Positional Pre-Draft Rankings of the All-22 Era (Offense)
Every year, we look at a class of prospects and struggle to contextualize the significance of one class against another. Yet again, I’ve taken a shot at doing just that. To rank the top prospects per position of the 2024 class against the top prospects of the All-22 era, which is now 2020 - 2024. In an attempt to keep things even, I’ve based my rankings on the data at hand, on post-combine and pre-draft information. In short, these rankings are primarily based on college film and production, combine workouts, and pre-draft news. These rankings exclude the round the prospect was drafted, and which team drafted them. Situation will always play an important role in final rankings which is why I am choosing to exclude that information since the data for the 2024 class is not yet available. As a bonus, if you see an “e” next to a player’s name that means I think of them as elite— in a class of their own.
Quarterback
The 2024 class is anchored by two extremely high-end prospects, Caleb Williams and Drake Maye. Following close behind is a long list of prospects, carrying both elite traits and fatal flaws. Williams is a once-in-a-blue-moon talent with high play IQ, elite arm talent, and that Lincoln Riley “Baller” play reminiscent of the QBs before him. While Maye isn’t in the same tier, he offers some promising high-end traits as well. His big arm and rushing ability make him a constant big play threat. His 34 BTT is a testament to that. The rest of the class is a crap shoot of yin-yang type talents. Jayden Daniels is my pick for QB three. His rushing ability is my highest rated trait remaining. He also offers elite touch on his throws and above average accuracy. His lack of power and deep ball accuracy was convincing enough to push him into the middle of the first round and out of that “elite” group. My number 4 QB in this class is J.J. McCarthy, who has a difficult profile to evaluate. He’s shown all the traits you want in a franchise QB, but without desirable production. Leading his team to a championship is a nice resume boost. I have him as an early 2nd round sit-and-learn prospect. Bo Nix sits at 5 with his slingshot arm and hopped up play speed. His lack of touch, play read progression, and youth push him to the middle of the second round, for me. Michael Penix proved that he could outmatch, outperform, and outlast most of the other QB prospects in this class. His powerful arm and smart reads are exactly what most teams are looking for. Because of his injury history and age, I would hesitate to take him early. Some team will, and will be pleased with the leader they’ve drafted. I see a Jalen Hurts-type fall for Penix come draft day, and a similar rise in his stock once he sees the field.
Running Back
I wonder what Texas will do for us next year after back-to-back years of #1 RB rankings. Jonathan Brooks is the best all-around back at just 20 years old. His 4.13 yards after contact per attempt is top tier. His injury history is still a concern. After him, the position takes a step back. Trey Benson is my RB 2 with his massive frame, strength against contact, and advanced vision. His movement skills are just average and that could prevent him from going early. Jaylen Wright is a scrappy runner that fights for every yard. He has above-average speed and breakaway ability that many teams will covet. I worry that his frame is smaller than what Tennessee listed. Braelen Allen out of Wisconsin is the opposite, a beast of a frame with limited movement skills. Teams will jump all over his potential, even if the film isn’t what it should be. If you’re looking for tried and true, Blake Corum and Ray Davis are your guys. They will be a contender’s dream with over 3,000 snaps and 8,000 yards between them.
Wide receiver
The league is already full of great WR talent and the 2024 class is looking to add a lot more. I have 10 guys with 1st or 2nd round grades. Marvin Harrison and Malik Nabers lead the list and get my “elite” tab. I’ve never scouted a WR like Harrison. I couldn’t find a legitimate flaw to his game. He has size, speed, quickness, hands, work ethic. I could go on and on. Nabers on the other hand is a smaller WR with limited production, but he has the movement skills we see in top guys like Jefferson and Diggs. Rome is a different breed all together. He might have less talent as a WR than Harrison and Nabers, but his play strength and route running skills are arguably better. Xavier Worthy beats out some other big names as my WR4. Worthy has special speed matched with production. This tells me he is more than just a deep threat.
Tight End
After an extremely deep class in ’23, the TE class of ’24 takes a step back. Brock Bowers leads the group and is a very tricky evaluation. On one hand, Bowers is as good with the ball in his hands as we’ve seen at TE. He is a true route runner and separator, and is a nightmare after the catch. Although he is a willing blocker, his size will limit his ability to be a difference-maker on all 3 downs. Many see him as an elite prospect but I struggle to see how his elite level play will translate at the next level. Ja’Tavion Sanders out of Texas is a fun prospect to watch. He’s a top athlete with fantastic hands and can do a lot with the ball after the catch. Cade Stover is my TE3 out of Ohio State. He is a true, all-around player that just plays consistent football. His lack of elite traits will limit how early he ends up going.
Tackle
Joe Alt out of Notre Dame knows the ins-and-outs of the Tackle position better than any prospect of the All-22 era. His vision and technique are precise and his strength is top notch, giving him an extremely high floor. My only knock is that he doesn’t offer the same ideal frame and athletic profile as the other elite Tackle prospects we’ve reviewed, or of this class in general. Penn State’s Olu Fashanu gets that prize. Besides his frame, Olu’s vision and hand usage are major strengths. His physical strength and play aggression is what’s holding him back. After those two it’s a take-your-pick between two RTs with Tallies Fuaga and J.C. Latham. Fuaga gets the slight edge for me because of his explosiveness and advanced hand usage. He can battle double moves as good as any prospect. Latham is an absolute monster in his own right. One could expect movement and technique concerns to accompany his size and strength, but that is far from the case with Latham. Amarius Mims, Jordan Morgan, and Tyler Guyton could all see their names called on day 1 of draft night. Mims and Guyton with their impressive frames and raw talent, and Morgan with his battle tested and reliable play. Oh boy, is this class deep.
Interior Offensive Line
What a great year to need O-line. Jackson Powers-Johnson is my #1 IOL prospect of the All-22 era. He is the prototype that you want at center. He has elite strength and vision for the position, but his explosiveness and speed off his snaps is what makes him truly special. Fautanu and Barton will likely convert from Tackles to Guard or Center at the next level. Fautanu is the #1 guy most years, but this year is unique. He is a battle hawk that always looks for his next kill. Barton offers some great play speed for a prospect of his size, making him an excellent pulling option in today’s more creative offenses. For me, Zach Frazier out of West Virginia was the biggest surprise from this class. He is an advanced blocker with hand combat skills and and latch strength that would make me consider taking him in the 1st. Cooper Beebe is probably going to be “MY GUY” from this class. He is built like a square block that plays hard every down. He has great vision and offers positional flexibility many teams will covet. We needed a year like this…
Want to hear about someone in specific? Don’t agree with my analysis? Let me know in the comments.
