Draft analyst names the weakest position groups in the 2024 class

The 2024 NFL Draft begins on Thursday, and there's been plenty of buzz that quarterback, wide receiver and offensive line are among the deepest position groups in the class. 

But what position groups are lacking in talent? NFL Media's Daniel Jeremiah answered this very question on the latest episode of Barstool Sports' "Pardon My Take" podcast. 

Jeremiah — a former scout for the Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles — broke down the deepest and weakest position groups, but with a slight twist. For his exercise, Jeremiah based his analysis on how many players he believes will earn a second contract from the team they are drafted by. 

Unsurprisingly, Jeremiah mentioned wide receiver, offensive tackle and cornerback as position groups boasting the most players he believes will be re-signed, with at least seven each. On the other hand, Jeremiah doesn't think that even three running back prospects stay with the team that selects them past their rookie deals. 

"Running backs, for obvious reasons, I put zero to two; it's not a great running backs class," Jeremiah said. "This has nothing to do with the devaluing of the position. It's just not a great running backs class." 

While his assessment might seem hyperbolic, it's hard to argue against Jeremiah's claim that this is a weak running back class. To put into perspective how lackluster the talent pool is, DraftKings Sportsbook recently offered a prop for zero running backs to be selected at -1600 odds.

Additionally, Texas' Jonathon Brooks, the top-ranked running back by ESPN, was only a one-year starter in college and tore his ACL 11 games into last season. The 20-year-old still excelled when healthy, amassing 1,425 yards from scrimmage and scoring 11 touchdowns, though he's a much less promising prospect than his former teammate Bijan Robinson, the eighth overall pick in last year's draft. 

Even so, Jeremiah feels that a few other position groups, almost all of which are on the defensive side of the ball, are less-than-impressive. 

"It is not a good tight end class," Jeremiah added. "I put one to two there ... Safety is not great, four to five. Defensive tackles [and] edge-rushers, those are both four to five, four to six. Linebackers [are] not good, three to four. It's literally receivers, tackles [and] corners, that's the strength of the draft."

On the tight end front, Georgia's Brock Bowers, the only two-time John Mackey Award winner in college football history. is a lock to be selected early in the first round. 

However, the talent at the position will fall off significantly once Bowers is selected, with Texas' Ja'Tavion Sanders being considered the No. 2 tight end in the class. Although he was productive for the Longhorns, Sanders struggled at the NFL Scouting Combine, which has raised concerns that he's a boom-or-bust prospect. 

Like the running back position, we probably won't see a safety or inside linebacker drafted in the first round. Junior Colson, who led Michigan with 95 tackles last season and is Jeremiah's No. 43 overall prospect, is the favorite to be the first linebacker selected (+125), according to FanDuel Sportsbook. 

Meanwhile, Minnesota's Tyler Nubin (53 tackles, one sack and five interceptions in 2023) is the leading candidate to be the first safety off the board.

The depth might not be all that exciting, but this year's edge-rusher and defensive tackle classes offer some high-upside players. It'll be intriguing to see if each position group's overall lack of talent entices teams to trade up for a blue-chip prospect like Texas DT Byron Murphy II or UCLA edge-rusher Laiatu Latu on Thursday.