The 2024 NFL Draft is barely two weeks away. That means scouts, coaches and executives across the league are working overtime attempting to build the foundation of a Super Bowl team.
This year’s draft will unload a fresh crop of potential franchise quarterbacks into the NFL as teams like the Chicago Bears, Washington Commanders, New England Patriots and Denver Broncos attempt to reverse their fortunes. There’s more to this year’s class than the passers set to provide hope for forlorn teams. 2024 is loaded with offensive talent, from wideout to the offensive line. While there isn’t as much juice to be squeezed from the defensive side of the ball, future All-Pros still await the teams smart enough to pick them out of the crowd.
Who could provide the most for their potential teams? After crunching through some game tape and analysis, here’s how my top 77 sort out — along with the teams that could be a proper fit for each.
1. QB Caleb Williams, USC
Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports
Best fit: Chicago Bears
2. WR Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State
Best fit: Arizona Cardinals
3. WR Rome Odunze, Washington
Best fit: Los Angeles Chargers
4. WR Malik Nabers, LSU
Best fit: Chicago Bears
5. QB Drake Maye, North Carolina
Best fit: Minnesota Vikings
6. OT Joe Alt, Notre Dame
Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
Best fit: New England Patriots
7. QB Jayden Daniels, LSU
Best fit: Washington Commanders
8. TE Brock Bowers, Georgia
Best fit: New England Patriots
9. CB Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo
Best fit: Detroit Lions
10. CB Terrion Arnold, Alabama
Best fit: Jacksonville Jaguars
11. OT Olumuyiwa Fashanu, Penn State
Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Best fit: Tennessee Titans
12. EDGE Laiatu Latu, UCLA
Best fit: Atlanta Falcons
13. EDGE Dallas Turner, Alabama
Best fit: Atlanta Falcons
14. QB J.J. McCarthy, Michigan
Best fit: Denver Broncos
15. IOL Taliese Fuaga, Oregon State
Best fit: Las Vegas Raiders
16. WR Brian Thomas Jr., LSU
USA Today Sports
Best fit: Jacksonville Jaguars
17. DL Byron Murphy, Texas
Best fit: New Orleans Saints
18. OT Troy Fautanu, Washington
Best fit: Pittsburgh Steelers
19. OT J.C. Latham, Alabama
Best fit: New York Jets
20. EDGE Demeioun ‘Chop’ Robinson, Penn State
Best fit: Miami Dolphins
21. EDGE Jared Verse, Florida State
Melina Myers-USA TODAY Sports
Best fit: San Francisco 49ers
22. S Cooper DeJean, Iowa
Best fit: Green Bay Packers
23. DL Jer’Zhan Newton, Illinois
Best fit: Houston Texans
24. CB Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama
Best fit: Buffalo Bills
25. OT Amarius Mims, Georgia
Best fit: Kansas City Chiefs
26. IOL Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Best fit: Dallas Cowboys
27. WR Adonai Mitchell, Texas
Best fit: Buffalo Bills
28. OL Graham Barton, Duke
Best fit: Los Angeles Chargers
29. QB Michael Penix Jr., Washington
Best fit: New York Giants
30. DL Braden Fiske, Florida State
Best fit: Arizona Cardinals
31. WR Ladd McConkey, Georgia
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Best fit: New Orleans Saints
32. EDGE Darius Robinson, Missouri
Best fit: Detroit Lions
33. CB Nate Wiggins, Clemson
Best fit: Miami Dolphins
34. CB T.J. Tampa, Iowa State
Best fit: Washington Commanders
35. OT Tyler Guyton, Oklahoma
Best fit: San Francisco 49ers
36. EDGE Marshawn Kneeland, Western Michigan
Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports
Best fit: Denver Broncos
37. LB Payton Wilson, North Carolina State
Best fit: Philadelphia Eagles
38. OT Jordan Morgan, Arizona
Best fit: Carolina Panthers
39. S Tyler Nubin, Minnesota
Best fit: Baltimore Ravens
40. IOL Zach Frazier, West Virginia
Best fit: Las Vegas Raiders
41. CB Max Melton, Rutgers
Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
Best fit: Dallas Cowboys
42. QB Bo Nix, Oregon
Best fit: Las Vegas Raiders
43. CB Ennis Rakestraw Jr., Missouri
Best fit: Indianapolis Colts
44. WR Ricky Pearsall, Florida
Best fit: New England Patriots
45. IOL Cooper Beebe, Kansas State
