4 Potential 2024 NFL Draft Prospects to Watch in Week 12 of the College Football Season
Josh Frey
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We are at the penultimate week of the college football regular season for 2023.
Very soon, all talk regarding college ball will turn towards the 2024 NFL Draft, and which prospects could be selected to NFL teams for next season. With the season wrapping up, here is a look at four more potential draft prospects who could be on the Vikings’ radar in the spring.
Wisconsin RB Braelon Allen
Running back has been a position of discussion for the Vikings throughout the 2023 season. Alexander Mattison has been the lead back for most of the year, but Minnesota has struggled to find production in the running game all year.
Braelon Allen has missed some time in recent weeks because of an ankle sprain, but he could be available for the Badgers this weekend against Nebraska. Throughout the nine games that Allen has played this season, he has recorded 133 carries for 757 yards and 8 TDs on the ground.
Allen brings ridiculous size at the running back position, standing 6’2″ and nearly 240 pounds while also being plenty capable of breaking off big plays. If the running back is available in the second round, the Vikings should consider taking him.
Tulane QB Michael Pratt
The QB position has become an interesting one for the Vikings between Kirk Cousins’ Achilles injury as well as the emergence of Josh Dobbs. It may not be necessary for the Vikings to use a first-round pick on a quarterback anymore.
Even still, Minnesota might eye a QB on Day 2, and Michael Pratt out of Tulane wouldn’t be a bad choice there. Pratt has started four years with the Green Wave and has gotten progressively better in each season.
So far in 2023, the QB has put together 1791 yards for 16 TDs and 4 INTs while completing 68% of his passes. Pratt delivers an accurate ball regularly, and he offers a good bit of mobility in the pocket as well, rushing for over 1100 yards and 27 TDs over his four years in the program. If the Vikings want to take a chance on a QB in the middle rounds, he could be the guy.
Oregon EDGE Brandon Dorlus
With QB taking a bit of a backseat for the Vikings, their true No. 1 need in the 2024 Draft could be another pass-rusher. We’ve discussed multiple times the fact that both Danielle Hunter and D.J. Wonnum are entering free agency in the spring, so there remains a great deal of uncertainty at that spot.
Enter Oregon EDGE Brandon Dorlus, who has skyrocketed up draft boards with his production in 2023. The Ducks pass-rusher has put together 6.5 tackles for loss and 5.0 sacks this season while also defending 6 passes.
This weekend, Oregon takes on Arizona State, offering another chance for Dorlus to wreak havoc on an opposing offensive line.
Arkansas RB Raheim Sanders
We’re sticking with the RB position one more time. Raheim Sanders out of Arkansas has struggled with some injuries in 2023, but when he’s on the field, the running back has been a very productive player. Just a few weeks ago, he put together 18 carries for 103 yards in Arkansas’ victory over Florida.
Last season, Sanders was second in the SEC with 1443 rushing yards, rushing at a clip of 6.5 yards per carry. Like Allen out of Wisconsin, he offers tremendous size at the position (6’2″ and 225 pounds), allowing him to bulldoze his way through opposing defenses.
Sanders also brings 4.4-speed into the equation making him very tough to bring down in the open field. Arkansas is set to take on FIU this weekend, giving another chance for the RB to break open a big rushing total.
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Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.