Even after reviewing and dissecting every detail of every player eligible for selection in the 2024 NFL Draft, scouting teams will still have differences of opinion on prospects.
You can never make everyone in the room completely happy, because feelings and egos are often bruised. There will be a step back. But, for the most part, NFL evaluators check their egos at the door when the final results are posted on a team’s draft board (I wish I could say the same thing about social media).
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Here are some prospects who could come up in late draft discussions, as they have a wide variety of grades within the league and among media evaluators. I don’t really see how many others do it: I think some are overrated and others go unnoticed, for various reasons.
I’ve included each player’s ranking on our Consensus Big Board. This may differ significantly from NFL boards across the league, but it’s the best measure we have from a broader public ranking.
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Overvalued prospects
Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina
Big Board Consensus Rank: #3
No position sparks more interest – and with it, passion – than quarterback, and opinions may vary more this year than any other I can remember. I know people in the NFL who view Maye and Michigan’s JJ McCarthy as worthy of a top five finish at out of the first round. The best reason I can come up with for this discrepancy is that it may depend on which games each reviewer watches.
That being said, I think all quarterbacks besides Caleb Williams this year are, to varying degrees, overrated. Outside of Williams, I don’t see any obstacles to becoming a franchise quarterback, and that includes LSU’s Jayden Daniels. But for the sake of this discussion, I consider Maye the most overrated.
Its greatest asset, and probably what I hear most often as its redeeming quality, is its size. Obviously, that can’t be argued: 6-foot-4, 223 pounds is the frame we’re all looking for, so you’ll have no dispute from me.
But the resulting traits are mostly ordinary. This includes processing (questionable decision-making), accuracy (very inconsistent), and his semi-long release, which slows his ability to get the ball out of his hand. And yes, I also watched some of the 2022 season. I struggled the most with the frequency of his failures and his decision-making under pressure.
I think he can improve some of these things, but it’s going to take time and it requires a leap of faith that I’m not ready to take. Therefore, I would be nervous about selecting him in the top five. I just don’t see any elite traits beyond his measurables.
Ladd McConkey, WR, Georgia
Big Board Consensus Rank: No. 30
Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia
Big Board Consensus Rank: No. 19
Both of these Georgia Bulldogs have evaluators, inside and outside of NFL buildings, singing their praises, but I had a hard time with them, in part because of their incomplete work.
In McConkey’s case, are we strictly getting a slot receiver to play on third downs? Twenty of his 30 catches this year have come on first downs, so his value on third down is obvious. But he’s not quite 6 feet tall and his production has declined this year due to injuries (which, in and of themselves, could be problematic), which need to be factored into the equation. Based on the tape, I thought his route tree was somewhat incomplete and that his strictness in and out of tough cuts could limit his role in some schemes as an outside receiver.
Given these questions, I could realistically rate him outside of the first two rounds. Usually, players with a more complete body of work leave earlier in the draft.
Meanwhile, Mims’ injury-riddled 2023 season forces evaluators to judge two different players: pre-injury and post-injury. He’s big, strong and long, but he only played in seven games in 2023 and didn’t look the same when he returned in the second half of the season. He only has eight career starts.
The need for offensive tackles has pushed his perceived value up the rankings, for some. For me, the questions might outweigh the benefits, but these coveted traits will always be there, tempting teams to overlook short-term obstacles. Mims may be a player that scouts love, but team builders struggle with.
Jaden Hicks, S, Washington State
Big Board Consensus Rank: No. 67
Many evaluators rank Hicks in the top three at his position, but I see a young player (21 years old with three years of high school) who may not have a true position in many NFL defensive systems. To me, he has the skill set of a safe, something I struggle with as a reviewer. I noticed a lack of suddenness and coverage ability, including some hip stiffness and hesitant transitions.
It’s very difficult to hide someone who lacks coverage skills in today’s NFL, with spread offenses and three-receiver formations taking over the league. The one of comparison could The job is with Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton, but he plays a unique scheme that accentuates his positives and covers his negatives. That’s what Hicks will need to succeed. Given this, it could be drafted much later than some experts believe it should be.
