful options on the board to choose from rather than packaging two fifth-round picks to select a running back coming off a “clean” ACL tear.