Round 7, No. 227: Browns draft South Dakota CB Myles Harden (2024)

Three days and 257 picks later, the 2024 NFL Draft is over.

From No. 1 (Bears quarterback Caleb Williams) to No. 257 (Jets safety Jaylen Key), you can catch up on all of the action here, with news, analysis and reaction from The Athletic's NFL staff.

View every selection in our pick-by-pick tracker.

Required reading

• 2024 NFL Draft by the numbers
• Best undrafted free agents

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The Cleveland Browns selected South Dakota cornerback Myles Harden with the 227th pick.

The Athletic NFL Draft analyst Dane Brugler on Harden: A four-year starter at South Dakota, Harden was an outside cornerback in defensive coordinator Travis Johansen’s zone-heavy scheme. Although his college career was marred by back-to-back season-ending injuries in 2021 and 2022, he was a starter the moment he arrived and was consistently productive when on the field (forced eight turnovers in his final 19 games). Harden is a smooth athlete with the physical mentality that shows at the catch point and in run support. He has the mentality for press man, but NFL athletes will present a substantial leap in what he saw over his career in the FCS.

Overall, Harden doesn’t offer ideal length or long speed, but he plays quick, confident and is a roughneck competitor in both coverage and run support. With NFL-quality fluidity and ball skills, he can handle coverage duties from multiple techniques (inside or outside) and has the traits to earn a starting nickel job as a rookie.

The Los Angeles Chargers selected USC wide receiver Brenden Rice — the son of Hall of Famer Jerry Rice — with the No. 225 pick.

The Athletic NFL Draft expert Dane Brugler on Rice: A two-year starter at USC, Rice was an outside (X and Z) receiver in head coach Lincoln Riley’s RPO, spread scheme with Air Raid concepts. Understandably, it’s hard living up to the expectations of being Jerry Rice’s son (especially for a young receiver), but he became more and more comfortable in his own skin over the years — and his Hall-of-Fame bloodlines are an obvious plus. He was a frequent visitor to the end zone in 2023 (caught a touchdown every 3.75 catches), and his budding route athleticism made him a weapon on tape (80.0 percent of his catches resulted in a first down or touchdown). Though he is efficient in/out of breaks, his separation skills are average at best, and he struggled to consistently win crowded catch points.

Overall, Rice must continue working on the finer points to beat press and get open versus NFL corners, but he has the size/speed athleticism and hand-eye coordination to become a better pro than college player. He projects as a backup X/Z receiver with down-the-road starting potential.

The Cincinnati Bengals selected Ole Miss safety Daijahn Anthony with the 224th pick.

The Athletic NFL Draft expert Dane Brugler on Anthony: A one-year starter at Ole Miss, Anthony played strong safety in defensive coordinator Pete Golding’s 4-2-5 base scheme. He has overcome a lot of adversity, including having to walk on at two different schools (Shepherd and Liberty), and put together a career year in his lone SEC season after moving to safety (primarily played cornerback and nickel his first five years in college).

An amped-up competitor, Anthony plays with an edge on every snap and delivers knockout blows as a tackler, although he needs to balance his aggressive nature with more sound finishing execution. In coverage, he is at his best keeping things in front of him to limit wasted movements, but his cornerback background serves him well.

Overall, Anthony doesn’t have top-tier speed or fluidity, but he is an aggressive athlete, and his physicality and ball skills really shine when he has an opportunity to go make a play. He projects best as a nickel defender who can work underneath and overlap responsibilities in the secondary.

The Las Vegas Raiders selected Air Force safety Trey Taylor with the 223rd pick.

The Athletic NFL Draft expert Dane Brugler on Taylor: A three-year starter at Air Force, Taylor was an interchangeable safety in defensive coordinator Brian Knorr’s scheme. He had a prolific final season with the Falcons, becoming the first player in school history to win the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation’s top defensive back (also named an All-American).

In both man and zone, Taylor — who frequently leans on his cousin, Ed Reed, for critiques on safety play — diagnoses play design well using his ability to sort through all the chess pieces and put himself in position to take away throws. However, his recovery speed will always be a question mark, and it might keep him as a subpackage/depth player at the next level.

Overall, Taylor is quicker than fast and might have a tough time covering NFL receivers from the post, but his instinctive ball skills and feel for route concepts can help him overcome average range. He reminds me a lot of Damar Hamlin when he was coming out of Pittsburgh.

The Washington Commanders selected Notre Dame edge Javontae Jean-Baptiste with the 222nd pick.

