Key intel on all 32 teams after the 2024 NFL draft Buzz fits

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The 2024 NFL draft has given way to rookie minicamps, where 32 teams get their initial glimpse of the players they expect to fill important holes or in some cases carry them into the future. The previous weeks and months of scouting and evaluation will be put to the test during this period, as franchises determine whether what they saw on tape, at pro days and in interview rooms matches (or exceeds) their hopes for each player. Senior NFL Insider Jeremy Fowler spent the past week-plus since the conclusion of the draft talking to executives, scouts and coaches throughout the NFL, gaining clarity on the fits for some of the key members of the 257-man draft class of 2024:

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NFC EAST Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys were working the fringes on running back, one of several needs, but the lack of a fourth-round pick hurt their chances.

The No. 87 pick was a spot where they could have chosen a back, but the Cowboys felt Notre Dame linebacker Marist Liufau not only addressed another major need but provided the toughness to fit within Mike Zimmer's defense. Dallas had shown enough pre-draft love to MarShawn Lloyd that the USC tailback (who went to Green Bay at No. 88) thought the Cowboys would be one of the possible teams to draft him.

The Cowboys also really liked Tennessee running back Jaylen Wright, who went No. 120 overall (the 20th pick of the fourth round) to Miami. If the Cowboys had a fourth-rounder and Wright were still available, chances are they would have jumped on him.

Beyond Liufau on the defense, I'm told Dallas sees shades of Cowboys staple DeMarcus Lawrence in second-round edge rusher Marshawn Kneeland, a player who can win with speed or power and can stop the run.

New York Giants

Early third-round defensive back choice Dru Phillips always seemed destined for Day 2, but a few scouts had a late-first-round grade on him -- and one of the reasons was his football acumen. Multiple teams told me Phillips' combine interview was among their very best thanks to his ability to see the game and grasp defensive concepts.

Like Dallas (see above), New York also had its sights on USC running back MarShawn Lloyd as a future lead back but didn't have a pick between Nos. 71 and 107. Lloyd went 88th. But the Giants definitely had him on the radar in Day 2.

Philadelphia Eagles

Howie Roseman, the NFL's most aggressive general manager, parlayed eight trades into an impressive-on-paper draft.

One AFC scout lauded Roseman's haul, which reflected restraint. A team that typically prefers 300-pounders in the first round had high grades on at least eight offensive linemen yet took the first corner off the board in Toledo's Quinyon Mitchell. And to get defensive back Cooper DeJean at No. 40, before the Day 2 corner run ignited -- DeJean was the first of four straight corners selected in the second round -- was peak forecasting.

The Eagles found additional defensive value beyond DeJean. They will likely start him on the outside and see what he can handle from there, and are cognizant of giving him too many responsibilities too early, despite his versatility.

"[DeJean] is good at everything -- not sure he's elite in one area but his bust factor is really low," an AFC scout said.

Of Philadelphia's other defensive picks, the scout said, "[Defensive coordinator] Vic Fangio loves [third-round edge rusher] Jalyx Hunt. He's got some high-end traits. And even [sixth-rounder] Johnny Wilson is [physically gifted]. He's got major ability."

Washington Commanders

So, the No. 2 selection was pretty clear-cut. Then, after the Commanders tried to trade back into the first round for an offensive tackle, to no avail, they settled in on defense on Day 2 with Illinois defensive tackle Jer'Zhan Newton and Michigan corner Mike Sainristil.

Newton creates an interesting dynamic at defensive tackle, which already features two Pro Bowlers in Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne.

Newton has first-round ability but was recovering from a Jones fracture of his right foot during the pre-draft process. Having three talented tackles is hardly a bad thing, but a few league execs are wondering if Washington will ever consider offers for Allen, who is due $15.4 million this year and $16.5 million next, below market for high-end tackles.

The people I've talked to believe Washington will need to either rework his contract eventually or decide whether it will entertain trade interest, which it has rebuffed in the past. But, for now, head coach Dan Quinn can concoct a plan to get all three defensive tackles on the field.

NFC NORTH Chicago Bears

The Bears' two first-round picks (Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze) were all about splash, but the third-round pick will be dear to general manager Ryan Poles' heart.

Poles is a former Boston College offensive lineman whose first high pick at the position, last year's first-rounder Darnell Wright, has star potential.

