NFL Draft sleepers The best FCS HBCU and small-school players you should know in 2024

NFL Draft sleepers The best FCS HBCU and small-school players you should know in 2024

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College football is rapidly changing as a sport, and the 2024 NFL Draft will be the final year where "Power 5" schools dominate the selections. With the Pac-12 going away next season, it will now be a Power 4. While the programs in the SEC, Big Ten, ACC, and Big 12 remain in constant flux amid expansion, one constant remains true. High-quality NFL players will come out of the lower levels of college football, namely prospects who played in the FCS and Div. II. FCS and Div. II competition is a step down from the FBS, but there are still plenty of great players in those subdivisions. In the past decade, players like, Trey Lance, Trevor Penning, Cole Strange, and Tytus Howard have all become first-round prospects, and players like Cooper Kupp, , Shaquille Leonard, and more have become plug-and-play starters. The 2024 NFL Draft has no sure-fire first-round picks among its FCS and Div. II ranks. A handful of players are expected to go on Day 2 though, and players likeKiran Amegadjie, Mason McCormick, and Dylan Laube could emerge as contributors quickly in the NFL. Below is a breakdown of the top 14 small-school prospects to know ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft. MORE NFL DRAFT: | | 1.Kiran Amegadjie, OT, Yale The FCS churns out plenty of offensive line talent each year, and 2024 is no different. Amegadjie may follow in Cody Mauch's footsteps as a clear-cut Day 2 prospect, though Amegadjie isn't Rodger Saffold Jersey quite as pro-ready as the 2023 draftee from North Dakota State. Amegadjie (6-5, 323 pounds) spent the last two seasons as Yale's starting left tackle. He has the requisite length (36 1/8-inch arms) and athleticism needed to stay on the edge as a pro, but he played right guard for the Bulldogs during the 2021 season. That positional versatility will endear him to teams looking for upside and flexibility on Day 2 of the draft. Amegadjie might need time to develop as a reserve before being thrust into the starting lineup, so that could drop him to the lower half of the second round in a deep tackle cla s. NFL teams always like to hunt for offensive linemen with great traits, though, and Amegadjie checks all the boxes. It would be a surprise to see him last long if he makes it to the third round. 2024 NFL DRAFT TOP 10 LISTS: | | | | 2. Mason McCormick, OL, South Dakota State It's hard to find many flaws in McCormick's resume. He is a three-year team captain who started 57 games for the Jackrabbits. He performed very well at the NFL Combine and ran the short shuttle in 4.45 seconds. Historically, offensive linemen who complete that drill in le s than 4.47 seconds become starters early in their careers. McCormick's combination of experience, durability, and athleticism make him a candidate to be a plug-and-play guard. He has solid strength and should fare well as a pulling guard thanks to his speed and strong movement skills. That should be enough to get McCormick looks on Day 2 of the 2024 NFL Draft. (Getty Images) 3. Dylan Laube, RB, New Hampshire In a wide-open running back cla s, Laube could go earlier than expected. The New Hampshire product was productive during his five seasons in Durham and posted back-to-back seasons with at least 1,200 scrimmage yards to close his college career. Laube is a great receiver, catching a combined 107 pa ses for 1,163 yards and nine touchdowns over his last two seasons with the Wildcats. That plus his 5-10, 206-pound frame will give him a chance to be either a three-down back at the NFL level or a top-tier receiver out of the backfield. Laube can also return kicks and ran the 40-yard dash in 4.54 seconds, showcasing enough top-end burst to be a solid playmaker. He might not make it into Day 2, but in a flavor-of-choice running back cla s, the dynamic pa s-catcher figures to be a coveted commodity on Day 3. 4. Ryan Flournoy, WR, Southeast Mi souri State Flournoy might be one of the biggest sleepers of the 2024 NFL Draft. The production won't jump off the page he averaged 59 catches, 886.5 yards, and 6.5 touchdowns over his two seasons at SEMO but his size and athleticism suggest that he should translate well to the NFL. Flournoy has a , making him one of the most athletic receivers to enter the NFL in recent seasons. He blazed a 4.44 in the 40-yard dash and showed off his explosivene s with a 39.5-inch vertical and an 11-foot broad jump. Most impre sive, Flournoy reached a top speed of 19.81 mph in the gauntlet drill, the second-fastest among receivers in this year's event. Why is this important? Puka Nacua reached a speed of 20.06 mph, the fastest in his receiver cla s, and became an instant star. That's not to say that Flournoy will be Nacua, but he has the speed and pa s-catching ability needed to be an impact playmaker. Flournoy will need time to develop at the NFL level, and he particularly needs to sharpen his route-running. That will likely make him a Day 3 pick, but like many of the receivers in this deep cla s, he could eventually emerge as a starter. 