Who are the best players in the 2024 NFL draft class? The debates will rage for months, and they've already begun in NFL scouting circles. A lot will change before names are called next April, but a handful of prospects are getting early buzz. So after reviewing the tape and talking to scouts, I wanted to try to pick out the top player at every position at this point in the process. Call these my early favorites as I dig into tape from last season, with the expectation that things likely will change based on how the 2023 season plays out.
Is it Caleb Williams or Drake Maye at QB1? Kool-Aid McKinstry or Kalen King at cornerback? I looked at every position's head-to-head battle for the top spot and picked the current leader as we gear up for the college football season. (Names are listed alphabetically at each position.)
Jump to position:
QB | RB | WR | TE | OT | IOL
EDGE | DT | LB | CB | S
Quarterback
Drake Maye (North Carolina) vs. Caleb Williams (USC)
Maye is a 6-foot-4 Justin Herbert clone with outstanding tools in terms of arm strength, size and mobility. But Williams' second-effort ability as a scrambler and playmaker has him starting the season with the edge.
The reigning Heisman Trophy winner heads into the 2023 college season with scouts and evaluators already calling him a generational talent. At 6-foot-1, 218 pounds, he wowed in 2022 with a 42-to-5 touchdown-to-interception ratio in his first full season as a starter and threw for north of 4,500 yards. Toss in the exciting Lincoln Riley scheme at USC, and Williams is in position to end up QB1 next April.
"Williams is Patrick Mahomes, but we didn't know Mahomes was him yet [when he was drafted in 2017]," one NFL general manager said.
That's high praise -- and a West Coast scout further emphasized the kind of impact Williams can have on a franchise: "He has the potential to be a guy owners want to lose [games] in December [to be able to draft]."
My early pick for the top QB: Williams
Running back
Braelon Allen (Wisconsin) vs. TreVeyon Henderson (Ohio State)
There is no slam-dunk RB1 headed into the season, but the Big Ten features two of the favorites to carry that title. Allen, coming off back-to-back 1,200-yard seasons, has power at 6-foot-2 and 235 pounds that shows up in the trenches. Henderson has elite speed -- he has run a sub-11-second 100-meter dash -- and is a stout 214 pounds at 5-foot-10.
Henderson will have competition in his own backfield, though, with Miyan Williams sharing touches. Allen, meanwhile, will be the focal point of new coach Luke Fickell's offense in Madison.
"Allen just looks like a sure thing," said one NFC scout who covers the Midwest. "He'll need to beef up his receiving skills for some teams, but he has legit first-round talent."
My early pick for the top RB: Allen
Wide receiver
Emeka Egbuka (Ohio State) vs. Marvin Harrison Jr. (Ohio State)
Ohio State features not only the nation's best wide receiver duo but also the nation's two best wide receivers overall. Egbuka and Harrison could make it five OSU wideouts drafted in Round 1 over a three-year span. Egbuka has played in the shadows of greats like Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson and Jaxon Smith-Njigba but showed in last year's College Football Playoff when Harrison was injured that he's capable of being a WR1. His route running stands out, and he's among the best deep threats in the class.
Harrison, though, is different. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound superstar caught 14 touchdowns on 77 passes last year while looking like a mix between Randy Moss and A.J. Green. He shows fantastic body control and reliable hands.
Just how good is Harrison? One NFL GM said, "We haven't had a wide receiver drafted first overall since Keyshawn [Johnson], but Harrison could push that -- even in a draft with Caleb Williams." Harrison is the presumptive WR1 and could easily go wire-to-wire in that slot.
My early pick for the top WR: Harrison
Marvin Harrison Jr. hauls in his second touchdown grab of the night behind a great pass from C.J. Stroud.
Tight end
Brock Bowers (Georgia) vs. Ja'Tavion Sanders (Texas)
Bowers, who has been a do-it-all offensive asset for Georgia the past two years, unseated several top recruits like Darnell Washington and Arik Gilbert on his way to becoming the Dawgs' top tight end and top pass-catcher.
"Bowers is like [George] Kittle from a run-after-catch standpoint, but he's much more athletic," one AFC area scout said.
Expectations are high for Bowers after the 6-foot-4, 230-pound pass-catcher brought in 24 total touchdowns over the past two years. He excels at making defenders miss with his strength and elusiveness.
Sanders has the 6-foot-5, 250-pound frame to push Bowers, and he caught 54 passes for five touchdowns as a first-year starter in 2022. He will have more opportunities with running back Bijan Robinson no longer dictating the offensive flow at Texas, but it would take a lot to overtake Bowers.
My early pick for the top TE: Bowers
Offensive tackle
Joe Alt (Notre Dame) vs. Olumuyiwa Fashanu (Penn State)
Alt is the son of former NFL offensive tackle John Alt and has been a two-year starter at left tackle, starting his first game as a true freshman. The 20-year-old is 6-foot-8 and 315 pounds, and he allowed just one sack last year, demonstrating high-end power and balance.
Fashanu is likely the leader at the position right now, however. After all, it was a shock when he decided to return to college after being a presumed top-10 pick in the 2022 draft. Like Alt, Fashanu is just 20 years old, but his mobility and quickness at 6-foot-8 stun scouts.
"They're both really, really good, but Fashanu's ceiling is through-the-roof good. He could be the next Laremy Tunsil or Trent Williams," said one AFC area scout.
