Category: 2024 NFL Draft Grades

2024 NFL Draft: Terrion Arnold is the ideal cornerback for Aaron Glenn’s Lions defense

Detroit Lions rookie CB Terrion Arnold could be his team’s first true lockdown defender since the Darius Slay days.

The 2023 Detroit Lions were perhaps the NFL’s most fun and fascinating team last season, and they very nearly made it to Super Bowl LVIII despite a cornerback group that allowed 172 completions in 291 targets for 2,583 yards, a league-high 24 touchdowns, eight interceptions, and an opponent passer rating of 104.4. Among cornerback groups last season, only the aforementioned Cardinals (107.8) were worse.

So, when general manager Brad Holmes and his crew went into the 2024 NFL draft, it was pretty clear what needed to happen. First, the Lions simply needed better cornerbacks. Secondly, they needed cornerbacks capable of playing press coverage and man coverage. Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, who was a cornerback in the league from 1994 through 2008 with three Pro Bowl nods, and spent his pre-Lions coaching tenure as a defensive backs coach with the Browns and Saints, would prefer that his secondary be more aggressive than it was in 2023. But when your cornerbacks allow 77 catches on 140 targets for 1,250 yards, 12 touchdowns, one interception, and an opponent passer rating of 110.7 in man coverage… well, let’s just say that Glenn’s options were limited in that regard.

Step 1 was to take Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold with the 24th overall pick. Step 2 was to add to that with the second-round selection (69th overall) of Missouri cornerback Ennis Rakestraw, Jr.

I’m a bit of two minds about Rakestraw, because I can’t get the image of Florida receiver Ricky Pearsall beating him badly in coverage more than once last season. But when you watch Terrion Arnold? That’s a different breed of cat, and his attributes should allow Glenn to better match his personnel to what he wants to call on the field.

“Yeah, he’s sticky,” Holmes said of Arnold. “He can play man coverage. The thing about Terrion, what’s great about him – some of these guys, they are what they are or you might say, ‘Well, the ceiling might not be as high.’ The thing about him is you go back to his ’22 film, you go back to earlier this season, and you saw an incremental improvement just every single game. So I think the first time I watched one of his games was I think it was the LSU game, that’s when I first kind of saw him and I was like, ‘OK, I see skillset.’ But then you start getting down – you start getting to those late games in the college football playoffs and you see him against Georgia and you’re like, ‘OK, it’s on the come.’ And that as well with the skillset. We feel really good about his floor, but we feel even better about his ceiling.

“He’ll get in your face. He’s got a challenge mentality. He will tackle. He’s got the right mindset that we’re looking for. He fits us like a glove. He fits us to a tee exactly how we want to play. We couldn’t be (more) thrilled. Like you guys know, it’s kind of a – when guys don’t play hard, when guys aren’t physical, it’s hard to play here when those guys aren’t wired that way, but he’s one of those guys that are wired that way.”

Arnold doesn’t have to be as wired that way as a lot of cornerbacks do, because when he’s pressed up on a receiver, that receiver is going to have a terrible time dealing with Arnold’s quickness, ability to match step for step, and scalding playing demeanor to the ball. Arnold’s closing speed was a primary ingredient in his five interceptions and 13 pass-breakups last season. Some of the NCAA’s best receivers found it too much to deal with.

And yes. if you catch a ball underneath, good for you, but Arnold will be on his way quickly to make you reconsider.

Every NFL team needs at least one cornerback who becomes frighteningly offended at the thought of any receiver daring to catch the ball against him. The Lions haven’t really had that guy since Darius Slay in 2019. But in Terrion Arnold, they might just have that guy who can make 2024 just a bit more Super Bowl-conversant.

2024 NFL Draft: The Bills got their safety of the future in Cole Bishop

The Buffalo Bills’ secondary got old in a hurry last season, and rookie safety Cole Bishop is the key to the rebuild.

The Bills’ formerly amazing secondary got very old in a huge hurry last season. Safeties Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde are now off the roster. Cornerback Tre’Davious White is now with the Rams. And pre-draft, the potential starting five of cornerbacks Christian Benford, Rasul Douglas, and Taron Johnson, with safeties Taylor Rapp and Mike Edwards, probably didn’t inspire a ton of fear in opposing quarterbacks and receivers.

Buffalo is in an obvious rebuild in that department, but the good news is that the Bills got themselves a perfect fit in Utah safety Cole Bishop with the 60th overall pick in the second round. Head coach Sean McDermott wants safeties who are interchangeable, and can do just about anything on the field. Bishop qualifies after a 2023 season for the Utes in which he allowed 14 catches on 26 targets for 170 yards, 58 yards after the catch, two touchdowns, two interceptions, one pass breakup, and an opponent passer rating of 67.8. Bishop also had three sacks, 12 total pressures, 47 solo tackles and 22 stops, playing everywhere from the defensive line to the deep third.

