Draft Reset: Where do the Ole Miss prospects sit after round one?
The 2024 NFL Draft got underway on Thursday in Detroit with the first round and the opening 32 picks of the seven-round event. Ole Miss was not among the Southeastern Conference schools to be represented but Friday and Saturday present good opportunities.
Of the Rebels draft prospects the three that have received the most mock draft attention are Cedric Johnson, Deantre Prince and Daijahn Anthony. Now that 32 players have been taken off the board, and slight chaos ensued with the Top 10 selection of Michael Penix, Jr., things have reshuffled for the second and third rounds on Friday.
ESPN’s Best Available list by Mel Kiper, Jr. is predicting it could be Saturday before any Rebels go off the board. Johnson is considered the 88th best player still available and would put him in the running for a Friday selection if teams strictly went in that order and did not divert, which of course always happens.
Johnson was mock drafted as the 100th overall selection by ESPN ahead of this weekend’s draft, being taken by the Washington Commanders as third round compensatory pick. He is listed as the ninth best EDGE player available.
“Johnson closes well in pursuit and has the traits to make more of an impact rushing the passer in the NFL than he did at the college level,” ESPN’s pre-draft analysis stated. “He has experience dropping into underneath coverage and moves well for his size.”
Prince comes in as the next Ole Miss player and the 199th best available. Among the cornerbacks still on the board he is considered the 28th best available.
Of the mock drafts Prince was being slotted as a potential sixth or seventh round pick.
“He sorts out routes and reads the quarterback in zone looks,” ESPN’s pre-draft analysis stated. “Prince has the frame and top-end speed to develop into an effective press corner. He needs to do a better job of wrapping up at times, but he closes well and flashes good stopping power as a tackler.”
Then Anthony comes in as the 298th best available, but that is outside the remaining 225 picks on the weekend. Similar to Prince, Anthony is listed as the 28th best available player at the safety position and he has been mock drafted in the seventh round heading into the three-day event.
Anthony could find his way into the draft come Saturday afternoon but if not he will almost assuredly have a strong chance at becoming one of the many undrafted free agent signings at the conclusion of the NFL Draft, joining Dayton Wade in that group.
