NFL Draft: Top Big Ten prospects from Purdue, Rutgers, and Wisconsin for 2024 feat. Jack Nelson
Just two years after having George Karlaftis selected in the first round and eight months removed from playing in the Big Ten title game, it looks as though it will be Day 3 picks at best for the Boilermakers.
At Rutgers, Greg Schiano has yet to fulfill the promise many hoped for since his return, but this year’s squad should be much better and offers three sleeper prospects for the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Wisconsin Badgers are a team under new management, as Luke Fickell finally gets the big-time coaching job he deserved. As is usually the case in Madison, the best prospects can be found on the offensive line.
Top NFL Draft prospects from Purdue football
The Boilermakers have just a few prospects, with no player guaranteed to be drafted. Here we take a look at some of the potential entities.
Garrett Miller
Garrett Miller takes over the No. 1 tight end spot after Payne Durham was selected in the fifth round by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last April. Miller may be slightly faster than his teammate, who ran a 4.85-second 40, yet he’s a fraction of the blocker Durham was in college.
Gus Hartwig
Center Gus Hartwig does not get the credit he’s due, as I’ve watched him for the past three seasons. He’s a tough, heady lineman who blocks reasonably well on the move and works well with his teammates. If he’s not selected in the draft, I could see Hartwig making a roster as a UDFA.
Sanoussi Kane
If there’s one player who could surprise once the season begins, it would be safety Sanoussi Kane. A well-built defensive back, Kane is a tough run defender who displays a lot of ability in coverage and does a solid job over the slot receiver.
Best Rutgers football Draft prospects for 2024
Over the past two drafts, Rutgers has had a trio of late-round picks, including running back Isiah Pacheco. They should have at least three players selected in next April’s draft, including a possible early-round choice.
Max Melton
In the 2021 film, Max Melton looked like a star in the making; in fact, I wrote as much last summer. Yet the senior cornerback was very inconsistent last season and did not meet expectations.
Melton has the computer numbers to be a starting cornerback on Sundays, and he’s a physical defender who’s flashed ball skills as well as big-play ability.
Rutgers CB Max Melton is a name to keep an eye on. Patient, smart, closing speed, and special teams value! pic.twitter.com/3n68FRn32p
His grades in the scouting community range from as early as Round 1 through the fourth frame. Melton has incredible potential, and if he gets his game back to where it was two years ago, he could be the first RU player selected in the first round in more than a decade.
Tyreem Powell
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#ChopNation , You Ready ? 👀🛡⚔️ pic.twitter.com/giIThXqSoX
Outside linebacker, Tyreem Powell is another physical beast, measuring just under 6-foot-5, 240 pounds, and timing the forty in the low-4.6 range. He’s athletic and shows excellent range on the field, as well as a lot of ability in pursuit.
Brantley is one of the more underrated linebackers in the nation and another Scarlett Knight who could go much earlier in the 2024 NFL Draft than people anticipate.
Hollin Pierce
Hollin Pierce is a massive offensive tackle at 6-foot-8 and 340 pounds, yet he does not play like a big, clunky blocker and shows excellent knee bend and decent agility.
Pierce is powerful and overwhelms opponents at the point of attack. He’s out of place on the left side of the offensive line for Rutgers; rather, Pierce is a natural right tackle who could eventually end up with the first team on Sundays.
Also Read: Big Ten WR Rankings 2023
Top 2024 NFL Draft prospects from Wisconsin
The transformation of the Wisconsin program under Luke Fickell should be an interesting one to watch. Fickell ran a downfield passing attack at Cincinnati, but he inherits a program that has preferred a power running game for decades. He also used a conventional 4-3 scheme with the Bearcats, yet comes to a program with 3-4 talent.
Jack Nelson
Whatever the outcome, the top Badgers prospects can be found on the offensive line, as they often are, starting with Jack Nelson. A large (6-foot-7, 315-pound) and powerful lineman, Nelson is absolutely dominant in blocking for the run and drives defenders far off the line to open up lanes.
He also plays with a nasty attitude and always works to finish off opponents. He’s not overly nimble or fluid in pass protection and is out of place at left tackle. The right side is perfect for Nelson, who has starting potential on Sundays.
Also Read: Top 5 Edge Defenders in the Big Ten for 2023
Jake Renfro
I’m looking forward to the return of center Jake Renfro, who followed Fickell to Wisconsin after missing all of last season at Cincinnati with an injury. Renfro was highly impressive in the 2021 film, when the Bearcats made the College Football Playoff.
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In with the new ... #57 😤 pic.twitter.com/d1j3cqvuG5
Renfro is tough and strong and also blocks well on the move. I kept my late-round grade on him based on his play two seasons ago, though I believe Renfro could ultimately end up on Day 2.
Braelon Allen
We had @BadgerFootball RB legends tell us what makes @BraelonAllen so special. 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/ECitlr37Vj
Braelon Allen is rated highly in the draft Twitter world, but I don’t see a great next-level prospect. Allen is a tough, downhill ball carrier with effective short-area quickness. He lacks the speed to turn the corner and is more of a one-dimensional, downhill back.
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