The first round of the 2024 NFL Draft is complete as 32 players have now been drafted into the NFL. Round 1 saw a historic draft for offensive players, with a record six quarterbacks getting taken in the first 12 picks. The first 14 players drafted were all offensive with the Indianapolis Colts finally breaking the streak by taking Laiatu Latu out of UCLA at No. 15 overall.
In total, 22 offensive players were taken in Round 1 compared to 10 defensive players. This means that there are some high-value defensive prospects yet to be taken on day two. Like every year, several of the top prospects fall out of the first round, including several key defenders.
Here are the top 5 best players available on day 2:
Cooper DeJean — CB, Iowa
DeJean was one of the most surprising players to fall out of the first round as some analysts saw him being as high as a top-20 pick. Instead, he will become a great steal for whoever nabs him in the second round. DeJean played both safety and cornerback at Iowa with a great deal of success, winning the Tatum-Woodson Defensive Back of the Year award and becoming a unanimous All-American during his final season of college football. Having run a 4.42 40-yard dash, he has the speed and build to succeed in the NFL.
Kool-Aid McKinstry — CB, Alabama
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McKinstry is another strong corner that fell out of the first round. The 6-foot-1 corner was one of the top recruits in the nation coming out of high school and proved to be a consistent part of the Alabama secondary. McKinstry also had the benefit of learning under former Alabama coach Nick Saban, which should work to his advantage on day two.
Jer’Zhan Newton — DT, Illinois
Newton remains one of the better defensive tackles and defensive linemen on the board after Night 1. The 6-foot-2 DT racked up 7.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery for Illinois in 2023. He also became an All-American and won the Nagurski-Wooden Defensive Player of the Year award for his efforts. He will be hard to pass up for any team needing defensive line help.
Adonai Mitchell — WR, Texas
Mitchell was one of the receiving prospects that many thought could have been taken toward the end of the first round. The 6-foot-4 receiver caught 55 passes for 845 yards and 11 touchdowns during his final season at Texas, contributing to a team that made the College Football Playoff.
With a 4.34 second 40-yard dash, Mitchell is one of the speediest prospects in this year’s draft. Combine his speed with his height and it would be surprising to see him last long in the second round.
Ladd McConkey — WR, Georgia
McConkey was another receiver who surprisingly fell to the second round. McConkey could have been hurt by limited production during his final season of college since he played in just nine games and 30 passes for 478 yards and two touchdowns while averaging 15.7 yards per catch.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.