A pre-pandemic starter in 2019 for Auburn, 24-year-old Nix (6’2/214) enters the NFL having taken the field for an unfathomable 3,724 college plays. That’s more snaps than Joe Burrow has mustered in the NFL. Nix is amongst the most experienced collegiate players of all time, which means he’s likely already at or near his ceiling. The good news is, he played near a Burrow/LSU-type peak for the Ducks in 2023, posting a positively bonkers 45:3 TD:INT total in addition to rushing for six scores. Otherworldly efficient, Nix completed 77.4 percent of his throws while averaging 9.6 yards per attempt. To say he was playing in a quarterback-friendly system would be putting it mildly, but plenty of signal callers operate in these setups without posting numbers half as good. Nix dominates under pressure because of his single-minded obsession with getting the ball out quickly. He is also as accurate as his numbers would suggest and is an opportunistic rusher. He has NFL-level arm strength. If Nix can even split the difference between his absurd 2023 and middling 2019-21 at Auburn, he will be a plus NFL starter. The million-dollar question is how he fares outside his Eugene cocoon. Nix isn’t facing stiff competition for the starting gig, and should have a good shot at getting the Week 1 nod if he impresses in camp.

A Washington D.C. native, Fashanu (6’6/312) was rated as a high three-star recruit from the 2020 prep class and took a redshirt his freshman season before earning a modest 85 snaps in his second year. He earned the starting LT spot in 2022 and immediately thrived as a blind side protector, allowing just one hit with zero sacks before going down for the year after eight games. Despite the early exit, Fashanu’s easy athleticism and foot speed made him very tough to beat on the loop despite facing off against a slew of very talented Big Ten Edge rushers. Though he flashed enough in his redshirt sophomore season to draw first-round buzz, 2023 was the year that solidified Fashanu’s place among the elite OT prospects. He earned the fourth-highest PFF pass blocking grade in FBS with a minuscule 1.9% pressure rate last year while allowing zero sacks in his entire collegiate career. While the PSU sentry’s pass pro acumen was B10 caliber right out of the box, his run blocking prowess took a little more time to develop. His 59th percentile run block grade in 2022 was a disappointing mark, and all five penalties he committed during his Penn State tenure were on run plays. What stands out is the leap he made in that department this year, pacing the Nittany Lions’ OL with a pristine .3% blown run block rate on 338 run snaps. His lightning-quick burst off the snap allows him to cut off edge defenders on outside runs and race to beat defenders to his spot on the move. While Fashanu’s 9.44 RAS checks most of the testing boxes we were hoping to confirm, his diminutive 8.5” hand size jumps off the screen when compared to his fellow hulking contemporaries. Despite that potential flaw, Fashanu projects as a solid NFL tackle. He will also get the benefit of learning from Morgan Moses and Tyron Smith, two veterans guards with great resumes, as a rookie.

A meteoric draft season “riser,” former five-star recruit and 2023 national champion McCarthy (6’3/219) was infamously treated like a game manager by the Wolverines. When he got the opportunity to actually showcase his skills, however, he played efficient, mistake-free football. That includes under pressure, where McCarthy was both extremely accurate as well as aggressive, rocking Pro Football Focus’ “big time throw rate” metric. Although his passing motion contains a slight hitch, McCarthy throws a clean, straight ball. He does not loft his passes, but rather cuts them through the air. That being said, he will never be accused of having elite arm strength. It is simply adequate. That is the case for most of McCarthy’s game, but (insert team) are obviously hoping he will be the ultimate “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts” quarterback prospect. That includes as an athlete, where McCarthy tested well but was never a true dual-threat at Michigan. The floor is high. The ceiling is totally unknown. McCarthy has an elite pass-catching group in Minnesota, highlighted by the dominant Justin Jefferson, speedster Jordan Addison, and the ever-reliable T.J. Hockenson. In a pass-first Vikings offense, McCarthy could have immediate fantasy relevance if he takes the Week 1 starting job from veteran Sam Darnold.

Although the Bears were supposedly “very open for business” with their second first-rounder, they decided to stay put and continue to build out what is looking like an extremely impressive supporting cast for No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams. A deep dominator who turned into a prolific touchdown scorer for 2023 national title game participant Washington, Odunze (6’3/212) would have a claim to top-dog status in some receiver classes. Since Marvin Harrison Jr. and Malik Nabers exist, he had to settle for “consensus No. 3” in this year’s group. Simply the most prolific deep wideout in the country, Odunze has vise-grip hands despite the sometimes volatile nature of that down-field role. Elite in contested-catch situations, Odunze also consistently adds extra yards after the catch. Odunze might have even better ball skills than Harrison. It’s Odunze’s hands and positioning that make him more — much more — than just a deep threat. He has the finer points of receiving down cold. That, combined with a size/speed game that is growing rare at the NFL level give Odunze “No. 1 overall receiver for the class” upside despite his stiff competition.

Fresh off signing Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million deal, the Falcons pulled off arguably the biggest surprise of the draft with the selection of Penix (6'2/216). Penix (6’2/216) is one of the older prospects in this year’s class. His six seasons in college were marred with injuries early on, but in two seasons at Washington, the strong-armed lefty finally began to turn a corner. Over the last two years, Penix has thrown for 9544-67-19 while completing 65.4 percent of his passes. Penix is a wizard in the pocket when it comes to avoiding sacks. His 6.5 percent pressure-to-sack rate for his career is perhaps the best of any quarterback to enter the league since the stat has been tracked and makes up for his inability to break off big runs from the pocket. Penix finished second in Heisman voting in 2023. His timing and accuracy have been drawn into question throughout his career, but Penix is a fairly polished prospect who could start games early in his career in the right system. His lengthy injury history is a major concern, but he’s stayed healthy over the last two years. Now, with the Falcons, he’ll have a chance to sit behind Kirk Cousins for a few years before inevitably being ushered in as the starter.

