2024 NFL Draft: Mel Kiper makes big changes to Big Board Top 25 player rankings after scouting combine

This one should surprise no one if you’ve been following the draft process leading into the upcoming spring. The former Heisman Trophy winner is expected to be the No. 1 overall pick by someone, likely the Chicago Bears at this point.

The USC star broke out as a freshman at Oklahoma before achieving superstardom with the Trojans as a sophomore. Sure, he wasn’t as good in 2023 but myriad factors sent USC packing early this year. Williams is surely the top prospect.

2. Marvin Harrison Jr., WR – Ohio State

Here’s a guy who has the argument to be the top selection over Williams though, if teams were so quarterback needy. Harrison Jr. is as good of a wide receiver prospect seen in recent memory.

He has the name recognition from his Hall of Fame father, but the younger Harrison certainly carved out his own path with the Buckeyes. Instant star it seems like once he gets to the NFL.

3. Jayden Daniels, QB – LSU

Daniels has passed Drake Maye, according to Kiper, in this year’s draft after his Heisman campaign. The LSU quarterback always had dual threat abilities, but they were on a different level this past season. Kiper now has him in the driver’s seat as QB2.

Since the trend of a lot of these rookie quarterbacks to start right away, that might be the case for Daniels as well. It’ll remain to be seen how high he goes in the first round, but he might not last long.

4. Rome Odunze, WR – Washington

Odunze is the other wide receiver people need to talk about. He was a stud at Washington, helping the Huskies get to the national title game this season.

Odunze can run the entire route tree and he’s certainly NFL-ready for whoever selects him this spring. He was Michael Penix Jr.’s favorite target after all. Kiper Jr. now has him ahead of the aforementioned Drake Maye, firmly planted as his WR2. 

5. Malik Nabers, WR – LSU

Don’t forget about Nabers, who had just as good, if not a better season catching passes. He was the main target for Daniels all year long, helping his quarterback win the Heisman.

Like Odunze, he can run the entire route tree and can really stretch the field. Depending upon your evaluation, it might be a toss up between Nabers and the others.

6. Drake Maye, QB – North Carolina

Maye has an argument to be the second best quarterback in this draft class. At least, that’s been the general consensus all season until as of late following Daniels’ Heisman season. Now, he’s Kiper Jr.’s QB 3 at the moment.

Maye has all of the tools and the prototypical size to succeed at the NFL. It’s a question of where he will go and how early he will be selected by a quarterback-needy team. Perhaps his stock falling is a bit of an overreaction at the moment.

7. Brock Bowers, TE – Georgia

Bowers is the top tight end in the draft class and it’s not even close. Overall, he’s one of the best players regardless of which side of the ball. He’s been a popular mock selection to the Los Angeles Chargers, which might be unfair with Justin Herbert and Jim Harbaugh right?

He can do it all as a pass catcher, a blocker and heck, a ball carrier. Bowers is a day one starter for whomever selects him in a couple of months.

8. Joe Alt, OT – Notre Dame

Kiper raved about Alt when noting on a recent podcast that the tackles No. 15 ranking in his previous Big Board wasn’t entirely reflective of his stature. The new rankings make that sentiment more than clear. Being a top 10 prospect overall is nothing to take lightly.

Alt is expected to continue a lineage of Notre Dame linemen going to the NFL. He’s not the same level of athlete as Ole Fashanu (more on him later) and a few years older, but he’s got as strong a track record as any tackle in the draft.

9. Dallas Turner, EDGE – Alabama

Turner is a demon off the edge and one of the best rushers we’ve seen in a few years. Kiper has him in the top 10 now, receiving more recognition.

He starred for Alabama and helped the Crimson Tide get back to the playoff this season. Like a lot of guys before him, he’s a day one starter and likely to be a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks.

10. Quinyon Mitchell, CB — Toledo

Quinyon Mitchell has seen a meteoric rise up Kiper’s Big Board over the last couple of weeks. In the last iteration, Mitchell was barely in the Top 25, coming in at No. 19, but now he’s all the way up in the Top Ten.

The Senior Bowl and NFL Scouting Combine did a ton for the former Toledo star’s stock. We’ll see where he goes in the NFL Draft, but it’s easy to see why he’s such an exciting prospect, as there isn’t much he doesn’t do well on the field.

Rest of Mel Kiper’s Big Board 2024

11. Brian Thomas Jr., WR – LSU
12. Troy Fautanu, G – Washington
13. JC Latham, OT – Alabama
14. Terrion Arnold, CB – Alabama
15. Taliese Fuaga, OT – Oregon State
16. Olu Fashanu, OT – Penn State
17. Cooper DeJean, CB – Iowa
18. Laiatu Latu, OLB – UCLA
19. Nate Wiggins, CB – Clemson
20. JJ McCarthy, QB – Michigan
21. Tyler Guyton, OT – Oklahoma
22. Jared Verse, DE – Florida State
23. Xavier Worthy, WR – Texas
24. Chop Robinson, DE – Penn State
25. Byron Murphy II, DT – Texas

As you can tell, Mel Kiper Jr. has an idea of where the best of the best will land in the 2024 NFL Draft, as we continue to move through the process. Time will tell which team has the privilege of selecting each player, but we’re moving ever so close to the end of April, as the days continue to click away.