The top of the 2024 CBS Sports NFL Draft Prospect Rankings are filled with players who were college football stars. But there are plenty of mega-productive college football players who aren’t projected as first-round picks because NFL franchises look at a bevy of criteria beyond mere accolades and statistics at the collegiate level.
Among them is positional value and scarcity; that’s why the highest-ranked running back in this year’s draft class is at No. 72 in the prospect rankings. But for the sake of college football fans, let’s strip away the NFL filter for a moment and take a look at the top 32 players in the 2024 NFL Draft based solely on their collegiate careers.
You won’t find former Georgia offensive lineman Amarius Mims here. He’s a great pro prospect, but Injuries limited Mims to seven games in 2023, and he was a reserve in 2022 for the Bulldogs. Also, ex-Oregon receiver Troy Franklin edged LSU’s Brian Thomas Jr. for a spot based on the grounds of collegiate production. Thomas is regarded as the better prospect, but that’s not what this exercise entails.
This is not a mock draft, and it’s not about professional upside. It’s about ranking the best players in the draft based on collegiate production.
1. Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington: Penix finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting while leading the nation in passing yards (4,903). He threw 36 touchdown passes while guiding Washington to an appearance in the College Football Playoff National Championship. Penix’s 25-3 record as a two-year starter at Washington is the stuff of legend for a program that went 4-8 the year before his arrival.
2. Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia: Bowers is arguably the best tight end to ever play college football. He served a pivotal role in Georgia’s 2021 and 2022 national titles and was a matchup nightmare for three seasons as the Bulldogs posted a 42-2 record. The athletic, 6-foot-4 human wrecking ball also scored five rushing touchdowns for UGA while earning a place in SEC and college football lore.
3. Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU: Daniels won the Heisman Trophy in 2023 while setting a single-season FBS record for passing efficiency (208). For good measure, he tallied 1,134 yards with his legs while becoming the only player in FBS history to pass for 12,000 yards and rush for 3,000 yards in a career.
4. Caleb Williams, QB, USC: Williams threw for 93 touchdowns and 14…
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