Tier 1
Top prospect to know: Kris Jenkins, DL
Sleeper prospect to watch: LaDarius Henderson, OL
Game circled on the schedule: at Penn State, Nov. 11
A strong argument can be made that Michigan's 2023 roster is the best unit of the Jim Harbaugh era from top to bottom. A program-record 11 prospects were drafted in 2017, and that number could be surpassed by the beginning of the third day of the 2024 draft. "I think we'll have 20 guys picked," Harbaugh told
The Athletic in July. "I bet we break that [draft] record. [Georgia] had 15 that year."
Jenkins enters the season as my highest-graded prospect on the roster, and he could firmly be in the top half of the first-round discussion with another strong season. His 65 tackles last season ranked third on the entire Michigan defense, with 49 of those coming while lined up on the interior of the line, which ranked 16th in the FBS. He is a reliable run defender who can work through double-teams and has the sudden movement skills to take advantage of one-on-one matchups as a pass-rusher. Jenkins is an ideal 3-technique in a four-man defensive front.
Quarterback
J.J. McCarthy showed plenty of promise in his first starting year under center, despite having only six games in which he attempted at least 25 passes. He operated primarily out of play-action, putting up a 90.4 QBR out of the formation, which ranked seventh in the country. McCarthy is able to make passes outside of the pocket and feed off fakes from the team's run scheme. "He's the underrated one in this year's group. He was a first-year starter last year, and he didn't play well at the end of the season, so I get why they limited his throws," an AFC area scout said. "I want to see them let him cut it loose this year, though."
Elsewhere on offense, the backfield duo of
Blake Corum and
Donovan Edwards has a chance to once again be a headache for defenses. At 5-foot-8, 213 pounds, Corum
surprisingly returned for his final season. Although a
knee injury slowed him down
against Ohio State and forced him to miss the College Football Playoff matchup
against TCU, he finished the season with 1,463 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns. "I see a lot of
Kenneth Walker III in him," an NFC scouting director said. "Same exact build, determined runners that can break tackles but have pass-catching questions coming out." Edwards is a more versatile option and rushed for 520 yards and three touchdowns over the final three games in Corum's absence. He showcased vision, tackle-breaking ability and elusiveness from different alignments.
One more name to file away for closer to draft time: Henderson is a late-round offensive lineman who has repeatedly come up when discussing the Michigan roster with scouts. He is a scheme-diverse blocker who transferred from Arizona State, where he made 19 starts at guard and 10 at tackle.
Predicted first-rounders in 2024: 1
Predicted total draft picks in 2024: 17
Top prospect to know: Marvin Harrison Jr., WR
Sleeper prospect to watch: Tyleik Williams, DT
Game circled on the schedule: at Notre Dame, Sept. 23
In 2006 and 2016, the Buckeyes set program records with five first-round selections. That number could soon be challenged. Harrison is widely viewed as one of the
best receiver prospects of the past decade and could challenge
Calvin Johnson (No. 2 overall, 2007) as the highest-drafted wideout in the past 20 years. "He's different," an AFC area scout said. "It's as simple as that to describe him. [
Ja'Marr] Chase,
Julio Jones,
A.J. Green -- he's just as good as all of those guys coming out." Harrison's combination of body control at the catch point, making the hard catches look routine and smoothness getting in and out of his breaks already have him labeled as a potential top-five pick. He had 1,263 receiving yards and 14 touchdown catches in 2022.
Wideout
Emeka Egbuka is the next wideout up after he finished last season with 74 catches for 1,151 yards and 10 touchdowns. The junior is a crafty route runner who has spent time both in the slot (256 routes) and outside (108). Running back
TreVeyon Henderson is another key part of the team's offense. He nursed a
nagging foot injury throughout last season, so scouts want to see if he can return to his 2021 form now that he's fully healthy. Multiple evaluators have compared him to former Ohio State rusher
J.K. Dobbins. Interior offensive lineman
Donovan Jackson and tight end
Cade Stover could also go early, having received mostly Day 2 grades from scouts.
