2024 NFL Draft Prospect Preview: Highlighting Top Defenders at Each Position
With the league making or changing rules to help the offense and increase scoring, it's more important than ever for teams to find quality defensive players to get stops. Hence why over half of the first-round picks in the last two NFL drafts have been defensive players, including the first five selections of 2022.
So, with training camps starting this week and the college football season just around the corner, which defenders in the 2024 draft class should you keep an eye on this fall?
Here, we'll dive into the top three edge defenders, interior defensive linemen, linebackers, safeties and cornerbacks heading into the campaign.
The players discussed were selected using Pro Football Focus' summer draft board. The prospects are ranked using Bleacher Report's scouting scale to give you a well-rounded view of where each player stands and how they stack up against one another.
Rankings
1 of 6
Grading Scale
10: Generational Talent/No. 1 Overall
9.5-9.9: Top-Five Prospect
9.0-9.4: Top-10 Prospect
8.5-8.9: Immediate Impact Prospect/Round 1
8.0-8.4: Year 1 Starter/Late Round 1, Early Round 2
7.5-7.9: Potential Impact Player/Round 2
7.0-7.4: High-Level Backup or Potential Starter/Round 3
6.5-6.9: Potential Role Player/Round 4
6.0-6.4: High-Level Developmental Prospect/Round 5
5.5-5.9: Backup or Draftable/Rounds 6-7
5.0-5.4: Backup or UDFA with Roster Potential/UDFA
4.0-4.9: Developmental Prospect/UDFA
3.0-3.9: Training Camp Body/UDFA
Overall Rankings
1. Jared Verse, EDGE, Florida State (8.8)
2. Jeremiah Trotter Jr., LB, Clemson (8.6)
3. Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama (8.5)
4. Dallas Turner, EDGE, Alabama (8.5)
5. Jer'Zhan Newton, DL, Illinois (8.4)
6. Laiatu Latu, EDGE, UCLA (8.3)
7. Demeioun "Chop" Robinson, EDGE, Penn State (8.2)
8. Kalen King, CB, Penn State (8.2)
9. Leonard Taylor, DL, Miami (8.1)
10. Kamren Kinchens, S, Miami (8.1)
11. Calen Bullock, S, Clemson (8.0)
12. Cooper DeJean, CB, Iowa (7.8)
13. Barrett Carter, LB, Clemson (7.7)
14. Andrew Mukuba, S, Clemson (7.2)
15. Jamon Dumas-Johnson, LB, Georgia (7.2)
Rankings and grades are based solely on B/R scout Matt Holder's summer scouting. All information above is subject to change as B/R's Scouting Department evaluates each prospect throughout the season and scouts dive into their respective position groups.
Edge Defenders
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1. Jared Verse, Florida State
PFF Big Board rank: No. 7 overall
Holder's summer grade: 8.8, Immediate Impact Prospect/Round 1
2022 stats: 48 total tackles, 17 TFL, 9 sacks
Verse is an impressive pass-rusher who has a handful of both finesse and power moves that he can win with. He also is a good run defender with pop in his hands and the strength to gain control of the block. A couple of key areas for him to improve this season would be to become a more fluid athlete to help increase his bend, and he needs to cut down on the missed tackles.
2. Dallas Turner, Alabama
PFF Big Board rank: No. 11 overall
Holder's summer grade: 8.5, Immediate Impact Prospect/Round 1
2022 stats: 37 total tackles, 8 TFL, 4 sacks
Turner is more of a traits prospect heading into 2023 but has good athletic ability and strength to turn speed to power if he gets his hand placement down more consistently. He's also shown a good dip-rip move with impressive bend around the edge and the ability to drop into coverage. Adding some extra strength to win with a bull rush and get off blocks while honing his use of hands as a pass-rusher should be his main areas of focus this fall.
3. Laiatu Latu, UCLA
PFF Big Board rank: No. 16 overall
Holder's summer grade: 8.3, Year 1 Starter/Late Round 1, Early Round 2
2022 stats: 36 total tackles, 12.5 TFL, 10.5 sacks
Latu is a twitched-up pass-rusher who has a handful of moves he can win with and has pretty good bend. He's not terrible against the run but can be more violent at the point of attack to get extension and get off blocks at the next level. Major medical red flags are the biggest concern with him, as he was forced to medically retire at the University of Washington for a neck injury before transferring to UCLA last season.
