- Bo Nix needs to build on strong 2022: After a breakout 2022 campaign, Nix may be sniffing the first round in the 2024 NFL Draft with another impressive season.
- Spencer Rattler must be safer with the ball to earn first-round consideration: Rattler has all the tools to become a compelling early-round draft prospect but must show more consistency and cut down on his SEC-leading 22 turnover-worthy plays from 2022 to realize the potential that had scouts salivating a short time ago.
- Rome Odunze has first-round buzz: Odunze earned a career-best 79.1 overall grade last year and amassed 605 yards against single coverage, trailing only consensus top 10 pick Marvin Harrison Jr. With another strong season, Odunze could hear his name called among the top 32 picks in 2024.
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Each college season we see breakout performances from players flying under the radar. Here’s a list of draft-eligible players that could vault themselves into first-round consideration with a strong 2023 season:
QB Bo Nix, Oregon
After three middling seasons with the Auburn Tigers, Nix enjoyed a breakout campaign following his transfer to Oregon in 2022. The former four-star recruit compiled a 74.5 overall grade during his first three seasons, before rebounding with a career-best 86.8 mark in his first year in Eugene. Nix has flashed elite arm talent and dynamic playmaking skills out of structure in his career but has lacked the consistency to be considered a first-round caliber QB. After cutting his turnover-worthy play rate by more than half (3.8% in 2021 to 1.7% in 2022) and leading all Power 5 QBs with an 82.3% adjusted completion percentage in 2022, Nix could propel himself into the first-round conversation by building on last year’s strong performance in 2023.
QB Spencer Rattler, South Carolina
Rattler burst onto the national scene as a redshirt freshman with Oklahoma in 2020, earning the fourth-best passing grade (92.5) in the entire country that season. Since then, Rattler has struggled to maintain consistency and a starting job, resulting in his transfer to South Carolina last season. While consistency was still an issue for the redshirt senior throughout last season, Rattler was at his best against tough competition when it mattered most. In the Gamecocks’ stunning upset of then No. 5-ranked Tennessee last November, Rattler earned a 92.9 overall grade with five big-time throws, both marks he had not hit since his breakout with the Sooners in 2020. Rattler has all the tools to become a compelling early-round draft prospect but must show more consistency and cut down on his SEC-leading 22 turnover-worthy plays from 2022 to realize the potential that had scouts salivating a short time ago.
WR Rome Odunze, Washington
Each year, the NFL draft is littered with exciting receiver prospects, and 2024 is shaping up to be no exception. At 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, Odunze is a big-bodied receiver with sneaky athleticism, as he racked up 343 yards after the catch and forced 10 missed tackles last season, both ranking within the top 25 among all Power Five receivers. Odunze also earned a career-best 79.1 overall grade last year and amassed 605 yards against single coverage, trailing only consensus top 10 pick Marvin Harrison Jr. With another strong season, Odunze could hear his name called among the top 32 picks in 2024.
G Cooper Beebe, Kansas State
While he considered declaring for this past year's NFL draft, Beebe opted to return to Kansas State in 2023 to solidify his first-round status. The fifth-year senior is one of the best pass-blocking guards in the entire country, as he’s allowed just three sacks in 1032 career pass-blocking snaps and none since 2020. With an NCAA-leading 94.0 pass-blocking grade over the last two seasons, Beebe just needs to maintain his stellar play to be among the top OL prospects in the 2024 draft.
EDGE Chop Robinson, Penn State
Despite being undersized at 6-foot-3 and 242 pounds, Robinson delivered a dominant season for the Nittany Lions in 2023. The Maryland transfer earned a 90.6 overall grade and 92.4 pass-rushing grade last season, leading all Power Five edge defenders in both categories. Robinson makes up for his lack of size with his explosiveness and flexibility as a pass-rusher. With another productive season in one of the best conferences in the country, Robinson could see his name skyrocket up draft boards this fall.
DB Malachi Moore, Alabama
As a true freshman in 2020, Moore earned an 82.1 coverage grade as Alabama's starting slot corner. However, over the last two seasons, Moore has struggled to stay healthy and has seen his performance dip, but the potential still remains. The senior allowed just one touchdown and compiled three forced incompletions on 232 coverage snaps in 2022, and he could see his stock rise back to 2020 levels with a healthy and productive 2023.
DI Ruke Orhorhoro, Clemson
On a loaded Tigers front seven, Orhorhoro might be the most versatile of the bunch. The fifth-year senior logged snaps from edge defender all the way into nose tackle in 2022, and he only earned one sub-60.0 grade all season. The former three-star recruit was one of only four ACC defensive linemen to earn a 75.0 grade or better as both a pass-rusher and run defender last year. Another season showing off that well-rounded game could move him up draft boards this fall.
S Calen Bullock, USC
Bullock started every game for the Trojans last year, and the true junior is poised for a breakout season in 2023. After missing 10 tackles as a freshman, that shrunk to just four in nearly double the snaps in 2022. Bullock was also a ball hawk in the USC secondary last year, earning the fouth-best coverage grade (89.0) among Power Five safeties while totaling four PBUs and a team-leading five interceptions. Another strong season could see Bullock as the top safety on many teams’ draft boards for the 2024 draft.
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