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Nathan Aronoff

The Silent Winners of the Draft

Updated: May 7

Every year, following the draft, analysts will break down which teams they believe had the best and worst drafts. It is impossible to actually know who drafted well until a few years later. We don’t know how these draft picks will play until they play. Nevertheless, I have put together a list of three teams that I believe, under the radar, got incredible value from the picks they had. With that said, here are the teams and their notable picks:


LOS ANGELES RAMS:

The Los Angeles Rams had an incredible draft in 2023, finding late gems such as Puka Nacua and Kyren Williams, their two leaders in scrimmage yards in 2023. After a good second half, the Rams wanted to keep it rolling into the 2024 season with an identical core. Unfortunately, Aaron Donald put a wrench in their plans by retiring. I expected the Rams to try to draft a pass rusher or two in an attempt to replace Aaron Donald and get right back on track. Therefore, in my mock draft, I had Los Angeles trading up to draft linebacker Jared Verse out of Florida State. I nailed the Verse pick, however, the Rams didn’t need to trade up and they got him at 19. They did end up trading up for an FSU pass rusher but in the second round. The Rams traded up to the 39th pick to get defensive tackle Braden Fiske. Fiske and Verse were a dynamic pass-rushing duo at FSU and will continue to work off each other in the NFL. Together, the two racked up 30 sacks over the past two years and will do a great job replacing Aaron Donald’s production on the defensive line. 

The Rams weren’t done yet. In the 3rd round, with the 83rd pick, they drafted Michigan’s Blake Corum. Over the past few years, Blake Corum has been one of, if not the best running back in college football. In 45 games over 4 seasons at Michigan, Corum put up 4,148 scrimmage yards and 61 touchdowns. Putting Corum together with Kyren Williams will make a great one-two punch in the Rams backfield. The Rams also drafted safety Kamren Kinchens out of Miami, in the 3rd round, at pick 99. After allowing 4,195 passing yards in 2023, 13th most in the NFL, adding a safety who’s picked off 5 or more passes in each of his last two seasons in the ACC is a great idea. Kinchens will help the Los Angeles defense that ranked 23rd in interceptions in 2023. Los Angeles did make a couple of other picks, but I’ve deemed them irrelevant.



DENVER BRONCOS:

As a Bronco fan, it may be my biased opinion, but Sean Payton got exactly what he was looking for out of this draft. First and foremost, Bo Nix. It was the obvious pick, he was Payton’s guy all the way. After the failed Russell Wilson experience, the Broncos needed to start their rebuild by finding a quarterback to build around. Considering his similarities to Drew Brees and his amount of college experience, Bo Nix was a clear fit for Sean Payton’s system. Those who were surprised by the pick, either don’t know much about football or aren’t very smart. The Broncos then went on to make sure Nix will be comfortable, by drafting his top target from 2023, Troy Franklin in the 4th round. Getting a receiver with the 102nd pick, that put up 14 touchdowns and 1,383 yards in his senior year, and already has chemistry with your quarterback, is great value. Denver’s 3rd-round pick, linebacker Jonah Elliss out of Utah is exciting as well. Elliss put up 12 sacks in the PAC-12 in 2023. After watching some film, and seeing him sack Caleb Williams, I genuinely don’t understand why he wasn’t a higher pick. 

However, what impressed me the most, was the value Denver got in the 5th round. With the 145th pick, the Broncos drafted corner Kris Abrams-Draine out of Missouri. Per nfl.com, Abrams-Draine was the 9th-best corner and 63rd-best prospect in the draft, getting him at 145 is a steal. It might take a year or two, but KAD will be the answer at CB2 across from Pat Surtain II. Abrams-Draine’s 7 career interceptions in the SEC are not to be overlooked. In addition, Denver selected running back Audric Estime out of Notre Dame with the 147th pick. Estime had an incredible 2023 season, putting up 1,483 scrimmage yards and 18 touchdowns. What makes Audric Estime great is his combination of size and athleticism. He’s an above-average athlete, and at 6-foot-1 and 220 pounds, he’s an absolute unit. He fell in the draft because he had a poor showing at the combine, but after watching his pro day I’m not concerned. Estime’s 40 time at the combine was 4.71, while his 40 time at the pro day was 4.58. Samaje Perine has been a great fit in Denver’s offense, and after the upcoming season, Estime will most likely slip perfectly into Perine’s role. Denver did make a couple of other picks, but I’ve deemed them irrelevant.



WASHINGTON COMMANDERS:

The Washington Commanders didn’t overthink it and drafted Jayden Daniels with the 2nd overall pick. If you’ve read my article about Jayden Daniels, you know exactly why I’m so ecstatic about him. Daniels is the type of player who changes a culture and turns around a franchise. In their two seasons prior to bringing in Daniels, LSU went 11W-12L, and in their two seasons with Daniels LSU went 20W-7L. I expect him to bring a similar turnaround to the struggling Washington Commanders. Don’t be surprised if he has a CJ Stroud-like effect on his franchise. 

Jayden Daniels is far from the only reason to like Washinton’s draft class. In the 2nd round, with the 36th pick, the Commanders snagged defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton out of Illinois. During the predraft process, Newton was viewed as one of the two top defensive tackles, and arguably the best prospect on the defensive front. Some mock drafts had Jer’Zhan Newton going in the first half of the 1st round, so getting at 36 is a steal. At 6-foot-2 and 285 pounds, Newton is a force in the middle of the defensive line. Washington selected another defensive player later in the 2nd round, cornerback Mike Sainristil out of Michigan. After starting his college career as a receiver, Sainristil converted to cornerback and played a big part in Michigan’s national championship-winning defense. Sainristil had a monster senior year in 2023, picking off 6 passes and returning two to the house. Considering the fact that Washington’s defense allowed 4,627 passing yards in 2023, ranking dead last in the NFL, Sainristil is a big-time pick. The Commanders made yet another pick in the 2nd round, selecting tight end Ben Sinnott out of Kansas State with the 53rd pick. The Commanders only had one receiver break 700 yards in 2023 and their top tight end, Logan Thomas didn’t even reach 500 yards. Therefore, their new play-caller, Kliff Kingsbury was more than glad to scoop up Sinnott, who put up 676 receiving yards in his senior year, despite mediocre quarterback play. 

The Washington Commanders added another two offensive pieces in the 3rd round. With the 67th pick, they selected a guard, Brandon Coleman out of TCU. With the 100th pick, Washington selected a receiver with a familiar last name, Luke McCaffrey out of Rice. McCaffrey fell to the third round because he started his college career as a mediocre quarterback before recently switching to receiver. In his senior year at Rice in 2023, Luke McCaffrey was eclectic. Showing flashes of similarities to his brother Christian, Luke put up 1,109 scrimmage yards and 13 touchdowns last season. He has big shoes to fill, but I expect Luke McCaffrey to be one of Jayden Dabiels’ top pass catchers in the NFL. Washington did make a couple of other picks, but I’ve deemed them irrelevant.


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