Undervalued prospects
Laiatu Latu, edge, UCLA
Big Board Consensus Rank: No. 13
Latu has a skill set that in most years would make him a top-five pick. He’s explosive with the ball, he has a natural inclination to squeeze the pocket. And features an advanced array of tools and a variety of moves to reach the passer in multiple ways. Asd he plays a premium position. Consider Brian Burns (five-year, $141 million deal with the Giants) or Danielle Hunter (two years, $49 million with the Texans), both of whom have similar skill sets.
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At 260 pounds, Latu brings a punch to take the edge in the running game, slightly better than Alabama’s Dallas Turner, in my opinion. Turner is high on many draft boards on the defensive side because he is such an explosive pure rusher (he ran a 4.46 at the combine). Medical will have to be heard regarding Latu, but someone will get a top-five talent, maybe even a top-three talent this year, as the need for quarterbacks and the true quality of the top three wide receivers will push Latu towards the bottom of the table.
Only a few years ago, @laiatu_latu he was told he would never play football again. Now he’s about to hear his name called during the NFL Draft. 🔥
📺: 2024 #NFLDraft – Starts Thursday at 8 p.m. ET on NFL Network/ESPN/ABC
📱: Also streaming on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/Jf9rxTs7tJ– NFL (@NFL) April 23, 2024
Nate Wiggins, CB, Clemson
Big Board Consensus Rank: No. 22
Another defensive player in a draft that should be dominated by the offense from the start. If your team plays man-to-man schemes or blitzes a lot, Wiggins is your guy, but I don’t see him getting a lot of love around the dial. He’s almost 6-2 and ran a 4.28 40 at the combine. Some are bothered by his size (173 pounds), but when I watch him move, get closer on a route or recover to play the ball in the moment of truth, he makes me say “wow”. This rarely happens to me in this position.
According to Pro Football Focus, Wiggins has allowed 19 receptions, just eight first downs and three plays of 15 yards or more – over the entire 2023 season. I’m not an analytics expert, but I think that’s really good. Some teams might criticize him or even dismiss him because he’s so light, and his tackling might not be what they’re looking for. But at a time when the ability to run and cover should take priority, let’s not overthink it. Wiggins is my best cornerback in this class and would be a top-15 pick in many drafts I’ve entered.
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Jaylen Wright, RB, Tennessee
Big Board Consensus Rank: No. 74
Wright may not be the No. 1 running back on many NFL teams, but his speed and explosive athleticism make me think he could score a touchdown every time he touches the ball . And it’s a feeling that I love. I think he compares himself to Ahman Green, who I drafted in Seattle years ago and who later became the Green Bay Packers’ all-time leading rusher.
If he enters the locker room with enough leadership and positive support, Wright could be this year’s De’Von Achane. I love its ability to put its foot down and accelerate north and south. In a zone blocking scheme where one-cut players often excel, he would be exceptional, adding the element of speed that most teams covet.
Sione Vaki, S/RB/ST, Utah
Big Board Consensus Rank: None (outside the top 100)
Vaki was a jack of all trades in Utah and his story became well known. A safety for most of the season, he was forced – due to injuries elsewhere – to finish the season at running back, but still led the team in defensive snaps.
I’m not sure if he’s a safety or a running back, but what I do know for sure is this: He’s the best special teams player I’ve seen in this draft class. He can run and tackle, he has the instinct to find the ball And he just might have the perfect frame and skillset to be a kick returner under the new rules the NFL borrowed from the XFL. He’s fearless, has better football speed than his 40 time (4.62 at the combine, 4.51 at his pro day) and has the lower body strength to break an arm tackle and hit a crease as a returner.
I don’t know where or how teams will value his skills, but I suspect it’s not high enough. As a team builder more than an evaluator, I want this kid on my team, and it’s easy for me to see a path for him to be active and contribute on game day.
(Photos by Drake Maye, left, and Laiatu Latu: Grant Halverson, Harry How / Getty Images)
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