The first round of the 2024 NFL Draft is officially in the books from Detroit, and it was a great night for former five-star recruits. Of the 32 players to hear their names called Thursday night, seven were rated as five-star prospects coming out of high school.
Former USC and Oklahoma quarterback and 2022 Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams got the five-star run started when he was selected No. 1 overall by the Chicago Bears. Three five-stars were selected among the top 10 picks. Alabama led the way in five-stars selected with an impressive trio: JC Latham, Dallas Turner and Terrion Arnold.
Each of the five-star prospects selected in the first round were members of the 2021 class.
Below is the full list of former five-star prospects who were selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, starting with the No. 1 overall pick.
Draft result: No. 1 Overall | Chicago Bears (from CAR)
High school rank: 5-star | 99 rating | No. 8 Overall | No. 2 QB | 2021
Career summary: The clear No. 1 quarterback in this year’s draft class, Williams was one of the best players in college football from the moment he stepped on campus at Oklahoma. The Washington (D.C.) Gonzaga product supplanted Spencer Rattler as the Sooners’ starter by midseason after engineering a comeback for the ages in his first meaningful action – against Red River rival Texas, no less – and finished the season on a tear en route to True Freshman All-America honors. He would then follow head coach Lincoln Riley to USC, where he turned in a historic sophomore campaign to become the program’s eighth Heisman Trophy winner, setting the single-season school records for total offense (4,919 yards), total touchdowns (52), passing touchdowns (42), and passing efficiency rating (168.5). Though his junior season did not result in quite so many accolades, it was impressive nonetheless as Williams accounted for nearly 4,000 yards of offense with 41 total touchdowns over 12 games.
2. Drake Maye | QB | R-Soph. | North Carolina
Draft result: No. 3 Overall | New England Patriots
High school rank: 5-star | 98 rating | No. 24 Overall | No. 4 QB | 2021
Career summary: A UNC legacy, Maye gave Mack Brown one of his biggest recruiting wins when he flipped to the Tar Heels from Alabama during the spring of his junior season. After redshirting in his first season, he took over as the starter in 2022 and threw for 4,321 yards on 66.2% passing with 38 touchdowns against seven interceptions and led the team in rushing with 698 yards and seven scores en route to being named the ACC Player of the Year. Maye earned second-team All-ACC honors last season as a redshirt sophomore after amassing 4,057 yards of offense and 33 total touchdowns over 12 games.
3. JC Latham | OT | Jr. | Alabama
Draft result: No. 7 Overall | Tennessee Titans
High school rank: 5-star | 100 rating | No. 5 Overall | No. 1 OT | 2021
Career summary: The headliner of a loaded Alabama recruiting class that ranked No. 1 nationally and featured a whopping seven five-stars, Latham spent his first season in Tuscaloosa as a reserve before taking over as the starting right tackle as a sophomore. The 6-foot-5 3/4, 342-pounder went on to start 27 consecutive games in that spot for the Crimson Tide, earning second-team All-America and first-team All-SEC honors during his junior season. Latham allowed just two sacks in 1,016 pass blocking snaps for his career, according to PFF College.
Draft result: No. 17 Overall | Minnesota Vikings (from JAC)
High school rank: 5-star | 98 rating | No. 12 Overall | No. 1 EDGE | 2021
Career summary: One of seven five-stars to sign with Alabama in the 2021 class, Turner was dominant from Day 1, earning True Freshman All-America honors after recording 30 tackles with 10 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks over 15 games. He followed that up with 37 tackles, including eight for a loss, and four sacks before capping off his career with his most productive season last fall. Turner was a consensus first-team All-American and the SEC Defensive Player of the Year as a junior, finishing tied for ninth-nationally with 10 sacks to go along with 53 tackles, a team-high 14.5 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles. He was credited with a career-best 55 quarterback pressures in 292 pass rushing snaps per PFF College, which was tied for ninth among Power Five edge rushers.
Draft result: No. 18 Overall | Cincinnati Bengals
High school rank: 5-star | 98 rating | No. 15 Overall | No. 3 OT | 2021
Career summary: The third-ranked offensive tackle prospect in the 2021 class, Mims appeared in 29 games with eight starts over three seasons in Athens, but that was enough to get him drafted in the first round. The 6-foot-7 ¾, 340-pounder spent most of his first two seasons as a reserve before making his first two career starts in the College Football Playoff following an injury to starter Warren McClendon. He entered 2023 as the full-time starter at right tackle, but an ankle injury limited him to just six starts. According to PFF College, Mims did not allow a single sack in 402 career pass-blocking snaps, and he only allowed six quarterback pressures.
6. Chop Robinson | EDGE | Jr.| Penn State
Draft result: No. 21 Overall | Miami Dolphins
High school rank: 5-star | 98 rating | No. 22 Overall | No. 2 EDGE | 2021
Career summary: Robinson was the crown jewel of Maryland’s 2021 recruiting class, but he spent just one season in College Park before transferring within the Big Ten East to Penn State. The Gaithersburg (Md.) Quince Orchard product was All-Big Ten honorable mention with the Nittany Lions after posting 26 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, two pass breakups and one forced fumble over 12 games. Robinson was limited to 10 games as a junior due to injury, but he still managed to record 15 tackles,7.5 tackles for loss and four sacks, garnering third-team All-America honors from the Associated Press. He was also a first-team All-Big Ten selection.
Draft result: No. 23 Overall | Detroit Lions (from DAL)
High school rank: 5-star | 98 rating | No. 26 Overall | No. 2 S | 2021
Career summary: One of seven five-stars in Alabama’s heralded 2021 recruiting class, Arnold did not see any action in his first season with the program. He appeared in 11 games with seven starts as a redshirt freshman, earning a spot on the SEC All-Freshman Team after recording 45 tackles (one for a loss), one interception and eight pass breakups. But he had a breakout season last fall, emerging as one of the best cornerbacks in the country with an SEC-leading five interceptions over 14 games. He also led the Crimson Tide with 12 pass breakups and notched 63 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and one sack, earning an 88.4 PFF overall grade that ranked fifth among Power Five cornerbacks.
