2024 Draft Prospect Watch List and Discussion

On to the next! Discuss all things college football as it relates to draft eligible prospects. Who is catching your eye? Who's your next draft crush to take the 49ers over the hump and to the promise land?

As it pertains to the 49ers, we should have all 7 of our original picks, one in each round, plus 2 additional 3rds courtesy of minority coaches and front office staff being poached and promoted to HC and GM. Subject to change obviously, but I believe we currently have 33 players slated to be under contract, which you can find their names at Spotrac.com. In my opinion, an early inspection suggests primary needs at the following positions:

Offensive Tackle: Jury is out on the long term answer at RT, and fears of LT Trent Williams retiring will only intensify.
Edge Rusher: Depending on how Drake Jackson develops, we may still be needing a bookend opposite Bosa, but will definitely need more depth regardless.
Offensive Guard: We shall see if Banks earns a nice contract, and if so, does it come from the niners or does he price himself out? Time to prepare our selves for all possibilities.

Here is an early mock draft idea:
1 Olu Fashanu, OT
2 Liatu Latu, DE
3 Damon Payne Jr, DT
3 Christian Mahogany, OG
3 Zakhari Franklin, WR
4 Graham Barton, OL
5 Derrick Canteen, CB
6 Zach Heins, TE
7 Frank Gore Jr, RB

And here is my early watch list:

OT:
Olu Fashanu, Penn State
Jeremy James, Ole Miss
Javon Foster, Missouri
Jordan Morgan, Arizona
Graham Barton, Duke

OG:
Aaron Frost, Nevada
Micah Mazzccua, Florida
LaDarius Henderson, Arizona State
Christian Mahogany, BC

OC:
Andrew Raym, Oklahoma
Sedrick Van Pran, Georgia

RB:
Frank Gore Jr, Southern Miss

WR:
Dominick Blaylock, Georgia
Jaylen Hall, Western Michigan
Tyler Harrell, Alabama
Zakhari Franklin, Transfer

TE:
Zach Heins, South Dakota State
Michael Trigg, Ole Miss

DE/ER:
Jacoby Windmon, Michigan State
Adisa Isaac, Penn State
Liatu Latu, UCLA
Harold Perkins, LSU
Jared Verse, FSU
Chop Robinson, Penn State

IDL:
Michael Hall, Ohio State
Keith Randolph Jr, Illinois
Ruke Orhohoro, Clemson
Brandon Dorlus, Oregon
Damon Payne Jr, Alabama
Johnny Newton, Illinois

LB:
Smael Molden, Georgia

CB:
Cam Hart, Notre Dame
Ryan Watts, Texas
Derrick Canteen, GA Southern
Cooper DeJean, Iowa
Max Melton, Rutgers
Kalen King, Penn State

S:
Jalen Catalon, Texas
Andrew Mukuba, Clemson

ST:
Harrison Mevis, PK

Kool-Aid McKinstry CB Alabama

David Perales signed with the Steelers.

Originally posted by Murphys1:
David Perales signed with the Steelers.

Thanks. Didn't see his name anywhere at first so I assumed maybe he went back to school.

Top 50 2024 NFL Draft Prospect Watchlist: Brock Bowers, Caleb Williams Highlight the Stars of Tomorrow (profootballnetwork.com)

https://www.profootballnetwork.com/2024-nfl-draft-prospect-watchlist/

Looking at the salary cap table for 2024 as it currently stands, our DLine, the strength of the team, significantly thins out. I think going OT is almost necessary in the first round to start planning for Trent's retirement (assuming there isn't a run on OT before our pick) but I wouldn't be made at the next picks all being along the DL.

2 Liatu Latu: 265 lbs with bend and pass rush moves. Should be expected to win 1v1.

3 Khordae Sydnor: power based defensive end, not dissimilar to the profile that Kocurek looks for. Rotational guy that will be used on stunts.

3 Damon Payne Jr: 3T

3 Dontay Corleone: Im surprised we were happy going into 2023 with Kinlaw being the biggest interior lineman on the roster. Corleone is a giant human.

