With two months of new tape since my initial 2024 NFL Draft board dropped in August, there are plenty of fresh updates in this latest top 50 —  including some shuffling in the top three.

Like I wrote back in July for my quarterback preview, the gap between USC’s Caleb Williams and North Carolina’s Drake Maye is “razor-thin.” Both are dynamic prospects, and the league will be split on who deserves the QB1 designation. But then there is Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr., who might be most-deserving of the “best prospect” tag for this draft class.

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There are 17 new names in this version of the draft board, and four positions (wide receiver, edge rusher, cornerback, offensive tackle) make up 70 percent of the list — including 10 wide receivers.

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Cut from the same cloth as Justin Herbert, Maye (2,559 yards passing, 22 total TDs) continues to impress with his on-field command despite inconsistent help around him. A tall, well-put-together athlete, he has an explosive release with the touch to threaten every level of the field.

He still makes a few more reckless decisions than you’d want, but his timing has improved, and his aggressive decision-making is more of a strength than a weakness.

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The best wide receiver prospect that I have evaluated over the last decade, Harrison (48 catches for 889 yards and eight TDs) offers a rare package of physical traits and savvy, and it has made him nearly uncoverable at the college level. His athletic dexterity and instincts, both as a route runner and at the catch point, are what really separate him — especially for a 6-foot-4 receiver.

Although he isn’t as physically imposing as Julio Jones, there are several similarities between the two, including the way they play strong to the football.

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I’m all for a ban of the word “generational” when talking about college prospects, because it sets near-unattainable expectations and makes a player like Williams an easy target for criticism. That said, Williams (2,646 yards passing, 34 total TDs) remains an extremely impressive prospect. He has an above-average arm and a natural feel for accuracy, and his ability to weaponize his creativity remains a differentiating factor between him and most quarterbacks.

Williams is fantastic at navigating chaos, but he does hold the ball too long at times. Often he has no choice, either because a defense gets immediate pressure with its front four or his receivers haven’t created separation. And when that happens, Williams feels forced to put on the superhero cape, which can lead to negative plays.

With the bar set so high, it can be easy to call Williams “overrated” after a mistake, but let’s not lose sight of his tremendous strengths as a player.

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Some will scoff at the sight of a tight end carrying this ranking, but the No. 1 goal for any team picking this high is to draft a difference-maker. Bowers (41 catches for 567 yards, five total TDs) is exactly that.

More of a receiver/tight end hybrid, Bowers has speed and athleticism that jump off the screen. His physicality is almost as impressive, both as a blocker and after the catch, where he is master of picking up those hidden yards. I thought this quote from an area scout was a perfect summation: “He’s a 21-year-old George Kittle. That’ll get him drafted (in the) top seven.”

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At 6 feet 6 and 321 pounds with 34 3/8-inch arms, Fashanu is one of the best pass-protecting tackle prospects in recent years. He shows an outstanding blend of size, movement skills and body control to easily access his anchor. His intelligence and character are also strong selling points.

Scouts want to see a more aggressive approach from him, especially in the run game.

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Paul Sancya / Associated Press

Alt already was clearly a first-round prospect based on his sophomore film, but he looks even better as a junior — it won’t be a surprise if he finishes as OT1 for some NFL teams. For a tall blocker (nearly 6 feet 8), he does a terrific job with his redirect and recovery, and you’ll rarely see him stressed.

Even though he didn’t become a full-time offensive lineman until college, Alt plays with impressive technique and pad level.

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Ric Tapia / Associated Press

When it comes to rushing the passer, Turner checks the boxes for both traits and production. He is explosive off the ball and into contact, and he plays with exceptional pursuit speed to chase down the football.

Turner is currently the only FBS player ranked top five nationally in sacks (7.0), pressures, pass-rush win rate and pass-rush win percentage.

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Because Coleman wasn’t yet a well-known name, I received some pushback when he debuted as WR4 in my initial positional rankings in July. Fast forward to the present, and the Michigan State transfer isn’t a secret any longer.

With his size/speed athleticism and acrobatic ball skills, Coleman (38 catches for 538 yards and nine TDs) is a freakish talent with the chance to be a dominant player. His flashes remind me of how Demaryius Thomas played when he was at Georgia Tech.

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Similar to 2021 first-round pick Jaelen Phillips (both in terms of skill level and personal journey), Latu is an interesting prospect. He plays with only average bend, his arms aren’t very long and his medical history is a potential concern. But his motor runs hot, and he has a graduate degree in rush technique — specializing in cross-chops, arm-overs and lightning-fast hands.

Latu has accounted for a ridiculous 106 pressures in 21 games since he transferred to UCLA prior to last season.

