With only two weeks remaining before the 2024 NFL Draft opens, it’s time to dive into the best prospects available. While the vast majority of this write-up will focus on the quarterbacks — let’s face it, that’s what everyone cares most about — we can’t overlook how stacked this incoming rookie class is at premium positions.
Offensive line play is at a premium more than ever in the NFL. Notre Dame left tackle Joe Alt feels like one of the highest-floor o-line prospects to come out in recent memory, and I would consider at least seven, maybe eight other big boys in the trenches worthy of a first-round pick. Not to mention, this wide receiver class is ridiculous. Feels like that’s a narrative every year, yet it’s true. That’s probably why the San Francisco 49ers are reticent to fork over big money to Brandon Aiyuk. Same with Tee Higgins on the Bengals.
I have four wideouts in my top 11 players: Malik Nabers (LSU), Marvin Harrison Jr. (Ohio State), Brian Thomas Jr. (LSU) and — gasp! — Georgia’s Ladd McConkey. Plenty more future starters who can be had inside the first two rounds of the draft.
Then of course, yes, the quarterbacks. Six of them could be drafted in the first round, led by USC’s Caleb Williams at No. 1 overall to the Chicago Bears. How the rest of them stack up is a topic of much debate, and even the seventh-rated QB in most peoples’ eyes is somebody who I believe can be a quality starter in the future.
Without further ado, here are my top 100 players in the 2024 class. Also check out my latest mock draft, which may be the last one before, well, the last one.
2024 NFL Draft Big Board
Prospects Nos. 1-50
1. Caleb Williams, QB, USC
2. Malik Nabers, WR, LSU
3. Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State
4. Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU
5. Rome Odunze, WR, Washington
6. Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame
7. Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo
8. Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia
9. Brian Thomas Jr., WR, LSU
10. Cooper DeJean, CB, Iowa
11. Ladd McConkey, WR, Georgia
12. Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington
13. Dallas Turner, EDGE, Alabama
14. JJ McCarthy, QB, Michigan
15. Laiatu Latu, EDGE, UCLA
16. Byron Murphy II, DL, Texas
17. Olu Fashanu, OT, Penn State
18. Troy Fautanu, OL, Washington
19. Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State
20. Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama
21. Johnny Newton, DL, Illinois
22. Jared Verse, EDGE, Florida State
23. Nate Wiggins, CB, Clemson
24. Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina
25. Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia
26. Payton Wilson, LB, NC State
27. Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama
28. Bo Nix, QB, Oregon
29. Xavier Worthy, WR, Texas
30. Xavier Legette, WR, South Carolina
31. Ricky Pearsall, WR, Florida
32. Graham Barton, OL, Duke
33. Jackson Powers-Johnson, OL, Oregon
34. Tyler Nubin, S, Minnesota
35. Kamari Lassiter, CB, Georgia
36. Ja’Lynn Polk, WR, Washington
37. Jermaine Burton, WR, Alabama
38. Braden Fiske, DL, Florida State
39. Spencer Rattler, QB, South Carolina
40. Zach Frazier, C, West Virginia
41. Adonai Mitchell, WR, Texas
42. Roman Wilson, WR, Michigan
43. Mike Sainristil, CB, Michigan
44. Kiran Amegadjie, OL, Yale
45. Keon Coleman, WR, Florida State
46. Jordan Morgan, OT, Arizona
47. Javon Baker, WR, UCF
48. TJ Tampa, CB, Iowa State
49. Chop Robinson, EDGE, Penn State
50. Darius Robinson, DL/EDGE, Missouri
Prospects Nos. 51-100
51. Kris Jenkins, DL, Michigan
52. Edgerrin Cooper, LB, Texas A&M
53. Tyler Guyton, OT, Oklahoma
54. Kamal Hadden, CB, Tennessee
55. Patrick Paul, OT, Houston
56. Brandon Dorlus, DL, Oregon
57. Christian Haynes, OL, Connecticut
58. Troy Franklin, WR, Oregon
59. Junior Colson, LB, Michigan
60. Chris Braswell, EDGE, Alabama
61. Isaac Guerendo, RB, Louisville
62. Michael Hall Jr., DL, Ohio State
63. Javon Bullard, S, Georgia
64. JC Latham, OT, Alabama
65. Ruke Orhorhoro, DL, Clemson
66. Jonah Elliss, EDGE, Utah
67. Marshawn Kneeland, EDGE, Western Michigan
68. Khyree Jackson, CB, Oregon
69. Dominick Puni, OL, Kansas
70. Jaylen Wright, RB, Tennessee
71. Jaden Hicks, S, Washington State
72. Brenden Rice, WR, USC
73. Kamren Kinchens, S, Miami (FL)
74. Jarrian Jones, CB, Florida State
75. Christian Mahogany, OL, Boston College
76. Gabriel Murphy, EDGE, UCLA
77. Cam Hart, CB, Notre Dame
78. Jonathon Brooks, RB, Texas
79. Adisa Isaac, EDGE, Penn State
80. Malik Washington, WR, Virginia
81. Trey Benson, RB, Florida State
82. Malik Mustapha, S, Wake Forest
83. Johnny Wilson, WR, Florida State
84. Austin Booker, EDGE, Kansas
85. Ainias Smith, WR, Texas A&M
86. Blake Corum, RB, Michigan
87. Malachi Corley, WR, Western Kentucky
88. Ben Sinnott, TE, Kansas State
89. T’Vondre Sweat, DL, Texas
90. Kingsley Suamataia, OT, BYU
91. Renardo Green, CB, Florida State
92. Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, S, Texas Tech
93. Tyrone Tracy, RB, Purdue
94. Leonard Taylor III, DL, Miami (FL)
95. Jamari Thrash, WR, Louisville
96. Ja’Tavion Sanders, TE, Texas
97. Anthony Gould, WR, Oregon State
98. Max Melton, CB, Rutgers
99. Mohamed Kamara, EDGE, Colorado State
100. Audric Estime, RB, Notre Dame
2024 NFL Draft QB class analysis
Final QB rankings (big board rank):
1. Caleb Williams (1)
2. Jayden Daniels (4)
3. Michael Penix Jr. (12)
4. JJ McCarthy (14)
5. Drake Maye (24)
6. Bo Nix (28)
7. Spencer Rattler (39)
It’s amazing to me that NFL Mock Draft Database lists Drake Maye as the consensus QB2, edging out Jayden Daniels for that honor. A not-insignificant number of draftnik types argue that Maye is worthy of going No. 1 overall ahead of Caleb Williams. In my humble opinion, anyone who thinks this does not know ball. Williams is in a different galaxy as a QB prospect than Maye. Name literally one thing Maye does better than Williams. Hint: There is nothing. Not one single category Maye is superior in other than height-weight dimensions. Chicago fans should be ecstatic that Williams is coming to the Windy City.
