It’s always tough to determine the draft stock of an NFL Draft prospect outside of a handful of players. During the season of college football, the draft stock of these players and the needs of these teams fluctuate.
Through seven weeks, that holds true.
We’ve talked about players such as Caleb Williams from USC, but we’ve also gone into detail of the type of talent that Will Sheppard from Vanderbilt possesses.
Today, we’re going to focus on the offensive side of the football. Let’s jump into some risers and fallers for the 2024 NFL Draft.
It’s always tough to determine the draft stock of an NFL Draft prospect outside of a handful of players. During the season of college football, the draft stock of these players and the needs of these teams fluctuate.
Through seven weeks, that holds true.
We’ve talked about players such as Caleb Williams from USC, but we’ve also gone into detail of the type of talent that Will Sheppard from Vanderbilt possesses.
Today, we’re going to focus on the offensive side of the football. Let’s jump into some risers and fallers for the 2024 NFL Draft.
2024 NFL Mock Draft Risers & Fallers
Risers
JC Latham (OT – Alabama)
Through much of the summer, there was speculation on who the next tier of offensive tackles would be for the 2024 NFL Draft. The top-tier offensive tackles are Joe Alt from Notre Dame and Olumuyiwa Fashanu from Penn State. However, there’s potential for JC Latham from Alabama to be in the mix of that tier.
Latham is a junior offensive tackle who stands 6-foot-6 and 360 pounds. But for his size, he sure plays light on his feet. When you put on the tape, you’ll notice his long arms right away, but he plays with great patience and keeps defenders in front of him consistently. So far this season, he’s started all seven games at right tackle and has 20 career starts at tackle. Meanwhile, his 27 knockdowns (through six games) are a team-high for the Crimson Tide. In addition to that, he’s only given up one sack through 227 pass block snaps (per PFF).
During this past off-season, Latham put on 26 pounds and most of it, if not all of it, was primarily muscle. Regardless of the weight gain, Latham looks athletic enough to play either guard or tackle for an NFL team. If your team is in need of adding an offensive tackle and they miss out on the consensus top two tackles, they could be just fine with adding Latham.
Cooper DeJean (CB – Iowa)
When I watched DeJean against Penn State, I was left underwhelmed. However, he’s played well for three straight weeks for the Hawkeyes defense. Against Michigan State, DeJean had an interception and a punt return for a touchdown. Meanwhile, he added another interception against Purdue two weeks ago.
Most teams avoid throwing in the direction of DeJean due to his ability to click and close. Through seven games, DeJean has played 533 defensive snaps, with 309 of those snaps being in coverage. With that, he’s only given up 18 receptions on 35 targets for 171 yards. This has also led to two interceptions for DeJean.
When watching the Hawkeyes defense, you’ll notice how DeJean can align just about anywhere due to his athletic ability. He’s got experience playing down in the box, playing outside or covering the slot. Not only can he cover on defense, but he’s also got the special teams ability that’s desired by teams in the NFL. It’s unclear who the top cornerback will be in the 2024 NFL Draft, but Cooper DeJean should be in the mix for the top tier of cornerbacks in the draft.
Fallers
Emeka Egbuka (WR- Ohio State)
It’s hard to say that a player is falling down draft boards since there’s still so much football left to be played. However, the group of wide receivers for the 2024 NFL Draft has some real studs in it. Led by Marvin Harrison Jr, Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze, it certainly feels like this group is all about teams picking the player that best fits their style of play.
One player that feels lost in the shuffle is Emeka Egbuka from Ohio State. Through five games, he’s posted 22 receptions for 303 yards and three touchdowns. Statistically, you can live with that stat line, but currently, the issue is that he’s dealing with a knee injury. It’s led to Egbuka missing consecutive games for the Buckeyes, and it’s unclear when he’ll take the field again.
While we wait for the severity of the injury, it’s worth monitoring due to all the talent around Egbuka in the wide receiver rankings. Lower body injuries tend to flare up and become recurring issues for receivers in the NFL. It’s yet to be seen where Egbuka falls in the 2024 NFL Draft, but when a team selects him, they’re going to get a receiver who has great hands and is tough across the middle of the field.
Teams will need to ensure that he’s healthy, and they’ll need to figure out if he’s better suited to play inside or outside at wide receiver. No question about it, Egbuka is a player worth monitoring through the process of the 2024 NFL Draft.
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