The First Read: Winners and losers from Day 2 of the 2024 NFL Draft

The first day of the NFL draft is about finding stars. The second day is about finding players who can help you win. It's not as sexy, but the results matter immensely to teams chasing playoff spots and championships. If you screw up your draft in the second and third rounds, you're going to pay a hefty price for that at some point down the road.

It's also much harder to evaluate the selections on the second day than it is on the first, for obvious reasons. There's not as much hype surrounding the players, and most don't elicit huge cheers when their names are called. You have to think even more astutely about fits and opportunities, because those are what usually determine how successful these players become. They can become stars, but just as important is how their presence impacts the rest of the roster.

So, here's The First Read breakdown of the winners and losers of Day 2 of the 2024 NFL Draft. Some are obvious, others are surprising but they all make sense in their own way ...

1) Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs: The Chiefs have been searching for a permanent option to protect the blind side of their star quarterback for the last three years. They may have finally found their answer with the second-round selection of BYU left tackle Kingsley Suamataia (No. 63 overall). Not only does he have the requisite size (checking in at 6-foot-5 and 326 pounds), but Suamataia is so athletic that he recorded a faster 40-yard dash (5.04 seconds) and 10-yard split (1.74 seconds) at the NFL Scouting Combine than Detroit's Penei Sewell (a top-10 pick in 2021 who has blossomed into an All-Pro for the Lions) did at his pro day. It's apparent that Suamataia isn't ready to step right in and thrive in the NFL as quickly as Sewell