10 notable steals from the 2024 NFL Draft

The top of the 2024 NFL Draft went as expected within the first five or six picks. The top three teams took quarterbacks, the Cardinals took a wide receiver and the Chargers got Jim Harbaugh a lineman. 

But there always players available later in the class that teams probably did not expect to be there, and that was definitely true this year — especially when it comes to defensive prospects. The early run on offense allowed some of the draft's best defensive players to fall down the board. 

Here are 10 of the most notable steals from this year's class.  

Dallas Turner, edge, Minnesota Vikings (No. 17 overall): The Vikings had two first-round picks this season and addressed two major needs. After getting quarterback J.J. McCarthy earlier in the first round, the Vikings were able to move up for a second time and snag the best edge rusher in the draft (Turner) with the No. 17 overall pick. It is almost unheard of for the top edge rusher to fall that far, and the Vikings were able to pounce. 

Quinyon Mitchell, cornerback, Philadelphia Eagles (No. 22 overall): The Eagles came into the 2024 class needing one position above all others: defensive backs. They were able to get the top cornerback in the draft at No. 22 overall when Toledo's Quinyon Mitchell fell into their laps. He was not only a great player in college, but he also dominated the pre-draft workouts and emerged as a potential lockdown corner. He should start right away. 

Terrion Arnold, cornerback, Detroit Lions (No. 24 overall): Here's another NFC Super Bowl contender that needed secondary help and was able to get a top player late in the first round. The Lions had to move up a few spots to get Arnold, but that was a price they were willing to pay after the Alabama cornerback (another of the top corners in the draft) fell down the board due to the early run on offense. 

Johnny Newton, defensive line, Washington Commanders (No. 36 overall): An interior defensive lineman was probably not the biggest need for the Commanders at this spot, especially with Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne in the middle of their line, but Newton was too good to pass up at the No. 36 overall pick. Newton was one of the top interior defensive linemen in the draft and one of the top players overall. His presence will allow the Commanders to have a great rotation in the middle of their defensive line and keep everybody fresh for new head coach Dan Quinn. 

Cooper Dejean, defensive back, Philadelphia Eagles (No. 40 overall): The Eagles crushed it when it came to improving their secondary, and after having Mitchell fall into their laps at No. 22, they made an aggressive move up in the second round to get Dejean out of Iowa. He's another player who was projected as a first-round pick and fell further than expected. It remains to be seen where he will play in the NFL — it could be anywhere from outside corner, slot and safety — but he is a big-time playmaker who should make an instant impact. 

Jackson Powers-Johnson, center, Las Vegas Raiders (No. 44 overall): The Raiders were able to land tight end Brock Bowers in the first round and get one of the best playmakers in the draft. In the second-round, they added some beef up front by nabbing a player in Powers-Johnson who was considered to perhaps be the best interior offensive lineman in the draft. 

Payton Wilson, linebacker, Pittsburgh Steelers (No. 98 overall): Pretty much all of the Steelers' picks represented great value based on pre-draft rankings, but Wilson might be the most intriguing. He is the fastest linebacker in the class with true sideline-to-sideline ability and could make an immediate impact in the Steelers defense next to free agent signing Patrick Queen. Middle linebacker depth was a big problem in 2023, and they addressed it significantly this offseason. 

T.J. Tampa, cornerback, Baltimore Ravens (No. 130 overall): The Ravens never met a defensive back in the draft they did not like, and they landed a couple of potential impact players in first-round pick Nate Wiggins and Tampa in the fourth round. While Tampa is not the fastest corner in the draft, he was highly productive at Iowa State by allowing just one touchdown in his final season and boasting impressive size (6-foot-2) for a corner. He was projected as a second-or third-round pick. The Ravens got him in the fourth round. 

Jaden Hicks, safety, Kansas City Chiefs (No. 133 overall): Hicks was regarded as one of, if not the best, safety prospects in the draft, with The Athletic's Dane Brugler listing him No. 1 overall at the position. The Chiefs got him at the end of the fourth round and might have an instant starter on their hands. He would have been regarded as a strong second-or third-round pick. 

Spencer Rattler, quarterback, New Orleans Saints (No. 150 overall): After six quarterbacks went in the first 12 picks, teams pretty much avoided the position until well into day three when the Saints selected Rattler with the No. 150 overall pick. The gap between No. 12 and 150 was the longest gap in modern draft history without a quarterback being selected. The Saints might have picked a good one, as Rattler's experience and accuracy should give him a chance to play at the next level.