Bishop majored in multiple disciplines for the Utes, playing more than 400 snaps in the box, in the slot, and at free safety over three collegiate seasons.

“They want their safeties to do a lot,” Bishop said after he discovered where his new home would be. “I think my versatility is something that kind of separates me, so being able to go to a team that you’re able to be versatile is huge. So I think I’m going to be able to excel as best I can.”

Bishop is so fast on the field, he’ll get in his own way at times from an assignment perspective. But you’ll accept that and work on it with him, because having safeties who can roam the entire field effortlessly is a big deal… and you really know when you don’t have one. Whether he’s coming down to lay the wood on a receiver who just caught a short pass, or matching deep with a vertical opponent, Bishop can do just about everything back there.

“He really impressed us throughout the process, his knowledge of the game, his smarts, everyone at Utah raves about him,” Beane said of Bishop. “Probably one of the most consensus players on our board.”

Beane didn’t think he’d be able to get Bishop with the 60th pick, and that had him trying in vain to trade up. In the end, he got his man.

“To add a guy that fits our defense the way he does and where we had him on the board … I would have been thrilled giving up something in the draft, you know fourth, fifth round to go get him.”

How the Arizona Cardinals got themselves a whole new secondary in the 2024 NFL Draft

The Arizona Cardinals may have had the NFL’s worst secondary in 2023, and they addressed that with a passion in the 2024 NFL draft.

Last season, the Arizona Cardinals ranked dead last in Defensive DVOA, and only the Washington Commanders “led” by Jack Del Rio (until Del Rio was fired) and Ron Rivera were worse in DVOA against the pass. Head coach Jonathan Gannon didn’t have a lot to work with in the secondary — safety Jalen Thompson was the only Arizona defensive back in 2023 who allowed an opponent passer rating of less than 80.0, and only Thompson had more than one interception with his four.

So, general manager Monti Ossenfort, assistant GM Dave Sears, and Gannon had a lot they needed to accomplish in the draft. Certainly in terms of draft currency, they did all they could to improve things with the selections of Rutgers cornerback Max Melton with the 43rd overall pick in the second round, Boston College cornerback Elijah Jones with the 90th overall pick in the third round, and Texas Tech safety Dadrion Taylor-Demerson with the 104th overall pick in the fourth round.

Both Melton and Jones are true outside stopper cornerbacks, and Taylor-Demerson has the range to play the deep third, leaving Jalen Thompson to do his thing closer to the line of scrimmage. If all these guys pan out early, the Cardinals could have one of the NFL’s most obviously-transformed secondaries in the 2024 season.

“I had about 20 [minutes] with him,” Gannon said of Max Melton in the pre-draft process. “Just his seriousness and intensity, honestly. This guy’s a very serious person. The mentality that we’re looking for fits the price of admission and [after] having him talk through some things, I could tell he was very well-schooled, well-trained, well-coached, and he understood what they were trying to get done there. I really fell in love with his mindset, his attitude and his demeanor. He walked down and I was like that’s a serious person and I liked that.”.

Last season, Melton allowed 24 catches on 44 targets for 252 yards, 72 yards after the catch, three touchdowns, three interceptions, three pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 65.7.

As for Elijah Jones, he was one of the NCAA’s better true island cornerbacks in this class — he allowed 13 catches on 40 targets for 194 yards, 58 yards after the catch, one touchdown, five interceptions, six pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 18.1 — which means that opposing quarterbacks were better off throwing the ball into the stands than they were trying to get it past Jones.

Taylor-Demerson was one of my favorite defensive backs in this draft, and my favorite deep-third safety. I was happy to see that the Cardinals see him in a similar fashion.

“Absolutely, he’s played safety down there for them,” Ossenfort said of Taylor-Demerson as a deep-third defender. “Really his best attributes I’d say are his range and his ball skills. He really has a nose for the football. I think he’s going to be able to play the deep half of the field and then we’ll see what else he can do. Versatility will come after that, but we think he brings a versatile element and range to the back half of the defense.”

My scouting report agrees.

The Xs and Os with Greg Cosell: The best offensive scheme fits in the 2024 NFL draft

From Jayden Daniels to Xavier Worthy, Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar get into the best offensive scheme fits from the 2024 NFL draft.