The selection of Yale tackle Kiran Amegadjie at No. 75 overall in 2024 has high upside. Multiple scouts say Amegadjie could have been a top-45 pick if not for a quad injury that thwarted his participation in the Senior Bowl.

The Bears considered defensive line with the selection but bet big on the highest player on their board, knowing he'd be gone a few picks after if they didn't act. The Raiders and Colts both selected offensive tackles shortly after Chicago did.

Detroit Lions

It's possible the Lions jumped an NFC North rival for a top corner.

As Detroit moved from No. 29 to 24 to snag corner Terrion Arnold, the Packers at No. 25 were among the teams that Arnold's camp had firmly on the radar entering the 20s. The belief is Green Bay had Arnold rated highly.

Green Bay's star corner, Jaire Alexander, was a 2018 first-round selection at No. 18, two picks ahead of Detroit. The Lions got Frank Ragnow with that pick, so things worked out well for both teams. But at least Detroit prevented Green Bay from potentially getting another star corner. Detroit coveted Arnold's man-coverage traits and all-around game.

"As far as talent, speed, coverage, ball production, tackling, size, ability to play inside and outside -- I had him as the best corner," an AFC scout said of Arnold.

Green Bay Packers

The Packers definitely see shades of Aaron Jones in USC back MarShawn Lloyd, their third-round pick, with his versatility, burst, toughness and ability to catch the ball out of the backfield.

Despite the presence of Josh Jacobs and AJ Dillon in the backfield (accounting for nearly $16 million in combined 2024 payroll, by the way), the Packers should get Lloyd acclimated quickly.

I'm told Lloyd doesn't consider himself a stash-and-learn option but a real player in the backfield, based on his talks with the team. And Green Bay will remain dedicated to the run. The Packers went 5-0 when Jones, now a Viking, rushed 20 or more times.

Minnesota Vikings

Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah kept the league guessing with his big Day 1 trade (no, not the move up for J.J. McCarthy).

Some people with Jacksonville were surprised when the Vikings looked to trade up from No. 23 into the teens, eventually swapping a sizable haul for Jacksonville's 17th pick: a fifth-round pick in 2024, as well as third- and fourth-rounders in 2025, greatly diminishing Minnesota's draft a year from now.

Adofo-Mensah, with an analytical background, played to his reputation early in his tenure. The first two moves of his first two drafts were trade-backs, including a significant jump from No. 12 to 32 with division rival Detroit in 2022. But over the past two months, Adofo-Mensah went all-in to move up -- three times, twice while on the clock -- to secure McCarthy and Alabama pass-rusher Dallas Turner.

"I had to think twice because I had him pegged as a volume guy when it came to draft picks," said an AFC executive whose team had correspondence with the Vikings on draft week. "It looks like he's shifted his thinking to where, the reality is it's hard to win without players you can build around."

NFC SOUTH Atlanta Falcons

The Michael Penix Jr. pick has befuddled front offices around the league. Here's a bit of context behind the pick:

Word began to spread in NFL circles on the Saturday before the draft that the Falcons loved Penix, to the extent that he ranked as high as their No. 2 overall quarterback in the draft. On April 5, Falcons brass flew from Atlanta to Seattle to watch Penix throw for a few hours in a private setting, then turned around and flew home. That tells a lot.

Owner Arthur Blank looms large here. I'm told he fully endorsed long-term stability at the position, which Kirk Cousins, at age 35, cannot satisfy to the same degree. Blank had two quarterbacks -- Michael Vick and Matt Ryan -- controlling his offense for the better part of two decades. Blank is not used to the QB carousel.

I do think the coaching calendar played a factor in Atlanta's decision to sign Cousins even while continuing to scout quarterbacks in the draft. By the time Raheem Morris was hired and fleshed out his staff, the Falcons were pressed against free agency. Cousins was viewed as a sure thing. But the final four to six weeks before the draft is when coaches put their stamp on draft scouting, which helps explain why Morris and his staff would also zero in on Penix.

Carolina Panthers

The Panthers are going with nearby South Carolina flavor this offseason, pairing Gamecocks first-round receiver Xavier Legette with free agent signing Jadeveon Clowney, another former South Carolina great.

Head coach David Canales was a longtime assistant in Seattle, where he coached DK Metcalf. And some scouts see similarities in the 6-foot-3, 227-pound Legette.

"Not quite the athlete Metcalf is but he's got some game-breaking ability like that, and he can do a little more with versatility as a runner and pass-catcher," an NFL personnel evaluator said.

