South Carolina

Big Board Rank (as of 1 Feb, 2024): 36

The Panthers are an absolute mess, and need to go BPA in this draft. With Dave Canales being a good hire - finally - at head coach, I have confidence that they can turn things around. They need to get more explosive on offense, and give Bryce Young more dynamic weapons. Keon Coleman and Troy Franklin are the bigger names, but Xavier Legette is next on my big bord personally. He may not cleanly profile as a WR1, but could be an excellent WR2 in the NFL and is an after-the-catch threat who exploded in 2023. Teams reportedly think Legette could get 1st round consideration.

Florida State

Big Board Rank (as of 1 Feb, 2024): 37

The Patriots have struggled at receiver for years, and need a true possession threat. Hopefully, the new regime will finally fix that. Coleman has slid from top-16 estimations that he held for much of the first half of the season, but is a menacing possession receiver with good ball skills and upside. He is a highlight reel type receiver. My concern for Coleman is consistency and his ability to separate.

Missouri

Big Board Rank (as of 1 Feb, 2024): 35

The Cardinals could justify defensive upgrades at every level of their defense. Ennis Rakestraw Jr. has been appearing as a late 1st rounder on virtually every big 1st round mock that I expect. He’s not a ball hawk, but he’s an athletic and tough cornerback who seems to be sharply rising. He missed the Senior Bowl due to injury, but has a top-40 skill set.

Houston

Big Board Rank (as of 1 Feb, 2024): 41

The Commanders exterior pass blocking has been sub-par for years and could start to be running out of starting caliber options if they don’t pick one here. Patrick Paul is a raw offensive tackle, but is a huge human being who has excellent prototypical size to play Left Tackle at the next level. He has an outside shot at Round 1, but will probably be a good value Round 2 choice in a loaded tackle class.

Michigan

Big Board Rank (as of 1 Feb, 2024): 34

The Chargers have to get tougher up front, and Jim Harbaugh will absolutely prioritize the trenches during his first couple of years for the Bolts. A Michigan reunion between Jim Harbaugh and Kris Jenkins Jr. could make sense, then. Jenkins is an underrated interior defender who team sources prefer to Mazi Smith as a possible 1st rounder. Jenkins isn’t an elite pass rusher but is a tough as nails run defender with athleticism. He comes with football pedigree, with his father - Kris Jenkins Sr. - being a 4-time Pro Bowler with the Panthers and Jets; his uncle Cullen Jenkins also won the Super Bowl with the Packers.

Texas

Big Board Rank (as of 1 Feb, 2024): 42

I was not a fan of Treylon Burks coming out, and he appears to be a bust, with that god-awful trade with the Eagles putting the final nail in the coffin for the Titans’ previous regime. DeAndre Hopkins was fine in 2023, but is aging and a free agent in 2025, so the Titans need to consider WR early. Presuming they go OL in Round 1, they have to take a wide-out here. Worthy is a talented young player who is a bit undersized, but plays tough for his size. He is also fast, explosive and plays with his hair on fire. Like team-mate Adonai Mitchell, Worthy is getting borderline 1st round grades, and won’t last long in the 2nd if he slides there.

Alabama

Big Board Rank (as of 1 Feb, 2024): 39

Kool-Aid McKinstry is one of the most overrated players in the draft. As this site has reported (plus Brugler), McKinstry is viewed in lesser esteem with teams than the media. DJ was on the right track in his V1.0 mock draft, as this is about McKinstry’s appropriate range. In my opinion, McKinstry is this year’s Kelee Ringo, albeit to a lesser extent. Ringo in the 1st round was an egregious mis-evaluation, and my teeth would grind every time I saw Ringo as a top-16 selection in Mock Drafts. He ended up going in the 4th round. Meanwhile, McKinstry is worthy of a 2nd round pick, and I do like parts of his game, but projections of him as CB1 are insane. He could feasibly slip to the 2nd round, as McKinstry is limited outside press and an average athlete. Equally, he has some good tape over 2022 and 2023 and could thrive in the right defense. The New York Giants made a good start with the high-upside pick of Deontae Banks, but need to add more to their secondary in this draft.

Penn State

Big Board Rank (as of 1 Feb, 2024): 45

I am very torn on Chop Robinson. He is arguably the most twitchy lineman in this class with great burst off the line - a reason I think my 49ers may be interested at No. 31. Equally, he showed some regression on tape in 2023 and was outplayed by Adisa Isaac. Robinson is raw and a developmental prospect, but the Commanders have gone from riches to rags at Defensive End after trading away Montez Sweat and Chase Young at the trade deadline. They need to make multiple EDGE moves, both in free agency and the draft. This would be a high-upside option to fill that gap.