Daniels is No. 2 in part because he flashed more anticipatory throws than I expected. Although he wasn’t asked to throw over the middle of the field often (Maye did more frequently), Daniels showed enough examples to where it shouldn’t be some glaring flaw. Does he turn down reads, or backside deep ins at times? Yes. But he also has legit Lamar Jackson type of speed, so turning down those throws, while somewhat concerning, is offset by his electrifying dual-threat playmaking ability.
The leap Daniels made from solid starter in ’22 to Heisman winner in ’23 makes me think he still has upside and can become more polished as a passer — not dissimilar to Lamar once he entered the NFL. Daniels is in a different class when it comes to designed QB runs. He can score on literally any given play on his own.
Michael Penix Jr. is, quite simply, the purest pocket passer in the class other than Williams. Better than Daniels, in my opinion, from a processing standpoint. The injuries are a concern, but two healthy seasons at Washington quell those red flags to a large degree.
Penix is still an explosive athlete, and for somebody who’s allegedly a statue, he sure does know how to avoid sacks and maneuver within the pocket, despite Washington’s passing attack being so vertical. Penix had only a 7.6% pressure to sack conversion rate this season, per PFF. That’s absurdly good. His downfield accuracy, self-evident leadership, and overcoming of immense adversity make me a huge believer in his NFL future.
The JJ McCarthy vs. Drake Maye debate for QB4 is a tough one for me. Maye flashes more high-end ability and generally throws a better deep ball, yet McCarthy’s untapped potential is more intriguing. His experience in pro-style offenses give him an edge, too. McCarthy is far better when it comes to decision-making, ball placement, and seeing the field consistently. For as much love as Maye gets for his ability to create plays out of structure, McCarthy has plenty of that on his tape.
The gap between the two prospects in arm strength isn’t as drastic as you’d expect given the perception around Maye as this big, strapping, cannon-armed QB.
When it comes to mechanics, too, McCarthy is far more sound, plays with a much better base. is therefore more likely to translate to the NFL sooner without as much roller-coaster variance in his play. You’d be an idiot not to acknowledge that Maye has a high ceiling, but the bust factor with him is higher than any of the top QBs.
If I’m McCarthy or Maye, I’m praying to go to the Minnesota Vikings. Getting to throw to Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson (once healthy), being coached by Kevin O’Connell, and having Aaron Jones in the backfield is such a great situation. The NFC North is a very tough division, but Minnesota is easily the best landing spot among teams in the market for a rookie QB.
I’m confident McCarthy and Maye have enough to work with to where they’d be high-end starters in the event either of them go to Minnesota. Now, can these guys resurrect a franchise in, say, Washington or New England? I’m not as certain about that, especially when it comes to Maye. His footwork and pocket presence leave a lot to be desired. I can acknowledge his situation at North Carolina was tough this year and that he looked better in 2022 when it came to those aforementioned attributes. However, he’s just way too erratic to pick near the top of the draft.
I truly don’t understand the hype. Gotta put Maye on the Jordan Love plan if anything. The following lowlight reel doesn’t even show most of the major, red flag wayward throws I saw from him. Nevertheless, Maye will still likely be taken in the top four picks. That’s just how it’s going to be.
Bo Nix is someone I really liked and considered above Maye before diving in a little deeper. I just don’t know what to make of him. He’s a former top-flight recruit and certainly can make all the throws. My thing is, he has a lot of bad film from Auburn, and at Oregon, so many of his stats were based on quick game, screens, and super easy throws that were almost exclusively determined pre-snap as opposed to post-snap. Nix can succeed as a starter in the NFL, but he’s one of those guys who’ll need a ton of help around him to thrive.
Lastly, I have Spencer Rattler at No. 39 on the board. Like Nix, he’s a former top recruit who dealt with adversity in college — getting benched for Caleb Williams at Oklahoma isn’t a terrible look in retrospect — and I think Rattler still gets a bad rap for how cocky he was in high school on that Netflix series or whatever. He was 17 years old. Get over it.
Rattler has excellent arm talent, and South Carolina did him few favors when it came to scheme, which muddies his evaluation. The arm strength is there in spades. Accuracy-wise, Rattler can be a little inconsistent, yet I wonder how much of that has to do with his supporting cast. His footwork is sound for a guy who was pressured on 40% or so of his dropbacks in 2023. He’s a guy you can take in the second or third round, sit as a rookie, and honestly, I wouldn’t be shocked if he stepped in as a starter in 2025. Dude can play.
Aaaand that’s a wrap. Can’t wait for draft night!
