2024 NFL Combine: Ranking the top 5 draft prospects at every offensive position, including a surprise at WR1

Just ahead of the 2024 NFL Combine, it’s time to list and explain my top 5 rankings for all the offensive positions. These rankings are subject to change, of course, because the combine carries decently heavy weight in my scouting gradebook.

Before I begin, remember: These are my individual rankings, not the full CBS Sports prospect rankings, which is an aggregate of the rankings of Ryan Wilson, Josh Edwards and myself.

Here are my top 5 2024 NFL Draft prospects at each offensive position: 

Quarterback

1. Caleb Williams, USC (CBS Sports overall rank: 2)
2. Drake Maye, North Carolina (7)
3. Jayden Daniels, LSU (9)
4. J.J. McCarthy, Michigan (32)
5. Spencer Rattler, South Carolina (107)

Williams is stylistically close to Patrick Mahomes from spatial awareness and creativity perspectives and has a strong, mostly accurate arm. Maye is stylistically close to Justin Herbert. Daniels is a home run hitter as a scrambler and demonstrated exquisite downfield touch at LSU. McCarthy has the physical goods to be a better pro than he was at Michigan. I have Rattler over Nix because I view Rattler as being more capable of handling pressure and making tight-window throws at the next level. Remember, two years ago, everyone had him penciled in as a first-round pick, and many believed he was the eventual No. 1 overall selection. He’s ultra talented.

For more draft coverage, you can hear in-depth analysis twice a week on “With the First Pick” — our year-round NFL Draft podcast with NFL Draft analyst Ryan Wilson and former Vikings general manager Rick Spielman. You can find “With the First Pick” wherever you get your podcasts: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, etc. Listen to the latest episode below!

Running back

1. Trey Benson, Florida State (170)
2. Bucky Irving, Oregon (70)
3. Jonathon Brooks, Texas (89)
4. Marshawn Lloyd, USC (183)
5. Jaylen Wright, Tennessee (172)

I’m not sure why Benson isn’t getting more consensus love. He carried the ball fewer than 320 times in college but was clearly a ridiculous contact balance and elusive type in a feature back body. Irving is smaller but hops around tacklers with ease and has lightning-quick explosiveness in and out of his cuts. Brooks boasts a well-rounded game with some shake in the hole and downfield burst. Lloyd and Wright are solidly built rushers who’ll run away from some defenders at the next level. They can scoot. 

Wide receiver

1. Malik Nabers, LSU (4)
2. Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State (1)
3. Javon Baker, UCF (96)
4. Brian Thomas Jr., LSU (27)
5 Rome Odunze, Washington (8)

Nabers gets the nod for me over the highly regarded Harrison Jr. for one reason — YAC. Harrison has run a more diverse set of routes, but the LSU star goes from 0 to 60 like a Ferrari and tracks it downfield as well as his Ohio State counterpart. Baker is hovering well under the radar as a plus athlete with contested-catch polish and flashes of YAC brilliance. A lot of the same is true for the more universally known Thomas Jr. from LSU. The combine will be crucial for Odunze. I love how assertively he plays the ball in the air; I’m just concerned that he found himself in traffic so often in the Pac-12. 

Tight end

1. Brock Bowers, Georgia (5)
2. Jaheim Bell, Florida State (118)
3. Ja’Tavion Sanders, Texas (46)
4. Ben Sinnott, Kansas State (87)
5. Cade Stover, Ohio State (101)

Bowers is as advertised. While not huge, he has receiver flexibility and is a confident running back with the ball in his hands. Bell and Sanders are both H-back types, but I actually trust Bell’s ability to elude a defender or run through said defender. Sinnott and Stover have TE2 abilities as three-down players who have enough receiving talent to see a few targets per game. 

Offensive tackle

1. Olu Fashanu, Penn State (3)
2. Taliese Fuaga, Oregon State (14)
3. JC Latham, Alabama (11)
4. Amarius Mims, Georgia (24)
5. Jordan Morgan, Arizona (60)

Fashanu would’ve been a first-round pick a year ago and had another strong season at Penn State. He’s still really young, too. Exudes athleticism, balance, and refinement as a pass protector. Fuaga gave me Penei Sewell glimpses at times with his movement skills at more than 330 pounds. Latham is another strong, complete blocker — who actually could add some lower-half power once he’s in the NFL. Mims is an enormous, girthy, classic right tackle with impeccable balance for his size. He plays with so much calmness. Morgan has freaky fluidity for his size and stars in pass protection. 

Interior offensive line

1. Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon (25)
2. Christian Haynes, UConn (88)
3. Zach Frazier, West Virginia (49) 
4. Cooper Beebe, Kansas State (97)
5. Sedrick Van Pran, Georgia (62)

Powers-Johnson has some technical flaws to work out of his game. That can come with time. But his natural abilities are off the charts. He’s the size of a power guard but moves like an undersized center. Haynes needs to develop a more reliable anchor but otherwise looks like a ready-to-go starter inside. Frazier played like a million snaps at West Virginia, gets under interior rushers as well as any blocker in the class and showcases awesome athletic traits. 

Beebe won’t crush the combine. His assignment-sound play is at the top of his draft resume. Van Pran is an experienced, special athlete at center with some strength concerns. 

The 2024 NFL Draft will take place from April 25-27 in Detroit. More draft coverage can be found at CBSSports.com, including the weekly updated draft order, mock drafts and a regularly available look at the eligible prospects.