We are in the final push for the playoffs in most dynasty fantasy football leagues. It’s also the time to start looking toward 2024 rookie drafts. So what does the 2024 draft class look like? The regular season is over in college football, so let’s take a look at who may be available in the first round in a 2024 Mock Draft. This is way too early, and before all declarations are made – but you need to take advantage of the situation now! This 2024 Mock Draft will be based on fantasy football Superflex leagues.
2024 Mock Draft – Dynasty Fantasy Football
1.01 Caleb Williams QB, USC
I know the season did not turn out how Williams wanted and some weaknesses popped up this year, but the talent is just undeniable. Were some of the issues because Caleb Williams knew he needed to score every time because the defense was so bad? His workout should still help him land at the top spot in rookie drafts. In Superflex leagues, I am leaning toward quarterbacks at the top.
1.02 Marvin Harrison Jr WR, Ohio State
This somewhat contradicts what I just said about quarterbacks, but Marvin Harrison Jr is an elite talent and showed he can win against all coverages. This past year he did not have the consistent quarterback play, but there was not much drop-off in production. Harrison has gone over 1,200 receiving yards and has 14 touchdowns in each of the last two years. He is truly an alpha receiver. I think he will be situation-proof in the NFL and should show elite production right away, much like Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase.
1.03 Drake Maye QB, North Carolina
I think the top three in this class are very close. Drake Maye does not get the same hype as Williams but I do not think the gap is as large as people make it out to be. Maye does not have as many highlight plays but he is still very mobile. I would argue he is better in the pocket as of now, too. The NFL is moving towards mobile quarterbacks, and Maye fits that mold. In two years of starting he has over 1,000 yards rushing and 16 rushing touchdowns. In my opinion, I would be fine moving down from 1.01 to 1.03 to get Maye and a king’s ransom to whoever falls in love with Williams or Harrison.
1.04 Brock Bowers TE, Georgia
Some may think this is too early for a tight end, especially in leagues that do not give premium points to tight ends. But Brock Bowers is that good. In three years, he has over 2,500 yards and 26 touchdowns. That is unheard of for tight ends in college. In comparison, Kyle Pitts had 1,400 and 18 touchdowns and analysts was going crazy over him. Bowers is more in the traditional tight-end mold. He is a very good blocker and can be on the line or be put outside like as a wide receiver. We have seen the drop-off after the elite tight ends. If you can get the next one, you have to jump at the chance.
1.05 Malik Nabers, WR, LSU
It seems like there is a drop-off after Harrison Jr., but that is only because he’s such an elite player. Malik Nabers has a chance to be another alpha wide receiver in the 2024 draft class. He has gotten better every year in college and has 86 catches for 1,546 yards and 14 touchdowns this year. If Jayden Daniels wins the Heisman Trophy, much of it will have to do with throwing the ball to Nabers. He has lined up pretty evenly this year – both in the slot and outside for LSU. Nine of his touchdowns have come from 20 or more yards and 50% of his receiving yards have come over 10 yards.
1.06 Xavier Worthy, WR, Texas
I was wrong about Xavier Worthy coming into this year. I had said that if he continued to have drops he could be overtaken by the other talented wide receivers on the roster. Well, he lowered his drop percentage this year and has been electric. There are more playmakers on the roster, so he does not have the touchdown numbers of his Freshman year. However, he does have the most receptions of his career this season with 73. Teams have been looking for someone to emulate what Tyreek Hill does and I think Worthy could be used similarly in the NFL.
1.07 Braelon Allen, RB, Wisconsin
The running back class as of now is a little light compared to what we thought it might be. Raheim Sanders is transferring from Arkansas, and there are rumors that my RB1 of the class, TreVeyon Henderson, is returning to Ohio State. If that were to happen, Braelon Allen would slot into the RB1 in this 2024 Mock Draft – and he could very well be an every-down back in the NFL. Allen will be only be 20 years old by the time of the draft, but has had tremendous success right out of the gate. He has 3,482 rushing yards and 35 touchdowns in three years. With the coaching change at Wisconsin, he had a little bit of a down year in 2023, but still barely missed hitting the 1,000-yard mark. The one knock before this year would be his receiving ability, but that usage did increase this year. This may be the case like Jonathon Taylor and Kenneth Walker who are good enough receivers out of the backfield but the scheme in college did not call for it.
