By: Francis Han
Honorable Mentions: Quinyon Mitchell, Jackson Powers-Johnson, Byron Murphy II, and Tyler Guyton
1: Caleb Williams (USC) [QB]
This draft class has generational talent at the quarterback position with two guys. It is interchangeable to me, depending on the day between Caleb Williams and Drake Maye. Caleb Williams is more of an improviser who can make outstanding plays with his legs while also having an insanely powerful and accurate arm.
2: Drake Maye (UNC) [QB]
Maye and Williams would have both easily been the first quarterbacks taken in the previous draft class with Bryce Young and CJ Stroud. Maye is more of the game manager who stays calm in the pocket and possesses some of the most insane accuracy I have ever seen. Don’t let his pocket presence fool you because he has an intimidating stature at 6’4” 230 and can escape the pocket and run you over. These two quarterbacks will be special in the NFL.
3. Marvin Harrison Jr. (Ohio State) [WR]
The best wide receiver prospect I have seen in my lifetime coming out of college. Like I said in my previous article ranking my top five wide receivers, Harrison Jr. has little to no flaws. He has a prototypical build for an elite receiver, an elite route tree, outstanding ball skills, and is an incredible athlete. He will easily be better than his dad, which is an insane statement.
4. Jayden Daniels (LSU) [QB]
He was the Heisman winner for a reason. Daniels has progressed so much as a passer throughout his college career. He was already a great quarterback at Arizona State, but LSU just elevated him to a different level. He is notorious for his insane running ability, but his passing ability and accuracy are just as elite as the other quarterbacks in this draft class. He can easily be compared to Lamar Jackson coming out of Louisville and is arguably a better prospect.
5. Brock Bowers (Georgia) [TE]
Brock Bowers is arguably the greatest tight-end prospect of all time. He is a top 3 talent, but the tight end position is not valued as much as the quarterback or wide receiver positions are valued less than the tight end position. Kyle Pitts is the last guy we saw at this position who looked as elite as Bowers, but Bowers is equally as good at catching and is a much better blocker, so he is a better prospect than Pitts.
6. Rome Odunze (Washington) [WR]
Most people have Nabers at their WR2, but I just don’t understand it. Odunze deserves all the hype. He is the best deep threat and contested catcher in this draft. Odunze passes the eye test in every facet of the game. His route running is pro-ready, and his size-to-speed combination makes GMs drool. He can easily be the WR1 of most NFL teams right now.
7. Olu Fashanu (Penn State) [OT]
Similarly to Williams and Maye, Fashanu and Alt are extremely interchangeable. Fashanu is one of the most athletic tackle prospects I have ever witnessed. His build and athleticism are perfect for a franchise tackle, and he is also remarkably strong. He is very refined in his technique and footwork, and any team would be lucky to call him their franchise tackle.
8. Joe Alt (Notre Dame) [OT]
Alt is equally elite as a protector as Fashanu, though. What Alt doesn’t match up with Fashanu in athleticism, he makes up for it in brute strength. Alt has a killer mentality when he steps on the field and has imposing strength when facing his opponent. Just because Alt isn’t as athletic as Fashanu does not mean he is not athletic. Alt used to be a tight end, so he is still quick and has a good bend.
9. Laiatu Latu (UCLA) [EDGE]
Laiatu Latu is the easy EDGE1 to me, and it is not close. Most people have Dallas Turner at their EDGE1, but like Malik Nabers, I just don’t get all the hype. Whenever I watch Latu play, it seems like he is beating his opponent and putting pressure on the quarterback every single play. This past season, I have not seen a more dominant player out of any position. Latu has very active hands and is a freak athlete. He is very agile and has a lot of finesse in his game. I can guarantee that Latu will be an All-Pro EDGE in the NFL, and you can quote me on that.
10. Jer’Zhan Newton (Illinois) (DL)
It seems like every prospect so far is some of the best I have ever seen at their position, but that’s just how special this draft class is, and that streak will keep going. Newton is the scariest interior DL I have ever seen coming out of college. I have no idea how someone so massive can be so agile while also being so powerful. He has an insane first step off the line of scrimmage and is very flexible. To be honest, Newton has more of an EDGE build than a DL build, but because of all his other strengths, he will be an elite run-stopping DL.
11. Keon Coleman (Florida State) [WR]
Coleman’s stock has dropped significantly due to his production, but I think he’s in the wrong system. I’m not going to let the numbers fool me. When I watch Coleman, I see jaw-dropping talent and athleticism. I might go as far as to say that he has the best hands in this WR room with Harrison Jr. and Odunze in it. I know Coleman has superstar potential in the right system with the right coaching.