There are at least two stages of evaluation when dealing with draft prospects. There’s the work you do watching tape of a player in a vacuum pre-draft, when you’re looking at a player’s attributes and liabilities overall. Then, when the player is drafted, you’re trying to figure out why the team selected the player, and how that player best fits in his new home from a schematic and performance perspective.

With the 2024 NFL draft in the rearview, it’s time for Greg Cosell of NFL Films and ESPN’s NFL Matchup, and Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire and the USA Today Sports Media Group, to determine the best scheme fits from this class.

Greg and Doug begin on the offensive side of the ball, with these players:

  • Jayden Daniels, QB, Washington Commanders
  • Bo Nix, QB, Denver Broncos
  • Troy Franklin, WR, Denver Broncos
  • Blake Corum, RB, Los Angeles Rams
  • Jonathon Brooks, RB, Carolina Panthers
  • Brian Thomas Jr., WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
  • Xavier Worthy, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
  • Ladd McConkey, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
  • Kimani Vidal, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

You can watch this week’s Xs and Os right here:

You can also listen and subscrive to the Xs and Os podcast on Spotify…

…and on Apple Podcasts.

Baltimore Ravens’ best sleeper pick: Devontez Walker, WR, North Carolina

New Ravens receiver Devontez Walker beat the NCAA, and now, he’ll look to beat NFL cornerbacks with the same level of determination.

Devontez Walker’s story is one of the more interesting of anybody’s in this draft class, and it’s Reason No. 7,382,469 that the NCAA is utterly ridiculous. Injuries and the COVID year prevented Walker from becoming a factor early in his collegiate career, but he a good 2022 season at Kent State. Walker then wanted to transfer to North Carolina to be close to his ailing grandmother, but the NCAA denied his request. Walker threatened to sue the NCAA, and the NCAA did what most bullies do when threatened — it backed down.

With that, and despite the fact that he didn’t see action until Week 6 of the 2023 season, Walker still caught 41 passes on 66 targets for 699 yards and seven touchdowns from third-overall pick Drake Maye. The Ravens stole him with the 113th overall pick in the fourth round, and there’s no telling how much higher he would have gone with a less complicated story. But he’s an X receiver in the right system.

“With ‘Tez,’ you get really a vertical receiver, size and speed,” Ravens GM Eric DeCosta said. “In some ways, [he] reminds me of a Torrey Smith-type of player – an outside, take-the-top-off, vertical threat with good size, and phenomenal kid, excellent jumping ability.”

Atlanta Falcons’ best sleeper pick: Casey Washington, WR, Illinois

New Falcons receiver Casey Washington from Illinois could be a real sleeper pick with a fully-developed “big/fast” athletic profile.

Falcons GM Terry Fontenot and head coach Raheem Morris spent most of their draft pressers trying to explain the whole Kirk Cousins/Michael Penix Jr. situation, but they were eager to talk about the addition of Illinois receiver Casey Washington when the subject came around.

“39 and a half inch vertical – prototype, size, speed,” Fontenot said of Washington. “He has measurables. He has traits. We spent time with him. We love the makeup. Plays with a chip on his shoulder. He’s a competitor. We know he’ll be able to contribute in other areas as well.”

The 6-foot-2, 200-pound Washington, who was somehow not invited to the scouting combine, went to Atlanta with the 187th pick in the sixth round. What did Atlanta like about Washington that they didn’t already have? Well, Washington is a big, vertical receiver who has an especially good grasp of corner and fade routes — the kinds of things that take cornerbacks where they don’t necessarily want to go against a big, fast dude.

Last season, Washington caught four passes of 20 or more air yards on just nine targets for 165 yards and a touchdown. Target share may be an issue in the regular season, but if Penix is throwing the ball in the preseason, Washington should put on a show.

Arizona Cardinals’ best sleeper pick: Tejhaun Palmer, WR, UAB

Arizona Cardinals receiver Tejhaun Palmer from UAB looks to be their best sleeper pick in this draft with his size-speed potential.

The Cardinals came into the 2024 draft with very little to speak of at receiver, and general manager Monti Ossenfort did his level best to solve that issue with the selection of Marvin Harrison Jr. at forth overall. Harrison reminds me of Larry Fitzgerald, another highly-drafted Cardinals receiver, so what’s not to like?

And then, with the 191st overall pick in the sixth round, Ossenfort and his staff pulled off a deep cut with the addition of UAB’s Tejhaun Palmer. Now, Roddy White came out of UAB, so NFL success at the position is not unusual, and Palmer has some serious size/speed stuff to deal with. At 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, Palmer caught eight passes of 20 or more air yards on 14 targets for 264 yards and two touchdowns. Palmer may still be putting the finer points of his game together, but his tape yells pretty loudly.