5. Jalyx Hunt, EDGE, Houston Christian Hunt is among the intriguing developmental edge projects in the 2024 NFL Draft. He spent the first three years of his college career as a safety at Cornell before transferring to Houston Christian and moving to the defensive line. The results? Hunt racked up 13.5 sacks during his two seasons with the Huskies and showed well enough at the Senior Bowl to heat up his draft stock. The 6-4, 252-pound pa s rusher still looks like a Day 3 pick given that he is still learning how to play on the edge, but if he can bulk up in the NFL, his athletic ability could make him a feared player. Hunt ran a 4.64-second 40-yard dash at the 2024 NFL Combine and showed good speed in the drills. That will be his biggest a set during his transition to the NFL. 6. Isaiah Davis, RB, South Dakota State Davis is an old-school power back who ran hard at South Dakota State. He racked up 4,548 yards and 50 touchdowns on the ground during his college career, including a whopping 3,029 yards and 33 touchdowns over his final two seasons with the Jackrabbits. At 6-0, 218 pounds, Davis figures to be an excellent rotational player for whichever team drafts him. He should excel as a short-yardage and goal-line back, and he has the patience needed to allow his blocks to develop and rip off chunk plays. Davis ran the 40-yard dash in 4.57 seconds, which means he has enough burst to survive in the NFL. He might not be a true three-down back given his middling receiving skills and lack of high-end elusivene s, but he should be a good role player as a potential mid-round pick. The Jordan Howard comparison doled out to him by seems like a favorable one. 7. Jalen Coker, WR, Holy Cro s Coker was dominant at the FCS level during his final season at Holy Cro s. He caught 59 pa ses for 1,040 yards and 15 touchdowns, which means a whopping 25.4 percent of his catches went for touchdowns. It's easy to understand why. Coker has an NFL-ready body at 6-1, 208 pounds, and he used that size as a major advantage against his lower-level competition. He showcased great hands and ball-tracking skills that allowed him to make impre Star Lotulelei Jersey sive contested catches throughout his career. Is this replicable at the NFL level for Coker against bigger, faster, and stronger players? That remains to be seen, but Coker should appeal to teams as a mid-Day 3 sleeper. He comported himself well at the East-West Shrine Game, so that could give teams enough confidence to take a shot on him. MORE: 8. Myles Harden, DB, South Dakota Harden is an aggre sive cornerback who logged six interceptions in 29 career games at South Dakota. He is an instinctive player who does well in zone coverage, and he's a strong tackler with well-built 5-11, 195-pound frame. Harden has some injury concerns, and his arms measured at under 30 inches at the NFL Combine, which will limit his ability to effectively match up with taller receivers who can high-point the ball. Still, he has a high floor as a special teamer, so that could be enough to make him a mid-Day 3 pick. (Getty Images) 9. Jaden Shirden, RB, Monmouth Shirden averaged 112 rushing yards per game over his three seasons at Monmouth. In total, the 5-8, 187-pound runner racked up3,697 yards and 26 touchdowns in 33 games, establishing himself as a productive workhorse. Shirden ran a 4.45-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine and showed well at the East-West Shrine Game to put himself on the map as a potential Day 3 pick. There's no guarantee he will be selected, but the fact he caught 20 pa ses for 120 yards and a touchdown during his final college season should help him, as teams may look at him as a receiving back with good speed. Don't be surprised if he carves out a home for himself as a depth running back. 10. Willie Drew, CB, Virginia State Any defensive coordinator seeking a cornerback with great ball skills will be licking his chops watching Drew play. The Div. II product totaled a whopping 11 interceptions during his final couple of college seasons at the HBCU school, and he showcased his athleticism on tape and at the NFL Combine. Drew runs a 4.46. 40-yard dash and measures 6-0, 191 pounds. He has the size and traits needed to be a solid NFL player, though he will need to add strength to better challenge more physical receivers. That's why Drew figures to be a potential-packed but raw, developmental Day 3 project. 11. Garret Greenfield, OT, South Dakota State Greenfield has the size needed to be an NFL tackle at 6-6, 311 pounds. He also has good athleticism, which gives him upside at the NFL level. Greenfield needs Gabriel Davis Jersey to work on his balance, footwork, and technique to avoid getting bowled over often in the NFL. The tools are there for him to become a contributor as a swing tackle with proper coaching. LATEST NFL DRAFT RUMORS: | | 12. Khristian Boyd, DL, Northern Iowa Boyd is a big presence at 6-2, 329 pounds, and he could be a solid NFL nose tackle. He had 43 tackles, 6.5 TFL, and 3.5 sacks during his final season at Northern Iowa, and he put in a good showing at the East-West Shrine Game to announce his presence as a Day 3 prospect. Boyd has great lower-body strength and was able to get leverage consistently for the Panthers. He had solid pa s-rushing ability, too, but it isn't clear whether that will translate as well to the NFL as he faces faster, strong players. Even so, he can be a decent rotational defensive lineman who should be good against the run if all goes well. 13. Jay Person, EDGE, Chattanooga Person racked up 18 sacks over his last two seasons at Chattanooga, more than enough to raise some eyebrows. He's undersized at 6-3, 233 pounds, so he will need to bulk up a bit at the NFL level to remain an edge player in the NFL. Early in his NFL career, Person figures to be a pa s-rushing specialist. If he can add weight to allow him to set a better edge and be stronger in run support, he may become more than that. That should make him worth a flier late in the 2024 NFL Draft. 14. Jalen Sundell, OL, North Dakota State Sundell has positional versatility which could make him a super-sub at the NFL level. He's 6-5, 301 pounds and performed well on pulling blocks at North Dakota State. Sundell needs to add some strength and weight to become an impactful role player, but an NFL team might have interest in him as a potential seventh-round pick. If he can't achieve that, it will bring to an end North Dakota State's five-year streak of having at least one player drafted.
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