This is a 2024 NFL Draft Day 2 and Day 3 recap! Which players will be productive right away for redraft players? Which players are better long-term investments?
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Keon Coleman Lands with Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills
The Bills traded out of Round 1 to pick 33 with the second round’s first pick. After a great deal of fantasy speculation, Buffalo went with the 20-year-old WR out of Florida State. This landing spot is a dream outcome for Coleman. With size and a large catch radius, he projects as a potential alpha outside WR on a team desperate for size and productivity at the position.
Buffalo lost Gabe Davis and Stefon Diggs this past offseason. Coleman is going to play and play a lot. No Buffalo receiver has more than 22 career TD grabs, and Coleman could lead Buffalo in that category this season. While Coleman is not going to be Stefon Diggs, he could be a Tee Higgins type outside threat. That would be a major win for Buffalo fans.
Ladd McConkey: Dream Landing Spot
Fantasy managers hoped one of the NFL Draft’s top receivers would land in Los Angeles. With Keenan Allen and Mike Williams gone, the Chargers had a glaring hole at receiver. When The Chargers selected Joe Alt with the No. 5 overall pick, there was a collective sigh for many, as the hopes of a Herbert-Nabers connection went down the drain.
Heading into Day 2, there was cautious optimism that LA would select a WR, and they did just that with the selection of McConkey. Fantasy-wise, this is a dream landing spot. McConkey projects as a high target earner who can kill you in the slot, with the ability to play outside. McConkey was also used on designed runs in his Georgia Bulldogs career, displaying dynamic ability with the ball in his hands.
One of the higher floor WRs in this draft class lands in one of his highest ceiling outcome landing spots. McConkey is a lock to be selected in Round 1 of Dynasty Rookie Drafts.
New England Doubles Down at WR
The Patriots passed on a huge offer from the New York Giants to select QB Drake Maye. Heading into Round 2, there were multiple questions about who his pass-catchers would be. New England answered those questions quickly on Day 2 and Day 3. With the 37th overall pick, they went with Ja’Lynn Polk. They doubled down with Javon Baker in Round 4.
Polk will be an instant starter, and Baker is not far behind. Both players have size and the pedigree to make an impact this season. These selections stylistically really help Maye and show that the Patriots are committed to putting him in a position to succeed.
Adonai Mitchell’s Fall Ends in Indianapolis
Many projected Mitchell to be selected in Round 1. He fell all the way out, landing in the middle of Round 2. The landing spot is disappointing for fantasy. Mitchell will compete for WR targets with not only Michael Pittman but Josh Downs (68 receptions in 2023). Add in what should be a run-heavy attack with Anthony Richardson and Jonathan Taylor, and the chances of Mitchell making a big fantasy impact in Year 1 is minimal. This pick helps Richardson and the Colts offense, but not fantasy managers.
Dave Canales: Running Back Whisperer
The Panthers selected the draft’s first running back in Jonathon Brooks. While NFL Draft experts will be critical of this pick, and Carolina certainly has other needs, fantasy managers should be thrilled. In 2023, Rachaad White had 322 touches under new Panther Head Coach Dave Canales. Not only did White run the ball 272 times, but he had 70 targets. This sort of volume can elevate any running back, let alone a potential fantasy star like Brooks.
Brooks suffered a torn ACL last season but was still the first RB selected. He has size, vision, pass-catching ability, and explosiveness. The Panthers are screaming for an identity and focal point on offense, and they found it with Brooks. He is in contention for RB1 overall in this class and is a top 20 Dynasty rookie RB.
Ben Sinnott: Chris Cooley Part 2
Washington added their TE of the future with Sinnott. A combine standout, Sinnott ran a 4.68 40 and led Kansas State in receiving yards and TDs. A highly versatile player, he can line up all over the field and make plays downfield. He has similar size (6-4, 250-pounds) and athleticism to some of Dynasty’s top TEs (LaPorta, Kincaid, McBride, Bowers).
Zach Ertz will be a somewhat annoying presence early on in Washington, but once Sinnott takes over he will find his way into our fantasy lineups. If you miss out on Brock Bowers in Round 1 of your rookie drafts and are looking for an arbitrage play, look no further. Sinnott will evoke memories of former Washington standout TEs Chris Cooley and Jordan Reed and has the potential to be a long-term favorite target of Jayden Daniels.
