The inevitable march of time comes to us all. What better time to remember your own mortality than the NFL Draft? As the number of NFL offspring entering the league continues to grow, we see children of players who retired a decade ago trying to find a home in the NFL.
This 2024 NFL Draft class will be headlined by three players who are children of former NFL players, with several more joining later in the draft.
Marvin Harrison Jr., WR — Ohio State University
Projected draft picks: Top 5
You’d have to live under a rock to get this far in this process without hearing about Marvin Harrison Jr. He has been on draft radars for the past three years as one of the most vaunted receiver prospects since Randy Moss and Calvin Johnson. .
Harrison Jr. has elite route running skills inherited from his father, but he is more athletic than Pops. A unicorn of a player, his MHJ has the ability to make quarterbacks better purely by creating mismatches on the outside.
You’ll be hearing his name for a while. length Time to come.
Frank Gore Jr., RB — Southern Mississippi
Projected Draft Pick: Preferred UDFA
A classic three-down back, Frank Gore Jr. won in college with power rather than speed or finesse. In many ways, he’s a jack of all trades and a master of none, which hurts his draft position a lot.
Still, judging by his name, he could earn a spot on the team and find a spot as an RB3.
Brenden Rice, WR — USC
Projected draft pick: 4th to 5th round
Brenden, the son of the legendary Jerry Rice, has the potential to be the team’s midfield pick. Brenden, who transferred to USC from Colorado State in 2023, finished his final year as Caleb Williams’ reliable weapon, catching 45 passes for 791 yards.
Although a solidly built possession receiver like his father, what Brenden lacks is a polished route runner. Still, he found a way to make plays and was a touchdown machine for the Trojans. He would be a surefire third-day pick.
Luke McCaffrey, WR — Rice
Projected draft pick: 4th to 5th round
The son of Broncos wide receiver Ed McCaffrey and brother of Christian McCaffrey, Luke is a former QB turned receiver who has shown great promise in a short amount of time. There are a lot of rough spots in his game as a receiver, but that could be a product of a lack of reps at the position.
McCaffrey will likely be a Day 3 pick and has more upside than most players selected in that range.
Kris Jenkins, DT — Michigan State
Projected draft pick: 2nd round
The son of former All-Pro DT Kris Jenkins, who played for the Panthers and Jets, his namesake was an integral part of the Wolverines’ national championship defense. A plus-level starter in the NFL, Chriss is a disruptive player with good technique but doesn’t have the ideal frame to advance him to his 1st round.
Jeremiah Trotter Jr., LB — Clemson
Projected draft pick: 4th to 5th round
Clemson linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. is the son of a former Eagles linebacker of the same name. He is a solid tackling machine with a natural talent for wrapping players at the point of attack and rarely takes bad angles when chasing.
Trotter Jr. will fall a bit further down the list due to his lack of size, but he has the potential to be a reliable defender.
