Top 5 prospects worth trading up for on Day Two of the 2024 NFL Draft at critical positions
Day Two of the 2024 NFL Draft is about to kick off. The first round gave us a handful of trades already. Which NFL teams will make aggressive moves up to grab their favorite prospects to start day two? And which prospects are actually worth trading up for at this point? Let's dive in. Troy […]
Day Two of the 2024 NFL Draft is about to kick off. The first round gave us a handful of trades already. Which NFL teams will make aggressive moves up to grab their favorite prospects to start day two? And which prospects are actually worth trading up for at this point? Let's dive in.
Troy Franklin, WR Oregon
The Bills have already made two trades down to situate themselves at pick 33 to kick off round two. It's been speculated that they'll very likely be taking a wide receiver with that pick. However, if a team wants to trade up they may be willing to move down yet again.
Troy Franklin, WR Oregon has 4.4-forty-yard-dash speed, an immaculate production profile, incredible YAC ability, and deep game dominance all over his film. He may drop in round two if teams overthink his weight, but he's very much worth trading up for given his skill set. He had over three yards per team pass attempt, a touchdown every 30 team pass attempts, 32% of Oregon's receiving offense last fall, andposted top tier marks in EPA per play. Efficient, athletic, smart, and ready to make a difference right away.
Cooper DeJean, DB Iowa
Cooper DeJean can play cornerback or safety, and brings some added value as a weapon in the return game too. DeJean is a former four-sport athlete with great ball skills and speed that was expected by many to be selected in the early 20s of the first round.
DeJean allowed just a 43% completion rate and a 37.8 passer rating according to Pro Football Focus in 2023. He's an elite coverage defensive back who will start from day one. Here he is making plays all over the field on defense:
Jer'Zhan "Johnny" Newton, DL Illinois
Jer'Zhan Newton absolutely should have gone round one. He was a chalk first round pick projection for nearly a year prior to a late drop among many in sports media. His "down" year still netted him a pressure rate near 12% and eight sacks as one of the best interior defensive lineman in the nation last fall.
The year before he was even more impressive with a 14% pressure rate, elite havoc rates (in both run and pass games), and even more tackles. Newton is a bit undersized, but he should be an early second round target worth looking at if your favorite NFL team needs a better defensive front.
Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB Alabama
A year ago Kool-Aid McKinstry was the consensus CB1 in the 2024 NFL Draft class. Why? He was coming off a year with nearly 20 passes defended, a completion rate allowed below 47%, and a passer rating when targeted below 60.
This past season Terrion Arnold was the cornerback that opposing offenses targeted most (for Alabama) instead of McKinstry, so his shine wore off a bit. And then of course people wanted to pick apart McKinstry's athletic profile. Not a smart move. McKinstry is a day one starter at outside corner for more than half the teams in the NFL as soon as he's drafted.
Zach Frazier, C West Virginia
Zach Frazier had some of the most elite pass efficiency stats among all centers in the nation last fall. He posted 99% pass block efficiency and elite win rates across the board. And on top of that he's one of the most experienced players in the 2024 NFL Draft at any position, logging over 3200 snaps on West Virginia's solid offensive line over the last four years. There are several teams in dire need of a new center in round two. Frazier should be taken early and is an easy trade-up target for many.
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And if you want to watch some Troy Franklin highlights from his time at Oregon to get pumped for his potential NFL future with your favorite team just check out the video below!
