The 2023 college football season is fast approaching, so it seems like a good time to look at the 2024 NFL draft class and what Round 1 could look like in just under 10 months' time.
Based on my summer scouting film work, the quarterback position looks loaded again, with two high-end prospects at the top of the class. Offensive line, defensive line and wide receiver also appear strong. The 2024 class has serious star power and is filled with players who could quickly become franchise building blocks. There's still a lot of time -- we are over a month away from any games, let alone the pre-draft process -- but I wanted to do an early run through prospects who are already generating first-round buzz.
So here's my summer projection for all 32 picks of next year's first round. The draft order was determined by the ESPN's Football Power Index, which is currently giving pick Nos. 1 and 2 to the Cardinals (one of which comes from Houston). Since the common draft era began (1967), the only team to pick 1-2 was the 1992 Colts. In addition to Houston, Carolina and Cleveland have also already dealt their picks, and we're projecting the Jets' selection to the Packers based on the conditions of the Aaron Rodgers trade earlier this offseason.
Let's dig in. With the first pick of the 2024 draft, my early prediction is ...