JT Tuimoloau enters his junior season as my No. 3 edge rusher (behind Florida State's
Jared Verse and Alabama's
Dallas Turner) and one of the most well-rounded prospects at the position in this year's class. With only six sacks over the past two seasons, Tuimoloau must become more consistent with his tackling. Edge rusher
Jack Sawyer, linebacker
Tommy Eichenberg and interior defenders
Michael Hall Jr. and Williams could also be selected inside the top 100 picks.
Predicted first-rounders in 2024: 4
Predicted total draft picks in 2024: 13
Top prospect to know: Olumuyiwa Fashanu, OT
Sleeper prospect to watch: Curtis Jacobs, LB
Game circled on the schedule: at Ohio State, Oct. 21
The Nittany Lions have arguably the best roster of the James Franklin era, so many NFL scouts will be traveling to Happy Valley this season. Fashanu was trending toward being OT1 in the 2023 class before surprisingly
returning to school. He is in contention to be the first non-QB drafted in 2024 and could challenge
Levi Brown (No. 5 overall, 2007) as the highest-drafted blocker in school history. Fashanu's balance and poise as a pass-protector help him mirror and sustain against pass-rushers. He is physical as a run-blocker but needs more consistency in driving his feet and finishing.
Kalen King comes into the year as the top cornerback on my early 2024 board. Even though Penn State has had 10 defensive backs drafted over the past six years, it has never had one selected in the first round. Could King be the first? At 5-foot-11, 191 pounds, he's fluid and can play all types of man coverage. "I love the attitude that he plays with," an AFC area scout said. "He lacks the desired length, but he's a good athlete, tough and a willing tackler against the run."
Edge rusher
Chop Robinson could rise quickly. He is a pressure-over-production prospect, as he beat his block within 2.5 seconds an FBS-best 12.1% of the time last season despite having only 5.5 sacks. Jacobs is an active and aggressive second-level defender who has flashed on tape. He enters the season with a Day 3 grade but can rise with more consistent keying and reacting as a run defender.
Predicted first-rounders in 2024: 3
Predicted total draft picks in 2024: 8
Top prospect to know: Brock Bowers, TE
Sleeper prospect to watch: Amarius Mims, OT
Game circled on the schedule: at Tennessee, Nov. 18
No program has had more success over the past two years developing NFL talent. Outside of Bowers, however, this Georgia class is still unproven. He is a do-it-all receiver and good-enough blocker who can be deployed multiple ways. He led the reigning national champions with 942 receiving yards -- 523 after catch -- and is an instant game-changer. "He doesn't have the size that [
Kyle] Pitts had coming out, but he's a better prospect because you can do more with him," an AFC scout said.
Benjamin Watson (No. 32 overall, 2004) is the only Georgia tight end to be selected in the first round, but Bowers will likely join him next April.
Beyond Bowers, I expect Mims to rise quickly. He has tremendous lower-body movement that enables him to gain depth on his pass sets to stay in front of pass-rushers. He is an explosive run-blocker, too, and can generate movement on double-teams and climb to the second level with ease. After earning his first two career starts in the College Football Playoff, he joins an exciting offensive tackle class.
In the secondary, safety
Javon Bullard is a fringe top-40 pick who could continue to jump up the board. After playing the "star" hybrid position during his first two seasons, he is expected to make the full-time transition to safety in 2023. Cornerback
Kamari Lassiter is another notable name in the secondary, but he must show more polish in his technique in order to garner early-round consideration. The heartbeat of the Bulldogs' defense is expected to come from the second level. Linebacker duo
Smael Mondon Jr. and
Jamon Dumas-Johnson have midround grades; Mondon is a former defensive back who is still working to gain a grasp of the linebacker position, while Dumas-Johnson has a more natural feel for run fits and awareness in coverage.
Predicted first-rounders in 2024: 2
Predicted total draft picks in 2024: 11