“The guy has got upside, he’s got size and he’s got speed,: Cardinals Assistant GM Dave Sears said of Palmer. “We feel like we can develop his routes. The kid’s a tough kid, loves ball — those kinds of things. We definitely feel like there’s some upside we can develop with him. Our coaches, he was down at the East-West Game with them and they saw that first-hand down there too.”

The Xs and Os with Greg Cosell: Our favorite draft picks (mostly) outside the first round

In this week’s “Xs and Os,” Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar get into their favorite draft picks (mostly) outside of the first round.

Now that the 2024 NFL draft is in the books, which players who were not selected in the first round have the best chances to make real impacts on their new NFL teams? In this episode of “The Xs and Os with Greg Cosell,” Greg and Doug Farrar get into their favorite guys mostly outside of the first round.

Ricky Pearsall, WR, San Francisco 49ers — We’re cheating a bit here, as Pearsall was selected with the 31st overall pick, but if the 49ers keep both Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk on the roster, Pearsall can impact the passing game in ways that his new teammates will find complementary, and in ways that bring new colors to Kyle Shanahan’s playbook. Also, watch out for fourth-round receiver Jacob Cowing from Arizona as a smaller speed element.

Renardo Green, CB, San Francisco 49ers — On the defensive side, and with the 64th overall pick in the second round, the 49ers got a cornerback who showed all the athleticism and coverage skills you want at the position, and brings an absolute dawg mentality. You need look no further than Green’s tape against LSU’s Malik Nabers.

Marshawn Kneeland, DL, Dallas Cowboys — The Cowboys’ scouting staff is one of the NFL’s best, and with the 56th overall pick in the second round, Dallas picked up the Western Michigan and Senior Bowl star, who brings Khalil Mack to mind with his power-based rush, and Za’Darius Smith to mind with his effective gap versatility.

Malik Washington, WR, Miami Dolphins — Stop us if you’ve heard this one before, but the Dolphins got a receiver who’s really fast in some really interesting ways. Washington, the Virginia receiver who Miami stole with the 184th overall pick in the sixth round, brings an exciting, physical style that puts defenses in severe conflict when those defenses also have to deal with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.

Cole Bishop, S, Buffalo Bills — The Bills’ former secondary got old overnight, and a re-do is now necessary. Bishop, the Utah star, is a prefect safety with which to rebuild because he can do just about everything at a high level.

Adonai Mitchell, WR, Indianapolis Colts — Mitchell showed at Texas that he has first-round talent, and if he can put it together with the nuances of the position, he’ll give the Colts the alpha receiver that seems to be the only thing this offense was missing. Not bad for the 52nd overall pick in the second round.

Jalen McMillan, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers — McMillan may have been the lost member of the Washington receiver group from a production standpoint due to injury in 2023 (which is how the Bucs were able to get him with the 92nd overall pick in the third round), but the tape shows a valuable deep receiver who can expertly dice zone coverage downfield.

Trey Benson, RB, Arizona Cardinals — At Florida State, Benson showed the ability to run with power like a bigger man, and to evade tackles with the agility of a smaller back. The Cardinals selected Benson with the 66th overall pick in the third round, and they’ll likely avail themselves of Benson’s special skill set sooner than later.

Bub Means, WR, New Orleans Saints — At Pitt, Means displayed the ability to be a fantastic deep receiver despite a trio of quarterbacks who really struggled to do anything. Odds are, the Saints got a receiver with the 170th pick in the fifth round who can be even better in the NFL — all he needs is functional quarterback play to turn it loose.

You can watch this week’s edition of “The Xs and Os” right here:

You can also listen and subscribe to the “Xs and Os” podcast on Spotify…

…and on Apple Podcasts.

Dallas Cowboys select Western Michigan DL Marshawn Kneeland with the 56th overall pick. Grade: A+

Western Michigan DL Marshawn Kneeland gives the Dallas Cowboys all kinds of interesting possibilities along the defensive line.

For me, Marshawn Kneeland was one of the most fun players to watch in this class. I have a weakness for violent defensive linemen who can win from every gap, and Kneeland qualifies. I compared him to Za’Darius Smith as a big end who can also get it done everywhere from three-tech to nose shade, and Kneeland will give Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer all kinds of interesting possibilities. 

