It's been a long time since I did one of these. Or, indeed, any post on this blog. But for whatever reason something was calling me this offseason. I say 'offseason', because I started working on this back in January of 2024. I think it all started because of a video of a single prospect and from there I got that bug again.
I started watching more and more video, taking more of an interest in all the different prospects and their stories, and before you know it I had fired up the blog ready for a comeback. This post was going great guns as we closed in on the big day and I originally had plans to publish in the days just ahead of the draft. However, about a week or so before the draft, something went disasterously wrong.
Namely, a liftetime as a 20-30 per day smoker caught up with me and I had a heart attack. Thankfully it wasn't too bad as heart attacks go, and courtesy of a pair of stents I'm not only alive and kicking, but also well, back out running again and becoming one of those insuferable hippy types that walks around all day pointing at trees and going "isn't that just the most beautiful thing you've ever seen? God, aren't we lucky?"
Unfortunately that meant I missed the deadline for the draft. I did sit and enjoy it on the night, but this blog - like many other things - took a back seat to more important matters. But with the start of the season my interest in the rookies came alive again and I found myself pulling this post up, half written and unedited, to remind myself about some of the awful-but-true things I'd said young talents I had watched before my near date with destiny.
And I thought "you know what? Why not?"
So here I present to you my thoughts on the 2024 NFL draft class. It's not the best organised article in the world and if I had more time I'd be able to do it more justice, but it is what it is, and it's the thoughts that count, I guess.
I went into this against the backdrop of three big shifts since the last time I'd done one of these; the growth of scout speak, the growth of Internet commentators, and the way that I viewed and analysed players.
The first two are somewhat interconnected. The growth of online punditry, mainly moving away from blogs and more towards video formats like those found on YouTube, has in turn seen an explosion of the use of scout speak. Twitter is now full of people talking about 'in/out of structure', 'twitched up', 'plus hands' and all manner of other nauseating nonsense. When I was but a wee young lad everyone growing up wanted to be a rockstar or a football player. Now it seems everyone wants to be Bucky Brooks. How times are changed.
I, being the miserable old grump that I am who enjoys being cantankerous and shouting at clouds, refuse to indulge this trend. And I appreciate there is something of an irony in me of all people complaining about the growth of online experts, but I feel that I at least put in the decades of watching and learning about the sport to earn that right, along with a decent track record of success, which saw highlights like correctly assessing Blaine Gabbert as a waste of a pick, calling Russell Wilson and Nick Foles as potential Super Bowl winners before they'd ever played a down in the NFL, and that one year that I actually did weekly picks and managed to outscore every major TV analyst and their prediction computer.
But I also made a number of mistakes over the years, and that is arguably the biggest change that has taken place. While others are busy learning the lingo so they can make sure they at least sound like a 'proper' NFL draft analyst, I was busy going over some of my bum picks from the past to try and figure out what went wrong.
One of the big takeaways I noticed was a strong tendency to undervalue size and raw athletic ability, especially in pass rushers, while over-emphasising the importance of technique. That's not to say that technique isn't important, but rather that a) physical mismatches are quite difficult to overcome, and b) teams really don't exploit poor technique in their opponents much at the NFL level. They just don't. So with that in mind I've overhauled the way I look at players now, which I'll get more into as we come across different players and different positions.
One final note is you'll notice the players are split into two groups. Group one is made up of players that I watched and took extensive notes on straight away, from which I've been able to construct a more coherent analysis.
Group two is made up of players where either the notes were much more sparse, or non-existent. As the draft got closer and I was planning to make a series of posts, I was anticipating having more time for notes. At that point I was skipping the note taking to try and increase the volume of film watched, so for some of the later players my assessment of them will be greatly diminished by my lack of memory of their play, as I don't have the time to sit and watch 100s of hours of game film all over again.
That'll teach me. Like only doing a notes version of a post about the value of running the ball that I never ended up publishing...
Anyway, on with the show.
GROUP ONE
Caleb Williams, QB, USC
The hype left poor Williams with no chance. When people are touting you as 'generational' then you basically have to come in and perform like one of the top twenty to ever play your position or you'll be classed a bust. Remember Jadeveon Clowney? One of my rare hits at analysing a pass rusher, a lot of the problem was simply how he was being talked up. And so it is with Caleb.
Much has been made out of him winning a Heisman, as indeed it is everytime a player comes out of college with a Heisman trophy. The problem is that only three quarterbacks have ever won a Heisman and a Super Bowl (Roger Staubach, Jim Plunkett and John Huarte), so touting that really isn't doing a QB any favours. In fact, Charles Woodson was the last player at any position to win the Heisman and a Super Bowl, one of only eight players to achieve the feat alongside the three men mentioned above.
