The Best Franchise Building Blocks in the 2024 NFL Draft
The NFL draft is all about building for the future. For some teams, that means finding one foundational player to change the direction of the franchise.
Most of the time, said club is looking for a quarterback. However, other premium positions can be a franchise building block as well, especially if a team already has a quality signal-caller behind center.
Using the B/R NFL Scouting Department's latest big board, take a look at the five prospects who should be considered the best franchise building blocks in this year's draft class. They all play either quarterback, left tackle, wide receiver or edge-rusher and are currently ranked as top-eight prospects on B/R's board.
Drake Maye, QB, UNC
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B/R Overall rank: 3rd
B/R Position rank: QB1
USC's Caleb Williams is the heavy favorite to go No. 1 overall, according to DraftKings Sportsbook, but B/R's Scouting Department has UNC's Drake Maye as the higher-graded prospect. Granted, they're separated by only 0.2 points on the grading scale and one spot on the overall rankings.
Offensive skill-position scout Derrik Klassen deemed Maye to be the "most pro-ready" quarterback and called him a "prototypical quarterback prospect.
"Size, speed, arm strength; he's got all the tools you look for in a franchise quarterback," he wrote in Maye's scouting report.
"Maye's arm talent is the core of his game. He can throw a 100 mph fastball into a tight window over the middle or outside the numbers. Maye can also throttle down and put throws where only his receiver can go get it, as well as creating smooth yards-after-the-catch transitions for his receivers on underneath routes. He possesses every club in the bag.
"Maye can do all of that off-platform, too. He has no issue throwing without a proper base under him or when he's falling away from pressure. Likewise, Maye can really spin it when he's on the move, both on rollouts and when scrambling."
Klassen's pro comparison for the North Carolina product is Justin Herbert, who quickly emerged as a franchise player for the Los Angeles Chargers. If Maye starts his NFL career like Herbert did, any team would be lucky to draft him.
Potential Destinations: Chicago Bears, Washington Commanders, New England Patriots
Caleb Williams, QB, USC
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B/R Overall rank: 4th
B/R Position rank: QB2
The days of a franchise quarterback needing to be a pocket passer are long gone. In fact, quarterbacks who use their legs to create off-script plays have become more coveted than the ones who operate solely between the tackles.
NFL pass rushes have become so dominant in recent years that mobility is often seen as a requirement for a starting quarterback. That makes USC's Caleb Williams an easy choice as one of the best building blocks in this year's draft class.
"Williams is, of course, a unique playmaker," Klassen wrote in his scouting report for the Trojan. "He loves to hang onto the ball, sometimes to his detriment, and hunt for the big play.
"While normally a sticky proposition for young quarterbacks, the consistency at which Williams delivers in those moments is astounding. He finds unique angles and is always willing to attack them because of the faith in his arm.
"Athletically, Williams crosses the threshold... His initial reactions in the pocket are twitched-up, and he has smooth change of directions. Those skills make him a lethal scrambler."
Klassen also noted that the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner has the arm strength and elasticity to push the ball down the field and throw it from multiple arm slots. His playmaking ability could help a lot of offenses in the league, especially the ones that are picking toward the top of the draft.
Potential Destinations: Washington Commanders, Chicago Bears, New England Patriots
Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State
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B/R Overall rank: 1st
B/R Position rank: WR1
When it comes to franchise building blocks or putting together a high-scoring offense, having a No. 1 wide receiver will never outweigh having a star quarterback. But a go-to wideout who can win on just about every route can help open everything up for an offense, creating more opportunities for other pass-catchers and lightening the box for running backs.
That's essentially what Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr. can do. He's B/R's top-ranked player in this year's draft class by a significant margin and is the highest-graded receiver since B/R's NFL draft scouting department came together three years ago.
"Harrison is an exceptional mover for 6'4" and 205 pounds," Klassen wrote in his scouting report for the Buckeye. "While he can play a little high at times, Harrison plays with rare foot speed and agility for a player his size.
