Consensus big board high: Second overall

Current rank: 16th

Fashanu followed up a second-team All-American 2022 with a consensus first-team All-American performance in 2023, looking like the draft’s top offensive lineman in the process. But the pre-draft process has allowed him to slide, with Joe Alt taking the top spot on most boards and players like J.C. Latham, Taliese Fuaga and Amarius Mims pressing to possible top 10 status.

It’s a surprising turn for a cerebral 21-year-old player who could spend the next decade-plus as one lucky offense’s blindside protector. Fashanu’s pass blocking is arguably the best in his class, as he’s explosive enough to get in front of edge rushers along the corner or adjust back inside to counters. While he’s a little raw in the run game, he’s still a wonderful player for someone who only picked up the game in high school.

Despite that, teams may be swayed by the lower floors and (arguably) higher ceilings of guys like Latham and Mims. That could allow Fashanu to slide all the way to a playoff team — where he could immediately contribute as a starter.

Consensus big board high: Seventh overall

Current rank: 26th

There are a few factors holding Newton back. He didn’t rack up massive counting stats in college, because that’s not his game. His 7.5 sacks last season were a career high, but not eye-popping.

More importantly, he’s been hampered by a foot injury that kept him out of pre-draft workouts, leaving him to languish with a relatively small frame (6-foot-1, 304 pounds) for a defensive tackle. That’s a shame, because his explosive athleticism would have made him a sensation at the combine.

Newton is a bundle of dynamite who gets off the line and into gaps with explosive quickness that leaves opposing blockers flailing. He constantly forces double teams, creating lanes for his teammates to swarm around him. The Illinois star makes things better, period. Even if that doesn’t lead to big stats as a rookie, he’ll be an asset.

Consensus big board high: First overall

Current rank: 40th

Coleman was never going to be the No. 1 pick, but he looked destined for a first-round selection after a solid 2022 with Michigan State and an explosive debut for Florida State. He racked up 122 yards and three touchdowns to briefly give Marvin Harrison Jr. competition as this spring’s top wideout.

But Coleman backslid after that, recording a single 100-plus yard game in FSU’s undefeated run through the regular season. Then he tested poorly in the high-profile combine workouts, clocking a 4.61-second 40 time with sluggish acceleration that likely dropped him from first-round consideration.

That’s not representative of the heights he’s capable of reaching on Sundays. Coleman combines solid size (6-foot-3, 213 pounds) with impressive body control that allows him to separate from defenders and high-point balls en route to spectacular grabs. He’s an asset as a blocker and a reliable target near the sideline or cutting inside on slants for clutch yardage. He plays faster than he tested, and while there’s still risk involved against a more athletic class of defensive backs, his game tape suggests he can make an NFL impact.

Consensus big board high: 19th overall

Current rank: 52nd

Whomever plucks Beebe off the board on Day 2 is going to get one of 2024’s most accomplished blockers. The burly guard went from first-team All-American to consensus first-team All-American last year, spending time on the interior of the Wildcats line and out — he started 22 games at left or right tackle in his college career and was an All-Big 12 honoree there in 2021.

But his 31.5-inch arm length has raised concerns, dropping him from a spot as 2024’s first guard/center selected to a probable spot in the second round. That, paired with decent combine speed/agility numbers and a weak bench press performance, has allowed players like Jackson Powers-Johnson and Graham Barton to climb ahead of him.

These limitations didn’t affect Beebe’s career. While that lack of reach may have created some lunging issues, he’s still got crocodile power once he has a defender in his grasp, locking on and dispatching them with efficacy. He’s versatile and disciplined, making him a coach’s dream and an easy man to pencil in on an NFL depth chart.

Consensus big board high: 20th overall

Current rank: 55th

Lassiter revels in contact; you won’t find a better tackler at cornerback in this year’s draft. But his blue-chip bonafides and Bulldog pedigree failed to generate accolades, even after he allowed just a 48.7 passer rating in coverage last fall (he was named second-team All-SEC).

There are some red flags that come along with that stingy defense. He had a single interception in three seasons at Georgia. His 4.64-second 40 time is, oooof, for a sideline cornerback. At 5-foot-11 and 187 pounds, he lacks the kind of size that would reduce concerns about that athleticism/production vortex.

But Lassiter reads the field as well as any cornerback in the draft. He’s able to anticipate cuts and shake blocks to create plays. Maybe he won’t stand out, but he should be a solid addition for any team that misses out on the first (and maybe second?) wave of cornerback talent.

Consensus big board high: 19th overall

Current rank: 92nd

Trotter had first-round buzz. Now, he may not even be among the first wave of good-not-great off-ball linebackers selected in 2024.

Part of that is due to a landscape that values inside linebackers considerably less than pass-rushers. Trotter is a useful blitzer — 12 sacks in 2022 and 2023 — but that’s not his primary role. He’s there to track from sideline to sideline, covering tight ends and slashing upfield to seal running lanes for big stops.

With 180 tackles and 28.5 tackles for loss in his last 26 games, he’s very good at this. The question is whether he has the quickness to change direction and shadow NFL targets. Between his average speed and impulsive tackling angles, he can wind up behind the play, leading to big gains.

That’s a reasonable concern. But Trotter is a downhill thumper who rarely misses when he’s got a runner in his sights. Man coverage may be an issue, but that’s nothing the right defense can’t conceal.