Joel Klatt
College Football Analyst
We are just over a month away from the 2024 NFL Draft, which I will be covering live in Detroit this year. My preparation for the three-day event is well underway, which is why I want to dive into this topic so heavily as we await the start of spring football.
This week, I went through the top defensive players in this year’s draft class and ranked them, 1-5. First off, let me say that I think the offensive players are going to dominate the first round of this draft. There’s not going to be a ton of defenders taken early on, especially in the first half of the first round. That said, I could rank the top-five players for every defensive position group, but instead, I want to combine all defenders into one category.
These are the guys who are going to hear their names called on the opening night of the draft.
5. Alabama CB Terrion Arnold
Arnold was recruited as a five-star safety, didn’t get on the field as a freshman, and then came out and was named a freshman All-American last year and a first-team All-American this year. The dude can play.
Kool-Aid McKinstry got the bulk of the press at Alabama, but Arnold was the better player. He had five interceptions, which was tied for the SEC lead. The fact that he only played two years and didn’t get on the field as a freshman … I think it’s very easy to say that his best football is ahead of him. There’s no way that this guy has peaked. He can go and have a career with major upside and major potential. I think he has a pretty high floor and a very high ceiling.
The reason he fell to No. 5 in my rankings is, candidly, his direct comparison to a guy who ran a faster 40-yard dash. Arnold ran a 4.50, which was a bit disappointing. But then, when you watch his film, I really like him.
4. Penn State EDGE Chop Robinson
This guy lit it up at the combine. He has great size and speed, and he’s a terrific athlete. Let’s face it, that’s what we’ve…
Source link : https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/joel-klatt-top-5-defensive-players-in-the-2024-nfl-draft
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Publish date : 2024-03-12 14:30:52
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