• Caleb Williams excels under pressure: His 79.7 passing grade under pressure was the best in FBS in 2022, and he posted a low 1.6% turnover-worthy play rate in those situations.
• Very few weaknesses to Marvin Harrison Jr.'s game: If there is anything to pinpoint, it's his lack of production after the catch.
• Sedrick Van Pran is a big-bodied beast: The anchor of Georgia's offensive line boasts NFL-level strength.
Estimated Reading Time: 7 minutes
We’re beginning to wrap up our summer 2024 NFL Draft scouting before the college football regular season kicks off. To recap some of what we have watched on tape, here are the most glaring strengths and weaknesses for each of the top prospects at every offensive position. Click below to read more about the top prospects at each position.
Early 2024 Draft Rankings
QB: CALEB WILLIAMS, USC
Strength: Play Under Pressure
The reigning Heisman Trophy winner’s “strength” column will be vast. There is so much to like about Williams. But what will set him apart — and what gets him the unfair Patrick Mahomes comps — is his play under pressure. His 79.7 passing grade under pressure was the best in FBS in 2022. For reference, Bryce Young, a player who was praised and drafted No. 1 overall for his work under pressure, graded out at 70.8 in that area in 2022. Williams wasn’t just a major playmaker under pressure, either. He was also careful with the football, finishing with a low 1.6% turnover-worthy play rate when forced off his spot.
Weakness: Over-Aggressiveness/NFL Decisions
Williams is supremely talented. He has likely been the best player on any field he has stepped on for most of his football career. This has, understandably, led to some Superman-like attempts that could get him in trouble at the NFL level. He’s good under pressure and he knows it, which can yield some head-scratching decisions in between the “wow” moments. That can come in the form of being late (yet still attempting throws) on his progressions, not throwing the ball away when that is the easy (and best) choice, and taking off with his legs.
The good certainly outweighs the bad, but if there is a weakness to his game, it’s that.
RB: TREY BENSON, FLORIDA STATE
Strength: Forcing Missed Tackles
Benson, a transfer from Oregon, started at Florida State for the first time last season and made a statement we haven’t seen in college football for a long time. He recorded an elite 91.3 rushing grade in 2022, but what was even more impressive was his forced missed tackle rate. Benson averaged an FBS-leading 0.51 missed tackles per attempt, the highest mark in college football in at least 10 years. For reference, Texas’ Bijan Robinson averaged 0.41. Benson’s footwork and balance are both NFL caliber.
Weakness: Patience
The real weak link in Benson’s scouting report is simply having more experience and snaps. With more work, he can emerge as one of the top backs in the class. One area of his game where more experience will help is with his patience. He is explosive, and the quickness of his footwork is a strength of his game. But he can, at times, be overeager to show that. When he follows his blocks, his skill set allows him to churn out yards, both before and after contact.
WR: MARVIN HARRISON JR., OHIO STATE
Strength: Everything
The better question is, “What doesn’t Marvin Harrison Jr. do well?” His hands are excellent with or without contact at the catch point. There is no wasted movement in his release off the line of scrimmage. His footwork in his releases and at the sideline is incredibly impressive. And his route running is already NFL caliber. Harrison would’ve been WR1, and likely a top-five pick, in last year’s draft.
Weakness: Yards After the Catch
If there is one area of Harrison’s game in which he is less than Superman, it would be his after-the-catch ability. He’s a good athlete, but yards after the catch work isn’t a big part of his game. Now, YAC can have just as much to do with ball placement and what route you’re running versus what kind of coverage you’re running against as much as it does a player’s natural ability. But with Harrison notching just 323 of his 1,263 receiving yards last year after the catch, it’s one of the few areas you can point to and find potential growth prior to draft day.
TE: BROCK BOWERS, GEORGIA
Strength: Everything
No player is perfect all the time. But it’s hard to find a fault in Brock Bowers’ game, or at least his potential. This is a player who would have been a first-round pick after his true freshman season, and would’ve been a top-10 pick last year, if eligible. His receiving skills are fantastic; he’s an impactful player in the passing game from the slot and from an inline position. He also blocks his ass off for a player who is 6-foot-3 and 240 pounds. His effort, athleticism, strength, hands and balance are all NFL caliber.
Weakness: Size?
The only glaring weakness for Bowers is his size. At 6-foot-3 and 240 pounds, he ranks in the 38th and 6th percentiles, respectively, for the position. If you want a big-bodied, full-time inline tight end, that will be a shortcoming of his scouting report. But it's hard to think any NFL team would think less of him as a prospect for that. All we need to see from Bowers this upcoming season is a clean bill of health.
IOL: SEDRICK VAN PRAN, GEORGIA
Strength: Power
There are a handful of alluring interior offensive linemen in the upcoming 2024 class. Van Pran, the center of the Bulldogs’ offensive line for the past two national championships, is one of them. He’s a powerful player, and that strength is his strength. He’s a devastating combo-block player when climbing to the second level. His anchor ability against any aligned defensive tackles or blitzing players is impressive with how little ground he yields. If you square up with him in a phone booth (in close quarters), he’ll come out on top much more often than not.
It's a big man’s game in the trenches at the NFL level, and Van Pran boasts the requisite strength.
Weakness: Agility
While Van Pran is powerful, he does give up some of that finesse part of playing the position. When asked to pull around as a lead blocker or kick-out player, he’s slower to get to his target. In space, he’s not as noble on his feet, and that can cause him to miss some blocks against smaller players who have room to move. He won’t be a guy you’ll want to ask to run outside zone a lot at the NFL level.
OT: OLU FASHANU, PENN STATE
Strength: Balance
Fashanu could have been a first-round pick if he declared last year, but he opted to return to Penn State for one more season. As just a redshirt sophomore in 2022, he flashed alluring size, speed and strength. His best trait is arguably his balance. When pass rushes come at him, whether they are attacking the inside or outside shoulder or trying to go straight through his chest, his balance to keep his feet under him and redirect them was at an NFL standard. He allowed no sacks on 299 true pass-blocking snaps in 2022, with just a 3.0% allowed pressure percentage.
Weakness: Punch at The Point of Attack
Fashanu wanted to come back to improve and be an even better prospect for the 2024 class. If there is an area where he can take the biggest leap, it would be in his power at the point of attack. For as smooth as Fashanu was in pass protection in 2022, he recorded just a 59.4 run-blocking grade. That was due to inconsistency in moving defensive linemen and truly controlling his part of the line of scrimmage. At 6-foot-6 and 318 pounds, he has the size. He just needs the violence in his game to solidify his being a top-10, and perhaps even a top-five, pick.
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