New Orleans Saints

South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler's fall to the fifth round was, in part, a need issue. Two teams extremely high on him -- the Atlanta Falcons and Denver Broncos -- drafted quarterbacks in the top 12. That essentially left the Las Vegas Raiders, who had made the calculation that an Aidan O'Connell-Gardner Minshew combo alleviated the need to reach for a quarterback.

But make no mistake, Rattler is not perceived as 138 picks worse than Bo Nix -- some evaluators had him awfully close to the same tier as Nix.

One team source had zero issues with the perceived image concerns facing Rattler, whose appearance in the documentary "QB1" during his high school career did not portray his personality in the best light.

"Really didn't harp on it much -- it wasn't a big thing," the source said. "He's matured a lot since then, like we all have. If there was a camera in my face when I was in high school, I wouldn't have looked great, either. He was impressive in his interviews."

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Bucs can give a huge assist to former Washington coach Chris Petersen for their recent drafts.

Tampa has selected five Huskies since 2018, including third-round receiver Jalen McMillan and seventh-round tight end Devin Culp in the 2024 draft.

The Bucs previously spent first-round picks on defensive tackle Vita Vea (2018) and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka (2021), along with tight end Cade Otton (2022) in the fourth round.

Common thread: Petersen, who coached Washington from 2014 to 2019 and recruited this group of players, is big on character on and off the field, discipline and passion. The Bucs value those things, too.

NFC WEST Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals are trying to establish a culture in Year 2 of the Monti Ossenfort-Jonathan Gannon regime, and Rutgers corner Max Melton fits the mold.

The Cardinals valued Melton's team-first approach, the intangibles that don't show up on a standard draft profile. He stayed at Rutgers despite NIL opportunities elsewhere, betting big on Greg Schiano's ability to shepherd defensive backs in the NFL (such as Devin and Jason McCourty and Logan Ryan). And Melton doesn't view special teams as a chore, but something he loves. He blocked four punts for the Scarlet Knights.

"He'll be an X factor for them," an NFL personnel evaluator said.

Los Angeles Rams

Calling anyone an Aaron Donald replacement is blasphemous, so let's just say the Rams found a potential cornerstone in Florida State edge rusher Jared Verse, the 19th pick.

Several teams believed the Rams were looking to move into the top 10, possibly for tight end Brock Bowers. They stood pat and took the third pass-rusher off the board, after UCLA's Laiatu Latu (15th to the Colts) and Alabama's Dallas Turner (17th to the Vikings). But as far as raw power, Verse has a gear those players don't, according to multiple scouts.

"He's a man-child," a veteran NFC scout of Verse. "He wrecks the game."

San Francisco 49ers

Much of the league was keeping a close eye on the 49ers' handling of the wide receiver position throughout the draft. Multiple teams told me they had interest in Brandon Aiyuk, but they believed the 49ers wanted a first-round pick for him, with one comparing the situation to that of A.J. Brown, who went from Tennessee to Philadelphia in 2022 in exchange for the 18th pick. The Eagles then signed him to a four-year, $100 million contract. Trading for Aiyuk would have required a new deal and a premium pick.

The 49ers did discuss Deebo Samuel with teams on Day 2 of the draft, but a source said definitively two hours before the second round that San Francisco "isn't moving him."

The intrigue deepened when San Francisco took Florida wideout Ricky Pearsall -- a player most teams had pegged as a second-round pick -- at No. 31.

"He can be a nice No. 2 or No. 3 receiver, a good player, but that was a bit of a reach, in my opinion," an NFC personnel evaluator said of Pearsall.

Added an AFC exec: "They wanted a route runner like the Rams have in Puka [Nacua]. Probably see him in that same role."

Scouts thought second-round corner Renardo Green was a bit of a reach, too, but it's hard to argue the 49ers don't maximize talent under Kyle Shanahan.

Seattle Seahawks

Seattle has a deep cornerback room with Devon Witherspoon, Riq Woolen and Michael Jackson. So why add two corners -- Auburn's Nehemiah Pritchett and D.J. James -- in the fifth and sixth rounds? Value and competition.

From what we've heard, Seattle had fourth-round grades on both corners. The selection of Pritchett and James signified Seattle sticking to its board.

