Meet the No. 1 draft prospects of 2024! Two USC stars – including Caleb Williams – are bound for the NFL and NBA, MLB’s Cleveland Guardians will land a huge hitter… and a 17-year-old is ready to take the NHL by storm

Being selected at number 1 in a professional sports roster certainly comes with a lot of pressure, but at the same time it rarely guarantees success.

Bryce Young (NFL), Victor Wembanyama (NBA), Paul Skenes (MLB) and Connor Bedard (NHL) were considered top selections in their respective 2023 drafts and they have certainly had mixed fortunes since then.

Now plans for 2024 are on the horizon and young athletes are doing or are doing everything they can to impress professional coaches and scouts.

Here, DailyMail.com profiles the top prospects in all four major sports as they approach their draft day.

Caleb Williams – NFL

Draft date: April 25-27, 2024

Williams has long been considered one of the top two quarterbacks in his class, alongside North Carolina's Drake Maye.

An elusive passer and runner with an electrifying arm and strong leadership skills, Williams won the Heisman Trophy and was named the Associated Press' college football player of the year in 2022 after an outstanding season.

But this year was tough for him in Southern California, as the Trojans went 7-5 before winning the Holiday Bowl – which Williams skipped – and many tried to argue that their results were proof that Williams shouldn't go that high as number 1 in the draft. .

He finished his final collegiate season with 41 combined touchdowns, 3,633 passing yards and just five interceptions in 12 games.

But as well as Maye, Ohio State receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. has also staked his claim in the first place.

The Buckeyes star produced an outstanding season, with 67 receptions for 1,211 yards and 14 touchdowns.

It looks like Harrison Jr. will be a deadly weapon for every NFL team for the next decade.

But the number of teams with quarterback uncertainty going into the draft certainly means Williams will be taken first.

At this point, the Chicago Bears will land the first pick thanks to their trade with the Panthers last season.

They're considering whether or not to part ways with Justin Fields, but Williams doesn't seem eager to go to Illinois. On Christmas Eve, he liked a post that said the Bears weren't allowed to take him.

The Cardinals are also considering a new quarterback after Kyler Murray's struggles. The Commanders are certainly looking for it, and so is New England.

So if Harrison Jr. is taken off the board first, Williams and Maye will most likely go before the fourth pick.

Isaiah Collier – NBA

Draft date: June 27, 2024

There is no clear No. 1 pick in this year's NBA Draft class, and some experts consider it the most uncertain of the past decade.

There's still a long way to go in the college basketball season, which means a host of players could make a case to be at the top of the rankings in the coming months. NBA scouts are working frantically to identify these before draft day.

Still, freshman Collier's name appears to be gaining traction as his debut USC season progresses.

Collier, who will turn 19 on draft day, committed to Southern California in November 2022 as the nation's No. 1 recruit after also drawing interest in the five-star guard from Michigan and Cincinnati.

Collier and JuJu Watkins made history before stepping onto the Galen Center court for their first basketball games with USC this season.

It was the first time that top consensus high school men and women decided to attend the same school in the same season.

Collier, a point guard, is 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds and possesses striking passing and good visionwhile being a capable shooter with good burst in the open field and towards the edge.

In eleven games this season, Collier is averaging 16.1 points per game with a shooting accuracy of 49.2 percent.

He can be quite sensitive to turnovers (4.1 per game this year), but Collier has all the tools needed to become a star in the NBA.

Other candidates for number 1 are Nikola Topic, Ron Holland, Alexandre Sarr or Zaccharie Risacher – three of whom currently play outside the US.

JJ Wetherholt-MLB

Concept date: July 2024

The Cleveland Guardians will have the No. 1 pick in the 2024 MLB amateur baseball draft for the first time after winning the lottery earlier this month.

And it looks like they'll be taking West Virginia Mountaineers' JJ Wetherholt when they're on the clock in July.

Wetherholt, who will play shortstop this spring, was flying on draft boards and mock drafts after excellent form with the bat.

The second baseman is one of the best ball hitters this year, as evidenced by his .449 batting average. He was also named Big 12 Player of the Year.

He was a unanimous first-team All-American selection after hitting 16 home runs, 24 doubles and two triples.

In doing so, he became the first player in more than twenty years to finish the season with 40 extra base hits and 36 stolen bases.

He then hit a home run in the summer in his first start with the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team.

Wake Forest first baseman Nick Kurtz and right-hander Chase Burns, Oregon State second baseman Travis Bazzana and Florida first baseman and left-hander Jac Caglianone are also among the early projections as possibilities for top picks.

Macklin Celebrini-NHL

Draft date: June 28-29, 2024

Celebrini, a freshman at Boston University, could be the most obvious No. 1 selection in all four sports.

The 17-year-old center stands at 6-foot-4 and 190 pounds and leads the Terriers in goals, points and shots on goals through 15 games this season.

The Canadian won the USHL Player of the Year award when he was just 16 in the 2022-23 season after scoring 46 goals and 86 points in 60 games with the Chicago Steel.

But even before that, his potential was plain for all to see. In two seasons at Shattuck St. Mary's prep school, Celebrini's record was 102 games, 101 goals and 157 assists.

He currently represents Canada at the World Junior Championships in Sweden.

Celebrini is every scout's dream. He skates well, creates a lot of scoring opportunities and can shoot with pinpoint accuracy and fierce power.

He is also the son of Rick Celebrini, director of sports medicine and performance for the Golden State Warriors, so has had a taste of what is expected at the elite level.