12. Nate Wiggins (Clemson) [CB]
CB is one of the most critical positions on the field, and Nate Wiggins is the best in this class by a considerable margin. He has an optimal build for a corner and is super agile and flexible. He has everything you want in a corner, but his best trait is his mental strength. He has one of the highest motors I have seen since Aidan Hutchinson and is super intelligent regarding coverage. He is also very patient and not too aggressive and is exceptional at reading routes.
13. Chop Robinson (Penn State) [EDGE]
Chop Robinson is another example of a prospect with talent that doesn’t come by every day. Robinson might just be the fastest and most explosive EDGE rushing prospect I have ever seen. The reason why Robinson is so low on my big board despite being one of the most talented pass rushers is that he is a little less refined than his pass-rushing counterparts. He is not a completely raw prospect like Travon Walker, but he is a bit of a project. If he diversifies his pass rush repertoire a bit, he will be one of the best pass rushers in the league.
14. Bralen Trice (Washington) [EDGE]
There may be a bias regarding Trice as a Huskies fan, but Trice is really like that. He plays very similarly to Latu, with arguably just as active hands as him. But he just doesn’t produce as much. That’s not to say he doesn’t produce though, because he just had one of the most efficient pass-rushing seasons out of all pass rushers in recent collegiate history.
15. Taliese Fuaga (Oregon State) [OT]
Fuaga could easily be higher on this list, but It’s so hard to compare offensive linemen to more flashy positions. Fuaga can easily hang with Fashanu and Alt on his good days, but he’s not as refined as them. He could use better footwork and agility, but he has elite size and strength. He is super dominant in the run game and plays aggressively. Fuaga will go super high in this draft and will immediately produce in the league.
16. Malik Nabers (LSU) [WR]
Most people have Nabers in their top five prospects ahead of Odunze, but I just don’t see why. When I first watched Nabers, I thought he wasn’t elite, but the more I watched him, the more he grew on me. He may be the most athletic receiver in this class, and his run-after-catch ability is the best in this draft by far. He has excellent ball skills and can very accurately interpret coverages. Nabers will be a successful receiver in the league, but not nearly the receiver most people expect him to be.
17. Jared Verse (Florida State) [EDGE]
When I first watched Verse, my jaw dropped, and I thought he was the best EDGE rusher in this class, bar none. But, as the season progressed, he looked worse and worse. His draft stock has dropped, but he is still elite. He desperately needs to use more active hands and more variety in his pass-rush repertoire. He relies too much on his strength and athleticism and constantly bullrushes his opponent. At most, he does a simple hand-swipe or uses his speed to bend around the outside, but it’s pretty rare. But his build and athleticism carry him so much that he is still an elite pass rusher and will be a top-15 pick in the draft.
18. Cooper DeJean (Iowa) [CB]
Cooper DeJean is one of the best natural athletes in this draft class. He was an all-state basketball player and a star track runner in high school, on top of being a star football player. At Iowa, his athleticism really shows in the ways that his coaches use him. He was played at nickel, on the outside, and even at safety. This versatility intrigues teams, which is why he will be very sought after. He has terrific instincts, especially in zone coverage, and has this insane explosiveness. Combining that with elite ball skills equals a team’s franchise corner or safety.
19. Kool-Aid McKinstry (Alabama) [CB]
McKinstry’s draft stock has dropped off dramatically, and I don’t understand why. He’s still the same player he was last season; he just didn’t take the leap we wanted. At the start of the season, he was a consensus top-five pick. Now, he sits around the 11-20 range. Most like his counterpart Arnold a little more than him, but I am the opposite. They both play different roles on the Alabama defense. McKinstry has a better frame and much better ball skills. He is also more aggressive and a better tackler. McKinstry is more of the big-play highlight reel kind of guy and looks more comfortable and adaptive on the field.
20. JC Latham (Alabama) [OT]
Latham is humongous. He’s almost too big at 6’6” 350+. Despite being so large, he actually displays excellent speed in the passing game for his size. He is super powerful, especially in his hands and he displays a very sturdy base. But as you can probably guess, he’s just not as quick as the linemen ahead of him. He’s just massive, and you can’t coach size, so with NFL coaching, he can easily be a franchise tackle.
21. Terrion Arnold (Alabama) [CB]
Like I said with McKinstry, Arnold and McKinstry play different roles in the Alabama defense. Arnold is more of the shutdown corner who prides himself on his technical skills. He has excellent footwork and works very well in man and in the red zone. Everything about Arnold is excellent, but nothing is elite. He can be a great corner; he just needs to be in the right system.
22. Jordan Morgan (Arizona) [OT]
Morgan is very similar to Fuaga because they both can keep up with the most elite tackle prospects on their good days, but they’re less consistent. Morgan is just a worse version of Fuaga. They’re a similar size and have similar-level techniques. I would say Fuaga’s are a bit more refined, and he’s a little quicker, but Morgan still looks exceptional with a ceiling as a franchise tackle. What it boils down to are god-given attributes that can’t be coached, like Morgan’s length, which is a little lackluster.