Fashanu is more raw as a one-year starter, but the upside is tremendous. And he has never allowed a sack over 603 career snaps.
My early pick for the top OT: Fashanu
Interior offensive line
Cooper Beebe (Kansas State) vs. Sedrick Van Pran (Georgia)
Many scouts thought Beebe would jump to the NFL after the 2022 season, but he returned to K-State and has a chance to be a first-round selection. The versatile lineman has played right guard, left guard and left tackle over the past two years without allowing a single sack. His power at the point of attack and trap mobility are the best in college.
Van Pran, who lines up at center, has anchored back-to-back national champions while starting 30 straight games and allowing one sack in that time (way back in December 2021 against Alabama). He's an elite run-blocker with really good mobility.
Both are talented, and each could be a first-rounder, but Beebe has scouts excited this summer and looks to be the favorite at this time.
My early pick for the top IOL: Beebe
Edge rusher
Dallas Turner (Alabama) vs. Jared Verse (Florida State)
The edge rusher debate is a tale of two stories: potential vs. known product. First, we have Turner, a five-star recruit out of high school who has started just 10 games on a loaded Alabama team. But in that time, he has produced 12.5 sacks and 60 pressures, and scouts and coaches believe the best is still to come, once he takes over Will Anderson Jr.'s place in the lineup. I really like his first-step quickness.
Verse has the name recognition and could have been a top-20 pick in the 2022 draft. In one season as a starter, he had nine sacks and 35 pressures. He has a first step that offensive tackles can't figure out, and he attacks each snap with a plan.
"The edge group should be special next year," said one NFL college scouting director. "Turner, Verse, J.T. Tuimoloau at Ohio State ... but Turner has the total package. You'll get some Micah Parsons comps there."
My early pick for the top EDGE: Turner
Defensive tackle
Maason Smith (LSU) vs. Leonard Taylor (Miami)
The early word on the 2024 defensive tackle class is that it's lacking a superstar talent but is full of potential. That aptly describes both Smith and Taylor.
Smith had four sacks in nine games in 2021 but missed all but one quarter of the 2022 season with a torn ACL. The former five-star recruit has huge potential that scouts are excited to see on the field. Taylor, like Smith, was a top prep recruit who scouts believe can break out in 2023. With three sacks last year, the 6-foot-3, 305-pounder has flashed first-step quickness and sneaky agility for his size.
The pressure will be on both to put together solid seasons and realize their potential, but the 20-year-old Smith is a favorite of scouts. As long as his knee is recovered nearly one year after his injury, he could be a top-10 player. He shows really good bend, length and quickness on tape.
My early pick for the top DT: Smith
Linebacker
Barrett Carter (Clemson) vs. Jeremiah Trotter Jr. (Clemson)
The linebacker talent in the Clemson locker room is absurd, with two of the nation's best anchoring the middle of the defense. Carter, a 6-foot-1, 225-pound junior, was the talk of the town on my early calls with scouts this summer.
"He's the perfect Will," said one scout, adding that Carter "affects offenses in every phase of the game. He's smaller, but he's a [Shaquille] Leonard-type player."
Carter notched 70 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, 2 interceptions and 2 forced fumbles last season.
Trotter, the son of a former NFL great of the same name, is your classic Mike linebacker at 6-foot and 230 pounds. He's a thumper with range and versatility, evident by his 8.5 TFLs, 6.5 sacks and 91 tackles in 2022. Both players carry a first-round grade heading into the season, but Carter's versatility and every-down presence give him the slight edge.
My early pick for the top LB: Carter
Cornerback
Kalen King (Penn State) vs. Kool-Aid McKinstry (Alabama)
The cornerback class looks stacked with first-rounders in the early stages of evaluation, and King and McKinstry headline that group.
King, a 5-foot-11, 188-pound junior, grabbed three interceptions and broke up 15 passes last year. Only teammate and eventual second-round pick Joey Porter Jr. forced a higher percentage of incompletions in coverage than his 37.5% of all targets. He's shifty and fast, and he breaks on the ball like a wide receiver running routes.
McKinstry doesn't just have the best nickname in college football -- he might also be the best cover man in the sport. In 2022, he one-upped King by allowing a QBR of 13.2 -- ninth in the nation among DBs who saw at least 50 targets. He hauled in one interception and broke up 14 passes. At 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds, he has the length that teams love to go along with topflight speed.
"McKinstry is the dude," said an AFC scout who covers the SEC. "He's up there with [Derek] Stingley, Sauce [Gardner] & Co. as a college corner. He looks like a top-10 pick already."
My early pick for the top CB: McKinstry
Safety
Calen Bullock (USC) vs. Lathan Ransom (Ohio State)
Bullock is the most talked-about safety for next year, given his 6-foot-3, 180-pound frame and five interceptions in 2022.
"Bullock has that over-the-top range and really makes plays on the ball ... those INTs aren't just floating his way," said one NFC area scout.
Bullock will be tested by Ransom, though. At 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds, he has the size and strength to hang with tight ends and monitor the middle of the field. He also grabbed an interception and notched 74 tackles last season, and he looked great against Georgia (9 tackles) in the College Football Playoff. Both are talented, but Bullock is among the most talked-about players in the country right now among scouts and agents, so he has the edge.
My early pick for the top S: Bullock