Interior Defensive Linemen
3 of 6
1. Jer'Zhan Newton, Illinois
PFF Big Board rank: No. 14 overall
Holder's summer grade: 8.4, Year 1 Starter/Late Round 1, Early Round 2
2022 stats: 61 total tackles, 14 TFL, 5.5 sacks
Newton is a stout run defender who has shown flashes of athleticism to give him more upside as a pass-rusher. His block recognition is top-notch, which, combined with his strength and leverage at the point of attack, makes him hard to move one-on-one. He also has few issues with shedding blocks and has shown active hands as a rusher with a solid hand-swipe move to win around the edges. He has room for growth as a bull-rusher by improving his get-off, and he might have short arms—though, we'll find out for sure during the predraft process.
2. Leonard Taylor, Miami
PFF Big Board rank: No. 27 overall
Holder's summer grade: 8.1, Year 1 Starter/Late Round 1, Early Round 2
2022 stats: 24 total tackles, 10.5 TFL, 3 sacks
Taylor carries his frame well with little to no bad weight and room for growth if need be, and he has plenty of potential with his blend of size, strength and athleticism. He's quick off the ball with impressive upper body strength to help him as a run defender, and he's shown flashes of winning with few pass-rush moves. He just needs to get more consistent at finishing moves with a strong rip to get more clean wins and increase his production as a rusher. Pad level is the Hurricane's biggest issue, and it haunts him versus double-teams and diminishes his bull rush.
3. Maason Smith, LSU
PFF Big Board rank: No. 18 overall
Holder's summer grade: 7.6, Potential Impact Player/Round 2
2022 stats: Injured for almost all of the 2022 season, no stats
Smith is a tough evaluation because he missed basically all of last year after tearing an ACL eight snaps into the season opener. As a true freshman, he showed a nice get-off with heavy hands to stand up offensive linemen, win at the point of attack and get off blocks as a run defender. Also, he flashed some decent athleticism. His pass rush is a work in progress as his leg drive is subpar, which diminishes his bull rush, and he doesn't have a go-to finesse move he can win with at the next level.
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Linebackers
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1. Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Clemson
PFF Big Board rank: No. 12 overall
Holder's summer grade: 8.6, Immediate Impact Prospect/Round 1
2022 stats: 89 total tackles, 13.5 TFL, 6.5 sacks, 2 INTs, 5 PD
Trotter Jr. is an NFL linebacker legacy and an impressive athlete who is really good in zone coverage and can use that athleticism to defeat blocks in the running game. He has very few flaws in his game overall, but his instincts versus the run could use some work. Also, he'll occasionally get washed away against outside runs when he doesn't get his feet set.
2. Barrett Carter, Clemson
PFF Big Board rank: No. 47 overall
Holder's summer grade: 7.7, Potential Impact Player/Round 2
2022 stats: 73 total tackles, 10.5 TFL, 5.5 sacks, 2 INTs, 8 PD
Similar to his Clemson teammate, Carter is also an impressive athlete who can be effective in coverage. He can man up against tight ends and shows good route recognition to pattern match. Also, he has impressive speed and angles in pursuit, and he's physical and strong at the point of attack against blocks from tight ends to set the edge as the "Sam" backer. The Tiger does struggle to take on blocks from offensive linemen, though, often trying to slip blocks and getting caught and/or lacking the strength to hold his ground.
3. Jamon Dumas-Johnson, Georgia
PFF Big Board rank: No. 68 overall
Holder's summer grade: 7.2, High-Level Backup or Potential Starter/Round 3
2022 stats: 70 total tackles, 9 TFL, 4 sacks, 0 INTs, 3 PD
Dumas-Johnson is a solid player who has his pros and cons against the run and in coverage. He's solid at reading his keys and is a good athlete who can use his quickness and change of direction to slip blocks. He reads the quarterback's eyes well and has the movement skills to take away throwing windows in the middle of the field. However, there are instances when he'll be late to the flat in coverage, and he really struggles to get extension and hold his ground versus offensive linemen.
