The first round of the 2024 NFL draft provided a wild night, quarterbacks and offensive players flying off the board at an unprecedented clip – no selection more stunning than the Atlanta Falcons' decision to take Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick.

Such theatrics may be hard to top Friday, when Rounds 2 and 3 will be conducted in downtown Detroit, but more surprises are doubtless in store, especially with teams like the Bills, Texans and Browns set to choose their first players of this draft.

USA TODAY Sports will track and analyze every selection from No. 33 overall to 100, which will mark the conclusion of Day 2:

Who are the top players available in second round of 2024 NFL draft?

Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz revealed his final list of the best 125 players on this year's board Thursday morning. A good chunk of those players were selected in Round 1 but many quality ones remain available Friday. Here are the top 10 going into Round 2:

NFL DRAFT HUB: Latest NFL Draft mock drafts, news, live picks, grades and analysis.

Who were the winners and losers from 2024 NFL draft's first round?

The aftermath of Day 1 leaves plenty of intrigue and controversy ahead of the draft’s next two days … along with runaway optimism and, perhaps, relief in other quarters. The event is only 12% complete, but it feels like 88% of its major lead-in questions were answered – though others have certainly surfaced. So far, the Bears and Giants QB Daniel Jones are among the victors while the Falcons passers and Cowboys ... are not.

What time does the 2024 NFL draft start?
Date: Friday, April 26 (Rounds 2-3)

Start time: 7 p.m. ET

When is the 2024 NFL draft?

The 2024 NFL draft began Thursday (Round 1), continues Friday (Rounds 2-3) and concludes Saturday (Rounds 4-7) at Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza in downtown Detroit.

How to watch the 2024 NFL draft
Live coverage of the NFL draft can be found on ABC, ESPN, ESPN Deportes and NFL Network. Streaming coverage is also available on ESPN+, NFL+, YouTube TV, Hulu+ Live TV, Fubo TV and Sling TV.

Rounds 2-3: Friday, 7 p.m. ET

Labeling Iowa first-round prospect Cooper DeJean isn't easy

Whichever NFL team drafts Cooper DeJean will decide how to best utilize his skill set and athleticism. The former Iowa Hawkeyes cornerback is one of the draft's most intriguing prospects to evaluators thanks to the versatility he showed in his three seasons of college play. He's also an anomaly himself. 

DeJean is a cornerback. DeJean is white. DeJean is a white cornerback. 

To refer to him as a “defensive back” or prognosticate a necessary transition to safety is “mind-blowing,” according to ESPN analyst and former NFL cornerback Domonique Foxworth. 

Read Chris Bumbaca’s full feature here

NFL draft's 50* biggest busts

The New York Jets' trade of QB Zach Wilson this week underscored anew how badly the 2021 NFL draft went for so many quarterback-desperate teams. Yet draft history is littered with busts, particularly in Round 1, like Wilson, Trey Lance and Mac Jones, so beware before you get overly optimistic about the guy your team chooses tonight. Here's a thorough look back at the 50 most notable draft washouts from the past 50 years ... and we (justifiably*) found a way to shoehorn more than 50 onto the list.

NFL Draft 2024 Rounds 2 and 3 predictions and live updates: Start time, channel, picks order and best available
A record 23 offensive players, including six quarterbacks, went in the first round. The Buffalo Bills will begin Round 2 with the 33rd pick.

 

What to know as the NFL Draft turns to Day 2
The Chicago Bears kicked off the 2024 NFL Draft on Thursday by selecting USC quarterback Caleb Williams. But the first round quickly became about the QBs who followed him.

Six went in the first 12 picks, tying the record for most in Round 1. The most surprising move came at No. 8, when the Atlanta Falcons — who gave Kirk Cousins a four-year, $180 million contract this offseason — drafted Michael Penix Jr. out of Washington. The move left Cousins stunned.

The draft continues Friday with the second and third rounds starting at 7 p.m. ET. Follow here for live news, rumors and analysis from The Athletic's staff. Robert Mays, Nate Tice and Dane Brugler will be back with The Athletic Football Show's live broadcast starting at 6 p.m. ET.

Bills' trade with Chiefs sparks fan anxiety

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Many Buffalo Bills fans are afraid, not so much about the player they forsook Thursday night in the NFL Draft, but about the team he went to.

They’re scared that Bills general manager Brandon Beane did business with the villainous Kansas City Chiefs, trading out of the 28th overall slot to let Andy Reid fortify his Olympic offense with the fastest prospect in NFL Scouting Combine history.

The Bills temporarily moved back to the final spot of the first round, then ended proceedings by trading back again to collect even more draft capital from the Carolina Panthers, who then took another receiver off the draft board.

So everybody went to bed without the Bills adding to a roster that has needs, most notably at wideout.

Kansas City’s high-powered offense has eliminated Buffalo three of the past four postseasons and lurched at the chance to acquire Texas receiver Xavier Worthy, who ran a 4.21-second 40-yard dash, for the Arrowhead arsenal.

Beane said he didn’t inquire about who the Chiefs were going to take, and it didn’t much matter to him.

“If we take a player (with the 28th overall draft choice), it doesn’t mean that they’re not going to go up with whoever was behind us,” Beane said. “You’re not necessarily preventing them from getting the player they want. It’s more about where your value is and where you want your picks.

NFL Draft 2024 Rounds 2 and 3 predictions and live updates: Start time, channel, picks order and best available
A record 23 offensive players, including six quarterbacks, went in the first round. The Buffalo Bills will begin Round 2 with the 33rd pick.

What to know as the NFL Draft turns to Day 2
The Chicago Bears kicked off the 2024 NFL Draft on Thursday by selecting USC quarterback Caleb Williams. But the first round quickly became about the QBs who followed him.

Six went in the first 12 picks, tying the record for most in Round 1. The most surprising move came at No. 8, when the Atlanta Falcons — who gave Kirk Cousins a four-year, $180 million contract this offseason — drafted Michael Penix Jr. out of Washington. The move left Cousins stunned.

The draft continues Friday with the second and third rounds starting at 7 p.m. ET. Follow here for live news, rumors and analysis from The Athletic's staff. Robert Mays, Nate Tice and Dane Brugler will be back with The Athletic Football Show's live broadcast starting at 6 p.m. ET.

Bills' trade with Chiefs sparks fan anxiety

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Many Buffalo Bills fans are afraid, not so much about the player they forsook Thursday night in the NFL Draft, but about the team he went to.

They’re scared that Bills general manager Brandon Beane did business with the villainous Kansas City Chiefs, trading out of the 28th overall slot to let Andy Reid fortify his Olympic offense with the fastest prospect in NFL Scouting Combine history.

The Bills temporarily moved back to the final spot of the first round, then ended proceedings by trading back again to collect even more draft capital from the Carolina Panthers, who then took another receiver off the draft board.

So everybody went to bed without the Bills adding to a roster that has needs, most notably at wideout.

Kansas City’s high-powered offense has eliminated Buffalo three of the past four postseasons and lurched at the chance to acquire Texas receiver Xavier Worthy, who ran a 4.21-second 40-yard dash, for the Arrowhead arsenal.

Beane said he didn’t inquire about who the Chiefs were going to take, and it didn’t much matter to him.

“If we take a player (with the 28th overall draft choice), it doesn’t mean that they’re not going to go up with whoever was behind us,” Beane said. “You’re not necessarily preventing them from getting the player they want. It’s more about where your value is and where you want your picks.