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Here are the five prospects we’ve moved up our big board the most this season.
If you look back at nearly every NFL draft pundit’s original top prospects from August, you will see just how much things have changed in just a few months. We’ve logged the hours, and here are the five guys who started the season out of the team picture for top prospects for the 2024 NFL draft but thanks to huge years have put themselves on the map.
Here are our five biggest risers from the start of the season until now.
This 2024 mock draft has the Saints picking a first-round defensive back, reuniting Jordan Howden with his college teammate Tyler Nubin:
Which position will the New Orleans Saints prioritize in the 2024 NFL draft? Their poor scoring output on offense has fans daydreaming about a quarterback or wide receiver in the first round, but this projection from Draft Wire’s Jeff Risdon has the Saints targeting a defensive back at No. 12 overall: Minnesota Golden Gophers safety Tyler Nubin.
Here’s what Risdon had to say about Nubin as a prospect:
Nubin has stepped up his coverage and positional versatility in 2023, elevating his draft value. The Saints defense needs some youthful invigoration, and Nubin’s spirited play makes for a very nice fit.
A former four-star recruit from Saint Charles, Ill., Nubin is a high-end athlete listed at 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds. He’s also already on New Orleans radar after the Saints drafted his teammate Jordan Howden earlier this year. Nubin has improved each season, particularly with missed tackles. He’s missed just three tackles on 300-plus defensive snaps this season. While Howden primarily covered the slot when they were playing together, Nubin has more often lined up over the top of the Golden Gophers defense at free safety.
Safety could be an early-round consideration for the Saints next offseason. Tyrann Mathieu and Marcus Maye will both be entering the final year of their contracts. Howden was drafted to develop into a candidate who could take over for one of them, but it wouldn’t hurt to add someone else to the mix.
In the first round, though? At No. 12 overall (which is where the Saints would be picking if the draft started today)? And passing on other prospects at premium positions like Florida State edge rusher Jared Verse (picked at No. 13) and Illinois defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton (taken at No. 14)? That wouldn’t be a smart move.
There’s an argument for picking Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders (No. 16), too, even though Derek Carr’s contract makes it impossible to move him until 2025. It’s possible Nabin could be the best player available, but it’s unlikely he would be the highest-rated player on New Orleans’ board.
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Do you agree? Who else would you add? #GoBucks
We discussed that the Big Ten was stocked at cornerback with potentially five future first-rounders playing the role of lockdown stud, but the cupboard is a bit less stocked at the safety position. We have a choice in the top three from a non-premier program, but the situation is pretty cluttered after him.
I wanted to place a Wolverine on this list, but Michigan’s best safety may have just left via the transfer portal in R.J. Moten. Still, an Ohio State Buckeye does make it within the ranks based in large part due to the expectation of a leap in production, and of course, this list wouldn’t be complete without an Iowa Hawkeye making an appearance. Let’s dive into the best safeties in the Big Ten.
How many Ohio State players made our All-Big Ten team? #GoBucks #B1G
The 2023 college football season is right around the corner and the Big Ten is loaded with top-notch talent and predicting who will end up on the All-Big Ten has proven challenging. Not only was it hard to choose one player over another, but it was also hard to admit that some of Ohio State’s most prominent rivals have some serious dogs on their squad.
This list will dive into the defensive backfield — and as expected — the Big Ten has some dominant defensive backs that make it very hard to narrow it down to just four. This list contains two cornerbacks and two safeties and we have a Buckeye make the team at corner, but not at safety.