"He can throttle route speeds with ease and snaps off all of his routes in an instant. He's a smart, controlled route-runner with the perfect athletic tools to maximize those traits.
"Harrison has real-deal speed, too. He's at his best on vertical routes. Harrison flies off the line of scrimmage and threatens DBs right away, often using his hands and movement skills to effortlessly stack them down the sideline. Go balls, comebacks, deep stop routes and digs are some of Harrison's best routes because they let him use his speed as a threat."
The Ohio State product is one of the best building blocks in this year's draft class because he can make an impact in every phase of the passing game and elevate any offense as a whole.
Potential Destinations: Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears, Los Angeles Chargers
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Jared Verse, EDGE, Florida State
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B/R Overall rank: 8th
B/R Position rank: EDGE1
A quality edge defender should be the foundation of every defense. Having someone who can consistently pressure the quarterback makes life easier for defensive backs, and a defensive lineman who disrupts the offensive line in the running game allows linebackers to roam freely and make stops.
That's why edge-rusher is considered a premium position and why most of the NFL's top defenses have at least one star at that spot. In this year's draft class, two edge-rushers stand out among the rest: Florida State's Jared Verse and UCLA's Laiatu Latu.
Both players are in the top 10 of B/R's latest big board and are only separated by two spots. Verse earns the nod as the better building block because his physical play style yields better results against the run.
"Part of what makes Verse such a coveted prospect is his blend of strength and athleticism," B/R's Matt Holder wrote in his scouting report. "He can put offensive tackles on their heels with his ability to turn speed to power as a pass-rusher, and he has good use of hands paired with the bend to win around the edge using finesse moves like a cross chop or arm over.
"The Seminole is also a plus run defender with his physicality at the point of attack and ability to get off blocks. He has pop in his hands to stand up offensive linemen at the line of scrimmage and gain a leverage advantage, making him hard to move one-on-one and block with tight ends."
Whoever ends up drafting Verse will be getting a defender who can contribute on all three downs. He's similar to Ryan Kerrigan, a foundational player for Washington's defense from 2011 to 2020.
Potential Destinations: Atlanta Falcons, Minnesota Vikings, Arizona Cardinals
Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame
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B/R Overall rank: 6th
B/R Position rank: OT2
Thanks to Lawrence Taylor and Sandra Bullock, just about every football fan knows how important it is to have a blindside protector for the quarterback. Left tackle—or right tackle with a left-handed quarterback—has become a premium position to the point that the best prospects at the position are typically some of the first draft picks each year.
In this year's draft class, the difference between the top- and second-ranked offensive tackle is razor-thin. Penn State's Olumuyiwa Fashanu and Notre Dame's Joe Alt have the same grade and are the fifth- and sixth-ranked overall prospects on B/R's latest big board.
Picking between those two for the better franchise building block was a difficult decision. However, B/R's offensive line scout Brandon Thorn deemed Alt the "most pro-ready" tackle.
"Alt wins as a pass-protector with light, coordinated feet and even weight distribution to reach his landmarks balanced, under control and on time," Thorn wrote in his scouting report. "He maximizes his length and plays long with a flat back and head out of the block, keeping defenders at his fingertips with light, effective independent strikes, allowing him to protect the corner and fluidly redirect against inside moves.
"... Alt is not the most powerful run-blocker, but he more than makes up for it with pristine technique on and through contact with excellent pad level, balance and body control to steer, sustain and finish blocks consistently. This shows up on both the front and back side of Notre Dame's inside/outside zone and pin-pull concepts, from the first to the second level of a defense."
Torn concludes by saying Alt can be an "immediate impact starter at left tackle." The former Golden Domer turns 21 years old next month, making him the definition of a franchise building block.
Potential Destinations: Washington Commanders, Tennessee Titans, New York Jets
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