The Athletic NFL Draft expert Dane Brugler on Jean-Baptiste: A one-year starter at Notre Dame, Jean-Baptiste was an edge rusher in coach Marcus Freeman’s four-man front. A solid role player at Ohio State, he was blocked on the depth chart in Columbus and transferred to South Bend, where he put together a strong final season, leading the Irish in both tackles for loss (10.5) and sacks (five).

As a pass rusher, Jean-Baptiste has upfield quickness and stays balanced mid-rush, although his rigidity and lack of mass show when his first move is stymied. He plays with terrific effort in the run game, but he can be out-leveraged at the point of attack.

Overall, Jean-Baptiste lacks dynamic traits in his play, but he battles and has enough tools that warrant further development. He is worth bringing to camp and possibly adding to the practice squad.

The Buffalo Bills selected guard Travis Clayton of the NFL's International Pathway Program with the 221st pick and first of Round 7.

Clayton is The Athletic's Dane Brugler's No. 35 guard prospect. Could he be the next Jordan Mailata? The Athletic wrote about Clayton and the IPP program this weekend.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected UTEP guard Elijah Klein with the 220th pick.

Klein was The Athletic's Dane Brugler's No. 33 guard.

Here are five picks I found interesting in the sixth round:

Miami (6-184) — A quality receiver at Northwestern for four years, Malik Washington moved to Virginia and had a breakout campaign last fall. For the Cavaliers, Washington caught 110 passes for 1,426 yards and nine touchdowns with only three drops. Washington’s size (5-8 ¼, 191) will keep him primarily in the slot, where his speed (4.47 in the 40) and quickness will play a big role.

Philadelphia (6-185) — A boom-or-bust candidate but certainly worth a sixth-round pick, Florida State receiver Johnny Wilson blends incredible size (6-6 ¼, 231 pounds) with amazing speed (4.52 in the 40). In 2022, Wilson averaged 20.9 yards per catch. Last year, that number fell to 15.1. What Wilson is asked to do will impact whether he’s an impact red-zone threat or a non-factor.

Detroit (6-189) — Undersized but powerful and quick, LSU defensive tackle Mekhi Wingo (6-0, 285) ran a 4.85 40-yard dash and was a team captain last year. He missed five games last year with a groin injury but rehabbed to return for the ReliaQuest Bowl. That type of toughness is perfect for the Lions.

Seattle (6-192) — This is thievery. D.J. James easily was a top-100 selection that somehow slipped through the draft. After three years at Oregon, James (5-11 ½, 175) transferred to Auburn for two years and had 12 passes defensed last season. James ran a 4.42 40-yard dash and looks like a future start.

Detroit (6-210) — Considered by most analysts as a top-100 pick, Boston College Christian Mahogany (6-3, 314) started 34 games as a guard at Boston College and was first-team All-ACC last season. Mahogany more than held his own at the East-West Shrine Game and could become a starter by year two in Detroit.

The Buffalo Bills selected Penn State cornerback Daequan Hardy with the 219th pick.

The Athletic NFL Draft analyst Dane Brugler on Hardy: A one-year starter at Penn State, Hardy lined up as the nickel in former defensive coordinator Manny Diaz’s split-coverage scheme. After showing promise as an underclassman, he had a career year as a senior, leading the Nittany Lions in both passes defended and interceptions in 2023, while also making his mark as a punt returner.

For a player with his explosiveness, Hardy finds himself in trail position too often, especially given his tendency to lose phase in man coverage (he shows better instincts in zone). Despite his lack of size, he plays bigger than he looks at the catch point, because of his ability to play through the hands of receivers and time up his disruption.

Overall, Hardy has the linear burst and toughness required for slot work, but his lack of size and strength will be tough to mask in coverage and run support versusNFL athletes. His value as a return man can help him stay on an NFL roster while he competes for defensive snaps.

The New York Jets traded defensive end John Franklin-Myers to the Denver Broncos for a sixth-round pick in 2026. The Athletic gives the Jets a C for this trade, while the Broncos get a B.

Read why here.

The Baltimore Ravens selected Kentucky quarterback Devin Leary with the 218th pick.

The Athletic NFL Draft analyst Dane Brugler on Leary: A one-year starter at Kentucky, Leary transferred to Lexington for his final season, specifically to play in offensive coordinator Liam Coen’s pro-style spread scheme. He arrived at Kentucky with expectations that he could replicate his 2021 production (after missing most of ‘22), but he struggled to find consistency against an SEC schedule (completed more than 65 percent of his passes in just one of 13 starts in 2023).

