• CB Andru Phillips, New York Giants: The Giants needed cornerback help opposite Deonte Banks, and they got it in the form of Phillips.
• WR Roman Wilson, Pittsburgh Steelers: The Steelers got terrific value by picking Wilson 84th overall, a full 42 slots below his PFF big board ranking.
Wilson’s surehandedness makes him particularly appealing: his 2% drop rate tied for 11th-lowest among FBS receivers with 65 or more targets.
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes After 257 selections, the 2024 NFL Draft is now in the rearview mirror.
Every season, though, players who may not have been premier draft selections emerge as contributors down the stretch.
CB Andru Phillips, New York Giants The Giants needed cornerback help opposite Deonte Banks, and they got it in the form of Phillips.
WR Roman Wilson, Pittsburgh Steelers The Steelers got terrific value by picking Wilson 84th overall, a full 42 slots below his PFF big board ranking.
S Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, Arizona Cardinals Taylor-Demerson is a do-it-all defensive player who can impact the game from several alignments.
• Andru Phillips, cornerback, New York Giants: Phillips provided the Giants with the cornerback support they needed in lieu of Deonte Banks. Despite only giving up 38 catches, the 70th overall pick from the previous season saw 57 targets, which was fourth most in the SEC. With 23 defensive stops, he tied for 10th place among all FBS corners.
• Roman Wilson, wide receiver, Pittsburgh Steelers: By selecting Wilson 84th overall—a full 42 spots below his PFF big board ranking—the Steelers obtained excellent value. Wilson is especially attractive because of his surety; among FBS receivers with 65 or more targets, his 2 percent drop rate tied for the 11th-lowest. He’s a relentless run-blocker as well.
• See the PFF fantasy football rankings: these rankings comprise our strength of schedule metric, expert rankings, and projections.
One hour is estimated for reading.
The 2024 NFL Draft has now concluded with 257 selections. The focus now turns to OTAs, rookie minicamps, and finally training camp.
QB Caleb Williams and wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. were among the players selected in the first round. will be expected to keep up their collegiate success and take off quickly in the professional sphere. In Year 1, there are high expectations for even many who were selected between Picks 33 and 64.
However, every season there are players who might not have been first-round picks but end up being key players. The additions from Days 2-3 might very well meet that need.
CB Andru Phillips of the New York Giants.
Phillips provided the Giants with the cornerback support they needed to counter Deonte Banks. The fourth-most targets in the SEC last season—57—were given to the 70th overall pick, but he only gave up 38 catches. With 23 defensive stops, he tied for 10th position among all FBS corners.
Despite playing only 312 snaps last season, Giants cornerback Nick McCloud had a strong season, earning an 80.7 coverage grade and a 74.8 overall grade. Given how few players the Giants have that can man the outside, Phillips may be in for a larger share of responsibilities straight away.
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Roman Wilson.
Wilson was selected by the Steelers 84th overall, which is 42 spots lower than his PFF big board ranking, and they got great value for their money. Wilson’s surehandedness is especially endearing; out of FBS receivers with 65 or more targets, his 2 percent drop rate tied for the 11th lowest. And in the run game, he’s a fierce blocker.
Since Diontae Johnson and Allen Robinson II are gone, Wilson will almost certainly start at wide receiver for Pittsburgh, despite the fact that his 5-foot-10 frame probably limits him to the slot. Russell Wilson will expect Wilson to open up quickly, especially on crossing routes, his area of expertise. The Steelers may sign or trade for a veteran to complement George Pickens on the perimeter and run more in-breaking routes.
Arizona Cardinals S Dadrion Taylor-Demerson.
A defensive player with versatility who can influence the game from multiple alignments is Taylor-Demerson. In 2022 and 2023, he surrendered a pitiful 58 point4 passer rating. He was one of 11 FBS safeties to record four or more interceptions and four or more pass breakups the previous season.