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A massive blocker, Latham carries his weight well in pass protection and plays with exceptional strength from head to toe. In the run game, he creates movement at contact and specializes in dumping linebackers at the second level.

He needs to be more consistent with his strike placement and protecting versus inside moves, but Latham has quickly and consistently improved since he arrived in Tuscaloosa. He has the goods to be a starting NFL right tackle next year.

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What’s not to like? Odunze is a verified 6 feet 2 7/8 and 217 pounds. He glides on the football field with plenty of speed (he won a state title in the 200 meters in high school), and he has natural receiving instincts plus the coordination to cleanly snatch the football.

I liked Odunze (51 catches for 907 yards and seven TDs) when I studied him over the summer, but I didn’t give him enough credit for the way he can impact the game.

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For Robinson (5.0 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks) to be ranked this highly, it’d be great if he was more consistently dominant. But he’ll go on heaters (see: the Iowa tape), where he’ll just take over games for stretches with his instant speed and aggressive hands. He is a better prospect than Will McDonald IV, who was drafted No. 15 this past April.

Robinson exited the Ohio State game last Saturday with an injury and had to be carted to the locker room, but Penn State hopes to get him back soon.

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Although he is WR4 in this update, Nabers just as easily could be WR2 — there isn’t much separating him from Coleman and Odunze. For NFL teams, it’ll depend on the type of receiver they want.

Nabers (56 catches for 981 yards and nine TDs) has gliding speed to consistently win one-on-one vertical patterns downfield, but he also can stop on a dime to snap his routes and give his quarterback a window. Only two FBS receivers currently have at least 875 receiving yards and nine touchdowns: Marvin Harrison Jr. and Nabers.

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Wiggins is long and fast with the sudden feet to easily redirect and stay attached to routes. There are a few concerning areas of his game, most notably his marginal play strength, but Wiggins (one INT, four passes defended) shows a knack for playing through the hands of receivers.

Though he gave up a touchdown in his return from injury against Miami on Oct. 21, he also had a pair of pass breakups and an impressive chase-down forced fumble.

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A fast and physical edge defender, Verse passed up a potential spot in last year’s first round for one more year in college, and he has helped the Seminoles jump out to an 8-0 start.

Verse (6.5 TFL, 4.5 sacks) hasn’t had the splashy impact most expected — he’s failed to record a sack in five of eight games so far — but he still looks like the same player from the 2022 tape, which isn’t a bad thing.

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Two months after entering the season as my QB3, McCarthy (1,799 yards passing, 21 total TDs) hasn’t done anything to surrender that spot. He is completing 78.1 percent of his passes with an 18-to-3 touchdown-to-interception ratio, while doing some of his best work on the move.

Considering Michigan’s schedule, NFL scouts are taking a wait-and-see approach with McCarthy — the month of November (featuring games at Penn State and versus Ohio State) will determine a lot.

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With his athletic traits, toughness and versatility, DeJean (two INTs, three passes defended, one punt-return TD) checks a lot of boxes, regardless of scheme. He is arguably the best run-defending defensive back in college football and plays sticky in coverage.

DeJean also offers value on special teams — his dramatic punt return against Minnesota may have been nullified, but it’s still on tape and added to his collection of splash plays as a returner and gunner.

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With his body control and balance, McKinstry (21 career passes defended) stays controlled in his transitions and takes advantage of his length to obstruct passing windows.

Though he doesn’t play panicked, he tends to hit cruise control at times and gets too conservative, which can lead to missed tackles or plays downfield. But there are still more positives than negatives to his game, and he projects as an immediate NFL starter.

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The No. 5 player in my preseason top 50, Mims looked primed for a breakout season, but he has been sidelined with an ankle injury. Nonetheless, I’m still captivated by his flashes and traits. He moves tremendously well for a 330-pounder and packs a punch behind his powerful hands.

With just five career starts to his name, Mims needs to establish his body of work, but I’ll bet on his baseline talent.

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An ankle injury sidelined Egbuka (22 catches for 303 yards, three TDs) for most of October, but the Ohio State offense looks much different when he’s on the field. In fact, the Buckeyes probably wouldn’t have beaten Notre Dame without him.

He is a magnet that can open voids in the defense, and he shows innate ball-judgement skills and hand strength. His skill set is more subtle than Marvin Harrison Jr.’s, but Egbuka is a pro-ready receiver.

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I’m sure Newton (35 tackles, 4.5 TFL, 3.5 sacks) will get beaten up throughout the draft process, because he lacks desired size and length for the position. But he is consistently disruptive, regardless of which tape of his you study.

With his initial quickness, Newton creates vertical push and uses various snatch/pull techniques to shed blocks. And, thanks to his GPS for the football, he is just as productive defending the run.