Can Williams make it nine?
No.
Much talk was about how he played better out of structure than in structure, which has further radicalised me to the notion that most scouts and draft analysts don't actually watch the games themselves and have interns or the like do it for them, because I came away with the exact opposite impression.
When he kept to the play design and threw the ball on time he was actually really good. He read the field pretty well and made some genuinely unbelievable throws. His ball placement at times was outstanding.
The problem was when the plays broke down, which was quite often, because he holds the ball a lot and tries to play hero ball. Incidentally this is my theory as to why winning the Heisman is so repellant to winning the Super Bowl, because the Heisman rewards a style of play that makes for a good single season but doesn't translate well to the NFL and is difficult to replicate consistently even in college.
Another of my planned off season projects was an article supporting the notion that sacks are a QB stat and Caleb Williams was one of the inspirations for wanting to do that. He gets sacked a lot because he doesn't pull the trigger quickly and the first two weeks of the regular season seem to confirm this. This is not something that will go away or that can be fixed with a new offensive line, despite everyone's constant assertions that it will. It's integral to his style of play, as it is with all high sack quarterbacks, and is just something the Bears will have to live with.
In his defense, his receivers in college were pretty bad. The offensive play calling was even worse. But so was some of his passing, as he missed easy passes underneath and had far too many errant throws. It's the sort of inconsistency that gets coaches fired as the organisation continues to be in denial that their chosen QB is actually the problem and they limp along with him for another few more years.
At this point I actually feel bad for Bears fans. And I'm a 49ers fan.
Marvin Harrison Jr, WR, Ohio State
God, I'd forgotten how broken this UI is. Anyhew, Harrison has all the tools and traits of a big playmaker on the outside combined with all the tools and traits of a possession type receiver on the inside. Ridiculously good player. Really not much mystery about this. His release off the line in particular was awesome and so consistent.
Red flag about not performing at the combine and whatever else it was, I can't remember, something to do with his entourage, but all that did was settle in my mind that he was number two behind Odunze, which is the direction I was kind of leaning anyway, but it was a narrow difference. I think he's one of those players where only he can stop himself from being great.
As noted in the intro, WR is one of those positions where I've become dramatically less pedantic about when it comes to technique and more accepting of the value of size and athletic ability as key components.
Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina
Had some really poor drops from some of his receivers that hurt his production, but that was six of one and half a dozen of the other, as most of his issues were of his own making. Some really poor pre-snap reads, assuming that his coaches weren't telling him to make the bad choices that he did. Bails from the pocket far too quickly, with no real pocket presence and very hit shy.
Left a bunch of big plays on the field and showed really questionable decision making at times. Like the second coming of Blaine Gabbert, in that he barely makes throws beyond the first down marker and was wildly inconistsent in terms of accuracy and throwing location, yet beloved by commentators because of his 'prototypical size'.
Will get someone fired. We now know who. A pick so bad I wouldn't be surprised if Bill Belichick had a hand in it somehow.
Malik Nabers, WR, LSU
Highly athletic, great route runner against man coverage, especially playing out of the slot, but inconsistent hands and really struggles with contested catches. Feels like the sort of player that will bail on your team when the chips are down and look after number one, which is a horrible thing to say really, but we've seen this script before. Strong shades of Odell Beckham Jr, made no less so by the team that ended up taking him; a raw, talented player who struggles to bring it all together consistently and will bounce around the league looking for the biggest payday.
Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame
Run blocking is highly suspect. Struggles when playing out in space. Has difficulty with speed around the edge and gets bull rushed a little too easily for such a big guy, but somehow manages to hang in there, anchor and fight hard. Good without being necessarily great. It's kind of hard to explain and really something that has to be seen visually. It's the size and long arms I think, which allow him to hold on and ride through a block even when technique wise he's been beaten and people are jacking him up, he's just somehow still surviving and keeping the QB clean.
Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia
The definition of what constitutes a tight end has definitely changed over the years. I'm not sure what Bowers is, but I'm not sure it's actually tight end. It seems now a tight end is just a tall receiver who's actually prepared to try and block linebackers? He's a little on the undersized side by TE standards, but still a good route runner with really good hands, which is the most important bit. I'll be intrigued to see what his combine numbers are like (I never checked these in the end).
Think the main thing was again, he's just so hyped up he can never live up to that standard because of how high a bar has been set. He's also a TE, which you really don't want to be taking in the first round unless you see him as more of a receiver, in which case just take a receiver. Has benefitted a lot from the likes of Travis Kelce I think, but probably a pick that can't really go wrong either barring injury.