The Seahawks want to foster competitive spirit across the roster under new head coach Mike Macdonald, and no position requires it more than cornerback. In Macdonald's final year in Baltimore, six different cornerbacks played significant snaps due to injury. Also, it should be noted that Woolen didn't have as strong of a sophomore season as in 2022. His starting role is hardly in danger, but perhaps a deeper cornerback room provides extra incentive for Woolen to attack Year 3.

AFC EAST Buffalo Bills

Buffalo had one of the league's more balanced drafts, addressing nine different positional needs with its 10 picks. That was all but necessary after the Bills slashed $50 million-plus in veteran contracts because of cap constraints.

One pick who could have a sneaky-big impact is fourth-round tailback Ray Davis, who has fantasy upside due to his stout frame at 5-foot-8, 211 pounds. He's got power.

"Great complement to [James] Cook and should get a lot of goal-line and short-yardage work, which should result in some touchdowns," a veteran NFL scout said of Davis.

Keep in mind with the Bills' rushing attack under OC Joe Brady: Buffalo was fifth in attempts at 512, far ahead of its total of 430 in 2022. There should be plenty of carries available.

Miami Dolphins

While first-round pick Chop Robinson (Penn State) might need to play right away due to injuries on defense, second-round tackle Patrick Paul (Houston) is the perfect candidate to learn behind the scenes for a year.

Left tackle Terron Armstead is back for a 12th season, and Austin Jackson is entrenched at right tackle. Paul -- a 6-foot-7, 330 pounder -- is considered a high-upside pick but a bit of a project.

"I thought he would need a little time," said an NFL executive whose team was in the tackle market. "Other guys ahead of him were more ready to contribute right away. But if he gets the fundamentals down, he can be a really good player. And maybe Miami's offense can find creative ways to use him."

New England Patriots

I had heard early in the draft process that the Patriots hoped a certain receiver would be available either at their No. 34 overall pick or in a trade up into the late first. That receiver was South Carolina's Xavier Legette, per a source. Only problem: Carolina moved from No. 33 to 32 to take Legette on Thursday night.

That essentially left New England all of Friday to shop a deal out of the No. 34 slot. The Chargers moved into that spot in exchange for No. 37, which New England used on Washington's Ja'Lynn Polk. The good news for New England is that it rated Polk among its top six or seven receivers in the entire draft. But it appears that Legette was a bit higher in that pecking order.

New York Jets

The sense around the league is the Jets were pretty set on Penn State tackle Olu Fashanu at No. 10 overall ... unless Washington receiver Rome Odunze was available. The people I've talked to believe the Jets would have jumped at Odunze, though they correctly figured Chicago was taking him there. Georgia tight end Brock Bowers was a consideration for the Jets but not a major one. New York was also very high on Washington tackle Troy Fautanu but had some long-term durability concerns about him.

One word to describe third-round receiver Malachi Corley, via a veteran scout: "rugged." Jets GM Joe Douglas and head coach Robert Saleh were elated to select Corley via a trade up to No. 65 overall. One source told me the Jets had been monitoring Corley as high as pick No. 40 for a potential trade.

Aaron Rodgers has been excited to work with Corley since watching tape on him last month.

AFC NORTH Baltimore Ravens

When I asked scouts for their impressions of the draft, one common refrain was echoed: Did Baltimore get another great corner unexpectedly?

No. 30 overall pick Nate Wiggins didn't receive the same mock draft love as Toledo's Quinyon Mitchell or Alabama's Terrion Arnold, but several scouts had him as the top corner and many love his game. 

"He's smooth, and even though he's thin, he plays big," an AFC personnel exec said. "That was the steal of the first round for me."

Added an AFC scout: "He's terrible against the run, but if you're asking him to cover, he's the best in the class."

Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals emerged from the injury-riddled 2023 season acknowledging that their defensive front seven needed more explosion and speed. That was a major point of emphasis in this draft, and it explains the selection of a pair of Day 2 tackles, Michigan's Kris Jenkins and Texas A&M's McKinnley Jackson.

Cincinnati expects both players to contribute right away. In Jenkins, Cincinnati sees shades of B.J. Hill with more upside. And Jackson is a true run-stopper.

Few teams took more chances than the Bengals, whose first-round pick (Georgia tackle Amarius Mims) wasn't a full-time starter, whose third-round pick (Alabama receiver Jermaine Burton) faced character concerns and whose fifth-rounder (Iowa tight end Erick All) has a lengthy injury history. If two of those three hit, the calculated risks were worth it. They all have the talent to do so. All, in particular, could have easily been a Day 2 pick if healthy the past two years -- he underwent back surgery in 2022 and tore his right ACL in October.