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Similar to Amarius Mims, Guyton’s draft projection is based more on traits and upside than body of work, which can make it challenging to accurately rank him at this point. But he offers the big-man athleticism and movement skills that make it easy to be optimistic for his future.

Several NFL scouts believe his potential is greater than that of Anton Harrison, a 2023 first-rounder from Oklahoma.

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A physical presence for all four quarters, Tuimoloau (5.0 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks) wins the point of attack with aggressive hands and by using body leverage to pry open pass-rush lanes.

He needs to work on becoming more deceptive (like he was on his fake stunt against Olu Fashanu) to consistently beat NFL tackles, but his baseline traits make him a next-level starter.

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As my preseason QB6, Sanders just missed the initial top 50 in August. He absolutely earned his way onto the list this time with his play over the season’s first two months.

Sanders (2,637 yards passing, 25 total TDs) is guilty of holding the ball for too long when big-play hunting, but his ability to keep plays alive is an asset. Though he could use another year of seasoning, Sanders has the poise and physical talent to warrant a first-round pick if he declares for the 2024 draft.

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One of the biggest risers since the summer, Thomas (42 catches for 732 yards) is big, strong and fast — there shouldn’t be much mystery why he is ranked in the top 25. He leads the FBS in receiving touchdowns (11), and there aren’t many drops on his film.

The gap between Thomas and Malik Nabers is small, and some teams might even have Thomas as the higher-ranked receiver.

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There’s no way around it: King had a disappointing performance versus Ohio State, his most important tape of the season. Whether in the slot or outside, Marvin Harrison Jr. had little trouble creating separation against him, and King also committed two costly penalties (one took points off the board for Penn State; another set up Ohio State near the goal line).

King (25 career passes defended) is a talented and aggressive competitor and still belongs in the first-round discussion, but he must finish the season strong — including an important matchup against Michigan on Nov. 11.

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Oregon State has a few future NFL players on its offensive line, but Fuaga has been the most impressive of the group. He creates immediate displacement with his hands in the run game and escorts defenders away from the lane. His feet can get tied up at times against quality rushers, but he does a nice job with his pass-protection landmarks.

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Although he might not receive as much notoriety as teammate Kool-Aid McKinstry, Arnold (40 tackles, one INT, six passes defended) has played well this season and has NFL starting-level traits himself.

At 6 feet 0 and 195 pounds, he has quick, controlled footwork in his pedal and transitions to stay on top of routes. He also might be the most competitive corner in the draft.

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If not for a late-season injury, Morgan could have been a top-50 pick in the 2023 draft. Instead, the left tackle returned to Arizona for his fifth season and is now playing his best football.

Morgan stays balanced in his pass sets and leverages his body and massive hands to answer pass rushers. Some NFL teams want to keep him outside; others are grading him as a guard.

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Paul’s tape doesn’t scream ”first-round pick,” but his traits and upside could make him a Day 1 selection.

At 6 feet 7 and 308 pounds with 36 3/8-inch arms, the Houston native can overwhelm defenders and keep them occupied. However, he will struggle versus savvy and speed, and he needs to develop his hand use/timing before he is ready for NFL rushers.

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With his straight-line speed, Franklin (52 catches for 867 yards and nine TDs) is a field-stretcher who can feast against press or off-man coverage. He has explosive leaping skills to high point and win catches over defensive backs.

Though he doesn’t have the same size, Franklin has some similarities in his game to what makes Christian Watson a weapon for the Packers.

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If you watch the Alabama front seven to see Dallas Turner, Braswell (9.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, two forced fumbles) inevitably will jump off the screen. There is some tightness when he turns the corner, but Braswell is able to slam his hands into blockers, convert his speed to power and collapse the pocket in different ways.

High-energy force players like Braswell usually find sustainable roles in the NFL.

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A college left tackle, Fautanu has the talent and length to stay outside, but his body and play style suggest that an NFL move to guard could be what is best long-term.

Fautanu has NFL-level feet and movements, and he is playing with better composure and committing fewer penalties than last season.

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Currently tied for second in the Big Ten with three interceptions, Nubin (36 tackles, three passes defended) looks like a wide receiver with his ability to make plays on the ball.

If you saw his tears of joy after Minnesota’s win over Iowa, you also should understand how important winning is to him.

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You don’t hear Mitchell mentioned much as a potential first-round pick, but you should. He is 6 feet 1 and 200 pounds with verified 4.3 speed, and those numbers translate well to the football field. The Toledo coaches feel confident leaving Mitchell (37 career passes defended) on an island, because they know they have an NFL talent.

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While J.T. Tuimoloau receives most of the attention on the Ohio State defensive line, Sawyer’s impact has been instrumental to the Buckeyes’ success.

