An Early Look at the 2024 Draft Steals/Best Picks

[Bear Hands]

Link at the bottom from The 33rd Team.  

Interesting to see a lot of the guys that were floated as choices for us (Ladd, Frazier, DeJean, & Sainristil) 

Some excerpts:

Quote

LADD MCCONKEY:

McConkey was the Chargers’ second-round pick and joined a team that was replacing starting receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. McConkey has helped balance Jim Harbaugh’s offense as Justin Herbert’s top target and the team’s leading receiver with 49 catches for 698 yards and four touchdowns.

He was the ninth wide receiver selected in the 2024 draft, yet he leads all rookie WRs in receiving yards. He’s playing a big role for the much improved 7-4 Chargers, who are in good position for a wild card berth.

Herbert is looking McConkey’s way more and more as the season unfolds. The Georgia product has good speed, acceleration, hands, and route running ability.

Quote

COOPER DEJEAN:

DeJean is the Eagles’ starting nickel corner and has contributed 30 tackles and five passes defensed to the team’s top-ranked defense. He was picked in the second round (No. 40 overall) as the fourth cornerback off the board.

DeJean is one of the big contributors (along with first-round corner Quinyon Mitchell) to the massive improvement in Philadelphia’s pass defense that is ranked third after falling to 31st last season when they were a major cause of the team’s late-season collapse.

The Eagles' defensive rise is a huge part of the team’s current seven-game winning streak (15 points per game allowed over this stretch) that has taken them to the top of the NFC East.

Quote

MIKE SAINRISTIL:

The Commanders have slipped recently, but at 7-5 and in solid wild card contention in the NFC, the team’s performance is among this season’s biggest surprises.

The significant improvement in pass defense from last ranked in 2023 to No. 4 this season has played a major role in the team’s rise from a four-win team last year.

Quote

ZACH FRAZIER:

Frazier is a second-round pick (No. 51 overall) who filled a big need at center for the Steelers this season and has been one of the league’s best at the position for the AFC North leaders. He also has the versatility to play guard.

Frazier is a strong and tough player who was a state wrestling champion in high school in West Virginia. He’s been an excellent pass protector for Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, with only one sack allowed.

He’s also helped lead Pittsburgh’s rushing attack, which ranks eighth. And he’s a smart player who has only been penalized once this season.   

https://www.the33rdteam.com/ranking-the-14-biggest-steals-from-2024-nfl-draft/

[TD alt]

I mean, you're talking about players who are playing for better teams in much better situations. What is your point? Our team is lower on the curve, and we likely won't know what we have until we upgrade our QB play and upgrade our talent in other certain key areas, not to mention developing chemistry on the field and on the sidelines.

[bythenbrs]

Missing out on Frazier still hurts…

[Bear Hands]

5 minutes ago, TD alt said:

I mean, you're talking about players who are playing for better teams in much better situations. What is your point? Our team is lower on the curve, and we likely won't know what we have until we upgrade our QB play and upgrade our talent in other certain key areas, not to mention developing chemistry on the field and on the sidelines.

Just an article.

[Bear Hands]

If anything, these were many of the guys we liked per reports so it does speak to Morgan’s taste/having a decent nose for some talent.

[WhoKnows]

45 minutes ago, bythenbrs said:

Missing out on Frazier still hurts…

I know people liked the draft but we still don’t get the whole we aren’t a contender so get the BPA/best value. The 2025 RB draft class is stocked. There will be guys in the 3rd and 4th round grades similar to Brooks in the weak 2024 class. Picking a guy who has done nothing in 2024 makes even less sense. Should have been Frazier and then go RB to compliment Chuba in round 4 of 2025. If we want a talent like Frazier this year it will cost a late 1st/early 2nd.

[BullCityP]

On 11/28/2024 at 1:53 PM, WhoKnows said:

I know people liked the draft but we still don’t get the whole we aren’t a contender so get the BPA/best value. The 2025 RB draft class is stocked. There will be guys in the 3rd and 4th round grades similar to Brooks in the weak 2024 class. Picking a guy who has done nothing in 2024 makes even less sense. Should have been Frazier and then go RB to compliment Chuba in round 4 of 2025. If we want a talent like Frazier this year it will cost a late 1st/early 2nd.

With the way Mays has been playing we may not need to draft C this draft either.

[WhoKnows]

16 minutes ago, BullCityP said:

With the way Mays has been playing we may not need to draft C this draft either.

Sorry man, Mays is not Frazier. Would you rather have a rookie Ryan Kalil on your team or a young Bradley Bozeman?

Mays is a backup, which is fine but he’s not a potential pro bowler/all pro. If we were smart drafters, we’d be paying attention to positional draft strengths. That’s how a team like the Steelers keep winning even with mediocre QB play since Roethlisberger. If they drafted Frazier, they understood he was a great value.

Our draft class has been good for us but it wasn’t fantastic. If we drafted our next Kalil instead of a RB with 2 carries for 7 yards in 11 games, it would have been really good. We extended Hubbard and could have drafted someone rated as high as Brooks in the 3rd, maybe early 4th in the 2025 draft. Cade Mays doesn’t change that at all.

[BullCityP]

1 hour ago, WhoKnows said:

Sorry man, Mays is not Frazier. Would you rather have a rookie Ryan Kalil on your team or a young Bradley Bozeman?

Mays is a backup, which is fine but he’s not a potential pro bowler/all pro. If we were smart drafters, we’d be paying attention to positional draft strengths. That’s how a team like the Steelers keep winning even with mediocre QB play since Roethlisberger. If they drafted Frazier, they understood he was a great value.

Our draft class has been good for us but it wasn’t fantastic. If we drafted our next Kalil instead of a RB with 2 carries for 7 yards in 11 games, it would have been really good. We extended Hubbard and could have drafted someone rated as high as Brooks in the 3rd, maybe early 4th in the 2025 draft. Cade Mays doesn’t change that at all.

I haven't had a chance to look at both players grades but Mays has played VERY well definitely above backup play. Maybe he just needed the coaching and opportunity to play. Just like Zavala has played very well this season, like the great Gettleman used to say "sometimes the answer is on your roster" lol

[WhoKnows]

9 minutes ago, BullCityP said:

I haven't had a chance to look at both players grades but Mays has played VERY well definitely above backup play. Maybe he just needed the coaching and opportunity to play. Just like Zavala has played very well this season, like the great Gettleman used to say "sometimes the answer is on your roster" lol

Both guys you mentioned are in the 60s on PFF and Frazier, as a rookie no less, is almost 80. You are overrating our guys. Frazier would be dominating with our guards around him. We made a mistake passing on Humphrey for TMJ a few years ago and a bunch of us were pissed passing on another solid OL and the same draftniks in here really wanted a C and we passed on another stud for a position we didn’t need to reach for this draft.

Sometimes the answer is on the roster but there are still much better players. Bryce has been “above backup play” the past few weeks. Would you actually argue that we wouldn’t be improved with a top 5-8 QB like Allen or Burrow or Jackson, etc.?