Marshawn Kneeland, who starred in football and track at Godwin Heights High School in Wyoming, Michigan, took his game to Western Michigan and became a force for the Broncos’ defense in 2020, with four sacks and 13 total pressures on just 91 pass-rushing snaps. Through four seasons, Kneeland kept that high pass-rush rate up, and in 2023, he had a career-high six sacks and 37 total pressures. At 6′ 3″ and 267 pounds, Kneeland also put up 38 solo tackles and 35 stops in 2023, and he had a strong Senior Bowl week as an exclamation point to his good game tape.

Every defensive coordinator wants a guy who plays like his hair is on fire at all times, and Kneeland certainly qualifies. He’s a multi-gap disruptor with a ton of upside, and I’m betting that a lot of NFL evaluators will set aside any small-school biases when discussing his professional potential.

PLUSES

— Gap-shooting edge-rusher who can quickly work from outside the tackle to the center, and will move to the pocket quickly.

— Can win everywhere from an edge alignment to head-over nose tackle.

— Relentless disruptor who works from snap to whistle.

— Stacks and sheds quickly and powerfully; his 83⅜” wingspan (90th percentile for edge-rushers) allows him to establish dominance from the snap.

— Brings extra juice as an off-ball “spinner” who can time rushes and work to the quarterback in a hurry.

— Has a dynamite spin move to disengage from blockers who slow him down.

MINUSES

— Kneeland’s frenetic style will have him missing targets in the backfield at times.

— Could stand to have more of a plan with his hands to knife through double teams and penetrate through more adept opponents.

— Must keep his leverage together to avoid being blocked out too easily by tight ends and running backs.

— Prone to biting on action and misdirection in the backfield.

— Strength of opponent is a legitimate concern in a transitive sense, though the tape shows more than enough NFL potential.

Kneeland has a fabulous playing personality — if there’s a play anywhere near him, he’ll do everything he can to kill it with fire. There are a few points of precision to deal with when he gets to the NFL level, but he’s an ideal multi-gap disrupting prospect in the next phase of his career.

Washington Commanders select Michigan DB Mike Sainristil with the 50th overall pick. Grade: A

Michigan DB Mike Sainristil gives the Commanders what every modern defense needs — a do-it-all slot weapon.

If you’re yelling at the Commanders because they took a slot defender in the middle of the second round, pull your head out of 1999, and move it to 2024. In today’s NFL, if you don’t have at least one good slot guy, your defense is in big trouble. Michigan DB Mike Sainristil took his receiver skills to the defense, and became a tone-setter in the Wolverines’ national championship defense. He should be that same kind of tone-setter pretty quickly in the NFL.

A composite three-star prospect out of Everett High School in Everett, Massachusetts, Mike Sainristil was a star receiver and cornerback who chose Michigan and totaled 37 catches on 69 targets for 541 yards and five touchdowns in his time with the Wolverines. Sainristil brought that receiver’s understanding to his role as a primary slot defender, capping out in Michigan’s national championship season of 2023 with 29 catches allowed on 50 targets for 412 yards, 206 yards after the catch, four touchdowns, six interceptions, six pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 71.8. He also had 29 solo tackles, 18 stops, two sacks, and 11 total pressures.

In today’s NFL, you need at least one slot defender if you want your defense to work, so don’t pass Sainristil by just because he’s limited to the inside. He’s a smart, tough, aggressive, scheme-transcendent player who can work into an NFL roster right away.

PLUSES

— Quick closer to the receiver, and has a better eye for the ball than a lot of receivers do.

— Can lay in the weeds and jump routes with excellent timing and ball skills. Six INT and six PBU in the 2023 season.

— Matches the receiver through the route in press and off coverage, and has the easy speed to work through them.

— Understands and responds to switches and route combinations. Very heady in the open field.

— Outstanding hitter for his size; he’ll come down and lay the wallop, and a lot of his pass deflections come as a result of that.

— Great blitzer who shoots gaps like a running back, and is quick enough to get to the quarterback at an angle from the slot.

MINUSES

— Size (5′ 9½”, 182 pounds) will limit him to the slot at the next level.

— Has a tendency to leave too much cushion on angular routes, leading to easy completions he has the talent to prevent.

— Not a run defender of note; he gets blocked out too easily and his tackling is more made for receivers than running backs.

— Frenetic play style will have him biting on movement and action in the backfield.

— Will lose physical battles with tight ends and bigger receivers off the snap and up the seam.

We’re past the eras in which slot defenders were thought of in a pejorative sense; in a time when nickel is the new base defense, if you don’t have at least one good slot guy against a plethora of 3×1 and empty sets, your defense is going to be in trouble. Sainristil projects as a plug-and-play slot man with some hybrid safety potential, and I think that gives him a lot of equity in the eyes of NFL evaluators.