We talk a lot about the impact rookies will have and their landing spots for a team, but we don't talk enough about the implications that come from the draft on players already in the NFL. A new quarterback can be a boon for a receiver. A new corner can open up opportunities for a pass rusher.
Sometimes, it is a move that a team didn't make that has the biggest impact. Taking a dive into NFL rosters, there were seven players who jumped out to me as those who benefited the most from what their teams did, or didn't do, in the 2024 NFL draft.
This is more a matter of benefitting from what the Ravens did not do, rather than what they did. Vorhees put together one of the gutsiest combine performances ever in 2023, putting up 38 reps on the bench press after tearing his ACL during the on-field workout. If not for the injury, he likely would have been a late Day 2 or early Day 3 selection.
Instead, he fell to the seventh round and essentially redshirted this past year with the Ravens. John Simpson and Kevin Zeitler both exited in free agency and Baltimore did not draft a guard this year. Vorhees figures to be in line for one of the starting guard spots assuming he is all the way back from the injury. He could be an above-average starter right off the bat.
Terry McLaurin, WR, Washington Commanders
McLaurin seemed to be well on his way to becoming the next Allen Robinson. The former second-round pick wasted away for years in Jacksonville and Chicago, saddled with subpar quarterback play. In his career, McLaurin has caught passes from Case Keenum, Dwayne Haskins, Colt McCoy, Alex Smith, Kyle Allen, Taylor Heinicke, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Garrett Gilbert, Carson Wentz and Sam Howell.
The fact that it has been that many since 2019 and so poor is somewhat shocking. McLaurin will now be playing in an offense led by Jayden Daniels and designed by Kliff Kingsbury. Coming off four straight 1,000-yard seasons, I think McLaurin is likely in for a career year.
With the Raiders letting Josh Jacobs walk this offseason, the probability for them drafting a running back felt pretty high. Las Vegas did eventually take Dylan Laube in the sixth round, but he projects best as a receiving back who only plays on passing downs. That opens the door for Zamir White to step into a meaningful role in this backfield.
The former Georgia product saw his workload increase in his second season, but he still only saw 119 touches. That is going to drastically increase. Jacobs had 260 touches in the 13 games he was healthy last year. White is going to see north of 200 touches no problem, even if Alexander Mattison does carve out a role. I also would not be surprised to see the team lean on the run game with Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell situated as the Raiders quarterbacks.
Jalen Carter, DL, Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles rebuilt their secondary in the 2024 NFL draft, spending their first two picks on defensive backs. Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean should both start in some capacity. Add in that C.J. Gardner-Johnson is back after a stint with the Lions and James Bradberry is potentially moving to safety as well, this secondary could wind up being one of the best in the league. That should make the Eagles' front seven even more dangerous.
Leading the charge will be Carter. As a rookie, Carter racked up six sacks and accounted for 18 pressures. That was also while playing only 51 percent of the defensive snaps. With an improved secondary behind him and Fletcher Cox now retired, Carter is set for a bigger role with more sack opportunities. Don't forget that Vic Fangio is now calling this defense as well.
I'm not as bullish on T'Vondre Sweat's upside as some others, but there is no denying that he can plug up the middle. At 6'4", 366 pounds, he is a difficult man to move. He will see his fair share of double teams. That should open things up for Murray. While he has struggled in coverage, Murray is a sure tackler with good speed. According to Pro Football Reference, he recorded 107 stops last year and only had four missed tackles. If Sweat is drawing double teams in front of him, that will keep blockers off him and allow him to have more of an impact as a run defender in 2024.
Russell Wilson, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers
This might seem like an odd one, but let's take a look at the situation Wilson has been in since he left Seattle. In 2022, he played under Nathaniel Hackett and was the most-sacked quarterback in the entire league. In 2023, Sean Payton arrived and seemed to have it in for Wilson from the start. Wilson was once again one of the most-sacked quarterbacks in the league and was benched for the final two games of the season.
Now he arrives in Pittsburgh, where they have essentially just built a wall in front of him. The Steelers have invested heavily in their offensive line, drafting Broderick Jones, Troy Fautanu, Zach Frazier, and Mason McCormick over the past two years. Pittsburgh also brought in Arthur Smith, who could be a tough fit for Russ' preferred play style of attacking outside the numbers, but also setting up the offensive to be run-heavy, which is where Wilson has succeeded in the past. From 2012 to 2015, the Seahawks ranked top five in run percentage.
Seattle reached the playoffs every year, appeared in two Super Bowls and won one. Add in a field-stretcher like Roman Wilson, whom the Steelers drafted in the third round and I think this is going to be a great fit for the nine-time Pro Bowler.
Dallas desperately needed to address its offensive line in the 2024 NFL draft. There were a ton of iterations for what that may look like and one of the points that was promoted heavily was the versatility of Smith. He played tackle at Tulsa, but has settled nicely at left guard with the Cowboys. However, if Dallas were to draft a player like Graham Barton or Jackson Powers-Johnson, that could result in Smith needing to kick back outside to tackle.
Instead, Jerry Jones and company traded back and took Tyler Guyton, a college right tackle who the Cowboys will move to the left side. There will be some growing pains for Guyton, but keeping Smith at left guard is the best move for his development and career trajectory. This was a major win for him.
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