Final 2024 NFL Draft projections for Texas Tech football players: Where will they go?

The 2024 NFL Draft has arrived, and several Texas Tech football players are looking to find their pro homes during the three-day event in Detroit.

Among the Red Raiders most likely to be drafted this weekend are Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, Myles Cole, Tyler Owens and Austin McNamara.

Here's a look at where these Red Raiders could be taken in the draft. Projections are based on four big mocks released recently from ESPN, NFL.com, Pro Football Focus and CBS Sports plus The Athletic's prospect rankings.

Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, safety

Most draft experts see Dadrion Taylor-Demerson being Texas Tech's highest drafted player this year. He's clawed his way up throughout the scouting portion and should be off the board by the midway point.

• CBS Sports' Chris Trapasso pegged Taylor-Demerson as the 58th overall pick, good for a second-round choice to the Green Bay Packers.

• Pro Football Focus' mock draft sees Rabbit winding up with the Kansas City Chiefs in the third round at pick No. 95.

• Dane Brugler of The Athletic placed the safety as the No. 96 prospect in this year's draft, which would be good for a third-round selection. The Jacksonville Jaguars own the 96th pick.

• Chad Reuter of NFL.com has Rabbit going in the fourth round with the 104th overall pick to the Arizona Cardinals.

• Jason Reid of ESPN has Taylor-Demerson to the Atlanta Falcons with the 109th pick, also in the fourth round.

Myles Cole, edge rusher

College production wasn't a major factor in Myles Cole's NFL draft prospects. Instead, it's his potential, which Texas Tech coaches raved about. It never came to fruition on the field, though NFL coaches seem to think they can tap that potential at the next level.

• Reid has Cole the highest-rated prospect among the five we're looking at. His ESPN mock has Cole going 118th overall in the fourth round to the Indianapolis Colts.

• Reuter isn't far behind on Cole, listing him as the 126th pick, also in the fourth round, to the Green Bay Packers.

• Trapasso had Cole going in the sixth round at 196th overall to the Los Angeles Rams.

• Cole is listed as Brugler's 252nd overall prospect, which would be one of the last picks of the draft.

• Pro Football Focus doesn't have Cole projected as a draft pick at all.

Tyler Owens, safety

Speed, the second-best broad jump in NFL combine history and not believing in space, Tyler Owens is a bit of a mixed bag, and his NFL draft prospects show as much. Owens has been listed on most draft prospect boards, though whether he's selected or not has been the question.

• Trapasso pegged Owens as the second pick of the seventh round (222nd overall) to the Washington Commanders.

• Pro Football Focus has Owens going 233rd overall in the seventh round to the Dallas Cowboys.

• Owens goes late in the seventh round to the Los Angeles Rams at 253rd overall in Reid's projections at ESPN.

• Owens is listed as the 276th prospect by Brugler, which would put him outside of the draft looking to sign an undrafted free agent deal.

• NFL.com's projections by Reuter see Owens going undrafted.

Austin McNamara, punter

It's not unheard of for teams to take punters in the draft, though it happens infrequently. Seven have been taken in the last two drafts, including a pair of fourth-round selections in 2022.

Of these five main projections, two of them (CBS Sports and PFF) don't have any specialists listed. The other three do include them, though the majority are kickers.

Just one projection, coming from Reid at NFL.com, has Austin McNamara being taken. He has McNamara going 237th overall in the seventh round to the Cincinnati Bengals.

Other Red Raiders

A number of other Texas Tech players are hoping to get drafted, though they are more likely to get a chance through the undrafted free agent route. Here are the other Red Raiders up for draft consideration:

• Baylor Cupp, tight end

• Malik Dunlap, cornerback

• Jaylon Hutchings, defensive lineman

• Tyrique Matthews, linebacker

• Cole Spencer, offensive lineman

• Rusty Staats, offensive lineman

• Xavier White, wide receiver

• Dennis Wilburn, offensive lineman

• Rayshad Williams, cornerback

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Final 2024 NFL Draft projections for Texas Tech football players