With the official completion of the first three rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft, there were plenty of memorable moments and unexpected selections.
Every year, a number of the league’s veterans have greater pressure to perform because of the rookies their teams selected.
The competition for these four players’ spots is heating up, even if Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins shouldn’t be concerned about losing his starting job anytime soon.
Running back Miles Sanders, Carolina Panthers
When Sanders signed a four-year, $25.4 million contract with the Panthers in March of last year, they had great expectations, but now he’s a lame duck. Using the 46th overall pick on Friday, Carolina tried to make up for one of its many blunders from the previous summer by moving up for Jonathan Brooks of Texas, the top running back in this year’s draft.
Sanders enjoyed a career year with Philadelphia in 2022, rushing for 1,269 yards and 11 touchdowns en route to earning his first Pro Bowl nod. Unsurprisingly, the transition from one of the NFL’s best offensive lines to one of the worst units in the league was not easy for Sanders. Across 16 games last season, including just five starts, Sanders rushed for 432 yards and one touchdown, so the Brooks selection isn’t particularly shocking.
In 2022, Sanders had a stellar season with Philadelphia, rushing for 1,269 yards and 11 touchdowns to secure his first Pro Bowl selection. It should come as no surprise that Sanders found it difficult to go from having one of the finest offensive lines in the NFL to having one of the worst. Sanders carried for 432 yards and one touchdown in 16 games last season, including just five starts, so Brooks’ selection isn’t all that surprising.
Nevertheless, it’s unclear when Carolina would let Sanders go because it has a few other alternatives if it decides it doesn’t want him to continue serving as Brooks’ backup. The Panthers would only save $200K in salary space and incur a $7.5M dead cap penalty by designating Sanders as a post-June 1 release, according to Over The salary. If Carolina can locate a trade partner, trading the tailback after June 1 might be the best option because it would free up $6.2 million in cap space.
Quarterback Daniel Jones, New York Giants
There may not be a quarterback on a hotter seat coming into this season than Jones, despite the fact that his seat isn’t as burning as it could have been. Jones’s 2023 season started as badly as it could have after agreeing to a contentious four-year $160 million deal last offseason. The 26-year-old struggled while healthy, throwing for 909 yards, two touchdowns, and six interceptions in six games, but he also sustained a neck injury and an ACL rupture that ended his season.
Because of this, New York reportedly tried to move up for Drake Maye before New England took the former Tar Heel, and they even toyed with the possibility of selecting one of the top quarterback prospects during Thursday’s first round.
Malik Nabers, a genuine No. 1 wide receiver, was chosen by Giants general manager Joe Schoen for Jones, despite having the option to choose Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy sixth overall.
Throughout his NFL career, Jones has never had to play with a more explosive pass-catcher than Nabers, the all-time leader at LSU in receptions (189) and receiving yards (3,003). Jones has little reason to be unproductive in 2024 with a redesigned offensive line and Nabers leading an enticing young receiving corps that includes Jalin Hyatt and Wan’Dale Robinson.
The Giants made a bold acquisition of two-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Brian Burns last month, indicating that they have high hopes for this season’s postseason. New York will undoubtedly sever connections with Jones in the offseason if he is unable to guide the team back to the postseason or if he simply disappoints.
Wide receiver Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers
Despite trade speculations surrounding both Samuel and teammate Brandon Aiyuk over the first two days of the draft, San Francisco finally made the decision to hold onto the two outstanding wideouts, at least for the time being. 49ers general manager John Lynch informed reporters on Friday that he is “thrilled” with his existing receiving group and that he did not consider any offers for either player.
However, Lynch may still choose to resume talks given that he chose Florida wide receiver Ricky Pearsall with the 31st overall choice.
Aiyuk is requesting top receiver compensation, therefore his continued contract negotiations will be crucial in making this choice. Given that Samuel is older than Aiyuk and significantly more prone to injuries, San Francisco may be forced to trade him later in the offseason.
Samuel’s trade attempt by Lynch is said to have failed. Samuel was involved in “preliminary trade discussions” with both San Francisco and New England prior to the draft, according to Josina Anderson of CBS Sports.Additionally, according to Michael Silver of the San Francisco Chronicle, the Steelers had interest in Samuel “but were unwilling to meet the 49ers’ price.”
Despite Lynch’s recent remarks, there’s no certainty Samuel will play for the 49ers in 2024 unless Aiyuk’s contract problem is rectified.
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
Although Lawrence’s career is unlikely to be made or broken in 2024, it will be a crucial year for the former first overall choice. The cost of Lawrence’s contract extension will likely be decided by the outcome of this season, as he hasn’t exactly lived up to the expectations placed on him as a prospect.
It appeared as though Lawrence would dominate the AFC South for the ensuing ten years after an outstanding 2022 campaign in which he guided Jacksonville to the divisional round, especially with the addition of WR Calvin Ridley for 2023.
Lawrence did, however, regress last season, finishing with 4,016 yards and 21 touchdowns on 65.6% of his throws as the Jaguars ended 1-5 to miss the postseason. Though it’s hard to ignore the fact that Lawrence ranks 15th in passing touchdowns (58) and has committed the most turnovers among quarterbacks since his debut (60), injuries undoubtedly contributed to his poor performance.
Tennessee signed Ridley this offseason, while Jacksonville added Gabe Davis, a free agent, and Brian Thomas Jr., a first-round pick, to strengthen its receiving group. Lawrence needs to demonstrate that 2022 wasn’t an anomaly and that he deserves to be the next young quarterback to receive a significant extension now that he’s in the best scenario of his career.