Cleveland Browns

For the second straight year, the Browns are banking on their staff helping a talented Ohio State player with maturity concerns transition to the NFL.

When offensive tackle Dawand Jones slipped to the fourth round of last year's draft, due in part to weight concerns, the Browns selected him with the 111th pick. And it paid off, with Jones starting nine games and acquitting himself well.

Fair or not, multiple teams had similar concerns about Michael Hall Jr., the Browns' second-round pick, namely his ability to be a consistent pro. For example, Hall looked great pre-draft, more stout at around 298 pounds compared to playing in the 280s at Ohio State. After he ran in the 4.7s at his pro day, some teams wondered why he didn't contribute more at that size in college, where he started just 11 games. It played into the underachieving label.

"With Dawand Jones starting games in the NFL and being productive, Cleveland must be doing something right," an AFC scout said. "Not sure what they are doing there, but if Dawand can do that, Mike Hall can, too. The talent is there, he'll just need a bit of help and guidance to become a pro."

The Browns take pride in their large, diverse staffs to support players. The coaching staff, for example, features 23 coaches along with a nine-member performance staff, including director of player development Carson Walch and player development coordinator Anthony Fabiano. This group is in place to help players transition, and the Browns hope the approach pays off again.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Pittsburgh was so dedicated to offensive linemen -- drafting three of them in their first five picks for the first time since 1976 -- that it had set a blueprint for its first two picks.

The Steelers thought Troy Fautanu could go as high as No. 10 to the Jets and didn't expect him to fall. GM Omar Khan worked the phones just in case, before Fautanu fell to the Steelers at No. 20. Georgia tackle Amarius Mims, who went to Cincinnati at No. 18, was firmly on Pittsburgh's radar, too.

Toward the end of the first round, Pittsburgh had identified West Virginia center Zach Frazier as a viable option at No. 51 and did some recon work to figure out whether he would be available at the pick. Frazier was largely considered an early Day 2 pick.

AFC SOUTH Houston Texans

The Texans' nine draft picks should expect to contribute right away, because that's the precedent set by GM Nick Caserio's drafts.

Houston's hit rate has been solid. Out of 18 draft picks from 2022 to 2023, Caserio's first two years on the job, eight players enter 2024 in the starting lineup of the depth chart, with several others immersed in the two-deep.

Even though Houston traded out of the first round, look for Day 2 picks such as defensive backs Kamari Lassiter (Georgia) and Calen Bullock (USC) to contribute right away.

The Texans wanted to add more juice and youth to the secondary this offseason, one person with the team told me, and the big free agent money went to pass-rusher Danielle Hunter, so it's no surprise that defensive backs dominated Rounds 2 and 3 for the Texans.

Bullock is a player to watch. He makes plays on the ball and could see projection in a third safety role.

Indianapolis Colts

With the No. 15 pick, the Colts got perhaps the best pure pass-rusher in the draft in Laiatu Latu, who probably would have been a top-10 pick if not for neck fusion surgery in college.

But Latu's pre-draft medical process was smooth, and the Colts were far from the only team that was comfortable with his medical -- Denver was another. Had the Broncos passed on Bo Nix at No. 12, Latu would have been under firm consideration. And teams I've talked to believe Atlanta had targeted him in a trade back into the first round, which never happened.

The only team I heard would have been uneasy about the medical was Miami, and for good reason: The Dolphins' starting edge rushers, Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb, are both recovering from major injuries. They needed a healthy edge rusher, which they got with Penn State's Chop Robinson.

"There's debate about whether Latu will have a long career or play well into a second contract, but in the short term he should be great," an NFL executive said. "And he might be fine long term, too."

Jacksonville Jaguars

It's easy to highlight first-rounders, but here's a potential late-round gem: seventh-round defensive end Myles Cole out of Texas Tech. He ran a 4.69-second 40 at 6-foot-6 and 278 pounds.

"He's long as hell, big as hell, fast as hell," an AFC scout said. "Change of direction is not great, play wasn't great, but there's a lot to work with."

The Jaguars felt strongly about their Day 3 haul, including Texas running back Keilan Robinson as a change-of-pace back and a viable option as a kick returner given the revamped rules.

At No. 23 overall, where Jacksonville took LSU receiver Brian Thomas Jr., Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold also was a strong consideration as the choice. But Jacksonville wanted a receiver with dominant traits to replace Calvin Ridley and figured it could get corner help elsewhere in the draft.