A true super-heavyweight LT prospect who checked in at 6’6/342 at the NFL Scouting Combine, Latham boasts raptor-like 35’.125” arms and a pair of massive 11” hands that helped him stifle even the most dominant SEC opponents. He was rated as the top tackle prospect and fifth best player overall from the 2021 recruiting class, but spent his freshman year at RG before making a permanent move to RT as a sophomore. Latham took to his new position quickly, improving his blocking efficiency rate from 96.4%-to-98.8% while allowing zero sacks and just one QB hit in 486 pass reps. The transition RT wasn’t without some growing pains though, as Latham committed 11 penalties which was the second-most of any Power Five tackle in 2022. His play elevated to All-American levels in 2023, with Latham leading the Tide with a superb 0.6% blown block rate on run plays while allowing three hits and two sacks on 429 pass reps. He slashed his penalties from 11-to-7 and earned a career high 81.9 PFF overall grade while anchoring a young Alabama OL that started a true freshman at LT, Kadyn Proctor, for the first time in HC Nick Saban’s illustrious career. Though Latham didn’t record any testing at the Combine, he smoothly navigated a series of positional drills that quelled any concerns teams may have had about Latham’s athletic bonafides. With a double-wide XXL frame, Latham has unnatural mirroring ability and explosiveness for his size. He does have a tendency to lean into contact and can be beaten with speed around the hoop, leaving him vulnerable to inside counters against upper-echelon pass rushers. A difference-making road grader in the run game with a hybrid guard/tackle build, Latham is a top flight offensive lineman and fills a desperate need for Tennessee.

A true rolling ball of butcher knives, Nabers (6’0/200) pushed preordained No. 1 2024 wideout Marvin Harrison Jr. for top status in this draft class on the strength of his dominance after the catch. A rocket-ship accelerator, Nabers is also an elite tackle breaker. He is versatile, checking in roughly 50-50 between the slot and boundary. A man-coverage dominator, Nabers is an adept hand fighter. Almost as dominant deep as he is tacking on extra yards in the short-to-intermediate areas of the field, Nabers has all the makings of the perfect wideout for the YAC/efficiency age even if he needs to clean up his route-running a bit in the big leagues. Only 20 years old on draft night, Nabers is a proven producer — 2,586 yards over the past two years — who still has room to grow. He’ll instantly be the alpha WR1 in New York and could see a ridiculously high target share in 2024. Plenty of intermediate usage could make Nabers an elite fantasy producer even with a bottom-half QB like Daniel Jones throwing passes to the rookie.

To the surprise of absolutely nobody, new Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh has made Alt the first lineman off the board. The son of former 13-year NFL OL John Alt, Alt (6’9/321) played tight end in high school before shifting to tackle at Notre Dame. He acclimated quickly enough to start the final eight games of ND’s 2021 campaign, logging 614 snaps and allowing three sacks despite being a true freshman. His sacks allowed disappeared over the next two seasons, allowing just one QB takedown and 13 pressures in 1,600 snaps in that span while anchoring an elite line. The All-American showed out in testing, posting the highest Relative Athletic Score in the 2024 tackle class with a superb 9.91 RAS Combine performance. He has a long, linear frame that allows him to pack on functional mass while still maintaining impressive lateral quickness and burst. Alt’s flexibility and wide base allow him to both recover and anchor extremely well, which is a result of his freakish athletic gifts for the position. He could stand to be a bit more stout on contact, as he will give ground to some of the more prominent power rushers he faced this year. However Alt almost always is able to reset and stiffen up before any damage is done in the backfield. Alt has all the tools necessary to be a decade-long, plug-and-play NFL left tackle, though he will likely start out manning the right side for the Bolts, who have Rashawn Slater on the left.

Buried behind Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba on the depth chart his first year in Columbus in 2021, Harrison (6’3/209) got to work in 2022, ultimately piling up 144 grabs for 2,474 yards and 28 touchdowns in 25 games over the past two seasons. Special stuff. An incredible down-field receiver, Harrison excels in contested-catch situations and has an excellent drop rate. He lacks elite high-end speed, but his “play speed” is off the charts. Although not known as a tackle-breaker or YAC specialist, Harrison simply dominates man coverage and is ready to do work at every level of the field in the big leagues. Only 21 years old, Harrison still has room for projection despite a game that appears close to a finished product. One of the most complete receiving prospects of the past decade, Harrison will deservedly go off the board at either No. 1 or 2 in nearly every Dynasty rookie draft.

Standing in with a more traditional quarterback frame and game, Maye (6’4/223) nevertheless offers the running ability and big-play threat the modern NFL increasingly demands of its signal callers. A willing deep passer, Maye looked down the field at UNC and found success when doing so, posting PFF’s highest deep passing grade for 2023. He was also prudent and cautious in the process, generating 32 “big-time throws” to only three “turnover worthy plays.” That being said, overall passing inconsistency does show up on tape, particularly with his touch and placement. Although Maye handles pressure well, he is merely solid as opposed to exceptional off-script. A former basketball player, he does boast excellent body control, and looks athletic in the open field. Solidly built, Maye can absorb a hit without heading to the sideline. There is enough projectability to the 21-year-old’s game to justify a top-three pick at American sports’ most important position. The Pats may also give him some time to develop behind journeyman quarterback Jacoby Brissett. Though Brissett won’t hold him off for long, Maye could spend the first few games of his career on the bench.