Built the right way at 6 feet 4 and 265 pounds, Sawyer (26 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks) is more good than great in several categories. He is well-rounded, though, and could be a valuable piece to an NFL defensive line with his aggressive and always-alert play style versus both run and pass.

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The Big Ten leader in pass breakups (nine), Burke is a good-sized athlete with the feet to stay on top of routes. His aggressive tendencies downfield with his back to the football lead to volatility in his game, but his competitive makeup and movement skills are traits that can be coached up in the NFL.

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Although his production (5.5 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks) has been mediocre this season, Orhorhoro has the talent and traits that NFL coaches want in their building.

After not playing football until his junior year of high school, Orhorhoro has steadily been getting better and better each season, and he is still far from his ceiling.

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Washington is the third team with multiple receivers in this top 50, joining Ohio State and LSU.

Polk (46 catches for 836 yards and seven TDs) makes outstanding adjustments on the football, and he boasts the size and concentration to win in traffic. I’m not sure what Polk’s timed speed will be, but he has the route acceleration to give his quarterback a window.

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Although he ultimately might not have the top-tier testing numbers NFL teams covet at cornerback, Lassiter (26 tackles, 10 career passes defended) is highly competitive with the controlled movements to shadow receivers at the next level.

According to NFL area scouts, those in the Georgia building “love” Lassiter, because he is one of the program’s best leaders and workers.

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The only linebacker to make this top 50, Carter (43 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks) lacks ideal size, length and finishing power — which will make it tough for him to earn first-round grades. But he has above-average key-and-drive skills with the athletic twitch and sideline-to-sideline speed to pile up impact plays.

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At 6 feet 4 and 196 pounds, Mitchell (29 catches for 427 yards and seven TDs) is a long, flexible athlete who possesses easy acceleration to immediately reach top speed. Though he is a loose mover, Mitchell also tends to be imprecise with his technique and must continue to improve his play strength.

I’m not sure that he will ever be as dominant as his traits suggest he can be, but that won’t stop an NFL team from finding out.

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Daniels (2,573 yards passing, 30 total TDs) put quality tape out there while at Arizona State, but he took a noticeable jump last season after transferring to LSU and looks even better in 2023.

His running ability is a valuable asset, but I’m most impressed with his confidence and control as a passer — both in the pocket and on the move. He leads the FBS in completions of 20-plus yards with 49.

Daniels has received starter-level grades from NFL scouts.

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An LSU transfer, Jackson (34 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks) has shown flashes of dominance this season, most notably on the Alabama tape (11 tackles, 3.5 sacks).

At 6 feet 7 and 280 pounds, he is aware versus the run and has really smooth stride acceleration to work his way around blockers as a pass rusher. I promise you will start to hear Jackson’s name more and more as we move closer to the draft.

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Ewers (1,915 yards passing, 18 total TDs) has taken a step forward this season, especially with his performance at Alabama.

There is no doubt that he is an NFL quarterback, but determining his pro upside — high-end, mid-level or low-end starter? — still feels like a work in progress. It doesn’t help that Ewers is currently sidelined with a shoulder injury.

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Fresh off a dominant performance versus Stanford (16 pressures, 2.0 sacks), Trice is starting to heat up after a relatively slow start. He won’t test off the charts with his speed or length, but his athletic urgency and physicality make it tough to keep him blocked.

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The USC defense has been a disaster this season, but Bullock has been one of the few bright spots. He leads the Trojans in passes defended (six) and interceptions (two, including a pick six) and has a rangy skill set reminiscent of 2021 second-round pick Trevon Moehrig.

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At 5 feet 11 and 185 pounds, McConkey doesn’t necessarily look impressive stepping off the bus. But then you see his speed, competitive ball skills and on-field impact, and you are reminded why he is one of the top playmakers in the SEC.

After missing the first month of the season due to injury, McConkey had a breakout game last Saturday against Florida (134 receiving yards, including 76 after the catch).

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A college left tackle, Barton most likely will move inside to guard or center in the NFL. Either way, he projects as a long-term starter.

He is athletic, keeps his blocks centered and finishes with a stubborn grip. Regardless of the position he plays, there are a lot of NFL teams that could use his skill set right now.

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It is kind of strange that the quarterback of the No. 1 team in the country isn’t being widely talked about as an NFL prospect. But he should be. Beck (2,462 yards passing, 17 TDs) has been more productive than former Georgia QB (and Rams fourth-round pick) Stetson Bennett was at this point last season, and he is getting better with each game.

Beck is on a trajectory to be an NFL starter.

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(Illustration: Eamonn Dalton / The Athletic; Photos: Kevin C. Cox, Meg Oliphant / Getty Images, Zach Bolinger / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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