• Washington's Michael Penix Jr. is on fire: His 93.4 passing grade is the highest of all draft-eligible FBS quarterbacks, and he has 13 big-time throws to just three turnover-worthy plays on the year.
• UCLA's Laiatu Latu is college football's top pass rusher through Week 6: His 91.3 pass-rush grade is the best in the Power Five, and he should be in the conversation for the first defensive player to be drafted.
• Check out PFF's 2024 NFL Draft big board: Click here to see 150 of the top draft prospects that college football has to offer.
Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes
We’re halfway through the 2023 college football season, and with that, it’s time to recognize the top 2024 NFL Draft prospects in the form of an All-Prospect Team.
Here, we'll select the best draft-eligible talent in the country based on how they have played through the first six weeks of the campaign.
QB: MICHAEL PENIX JR., WASHINGTON
Honorable Mention: Shedeur Sanders (Colorado), Drake Maye (North Carolina)
Penix has been the best version of himself this season and is quarterbacking one of the best offenses in college football. His 93.4 passing grade is the highest of all draft-eligible FBS quarterbacks, and he has 13 big-time throws to just three turnover-worthy plays on the year. He also has an 83.3% adjusted completion rate with an 11.0-yard average depth of target. Penix owns one of the biggest arms in the 2024 class and is showing it off weekly.
RB: MARSHAWN LLOYD, USC
Honorable Mention: Jonathon Brooks (Texas), Audric Estime (Notre Dame), Ray Davis, (Kentucky)
Lloyd, the former South Carolina Gamecock, is having a true breakout season, as his 519 rushing yards is a top-25 mark in college football and almost a career high for him just six games into the 2023 campaign. His 0.47 missed tackles forced per attempt is one of the highest figures in all of college football and showcases the kind of playmaker he is in open space (Bijan Robinson averaged 0.44 last season). Lloyd also has a 4.7 yards-after-contact average, another key stat to show how well he is doing independent of his offensive line.
His preseason scouting reports indicated he was a player with all-around athletic ability — but without the volume of production to be considered one of the top draft-eligible backs. Lloyd has changed that narrative through Week 6.
WR: MALIK NABERS, LSU
WR: XAVIER LEGETTE, SOUTH CAROLINA
Honorable Mention: Troy Franklin (Oregon), Tory Horton (Colorado State), Ja’Lynn Polk (Washington), Rome Odunze (Washington), Tre Harris (Ole Miss), Brenden Rice (USC)
Nabers entered the 2023 season as one of the top receivers on PFF’s 2024 big board, and he has lived up to that hype. His 771 receiving yards ranks second only to Missouri’s Luther Burden III, who is looking like WR1 in 2025’s draft class. Nabers’ 90.9 receiving grade is the best on the team, and he already has 20 explosive plays of 15 yards or more in just six games.
Legette, on the other hand, was not on the initial 2024 PFF big board. Most of the NFL world thought he was a Day 3 player going into the season. But midway through the year, he feels closer to a first-rounder. The 6-foot-3, 227-pound receiver has been a contested-catch machine, hauling in six of his nine contested targets this season. He is also averaging an insanely high 3.39 yards per route run, which is a top-15 figure among FBS receivers. That shows how much of a focal point he is for South Carolina's offense.
SLOT WR: ROMAN WILSON, MICHIGAN
Honorable Mention: Malachi Corley (Western Kentucky), Ainias Smith (Texas A&M)
Michigan’s Roman Wilson might be on the smaller side at 5-foot-10 and 190 pounds, but he has some fantastic speed — both in long speed and agility. The senior receiver has a 3.78 yards per route run average in 2023, which is the fifth-best mark in the FBS. His 86.2% open target rate is also in the 94th percentile. Whether the defense gives him space or he earns it himself, he’s going to get open.
TE: BROCK BOWERS, GEORGIA
Honorable Mention: AJ Barner (Michigan), Cade Stover (Ohio State)
Bowers has been the best tight end in the country for two straight years and is once again earning an incredibly high receiving grade (88.7) this season. No FBS tight end is within even 100 receiving yards of Bowers' 548 through Week 6, and his 375 yards after the catch alone would rank third on that leaderboard. He has been billed as the best tight end in college football, and he is showing it again.
OT: JOE ALT, NOTRE DAME
OT: TALIESE FUAGA, OREGON STATE
Honorable Mention: Patrick Paul (Houston), Javon Foster (Missouri)
Meet two of the highest-graded offensive tackles in the country this season.
One, Alt, was already nationally known. The 6-foot-8, 315-pound junior has an 88.6 overall grade with an 86.6 pass-blocking grade on true pass-blocking snaps. He has allowed just three pressures all season.
The other, Fuaga, feels like the most underrated player in the country. His 86.4 overall grade ranks fourth in the FBS, and his 90.1 run-blocking grade is the best among offensive tackles who have played at least 50 snaps. The 6-foot-6, 315-pound junior is a mauler and an eraser in the run game but is more than just a brute. His pass protection skills are also beyond his years.
