Taking a sneak peek at some players who are likely to hear their names called on a Thursday or Friday evening next April.
Is it too early to start talking about the 2024 NFL Draft? Yes, obviously.
Are we going to do it anyway? Yes, obviously.
Sure, the 2023 Draft just ended. There’s probably wet ink on a couple of those seventh-round cards. Does the NFL still use cards? Whatever, not the point. We aren’t going to let that get in our way.
Before we start, though, let’s be clear on what this column is and what it is not. We’re not going to do a Mock Draft, as we obviously have no idea what the draft order will be. We know that teams like the Eagles and Bengals are unlikely to be drafting in the top 10 but that’s about it. This isn’t a Big Board type of ranking; these players are presented in no particular order for the most part. Scheme fit, positional need/value, and certain physical attributes will be viewed differently by teams anyway.
These are also not scouting reports or projections of how good a player will be in the NFL. I am not, nor have I ever been, an NFL General Manager or Scout. Probably won’t be in the future either, for that matter. Looking for terms like “Lateral Bend” or “Fluid Hips” or something else that sounds made-up? Not gonna find it here, partner. That’s just not how I watch football, think about football, or talk about football players.
Now That the Disclaimer Is Out of the Way
Many of these names you will be familiar with, some you will not. A lot of NFL fans stick to NFL and don’t watch a ton of College Football. I get it, there may be only so many hours of football in a weekend that your significant other will endure. This is just a little cheat sheet on who to pay attention to in whatever time you may have to check out a college game in the fall. The goal is simply to point you in the right direction and offer up some players you’ll probably want to watch. From there, you’re clearly smart enough to make up your own mind about them. You clicked on this article, after all, it’s evident you’ve got it going on upstairs.
So let’s get ridiculous and talk about the 2024 NFL Draft.
(As always, it’s important to remember that if your favorite team doesn’t have any players listed here, the only logical explanation is my clear personal bias against your team and the jealousy/hatred for them that consumes my entire being. Couldn’t possibly be that I don’t want to spend 9 days writing this because I included 700 players)
Quarterbacks
Caleb Williams, USC
Let’s start with an obvious one and keep this simple and straightforward. Barring significant injury or criminal conviction, Caleb Williams will be the number one pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. There’s a pretty good chance he’d have been the first pick this year were he eligible. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner checks pretty much every box that NFL teams look for. Size, arm, mobility, accuracy, decision-making, and experience. All of it.
Drake Maye, North Carolina
Maye was a revelation for UNC in 2022, bursting onto the scene and putting up big numbers. In addition to exceeding 4,300 yards and 38 Touchdowns passing, he was an effective runner with another 698 yards and 7 scores. At 6’5″ and 220 lbs., he also possesses the ideal size and athleticism that NFL teams covet. He’ll be on every major award watchlist when the season starts.
Sam Hartman, Notre Dame
This will be a big year for Hartman, and he’s going to be one of the more interesting players to watch this season. The Wake Forest transfer has an opportunity to answer any questions that evaluators still have about his game. You might think that someone who has 48 college starts under his belt and is the ACC career leader in Passing Touchdowns and Total Yards shouldn’t have any questions remaining. But he does. Namely, how well can he function outside of Wake Forest’s unique offensive scheme? It asks a lot of the quarterback post-snap but often leads to wide-open shots downfield. A good season playing in a more traditional offense at Notre Dame might allow Hartman to sneak into the first round.
Keep an eye on: Jordan Travis (Florida State), Michael Pratt (Tulane), Joe Milton (Tennessee)
Wide Receivers
Marvin Harrison Jr, Ohio State
Another easy one. Marvin Harrison Jr. is the best Wide Receiver in College Football, full stop. It’s not any more complicated than that. He would have been WR1 in the 2023 NFL Draft were he eligible, and he’ll be WR1 in the 2024 NFL Draft. He puts up numbers that are anything like he had in 2022 (77 Rec, 1,263 Yards, 14 TD) and he’ll land in the top five next spring.
Rome Odunze, Washington
After a big 2022 season for the resurgent Huskies, I was a little surprised that Odunze came back instead of declaring for the draft. He has the size (6’3″, 200lbs) to make the contested catch on intermediate routes but is also to get consistent separation. Short, Deep, in between… he just gets open. A repeat performance of 2022 and his Pac-12 leading 1,145 receiving yards will get him top-20 consideration.
