Day 2 of the 2024 NFL Draft is in the books. As is the case throughout the draft, there are bound to be several surprising moments. On Thursday, for example, the stunner of the night -- and likely the entire draft -- came inside the top 10 when the Atlanta Falcons selected quarterback Michael Penix Jr. after handing Kirk Cousins a bag in free agency. While we didn't reach those levels of hysteria, there were a handful of eyebrow-raising moments that unfolded throughout Friday night.
Here's a look at the five biggest surprises from the second and third rounds:
Spencer Rattler remains on the board
After a historic first round on Thursday night where six quarterbacks came off the board within the first 12 picks, no signal-caller heard his name called on Day 2. That includes the consensus top remaining quarterback on the board in South Carolina's Spencer Rattler. Despite an array of teams missing out on the QB run in Round 1, that didn't spring them into action on Friday as they elected to address other areas of need. Specifically with Rattler, he now presents great value for a prospective team as he has plenty of talent and at one point was being considered as a potential late first-rounder.
Adonai Mitchell's stock dips
After plenty of mocks had Adonai Mitchell as a possible first-round pick, the Texas receiver saw his stock take a hit once the 2024 NFL Draft actually kicked off. He missed out on sneaking into the backend of the first round but was widely thought to be in the running to be one of the first players off the board on Day 2. It didn't materialize. Mitchell fell all the way to No. 52 overall to the Colts with the Bills (Keon Coleman), Chargers (Ladd McConkey), and Patriots (Ja'Lynn Polk) all getting picked in the second round before him. After he was selected, it was reported that Mitchell didn't interview well during the pre-draft process, which seemingly hurt his stock.
Commanders let Eagles move up for Cooper DeJean
The Eagles were in the market to bolster their secondary and Howie Roseman did just that throughout the first two days of the draft. They selected Quinyon Mitchell in the first round and then traded up on Day 2 to select Iowa cornerback Cooper DeJean. It was surprising that DeJean was still on the board at No. 40 as many had him as a first-round pick (largely to the Eagles), but this was even more shocking when factoring in the Commanders being the team that traded with Philly. It's not exactly great practice to pave the way for your NFC East rival to land what could be a starting-caliber defensive back who could burn you twice a year for the foreseeable future. For the Eagles, it's a heck of a turn of events where they come away with two players they likely would've been happy to take in Round 1.
T'Vondre Sweat doesn't fall despite DWI arrest
One player who was going to be fascinating to watch on Day 2 was T'Vondre Sweat. The Texas defensive tackle doesn't lack talent as a unanimous All-American and the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, but many expected Sweat's stock to take a big hit after he was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of driving while intoxicated earlier this month. However, no such fall happened as the Tennessee Titans selected him with the No. 38 overall pick. After making the pick, GM Ran Carthon explained that the team spent a lot of time talking with Sweat about the incident and were ultimately comfortable with making the pick.
Cowboys don't draft Jonathan Brooks or any RB
The Dallas Cowboys -- specifically Jerry Jones -- were openly praising Texas running back Jonathan Brooks before the start of Day 2. Jones noted on Thursday that he "was the best interview that I've ever interviewed with a player" and that "we've got him high, high, high." Given that lofty praise and a clear need at running back, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that the Cowboys were going to do everything possible to bring Brooks to Dallas. Despite all that interest, however, they were unable to do so with the Carolina Panthers trading up to take him before the Cowboys even had the chance. To make this situation even more surprising, Dallas didn't draft a running back at all throughout the first two days of the draft.
