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Pro Football Network
It’s one of the most exciting annual events on the sports calendar every year, the NFL Draft. Every year NFL franchises are looking for the next great talent to help their respective franchises get back to Super Bowl contention for the bad teams, and for the good teams to find hidden gems to help keep them atop the food chain.
The draft for any sport is an inexact science, whether it’s drafting Ryan Leaf No.2 overall and not living up to expectations, to a slow Michigan kid named Tom Brady who went No.199 overall in 2000 to become the greatest, most accomplished player in NFL history, going on to win three MVPs and more Super Bowls than any NFL franchise with seven.
This year's draft is an ultra-talented class with great quarterbacks, offensive linemen, and wide receivers. If you’re a team that needs offensive upgrades this is the year to capitalize.
With that being said let's get into my five prospects to know as the NFL Draft approaches.
Note: This Is Not a Mock Draft
1. Caleb Williams, QB, USC-
Height: 6’1 Weight: 215
Age: 22
Perhaps the most hyped quarterback since Andrew Luck when he came out in 2012 out of Stanford as someone who many deem to be a lock for stardom.
2022 Heisman Winner, Caleb Williams of USC is an undeniably special quarterback talent. He has an incredible arm that makes you think Patrick Mahomesesque. William's ability to maneuver in the pocket to prolong offensive possessions will be a skill he’ll need to utilize at the next level.
During his Heisman season in 2022, William threw for 4,537 yards for 42 touchdowns, and five interceptions with a completion rating of 66% and a quarterback rating of 168.5.
He followed up his Heisman season not as electrifying as his Heisman season, but still impressive nonetheless, throwing for a second consecutive season of over 3,500 yards (3,633) and a completion rate of 68%.
Williams is a confident leader on the field who always keeps his eyes downfield, knows how to make quick decisions with the football, and can contort his body in unorthodox ways (a la Mahomes) that keep the defense guessing where he’s targeting.
See this game against Stanford where he went off for 341 yards and four touchdowns:
Williams is also a mobile quarterback who can use his legs, which is what you want to see in a modern-day franchise quarterback as long gone are the days where quarterbacks sit in the pocket every possession a la Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, and Mahomes.
Now Williams doesn’t have the shifting speed of the two-time MVP Lamar Jackson and isn’t a “Mack Truck” coming at you with the size and power of an Allen. But, similar to Mahomes or Dak Prescott, he’s athletic enough that he can’t find anything good downfield he can still create plays on his own which maximizes his value.
He’s a generational prospect at the quarterback position due to his combination of an elite arm, mobility, accuracy, ability to make off-balanced throws, and so on. Despite all that he does come with his weaknesses like all prospects do.
Weaknesses
Williams for all his gifts can tend to force the issue at times on his passes as you’ll see in the video below.
A game that best highlights that is the one against Notre Dame where he threw for three interceptions against the fighting Irish and was trying to force passes to his receivers in double or triple coverage.
He tends to hold the ball for too long, which gives the defensive line more time to pressure him into a sack or bad throw.
Williams will need to learn to “throw the ball away” when nothing good is available to avoid turnovers like you see Mahomes do so well in the NFL.
He’s the favorite to go No.1 to the Chicago Bears that traded Justin Fields away to make room for the potential generational quarterback. He’ll have D.J. Moore and Keenan Allen to throw to as his receivers as both had over 1,000-yard receiving seasons last season.
We’ll see if the Bears can continue upgrading their offensive line, as a quarterback is only as good as the guys protecting him.
Ultimately, we’ll see if the Bears made the right choice trading Fields as Williams seems like the clear favorite to go first overall.
Comparisons: Dak Prescott, Patrick Mahomes
2. Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina-
Height: 6’4 Weight: 230 lbs
Age: 21
Now some may be hesitant to take another North Carolina quarterback a la Mitch Trubisky, which is a scary thought if you're a team drafting high in the draft. Despite having some major questions Tar Heel quarterback Drake Maye is a stud at the position with a flamethrowing arm and a stocky frame.
Maye redshirted his initial freshman season in 2021 where he only played four games. The next year is where he would make a name for himself when he went on to claim ACC Player of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Offensive Rookie of the Year (joined Jameis Winston as the only players to win all four awards in the same season) as well as First Team All-ACC in 2022.
