2024 NFL DRAFT TOP 100 BIG BOARD: 17 WRS LEAD WAY; J.J. MCCARTHY SITS AT NO. 25, JUST BEHIND MICHAEL PENIX JR.
We're down the home stretch -- the 2024 NFL Draft gets underway on April 25 -- and while we'll continue the wall-to-wall coverage through the "With the First Pick" podcast (check it out here!), CBS Sports HQ, CBS Sports Network and those mock drafts you love so much, I thought I'd take a moment to roll out my Top 100 Big Board. In case you're wondering, wide receivers led the way with 17 players making the list, followed by offensive tackles and cornerbacks (14 each), edge rushers (11), defensive line (9), quarterbacks (7), safeties (6), tight ends and running backs (5 each), and linebackers, centers and guards (all 4 each).
Alright, let's get to it.
1. Caleb Williams, QB, Southern California
2. Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State
3. Malik Nabers, WR, Louisiana State
4. Olu Fashanu, OT, Penn State
5. Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame
6. Jayden Daniels, QB, Louisiana State
7. Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia
8. Jared Verse, EDGE, Florida State
9. Dallas Turner, EDGE, Alabama
10. Rome Odunze, WR, Washington
No surprise at the top, at least if you've been following me and my co-host on "With the First Pick," Rick Spielman; we've been of the opinion that Caleb Williams was the top player in this class going back to the fall and that hasn't changed. I made note of this last November, but just a reminder in case it again becomes a talking point in the coming days: Williams can absolutely play on time, it's just that he was playing behind a USC offensive line that struggled to consistently block anyone.
And while Marvin Harrison Jr. didn't work out during the pre-draft process -- and Malik Nabers did -- Harrison remains No. 2 on my board with Nabers just behind him. You can't go wrong with either player and I'm always reminded of the 2020 class, when six WRs went in the first round and Justin Jefferson and Brandon Aiyuk were Nos. 5 and 6 off the board (and Tee Higgins was WR7, and he didn't go until the top of Round 2). The point: there are players in this class we're undervaluing now who will exceed expectations as a rookie (like, say, Puca Nacua from a season ago).
I've typically had Joe Alt going ahead of Olu Fashanu in my mock drafts, but that's primarily because Alt ends up with the Titans at No. 7, he'd be a Day 1 starter, and right now, he's further along in his development. I think Fashanu could be really, really special, it just might take a little longer.
And maybe it's somewhat surprising that I have Brock Bowers as my No. 7-rated player but he's that good. The issue is that he plays a position that has been devalued, especially at the top of the draft. But as I've mentioned frequently in recent months, in the last 20 years, 19 tight ends have gone in the first round. Five of those were selected in the top 10 (Eric Ebron, 10th overall in 2014; T.J. Hockenson, eighth overall in 2019; Kellen Winslow II and Vernon Davis, sixth overall in 2004 and 2006; and Kyle Pitts, fourth overall in 2021). The other 14 were drafted between No. 19 and No. 32. And 10 months ago, Sam LaPorta lasted until Round 2. It's not unreasonable to think that Bowers could get pushed down the board and then he's sitting there for a team like, say, the Bengals.
Finally, Rome Odunze is 10th on my board but he's certainly in the same conversation as Harrison and Nabers. It's just that this class is so stacked at the top that some impact players who would be top-five picks in other drafts, end up lower here.
11. Byron Murphy II, DL, Texas
12. Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina
13. Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo
14. Laiatu Latu, EDGE, UCLA
15. Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State
16. Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama
17. Troy Fautanu, OT, Washington
18. Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia
19. Nate Wiggins, CB, Clemson
20. Brian Thomas Jr., WR, Louisiana State
21. Jer'Zhan Newton, DL, Illinois
22. Cooper DeJean, CB, Iowa
23. JC Latham, OT, Alabama
24. Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington
25. J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan
You might notice Drake Maye is 12th here, and Michael Penix Jr. is one spot ahead of J.J. McCarthy at No. 24 and No. 25. Here's the thinking: Maye is only 21 years old, several years younger than Jayden Daniels and Penix Jr. (and Bo Nix), but there's no running away from his inconsistent season for the Tar Heels. That said, his physical attributes are exactly what NFL teams are looking for in a quarterback, and he's going to get better, perhaps a lot better. I liken it to Justin Herbert's final season at Oregon, which was inconsistent, but how he's grown in the NFL and is now one of the best young QBs in the league. Maye could follow a similar path.
As for Penix Jr., I've talked to teams that consider him a first-round pick, and I've talked to other teams that think he's a late-Day 2 selection. But if we're going to preach "what story does the tape tell?" then it's hard to make an argument that Penix Jr. isn't anything other than a first-round talent. Now, you can raise concerns about his injury history, and I get that, but based solely on his last two seasons for the Huskies, he's one of the best passers in this class.
And that brings us to McCarthy. He's probably one of the most polarizing players in this draft, and on the surface, he wasn't asked to do a lot for a stacked Michigan squad. But when he was … McCarthy stepped up. He was one of the most efficient QBs in college football last season on third-and-6-or-more yards, completing 75% of his throws with five touchdowns and no turnovers. And he wasn't throwing screen passes, either; he was pushing the ball down the field with accuracy. He's also incredibly charismatic, loved by his teammates, and a leader, all qualities NFL teams want in their franchise quarterback. And maybe he ends up as the best player in this class -- but like Maye, the tape hasn't yet told that story.
