After an eventful first day of the 2024 NFL Draft, there are still hundreds of players available with rounds two and three to begin later today. Round one featured several records such as six quarterbacks going within the top 12 picks, 14 offensive players going to begin the draft and 23 offensive players taken overall in the first round.

Because of some of these trends there are plenty of talented players who will be available for the Tampa Bay Bucs – and other teams – to start the second round.

Here are the top players remaining on my 2024 NFL Draft Big Board.

First-Round NFL Draft Grades

1. Illinois DT Johnny Newton

12. Oregon C Jackson Powers-Johnson (Pewter Report Bucs Best Bet)

14. Iowa CB Cooper DeJean

Illinois DT Johnny Newton – Photo courtesy of Illinois

There have been rumors about both Newton and Powers-Johnson missing out on being first-round picks due to medical concerns. For Newton, who was the 2023 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, he had to have surgery to repair a Jones fracture in his foot. The injury healed to the point where was able to test at his Pro Day. Because of that it’s a bit curious to me that he still fell. But Jones fractures can have a high rate of re-injury which could be scaring teams off.

Powers-Johnson has had multiple concussions in his career and battled through hip and groin injuries in 2023 before tweaking his hamstring the second day of the practice during the Reese’s Senior Bowl.

Both players have amazing tape that is deserving of first-round selections, so the injury concerns could be real. Just how concerning will be fascinating to watch in terms of when a team will decide the return is worth the risk and pick each of them. DeJean doesn’t have such concerns, so his fall may be more tied to positional uncertainty. He played outside cornerback at Iowa, but many analysts believe he may profile better as a safety. Safety has lower positional value and then you have to factor in that he doesn’t have much experience there.

When you add those things up you get a riskier profile that perhaps doesn’t warrant a first-round pick. Additionally, the league seemed lower on the cornerback position as a whole. The first cornerback taken (Toledo’s Quinyon Mitchell) wasn’t selected until No. 22 overall. That downward push on the position group as a whole may have aided in DeJean falling out of the first round.

It is highly doubtful that any of these players will be available when the Bucs are on the clock in the second round with the No. 57 overall pick.

Second-Round NFL Draft Grades

I had 35 players with second round grades for this draft. A total of 18 of those players were selected in the first round on Thursday. That leaves 17 players that I have second-round grades that are still available.

17. Oregon WR Troy Franklin

20 Michigan CB Mike Sainristril (Pewter Report Bucs Best Bet)

23. Central Michigan EDGE Marshawn Kneeland (Pewter Report Bucs Best Bet)

24. Michigan IDL Kris Jenkins

27. Washington WR Ja’Lynn Polk

28. Alabama CB Kool-Aid McKinstry

29. Texas WR Adonai Mitchell

31. Georgia WR Ladd McConkey

36. Michigan WR Roman Wilson

38. Missouri CB Ennis Rakestraw

41. Missouri CB Kris Abrams-Draine

42. Florida State RB Trey Benson

43. Tennessee RB Jaylen Wright

44. Western Kentucky WR Malachi Corley

45. Clemson EDGE Xavier Thomas

46. Florida State IDL Braden Fiske

47. Penn State EDGE Adisa Isaac

Penn State OLB Adisa Isaac – Photo by: USA Today

Personally, my favorite of this group of players would be Polk, as I see him as a natural successor to Bucs receiver Chris Godwin. Polk can play outside, but would also be deadly in the slot for Tampa Bay in new offensive coordinator Liam Coen’s Rams-style offense.

With 25 picks until the Bucs select again, and 20 players listed above, chances are that several of these draft prospects will be available when Tampa Bay general manager Jason Licht has to make his next decision.

Of this group, the Bucs have had Sainristil, Kneeland, McKinstry and Corley in town for Top 30 visits. Tampa Bay also had a formal interview at the NFL Scouting Combine with Kneeland, Fiske and Isaac in Indianapolis.