His strong first year as a starter didn’t stop there, as he finished top five in FBS with 4,321 passing yards (342-517-66.2) and 38 passing TDs (7 INTs). Won the Shaun Alexander Award (top freshman in the nation) and was a finalist for the Manning Award (nation's top QB). Led the team with 698 rushing yards (184 carries, 3.8 per, 7 TDs) in his 14 starts that season.
This past season Maye was second-team All-ACC in 12 starts where he threw for 3,608 yards, 24 touchdowns, and nine interceptions with a 63% completion rate. He also rushed for nine touchdowns and over 1,200 rushing yards in his career.
Maye, like Williams, has a rocket arm that can make any pass you need out of the pocket at even the most unorthodox angles. He has a tremendous frame and great size to be able to take punishment from defenses and see over defenses at 6-foot-4.
His build and toughness allow him to get needed yards through traffic.
Here’s his game against ACC rival Syracuse where his full arsenal was on display utilizing his agility and flamethrowing arm to go for 442 passing yards and three touchdowns to go along with 55 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in a 40-7 rout over Syracuse.
Weaknesses
Despite Maye’s incredible arm, he can sometimes leave passes short of his receivers in crossing routes which leads to interceptions at times, and can stand to improve his decision-making on which passes to avoid, throwing some passes that would make a coach pull his hair out.
He gets uncomfortable when the first read isn’t available, looking uncertain about what to do.
Maye had 16 career interceptions mostly due to poor judgment on throws that will need to be cleaned up at the NFL level, as well as having inconsistent throwing mechanics.
Comparison: Josh Allen, Justin Herbert
3. Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU-
Height: 6’4 Weight: 181 lbs
Age: 23
The reigning Heisman winner comes in at No.3 of prospects to know heading into the draft. LSU Tigers quarterback Jayden Daniels is a little older compared to contemporaries in Williams and Maye, as he’ll be turning 24 before the end of the calendar year.
Daniels being more on the older side as well as having a skinny frame would cause some to want to pause on selecting him high but he displayed his magic for the Tigers extraordinarily this past season.
During his Heisman season, Daniels led all FBS players in QBR (95.7), yards per attempt (11.7, an FBS record), and passing touchdowns (40), as well as completion of 20+ yard passes or more (70).
He had a completion percentage of 72.2 (7th in the nation) with this total offensive yards per game (412.2) being first, 74 yards better than the next best player.
Daniels isn’t just a pocket passer, he is adept and keen with running the football, rushing for 8.4 yards per attempt, good enough for fourth in the FBS among all running backs.
In total, Daniels had 40 pass TDs and 10 rushing TDs for a total of 50 touchdowns this season and 1,000 rushing yards, becoming just the second player to achieve such a feat- the other being 2018 Heisman Trophy winner and current Arizona Cardinals star quarterback Kyler Murray.
Daniels is the first player in FBS history to reach 12,000 career passing yards and 3,000 career rushing yards. The history doesn’t end there for the Tigers' star playcaller, as he also becomes the third LSU player to win the Heisman (Billy Cannon in 1959 and Joe Burrow in 2019) as well as the third consecutive quarterback to win the award and seventh in eight years.
He’s electric running with the football which makes you reminiscent of a Lamar Jackson when he was in college or a Michael Vick. Daniels is not only elusive with the football as a runner but has pinpoint accuracy as a thrower who knows when to attack weaknesses in the zone.
No game probably highlights Daniel's gaudy dual-threat ability than his game against the Florida Gators where he finished with over 500 total yards (372 passing, 234 rushing) on 65% completion and three touchdowns in a dominating 52-35 win.
Weaknesses
The main concern with Daniels has to be his slender frame at 181 lbs that will get battered and squashed at the next level if he doesn’t beef up which leads to durability concerns.
Has too much zip as if he is throwing a deep pass in the middle of the field, which leads to turnovers or tough catches for receivers. Can also improve his placement to make passes easier for wideouts.
He also is older than the rest of the top quarterback prospects so how much upside does he have? Questions to consider as the draft nears.
