Mel Kiper 2024 NFL Draft Big Board: Examining Final Rankings Before Round 1

The most optimistic night on the NFL calendar is here.

Round 1 of the 2024 NFL draft will take place Thursday in Detroit, allowing franchises and fanbases to let their imaginations run wild with thoughts of what their newest additions will accomplish. In many cases, it will be years before knowing whether these players will live up to the hype, of course, but for now, we can all dream about what they might become.

Speaking of which, ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. has invested a ton of time in thinking about those possible long-term outlooks and used it to populate a big board that has evolved throughout draft season.

Let's dig into his final installment and see how this draft class stacks up in his eyes.

The Quarterbacks

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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 18: Caleb Williams #13 of the USC Trojans drops back and looks to throw a pass during the first half of a game against the UCLA Bruins at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on November 18, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ryan Kang/Getty Images)

Quarterbacks dominate the modern NFL, so it's no surprise to see the position dominating Kiper's final big board. Both of his top two prospects and five of his top 25 are signal-callers.

His board starts the way most mock drafts do: with USC's Caleb Williams at No. 1 and LSU's Jayden Daniels at No. 2. Kiper called Williams "a fabulous playmaker" and noted the many "'wow' throws all over his tape." Kiper cited Daniels' "rare ability as a dual-threat playmaker" and attributed his rise up the big board to "his improvement as a passer."

After a brief receiver run (which we'll touch on later), Kiper slotted North Carolina's Drake Maye at No. 6 while noting "he looks the part of a big-time NFL signal-caller."

Next it was Michigan's J.J. McCarthy at No. 15, with Kiper raving about his "first-round arm talent" and the fact he "can beat defenses with his legs, too." Finally, Kiper had Washington's Michael Penix Jr. at No. 24, citing his injury concerns but also praising his "arm talent, accuracy to all levels, decision-making and toughness."

For comparison's sake, here's where those five quarterbacks landed on the final big board from the B/R NFL Scouting Department: Maye at No. 3, Williams at No. 4, Daniels at No. 31, McCarthy at No. 33 and Penix at No. 86. Oregon's Bo Nix (No. 61) and South Carolina's Spencer Rattler (No. 67) both checked in ahead of Penix.

The Pass-Catchers

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COLUMBUS, OHIO - NOVEMBER 11: Marvin Harrison Jr. #18 of the Ohio State Buckeyes runs with the ball during the second quarter of a game against the Michigan State Spartans at Ohio Stadium on November 11, 2023 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images)

Most mocks feature three pass-catchers inside the top 10 in receivers Marvin Harrison Jr. of Ohio State, Malik Nabers of LSU and Rome Odunze of Washington. A fourth, tight end Brock Bowers out of Georgia, typically lands around the top 10 bubble.

While positional need clearly plays a part in that, talent obviously isn't the issue. Kiper has all four prospects comfortably inside of his top 10.

Harrison, the top-rated prospect for B/R's scouting department, leads all non-quarterbacks as Kiper's No. 3. "Harrison has everything, from outstanding size and stellar hands to incredible body control and blazing speed," Kiper raved.

Odunze and Nabers were up next at fourth and fifth, respectively, while Bowers was seventh. Kiper praised Odunze's "tremendous combination of size and speed." For Nabers, he cited his "speed," "elite separation skills" and "versatility." Kiper called Bowers "an advanced pass-catcher" and said he was capable of making "an instant impact when he gets to the NFL."

The Pass-Rushers

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TAMPA, FL - SEPTEMBER 16: Alabama Linebacker Dallas Turner (15) rushes the passer during the College Football game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the South Florida Bulls on September 16, 2023 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

While some teams will look to boost their passing game with quarterbacks and receivers Thursday night, others will look for those defensive game-breakers who can disrupt an aerial attack.

There aren't a ton of them at the top of this draft class, but Kiper did include three among his top 25: Alabama's Dallas Turner at No. 9, UCLA's Laiatu Latu at No. 12 and Florida State's Jared Verse at No. 22.

Kiper credited Turner for showing "flashes of stellar pass-rush moves" while also being "good at shedding blocks in the run game." He called Latu "a polished pass-rusher who knows how to use his hands and has a knack for slipping by offensive tackles." Kiper said Verse has an "impressive" combination of power and speed, noting he is "super quick off the line" and "tenacious as a pass-rusher."

All three pass-rushers are top-20 prospects for B/R's scouting department—Verse at No. 9, Turner at No. 12 and Latu at No. 14—as is Penn State's Chop Robinson (No. 19), whom Kiper ranked 29th overall.