23. Troy Fautanu (Washington) [OT/IOL]
Like I said about Morgan, what tackles boil down to are god-given attributes, and Fautanu really doesn’t possess comparable attributes to his tackle counterparts, which is why I could see him striving in the NFL as a guard. Fautanu thrives in the run game and can get to the second level with his underrated speed. His best trait is his motor and physicality which allows him to win most of the time at the line of scrimmage. He has been successful in college, but for him to succeed in the NFL, he desperately needs better technique.
24. Michael Penix Jr. (Washington) [QB]
Penix can easily hang with the top QBs when he's at his best. My only concern is injury. He played four seasons at Indiana, and all four seasons ended in a season-ending injury. He didn’t have a season-ending injury in the past two seasons at Washington, but he dealt with injuries that he played through. That shows his determination, but his body is really beaten, and I’m not sure how long he will last in the NFL. It’s a shame though, because his arm talent is as good as it gets. People also forget that he used to be a dual-threat quarterback, so he can also make plays with his legs. I hope a team takes a chance on Penix’s talent, but it’s very likely that his body doesn’t last.
25. Kamren Kinchens (Miami) [S]
If safety wasn’t such an undervalued position, Kinchens would be way higher. We even saw with Kyle Hamilton that people were calling him generational talent and the best safety prospect ever, and he fell that far. Kinchens has incredible instincts and is an outstanding athlete. He’s as much of a ballhawk as you will ever see. He needs to upgrade his coverage skills as he can bite on some double moves and misreads routes, which is not what you want to see from your safety.
26. Kamari Lassiter (Georgia) [CB]
Lassiter is one of the most interesting prospects in the draft. I personally really like him as a prospect, but he needs to learn better ball skills. He had pretty bad stats this past season, as he had zero picks. I really like his physical play style though, and he makes a lot of big plays with his tackling as opposed to interceptions. He’s a special athlete who is also a great cover corner. My only other critique would be that he’s a little too small, especially for his physical play style.
27. Dallas Turner (Alabama) [EDGE]
Dallas Turner is the most overrated prospect in this draft by far. Most experts have Turner as not only their EDGE 1, but their number-one defensive player out of the whole class. I know he will be a bust. He has zero pass-rush diversity and needs better hands and footwork. Some things he has going for him are his length and his run-stopping ability. He produces little pressure at the college level, so imagine him going against NFL linemen. The only reason he’s this high is because I trust the scouts know what they are doing, but I have zero faith whatsoever that Turner will be anything in the NFL.
28. Amarius Mims (Georgia) [OT]
I think of Mims very similarly to how I think of Latham. To me, Mims is a slightly worse version of Latham. I said Latham is almost too big, but Mims actually might be too big. His massive frame is super intimidating, but it leads him to be a little too vertical, which leads to worse leverage. Mims and Latham are almost identical prospects, and so all the analysis that I gave for Latham applies to Mims as well.
29. Xavier Legette (South Carolina) [WR]
Xavier Legette is by far the most underrated player in this class. When I see others’ big boards, Legette is not even close to the top 32. Legette is a big receiver who is a significant deep threat. He has incredible ball skills, especially when contested. He’s super athletic, as he runs a 4.29 40, which is unheard of. The only questions are production and separation, but I’m not all that worried. This is exactly how DK Metcalf was coming out of Ole Miss. A huge receiver with freaky athleticism but couldn’t really separate against elite corners. We see how DK turned out, so there’s no doubt in my mind that Legette will be good.
30. Brian Thomas Jr. (LSU) [WR]
Thomas was overlooked at LSU because of Nabers, but despite having the highest-producing receiver on his team, he was still able to produce at a high level. He’s a big target, and his size-to-speed combination is one of the best in this class. His potential is through the roof, but at this moment, he is not nearly as refined as other receivers, especially when it comes to his route tree. If his potential gets discovered, he will be a very formidable opponent.
31. Ladd McConkey (Georgia) [WR]
The Senior Bowl put McConkey on to peoples’ radars, but I’ve known how great he is since last year. He is an incredible athlete who has great quick bursts of speed. His route running is very technical, and his ability to track the ball downfield is special. He’s a guy with a big chip on his shoulder, and I love that. He is very comparable to a more athletic Tyler Lockett.
32. TJ Tampa (Iowa State) [CB]
It was a hard decision to make between TJ Tampa, Kalen King, and Quinyon Mitchell, but I ultimately chose Tampa. If I had to rank the three, I would go Tampa, Mitchell, then King. I had King in this spot before, but the Senior Bowl really put things into perspective for me. The Senior Bowl is the only reason I was debating putting Mitchell here as well. Tampa, who is not even in the Senior Bowl, got the spot because he has incredible footwork and elite ball skills. I also love him as a person, and his tackling skills jump off the page.