When Penn State offensive lineman Olumuyiwa Fashanu decided to return to Penn State,
for one final season of college football in Happy Valley, it was a stunning decision across the NFL draft universe.
Fashanu had been considered a likely first-round draft pick for the 2023 NFL draft had he declared for the draft.
Instead, Fashanu will return to college football as one of the top offensive linemen in the nation.
Could he be the first pick in next year’s NFL draft? ESPN says it is not an impossible scenario.
ESPN put potential top draft picks into various tiers for the 2024 NFL draft to determine which players are the most likely to be considered for the top pick.
Fashanu landed in the exclusive “serious contender” category with just three other players, two of whom are quarterbacks.
but if a team that currently has a young signal-caller lands the No. 1 selection and can’t move down the board,
Fashanu would likely be in consideration,” ESPN NFL draft analyst Jordan Reid explained.
And that certainly does make sense. Two of the other serious contenders for the top pick,
according to this story from ESPN, are quarterbacks Caleb Williams of USC and Drake Maye of North Carolina.
Quarterbacks will always be the top priority for NFL franchises, but not every team is in need of a quarterback.
Oftentimes, the next best move is to add some protection for the quarterback. That is where Fashanu comes into play as a possible top pick.
Oftentimes, the next best move is to add some protection for the quarterback. That is where Fashanu comes into play as a possible top pick.