Miami

Big Board Rank (as of 1 Feb, 2024): 46

The Packers double up in the secondary. The Packers safeties have been a liability for a couple of years now, and they need an injection of youth at the position. I’m still quite the fan of Kinchens, but it's undeniable that he hurt his stock with a so-so 2023 season. He’s likely no longer a 1st rounder, but is a ball hawking safety who could become a terrific NFL starter. He offers free/strong safety versatility.

Oregon

Big Board Rank (as of 1 Feb, 2024): 29

Bo Nix falling to the 2nd is trending towards being a pessimistic take. He certainly has improved dramatically at Oregon, and arguably has better tape than JJ McCarthy. However, Nix is seen by teams as a game-manager with low starting ability rather than a ttrue multi-contract franchise quarterback, with some differing opinions as to whether he’s a top-25 pick or 3rd rounder amongst teams. I fall somewhere in between, and consider him a Will Levis-range prospect worthy of a late 1st/early 2nd round selection. I wouldn’t hate him in the 1st, but at present I think a 2nd round selection to the Giants, Vikings, Raiders or Falcons is more range-appropriate.

Oregon

Big Board Rank (as of 1 Feb, 2024): 43

The Falcons have a weird roster where they have 3 insanely explosive weapons in Bijan Robinson, Drake London and Kyle Pitts, but have utilized them poorly with no depth behind them. The new Falcons regime would be wise to invest in better options at receiver behind London for whoever their next quarterback is. Troy Franklin could be a nice complimentary No. 2 speed receiver who can stretch the field. I think he’s overrated as a potential top-30 pick like many mocks have him currently, but would be fine with him in this range.

Texas

Big Board Rank (as of 1 Feb, 2024): 47

The Raiders haven’t had a dominant interior DL for close to a decade. They urgently need to invest more free agent resources and/or premium picks at defensive tackle. Sweat is an interesting prospect, as the heights of his tape are that of a top-20 prospect, but is inconsistent and either seems to dominate or be dormant. He definitely needs more play-by-play consistency. He also is a true mammoth of a human being, weighing at 360 pounds plus. He could be a monstrous run defender, or be the defensive equivalent of Mekhi Becton, so will need to stay on top of his conditioning. Sweat is a true boom or bust type pick worthy of the gamble here.

BYU

Big Board Rank (as of 1 Feb, 2024): 47

Trevor Penning is a bust, and Ryan Ramczcyk has shot knees. Andreas Peat is a veteran OL who is a jack of all trades, master of none. Not a good combination of options. The Saints could use an Offensive Tackle urgently, and could even take someone like Tyler Guyton or Olu Fashanu in Round 1. If not, they may be able to take a more developmental option like Kingsley Suamataia. The BYU transfer (from Oregon) is a huge human being with a lot of athleticism, but disappointed teams with his 2023 tape. He also has reported work ethic issues. However, if he can develop and fulfill his physical potential, Suamatia could be a starting Left Tackle in the NFL.

Washington

Big Board Rank (as of 1 Feb, 2024): 49

Edge is a sneaky need for the Colts. Ebukam is a good, if not great defensive end but Kwity Paye and Dayo Odeyingbo are both pending free agents in 2025 who have shown flashes but not excelled throughout their rookie contract. Trice hasn’t quite lived up to his pre-season Round 1 potential, but could be a solid Day 2 edge rusher who outperforms his draft status. He was better than his 5 sacks in 2023 would imply, as he racked up a lot of pressure and played the run well.

Illinois

Big Board Rank (as of 1 Feb, 2024): 44

Like McKinstry, Jer’Zhan “Johnny” Newton is greatly overrated by the media. I’ve seen him as high as #11 to the Vikings, but is a Late Round 1 - Mid Round 2 prospect who is undersized and plays with questionable effort compared to a similar profiling player like Calijah Kancey in last year’s draft. The above link is corroborated by Charlie Campbell, and his placement on DJ’s 1.0 top-50. If he goes late Round 1, it’s because of his interior pass rushing ability, but there are higher upside options in Byron Murphy II and Michael Hall Jr. in that regard. This is ultimately an appropriate range for Newton. The Giants won’t complain, as they need to replace Leonard Williams with a 3-4 end with pass rush ability.

West Virginia

Big Board Rank (as of 1 Feb, 2024): 57

The interior offensive line for the Jaguars is a mess. Luke Fotner has really struggled, Brandon Scherff is regressing, and their remaining guard spot has been a revolving door. Ezra Cleveland is a free agent, and did not provide much of an upgrade. Frazier is a talented interior offensive lineman who could pay center or guard. He’s more experienced in the former, but could start at guard for the Jaguars, with the option to move to center if Fortner continues to struggle.

