Milum played left tackle for the Mountaineers but projects inside at the next level. Jacksonville adds important competition to its starting offensive line.
Ransaw is a feisty slot cornerback. Liam Coen coached alongside Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall at Kentucky in 2021. Coen may have been able to get a bit more insight on this player. The Rams way is identifying and using Day 2 and 3 selections on defensive backs.
Williams is in the vein of a Lavish Shenault or Cordarrelle Patterson. He is not necessarily a precise route runner, but give him the ball in space and watch defenders fall off him. Green Bay has now drafted two wide receivers: Matthew Golden and Williams.
Caldwell is going to two-gap and stuff the run for Jim Harbaugh’s defense. Caldwell is the third Duck to be drafted from that Oregon defensive line, joining Derrick Harmon and Jordan Burch.
Williams is a big cornerback with great instincts in zone coverage. Kansas City is investing in the position following last offseason’s trade of L’Jarius Sneed.
Parrish was viewed as more of a slot cornerback, which is interesting considered the presence of Tykee Smith. Perhaps, the plan is to move him to free safety alongside Antoine Winfield Jr. Parrish is a competitor. The ex-Wildcat knows how to find the ball when it is in the air.
Johnson is a big body that will burst to daylight when he gets a glimpse. They moved on from former first-round pick Najee Harris this offseason. And the elephant in the room, Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders continues to fall.
Penn State does not recruit limited athletes. Winston is a big time athlete, but he missed a good portion of the season with an injury. Tennessee is betting on the potential he showed when healthy.
Fairchild is a strong, powerful blocker. The Bengals have gotten away from using the wide zone concept despite Zac Taylor stemming from that Sean McVay coaching tree. Fairchild will allow them to get downhill in the run game.
Indianapolis signed Charvarius Ward in free agency, but continues throwing potential solutions at the problem. Walley is the latest defensive back out of a Minnesota program that has produced the likes of Jordan Howden, Tyler Nubin and Terrell Smith in recent years.
Noel is an explosive athlete and now he joins his former teammate, Jayden Higgins, catching passes from C.J. Stroud in Houston. The offensive line may still be a work in progress, but that may not matter as Stroud can just get the ball out quickly and spread it around.
Arizona has now added Darius Robinson, Walter Nolen and Burch in the Top-100 over the past two drafts. Think Jonathan Gannon is trying to build his Cardinals roster similarly to the defending Super Bowl champions? Burch was a 5-star recruit out of high school and immediately helps set the edge.
Carolina has now double dipped at edge rusher with its two Day 2 picks: Texas A&M’s Nic Scourton and now Umanmielen. It was a critical position of need, so that strategy makes sense. Umanmielen is a twitchy rusher that needs to find a higher level of consistency.
If Revel can stay healthy, Dallas is getting great value at this stage of the draft. Revel was regarded as a probable first round pick prior to his torn ACL. In limited exposure, he registered good ball production. Trevon Diggs may not be ready for the start of the season, so Revel is now insurance.
San Francisco lost Fred Warner’s running mate, Dre Greenlaw, in free agency. They keep plugging all of those lost roles with rookies; Martin is the latest to do just that.
The selection of Bryant in the third round feels a bit rich, but Bryant is a taller body that can make plays down the field in that Denver offense.
Thomas is a long cornerback that at one point was projected in the first round. New York finds a replacement for D.J. Reed opposite Sauce Gardner. The Jets are having a solid draft.
Buffalo’s investment in the defense continues: Kentucky cornerback Maxwell Hairston, South Carolina defensive tackle T.J. Sanders and now Jackson. Jackson is a very tall pass rusher and there are concerns about him losing leverage, but the Bills have already gone down this path with Gregory Rousseau and it worked out pretty well.
Broughton was the lightly-discussed defensive tackle in Austin, because Alfred Collins got all of the attention. Broughton is a bigger body that will set a floor in run defense, but he has enough quickness to push the pocket as well.
TeSlaa is a big body that does not lack in speed or explosiveness. He can stretch the field vertically. They have been filtering through WR3 options to go along with Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams.
Williams is an incredibly savvy route runner. He glides across the football field in a way that reminds me of Randall Cobb. New England is going all in on its support of Drake Maye. After taking left tackle Will Campbell in the first round, the Patriots have now added Ohio State running back Treveyon Henderson and Williams.
Chris Trapasso’s grade: B+
Porter is a tall, tall cornerback in the mold of a Joejuan Williams. He is just cutting his teeth at the cornerback position, but the ball production has already been there.
Chris Trapasso’s grade: A+
Fannin played in the MAC, but he DOMINATED Penn State and Texas A&M last season. Fannin is a bit undersized, but was highly productive. Cleveland now has a dynamic pass catcher to pair with David Njoku at the tight end position.
Chris Trapasso’s grade: A
Many thought Gillotte was going to enter the 2024 NFL Draft, but he returned to Louisville and continued his decorated collegiate career. Gillotte has been highly productive and is consistently pushing towards the quarterback.
Chris Trapasso’s grade: A-
Alexander is similar to Karl Brooks, who went to Green Bay on Day 2 a few years ago. Alexander was used on the boundary quite a bit and allowed to rush the passer, but his future is inside. New York is building a force to be reckoned with next to Dexter Lawrence.
Chris Trapasso’s grade: A
The Eagles are bucking all of the preconceived notions that folks had about Philadelphia’s draft strategies. Its first two picks were used on linebacker and safety. Mukuba is a professional and will translate quickly to that room.
Chris Trapasso’s grade: C+
Norman-Lott is one of the most productive pass-rushing defensive tackles in this class, but consistency was an issue. If Kansas City can tap into that potential full-time, then good luck stopping Chris Jones and Norman-Lott.
Chris Trapasso’s grade: A