Bobby Belt's Top 50 Players in the 2024 NFL Draft

Happy NFL Draft Day!

It’s been a frustrating offseason for Dallas Cowboys fans, but if there’s one thing the Cowboys have generally been able to count on, it’s that Will McClay and the scouting staff are going to make sure the roster is filled with young, cheap talent that will keep them competitive.

I’ve been studying players available in this current draft since January. It’s an exciting group, with better top-end talent than we’ve seen in the last couple of years. It’s a good draft for teams that need offensive line help, which the Cowboys do. It’s also a good year if you need a wide receiver or cornerback.

Here are the guys I have ranked as the top 50 players available in this week’s draft:

#50) Patrick Paul, OT, Houston
#49) Payton Wilson, LB, NC State
#48) Junior Colson, LB, Michigan
#47) Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama
#46) T’Vondre Sweat, DT, Texas
#45) Jer’Zhan Newton, DT, Illinois
#44) Kiran Amegadjie, OT, Yale
#43) Austin Booker, ED, Kansas State
#42) DJ James, CB, Auburn
#41) Jermaine Burton, WR, Alabama

I’m a big fan of NC State LB Payton Wilson, but there are serious concerns about his medical history. Still, the Cowboys have shown a willingness to gamble on medically flagged linebackers: Bruce Carter, Sean Lee, Jaylon Smith, Leighton Vander Esch, and Damone Clark all had injury concerns coming out of college.

#40) Trey Benson, RB, Florida State
#39) Renardo Green, CB, Florida State
#38) Javon Bullard, S, Georgia
#37) Calen Bullock, S, USC
#36) Jordan Morgan, OG, Arizona
#35) Malachi Corley, WR, Western Kentucky
#34) Jonathon Brooks, RB, Texas
#33) Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo
#32) Roger Rosengarten, OG, Washington
#31) AD Mitchell, WR, Texas

You’ve probably heard a lot about Texas RB Jonathon Brooks, and he definitely bears monitoring for Cowboys fans in this draft. That’s a guy the Cowboys would have an interest in with their second-round pick. I think there are even some “wipeout” scenarios where the Cowboys move back and pick Brooks with their first pick.

#30) Darius Robinson, ED, Missouri
#29) Ladd McConkey, WR, Georgia
#28) Edgerrin Cooper, LB, Texas A&M
#27) Cooper DeJean, CB, Iowa
#26) Dallas Turner, ED, Alabama
#25) Jaden Hicks, S, Washington State
#24) Tyler Guyton, OT, Oklahoma
#23) Keon Coleman, WR, Florida State
#22) Jackson Powers-Johnson, C, Oregon
#21) Graham Barton, C, Duke

Texas A&M LB Edgerrin Cooper is one of the most fun studies in the draft. He’s my top linebacker, and a guy I’d be really interested in if the Cowboys traded back, or if he somehow managed to fall to pick #56 in the second round.

Duke’s Graham Barton might just be the Cowboys’ top target with their pick. He’s played left tackle for the majority of his time in college, but he projects as a center, which is a position he played during his freshman year for the Blue Devils.

#20) Michael Penix, QB, Washington
#19) Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia
#18) Kingsley Suamataia, OT, BYU
#17) Laiatu Latu, ED, UCLA
#16) Byron Murphy, DT, Texas
#15) Nate Wiggins, CB, Clemson
#14) Chop Robinson, ED, Penn State
#13) Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama
#12) Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State
#11) JC Latham, OT, Alabama

I have 18 players graded in the first round, so BYU OT Kingsley Suamataia is the last of my first-round players. There’s some rawness to his game, but the measurables, instincts, and bully mentality are all big pluses for me.

UCLA Edge Laiatu Latu is a first-round graded polayer for me, but I would not feel comfortable taking him based on his medicals. Latu was medically retired at the University of Washington for a neck issue before landing at UCLA. I’m not sure how the Cowboys would approach his health.

#10) Jared Verse, ED, Florida State
#9) Troy Fautanu, OG, Washington
#8) Rome Odunze, WR, Washington
#7) Olu Fashanu, OT, Penn State
#6) Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame
#5) Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia
#4) Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina
#3) Malik Nabers, WR, LSU
#2) Marvin Harrison Jr, WR, Ohio State
#1) Caleb Williams, QB, USC

I have a lot of questions about Caleb Williams’ maturity and his ability to command a huddle, but there’s no denying the immense talent, which is why he’s ultimately the top player on my board.

UNC QB Drake Maye has an exciting ceiling, but there are questions about his decision-making.

Troy Fautanu might just be my dream pick if he’s able to slide to the Cowboys around pick 24. He played tackle at Washington, and while I think he could hold his own at the position in the NFL, I would personally play him at guard.