Texas

Big Board Rank (as of 1 Feb, 2024): 52

The Bengals have options here - interior defensive line, wide receiver to replace Higgins and/or Boyd, but based on this historically awful Tight End class, they may want to grab the consensus No. 2 Tight End in J’Tavion Sanders, Aside from Brock Bowers, might honestly be the only other starting-calibrer receiving Tight End in the entire class. Sanders is another player I’ve mocked to Round 2 who didn’t quite live up to his hype entering the season, but is an athletic and sure handed receiver who could be a quality starting Tight End in the NFL.

Iowa State

Big Board Rank (as of 1 Feb, 2024): 48

Tampa is cornerback, not a receiver. Site glitch, probably. Either way, the Eagles need to improve their secondary urgently, as it was an absolute disaster in 2023. Darius Slay is aging and “making” the Pro Bowl was as honest a reflection of his in-season merits as Snoop Huntley making the 2023 Pro Bowl at quarterback. He’s at least a competent starter still, which cannot be said for virtually every other corner on that roster. Tampa is a talented young cornerback who should test off the charts during the pre-draft process and add some much needed speed to that cornerback group.

Notre Dame

Big Board Rank (as of 1 Feb, 2024): 51

As aforementioned, the Steelers desperately need another cornerback. Cam Hart is criminally underrated and played really well during Senior Bowl practices, as well as the 2023 season in general. I would be surprised if he didn’t sharply rise during the pre-draft process.

Texas A&M

Big Board Rank (as of 1 Feb, 2024): 40

The Rams have nothing of note at linebacker, and Edgerrin Cooper - on tape - was a borderline 1st round pick this season who was good in coverage and also dangerous going after the quarterback. Cooper’s stock could go one of two ways. On one hand, he ranked 20th on Daniel Jeremiah’s 1.0 top-50 and impressed team sources this season, according to Charlie Campbell. Equally, he reportedly rubbed a few teams the wrong with his personality. As a player, this would be a relative steal, as I have him as an early 2nd round prospect. Cooper could be a candidate to convert to a de-facto edge rusher like Micah Parsons did.

North Carolina

Big Board Rank (as of 1 Feb, 2024): 48

AJ Brown and Devonta Smith are amongst the best 1-2 duos in the NFL, but the Eagles’ depth behind them is paper thin. Devontez Walker has been getting some late 1st projections from the media, and was 26th on DJ’s 1.0 top-50. He’s an athletic receiver with a lot of upside and could start as WR3 for Philadelphia before transitioning to a more prominent role if the Eagles are in a tough contractual position to extend Devonta Smith. It's worth noting that his Senior Bowl didn't go well, and is at risk of sliding if he doesn't bounce back at the combine.

Georgia

Big Board Rank (as of 1 Feb, 2024): 53

The Browns perennially seem to need more explosiveness at wide receiver, as they keep whiffing at the position in the draft. I think Cedric Tillman was a nice 2023 selection who could improve, but David Bell, Elijah Moore (who they traded for), Donovan Peoples-Jones (who they traded away) and Anthony Schwartz have all been busts. McConkey wasn’t as productive as other Day 2 receivers at a glance, but is an extremely twitchy athlete who could be an excellent slot receiver in the NFL. He was hurt for some of 2023 but played really well upon his return.

Western Michigan

Big Board Rank (as of 1 Feb, 2024): 56

The Dolphins have just a single defensive tackle under contract for 2024 as things stand - Zach Seiler. Christian Wilkins will inevitably return, but the Dolphins have a litany of front-seven injuries and could stand to get stronger and deeper up front. Kneeland is a nice Day 2 option for a team looking for a defensive tackle who can play defensive end, although some may argue he’s a tweener between those two positions. He broke DJ’s original top-50 big board and appears to be on the rise.

Notre Dame

Big Board Rank (as of 1 Feb, 2024): 59

The Cowboys have suffered countless injuries within their linebacking corps, and Vander Esch may even have to retire after his most recent medical setback. Amongst the crop of Day 2 linebackers, teams earlier in the season thought Liufau had a chance of sneaking into the 1st round thanks to his athleticism and skill-set. I think this sort of range is currently more likely, but he brings upside and sure tackling to the Cowboys at this spot.