Leary can make all the throws with ease and work from different platforms to create explosives (one of only four Power 5 passers with at least eight completions of 50-plus yards in 2023). However, not everything needs to be a fastball, and the more velocity he adds, the more he appears to sacrifice ball placement.

Overall, Leary has NFL-level arm talent and the tools required to fight for a reserve role, but the consistency of his timing and accuracy must improve to convince a pro coaching staff he is worth a spot.

The Los Angeles Rams selected Arkansas center Beaux Limmer with the 217th pick.

The Athletic NFL Draft analyst Dane Brugler on Limmer: A four-year starter at Arkansas, Limmer replaced Ricky Stromberg at center in former offensive coordinator Dan Enos’ balanced run scheme. After playing predominantly at right guard his first four years in Fayetteville, he made the shift inside to center in 2023 and continued to build on his NFL resume. Known for his strength in the weight room and on the field, Limmer also developed a competitive edge as a blocker and has ironman toughness, rarely coming off the field (led Arkansas in snaps played in 2022 and 2023).

He is very quick with his initial post-snap movement, along with the range to spring outside runs or screens, although he needs to discipline his footwork and narrow posture, especially in pass protection.

Overall, Limmer must continue to fine-tune his leverage points and play with better overall control, but he has the functional athleticism and finishing demeanor to continue developing. He projects as an immediate backup (center and guard) with starting potential at center, ideally suited for a wide-zone scheme (similar to Jake Brendel).

The Dallas Cowboys selected Southeast Missouri State quarterback Ryan Flournoy with the 216th pick.

The Athletic NFL Draft analyst Dane Brugler on Flournoy: A two-year starter at Southeast Missouri State, Flournoy worked primarily outside in offensive coordinator Jeromy McDowell’s scheme . After two years in Division II and another two years in juco, he led the Redhawks in receiving each of the last two seasons and put his name on the NFL radar (just the third player in Southeast Missouri State history invited to the NFL combine).

A member of Bruce Feldman’s “Freaks List,” Flournoy is a terrific height-weight-speed athlete and received the nickname “Super” in college for his feats in the weight room and on the field. He struggles to set up breaks, however, and will often lead coverage to his destination. He excelled against inferior competition, but he also held his own against two FBS opponents (combined 13 catches for 152 yards vs. Kansas State and Iowa State).

Overall, Flournoy is more athletic than skilled as a route runner, and cornerbacks stick to him at the break point, but he has large, accepting hands with balance and body control before, during and after the catch. He projects as an NFL rotational receiver who can earn playing time with further development.

The Cincinnati Bengals selected Ole Miss edge rusher Cedric Johnson with the 214th pick.

The Athletic NFL Draft analyst Dane Brugler on Johnson: A three-year starter, Johnson lined up as a hand-on-the-ground edge rusher in defensive coordinator Pete Golding’s hybrid fronts. Though he was an offensive skill player most of his life, he put himself on the NFL map with his backfield numbers as a sophom*ore — but his production was sporadic the past two seasons.

He is inconsistent in timing the snap and doesn’t rush with dynamic elusiveness, but Johnson has NFL-quality movement skills to get around blockers and finish with the closing burst to seal the deal. Against the run, he has the body flexibility to wriggle free but needs to be more urgent with his hands to work off contact and more reliable breaking down to finish.

Overall, Johnson is still learning how to build an efficient rush sequence, but he has interesting athletic tools, and an NFL team should be able to coach more out of him. Although he might never reach three-down-starter status, he can develop into a serviceable subpackage rusher.

The Los Angeles Rams selected Texas wide receiver Jordan Whittington with the 213rd pick.

The Athletic NFL Draft analyst Dane Brugler on Whittington: A two-year starter at Texas, Whittington was primarily an inside receiver in head coach Steve Sarkisian’s spread, RPO offense (82.2 percent slot in 2023). A former five-star recruit, his Longhorns career didn’t go as planned — primarily because of injuries — but he contributed when on the field and was a team captain as one of the more respected “program” guys on campus.

Whittington is well-built, strong and athletic with a good-sized catch radius and competitive balance with the ball in his hands. But he didn’t consistently create for himself as a route runner and never felt like a big-play threat on tape (caught a touchdown once every 28.2 receptions at Texas).

Overall, Whittington’s college career was one of perseverance, and although it will take more than that to carve out an NFL career, his dependable and athletic skill set will speak to pro coaches. He projects as a back-end roster receiver with inside-outside ability and special-teams upside.