Mel Kiper makes big changes to Big Board Top-25 NFL Draft player rankings ahead of National Championship
Mel Kiper Jr. has updated his Big Board Top-25 NFL Draft player rankings for ESPN, making some big changes ahead of the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.
His ranking received a fascinating face-lift due to the CFP Semifinal Games. Players like Michael Penix Jr. and JJ McCarthy received a gigantic boost due to their play in the games, and will have another shot to move up even further on Kiper’s rankings come Monday night.
Check out Kiper’s latest 2024 NFL Draft Big Board below. Time will tell where they all end up and who can raise their stock even more, but here’s where they all stand at the moment.
1. QB Caleb Williams, USC
Alas, one thing is for sure about the 2024 NFL Draft, and the fact remains that Williams will remain QB1 and the No. 1 prospect barring something truly unexpected from Kiper.
And the evaluation from the NFL Draft analyst remains much the same. There are some size concerns, as Williams is just 6-foot-1, but Kiper doesn’t see that keeping him from going No. 1 overall.
2. WR Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State
Moving down the list, the same that’s true for Williams is true for Harrison. Perhaps the best overall player in the draft will be a projected Top 5 pick until that seems less-than-likely, if that ever happens.
With size, speed, agility, toughness, route-running polish and mastery of the finer points of the position, Harrison is about as complete as prospects come. He’ll be a star in short order at the next level.
3. QB Drake Maye, North Carolina
Things could be getting dicey for Maye, who remains at No. 3 but now has another quarterback closing in. After an up-and-down campaign, Maye might be fighting to hold on to QB2 after some thought he could challenge Williams for the top pick.
And while he still might due to the traits and arm talent, Maye didn’t have a stellar closing argument in college. Even still, he’s an enticing option for an quarterback needy team.
4. QB Jayden Daniels, LSU
Few, if any, players in America improved their draft outlook more than Daniels did in 2023. Playing well enough to win the Heisman on a three-loss team can do that.
Kiper has grown to love Daniels after watching him more and more, and is potentially poised to move him in the QB2 slot. The combination of downfield passing aggression and running left Kiper highly intrigued.
5. WR Rome Odunze, Washington (+1)
The top receiver in most any draft, Odunze has plenty of tools in his toolbox. Speed, size, winning at the catch point and effectiveness after the catch.
The whole package has Kiper considering Odunze as a potential No. 1 receiver on an NFL team. He’ll keep being that for Washington in the College Football Playoff, for now.
6. WR Malik Nabers, LSU (+1)
Nabers isn’t quite as big as the two receivers ranked ahead of him, but he was more productive than either in 2023. And Nabers’ speed shows up first and foremost on his tape.
His ability to play outside as well as in the slot will serve him well, Kiper wrote. And among a crowded field of receivers, Nabers could see his name called before Odunze if a team has a particularly preference.
7. TE Brock Bowers, Georgia (-2)
One of the best players in college football, Bowers was slowed by an ankle injury and tightrope surgery this season. That won’t change how NFL teams, or Kiper, view him.
Big, fast and with high-level ball tracking and catch point skills for the position, Bowers is what most every offense wants and needs: A matchup problem. His position and lack of elite run blocking might stop him from being a Top 5 pick, but he’s still a Top 5 prospect for Kiper.
8. OT Olu Fashanu, Penn State
Kiper’s top tackle remained his top tackle. Fashanu is big, can move and is young, all things NFL teams coveted that can’t be taught, either.
Fashanu was actually draft eligible for the 2023 NFL Draft, but chose to come back to school as he would’ve been just 20 at the time of the draft. A year later, he’s still as enticing of an NFL prospect, and he just turned 21 in early December.
9. OT Joe Alt, Notre Dame
Kiper raved about Alt when noting on a recent podcast that the tackles No. 15 ranking in his previous Big Board wasn’t entirely reflective of his stature. The new rankings make that sentiment more than clear.
Alt is expected to continue a lineage of Notre Dame linemen going to the NFL. He’s not the same level of athlete as Fashanu and a few years older, but he’s got as strong a track record as any tackle in the draft.
10. QB Michael Penix Jr., Washington (NR)
From missing the cut to entering the top ten, Penix Jr. showed the world what Washington fans have known all season long on Monday night. During the Sugar Bowl, the quarterback was nothing short of incredible, and now he’ll have a shot to cap his college career with a national title.
Penix Jr. has a lot of question marks, from being a lefty to his injury history and his advanced age for a first round quarterback. Nevertheless, if he can play the way he has for the Huskies in 2023, those will all dissipate in short order.
Kiper’s No. 11 through 25 prospects for the 2024 NFL Draft
11. EDGE Laiatu Latu, UCLA (-1)
12. EDGE Dallas Turner, Alabama (-1)
13. WR Keon Coleman, Florida State (-1)
14. CB Cooper DeJean, Iowa (-1)
15. OL Troy Fautanu, Washington (-1)
16. EDGE Jared Verse, Florida State (-1)
17. WR Brian Thomas Jr., LSU (NR)
18. DT Jer’Zhan “Johnny” Newton, Illinois (-2)
19. DT T’Vondre Sweat, Texas (+2)
20. WR Xavier Worthy, Texas (-3)
21. CB Nate Wiggins, Clemson (-3)
22. OT Taliese Fuaga, Oregon State (-3)
23. QB JJ McCarthy, Michigan (NR)
24. OT JC Latham, Alabama (-4)
25. CB Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama (-4)
As you can see, Mel Kiper Jr.’s Top 25 has some brand new looks after the College Football Playoff Semifinal Games. We’ll see how the national title game changes things, but after that we get into the real meat and potatoes of draft season.