Best fit: Houston Texans
46. WR Xavier Worthy, Texas
Tim Warner/Getty Images
Best fit: Buffalo Bills
47. CB Mike Sainristil, Michigan
Best fit: Pittsburgh Steelers
48. WR Roman Wilson, Michigan
Best fit: Cleveland Browns
49. LB Junior Colson, Michigan
Best fit: New York Giants
50. WR Malachi Corley, Western Kentucky
Best fit: Los Angeles Chargers
51. EDGE Brandon Dorlus, Oregon
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Best fit: Minnesota Vikings
52. WR Keon Coleman, Florida State
Best fit: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
53. DL Kris Jenkins, Michigan
Best fit: Seattle Seahawks
54. WR Xavier Legette, South Carolina
Best fit: Dallas Cowboys
55. LB Edgerrin Cooper, Texas A&M
Best fit: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
56. CB Kamari Lassiter, Georgia
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Best fit: New York Giants
57. OL Christian Haynes, Connecticut
Best fit: Baltimore Ravens
58. OT Kingsley Suamataia, BYU
Best fit: Cincinnati Bengals
59. WR Troy Franklin, Oregon
Best fit: Kansas City Chiefs
60. OT Kiran Amegadjie, Yale
Best fit: Green Bay Packers
61. WR Ja'Lynn Polk, Washington
Stacy Revere/Getty Images
Best fit: New York Jets
62. DL Michael Hall Jr., Ohio State
Best fit: Cincinnati Bengals
63. DL Ruke Orhorhoro, Clemson
Best fit: Tennessee Titans
64. OG Christian Mahogany, Boston College
Best fit: Buffalo Bills
65. EDGE Chris Braswell, Alabama
Best fit: Cleveland Browns
66. RB Trey Benson, Florida State
Melina Myers-USA TODAY Sports
Best fit: Dallas Cowboys
67. S Javon Bullard, Georgia
Best fit: Philadelphia Eagles
68. LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Clemson
Best fit: New England Patriots
69. CB Andru Phillips, Kentucky
Best fit: Miami Dolphins
70. S Kamren Kinchens, Miami
Best fit: San Francisco 49ers
71, DL T'Vondre Sweat, Texas
(Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
Best fit: Los Angeles Rams
72. CB Kris Abrams-Draine, Missouri
Best fit: Atlanta Falcons
73. S Cole Bishop, Utah
Best fit: Buffalo Bills
74. EDGE Bralen Trice, Washington
Best fit: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
75. EDGE Adisa Isaac, Penn State
Best fit: Los Angeles Rams
76. TE Ben Sinnott, Kansas State
Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
Best fit: Cincinnati Bengals
77. DL Maason Smith, LSU
Best fit: Seattle Seahawks
Bonus: The 5 players not in the top 77 who could be massive draft hits
Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
1. RB Braelon Allen, Wisconsin
One of the youngest players in the draft also happens to be a linebacker-sized running back who can pick up tough yardage or break free for big gains. Wisconsin running backs have proven pretty useful in the NFL recently.
2. WR Malik Washington, Virginia
This uber-productive slot receiver is being washed out by a mighty crop of wideouts, but he can have an immediate impact on Sundays. He may never be a true WR1 thanks to his lack of height (5-foot-8), but he can be a devastating second option who turns short targets into big gains.
3. S Sione Vaki, Utah
Vaki may be limited to box duties in the pros, but he’s a cerebral, sure-handed tackler who gets things done. He can also fill in for gadget plays on offense, too — injuries led him to average 7.5 yards per carry as an emergency tailback at Utah last fall.
4. TE Tip Reiman, Illinois
Reiman is built like a combine harvester, combining ridiculous functional strength with top notch athleticism. The former walk-on is still a bit of a project, but he can block at a high level to start and could develop into a brutalizing two-way tight end with the right coaching.
5. RB Tyrone Tracy Jr., Purdue
OK, so my Allen pick is a bit of a cheat. Fortunately, there’s a solid crop of Day 3 talent at tailback who can be similarly effective at the next level. Tracy hasn’t been a running back for very long, which makes him a raw prospect but one lacking the high mileage of his peers. He’s also an explosive runner with great balance who brings value in both sides of the special teams equation.
