The NFL announced the 13 players who will attend the 2024 NFL Draft, with the first round taking place on April 25 in Detroit. The 13 players who will attend the draft and go up on stage to meet the commissioner after getting drafted are:
-USC QB Caleb Williams
-UNC QB Drake Maye
-LSU QB Jayden Daniels
-LSU WR Malik Nabers
-LSU WR Brian Thomas Jr.
-OSU WR Marvin Harrison Jr.
-Washington WR Rome Odunze
-Alabama OT JC Latham
-Missouri DL Darius Robinson
-Alabama EDGE Dallas Turner
-UCLA EDGE Laiatu Latu
-Toledo CB Quinyon Mitchell
-Alabama CB Terrion Arnold
Of those players, the Steelers have been linked to Latham and Thomas often in mock drafts, while the team also had a Pro Day dinner with Turner and Arnold and also hosted Robinson for a pre-draft visit. There’s a chance that one of those players is around with Pittsburgh’s selection at No. 20 overall in the first round, although it feels less likely that defensive line would be the pick. Arnold is a player who could come in and immediately play outside or in the slot for the Steelers, and he’s regarded as one of the best cornerbacks in the draft.
It’s no surprise that the top three quarterbacks of Williams, Daniels and Maye are attending the draft, as they’re expected to hear their name called with the top three picks. Odunze, Nabers and Harrison Jr. are also expected to go toward the top of the draft, while Latu and Turner are likely to be among the first defensive players taken, and neither is likely to last to Pittsburgh’s selection at No. 20 overall.
We’ll find out in two weeks if one of these players has a surprise fall on draft day, similar to Will Levis last season, who wasn’t selected until the second round. However, as it stands right now, all 13 seem to be pretty firm in the first round, with Robinson the guy who might be slated to go the lowest. But it’s a dream come true for most of these players to hear their name called and shake the Commissioner’s hand as they begin their NFL journey, and this is the group of 13 that will be there to do it in person on draft night.
