Insider names two under-the-radar players who could be surprise first-rounders

For the most part, it’s clear which players will go in the top half of the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

But when teams in the 20s are on the clock, that’s when things tend to deviate from what most draft experts and mock drafters predict. There are always a few Round 1 surprises every year and SI.com’s Albert Breer believes there are two players in particular who could sneak the first round this year.

“One could be Washington tackle Roger Rosengarten, who could be in play for San Francisco at 31 or Kansas City at 32,” Breer wrote. “Another would be Texas A&M linebacker Edgerrin Cooper, who I think could be in the mix with guys such as Illinois DT Johnny Newton, Missouri DE Darius Robinson, Penn State DE Chop Robinson or Iowa DB Cooper DeJean for the Packers at 25.”

Most scouts have a Round 2 grade on Rosengarten, a 6-foot-6, 300-pound offensive tackle who allowed zero sacks and just 15 pressures on 984 offensive snaps at Washington in 2023, per Pro Football Focus.