5 best fits on Day 2 of the NFL draft: College football superstars ready to excel in their new homes

After the very top of the NFL Draft, it’s no longer about who is the best player on the board, it’s about who is the best fit. Every NFL team has very specific preferences for the types of players that they like to draft and that’s why some picks can seem like an egregious reach compared to consensus draft boards. 

The Atlanta Falcons are a perfect example. There were other top defensive tackles on the board at No. 35 overall, but general manager Terry Fontenot is somebody who drafts for size/speed thresholds. Sure, Johnny Newton and Braden Fiske were held in higher regard by the draft community, but they may not have even been on Fontenot’s draft board. 

It all comes down to philosophy, especially on Day 2 and 3, and this year most teams seemed to stay within their own identity. But for a few exceptions, the NFL has done some good work through the first three rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft. 

From a player’s perspective, fit could mean the difference between a second contract and searching for a second career. These five players shouldn’t have to worry about the latter after landing with the perfect team. 

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a clear identity, it’s one of toughness and physicality. Finally, after years of straying away from those principles, the organization is coming back and the Frazier pick in the second round continues to drive that point home.

Omar Khan, Pittsburgh’s new general manager took over last offseason and has already drafted three offensive linemen in the first two rounds of the draft, Broderick Jones in the first round last year, Troy Fautanu in the first round in 2024, and Frazier in Round 2. 

The Steelers had a glaring need at center, so Frazier will start from Day 1 and should dominate as a run-blocker in Arthur Smith’s system. 

Les Snead and Sean McVay have done a full 180 on their previous organizational philosophy of “F— them picks.” Sure that mantra helped the Rams win a Super Bowl, but so did Aaron Donald, a former first-round draft pick. 

Will Donald announcing his retirement this offseason, LA needed to address the defensive line and they double-dipped, taking Florida State edge Jared Verse in the first round and FSU defensive tackle Braden Fiske in the second. 

The defense will change some after Raheem Morris left to become Atlanta’s head coach, but the Rams promoted Chris Shula from within, so it’s safe to assume he’d like an interior penetrator to fill the Donald role. Those are obviously massive shoes to fill, but Fiske steps right into that spot and with his speed, will be drawing consistent double-teams by Week 8. 

When drafting players in the secondary, the San Francisco 49ers and Hall of Fame safety John Lynch care about two things; ball skills and physicality. Renardo Green checks both boxes. 

Well, last season for the Seminoles, Green posted a team-high 13 pass breakups and delivered hits like this one: 

The 49ers desperately needed another outside cornerback to play opposite Charvarius Ward and in Round 2, they found their guy. 

In 2021, the Baltimore Ravens drafted Odafe Oweh out of Penn State to add to their rotation of outside linebackers, and late in the third round, they added another Nittany Lion. Isaac played with Oweh and shares some traits as a speed rusher who will excel as a stand-up 3-4 outside linebacker. 

While Chop Robinson was a first-round pick and the more highly-touted edge rusher out of Penn State, Isaac was more productive last season and could be in the NFL too. 

Baltimore lost Jadeveon Clowney, who underwent a career renaissance in his lone year as a Ravens, so Isaac will slot perfectly into that rotation of edge rushers, joining Oweh, Kyle Van Noy, and David Ojabo.

Jim Harbaugh views his beloved offensive lineman as weapons, so he got his guy with Joe Alt in the first round, but at some point, Harbaugh and general manager Joe Ortiz needed to deliver Justin Herbert a pass-catcher, and boy did they. LA traded up to the second pick of the second round to grab McConkey, who immediately became the best wide receiver on the Chargers' entire roster. 

Apologies to Quentin Johnston, Joshua Palmer, and Derius Davis, but McConkey will be WR1 on the depth chart by the end of OTA’s. 

McConkey is an excellent route-runner who will get constant separation on the outside or in the slot. He can play wherever Harbaugh wants him and has a legitimate chance to catch 100 passes from Herbert as a rookie.