• Cooper DeJean to Seattle: DeJean could play safety in the NFL, but he could also play cornerback both outside and in the slot. Though it would be a luxury, he would be another exciting chess piece for the Seattle defense.
• Jordan Morgan would be a plug-and-play starter in Dallas: Getting an offensive lineman who offers guard-tackle flexibility would be perfect for the Cowboys in this draft, as Tyler Smith could play either left tackle or left guard in 2024.
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We’re now deep into draft season, and over the next month, there will be many a debate about which players should be drafted by which NFL teams.
Here are 10 prospect-team fits I love, with some fits falling after the first round. I start with interior offensive lineman Jackson Powers-Johnson, who would fill the hole in the middle of the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ offensive line.
iOL Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon → Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers have a hole in the middle of their offensive line and were reportedly interested in free-agent center Mitch Morse this offseason.
Powers-Johnson would be an immediate plug-and-play starter at that spot. Last season, the Oregon product earned an 85.7 PFF grade as a run-blocker and allowed just one pressure from 497 pass-blocking snaps.
CB Cooper DeJean, Iowa → Seattle Seahawks
While there is a ton of excitement about how cornerback Devon Witherspoon will fit in new head coach Mike Macdonald’s defense, I’m already looking for the Seahawks to add another versatile defensive back to give Macdonald more options for chaos.
DeJean could play safety in the NFL, but he could also play cornerback both outside and in the slot. Though it would be a luxury, he would be another exciting chess piece for that defense.
TE Brock Bowers, Georgia → Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals have taken care of most of their biggest needs this offseason, and the prospect of adding one of the best receiving tight ends in recent memory is just too tempting to turn down.
Bowers averaged 2.65 yards per route run last season, the best mark at the position. Adding him to a group of playmakers that includes Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins (at least for now) would give the Bengals passing attack yet another edge.
T Joe Alt, Notre Dame → Tennessee Titans
The Titans desperately need to find an answer at left tackle, and Notre Dame’s Joe Alt has a realistic shot at falling right into their lap in April’s NFL draft.
Alt was an absolute force protecting the blind side at Notre Dame last season, as he earned a 91.2 PFF grade and allowed just five total pressures from 368 pass-blocking snaps.
EDGE Chop Robinson, Penn State → San Francisco 49ers
Chase Young arrived in San Francisco as a half-year option at the 2023 trade deadline but signed with the New Orleans Saints for 2024.
I just love the idea of giving the 49ers a pass-rush specialist who can develop without being asked to be a full-time player right away. Robinson played only 303 snaps in 2023 but earned a 92.3 pass-rush grade and racked up 26 total pressures from 148 pass-rushing snaps.
DI Jer’Zhan Newton, Illinois → Los Angeles Rams
It’s not the most exciting prospect-team fit, but the simple fact is that the Rams are now very much in the market for a penetrating interior defender after the retirement of future first-ballot Hall of Famer Aaron Donald.
Newton earned an 84.0 PFF pass-rushing grade in 2023. The Illinois product recorded 43 total pressures from 402 pass-rushing snaps despite playing with an injury in the second half of the year.
RB Trey Benson, Florida State → Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys need to add to their running back room, and Benson would make a lot of sense for them in the second or third round.
The 6-foot-1, 223-pounder forced 124 missed tackles across his last 310 carries and earned PFF rushing grades of 91.4 and 87.2 in his last two seasons.
WR Ladd McConkey, Georgia → Carolina Panthers
Any wide receiver at the top of the second round is the fit, but I really like McConkey as that guy. The Georgia standout earned a 74.0-plus PFF receiving grade in each of the past three seasons and dropped just 6.3% of the catchable passes thrown his way in 2023.
T Jordan Morgan, Arizona → Dallas Cowboys
Getting an offensive lineman with guard-tackle flexibility would be perfect for the Cowboys in this draft, as Tyler Smith could play either left tackle or left guard in 2024.
Morgan played left tackle at Arizona. He earned an 87.3 pass-blocking grade in 2023, giving up 14 total pressures from 477 pass-blocking snaps. However, he could kick inside to left guard if the Cowboys wanted Smith to play tackle.
T Taliese Fuaga, Oregon State → Los Angeles Chargers
With the new head coach-offensive coordinator pairing of Jim Harbaugh and Greg Roman, the Chargers will want to be a team that can grind out games on the ground when necessary.
Fuaga earned a 90.9 run-blocking grade in 2023 and would be a plug-and-play starter at right tackle who could be a top-10 run-blocker the day he steps onto the field.
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