Johnny Wilson, Florida State
After two seasons of limited playing time at Arizona State, Johnny Wilson wasn’t on anybody’s radar. But given what we saw from him in 2022 with the Seminoles, you should probably put him on yours. He broke out with 43 catches for 897 yards and 5 TD. He led the ACC and was second nationally with a 20.9 Yards per Reception average. His size (6’7″, 235 lbs) gives him an advantage on contested catches and in the Red Zone, and he’s fast enough to make plays down the field. Wilson was projected as a third/fourth-round pick had he come out this year but has a real chance to move up with a similar season.
Keep an eye on: Xavier Worthy (Texas), Emeka Egbuka (Ohio State), Malik Nabers (LSU), Troy Franklin (Oregon), Mario Williams (USC), Oronde Gadsden II (Syracuse)
Tight Ends
Brock Bowers, Georgia
Have you ever seen a team run a Jet Sweep with a Tight End? How about a Reverse? I hadn’t until Brock Bowers showed up in Athens, GA. That’s the type of playmaker he is, you just want to get the ball in his hands, no matter how. The 2022 Mackey Award winner is going to be a Top-10 pick. You probably already knew that, but on the off chance you didn’t, I wanted to bring him up because he’s an awful lot of fun to watch. Great hands, can break tackles and outrun Safeties, he’s even a capable run blocker. Not much this kid can’t do.
Keep an eye on: Jaheim Bell (Florida State), Ja’Tavion Sanders (Texas)
Running Backs
Raheim Sanders, Arkansas
It might feel weird to refer to a 6’2″, 225 lb Running Back as “Rocket”, but that’s the type of speed Sanders brings to the table, in addition to his size. He won’t be the best Running Back in college football this year, that will be Blake Corum of Michigan. But if I had to bet money on the first RB taken in the 2024 NFL Draft, I think I’d put it on Sanders, based on his physical traits, athleticism, and production (led the SEC in scrimmage yards in 2022).
Blake Corum, Michigan
Corum is fantastic and if you haven’t watched him play you should. But some NFL teams are going to be concerned about his size (5’8″) and the fact that he’ll leave college with 700 carries’ worth of wear. Another guy I was surprised to see come back for this season.
Keep an eye on: Treshaun Ward (Kansas State), Will Shipley (Clemson), TreVeyon Henderson (Ohio State), Braelon Allen (Wisconsin)
Offensive Tackles
Joe Alt, Notre Dame
Death, Taxes, and Notre Dame sending another stud Left Tackle off to the NFL. Alt has the prototypical size (6’7″, 315 lbs), strength, length, and agility that teams crave. He’s going to dominate defenders this season, and he’s likely to be the first O-Lineman off the board in the 2024 NFL Draft. Then, in the fall of 2024, the Irish will roll out a new starting LT, who will be a first-rounder in 2025 or ’26. Time is a flat circle.
JC Latham, Alabama
Same thing here. Yet another big, mean, athletic Tackle coming out of Tuscaloosa. Same as it ever was. Teams will probably view him as a Right Tackle, some might even like him at Guard. So he’s probably not a Top-15 pick type of player. But he’s a people-mover who plays with a bit of an edge, which I like.
Keep an eye on: Olumuyiwa Fashanu (Penn State), Jordan Morgan (Arizona), LaDarius Henderson (Michigan)
Interior Offensive Linemen
Cooper Beebe, Kansas State
Powerful, powerful run blocker. He’s played both Guard and Tackle at KState but he’ll be a Guard in the NFL. He’s every bit as good as Steve Avila (TCU) and O’Cyrus Torrance (Florida), the top two Guards in this year’s draft.
Sedrick Van Pran-Granger, Georgia
You could watch a lot of college football games and not see a Center with this much power who moves as well as Van Pran-Granger. He can pull, he can slide over and reach block, and he gets to the second level really well. Just an all-around steady guy.
Keep an eye on: Donovan Jackson (Ohio State),
EDGE
J.T. Tuimoloau, Ohio State
Oh, boy, do I like watching this guy play. You may remember Tuimoloau from his one-man-wrecking-crew performance against Penn State last season. He had a Forced Fumble (which he recovered), two Interceptions (one of which he returned for a TD), and two Sacks. He has a great size/speed/power combination and plays with a nonstop motor.
