Mel Kiper updates Big Board Top-25 NFL Draft Player Rankings following Super Bowl
With Super Bowl LVIII in the rearview mirror, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. has updated his Big Board Top 25 player rankings for the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Kansas City Chiefs are once again on top of the NFL world, and the rest of the league are looking to catch them next season. A big proponent of that equation will begin at the 2024 NFL Draft, where each of the 31 other teams draft the players they expect will help them beat the Chiefs, while Kansas City looks for who will keep them atop the food chain in the NFL.
Now, we’re fully in the swing of NFL Draft season. Here’s where ESPN’s lead NFL Draft voice in Kiper has his rankings at the moment, check them out below.
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.
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.
2. Marvin Harrison Jr., WR – Ohio State
Here’s a guy who has the argument to be the top selection over Williams though, if teams were so quarterback needy. 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.
3. Jayden Daniels, QB – LSU
Daniels might have the argument to pass Drake Maye in this year’s draft after his Heisman campaign. The LSU quarterback always had dual threat abilities, but they were on a different level this past season. Kiper now has him in the driver’s seat as QB2.
Since the trend of a lot of these rookie quarterbacks to start right away, that might be the case for Daniels as well. It’ll remain to be seen how high he goes in the first round, but he might not last long.
4. Rome Odunze, WR – Washington
Odunze is the other wide receiver 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 the aforementioned Drake Maye, firmly planted as his WR2.
5. 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.
6. 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 Odunze, 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.
7. 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.
8. Joe Alt, OT – 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. 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 not the same level of athlete as Ole Fashanu (more on him later) and a few years older, but he’s got as strong a track record as any tackle in the draft.
9. Olu Fashanu, OT – Penn State
Fashanu is big, can move and is young, all things NFL teams coveted that can’t be taught, either. However, he’s behind Alt in this set of rankings, but it’s pretty darn close.
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 an enticing NFL prospect, and he just turned 21 in early December.
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. Troy Fautanu, G – Washington
13. Cooper DeJean, CB – Iowa
14. Nate Wiggins, CB – Clemson
15. Terrion Arnold, CB – Alabama
16. Laiatu Latu, OLB – UCLA
17. Quinyon Mitchell, CB – Toledo
18. Taliese Fuaga, OT – Oregon State
19. Tyler Guyton, OT – Oklahoma
20. Edgerrin Cooper, ILB — Texas A&M
21. Jared Verse, DE – Florida State
22. JC Latham, OT – Alabama
23. JJ McCarthy, QB – Michigan
24. Darius Robinson, DE — Missouri
25. Amarius Mims, OT – Georgia
As you can see, Mel Kiper Jr. has a keen eye on the prospects that’ll shape the NFL for years to come, and where they stand after the Super Bowl. Time will tell, but there are plenty of events that’ll shakeup the rankings between now and April.