2024 NFL Draft Roundtable: Steals, Reaches, Fantasy Stars and More

Most Confusing Draft Class

Wayne: This has to be the Falcons, right? Quite literally every pick made by Atlanta had me scratching my head. As a Bears fan, it's nice to see Ryan Pace, who is now the Falcons' Director of Player Personnel, still has it.

McGlynn: No question it is the Falcons. The Penix pick has been well dissected, but I still cannot understand drafting Ruke Ohrohoro as early as they did, especially with Jer'Zhan Newton, Brandon Fiske, Cooper DeJean and Kool-Aid McKinstry. The Falcons could have really put to rest the Penix Jr. concerns by crushing the rest of the draft, but they made some odd decisions. Atlanta needs a starting corner opposite A.J. Terrell, who is headed into the final year of his rookie deal. The Falcons passed on the position entirely. I actually like a lot of what the Falcons did from Round 3 on, but it was a very interesting approach to a super important draft for Atlanta after investing heavily in Kirk Cousins.

Edelman: I tried to pick a non-Falcons team, in an effort to add unique analysis, but it would be dishonest. The Atlanta Falcons had by far the weirdest draft class that I can remember in some time. The biggest story is the selection of Michael Penix Jr. eighth overall, a 24 year old quarterback, just after signing Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $100-million guaranteed deal. My personal evaluation of Penix aside, this pick still makes no sense. Penix in no way fits this team's timeline, and will likely not see the field until at least his third season.

This essentially wastes half of his rookie contract, which is one of the most important team building advantages that you have when hitting on a rookie quarterback. They followed that decision by trading their third round pick to move up and select Ruke Orhorhoro at 35 overall, which is 32 spots ahead of where he's slotted on Arif Hasan's media consensus board.

Not only was this a massive reach in tandem with a trade-up, but it didn't even fill a pressing need for the team in 2024. The interior defensive line was one of the few spots on the Falcons' defense that could have been left untouched heading into the season. The rest of the class was fine, but starting off with two early selections that seemingly lack any process at all is a tough position to recover from.

Which Day 3 QB is in the Best Position?

Edelman: Spencer Rattler is the easy answer to this question, landing in New Orleans at pick 150. Rattler's chances of winning the backup job and seeing the field in 2024 are far from zero. With Taysom Hill and Nathan Peterman being the only rostered QBs behind Derek Carr, it is more than reasonable to think that Rattler can win out as the second option.

The Saints have been pretty open with the fact that they are not committed to Carr past his contract expiration, and with his recent injury history, it could be very likely that Rattler is playing meaningful snaps at some point during his rookie season. Opportunity is everything for a late-round passer, and Rattler has a very real path to it. If he's able to see the field and show signs of promise, it would not surprise me to see the Saints invest time in developing him as a future starter.

Wayne: It's easy to say Rattler, and I think it will be him. For conversation's sake, another name I'm keeping my eye on is Joe Milton III. I'm very on the record as thinking a big arm is the best part of a quarterback's game, and Milton has the biggest arm of the class. He'll have to overcome my QB2 in Drake Maye, but he'll be a player I'm keeping my eyes on for their entire career.

McGlynn: I'm going to say Jordan Travis here. Don't get me wrong, I think Rattler will likely play before any other Day 3 QB, but I worry about how things are going to go in New Orleans under Dennis Allen. Meanwhile, Travis is now in a quarterback room with Aaron Rodgers and Tyrod Taylor. Travis is not a threat to supplant Rodgers, so I think we will see the four-time MVP be happy to pass along what he has learned. Taylor is the perfect quarterback for Travis to study, given their similar playstyle. New York has no clear succession plan for Aaron Rodgers, who likely won't be with the team for more than two more seasons. Never say never to Travis getting a crack at the starting job in a couple of years.

Which Day 3 Draft Pick Could be a Fantasy Star?

Wayne: Javon. Baker. Along with Ladd McConkey, Baker was one of the leaders in "my favorite WRs outside of the top 3" club. Baker makes every catch look easy, and he has absolutely zero competition worth worrying about in New England. If I'm in a dynasty league with you, just know I'm gunning for Baker in the mid-rounds.

Edelman: The former Purdue running back, Tyrone Tracy Jr., selected at 166 by the New York Giants has the easiest path to starting of the Day 3 ball carriers selected this year. Tracy is an athletic freak, who initially started as a wide receiver at Iowa, before transferring to Purdue to play running back in 2022. The only players ahead of Tracy on the depth chart are Eric Gray and Devin Singletary. Tyrone can see action on both run and passing downs with his skill set and could easily win out the lead-back role at some point during his rookie season.

McGlynn: I probably shouldn't give away too much as I am in the middle of a dynasty draft right now, but I love both of those call outs. I personally love Dylan Laube's potential role in Las Vegas. He is a different type of running back from everyone else on this roster. Zamir White has 15 catches in two seasons. Alexander Mattison has averaged 20 receptions per season over five years. Ameer Abdullah is turning 31 soon and has a similar average to Mattison. Laube caught 68 passes in 2023 alone. He has good acceleration and reliable hands. I could see him being on the field a lot in passing down situations.