The Jets Trade for Deebo…Scratch That….the Jets draft Deebo Lite
Deebo Samuel rumors abounded heading into Round 2, but when the draft ended, Deebo remained a 49er. The closest thing we may have had to a team acquiring Deebo was the Jets leaning into Corley with the first pick of Round 3. Robert Saleh, the former defensive coordinator in San Francisco, will be reminded of Samuel in many ways when he utilizes Corley.
A bowling ball like physical presence at WR, Corley brings physicality and athleticism to the Jets receiver room. With over 1,600 yards after the catch over the past two seasons, Corley is aptly nicknamed “the YAC King.” With his size and RB like build, Corley could find his way to some manufactured rushing attempts. He will compete with Mike Williams for the WR2 job in NY right away.
Trey Benson – David Johnson Part 2?
Benson joins Brooks as the top 2 RBs in this draft class. A 216 pounder with 4.39 speed, Benson will evoke some memories of Arizona’s former star RB athletically. Heading into the 2024 NFL Draft, he was our top ranked RB at PlayerProfiler and remains there after this outstanding landing spot.
James Conner is still in place as one of Arizona’s team leaders and will enter the season as the Cardinals starter. Conner played very well in 2023, but Father Time remains undefeated, and the soon to be 29-year-old is not long for the league. With Benson’s burst, breakaway run ability, and potential as a receiver, apt Dynasty managers should ignore the short-term roadblock and draft Benson. One year from now, Benson could be viewed as a Top 10 RB in Dynasty. The answer to Benson or Brooks is both.
Roman Wilson – the Next Pittsburgh Day 2 Hit
George Pickens, JuJu Smith Schuster, Pat Freiermuth, Martavis Bryant– ths list goes on. Few NFL franchises evaluate receivers better than the Steelers. Almost every time they draft a wide receiver on Day 2, not only do those players see the field, but they create fantasy impacts. Pittsburgh fans and fantasy managers will both be betting on history repeating itself with Wilson. A Senior Bowl standout with outstanding athleticism, Wilson is tailor made to step into the Diontae Johnson role opposite Pickens in two WR sets. Last season, Tank Dell and Josh Downs were both selected in the third round and made fantasy impacts. Look for Wilson to do the same in 2024.
Blake Corum May End the Kyren Williams Party
Kyren Williams bailed out many fantasy managers in 2023 with an incredible 21.3 PPG. The 2022 fifth round pick has already steamed up the early second round on Underdog and avoided any threat for touches in free agency. Then, Round 3 happened. The Blake Corum selection was a proverbial gut punch for Williams’s managers.
Corum scored 58 rushing TDs throughout his illustrious Michigan career, leading the Wolverines to the 2023 National Title. He is bigger, stronger and has better draft capital than Williams. Will Corum torpedo Williams? Certainly not. But is he a threat to sap touches from him right away? Absolutely. This landing spot is a tough sight to see for Williams’s managers.
Corum can handle volume, and if he gets his foot in the door for Sean McVay, he will be a highly valuable fantasy asset. He is below Brooks and Benson but is still a very fun bet to add to your Dynasty rosters and to draft in early best balls.
Jalen McMillan and Jermaine Burton: Dynasty Long Term 2025 Bets
McMillan (Tampa Bay) and Burton (Cincinnati) both land in boxed out 2024 situations, but they could take big steps forward in 2025. Tee Higgins could be on the way out after this year, and the speedy Burton could step right in as his replacement. Off the field concerns most likely kept him out of Round 2, but the down field ability, athleticism, and talent are undeniable. McMillan joins Polk and Rome Odunze as Washington Huskies drafted on Day 1 and Day 2. He had a very strong 2022 season before dealing with injuries in 2023. He has a chance to be the heir apparent to the 28-year-old Chris Godwin.
Another McCaffrey Finds His Way to the NFL
Luke McCaffrey– brother of Christian and son of Ed – snuck into Day 2. With the final selection of Round 3, Washington drafted the speedy WR in a great landing spot. He has the opportunity to be Washington’s WR3 and his skill set meshes well with Daniels. A former QB, McCaffrey was a late bloomer at Rice who finally broke out this season.