1.08 Keon Coleman, WR, Florida State
I was impressed with Keon Coleman’s skillset at Michigan State but felt like quarterback play held him back much like Jayden Reed. When he hit the transfer portal and chose Florida State, I was excited to see what he could do. The high-end production is not there but if you watch the tape you see how dominant he can be. In the first game of the season, Coleman had three touchdowns against LSU. He has the size at 6’4″ and has great speed, being used on kick returns. This year he has been utilized pretty evenly in all levels and has nine touchdowns of 10 yards or more. Coleman is the type of player that I could see being an even better NFL player than a college player.
1.09 Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU
I am not a big Jayden Daniels fan, but you can’t deny the great season he is having. During his Freshman year at Arizona State, he had some hype, but after that fell until he transferred to LSU. Last year he started slow; but since mid-year, he has flourished, especially in 2023. Daniels has blazing speed and is electric in the open field. I know we want to find the next Lamar Jackson but I don’t see Daniels on the same level right now. Only 15% of his yardage comes from when he was under pressure. Even with my doubts, I cannot deny that a team will give him a chance; and in Super Flex quarterbacks are at a premium.
1.10 Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State
The injury to Jaxon Smith-Njigba in 2022 allowed Emeka Egbuka to get more playing time and showcase his talent. Egbuka finished 2022 with over 1,100 yards and 10 touchdowns. He had a down 2023 season due to injuries and only played in nine games. Egbuka does most of his damage in the short and intermediate range, with only 22 total targets on passes of 20 or more yards down the field. That will be fine at the next level with offenses getting the ball out in space and Egbuka excels in coming in and out of breaks to get separation.
1.11 Troy Franklin, WR, Oregon
Here is another player that I got wrong before the season. I thought Troy Franklin was a good college player but did not know if he could elevate himself to an elite player. Well, he had a great season in 2023 with 81 catches for 1,383 yards and 14 touchdowns. He was utilized pretty evenly in all levels of the field but his big play ability helped drive Oregon’s offense this year. He had 558 yards and seven touchdowns on passes that were over 20 yards down the field. Consistency was the biggest improvement this year, as Franklin had eight games where he had over 100 yards receiving. The only real negative for his 2023 campaign was he had the most drops of his career with nine. But as we have seen that can be fixed once receivers hit the NFL.
1.12 Michael Penix, QB, Washington
I have always been a big fan of Michael Penix, even when he was back in Indiana. I think Penix could be the QB3 of this class, but do feel like he needs to be put in a certain system to excel at the next level. Penix dealt with injuries at Indiana and his most yards in a season was 1,645. Since transferring to Washington he has gone to another level. In the two seasons at Washington, he has had over 4,000 yards and 30 touchdowns in each season. He throws a great deep ball and does well to lead his receivers. That is evident with 14 of his touchdowns passes coming on 20 yards or more. I do wonder if Penix can carry a team and if past injuries may drop him further down in the NFL Draft. I am willing to risk it on someone with his talents, and I heard earlier comparisons this season to Tua Tagovailoa.
Players that should be considered just outside the top 12
- Trey Benson, RB, Florida State
- Rome Odunze, WR, Washington
- Tory Horton, WR, Colorado State
- Bo Nix, QB, Oregon
- Blake Corum, RB, Michigan
- Ja’Tavion Sanders, TE, Texas
As a reminder, this is an early 2024 Mock Draft, based on rumors on which players may be returning to school and who may declare for the NFL draft. Use this as a guide when thinking about what players may be available at your pick as we get closer to draft season.
Brandon Haye
Brandon grew up in Jacksonville, Florida and works as a health insurance data analyst. He has no children, but two fur babies - Squirt and Brownie. He and his wife, Katie, spend their time playing poker and enjoying time with their pups. Brandon is a huge Michigan Wolverine and Jacksonville Jaguars fan. He at one time was in 77 fantasy leagues and loves the game of football. Brandon started writing for The Leauge Winners in 2021.