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How have you prepped for the draft over the past two months? Luckily for us, The Athletic’s Kalyn Kahler spent time at a small-town diner while searching for the most overlooked prospect in the 2024 draft, Prospect X.
Today’s NFL newsletter included:
- 🚦Defensive tiers: Where talent falls
- 📃 Dak Prescott’s contract
- 🤝 Zach Wilson moved
- 🆕 Changing mock drafts
2024 NFL Draft Tiers on Defense
Today, we’re looking at the defenders who, if available, might signal your team’s last chance to land an elite talent at the position. These are the players at the end of the top tier:
DT: Jer’Zhan Newton, Illinois. The biggest knock on this year’s No. 2 DT is his undersized frame (6-1, 304 pounds), a trait he shares with the No. 1 DT of this class, Texas’ Byron Murphy II (6-0, 297 pounds). Both should be high-production interior players and are the only DTs with first-round grades in The Beast.
Tier 2: Kris Jenkins, Mike Hall Jr., Maason Smith, Ruke Orhorhoro, Braden Fiske.
Edge: Darius Robinson, Missouri. No. 35 in Dane’s rankings and No. 32 on the Consensus Big Board, Robinson primarily played inside as an underclassman before moving to an edge role. That led to a breakout season (8 1/2 sacks and 14 tackles for loss) for the 6-5, 285-pound lineman who Dane notes “displaces tight ends like rag dolls.”
Tier 2: Adisa Isaac, Chris Braswell.
LB: Junior Colson, Michigan. Last year, the Lions shocked outsiders when drafting LB Jack Campbell (Brugler’s No. 52 overall player in 2023) in the first round. Campbell impressed in year one, but an early LB selection would again surprise. Only three LBs sit in the top 50 of the Consensus Big Board — No. 39 Edgerrin Cooper, No. 44 Payton Wilson and No. 46 Colson. I hope Colson is drafted somewhere warm.
Tier 2: Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Cedric Gray, Trevin Wallace, Tommy Eichenberg.
CB: Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo. Taking nothing away from Clemson’s Nate Wiggins or Iowa’s Cooper DeJean, but the soft-spoken Mitchell and Alabama’s Terrion Arnold are a cut above. Both offer starting CB1 potential from Day 1 and make plays everywhere on the field. They remind of me Patrick Surtain II and Jaycee Horn in 2021, two top-15 players at CB in another offense-heavy draft.
Tier 2: Wiggins, DeJean, Kool-Aid McKinstry.
S: Javon Bullard, Georgia. Trailing Minnesota’s Tyler Nubin (No. 48) on the Consensus Big Board and Washington State’s Jaden Hicks (No. 39) on Dane’s Top 300, the undersized Bullard is the “moneyball” prospect, writes Seth Emerson. The Bills would be a great fit.
Tier 2: Cole Bishop, Kamren Kinchens, Malik Mustapha, Calen Bullock.
While defense might “win championships,” no position is more important than quarterback. Dianna has an update from Dallas.
What Dianna’s Hearing: Prescott’s contract situation
Back in October, Cowboys CEO Stephen Jones made it clear to me that Dak Prescott is their future quarterback, despite any rumors or gossip.
The Cowboys’ goal was to work on the deal when the season wrapped up. So far, Dallas’ only work on Prescott’s contract has been converting his $5 million signing bonus into a roster bonus and adding two void years to his deal, clearing $4 million against the 2024 cap.
But the extension hasn’t happened. The three-time Pro Bowler now enters the final season of the four-year, $160 million contract he signed in 2021. As of today, Prescott is free to walk after 2024. But based on my conversations, Dallas won’t let him walk, even if they have to overpay. We’ll see how high Dallas is willing to go.
Back to you, Jacob.
Zach Wilson joins the Broncos
Yesterday was busy in Denver. After the Broncos unveiled new uniforms with mid-tier college vibes, they acquired the Jets’ Zach Wilson, a QB with mid-tier college skills.
Cost: The Broncos sent their 2024 sixth-rounder for Wilson and the Jets’ 2024 seventh. Denver will split Wilson’s roughly $5.5 million salary with the Jets this season.
Player: Wilson, 24, is just a few months older than rookie QB Bo Nix — and much cheaper. Yes, the former No. 2 pick has thrown more interceptions than touchdowns and has a 57 percent completion percentage, but he never worked with an offensive guru like Sean Payton (exactly what Sean Payton would think).
Impact: This is a low-risk, high-upside play on a guy who once caused an opposing NFL coach to say: “He reminds me a lot of Russell Wilson and some of Mahomes in his ability to throw from all angles.” But, expect the Broncos’ QB search to continue, as a draft trade-up remains a strong possibility (read on).
Jeff Howe graded the trade a C-plus for Denver but a B-minus for the Jets, who managed to get something for Wilson.
Mock Drafts: What’s changing?
With the draft just two days away, The Athletic’s team of beat reporters put together their final mock drafts — and there are some notable changes from earlier versions:
Chargers: In Daniel Popper’s late-March mock, he grabbed WR Adonai Mitchell at No. 37. But in yesterday’s mock, Daniel showed that he believes the Chargers run game priorities are real: They skip a WR at No. 37, with their only WR pick coming at No. 72: deep threat Devontez Walker from North Carolina.
49ers: In an early April mock, Matt Barrows traded up to draft Georgia OT Amarius Mims at No. 21. But if the Niners stay put, as Matt’s latest mock envisions, adding DT Jer’Zhan Newton of Illinois at No. 31 gives them the best player available.
Panthers: One thing hasn’t changed between Joseph Person’s second Panthers mock draft and yesterday’s: Their first pick is WR Xavier Legette of South Carolina, a player Person “keep[s] hearing the Panthers are high on.”
Broncos: Reflecting “an aggressiveness [Nick Kosmider] believes 60-year-old coach Sean Payton will [still] have” towards QB, the latest mock sees Denver move a haul to draft J.J. McCarthy at No. 8, a big shift from the previously mocked late-round flyer on Tennessee’s Joe Milton.
Chiefs: In an earlier mock, Nate Taylor had Kansas City trading up to No. 27 for Texas WR Adonai Mitchell. After GM Brett Veach hinted that a move up even higher is possible, Nate’s latest mock has the Chiefs trading up in a “dream scenario” where they draft LSU WR Brian Thomas Jr. at No. 22.
MORE MOCKS: Seattle Seahawks | Las Vegas Raiders | Minnesota Vikings | Dallas Cowboys | Los Angeles Rams | Green Bay Packers | Washington Commanders
Around the NFL
QB Drake Maye is who the Vikings “are absolutely in love with, but I don’t know if they have enough ammo to get up to where the Patriots are picking,” said Chase Daniel. In New England, the Patriots are taking calls for No. 3.
Appearing on The Pivot podcast, Caleb Williams said, “I want to play at one place for 20 years, and chase one guy — No. 12. I want a place that loves ball. That’s all I’ve heard about Chicago so far.”
The Chiefs announced contract extensions for HC Andy Reid, GM Brett Veach and team president Mark Donovan yesterday. Reid and Veach will remain in Kansas City through the 2029 season.
49ers GM John Lynch said, “Our wish is that [WR Brandon Aiyuk] is here for the rest of his career.” Tim Kawakami shares his conclusions from Lynch’s pre-draft presser.
Yesterday, Matt Ryan retired from the NFL after 14 years. Josh Kendall kicks off the Hall of Fame debate for a player who had 62,792 regular-season passing yards, seventh in NFL history.
Now, share this beginner’s guide to the 2024 NFL Draft with someone who needs it.
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(Photo: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
