The college football season is in full swing and the NFL year is already four weeks deep, giving us a relative understanding of where teams and prospects are early on. It is never too early to look ahead at this upcoming draft and start matching prospects up with teams for this spring.

With recent reports coming out that scouts believe this class doesn’t have the top-end talent compared to previous years, let’s take a look at some guys that could sneak their way into the first round and some prospects that have underwhelmed so far this season. 

The Big Names:

Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama – Stock Up

What a performance from the Tide’s QB1 against Georgia. Heading into the year, Milroe was considered to be the top quarterback in this class with no real consensus. Through four games, Milroe has accounted for 18 touchdowns and only one interception. Milroe’s downfield accuracy and out-of-structure creation are what excite so many scouts and analysts about his potential professional future. 

Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State – Stock Up

The Heisman front-runner is not a quarterback and isn’t even someone from a Power Five conference. It’s a running back from Idaho that is putting up historic numbers so far this season. Jeanty has 845 yards and 13 touchdowns in only four games while averaging over 10 yards per carry. Jeanty’s ridiculous contact balance and vision allow him to break off multiple long touchdown runs per game. Running backs are becoming less and less common to be picked in the first round, but Jeanty is entering Bijan Robinson territory in terms of his draft stock currently. 

Oscar Delp, TE, Georgia – Stock Down

Many people believed Delp was held back in Georgia’s offense last season due to having Brock Bowers ahead of him in the depth chart. 2024 was supposed to be Delp’s year to show he could take a larger role in the offense and excel. However, Delp has struggled to improve his pass game skills with multiple dropped passes throughout the first month of the season. A prospect that could’ve played himself potentially into the first round is now sitting at a borderline day two to day three pick. 

Harold Perkins Jr, LB, LSU – Stock Down

One of the best linebacker prospects for multiple seasons now saw his 2024 campaign end early when he suffered a season-ending knee injury early on in the season. As one of the best defensive players in the country the past two seasons, questions will arise about how well and how fast Perkins will be able to recover from an injury such as this. With Perkins’ speed being one of his strengths, will it ever return to what he showed on the field in 2022 and 2023? 

The Sleepers:

Kurtis Rourke, QB, Indiana – Stock Up

How about Curt Cignetti and the Hoosiers this year? In Cignetti’s first year as head coach, he has the seventh most efficient offense in the country led by a transfer quarterback who is having a career year. Rourke, a sixth-year senior, spent his last five seasons at the University of Ohio before transferring to the University of Indiana this past offseason. Rourke has a career-high 73.2% completion rate along with 13 touchdowns to only two picks. If Rourke can keep this up expect him to be many analysts’ day-three quarterback darling similar to Jake Haener and Spencer Rattler in years past. 

Antwaun Powell-Ryland, ED, Virginia Tech – Stock Up

“APR” is on an absolute tear at the pass rusher position for the Hokies this season. The former Florida transfer is the nation’s sack leader a month in and has an 85.9 pass-rush grade so far this year. A player who many thought was a late-day three pick heading into the season has worked his way into a consensus fourth to fifth-rounder right now. 

Tai Felton, WR, Maryland – Stock Up

Unlike previous years, this class lacks a top-10 receiver talent as of right now. Players like Tetairoa McMillan and Luther Burden are at the top of draft boards, but beyond them, there is a major dropoff in talent in this class. Felton is looking to make a name for himself in this class and is doing so through the first four weeks. He is the third leading receiver in the country and is already only one hundred yards away from breaking his 2023 receiving yards career record.

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