After months of anticipation, the 2024 NFL Draft is on the horizon this weekend. Over 200 collegiate athletes will hear their names called at the podium in Detroit, Michigan. Although most of the buzz around the draft culminates during the first night with the Round 1 selections, many more young aspiring football pros wait anxiously to hear their name associated with a team on Days Two and Three.

In the current state of NCAA and NFL football, HBCU athletes typically aren't taken within the first few rounds. That doesn't mean, however, that they aren't impactful: take James Houston IV, Markquese Bell, Terron Armstead, and Tytus Howard for example, all of whom are starters or high-impact role players for their teams. This upcoming draft class is once again full of HBCU talent that, if matched with the right team, can explode onto the scene immediately.

Isaiah Major, LB, Florida A&M

Best fit: Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys would love to have the reigning SWAC Defensive Player of the Year Isaiah Major on their roster. Major, a linebacker, finished his final season with Florida A&M with 106 total tackles (63 solo), 12.5 tackles for loss, five quarterback hits, three pass breakups, two sacks, two interceptions, and one fumble recovery. Major made plays all over the field as he led the Rattlers to the best defense in the SWAC. He even had an interception in the Celebration Bowl against Howard that sealed the game for Florida A&M.

The Cowboys are in desperate need of linebacker help. Former first-round linebacker Leighton Vander Esch announced his retirement from the sport last month after spending six years in Dallas. He had multiple neck injuries that sidelined him throughout his career, and he decided to call it quits before anything too severe happened. To replace him, Dallas signed 32-year-old Eric Kendricks. Kendricks spent last season with the Los Angeles Chargers, a team that needs almost everything on defense, yet decided not to bring him back.

Fortunately, the Cowboys have dipped into the Florida A&M pool before. At the other linebacker spot lies Markquese Bell, an undrafted linebacker-safety hybrid whom Isaiah Major looked up to as a leader of the Rattler defense. Bell has been a revelation for the Cowboys and, at one point, was rated as the best linebacker in the league by Pro Football Focus.

Despite the production, however, Bell's size is a problem. At only 205 pounds, he's more of a safety who can rotate into a linebacker spot in a pinch, rather than a traditional, three-down type of player. Major remedies that problem with a frame of 230 pounds, and could likely add more if needed.

Davius Richard, QB, North Carolina Central

Best fit: Any QB-needy team

Davius Richard, a two-time MEAC Offensive Player of the Year, is one of the best HBCU and non-FBS prospects in this draft. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound quarterback has performed in any situation imaginable. Richard first put the NFL on notice with his performance in the 2022 season, which he capped off with a sound performance and win over the Deion Sanders-led Jackson State Tigers in the Celebration Bowl. The following year, Richard had the cleanest season of his career. Although his stats weren't as impressive as his 2022 season, the North Carolina Central quarterback still threw for more than 2,100 yards, 21 touchdowns, a career-low four interceptions, and got sacked a career-low 12 times.

In the offseason, Davius Richard continued to impress scouts with his HBCU Combine and Legacy Bowl performances. Despite suffering an ankle injury in the Legacy Bowl, he won the Offensive MVP after conducting a stellar opening drive. ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper took note of Richard's career and ranked him just outside the top 10 of best quarterbacks in this draft.

As far as fit goes, Richard could slot in with any team in the league. As the NFL keeps adding games to the schedule, starting quarterbacks are getting injured at an increased rate. That fact only heightens the need for quality backup quarterbacks: look at Jake Browning in Cincinnati after Joe Burrow's injury. Furthermore, there are plenty of teams with bridge quarterbacks. The Seattle Seahawks have 33-year-old Geno Smith for two more years; Jared Goff is in the final year of his deal with the Detroit Lions; the Denver Broncos don't have any long-term options at the position. Richard could fit anywhere across the league.

John Huggins, S, Jackson State

Washington Commanders

Jackson State safety John Huggins did all he could to boost his stock at the HBCU Combine. A former three-star recruit and transfer from Florida, Huggins ran an unofficial 4.45 40-yard dash, one of the fastest at the Combine. He also recorded a 38.5-inch vertical and an 11-foot broad jump. He outperformed safeties Jordan Carter and Jordan Toles in every statistical category at the event.

In his three seasons with Jackson State, Huggins has recorded 109 total tackles (78 solo), 11.5 tackles for loss, 11 pass deflections, three interceptions, and 2.5 sacks. His size also allows him to play in the box when needed. He's similar in stature to Markquese Bell; the Jackson State safety stands at 6-foot-1 and weighs 211 pounds.

Huggins fits best with the rebuilding Washington Commanders. The Commanders signed a bunch of veterans to short, one-to-two-year deals to set a baseline for their rebuild. After losing Kamren Curl in free agency, they signed Jeremy Chinn to a one-year deal as a stopgap solution. Chinn, however, has dealt with injury concerns in the past, and with the short length of his contract, he's far from a permanent solution for Washington. Huggins could come in as a backup and learn the game along with multiple other rookies and second-year players as the Commanders reset their organization.

Jarveon Howard, RB, Alcorn State

New York Giants

Last on the list is another HBCU Combine standout, Alcorn State's workhorse running back Jarveon Howard. Howard, a 5-foot-10, 215-pound back, ran the fastest 40-yard dash among the RBs at the Combine. He ran the dash in 4.52 seconds, faster than some higher-rated prospects such as Michigan's Blake Corum (4.53), Notre Dame's Audric Estime (4.72), and Oregon's Bucky Irving (4.56). The transfer from Syracuse also led the backs in the broad and vertical jump and the 10-yard split. In his two seasons at Alcorn, State, Howard ran for 2,048 yards and 19 touchdowns.

The New York Giants made their feelings toward running back Saquon Barkley clear when they decided to pay quarterback Daniel Jones over him. Barkley, the second overall pick in the 2018 draft, decided to leave the team that selected him for their division rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles. The Giants signed former Houston Texan Devin Singletary to replace the Pro Bowl running back, but they may need more help to replicate Barkley's production. Howard can help alleviate the stress on Singletary, both on the ground and through the air. Howard drastically improved as a pass-catcher between 2022 and 2023. Last season, he caught 29 passes for 184 yards, a substantial improvement from his 41 yards on eight catches the season prior.