The long summer is almost over and football is just around the corner. The 2023 college football season will kickoff on August 26 with the NFL following a few weeks later.
As we roll into the season, now is a great time to look ahead at the next group of NFL stars. The 2024 NFL Draft will be stacked with talent, let’s take a look at those names at the top. I’ve put together a ranking of the best prospects in this draft, regardless of positional or draft value. Here’s my early Top 25 Big Board for the 2024 NFL Draft!
2024 NFL Draft Big Board
1. Marvin Harrison Jr, WR (Ohio State)
2. Caleb Williams, QB (USC)
3. Brock Bowers, TE (Georgia)
4. Drake Maye, QB (North Carolina)
5. Olu Fashanu, T (Penn State)
In a very strong draft class, one prospect stands alone at the top for me. Marvin Harrison Jr is, arguably, the best wide receiver prospect we’ve seen in decades. He’s got everything you want in the position, high-level production in college and a pedigree passed down by his Hall of Fame father.
The quarterbacks are both worthy of their top five ranking, they are not inflated purely based on the position they play. Speaking of positional value, Brock Bowers will be an interesting prospect who is CLEARLY the second-best pass catcher in the class. How high will a team be willing to draft a tight end by name, but a wide receiver in skillset?
6. Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB (Alabama)
7. Joe Alt, T (Notre Dame)
8. Jared Verse, EDGE (Florida State)
9. Dallas Turner, EDGE (Alabama)
10. Kalen King, CB (Penn State)
An all-name team in this class, Kool-Aid McKinstry is the #1 cornerback in a very strong group of prospects. He likely won’t be selected as high as Sauce Gardner or Devon Witherspoon, but as of right now he seems most likely to hear his name called first. Don’t sleep on Kalen King though, he plays like a dawg.
The 2024 edge class may lack a Top 5-type prospect, but it does not lack in talent. It’s a deep class that could see 7-8 players selected in the 1st round. The “edge” early goes to Jared Verse, who left the 2023 draft and elected to return for an additional season with Florida State.
11. Maason Smith, DL (LSU)
12. Jeremiah Trotter Jr, LB (Clemson)
13. Cooper Beebe, G (Kansas State)
14. JT Tuimoloau, EDGE (Ohio State)
15. Kingsley Suamataia, T (BYU)
Offensive Line is one of the strengths at the top of this draft class. I have seven lineman in my Top 25 rankings. I’m high on Cooper Beebe, even at the guard position. Kingsley Suamataia is another tackle I think could rise in the process. He’s got a lot of the same athleticism that made his cousin, Penei Sewell, a top draft selection.
16. JC Latham, T (Alabama)
17. Cooper DeJean, CB (Iowa)
18. Emeka Egbuka, WR (Ohio State)
19. Chop Robinson, EDGE (Penn State)
20. Jer’Zhan Newton, DL (Illinois)
Wide Receiver is another position group that has a lot of intriguing talents, although I do think that Harrison Jr is a clear tier above the rest. His teammate, Emeka Egbuka, is no scrub himself and has a consistent game. The one edge rusher I feel strongest, at this moment, to move up in the draft is the Nittany Lion Chop Robinson. He’s young and largely unproven, but he’s got all the potential.
21. Denzel Burke, CB (Ohio State)
22. Xavier Worthy, WR (Texas)
23. Donovan Jackson, G (Ohio State)
24. Amarius Mims, T (Georgia)
25. Rome Odunze, WR (Washington)
Rome Odunze is the leader of a talent group of pass catchers in the Northwest. Odunze has good size and a knack for the ball. Xavier Worthy is a take-the-top-off-the-defense type of weapon, much in the mold of recent 1st round receivers.
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