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The draft has ended, and teams and fans are the most excited they will be until the season starts in September.
While the draft does not make or break an NFL team, it can have a major effect on the future. Where would the San Francisco 49ers be had they not traded three first-round picks for Trey Lance? Ok, maybe a bad example. But maybe they would have won the Super Bowl. But seriously, where would a team like the New York Jets be had they hit on recent first-round picks? Perhaps challenging the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins for the AFC East.
While we all know the first-round players, let us look at some of the rookies selected in the second and third rounds to find some great fits and some not-so-great fits for their fantasy football production in Year 1. No quarterbacks were taken, and only three running backs. So, this will be a wide receiver-heavy list. But, in a league that has turned into a passing league, this is how it goes.
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Round 2 and 3 Fantasy Football Winners
Keon Coleman| WR, Buffalo Bills - Pick 33
Coleman to the Bills is an easy winner. With Stefon Diggs now rolling onto the field with the Houston Texans, the Bills needed a receiver to take his place. At the first selection of the second round, they got the best viable option for Josh Allen.
Coleman, who transferred from Michigan State to Florida State and immediately became the No. 1 option for QB Jordan Travis, will slide nicely into a red-zone threat for Buffalo.
With the run game of the Bills starting to take shape in 2023, having a receiver in Coleman who plays much faster than his 4.61 40-yard dash time would suggest he will fit in well in the cold winds of late December in Orchard Park. With Khalil Shakir, Dalton Kincaid, and Dawson Knox showing the rookie the way, Coleman has a chance to finish his rookie season as a top-25 fantasy receiver.
Ladd McConkey| WR, Los Angeles Chargers - Pick 34
Much like the Bills, the Chargers needed a WR in this draft. After not taking one in the first round, opting instead for OT Joe Alt, the Chargers came back in the second round and took McConkey, the speedy slot receiver from Georgia.
McConkey would have had much higher production in college if he had not missed a lot of time with injury. And if he had not been playing on the same field with TE Brock Bowers.
Los Angeles lost WR Mike Williams to the New York Jets after releasing him to clear salary. The following week, the team also traded team leader Keenan Allen to the Chicago Bears in another cost-cutting move. Although McConkey will have a lot of heavy lifting to do to replace the 108 receptions for 1,243 yards and seven TDs put up by Allen, his skill set is far closer to that of Allen than it is to Williams, who made a living with contested catches.
With McConkey taking over the Allen role and with WR Josh Palmer, the Chargers and Jim Harbaugh will attempt to get the team back to the playoffs.
Harbaugh has always been a conservative play-caller. His focus on the running game and short passes will suit McConkey well in his rookie season. If he can remain on the field and healthy, McConkey has a chance to finish the 2024 fantasy season as a low-end WR3 in fantasy. Do not overdraft him. But a 10th- or 11th-round selection shot on McConkey could pay big dividends.
Adonai Mitchell| WR, Indianapolis Colts - Pick 52
Although his teammate at Texas, Xavier Worthy, got all the preseason hype with his 4.21 40-yard dash, Mitchell, the transfer from Georgia, was the better college receiver. He also landed in a great spot with the Indianapolis Colts.
With only Michael Pittman Jr. to contend with for targets, Mitchell can step immediately into a WR2 role in an offense with Anthony Richardson at QB.
After being injured and only playing in four games as a rookie, Richardson will need to focus more on the passing game as well as handing the ball off if he wants to avoid the same fate that came to Andrew Luck. Having a field-stretching receiver like Mitchell, along with Pittman, will allow the Colts and coach Shane Steichen the ability to open the offense. It's something that seems needed in a division that now includes three additional potential offenses with young quarterbacks.
Jonathan Taylor and Pittman will remain the focus for opposing defenses. This will give Mitchell the chance to grow slowly into a key role. Taking Mitchell as your WR4 can make a lot of sense if your belief in the Colts offense is solid. If not, making him your WR5 could be the way to go.
RD 2 | PK 52 - Colts: Adonai Mitchell WR, Colts
The @Colts bolster their receiving corps with the 52nd overall pick by selecting Mitchell, who earned the 3rd-highest athleticism score (91) among wide receivers in this class.#NFLDraft | #ForTheShoe pic.twitter.com/wUinvmjbuk
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) April 27, 2024
Roman Wilson| WR, Pittsburgh Steelers - Pick 84
The Pittsburgh Steelers are going all in this season. To return to the Super Bowl, Mike Tomlin was able to procure both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields to compete for the QB position in Pittsburgh. But, for the most success, the Steelers also needed a receiver to replace the departed Diontae Johnson, who was traded to the Carolina Panthers.
With Roman Wilson from Michigan, the Steelers found a replacement for the slot position. A receiver who can be high volume as either Wilson or Fields attempts to learn the offense.
Wilson, playing on a Michigan team that preferred the physical run game as opposed to throwing the ball with J.J. McCarthy, was still able to come down with 48 catches in 2023. With 12 TDs and 789 yards on these receptions (16.4 y/c avg.), Wilson showed the ability to gain yards, a talent that should translate well into the NFL for the 6-foot-0, 180-pound WR.
With Najee Harris in the backfield and the Steelers bolstering the offensive line in the draft, Wilson or Fields should find plenty of time to hit open receivers. Wilson can benefit greatly as he attempts to take over as the WR1 in Pittsburgh, a slot that will not be occupied by the other names on this list.
Although a WR1 in a run-first offense is not the most ideal, it is still a WR1 for an NFL team. This alone could make him a value pick late in your fantasy draft.
Round 2 and 3 Fantasy Football Losers
We want to keep this article positive, so there will only be a few players who should be disappointed in their selection. Saying this, here are two players who could not have asked for worse situations coming out of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Ja'Lynn Polk| WR, New England Patriots - Pick 37
Do the Patriots need receivers? Yes. But they are also coming into the season with a rookie QB in Drake Maye who will be forced to acclimate quickly if he wants to make a difference in a bad Pats offense. This is the situation in which Polk finds himself entering.
After spending the past two seasons in Washington catching passes from Michael Penix Jr., this will be a hard slog as Polk attempts to jump-start his pro career in an offense with little fantasy value. Polk went from a fantasy draft selection to a waiver wire pickup. Maybe.
Jermaine Burton| WR, Cincinnati Bengals - Pick 80
While this is a disappointing spot for Burton at the moment, it could easily become a winner if Tee Higgins gets his wish of an exit from Cincinnati.
As the third receiver with the Bengals in 2023, Tyler Boyd finished the season with 67 catches for 667 yards and two TDs. While solid numbers for a third receiver, some of this production was due to Ja'Marr Chase missing parts of several games with nagging injuries and with a backup QB throwing the ball to receivers he was comfortable with.
As Joe Burrow returns, the connection he has with Chase and Higgins will be on full display. This will minimize the impact Burton will have during the 2024 season.
As a dynasty play, Burton is far more valuable than as a redraft selection in which a last-round flyer may be the only selection he should be considered.
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