Safeties
5 of 6
1. Kamren Kinchens, Miami
PFF Big Board rank: No. 22 overall
Holder's summer grade: 8.1, Year 1 Starter/Late Round 1, Early Round 2
2022 stats: 59 total tackles, 1.5 TFL, 6 INTs, 6 PD
Kinchens is single-high safety who has fluid hips and good speed for some impressive range to go along with excellent ball production. He also is a good open-field tackler and has the athleticism to man up with running backs and some slot receivers. While he can make plays against perimeter runs, he's not aggressive or a willing run defender when coming downhill and isn't someone you want taking on blocks in the box.
2. Calen Bullock, USC
PFF Big Board rank: No. 31 overall
Holder's summer grade: 8.0, Year 1 Starter/Late Round 1, Early Round 2
2022 stats: 48 total tackles, 0 TFL, 5 INTs, 5 PD
Bullock is a smooth mover and an impressive athlete with good speed for range. Also, his ball production stands out with nearly 35 yards per return last season to go along with the numbers above. He's petty good at reading the quarterback's eyes and recognizing routes to drive on receivers and either take them away or make a tackle shortly after the catch. When playing the deep half or middle in zone coverage, he can play with too much depth, giving away completions between the second and third levels of the defense. The Trojan could afford to add some size and strength to avoid getting carried by bigger running backs, too.
3. Andrew Mukuba, Clemson
PFF Big Board rank: No. 77 overall
Holder's summer grade: 7.2, High-Level Backup or Potential Starter/Round 3
2022 stats: 54 total tackles, 0.5 TFL, 1 INT, 3 PD
Injuries hampered Mukuba's development and led to a down year last fall. He was used in a few different ways at Clemson in 2022; deep safety and covering the slot in both off and press coverage, so he has some versatility. In coverage, he's good at reading eyes and pattern-matching. The Clemson product is undersized, which leads to him getting taken for a ride when tackling running backs and struggling to hold up against tight ends and big wide receivers in the run game. My biggest knock on him is a lack of acceleration to close windows, but that could be tied to a knee injury he played through in 2022, so it will be important for him to have a bounce-back year.
Cornerbacks
6 of 6
1. Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama
PFF Big Board rank: No. 9 overall
Holder's summer grade: 8.5, Immediate Impact Prospect/Round 1
2022 Stats: 35 total tackles, 2 TFL, 1 INT, 15 PD
A press corner who is patient at the line of scrimmage, McKinstry has good use of hands to disrupt wide receivers' routes and has the speed to turn and run. He also showed high-level ball production last year and is good at raking hands at the catch point to force incompletions. The Alabama product does play a little high which hurts change of direction skills, gets grabby down the field and struggles to hold up versus physical route-runners.
2. Kalen King, Penn State
PFF Big Board rank: No. 13 overall
Holder's summer grade: 8.2, Year 1 Starter/Late Round 1, Early Round 2
2022 stats: 30 total tackles, 3 TFL, 3 INTs, 16 PD
King has plenty of speed to cover deep routes and play from a trail position in man coverage. He's shown good ball skills with his back to the quarterback to help take away fade routes. Also, he closes in a hurry and is physical against screens and as a run defender. The Nittany Lion does occasionally get caught flat-footed and with high pad level against 90-degree or more routes. He also needs to do a better job of wrapping up when tackling.
3. Cooper DeJean, Iowa
PFF Big Board rank: No. 15 overall
Holder's summer grade: 7.8, Potential Impact Player/Round 2
2022 stats: 75 total tackles, 3 TFL, 5 INTs, 8 PD
DeJean is a physical corner who can force re-routes in zone coverage, lay the wood as a tackler and contribute against the run. He has good ball skills with impressive hand-eye coordination to get pass breakups and interceptions. In man coverage, he struggles with his change of direction skills, and he might lack some long speed as it appears as if Iowa tried to hide that last year by having him play with a lot of cushion.
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