As we finish off the 2023 college football regular season, what does the current 2024 NFL Draft Big Board look like? Here’s the order in the present day — complete with top prospects, risers, and deep positional sleepers.
2024 NFL Draft Big Board
We’ve reached the final week of the 2023 college football season, and the 2024 NFL Draft class has significantly developed. Some things we already knew, such as the potential of promising prospects like USC QB Caleb Williams and Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr., have become even more apparent.
Still, new surprises are well on the way.
Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State
Harrison is ranked first overall on our 2024 NFL Draft Big Board. We were aware before the season that he is a nearly generational WR talent, and his performance this season only reinforced that. It’s worth noting that Harrison is the son of Indianapolis Colts Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison Sr.
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Harrison’s season is likely over unless Ohio State gets into the College Football Playoff. He finished with 67 catches for 1,211 yards and 14 touchdowns. He’s known for his excellent ability to create separation and intimidating presence as a 6’4″, 205-pound player. Still, this year, he has also demonstrated improved skills in running after the catch and has become even more versatile.
Against Notre Dame, his toughness playing through injury also undoubtedly won over NFL evaluators. Then, he went out and dominated against a stellar Penn State defense. Simply, there are no questions Harrison needs to answer for us to be sold on him as a surefire NFL star.
Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina
The top quarterback prospect on PFN’s updated Top 300 2024 NFL Draft Big Board is now Drake Maye.
Incredibly gifted as an athlete with a strong arm and comfort in an offense that forces him to make NFL throws and reads often, Maye’s projection hinges on whether he can clean up occasionally sloppy mechanics and late reads.
It’s easy to see him as a potential top-10 NFL passer when he’s at his best. Maye’s ability to hunt big plays and keep the offense moving in rhythm has given him a very slight edge over Williams.
Despite the occasional bad interception, Maye is still a prospect worth investing in as a potential franchise quarterback. He’s nimble, despite his 6’4″ and 225-pound frame. He has effortless off-platform torquing ability and the freedom to angle his throws.
Maye lived up to hopes in his junior season by completing 63.3% of his passes for 3,608 yards, 24 touchdowns, and nine picks.
Caleb Williams, QB, USC
It’s hard to say that Williams has done much to lose the QB1 spot. His game against Notre Dame was shockingly poor — Williams completed only 23 of 37 attempts for 199 yards and three first-half interceptions. Notre Dame locked up Williams’ receivers and pressured him with four down linemen.
With his season likely over, Williams completed 68.8% of his passes at 9.4 yards per attempt for 30 touchdowns and five picks. Before facing Notre Dame and Arizona, Williams had been immaculate in 2023.
His numbers weren’t nearly as explosive over the final two months, but that’s also been due to a relatively mediocre supporting cast and a vanilla offensive scheme that puts a ton of pressure on the QB.
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At 6’1″ and 220 pounds, Williams remains the most prolific creator in the 2024 NFL Draft QB class. There are still times, on occasion, when you’d like him to speed up his process a bit and take what’s given in the short range.
He’s a hyper-elite creative threat with an enthralling mix of athleticism, arm strength, and elasticity — weaponized by his complete control and discretion.
Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia
Maye is the best quarterback in the class, while Harrison is the top wide receiver. However, there is a strong argument to be made that Brock Bowers from Georgia is the most versatile offensive weapon, even though this category may not apply to many prospects.
Bowers’ robust 6’4″, 240-pound build, remarkable explosiveness, and speed make him stand out. He brings a lot more to the table than just his physical attributes.
The Bulldog was on pace to be one of the most productive TEs in CFB history, with 41 touches, 595 yards, and five total touchdowns through seven games in 2023. Unfortunately, an ankle injury cost him a month of action. He had surgery to stabilize his ankle, but he returned earlier than anticipated.
Bowers’ physical foundation is elite, but he’s also a passable route runner, a versatile blocker, a bird of prey at the catch point, and a steamroller with his contact balance in open space.
Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame
The battle for OT1 between Penn State’s Olumuyiwa “Olu” Fashanu and Notre Dame’s Joe Alt is based on preference. Our team moved Alt above Fashanu after the Ohio State and Penn State matchup, as the latter struggled mightily against Ohio State’s JT Tuimoloau, exposing his inconsistent hand usage and balance. While he’s still fantastic, Alt is a better player right now.
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The massive left tackle has incredible balance, IQ, and agility for someone standing 6’8″ and 315 pounds. His polish as a pass blocker is hard to overlook when his peers are still trailing his abilities.
Alt is also a star run blocker, easily navigating to the second level of defenses and landmarking linebackers.
