The first round of the 2024 NFL Draft featured an unprecedented trend – an extraordinary sixteen players, particularly from offensive teams joining forces, thus establishing new milestones in draft history. The number included six quarterbacks and nine linemen alongside seven wide receivers. This unusual pattern led to a predictable run for defenders during the midpoint of round one that was followed by several trades.
The first surprise came with Michael Penix Jr.’s selection at No. 8 overall, which coincidentally bore Kirk Cousins’ jersey number from his time playing football in Michigan State and NFL teams like Washington Commanders and Minnesota Vikings. The second round concluded with two of my personal favorites – Jer’Zhan Newton and Cooper DeJean – remaining unselected. This leaves the door open for an exciting Day Two, promising numerous starters on both defense and offense yet to be drafted by the end of Round 3.
Jer’Zhan Newton is a defensive tackle hailing from Illinois. Weighing 6 ft2 inches and clocking at approximately 304 lbs with only eleven career starts in college football, his performance has been nothing short of exceptional. He combines an impressive blend of power and agility to slice through the interior line and disrupt plays behind it.
Jackson Powers-Johnson from Oregon is another blocker that’s unique because he left for NFL with just one season as a full-time starter, but his formidable build weighing around 334 lbs showcases surprising push-the-pile force at both guard and center while demonstrating quickness and balance given such size.
Cooper DeJean is an instinctive defender from Iowa who may ultimately project best to safety due to the swivel hips, greasy knees he exhibits for changing directions fluidly. His impressive burst towards the ball makes him a natural playmaker in this year’s draft class. Keon Coleman, WR from Florida State, stands out as an imposing figure with his size and physicality that allows him consistently to win at catch points due to body control, strong hands, and timing while showing remarkable grit after catches.
Ruke Orhorhoro is a Nigerian native who only began playing football in high school’s junior year but has an impressive combination of quickness and power loved by defensive line coaches. Edgerrin Cooper from Texas A&M, being 6 ft2 inches tall weighing approximately around 230 lbs, attacks holes like running backs with agility and speed that makes him one of this draft’s few true three-down linebackers.
Kool-Aid McKinstry is a corner from Alabama who didn’t participate in the combine due to an injury on his right toe but scouts know he is among the best and most battle-tested corners as a result of being a 3-year starter for Crimson Tide. Adonai Mitchell, WR from Texas has demonstrated exceptional foundational pieces like straight line speed, body control & strong hands earned him some well-deserved hype in college football’s latter stages.
Kris Jenkins is another player whose grit and consistency stand out on the defensive side of play, but his statistics may not be as impressive compared to others in this draft class due to deep rotation talent levels against Georgia that earned All – SEC accolades thanks partly to career-high stats like 43 tackles (including 14 TFLs), and 8.5 sacks he tallied up throughout the season.
Darius Robinson, DL from Missouri has emerged as one of college football’s breakout stars in 2023 with First Team All SEC selections because this time, thanks partially to 76 pressures over his career-high production of tackles (45), sacks(8.5) and TFLs(14).
Zach Frazier from West Virginia is a reliable starting candidate who isn’t necessarily flashy but has grit & consistency, while Patrick Paul from Houston boasts an impressive 6 ft 8 inches frame weighing around 330 lbs that all teams want as the combination of length(armspan-35″) and strength makes him playable at any position on defensive line.
Kamari Lassiter is a cornerback hailing from Georgia, with confidence covering inside or outside without much buzz generated in media circles due to his lackluster interception numbers (1). Junior Colson, ILB Michigan exhibits some similar traits of the former run-stuffers playing in middle that dominated NFLs for many years.
Roman Wilson is a wide receiver from Michigan who may not be solely focused on vertical speed but instead shows surprising grit and timing to win jump balls whether outside or inside due to his impressive 40 yards dash time of 4.39 seconds recorded at the combine. Cade Bishop, S from Utah has had an illustrious career that resulted in outstanding statistics: over four seasons – a combined tally comprising 21.5 TFLs & twelve passes defended with three interceptions earning him bragging rights for filling up stats sheets more than any other safety candidate available during this year’s draft season.
Can you provide some insights into the potential impact of Jer’Zhan Newton and Kool-Aid McKinstry on NFL teams?
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