Utah

Big Board Rank (as of 1 Feb, 2024): 61

The Buccaneers need more pass rushers, as Shaq Barrett is aging and a likely cap casualty. Joe Tryon-Shoyinka hasn’t panned out, and whilst YaYa Diaby has been great, he alone isn’t enough. Elliss is an undersized edge rusher but has lethal quarterbacking hunting tendencies, putting up 12 sacks in 2023. His physical limitations could be mitigated as a standup 3-4 outside linebacker, and the Buccaneers took a successful chance on an undersized defender early last year - Calijah Kancey - who was dangerous as a rookie. Elliss to the Bucs is a nice fit.

Michigan

Big Board Rank (as of 1 Feb, 2024): 66

The Packers desperately need more running back talent. Aaron Jones is great but was hurt for much of 2023, and could put them in a difficult position soon due to his contract. AJ Dillon is a free agent. Here is a talented young RB in a pretty weak positional group for the 2024 NFL Draft. As a pure runner, Blake Corum has top-50 talent but is both battle-worn and also suffered a brutal ACL injury in 2022. He seemed to bounce back well enough last season, but may not have the longest pro career. He is a fringe 2nd/3rd round pick as things stand.

Miami

Big Board Rank (as of 1 Feb, 2024): 62

The Bills’ safety duo of Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer are respectively a free agent and entering the final year of their deal. The Bills need to get younger at safety. James Williams is an underrated prospect, overshadowed by the more productive Kamren Kinchens. Williams is a quality Day 2 safety in his own right, and could go earlier than expected. He played linebacker at the Senior Bowl, which might be his better position in the NFL due to his larger size. This versatility for a Bills roster needing both safety youth and linebacker depth (which was decimated with injuries in 2023) could be attractive.

Minnesota

Big Board Rank (as of 1 Feb, 2024): 58

Jalen Pitre is a ball-hawking safety, but their only other safety under contract is Jimmie Ward, who is well past his prime. The Texans could do with more secondary talent, both at cornerback alongside the improving Derek Stingley Jr. and Pitre. Tyler Nubin had some Round 1 projections early in the year, but disappointed teams with his 2023 tape. Still, he’s a quality safety with versatility at free or strong safety, and seems a safe top-75 pick.

Michigan

Big Board Rank (as of 1 Feb, 2024): 57

Jonah Jackson, Graham Glasgow and Halapoulivaati Vaitai are all projected 2024 free agents, and each were relative weaknesses to their Lions’ otherwise dominant offensive line group. The Lions could look to move on to a cheaper rookie rather than overpay on extending the named players. Zinter is coming off a leg break in 2023, which reportedly was clean and should provide no long-term issues, so hopefully won’t impact his stock too much. On tape, Zinter is a top-50 prospect and a plug and play guard.

Western Kentucky

As mentioned in Round 1, receiver is a huge weakness for the Ravens outside of Zay Flowers. Corley is a lethal YAC weapon for the next level who did damage with the ball in his hands for the past 2 years at Western Kentucky. There is only one Deebo Samuel, but Malachi Corley is probably as close of a comp as I’ve seen since he was drafted back in 2019, as he’s built more like a running back than a wide out. He’d be a good WR2 option to compliment the speedier deep threat in Flowers.

USC

Big Board Rank (as of 1 Feb, 2024): 63

The 49ers need to prioritize another edge rusher, but given the 49ers inconsistencies outside of Nick Bosa at Defensive End, the 49ers feel more likely to (a) trade up for an immediate starter a-la Jared Verse or Laiatu Latu in the 1st, or (b) make Day 3 depth picks and target a “solid, high-floor” free agent like Bryce Huff, Jonathan Greenard or Dorance Armstrong. Meanwhile, having a 3rd receiver would be building on a strength to make this offense even more potent. Although Aiyuk and Samuel in their prime may not immediately facilitate an extremely productive WR3, the 49ers need a more solid tertiary option. They have had to lean on Chris Conley in the playoffs and with Deebo Samuel’s playstyle, a 2-3 week injury is always part of the gamble. Some would argue that logic may not warrant a 2nd round pick, and admittedly, this is somewhat nepotistic as Brenden Rice is the son of former 49ers GOAT Jerry Rice. However, Rice had a very good senior bowl and is a physical, tough receiver and would give the 49ers another receiving option with upside for future championship runs.

Washington

Big Board Rank (as of 1 Feb, 2024): 65

The Chiefs may not go for a receiver in Round 1, but they do need to consider one in Round 2 as Kadarius Toney and Skyy Moore have been bitter disappointments. Overshadowed by likely top-16 prospect Rome Odunze, Polk is a nice Day 2 receiver with upside in his own right. He was productive in 2023 and featured on Charlie Campbell's stock up as impressing teams with his size, speed and athleticism.