Mel Kiper updates Big Board Top-25 NFL Draft player rankings ahead of College Football Playoff

The great Mel Kiper Jr. has updated his Big Board Top-25 NFL Draft player rankings for ESPN ahead of the College Football Playoff.

There’s plenty of huge names in the College Football Playoff. It’ll represent the final shot for some of the nation’s top prospects to prove themselves in game-action to the brass of NFL franchises. We could see some of the biggest stars separate themselves from the pack, and capture a national title in the process.

Check out Kiper’s latest 2024 NFL Draft Big Board below. Time will tell where they all end up, but it provides an interesting baseline at the moment.

1. QB Caleb Williams, USC

Alas, one thing is for sure about the 2024 NFL Draft, and the fact remains that Williams will remain QB1 and the No. 1 prospect barring something truly unexpected from Kiper.

And the evaluation from the NFL Draft analyst remains much the same. There are some size concerns, as Williams is just 6-foot-1, but Kiper doesn’t see that keeping him from going No. 1 overall.

2. WR Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State

Moving down the list, the same that’s true for Williams is true for Harrison. Perhaps the best overall player in the draft will be a projected Top 5 pick until that seems less-than-likely, if that ever happens. 

With size, speed, agility, toughness, route-running polish and mastery of the finer points of the position, Harrison is about as complete as prospects come. He’ll be a star in short order at the next level.

3. QB Drake Maye, North Carolina

Things could be getting dicey for Maye, who remains at No. 3 but now has another quarterback closing in. After an up-and-down campaign, Maye might be fighting to hold on to QB2 after some thought he could challenge Williams for the top pick.

And while he still might due to the traits and arm talent, Maye didn’t have a stellar closing argument in college. Even still, he’s an enticing option for an quarterback needy team.

4. QB Jayden Daniels, LSU

Few, if any, players in America improved their draft outlook more than Daniels did in 2023. Playing well enough to win the Heisman on a three-loss team can do that.

Kiper has grown to love Daniels after watching him more and more, and is potentially poised to move him in the QB2 slot. The combination of downfield passing aggression and running left Kiper highly intrigued.

5. TE Brock Bowers, Georgia

One of the best players in college football, Bowers was slowed by an ankle injury and tightrope surgery this season. That won’t change how NFL teams, or Kiper, view him. 

Big, fast and with high-level ball tracking and catch point skills for the position, Bowers is what most every offense wants and needs: A matchup problem. His position and lack of elite run blocking might stop him from being a Top 5 pick, but he’s still a Top 5 prospect for Kiper.

6. WR Rome Odunze, Washington 

The top receiver in most any draft, Odunze has plenty of tools in his toolbox. Speed, size, winning at the catch point and effectiveness after the catch. 

The whole package has Kiper considering Odunze as a potential No. 1 receiver on an NFL team. He’ll keep being that for Washington in the College Football Playoff, for now.

7. WR Malik Nabers, LSU (+1)

Nabers isn’t quite as big as the two receivers ranked ahead of him, but he was more productive than either in 2023. And Nabers’ speed shows up first and foremost on his tape. 

His ability to play outside as well as in the slot will serve him well, Kiper wrote. And among a crowded field of receivers, Nabers could see his name called before Odunze if a team has a particularly preference.

8. OT Olu Fashanu, Penn State (-1)

Kiper’s top tackle remained his top tackle. Fashanu is big, can move and is young, all things NFL teams coveted that can’t be taught, either.

Fashanu was actually draft eligible for the 2023 NFL Draft, but chose to come back to school as he would’ve been just 20 at the time of the draft. A year later, he’s still as enticing of an NFL prospect, and he just turned 21 in early December.

9. OT Joe Alt, Notre Dame

Kiper raved about Alt when noting on a recent podcast that the tackles No. 15 ranking in his previous Big Board wasn’t entirely reflective of his stature. The new rankings make that sentiment more than clear.

Alt is expected to continue a lineage of Notre Dame linemen going to the NFL. He’s not the same level of athlete as Fashanu and a few years older, but he’s got as strong a track record as any tackle in the draft.

10. EDGE Laiatu Latu, UCLA

Arguably the best defender in college football all year, Latu feasted off the edge for the Bruins. He led the country in pressure percentage and pressures, plus fourth in sacks.

NFL teams are always on the hunt for pass rushers, and Latu fits the bill. Kiper projects him as an ideal standup outside linebacker at the next level.

Kiper’s No. 11 through 25 prospects for the 2024 NFL Draft

11. EDGE Dallas Turner, Alabama
12. WR Keon Coleman, Florida State
13. CB Cooper DeJean, Iowa
14. OL Troy Fautanu, Washington
15. EDGE Jared Verse, Florida State 
16. DT Jer’Zhan “Johnny” Newton, Illinois 
17. WR Xavier Worthy, Texas
18. CB Nate Wiggins, Clemson 
19. OT Taliese Fuaga, Oregon State 
20. OT JC Latham, Alabama 
21. DT T’Vondre Sweat, Texas (+4)
22. CB Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama (-1)
23. OT Amarius Mims, Georgia (-1)
24. OT Jordan Morgan, Arizona 
25. OT Tyler Guyton, Oklahoma (NR)

As you can see, Mel Kiper Jr.’s Top 25 continues to provide an interesting look regarding where many players could end up come April. There’s a myriad of phenomenal prospects, and we can’t wait to see how they perform when the NFL beckons them during the 2024 NFL Draft.