OG: CHRISTIAN HAYNES, UCONN
OG: COOPER BEEBE, KANSAS STATE
Honorable Mention: Zak Zinter (Michigan), Clay Webb (Jacksonville State)
Haynes and Beebe were both NFL-caliber prospects going into the season and are making good on that scouting through Week 6. Haynes has the top overall grade among guards (88.8). Some believe his best position in the NFL might be at center, but for now, he’s dominating at guard. As for Beebe, his 87.4 overall grade — if maintained — marks the third straight season where he has topped 80.0. He has been the king of consistently good play at that position.
C: SEDRICK VAN PRAN, GEORGIA
Honorable Mention: Ireland Brown (Rutgers)
Van Pran gets the nod as the top center midway through the 2023 season. He was PFF’s top center going into the year, and his career-best 79.7 overall grade comes from consistent play across the board, buoyed by an 80.3 pass-blocking grade and a 75.4 run-blocking grade. The third-year starter's experience, leadership and consistency make him our top choice at center in this draft class.
DT: JER’ZHAN NEWTON, ILLINOIS
DT: HOWARD CROSS III, NOTRE DAME
Honorable Mention: T'Vondre Sweat (Texas), Tyler Davis (Clemson), Tyleik Williams (Ohio State)
Newton’s grades might not be as high as they were last season, but make no mistake, the Illini interior defensive lineman is still the best player on that defense and one of the best players in that draft class. He has 24 pressures and a 17.4% pass-rush win rate this season.
Meanwhile, Cross is enjoying his best season to date and deserves a ton of recognition. The Fighting Irish’s fifth-year defensive tackle is listed at a shade under 6-foot-1 and 288 pounds and has earned an 84.4 run-defense grade and an 87.9 pass-rushing grade — both very much career highs.
EDGE: LAIATU LATU, UCLA
EDGE: DALLAS TURNER, ALABAMA
Honorable Mention: Gabriel Murphy (UCLA), Jaylen Harrell (Michigan), Mohamed Kamara (Colorado State), Princely Umanmielen (Florida)
College football's best pass rusher through Week 6 is UCLA’s Laiatu Latu. His 91.w pass-rush grade is the best in the Power Five, and his 21.4% pass-rush win — if maintained — would be his second straight 20%-plus mark. He should be in the conversation for the first defensive player to be drafted.
Alabama’s Dallas Turner is another edge rusher in the top 20 on PFF’s 2024 big board who is enjoying plenty of success this season. He has recorded 32 pressures with a 19.0% pass-rush win percentage and has seen his name continue to climb on PFF's big board.
LB: DANNY STUTSMAN, OKLAHOMA
LB: JASON HENDERSON, OLD DOMINION
Honorable Mention: Dallas Gant (Toledo)
Oklahoma’s Danny Stutsman is one of the biggest risers on the PFF big board halfway through the year. The 6-foot-4, 235-pound inside linebacker has earned an 86.7 run-defense grade this season with 28 solo stops. His length and now improved anticipation have made for a very reliable player in that facet.
Henderson's 88.2 overall grade through Week 6 makes him the highest-graded FBS linebacker among those who have played at least 100 snaps. He has an 83.5 run-defense grade, a 71.0 pass rush grade and a 76.7 coverage grade. Henderson is best as a downhill player and has made some of the most impactful plays we’ve seen when fulfilling that role.
CB: KRIS ABRAMS-DRAINE, MISSOURI
CB: DENZEL BURKE, OHIO STATE
Honorable Mention: Quinyon Mitchell (Toledo), Khyree Jackson (Oregon), D.J. James (Auburn), Cooper DeJean (Iowa)
The former wide receiver Abrams-Draine has really hit his stride this season. His 86.8 coverage grade is the fifth highest in the FBS among cornerbacks who have played at least 100 snaps in coverage. He has allowed just 107 passing yards and 11 receptions on the season, pairing that with seven forced incompletions.
Burke enjoyed success and the spotlight in his freshman season with the Buckeyes, but last year just wasn’t the same for him. This season, he is healthy and confident, looking more like the shutdown cornerback we know he can be. He has an 84.6 coverage grade this season with eight forced incompletions, the third most in the FBS.
SLOT CB: MIKE SAINRISTIL, MICHIGAN
Honorable Mention: Sebastian Castro (Iowa), Jahdae Barron (Texas)
Other slot cornerbacks have higher overall grades, but it's hard not to love Sainristil's game. He’s such a high-energy player as a slot defender who helps in both run defense and pass coverage. He also has a 75.1 pass-rushing grade when asked to blitz. Sainristil is small, at 5-foot-9 and 185 pounds, but I’m a sucker for defensive players who play with as much fire as he does.
S: JAYLIN SIMPSON, AUBURN
S: TYLER NUBIN, MINNESOTA
Honorable Mention: Calen Bullock (USC), Josh Proctor (Ohio State)
Jaylin Simpson was more of a cornerback than a safety over the past two seasons, with most of his snaps coming as a wide cornerback. This year, he's been used mainly as a safety and the production has been stellar. He currently has a 90.4 overall grade with a 91.3 coverage grade, thanks to his four interceptions and just 32 yards allowed in coverage.
Nubin could have declared for last year’s draft but decided to return and is now shaping up to be a 2024 top-50 pick. He brings a ton of experience and anticipation to the back end of Minnesota’s defense, as evidenced by his 89.5 coverage grade, three interceptions and eight passing yards allowed.
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