Another weekend of college football has come and gone, which means another crop of prospects has strutted their stuff before the 2024 draft.
While the Minnesota Vikings haven’t gotten off to the best start, this is not a white flag to the end of the season. It is a look towards the future: To see how the Vikings can become contenders sooner rather than later.
Buy Vikings TicketsLet’s look at some prospects that should be on your radar for the 2024 NFL draft.
Appalachian State RB Nate Noel
Second in the nation in rushing yards, Appalachian State running back Nate Noel picked up where his predecessor Camerun Peoples left off. The explosive back set his season-high in rushing yards with 178 and has become the focal point of this Mountaineer offense.
With the running game in flux and some explosiveness necessary, expect Noel to be on the watch for Minnesota. At 5’10”, 190 pounds, he’d be a change of pace from the bruising style that Mattison can bring to the table, while still being big enough to take punishment from NFL defenses.
Louisville WR Jamari Thrash
There’s not enough that I can say about the play of Thrash this season. The Georgia State transfer is taking this opportunity and running with it. Against Indiana, he hauled in four receptions for 159 yards, including a 85-yard bomb where he found himself behind the defense in seconds.
That kind of game speed can be used in any offense, but especially in O’Connell’s. In Los Angeles, the threat of Van Jefferson over the top opened up the underneath for Cooper Kupp, Tyler Higbee and others. We could see O’Connell look to do the same with someone like Thrash.
North Carolina WR Nate McCollum
With Josh Downs now catching passes from Anthony Richardson in Indianapolis, Drake Maye needed to find another go-to receiver option. Enter Georgia Tech transfer wide receiver Nate McCollum. Listed at 5084 and 185 pounds, he may be a carbon copy to the former third-round pick in Downs.
Maye doesn’t seem to see a difference. He went to McCollum early and often against Minnesota, getting him 15 receptions, 165 yards and a touchdown.
McCollum showcased reliable hands and a knack for getting open in between defensive coverages. He did have one 46-yarder where he beat the safety on a late re-route up the field, but for the most part, McCollum was just a reliable option for Maye. If Minnesota is in the quarterback market next season, loading up at receiver isn’t out of the realm of possibility. Especially with Osborn becoming a free agent next season.
BYU LB Max Tooley
Linebackers that are good in coverage are a dime a dozen. Tooley has all the athletic tools to be a solid linebacker at the next level. Against Arkansas, he racked up four tackles, a sack and an interception in a crucial part of the game.
He has the ability to disrupt passing lanes as he has seven interceptions in his career and two of them are pick-sixes. This is a late-round guy, probably a special-teams guy, but there was something about his ability that I liked when watching him against Arkansas. He looked comfortable in coverage, he looked comfortable triggering downhill in the run game. Tooley is a guy to look at as Brian Flores looks to re-tool this defense in the coming years.
Ole Miss S Trey Washington
Trey Washington earned SEC Defensive player of the week this week for his performance against Georgia Tech. He racked up ten tackles, a career high, a forced fumble and two tackles for loss. Washington looked like he was shot out of a cannon on a few of these plays behind the line of scrimmage, and it made for a fun watch.
Flores is always looking for versatile pieces on the back end, and someone with the closing speed of Washington could appeal to him.
LSU WR Malik Nabers
Last receiver, I promise. The big names in the receiver market are more than likely going to be gone soon in April. From Marvin Harrison, Jr. to Jalen McMillan, the receiver class is stacked from top to bottom again. One receiver that embodies the talent in this class is LSU’s Malik Nabers. He showcased every bit of that dominance against Mississippi State on Saturday.
Nabers had 13 receptions for 239 yards and two touchdowns. He just made it look effortless against the poor Bulldogs defense. His ability to separate and locate the ball was on display time and time again. If he happens to fall into the middle parts of the round and we don’t bring Osborn back, Nabers and his ability to win on all three levels of the defense could be in play.
LSU LB Harold Perkins, Jr.
Harold Perkins got his first sack of the season as LSU put him back at the EDGE against Mississippi State. Perkins is a special athlete whose 7.5 sacks last season made him a preseason All-American and top NFL prospect to watch for this season.
LSU started this season putting him at off-ball linebacker, which he has the athleticism and instinct to play. However, the team only got one sack through the first two games. With him back on the edge and drawing that attention, the defense got four sacks against the Bulldogs. That’s the Perkins effect. He’s just that impactful.
Minnesota will likely be in the market for an edge defender in 2025 when Perkins is eligible and he would be a great addition.
UCLA EDGE Laiatu Latu
Another top EDGE prospect that could see himself in purple and gold next year is UCLA’s Laiatu Latu. In this last game against the North Carolina Central Eagles, he showed off some impressive athleticism as he read the short pass from the quarterback and intercepted the pass. Then, had the athleticism to get within a yard of bringing the ball into the end zone.
Laiatu Latu is a smart, physical pass-rusher who has shown a nice arsenal of pass-rush moves. His ability to contest throws and disrupt passing lanes make him a nightmare for quarterbacks.
