NFL 2024 Draft, a look at the top-16 prospects

Football season never really ends, with college football nearing the end of its regular season and the NFL passing the halfway point, soon all eyes will be turning to the draft. With that in mind, here’s a look at the top-16 prospects in the 2024 draft.

Standing 6’4” and 215 lbs, Coleman is a monster of a receiver. He possesses great hands and body control at the catch point, making him a nightmare matchup for defenses. Come draft time, there will be some focus on his 40 time as he isn’t a blazer, but anything around 4.5 seconds will see him go early.

Something worth noting, the 2024 draft is an all-timer when it comes to names, and ‘Chop’ Robinson is no exception. Robinson is small for a prototypical EDGE rusher, but he could see time at off-ball linebacker in the NFL, rushing the passer situationally.

A quieter 2023 than some expected after exploding for nine sacks last season, Verse still looks like the sort of player NFL defensive coaches drool over. Standing 6’4”, 260, he’s got great size and knows how to get to the quarterback, given how important pass-rush is in the NFL, he could end up going very high.

When you’re in the same wide receiving corp as Marvin Harrison Jr., it’s easy to get overlooked. Impressively, Egbuka has still been able to showcase his immense talent, despite his teammate’s presence. 

Is J.J. McCarthy a top-11 prospect next year, arguably not, but given the importance of the QB position, his value excels his talent, and he has plenty of that too. Most draft experts seem happy to have McCarthy as their number three QB prospect, which could see him go in the top 10 come draft time. There are plenty of teams in need of held under center.

Despite not having their best year, Bama is still an excellent football team with talent all over the field. Latham is no exception to that as he becomes the latest giant offensive tackle to emerge from Nick Saban’s program. Latham is a monster at 6’6” and 360 lbs but moves like a much smaller man.

Latu nearly retired in 2021 following a severe neck injury, two years later, and a transfer to UCLA, he’s become a dominant force off the edge. With 10.5 sacks last season and 11 so far in 2023, his production jumps off the page.

A disappointing year for the Tigers after big preseason expectations. Malik Nabers has been able to stand out despite some poor performances from his team. Standing at exactly six feet tall and a hair over 200 lbs, Nabers has good size matched by his excellent physical tools. For a team looking for a WR2, Nabers could make that position his own immediately.

A lean 6’8”, 322 lb offensive tackle, Alt is a brick wall in pass protection, allowing his offense to leave him on an island protecting his QB’s blindside. Alt could go well inside the top 10 come draft time and start at left tackle for the next decade. A ‘set and forget’ type prospect.

Not the biggest EDGE rusher in next year’s draft, but quite possibly the most explosive. Alabama is never short of talent in the trenches, and Turner is no exception. He could well be seen as comparable to ex-teammate Will Anderson Jr. come draft time.

As mentioned earlier, there are some great names in this draft class, Kool-Aid McKinstry is no exception to that. He’s also an elite prospect at corner, able to take away the opposition’s number-one receivers and essentially locking down half the field.

Talent-wise, Bowers could arguably be placed even higher, but positional value does knock him slightly. Bowers is one of the best tight ends ever in college football history, consistently putting up remarkable numbers. He’s an absolute freak athlete who should blow the roof off the combine if he chooses to go through testing.

Maye, like almost every quarterback prospect these days is an excellent athlete, able to add yards with his legs when the pocket collapses around him. Outside of that, his calmness under pressure and ability to find open receivers all over the field is what makes him stand out. Many draft experts are putting him as QB1, showing the belief in his ability.

6’6”, 317 lbs of pure pass protection, Fashanu is a name you will see a lot come draft time and could well end up as a top-five pick. A fluid mover with incredible strength when he gets his hands on a rusher, he has everything teams are looking for.

After an all-time great season in 2022, the expectations around Williams this year were immense. He was almost locked in as the number one overall draft pick before the season started. Now it may not be as simple as this with some up-and-down performances. Still, his ability to operate outside of structure is key for NFL offenses these days and will see him go high.

Perhaps one of the most hyped wide receiver prospects ever, and it’s easy to see why. Standing at 6’4” and a hair over 200 lbs, his size belies his shiftiness and suddenness when he’s running routes. He has either found a way to get big separation, or he’s four inches taller than the DB and can high-point any ball thrown his way, what a talent. Oh, and his dad is a HoFer…