2024 NFL Draft top prospects by position, first-round picks, date originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
The 2023 NFL Draft hasn’t even happened yet, but it isn’t too soon to look ahead to 2024.
Before you know it, the 2023 college football season will be here. NFL fans – especially those cheering for struggling franchises – will keep an especially close eye on the collegiate standouts.
While there’s still an entire season of evaluation to go, the 2024 class is already emerging as an intriguing group.
Who are the top prospects to watch? Here’s a full breakdown of next year’s class:
Who are the top 2024 NFL Draft prospects by position?
At this point, it’s still unclear which prospects will even declare for the 2024 NFL Draft. There are some guarantees due to their class or their pro stock, but stars seemingly emerge every year out of nowhere. Before his senior season at LSU, Joe Burrow was an afterthought within NFL circles.
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Keeping that in mind, here’s a position-by-position look at some of the potential top prospects for 2024:
Quarterback
- Caleb Williams, USC
- Drake Maye, North Carolina
- Michael Penix Jr. Washington
- Shedeur Sanders, Jackson State
- Quinn Ewers, Texas
Running back
- Traveyon Henderson, Ohio State
- Raheim Sanders, Arkansas
- Braelon Allen, Wisconsin
- Blake Borum, Michigan
- Will Shipley, Clemson
Wide receiver
- Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State
- Xavier Worthy, Texas
- Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State
- Rome Odunze, Washington
- Troy Franklin, Oregon
Tight end
- Brock Bowers, Georgia
- Ja’Tavion Sanders, Texas
- Michael Trigg, Ole Miss
- Jaheim Bell, Florida State
- Brevyn Spann-Ford, Minnesota
Offensive tackle
- Joe Alt, Notre Dame
- Olumuyiwa Fashanu, Penn State
- Kingsley Suamataia, BYU
- Reuben Fatheree II, Texas A&M
- Zion Nelson, Miami
Interior offensive line
- Connor Colby, Iowa
- Donovan Jackson, Ohio State
- Sedrick Van Pran, Georgia
- Bryce Foster, Texas A&M
- Andrew Raym, Oklahoma
Defensive tackle
- Michael Hall, Ohio State
- Maason Smith, LSU
- Tyleik Williams, Ohio State
- Shermar Turner, Texas A&M
- Damon Payne Jr., Alabama
EDGE rusher
- Dallas Turner, Alabama
- Jared Verse, Florida State
- Jack Sawyer, Ohio State
- Zion Tupuola-Fetui, Washington
- Xavier Thomas, Clemson
Linebacker
- Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Clemson
- Laiatu Latu, UCLA
- Tommy Eichenberg, Ohio State
- Terrence Lewis, UCF
- Deshawn Pace, Cincinnati
Cornerback
- Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama
- Denzel Burke, Ohio State
- Storm Duck, Penn State
- Sheridan Jones, Clemson
- Quavian White, Georgia State
Safety
- Andrew Mukuba, Clemson
- Calen Bullock, USC
- James Williams, Miami
- Javon Bullard, Georgia
- Lathan Ransom, Ohio State
Who are the top quarterback prospects in 2024?
It all starts with Caleb Williams.
The 2022 Heisman Trophy winner was dominant in his first season at USC, throwing for 42 touchdowns and rushing for 10 more. He will be draft-eligible in 2024 after his junior season, and he’s already being penciled in as the No. 1 overall pick.
Beyond Williams, there are several other intriguing signal-callers who could enter the 2024 draft. North Carolina’s Drake Maye could challenge Williams for the top spot after totaling 45 touchdowns in 2022, his first season as a starter.
Washington’s Michael Penix Jr., Jackson State’s Shedeur Sanders, LSU’s Jayden Daniels and Texas’ Quinn Ewers are among the other quarterbacks to watch.
Who has the most first-round picks in 2024?
Thirty of the 32 NFL teams are currently scheduled to pick in the first round in 2024.
The Cleveland Browns and Carolina Panthers have already traded their 2024 first-round picks. The Browns’ pick is owned by the Houston Texans after the Deshaun Watson trade, while the Panthers’ pick goes to the Chicago Bears after they moved up for the No. 1 overall pick in 2023.
So, Chicago and Houston have two first-round picks in 2024. Cleveland and Carolina don’t have any first-round picks in 2024. Every other team, as of now, owns its 2024 first-rounder.
When is the 2024 NFL Draft?
The 2024 NFL Draft is set for April 25-27, 2024, in Detroit.