Tennessee Titans

A receiver duo of Calvin Ridley and Malik Nabers was on the table for Tennessee.

The Titans had three primary options at No. 7 overall: Notre Dame tackle Joe Alt, Alabama tackle JC Latham and Nabers, the LSU receiver considered by some evaluators as the most explosive player in the draft. If Latham, the eventual pick, was off the board, Nabers likely would have been the pick. A three-man core of Ridley, Nabers and DeAndre Hopkins could have been lethal for Will Levis.

"Their offensive line was in shambles, so pretty much everyone had tackle pegged for them," an AFC executive said.

Adds an NFC scout on Texas defensive tackle T'Vondre Sweat, the Titans' second-round pick: "He had the DUI but he wasn't falling past the second round. He was one of the most dominant players at the Senior Bowl. Somebody would have taken him. And I think he's contrite about what happened."

AFC WEST Denver Broncos

Sean Payton told reporters on Day 2 of the draft that he bluffed trade talks with Denver's No. 12 overall pick.

"I was actively involved in trying to pretend we were moving forward," said Payton, seemingly a nod to baiting Minnesota into moving up from No. 11, which the Vikings did, taking over the Jets' No. 10 slot.

Turns out Payton was indeed calling around. The Bears heard from Denver and one other team while on the clock at No. 9. It wasn't clear at the time which player Denver was targeting in any potential trade up, or if it even had a target.

But the Broncos have made clear they were all-in on Bo Nix -- "'our guy the whole way," as one source put it.

Here's to assuming Denver wanted the Vikings to take McCarthy off the board, clearing the way for Nix, since the teams picking in the 9-10-11 range were unlikely to be in the market for him.

Kansas City Chiefs

A low-key crucial catalyst for the Chiefs' championship run is the ability to identify impact defensive backs in Day 3 of the draft. It started with L'Jarius Sneed, a fourth-round pick in 2020 whose play scored him a $76 million deal with the Tennessee Titans.

A pair of 2022 picks, Joshua Williams (fourth round) and Jaylen Watson (seventh), will play prominent roles at cornerback. And 2023 picks Chamarri Conner and Nic Jones should, too.

Jaden Hicks could prove to be next. The fourth-round safety out of Washington State entered the draft with Day 2 buzz.

"Wired right, works hard, very good communicator on the field, confident and assertive for a rookie with a nice physical skill set," an AFC defensive coach said.

On offense, what the Chiefs do with second-round tackle Kingsley Suamataia will be fascinating. He has first-round traits, but some scouts question his desire to be great. If any team can maximize his skill set ...

Las Vegas Raiders

Much was made of the Raiders' draft plans -- and ultimate inaction -- at quarterback. Here's what I know: They explored trading for Jayden Daniels, but any attempts were futile due to Washington's stance that it wasn't dealing the No. 2 pick. Las Vegas also had interest in Michael Penix Jr., but most likely not in a trade up. He would have been considered at No. 13 or in a trade back. I heard from multiple people in Vegas that the team did not want to reach.

"We ended up with one of the best weapons in the draft," said a team source about tight end Brock Bowers, the eventual 13th pick. "Extremely versatile player graded high by everyone."

In fact, multiple NFL scouts told me that Bowers might have been the best overall player in the entire field, but positional needs pushed him out of the top 10.

Los Angeles Chargers

The sense I got before the draft was that the Chargers were 7-Eleven -- open for business. So why no deal at No. 5?

What became clear in the 72 hours before the draft is that Drake Maye at No. 3 would be the quarterback to draw heavy trade interest. By that point, quarterback-needy teams essentially called their shot that J.J. McCarthy would not garner heavy trade interest at picks 4-6. Before then, several teams had legitimately wondered if McCarthy would end up in the top five or six picks.

The buzz around McCarthy sliding was real among team execs, even ones without quarterback needs or agendas in the top 10.

"I think the phone won't be ringing as much as those teams [like the Chargers] hoped," said a high-ranking NFC official before Thursday night.

Minnesota -- which selected McCarthy No. 10 overall, having traded up one spot to the New York Jets' spot -- made calls through the top 10 leading up to the draft. The Vikings and Chargers talked. And one league exec wondered if Minnesota passing on Jim Harbaugh for the head-coaching opening two years ago would have caused Harbaugh to be awfully stubborn on any potential deal between the sides.