Who will be Alabama's Top Prospect in 2024 NFL Draft? All Things CW

It's too early to take any mock drafts seriously, but some Crimson Tide players have the potential to be among the top selections next year.

Those who have been following me or BamaCentral for a while know that I'm not big on early mock drafts, as it's often an exercise in putting the cart before the horse. 

Translation: A lot can happen in a year, and that kind of speculation isn't exactly the best form of time management. It's not just that too much can happen, and there's no real way to guess at a draft order, it completely dismisses what may be the most important ingredient: development. 

For example, no one knows who might end up being the starting quarterback at Alabama, so there's no way to speculate how that player will impact the others around him, especially the wide receivers. It's also a shot in the dark at nearly any other position because starting jobs will be won and lost, players are working with coaches, and during the course of a season some teams will step up and impress while others regress. 

Granted, we already know who some of the best players will be in the 2024 NFL Draft, just like this time in 2022 it was already pretty obvious that Bryce Young and Will Anderson Jr. would be top selections. They include USC quarterback Caleb Williams, Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., Notre Dame tackle Joe Alt, Penn State tackle Olumuyiwa Fashanu, and Georgia tight end Brock Bowers.

Bowers is one of those rare talents that everyone else in the SEC will be happy to see move on, and yes, Olumuyiwa Fashanu will almost certainly have the coolest name at the NFL combine next year. He's legit though, and would have been a first-round selection this year but opted to return to complete his master's degree (you can't help but root for someone like that).

But while mock drafts at this point are kind of ridiculous, player evaluations are a very real thing, and shouldn't be taken lightly. Not only are first and early impressions important, we've all seen how a red flag can derail or at least deflect someone's career path. 

Who's on target to be Alabama's top draft pick in 2024?

Alabama Athletics

According to our SI affiliate NFL Draft Bible, the initial positional Big Board has 11 Crimson Tide players listed:

Player, Ranking, Name

• Running back: 5. Jase McClellan
• Wide receivers: 4. Ja'Corey Brooks; 8. Jermaine Burton
• Tackle: 2. JC Latham
• Center: 6. Seth McLaughlin; 10. Darrian Dalcourt
• Defensive tackle: 4. Damon Payne Jr.
• Edge rusher: 1. Dallas Turner
• Cornerback: 1. Kool-Aid McKinstry; 6. Terrion Arnold
• Safeties: 5. Malachi Moore

That's a pretty fair evaluation, although one player who should be on everyone's radar for next year is defensive tackle Jaheim Oatis. If he has the breakout season that some are projecting, he could potentially be in the mix as well. 

Mostly, through, three names stand out at this point :

If Dallas Turner can step out of Anderson's shadow and post comparable Anderson-type numbers without having his former teammate still around, yes, he could be a top NFL prospect this time next year.

Kool-Aid McKinstry could be the top cornerback in the 2024 NFL Draft, and if so he's on target to be selected in the first half of the first round. As a frame of reference, Patrick Surtain II was the ninth pick in 2021, and Marlon Humphrey was the 16th pick in 2017.

See Also: All-Time Alabama Crimson Tide Players Drafted by Position

But the player who could top him looks like he could be poised for a monster year, and plays a position that every team covets a top player: JC Latham. If I have to pick someone now to be the top Crimson Tide's prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft, and without factoring in any kind of draft order, he's the beast ... and also the best. 

If you have to look at an early 2024 mock draft ...

Gary Cosby Jr.-USA TODAY Sports

NFL Draft Bible did an early 2024 mock draft 1.0 and it had many of the previously mentioned names at the top, with Williams going to the Buccaneers at No. 1 and Harrison second to the Cardinals.

Ric Serritella projected Alabama to have three first-round selections:

5. Arizona Cardinals (via HOU): Dallas Turner
6. Chicago Bears (via CAR): Kool-Aid McKinstry
20. Pittsburgh Steelers: JC Latham

Final 2023 NFL Draft grades

© Andrew Wevers-USA TODAY Sports

Here's how NFL Draft Bible rated the Crimson Tide players, with the grades based on the initial reaction to when the players were selected, and how well they might fit in with their new teams:

Rd 1, No. 1 Bryce Young, QB, Panthers [A]
Rd 1, No. 3 Will Anderson Jr., OLB, Texans [A]
Rd 1, No. 12 Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Lions [B]
Rd 2, No. 45 Brian Branch, FS, Lions [A]
Rd 3, No. 65 Tyler Steen, OL, Eagles [B+]
Rd 3, No. 70 Byron Young, DT, Raiders [B]
Rd 3, No. 95 Jordan Battle, FS, Bengals [B+]
Rd 3, No. 101 Cameron Latu, TE, 49ers [C]
Rd 5, No. 167 Henry To’oTo’o, LB, Texans [B]
Rd 7, No. 224 DeMarcco Hellams, SS, Falcons [C+]

The All Things CW notes column by Christopher Walsh appears regularly on BamaCentral, with the latest on the Alabama Crimson Tide. 

See Also:

Players Cashed in, but it Wasn't Alabama's Most Profitable Draft

Is There More Pressure To Succeed in the NFL on Bryce Young or Will Anderson?