4 Potential 2024 NFL Draft Prospects to Watch in Week 11 of the College Football Season
Josh Frey
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We’re halfway through the NFL regular season, meaning we’re just a couple months away from being in the thick of NFL Draft season.
In order to prepare, we’ve been going through a few potential 2024 NFL Draft prospects to keep an eye on throughout the college football season.
We have another batch of prospects to watch this weekend as we head into the home stretch of the college year. Take a look at a few players who could be targets for the Vikings next April.
Florida State EDGE Jared Verse
It’s been discussed at length this season, but the Vikings will have a lot of questions this offseason in regards to their pass-rushing group. Much of their current group will be free agents come March, and with growing speculation that Kirk Cousins could come back, perhaps Minnesota’s first-round draft plans can change from QB to EDGE.
Enter Florida State pass-rusher Jared Verse. He has widely been considered one of the top defensive prospects in next spring’s class, and while the 2023 season hasn’t been quite as dominant as his 2022 campaign, he brings plenty of intriguing traits that should translate well to the NFL level.
This weekend, the Seminoles are set to take on their cross-state rivals, the Miami Hurricanes. Verse will play a big role in ensuring Florida State captures another win and builds on their bid to make the College Football Playoff.
LSU WR Brian Thomas Jr.
We’ve discussed Malik Nabers before as an intriguing early-round wide receiving prospect, but he isn’t the only LSU receiver getting the limelight this year. Brian Thomas Jr. is putting together a spectacular season for the Tigers as well with massive career-highs in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving TDs.
His 11 TDs actually lead the entire country right now, and at 6’4″-6’5″ (depending on which site you look at), he is a massive target that can dominate any matchup against defensive backs. His route-running ability has been crisp and concise all season, making him an impactful player in the red zone.
Given some of the Vikings struggles in that area this season, Thomas could make a very intriguing fit alongside Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison in the passing game.
Ohio State RB TreVeyon Henderson
The one big flaw in the Vikings offense this season has been the rushing attack. Alexander Mattison hasn’t proven to be a great workhorse in the backfield, and for now, Minnesota doesn’t have a proven option to take the load off of him.
Given Minnesota’s defensive improvements under Brian Flores, they could feel comfortable utilizing a higher draft pick to improve their backfield in 2024. TreVeyon Henderson looks like one of the top RB prospects in the class, and he has backed that up with some outstanding totals.
Henderson missed a few games in October, but in six appearances, he has totaled 90 carries for 585 yards and 7 TDs. He is a big reason why Ohio State is the No. 1 team in the country right now and should garner plenty of interest from teams come draft time.
Rutgers CB Max Melton
Despite improvements on the defensive side, the Vikings could still bear to find some extra depth at the cornerback spot. Byron Murphy has made some nice plays throughout the year, but he has not been the consistent CB1 that many were hoping he could be.
As a result, Rutgers CB Max Melton could be on the Vikings radar in April. The Scarlet Knights have improved by leaps and bounds this season, and Melton’s presence in the secondary is a key reason for that. The cornerback has been a ballhawk throughout his career, recording 15 pass breakups and 6 interceptions over the past three seasons.
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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.