Originally posted by ChaunceyGardner:
Kool-Aid McKinstry CB Alabama

No way that name is real

Originally posted by ChaunceyGardner:
Top 50 2024 NFL Draft Prospect Watchlist: Brock Bowers, Caleb Williams Highlight the Stars of Tomorrow (profootballnetwork.com)

https://www.profootballnetwork.com/2024-nfl-draft-prospect-watchlist/

I like this list as a starting point. Niners should have two picks (so far) in the top 64 and there are a lot of talent available at their potential areas of need which are IMO C, OT, WR and DT for now.

Originally posted by Hoovtrain:

Originally posted by ChaunceyGardner:
Kool-Aid McKinstry CB Alabama

No way that name is real

Correct! https://fansided.com/2021/11/06/alabama-football-kool-aid-player-name/

In terms of college football draft prospects, notable players that have caught attention recently include quarterbacks like Spencer Rattler, Sam Howell, and Malik Willis.

Malachi Corley and Malik Nabers are prototype 49er WRs

Zion Nelson and JC Latham are two left tackles I'll be watching closely.

Originally posted by adrianlesnar:
As it pertains to the 49ers, we should have all 7 of our original picks, one in each round, plus 2 additional 3rds courtesy of minority coaches and front office staff being poached and promoted to HC and GM. Subject to change obviously, but I believe we currently have 33 players slated to be under contract, which you can find their names at Spotrac.com. In my opinion, an early inspection suggests primary needs at the following positions:

Offensive Tackle: Jury is out on the long term answer at RT, and fears of LT Trent Williams retiring will only intensify.
Edge Rusher: Depending on how Drake Jackson develops, we may still be needing a bookend opposite Bosa, but will definitely need more depth regardless.
Offensive Guard: We shall see if Banks earns a nice contract, and if so, does it come from the niners or does he price himself out? Time to prepare our selves for all possibilities.

Here is an early mock draft idea:
1 Olu Fashanu, OT
2 Liatu Latu, DE
3 Damon Payne Jr, DT
3 Christian Mahogany, OG
3 Zakhari Franklin, WR
4 Graham Barton, OL
5 Derrick Canteen, CB
6 Zach Heins, TE
7 Frank Gore Jr, RB

And here is my early watch list:

OT:
Olu Fashanu, Penn State
Jeremy James, Ole Miss
Javon Foster, Missouri
Jordan Morgan, Arizona
Graham Barton, Duke

OG:
Aaron Frost, Nevada
Micah Mazzccua, Florida
LaDarius Henderson, Arizona State
Christian Mahogany, BC

OC:
Andrew Raym, Oklahoma
Sedrick Van Pran, Georgia

RB:
Frank Gore Jr, Southern Miss

WR:
Dominick Blaylock, Georgia
Jaylen Hall, Western Michigan
Tyler Harrell, Alabama
Zakhari Franklin, Transfer

TE:
Zach Heins, South Dakota State
Michael Trigg, Ole Miss

DE/ER:
Jacoby Windmon, Michigan State
Adisa Isaac, Penn State
Liatu Latu, UCLA
Harold Perkins, LSU
Jared Verse, FSU
Chop Robinson, Penn State

IDL:
Michael Hall, Ohio State
Keith Randolph Jr, Illinois
Ruke Orhohoro, Clemson
Brandon Dorlus, Oregon
Damon Payne Jr, Alabama
Johnny Newton, Illinois

LB:
Smael Molden, Georgia

CB:
Cam Hart, Notre Dame
Ryan Watts, Texas
Derrick Canteen, GA Southern
Cooper DeJean, Iowa
Max Melton, Rutgers
Kalen King, Penn State

S:
Jalen Catalon, Texas
Andrew Mukuba, Clemson

ST:
Harrison Mevis, PK

Henderson won LT job at Michigan

Originally posted by adrianlesnar:
Malachi Corley and Malik Nabers are prototype 49er WRs

Corley and Kamren Kinchens look good at our 1st round pick