Elite 2024 NFL Draft Talents with Plenty to Prove as Potential 1st-Round Prospects
The initial picture of the upcoming NFL draft class changes dramatically from August until the following April. Projections evolve as evaluations remain ongoing.
A year ago, names such as Anthony Richardson, Tyree Wilson, Darnell Wright and Lukas Van Ness had plenty to prove. Ultimately, NFL organizations chose them among this year's top 13 selections.
The start of the process serves as a feeling-out period based on the previous year's progression. How prospects stack seasons or improve from one year to the next serve as future indicators.
Some who were highly regarded initially fall by the wayside as their games are further evaluated, while others ascend as their skill sets become more obvious.
Physically, the following eight prospects have the tools to hear their names called during the first round of the 2024 NFL draft. Whether they're waiting to become a full-time starter, transferred, switched positions, dealt with injuries or have been placed in bigger roles, a standout season should propel them toward opening-round status.
QB Shedeur Sanders, Colorado
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Quarterback Shedeur Sanders dominated at the FCS level and then followed his father, Deion, to the FBS ranks when Coach Prime took over the Colorado Buffaloes. The younger Sanders' skill set is already impressive, though he must prove himself against the best possible competition.
In two seasons at Jackson State, Sanders completed 68.4 percent of his passes and had a 70-to-14 touchdown-to-interception ratio. In 2021, the quarterback captured the Jerry Rice Award as the most outstanding freshman at the FCS level. A year later, Sanders won the Deacon Jones Trophy as the Black College Football Player of the Year. He was also a finalist for the Walter Payton Award as the FCS level's best offensive player.
At Jackson State, Sanders' decision-making, ball placement and ability to threaten all three levels set him apart. He's also a good athlete who has the ability to navigate the pocket, avoid pressure and create some outside of structure.
The biggest question about the 21-year-old is whether he can do the same things against a higher level of competition. Sanders can prove he's an elite quarterback prospect worthy of first-round consideration as long as he continues to thrive against Pac-12 competition, with TCU and Nebraska thrown in for good measure.
In doing so, he'll have also mastered a new offense under coordinator Sean Lewis, which always speaks well of a quarterback prospect.
QB Joe Milton III, Tennessee
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A direct line can be traced from Josh Allen through Anthony Richardson to Tennessee's Joe Milton III. Sometimes, a player's natural skill set is too good to pass up, even if the numbers aren't necessarily reflective of those traits.
Milton has yet to show whether he's going to post massive numbers against the SEC, but he already displayed signs of doing so. Certain questions about the system will certainly come into play, as they did with Milton's predecessor, Hendon Hooker.
Milton barely played at Michigan before transferring to Tennessee, and Hooker asserted himself as the starter over the last two seasons. Milton can now lead the way after impressing during his nine appearances last year. The backup-turned-starter threw five touchdowns and no interceptions after taking over for the injured Hooker, including a 251-yard, three-touchdown performance against the Clemson Tigers in the Orange Bowl.
Milton's size and the howitzer strapped to his right shoulder stand out among his contemporaries. The 6'5", 235-pound signal-caller boasts the strongest arm in college football, and he could challenge some of the NFL's top guys in that regard. He's worked on his lower-body mechanics this offseason to alleviate pressure on his arm and shoulder, while also helping to improve his overall accuracy (career 57.8 percent passer).
Tennessee's scheme, which is a derivative of the old Baylor Bears' Air Raid approach, is viewed by scouts as oversimplified, thus making life far easier on quarterbacks. That aspect of the evaluation may not matter since Milton's physical tools are so tantalizing, though.
TE Theo Johnson, Penn State
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In the last five years, Penn State produced three highly regarded tight end prospects in Mike Gesicki, Pat Freiermuth and Brenton Strange. All three failed to sneak into the first round, though their athletic traits created plenty of conversation leading up to their respective drafts.
Theo Johnson, who played Robin to Strange's Batman last season, is next in line.
Strange finished third on the team with 32 receptions and tied for the team lead with five touchdown catches. However, Johnson averaged a team-high 16.4 yards per reception and snagged four touchdowns of his own.
Penn State's offense should open up this season and allow Johnson to be a bigger part of the passing game. NFL scouts are always attracted to 6'6", 264-pound tight ends, which should also work in his favor.
With Johnson's build and ability to create over the middle of the field, he looks the part of a potential first-round tight end. Penn State's staff clearly envisions their tight end in a bigger role this season—both on and off the field.
"It's very obvious to us right now as a staff and the players that it's really important for Theo to have a significant leadership role this year," head coach James Franklin told reporters. "You can see him trying to take on that role and being more vocal compared to how he's been in the past and how his teammates are receiving that information, the impact he's having on others. All those things have been great and valuable, and we're happy to have him back."
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OT Kingsley Suamataia, BYU
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Making the transition from right to left tackle isn't automatic. Just ask All-Pro right tackle Tristan Wirfs, who's making the switch this year for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
However, those who can do so often find themselves in a far better position from a draft perspective. Any prospect who can play both spots at a high level creates significant roster flexibility. Even to this day, left tackles are still valued more highly in the NFL, though the two positions aren't viewed as disparately as they once were.
BYU's Kingsley Suamataia is going from the strong side to the blind side this year. The 6'6", 315-pound blocker started 12 games at right tackle last season and didn't allow a sack. He's now set to take over for Blake Freeland, who was a four-year starter.
