In the blink of an eye, the 2024 NFL Draft and all 257 draft picks have come and gone.
All that work in the four months of the pre-draft process culminated in the last 72 hours, leading to players seeing their dreams come true and teams addressing roster needs, setting themselves up for the 2024 season and beyond.
The AFC North once again had another strong NFL draft. The Pittsburgh Steelers were lauded once again for their draft haul, landing Washington offensive tackle Troy Fautanu, West Virginia center Zach Frazier, Michigan wide receiver Roman Wilson, South Dakota State guard Mason McCormick, Iowa defensive lineman Logan Lee and Texas defensive back Ryan Watts.
Pittsburgh built up the offensive line and added some rugged, versatile, physical pieces in GM Omar Khan’s second draft.
After making the playoffs last season, the Steelers appear poised for a strong 2024 season.
So, too, does the rest of the AFC North coming out of the NFL draft.
The Baltimore Ravens, after landing Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins in the first round Thursday night at No. 30 overall, followed that pick with some typical Ravens picks.
Baltimore landed Washington offensive tackle Roger Rosengarten in the second round, giving star quarterback and NFL MVP Lamar Jackson another key blocker in the trenches. Rosengarten was a two-year starter at Washington and profiles as a plug-and-play right tackle for Baltimore, which lost Morgan Moses in free agency to the New York Jets.
Following the selection of Rosengarten, the Ravens made a typical Baltimore selection, landing Penn State EDGE Adisa Issac in the third round. They added him to a pass-rush room that lost Jadeveon Clowney in the offseason but re-signed Kyle Van Noy while reuniting Isaac with former Penn State teammate Odafe Oweh.
Isaac outproduced Miami Dolphins first-round pick and former Penn State teammate Chop Robinson, recording 7.5 sacks and 16 tackles for loss last season for the Nittany Lions.
On Day 3, the Ravens then added North Carolina wide receiver Tez Walker (fourth round), Iowa State cornerback T.J. Tampa (fourth round), Marshall running back Rasheen Ali (fifth round), Kentucky QB Devin Leary (sixth round), Michigan State center Nick Samac (seventh round), and Purdue safety Sanoussi Kane (seventh round).
Walker gives the Ravens more depth at receiver and is a replacement for Odell Beckham Jr., teaming up with the likes of Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman, giving the Ravens a solid trio for Jackson. Landing Tampa was a steal, the Ravens getting the long, physical corner and adding him to a deep room with Marlon Humphrey, Brandon Stephens and now Wiggins.
Kane is one of the more intriguing late-round picks for the Ravens, who lost Geno Stone in free agency at the safety position.
The Cincinnati Bengals, after picking Georgia offensive tackle Amarius Mims in the first round at No. 18 overall, continued to put an emphasis on the trenches on both sides of the football.
Opening up Day 2, the Bengals took Michigan defensive tackle Kris Jenkins Jr. in the second round at No. 49 overall, getting the son of former NFL All-Pro defensive tackle Kris Jenkins.
Jenkins had just four sacks at Michigan but was a two-year starter for the 2023 national champs. Following the selection of Jenkins, the Bengals picked Alabama wide receiver Jermaine Burton at No. 80 overall in the third round, raising some eyebrows, especially with the Tee Higgins situation continuing to play out.
Burton has some real character concerns, which likely scared some teams off, but the Bengals pounced on the former standout recruit. Burton recorded 798 receiving yards and eight touchdowns last season for Alabama and could be a solid long-term option opposite Ja’Marr Chase down the line.
The Bengals closed Day 2 with the selection of Texas A&M defensive tackle McKinnley Jackson, adding another powerful, stout player to the trenches.
On Day 3, the Bengals added Iowa tight end Erick All (fourth round), TCU cornerback Josh Newton (fifth round), Arizona tight end Tanner McLachlan (sixth round), Ole Miss EDGE Cedric Johnson (sixth round), Ole Miss safety Daijahn Anthony (seventh round) and Miami (Fla,) center Matt Lee (seventh round).
All is the most intriguing of the bunch as he was one of the top tight ends in football for Iowa last season after transferring from Michigan before then tearing his ACL. He could fit in well with the Bengals, catching passes from Joe Burrow.
Finally, after not having a first-round pick, the Cleveland Browns got to work in the second round Friday night.
The Browns added Ohio State defensive tackle Michael Hall Jr. at No. 54 overall, once again building through the trenches.
Though Hall is a bit undersized at 6-foot-2, he brings serious athleticism to the position and profiles well on the inside for Cleveland. Hall is more of a pass rusher than run stopper and could fit in well next to Dalvin Tomlinson under defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz.
Following the selection of Hall, the Browns went to the offensive side of the football and added Michigan guard Zak Zinter at No. 85 overall in the third round. Zinter started 42 games at left guard for Michigan and could be viewed as a potential replacement for star left guard Joel Bitonio, who turns 33, in the near future.
On Day 3, the Browns were without a fourth-round pick but went offense in the fifth round, giving quarterback Deshaun Watson another weapon in Louisville wide receiver Jamari Thrash.
Thrash is on the older side at 24 years old, but he had 858 receiving yards for the Cardinals in 2023. With Amari Cooper entering the final year of his deal and Browns trading for Elijah Moore and Jerry Jeudy in back-to-back offseason, the receiver position appears well-stocked in Cleveland.
The Browns closed out the draft by selecting Mississippi State linebacker Nathanial Watson (sixth round), South Dakota cornerback Myles Harden (seventh round) and Cincinnati defensive lineman Jowon Briggs (seventh round), stocking up on key positions defensively.
Harden is the most intriguing of the bunch. He was a third-team AP FCS All-American and two-time All-MVFC selection and recorded six career interceptions and five forced fumbles.