In addition, Taylor-Demerson lined up as a true free safety (52 points per cent), in the slot (28 points per cent), in the box (15 points per cent), and even outside an offensive tackle (28 snaps) from 2022 to 2023 during his five years at Texas Tech.
Star Budda Baker and Jalen Thompson are Arizona’s two projected starting safeties; however, Baker will be a free agent at the end of the season and would require less than $4 million in dead cap space if traded. Taylor-Demerson should have an immediate opportunity to play in the slot, where Garrett Williams, a former third-round pick who finished with a 56-point grade last season, is the current favorite, if he is unable to stay at safety.
Overall, it seems difficult to keep the adaptable defensive back off the field because Taylor-Demerson seems like a player Jonathan Gannon will want early in the offseason.
Tyrice Knight, LB, Seattle Seahawks.
Knight had an incredible 2023 season for UTEP, recording an 83.0 overall grade, the most stops of any FBS defender in the nation with 75, five sacks, two interceptions, and a forced fumble. For the last three seasons, the linebacker has led the Miners in defensive snaps played. He also hardly ever left the field.
After trading for Jordyn Brooks and Devin Bush, Seattle signed Tyrel Dodson and Jerome Baker to restructure their inside linebacking corps. However, in his seven years of experience, Baker has only received two grades of 70 points or higher overall. Furthermore, there isn’t much depth to the two signees.
The playmaking Knight, whose physical attributes make up for his 6-foot stature, has the potential to win over new head coach Mike Macdonald.
Beat Chicago Bears’ Austin Booker.
Seeing Booker, who was ranked 88th on PFF’s big board, lose all the way to the fifth round was shocking. But the Jayhawk pass-rusher was taken by the Bears at 144th overall after they traded back up to end his decline. In addition to being intriguing due to his baseline stats of 6-foot-4 and a half, 240 pounds, and only 21 years old, Booker also had excellent production in Lawrence. Booker added 25 run stops along with 38 pressures, nine sacks, and only 237 pass-rush snaps.
There’s no doubting Booker’s potential, which could materialize in Chicago even though he only played 505 career snaps between Kansas and Minnesota. With star Montez Sweat, the Bears are still looking for backup edge rushers, especially after finishing last season with a 32nd team pass-rush grade. If Booker defeats seasoned competitors like Jacob Martin or Dominique Robinson, don’t be shocked.
Tyrone Tracy Jr., running back. Giants of New York.
Tracy has a diverse skill set and can function as a hybrid running back/receiver when the ball is placed in his hands. He averaged 6 points3 yards per attempt and 4 points44 yards after contact per attempt while playing running back for Purdue last season. In addition, he compelled 46 missed tackles, which ranked third in the Big Ten. Tracy contributed as a receiver as well, averaging 6 points and 8 yards after the catch in the previous two seasons.
The 6-foot-1 Tracy has every chance to contend for Devin Singletary’s backup position in New York, even though he’ll need to make up ground on his career rate of 11 points per game. A slot receiver in West Lafayette, where he lines up 32 points and 2 percent of the time, could prove to be especially useful on third downs.
Tracy seems like the perfect player for Mike Kafka and Brian Daboll to use against opposing teams.
Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Cornelius Johnson.
When Michigan ran for a national championship the previous year, Johnson proved to be a valuable asset. Despite only having 47 catches, he managed 31 first downs, and last year, his 11-point five average touchdown toss ranked 11th among Big Ten receivers (minimum 65 targets).
When it comes to contested situations, Johnson really shines: among receivers with 50 or more targets overall, his contested catch rate of 81.8%, which he achieved by hauling in nine of his 11 targets, ranked second in the nation.
Alongside Josh Palmer and Quentin Johnston, a 2023 first-round pick, the Chargers added Ladd McConkey of Georgia, who should see action right away. However, having worked with Johnson for six seasons as an assistant coach, Jim Harbaugh is acquainted with the player, and LA will have to replace Mike Williams’ special go-ball dominance.