26. Adonai Mitchell, WR, Texas
27. Darius Robinson, EDGE, Missouri
28. Jackson Powers-Johnson, OC, Oregon
29. Ladd McConkey, WR, Georgia
30. Chop Robinson, EDGE, Penn State
31. Ennis Rakestraw Jr., CB, Missouri
32. Tyler Guyton, OT, Oklahoma
33. Bralen Trice, EDGE, Washington
34. Graham Barton, OC, Duke
35. Keon Coleman, WR, Florida State
36. Braden Fiske, DL, Florida State
37. Mike Sainristil, CB, Michigan
38. Xavier Legette, WR, South Carolina
39. Chris Braswell, EDGE, Alabama
40. Ja'Lynn Polk, WR, Washington
41. Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama
42. Tyler Nubin, S, Minnesota
43. Zach Frazier, OC, West Virginia
44. Jordan Morgan, OT, Arizona
45. Xavier Worthy, WR, Texas
46. Ben Sinnott, TE, Kansas State
47. Ruke Orhorhoro, DL, Clemson
48. Christian Haynes, OG, Connecticut
49. Edgerrin Cooper, LB, Texas A&M
50. Jalen McMillan, WR, Washington
Ladd McConkey is one of my favorite players in this class and I do not care that he's under 6-0 and doesn't even weigh 190 lbs. He's an elite separator at all three levels and he plays every bit as fast as his 4.39 40.
He's a first-round talent for me all day long and Lord help the rest of the AFC if the Chiefs take him at No. 32.
Some other players I love in this range: Ennis Rakestraw Jr., Braden Fiske, Mike Sainristil, Chris Braswell, Tyler Nubin and Ben Sinnott.
While he didn't test as well, Rakestraw plays with the same intensity of Devon Witherspoon. Fiske is an interior disruptor who tested through the roof -- and he also has a first-round sense of humor:
Sainristil could end up as a top-40 selection because of his versatility and intelligence, while Braswell may have been overshadowed by Dallas Turner at Alabama, he's a twitched-up pass rusher in his own right. Nubin has a chance to be the first safety off the board while Sinnott has flown under the radar for many folks, but there's some Sam LaPorta to his game.
51. Patrick Paul, OT, Houston
52. Troy Franklin, WR, Oregon
53. Javon Bullard, S, Georgia
54. Kamari Lassiter, CB, Georgia
55. Michael Hall Jr., DL, Ohio State
56. Payton Wilson, LB, North Carolina State
57. Jermaine Burton, WR, Alabama
58. Theo Johnson, TE, Penn State
59. Jonathon Brooks, RB, Texas
60. Bo Nix, QB, Oregon
61. Kris Abrams-Draine, CB, Missouri
62. Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, S, Texas Tech
63. Trey Benson, RB, Florida State
64. Ricky Pearsall, WR, Florida
65. Roman Wilson, WR, Michigan
66. Adisa Isaac, EDGE, Penn State
67. Calen Bullock, S, Southern California
68. Kingsley Suamataia, OT, BYU
69. Malachi Corley, WR, Western Kentucky
70. TJ Tampa, CB, Iowa State
71. Ja'Tavion Sanders, TE, Texas
72. Christian Jones, OT, Texas
73. DeWayne Carter, DL, Duke
74. Jaylen Wright, RB, Tennessee
75. Leonard Taylor, DL, Miami
Seventeen wide receivers are in my Top 100 and five are ranked 51-75. Put another way: don't be surprised if teams address other needs in Round 1 because there is so much depth at this position -- and you can find deep threats like Jermaine Burton, explosive slot receivers like Roman Wilson and Deebo Samuel monster trucks like Malachi Corley in this range.
Running backs finally make an appearance too; Jonathan Brooks is my RB1, followed by Trey Benson and Jalen Wright.
76. Cooper Beebe, OG, Kansas State
77. Blake Corum, RB, Michigan
78. Brandon Dorlus, DL, Oregon
79. Nehemiah Pritchett, CB, Auburn
80. Braelon Allen, RB, Wisconsin
81. Braiden McGregor, EDGE, Michigan
82. Spencer Rattler, QB, South Carolina
83. Mason McCormick, OG, South Dakota State
84. Cade Stover, TE, Ohio State
85. Delmar Glaze, OT, Maryland
86. DJ James, CB, Auburn
87. Jonah Elliss, EDGE, Utah
88. Khristian Boyd, DL, Northern Iowa
89. Jeremiah Trotter Jr., LB, Clemson
90. Max Melton, CB, Rutgers
91. Tykee Smith, S, Georgia
92. Marshawn Kneeland, EDGE, Western Michigan
93. Matt Goncalves, OG, Pittsburgh
94. Blake Fisher, OT, Notre Dame
95. Ty'Ron Hopper, LB, Missouri
96. Jaden Hicks, S, Washington State
97. Roger Rosengarten, OT, Washington
98. Jha'Quan Jackson, WR, Tulane
99. Tanor Bortolini, OC, Wisconsin
100. Dwight McGlothern, CB, Arkansas
I've been a huge Spencer Rattler fan going back to the fall and I think he has a chance to be a Day 2 selection.
He's one of the toughest players in this class, has a huge arm, will stand in the pocket and take a hit while throwing with anticipation. He's undersized, but there's a lot to like about his game, and how much he's matured in recent years. Right behind Rattler on my top 100 is Mason McCormick, the offensive lineman from South Dakota State who has center-guard versatility at the next level. Good luck finding someone who plays with more of an edge.
A little further down the list, you'll find Max Melton and Tykee Smith, two defensive backs who had glowing Senior Bowls -- and overall pre-draft experiences -- and could end up going higher than I have them here.
And the same could be said for the final four names above: NFL teams are higher on offensive linemen Roger Rosengarten and Tanor Bortolini than some media folks, while I was impressed with Dwight McGlothern's tape at Arkansas last season.
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