Dallas Turner, Alabama
He’s spent the last two seasons in Will Anderson Jr’s shadow for the Tide, but you’re going to hear his name a lot next fall. He’s a really explosive athlete, and I’d expect he has a huge season and shoots up a lot of teams’ boards.
Keep an eye on: Jared Verse (Florida State), Barryn Sorrell (Texas), Bralen Trice (Washington)
Interior Defensive Linemen
Maason Smith, LSU
Smith tore his ACL in the first quarter of the 2022 opener against Florida State in the weirdest way possible. You may have forgotten about him, and how much potential he flashed in 2021 as a Freshman. That’s okay, he’ll remind you.
Ruke Orhorhoro, Clemson
The Clemson machine spits out yet another D-Lineman. What’s different about Orhorhoro is that he’s really still learning; he didn’t start playing football until high school. His physical tools help cover that up, but he has the potential to be a game-wrecker inside.
Keep an eye on: Michael Hall Jr (Ohio State), Jer’Zhan Newton (Illinois)
Linebackers
Danny Stutsman, Oklahoma
Stutsman was the lone (and I mean lone) bright spot on a 2022 Oklahoma defense that was absolute garbage. They were putrid, and I shudder to think of how much worse it would have been without Stutsman. He did a little of everything, with 10.5 TFL, 2 INT, 3 Sacks, 125 Tackles, and even had 5 pass breakups. He’s all over the place and always near the ball. He’s not going to be a first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, but he’s probably going to play his way into the second.
Jeremiah Trotter Jr, Clemson
He’s a different type of Linebacker than his dad, the former All-Pro. But he’s still an impressive player in his own right. Good in coverage and a capable blitzer, he might need to get a little bigger to play the run in the NFL.
Keep an eye on: Barrett Carter (Clemson), Omar Speights (LSU)
Cornerbacks
Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama
Wait, did you honestly think we were gonna do this piece and not mention the guy named “Kool-Aid”? The only way that was going to happen is if there were two other Corners in this class named “Neckbone” and “Chainsaw”.
Anyway, sweet nickname aside, he’s a hell of a player. Ga’Quincy McKinstry saw the field as a true Freshman, which is obviously not easy to do at Alabama, but is a great omen for future success. Then he had a really good 2022 (15 PBU). He’s great in man coverage, he’s good in zone coverage, he’s fast, and has a nose for the ball. What’s not to like?
Tony Grimes, Texas A&M
The North Carolina transfer is a guy who always seems to end up near the ball, and a good year in the SEC might let him sneak into the first round.
Keep an eye on: Cooper DeJean (Iowa), Jason Marshall Jr (Florida), Denzel Burke (Ohio State)
Safeties
Andrew Mukuba, Clemson
Safeties don’t get picked in the First Round very often. Averages out to about one a year. Mukuba would be my bet for the 2024 NFL Draft. He’s got great closing speed on the ball deep and can come up and play man on slot receivers. He’s not particularly large (6’0″, 185 lbs) so he’s not a huge factor coming up in the run game though.
James Williams, Miami
A guy who is particularly large (6’5″, 225 lbs) and can be a huge factor coming up in the run game, however, is James Williams. In addition to being abnormally large for the position, he absolutely loves contact. Needs to improve his coverage skills, but he could be an Isaiah Simmons-type hybrid defender and play almost as a Linebacker.
Keep an eye on: Kamren Kinchens (Miami), Jaden Hicks (Washington State), Rod Moore (Michigan)
Specialists
Your guess is as good as mine. Besides, it’s not like you actually tune in to a game to watch a punter just because I said so.
Now Let’s Sit Back, and Hope for the Best
This type of exercise can be fraught with peril. In the Spring of 2021 Spencer Rattler was the betting favorite to be the first overall pick the following year. There were guys who showed up in First Round mocks last spring that just signed as Undrafted Free Agents. Maybe we’ll revisit this in a year when the dust has settled and see how I did.
Eric Mulhair is the Co-Host of The South Endzone Podcast and a contributing writer for Belly Up Sports covering College Football. You can follow him on Twitter for the most up-to-date info on Podcast/Article releases, or even just to argue about College Football.
