6 Prospects Who Could Unexpectedly Sneak into 2024 NFL Draft's 1st Round
While the NFL draft is realistically impossible to predict perfectly, most first-round selections are entirely unsurprising.
Every so often, however, Commissioner Roger Goodell will announce an unexpected selection.
The scouting process is highly subjective, so it's possible that a certain NFL team is eyeing one of these prospects or a particular draft analyst has included them in the opening round of a mock draft.
As a result, the consensus view is key. Each prospect listed is ranked outside of the top 32 on the consensus big board from NFL Mock Draft Database with a peak no higher than 32. None are first-rounders in the B/R Scouting Department's latest mock draft, either.
Ricky Pearsall, WR
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We know Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze will be first-round selections. From there, it's a matter of preference for NFL teams in such a deep class of wide receivers.
Ricky Pearsall, though, is a fascinating prospect.
What he lacks in short-distance burst, Pearsall atones for with excellent long speed and route-running intelligence. He ripped off a 4.41-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, along with a 42-inch vertical that is evident in his several highlight-reel catches.
Pearsall checks in 45th on the consensus board, suggesting he's an option near the middle of the second round.
But if an NFL team really likes him—and especially if there's an early run on receivers—Pearsall has a Day 1 ceiling.
Zach Frazier, C
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Only so many options at center, you know?
Duke's Graham Barton and Oregon's Jackson Powers-Johnson are widely believed to be the best interior prospects. B/R's Scouting Department projects both to hear their names called on Day 1, as well.
Zach Frazier, meanwhile, is a sturdy third option with plenty of experience. He's pegged as the No. 46 consensus player.
The pivot started for three seasons at West Virginia, landing third-team AP All-America recognition in 2023. He's a quality all-around blocker and can handle a man or zone scheme in the NFL.
His upside seemingly hinges on how early Barton and Powers-Johnson are picked, but Frazier could find a late Day 1 home.
Braden Fiske, DT
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Braden Fiske parlayed his transfer from Western Michigan to Florida State into an ascendant draft stock.
Two years ago at WMU, the defensive tackle collected 59 stops with 12 for loss and six sacks. Fiske went to FSU and assembled a superb year, notching 43 tackles with nine for loss and another six sacks.
B/R's scouting report labels him a "good overall athlete with impressive movement skills and quickness" for his position.
There's no question that combination is his appeal to NFL teams.
Fiske shouldn't slip beyond the second round anyway, given his No. 42 ranking. However, a coaching staff that believes it can feature his athleticism will be monitoring him in the back end of the opening round.
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Payton Wilson, LB
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Got ball, will tackle.
Payton Wilson had a proverbial nose for the football at North Carolina State. He gathered 69 tackles as a true freshman in 2019 and tallied 108 more as a sophomore. Following an injury-wrecked 2021, he registered 82 stops and closed his NC State career with 138. Along the way, he amassed 48 TFLs and snagged seven interceptions.
College production doesn't necessarily translate to the pros. His stats, nevertheless, were incredible.
Also working in the No. 43 player's favor, the linebacker class doesn't have a definite top prospect. Wilson's main competition is Texas A&M's Edgerrin Cooper, Clemson's Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and Michigan's Junior Colson, and none of them are Day 1 locks.
Maybe the position won't have a first-rounder, yet a linebacker-needy team will absolutely be considering Wilson.
Mike Sainristil, DB
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If you want a story to love, Mike Sainristil is a good choice. He played three seasons at Michigan as a wide receiver and occasional special teamer and then switched to the defensive side in 2022.
The move altered his career in the best way possible.
Sainristil quickly established himself as a top-tier college nickelback, posting 58 tackles with 6.5 for loss, breaking up seven passes and intercepting one. Last season, he racked up 44 stops, forced two fumbles and showed off his receiver background with six interceptions—that he returned for 232 yards and two touchdowns, by the way.
One not-so-sneaky element in Sainristil's favor is that his college coach, Jim Harbaugh, is now leading the Los Angeles Chargers.
Sainristil is ranked 50th on the consensus board, yet he's presumably a target for Los Angeles. There's not much space between the first round's end at No. 32 and the Chargers at No. 37.
Knowing that, it might take a Day 1 pick to keep Sainristil away from a reunion with Harbaugh.
Javon Bullard, DB
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Javon Bullard's versatility is his strongest appeal.
A two-year starter, he's best remembered in the college sphere for intercepting two passes in the 2022 national championship against TCU. Bullard made a combined 102 tackles over those two seasons.
Bullard primarily aligned as a nickelback in 2022, however, and he typically played a more traditional safety role in 2023.
Flexibility is essential in NFL defenses, and Bullard—the No. 54 consensus prospect—proved he can fill multiple roles at a high level. That doesn't guarantee him anything more than a likely Day 2 pick, but he's certainly worth considering in the first round.
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