Marshawn Lloyd and Jaylen Wright Land on Top Offenses – As Backups
Two of my favorite RBs throughout the draft process, and two of the better athletes in this class, landed on two of the best offenses in the league. The problem is those two players are now behind Devon Achane (and Raheem Mostert) and Josh Jacobs. Both players have the contingent upside to put up great numbers if the RB ahead of them was injured or eventually moved on to another team.
Lloyd has a chance to carve out a role as a change of pace running back, while Wright has to deal with two big time 2023 producers ahead of him. These landing spots were disappointing, but both players are now on top offenses.
Ja’Tavion Sanders: Round 4 Winner
Sanders falling out of Day 2 was a big letdown, but he landed in a great spot on Day 3. The Panthers drafted him with the first pick in Round 4, ending the slide of Texas’ all-time leader in TE receptions. We have seen multiple TEs land in this range of the NFL Draft (Mark Andrews, George Kittle) and go on to have highly successful runs in fantasy. Sanders now steps into an opportunity for instant playing time and targets. He has a chance to be a security blanket for Bryce Young. Treat him as TE3 in this class behind Bowers and Sinnott.
Troy Franklin and Bo Nix Reunion
Franklin was a big slider, falling out of Day 2 altogether. The Broncos ended his free fall with one of the best landing spots imaginable in Round 4. He not only reunites with his college QB Bo Nix, but steps into an opportunity for immediate playing time as a rookie.
A prolific college producer, Franklin now finds himself competing with Courtland Sutton (rumored trade candidate), Marvin Mims, and Josh Reynolds for targets. The next chapter of the Franklin story will be an interesting one.
Athletic TEs Land in Promising Spots
Darren Waller‘s future in New York is murky, and the Giants may have to replace the hyper athletic Waller with another big-time athlete in Johnson. With one of the best athletic performances ever from a TE at the NFL Combine, Johnson now finds himself in a potential Year 1 starting job.
Erick All has had an injury plagued two-year run, but still managed Round 4 draft capital. The former Michigan Wolverine transfered to Iowa and will continue the run for Hawkeye TEs on NFL teams. A bigtime athlete with size, All only has Mike Gesicki to compete with for snaps this season.
WR Cleanup in Round 4
Besides Baker and Franklin, several other WRs landed well. Devontez Walker can step right in as the Baltimore Ravens’ deep threat. Walker has some traits that the Ravens have been missing since Hollywood Brown was traded. The highly productive Jacob Cowing joined Walker in Round 4 as a 49er. Cowing joins Ricky Pearsall in San Francisco. Like Pearsall, Cowing has great speed with a 4.38 40-yard dash.
Braelon Allen Free Fall
The biggest fantasy loser on Day 2 was Allen. He not only fell all the way to the bottom of Round 4 but landed with the Jets. He now has to play behind one of the best young RBs in football in Breece Hall. To make matters worse, the Jets also added intriguing small school RB Isaiah Davis in Round 5. This is about as bad of an outcome as imaginable for Allen’s fantasy outlook.
RB Handcuff SZN
The 2024 draft was loaded with RBs landing in potential handcuff roles. Besides the upper level players like Benson, Corum, and Wright, Day 3 had pick after pick of interesting players landing in contingent upside spots.
Ray Davis landed on Buffalo, as the new handcuff RB behind James Cook. A like for like replacement, Davis can fill the Latavius Murray role +. The uber athletic Isaac Guerendo landed in San Francisco in Round 4. He will compete for the handcuff role behind Christian McCaffrey. Will Shipley was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles and will slot right in behind Saquon Barkley in one of the league’s best offenses.
Round 5 and 6 continued the RB run. Rasheen Ali will compete with Justice Hill for the RB2 spot behind Derrick Henry in Baltimore. Bucky Irving will slot in behind Rachaad White and has a chance for a weekly passing game role in Tampa. Tyrone Tracy has a clear path behind Devin Singletary in New York, with the upper-level athleticism to carve out a weekly role.
Arguably the most exciting landing spot occurred in Round 6. Kimani Vidal, a 1,600-yard rusher last season at Troy, joins Jim Harbaugh and Greg Roman in what should be a run heavy Chargers offense. Vidal will compete with former Ravens RBs Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins for Year 1 touches.
For more NFL Draft Reactions from Theo Gremminger, be sure to check out 2024 NFL Draft reactions from Day 1 – Michael Penix to the Falcons | 2024 NFL Draft Day 1 Takeaways (playerprofiler.com)
