2024 NFL draft sleepers: Scouts pick under-the-radar prospects - ESPN

There is generally very little time off for NFL scouts and evaluators. The summer months following an NFL draft are typically spent already studying the next class — and the 2024 group looks promising.

We've all heard about USC quarterback Caleb Williams, Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and Penn State left tackle Olumuyiwa Fashanu. But what about those elusive prospects who aren't generating a ton of buzz yet? Identifying those potential breakout risers is key during the summer months. Think about Devon Witherspoon and Darnell Wright. No one was talking about them at this time last year, but they both ended up being top-10 picks.

With that in mind, we polled more than 15 scouts and execs from around the league to build a list of 10 under-the-radar prospects for the 2024 class. These aren't guys you'll see in our early first-round mock drafts, and they aren't guys being discussed often by the media elsewhere. They are, however, sleepers who could catapult their way up draft boards this fall.

Let's kick it off with a quarterback who could rise over the next 10 months:

A senior transfer from NC State, the 6-foot-1, 215-pound Leary has produced at a high level as a starter and has scouts excited about his potential in Kentucky's pro-style offensive scheme with the return of coordinator Liam Coen to Lexington. Leary has flashed potential, including a 2021 season that saw him throw for 35 touchdowns to just five interceptions.

«There's no substitute for experience at quarterback in college,» one AFC area scout said, «and Leary has a ton of it. He's built right mentally for that quick-strike offense, and I think we'll see more mobility from him now.»

That's something scouts are eager to see; Leary had a 7.8 QBR