2024 NFL Draft: Mel Kiper shakes up Top 25 Big Board player rankings with moves at the top
As we have about a month until the 2024 NFL Draft gets underway, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. has updated his Big Board Top 25 player rankings, with some fascinating changes.
The 2024 NFL Free Agency cycle provided us with an interesting look at where some teams will be looking when they’re on the clock, and Kiper continues to provide the guideline of which prospects they should be looking at come April. Alas, he’s continued to keep it fresh, as he’s done again in this week’s edition.
Who’s the best of the best at the moment, from the college football world? Check them out below, as it goes as follows, with Kiper has made some changes to his Top 25. They’re bound to surprise you.
1. Caleb Williams, QB – USC
This one should surprise no one if you’ve been following the draft process leading into the upcoming spring. The former Heisman Trophy winner is expected to be the No. 1 overall pick by someone, likely the Chicago Bears at this point after trading Justin Fields.
The USC star broke out as a freshman at Oklahoma before achieving superstardom with the Trojans as a sophomore. Sure, he wasn’t as good in 2023, but myriad factors sent USC packing early this year. Williams is surely the top prospect, and there isn’t anything that’s going to change Kiper’s mind, it seems.
2. Jayden Daniels, QB – LSU
Daniels has passed Drake Maye, according to Kiper, in this year’s draft after his Heisman campaign, and now he’s the No. 2 overall prospect in Kiper’s rankings. The LSU quarterback always had dual threat abilities, but they were on a different level this past season.
Since the trend of a lot of these rookie quarterbacks looking to start right away, that might be the case for Daniels as well, wherever he lands. It remains to be seen how high he goes in the first round, but it’s evident Kiper thinks highly of him.
3. Marvin Harrison Jr., WR – Ohio State
Here’s a guy who had an argument to be the top selection over Williams, if teams were so quarterback needy. Now, Kiper has Daniels ahead of him, but Harrison Jr. is as good of a wide receiver prospect seen in recent memory.
He has the name recognition from his Hall of Fame father, but the younger Harrison certainly carved out his own path with the Buckeyes. Instant star it seems like, once he gets to the NFL in 2024.
4. Malik Nabers, WR – LSU
Don’t forget about Nabers, who had just as good, if not a better season catching passes. He was the main target for Daniels all year long, helping his quarterback win the Heisman.
Like Harrison Jr. over the course of his collegiate career, he can run the entire route tree and can really stretch the field. Depending upon your evaluation, it might be a toss up between Nabers and the others.
5. Rome Odunze, WR – Washington
Odunze is the other wide receiver of the trio people need to talk about. He was a stud at Washington, helping the Huskies get to the national title game this season.
Odunze can run the entire route tree and he’s certainly NFL-ready for whoever selects him this spring. He was Michael Penix Jr.’s favorite target, after all. Kiper Jr. now has him ahead of many of the top prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft, and he’d be the No. 1 wideout in most seasons.
6. Brock Bowers, TE – Georgia
Bowers is the top tight end in the draft class and it’s not even close. Overall, he’s one of the best players regardless of which side of the ball. He’s been a popular mock selection to the Los Angeles Chargers, which might be unfair with Justin Herbert and Jim Harbaugh, right?
He can do it all as a pass catcher, a blocker and heck, a ball carrier. Bowers is a day one starter for whomever selects him in a couple of months.
7. Drake Maye, QB – North Carolina
Maye has an argument to be the second best quarterback in this draft class. At least, that’s been the general consensus all season until as of late following Daniels’ Heisman season. Now, he’s Kiper Jr.’s QB 3 at the moment.
Maye has all of the tools and the prototypical size to succeed at the NFL. It’s a question of where he will go and how early he will be selected by a quarterback-needy team. Perhaps his stock falling is a bit of an overreaction at the moment.
8. Joe Alt, OT – Notre Dame
Kiper raved about Alt when noting on a recent podcast that the tackles lower ranking in his previous Big Board wasn’t entirely reflective of his stature. The new rankings make that sentiment more than clear. Being a top 10 prospect overall is nothing to take lightly.
Alt is expected to continue a lineage of Notre Dame linemen going to the NFL. He’s got as strong a track record as any tackle in the draft. His argument to be the top lineman in the 2024 NFL Draft is a strong one.
9. Troy Fautanu, G – Washington
Troy Fautanu established himself as one of the best offensive lineman in college football over the last season. With Washington’s offense taking the sport by storm, he was as big of a part of the Huskies as anyone.
The collection of talent among available offensive lineman is as good as it’s been in many, many seasons, and Fautanu is a big piece of that. He’s a riser, and we’ll see if NFL squads have the same affinity Kiper has for him.
10. Dallas Turner, EDGE – Alabama
Turner is a demon off the edge and one of the best rushers we’ve seen in a few years. Kiper has him in the top 10 now, receiving more recognition.
He starred for Alabama and helped the Crimson Tide get back to the playoff this season. Like a lot of guys before him, he’s a day one starter and likely to be a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks.
Rest of Mel Kiper’s Big Board 2024
11. Brian Thomas Jr., WR – LSU
12. JC Latham, OT – Alabama
13. Laiatu Latu, OLB – UCLA
14. JJ McCarthy, QB – Michigan
15. Quinyon Mitchell, CB — Toledo
16. Olu Fashanu, OT – Penn State
17. Xavier Worthy, WR – Texas
18. Taliese Fuaga, OT – Oregon State
19. Terrion Arnold, CB – Alabama
20. Jared Verse, DE – Florida State
21. Cooper DeJean, CB – Iowa
22. Tyler Guyton, OT – Oklahoma
23. Nate Wiggins, CB – Clemson
24. Byron Murphy II, DT – Texas
25. T.J. Tampa, CB — Iowa State
As you can tell, Mel Kiper Jr. has done his research, and adjusted his 2024 NFL Draft Big Board accordingly. With a little more than a month until the time to turn in draft cards is upon us, there’s bound to be some changes, but this is what the ESPN analyst settled on for this week’s edition, with some interesting changes made.