The feeder class for elite high school talent from the 2024 NFL Draft was the class of 2021, which was destroyed by the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic: High school seasons were canceled or shortened, in-person visits were eliminated, evaluation opportunities were rare.
Even so, the recruiting industry Thursday night produced another powerful reminder that stars really do matter. Seven five-stars were selected, including No. 1 overall player Caleb Williams, who won the Heisman Trophy. Each of the five-star prospects selected in the first round was a member of the 2021 class. Additionally, 15 outstanding four-star prospects were selected in the first round, capped by No. 32 pick Xavier Legette.
The record for most five-star prospects selected in the first round was set in 2023, when 13 of those players went off the board on night one.
Here’s a look at the star rankings of every player selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
2024 NFL Draft by recruiting rankings
- 5 stars: 7
- 4 stars: 15
- 3 stars: 9
- Unclassified: 1
*Denotes a case where the 247Sports Composite rankings were used