"I prefer left tackle, but I could play any one of them, so it is good," Suamataia told reporters in March. "Last year, Blake was the veteran there (at left tackle) and so I worked to play whatever position they needed me to play at."
Suamataia originally signed with the Oregon Ducks as a 5-star recruit. But Oregon's coaching staff redshirted him during his first season. The Utah native then chose to transfer home.
Another year of dominance—this time on the left side—will cause Suamataia's stock to soar.
OT Blake Fisher, Notre Dame
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Notre Dame features two potential first-round offensive tackles in Joe Alt and Blake Fisher.
"It's kind of annoying sometimes because they're so good," Fighting Irish edge-rusher Junior Tuihalamaka said, "but that makes me better."
Of the two, Alt is already considered an elite prospect. Either he or Penn State's Olumuyiwa Fashanu is usually ranked as the top offensive tackle prospect for next year's draft class.
Fisher's issues with inconsistency drop him below that tier. The 6'6", 310-pound right tackle is physical and athletic. But he can be overaggressive and play with poor pad level.
"Well, I tell you what, the thing I've noticed from Blake more than anything is such an incredible mindset to always focus on what he can control whatever happened; whether it was the most successful play, whether it was a play he wanted to do better on, his focus is now always on 'man, I could have taken a better step' or 'boy, I needed to have a better job of getting my hands inside', whatever it was," Notre Dame offensive line coach Joe Rudolph told reporters. "That's winning. That's flat-out what you want."
The junior prospect did suffer a knee injury that cost him most of the 2021 season and needed some time to settle into his spot last year. As long as Fisher shows continued improvement, Notre Dame will be the place to find offensive line talent.
DL Maason Smith, LSU
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Certain prospects are described as those who should be "first off the bus." They're so physically intimidating that they're the first players whom you want the opponent to see.
LSU defensive lineman Maason Smith certainly fits that bill. The 6'6", 315-pound defensive lineman has the size, length and strength to dominate at the point of attack and consistently create disruption.
Unfortunately, his expected showcase campaign didn't happen last year. Smith suffered a season-ending knee injury during the Tigers' season-opener against the Florida State Seminoles.
The 20-year-old arrived at LSU as a 5-star recruit and the top high school prospect in the state of Louisiana. He started four games as a true freshman and flashed.
Smith played off the edge quite a bit since defensive tackles Neil Farrell Jr. and Jaquelin Roy—both of whom became NFL draft picks—occupied the interior. Even so, he still supplied a 8.8 percent pressure rate when aligned anywhere between the inside shoulders of opposing offensive tackles, according to Sports Info Solutions.
This fall, Smith should emerge as a consistently dominant force along LSU's front. Last year's injury hasn't slowed him down during camp.
"There hasn't been hesitation on his part," LSU head coach Brian Kelly told reporters. "A lot of that hesitation has diminished because of what he did throughout the summer. He looks pretty darn good to me."
Edge Jack Sawyer, Ohio State
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Jack Sawyer is an edge-defender for the Ohio State Buckeyes, but he'll be deployed differently this fall compared to last season. That should place him in a better position to produce and improve his draft status.
Instead of using the former 5-star recruit as a traditional edge-rusher and allowing him to pin his ears back, the Buckeyes had him as their "jack" defender. That position requires more versatility and understanding of opposing offenses.
Sawyer saw his playing time decrease as the season progressed and wasn't overly productive.
"Just evaluating it and having conversations with coach (Jim Knowles) I said I think it's best if Jack goes back to the line of scrimmage," defensive line coach Larry Johnson told reporters. "Let him put his hand in the ground. That's what I brought him here to do. It was a good experiment, but now let's go play football. I think that's the best position for him. He feels happy with where he's at and that's important too."
While NFL teams certainly appreciate versatility, there's more value in being able to consistently harass opposing quarterbacks.
The 6'4", 265-pound Sawyer is a natural pass-rusher who is certainly capable of registering more than the 4.5 sacks he did last season. In doing so, he can steal some shine from his bookend JT Tuimoloau, who is also considered a first-round possibility.
CB Tahveon Nicholson, Illinois
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The Illinois Fighting Illini fielded the nation's eighth-best pass defense last season. Their secondary featured an extensive amount of talent, yet the unit's standing shouldn't be a one-year aberration.
Cornerback Devon Witherspoon and safeties Jartavius Martin and Sydney Brown deserve their fair share of credit, as they were selected in the first, second and third rounds of this year's draft, respectively. Witherspoon in particular emerged as a standout by becoming a consensus All-American and the fifth overall draft pick.
Witherspoon's bookend, Tahveon Nicholson, returns for his redshirt junior campaign. He should be expected to carve out a similar role to that of Witherspoon.
According to CFB Film Room, Nicholson allowed the fewest yards per 20 man-coverage snaps (minimum 75 snaps) among Big Ten defenders last season. As good as Witherspoon was and how he mirrored top receivers, his teammate allowed 6.8 fewer yards on average.
"That dude is named Taz for a reason," defensive backs coach Aaron Henry told reporters last summer. "That dude has next-level feet. He's scrappy. He's strong as an ox to be such a small frame. He's got really good hips. I mean, just to play that position to play on a high level. He checks every box."
A little better ball skills and a fully healthy season after missing the last three games of the 2022 campaign can turn Nicholson into another first-round corner.
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