Comparisons: Young Lamar, taller Kyler Murray
4. Marvin Harrison Jr, WR, Ohio State-
Height: 6’3 Weight: 209 lbs
Age: 21
In one of the deepest wide receiver classes of all time, Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. leads a strong pack as perhaps the best wideout prospect since Megatron. Harrison Jr. is not only the best wide receiver in the class but also is perhaps the best overall player in the class as some have even questioned whether is he the best receiver prospect of all time.
Harrison Jr. comes from great bloodlines as his father (Marvin Harrison Sr.) is a Hall Of Fame NFL wide receiver and one of the greatest to take the field. Learning from his dad has shown throughout his career.
Harrison Jr. is the complete package possessing elite ball skills, route running, supreme hands, quickness, speed, size, and a solid frame to absorb contact.
His innate ability to get in and out of routes with sticky glue-like hands led to Harrison Jr. being selected as the Big Ten Receiver Of The Year and Unanimous AP First-Team All-American in back-to-back seasons in 2022 and 2023.
In both those seasons, he caught for 14 touchdowns a piece and finished with over 1,200+ receiving yards in consecutive seasons, becoming the first player in Ohio State Buckeye history to do so… Which is saying a lot from a school like that.
He can finish catches in tight crowds with defenders draped over him while also knowing how to misdirect the defense when changing speeds and is a rocket right out the snap off the line of scrimmage.
Has that quick twitch and natural ability to make body adjustments while airborne or grounded to make the catch.
A truly transformational talent.
Weaknesses
Harrison Jr. doesn’t have many weaknesses as a prospect but he’s not the most explosive off the snap a la Tyreek Hill.
Can improve his route efficiency as he tends to stutter-step too much at times to create space and needs to work on his release when defenses pressure him.
Comparison: Randy Moss, DeAndre Hopkins
5. Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia Height:6’4 Weight: 240 lbs
Age: 21
A proven winner and dominant performer in the tight end position is Georgia Bulldog stalwart Brock Bowers. Bowers. Bowers was an intricate part of two Bulldog national championship runs back-to-back in 2022 and 2023.
Bowers may be the best tight-end prospect in the class and overall one of the best playmakers and rightfully so. Bowers had a historic collegiate career, collectively helping his team win titles and individually.
During his career, Bowers won the John Mackey Award (nation’s top TE) in back-to-back seasons in 2022 and 2023 to become the first player ever to do so. He did so during those two seasons combining for 119 receptions, 1,628 receiving yards on about 14.0 yards per catch for 13 touchdowns.
Bowers was a two-time AP Associated Press Second-Team All-American in 2021 (also won the Shaun Alexander Award for nationals top freshman) and 2022, also named a first-team selection in 2023.
He comes out the snap with good acceleration to create space from defenders right out of the gate. Can catch in and out of his radius which makes him a matchup nightmare when you add in he’s a tremendous runner after the catch.
Brock is powerful with broad shoulders and a stocky frame that can take contact and have defenders bounce off him. He’s exceptionally tough with strong hands, some of the best of all playmakers in the draft.
His performance against Auburn is a testament to this as he was a menace accumulating 157 receiving yards on eight receptions for 19.6 yards per catch and a touchdown in Georgia’s 27-20 win.
Bowers is a good run blocker and has great potential to improve as a blocker and be a primary target for any offense as he proved just that as a high-volume target in Georgia’s offense.
Has Pro Bowl upside.
Weaknesses
Doesn’t have the craziest catch radius due to the limited length (arms listed 32 ¾ inches) which might hurt Bowers against athletic, stronger, and longer defenders.
Needs to become more consistent in sustaining run blocks in space as well as becoming more powerful and sturdy when blocking for teammates.
Comparisons: George Kittle
Verdict
Overall, this is one of the deepest NFL Drafts in history with the amount of quality depth from the wide receiver, quarterback, and offensive lineman positions that truly make it special.
Let alone mention national champion quarterback J.J. McCarthy from Michigan or wide receiver Keon Coleman from Florida State, as well as Rome Odunze from Washington in what is truly a special class.
The next generation of stars is here!
Is This One Of The Best NFL Draft Classes Of All Time?
It will go down as one of the best
Not sure
No