Rome Odunze, WR, Washington
This year is a feast for anyone needing a top wide receiver. Odunze is the best of them. Great height, great speed, great spirit, and makes really good adjustments under the ball, which is something that people consistently under value in outside receivers, because it's easier to claim a QB 'dropped it right in the bucket' than it is to actually put your head above the parapet and say you think top WR are undervalued. Safe hands, good route running. Has a nice snap on some of his route breaks. Typical wide receiver in the run game. It's an easy pick for anyone in need of a number one receiver. I didn't have a 'board' as such this year, but if I did Odunze is probably top of it, and at an absolute minimum top three.
Cooper DeJean, CB, Iowa
Highly athletic, highly hyped, but a bit grabby at times. Playing over the top in a deep zone was fine, but lots of 'shutdown' corners can do that. In underneath zones or man coverage had a strong tendency to try and manhandle receivers in a way that likely won't wash in the pass heavy NFL. Produced one of the funniest plays I saw in all of this scouting where he got beaten quite handily on an underneath pattern only for the QB to throw a terrible pass behind his receiver which DeJean took back for a pick six. Not afraid to get stuck into tackles. Might be a better fit as a safety at the next level. To be brutally honest, I would have taken him off the board if I had one.
Olumuyiwa Fashanu, OL, Penn State
This is a bad, bad man. I f**king loved watching him, even if I hated watching Penn State games. When he decides to drop the anchor, that's it, that's as far as that ship is going. Sometimes loses concentration on run plays when he thinks the play has passed him already, but that's eminently coachable.
Jer'Zhan Newton, DL, Illinois
The man. The menace. The destroyer of worlds (and offensive lines). Seldom do you see a defensive lineman who makes everyone around him play a whole step better and can almost single handedly wreck an opponent's plans. Newton was that guy. His shorter height wasn't a problem and may even be an advantage.
Could play as either a 3-technique tackle or a defensive end in a 4-3 front, or as an end in a 3-4 front, ideally with an over/under type look to allow him to play a 3-tech and fully exploit his potential, but I'm not sure I'd want him to be the central run anchor of my defense. I think he'd be better for the scheme as a whole playing inside, but he can play the edge equally as well.
He was an absolute machine and comfortably a top 3 player in the draft for me, but I understand he had some issues with medicals and the like at the combine.I never really got a chance to look deeply into why he fell off into the second, though I understand size was one of them, but my impression watching him was that his speed and technique compensated for that.
Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU
Heisman curse again. Overlooked a lot of easy throws, didn't really seem to see the field that well and left a lot of yards on the table. Missed some easy passes. And yet...
A mystery wrapped in an enigma. Or is that trapped in an enigma? Incredible athlete with a cannon for an arm and fantastic playmaking ability with his feet. Which would be a lot more amenable if he didn't keep taking massive hits for the sake of a few extra yards, many of which caused fumbles.
At times makes some great reads and great throws, while at others makes some frustrating mistakes or poor passes. Takes a long time to read the field, hence the cause of a lot of the runs as he hangs in the pocket too long, not seeing the open receivers, until the pocket finally collapses and off he goes, a problem compounded by his tendency like many modern quarterbacks to not drop back properly, instead just sort of shuffling back.
Daniels is very much a packet of (enormous) raw potential. He needs time and work to smooth out the rough edges, but the material underneath is first class. Really intriguing prospect for someone that is prepared to live with the inevitable learning curve and has the patience to try and mold him into more of a passer and teach him to use his legs as more of a last resort.
Nate Wiggins, CB, Clemson
Not lacking in confidence or competitveness, that's for sure. Multiple times I've seen him run a ball carrier down from behind and make a last ditch swat to cause a fumble to save a touchdown. Once would be noteworthy on its own, but several times? And yet hilariously I saw highly paid TV draft experts saying that they questioned his desire.
Despite his slender build he's also not afraid to go and mix it up, which is impressive for a corner. His recovery speed is pretty good, which he needs because he gets beaten over the top in man coverage a little too frequently for my liking. Not a bad ball hawk when playing in shorter zones though. Overall quite an interesting player and ended up as my top corner if I recall.
Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State
Meh. Good footwork. Was fine when people ran right at him, but against single gap pass rushers and speed rushers he was a bit of an open door. Strong enough in the run game, but he struggled when playing in space. His use of hands was generally pretty poor and anytime somebody did a rip move underneath they just had him on toast. I'd want more out of a first round pick to be honest.
Dallas Turner, Edge, Alabama
It's Alabama, so it goes without saying (but I'll say it anyway) that he's a good athelete. A little on the light side for a backer and really I'm not sure Alabama seemed to know what to do with him. Dropped into zone coverage at times but didn't really do a lot. I think he's much better off either as a dedicated pass rushing specialist, or maybe even say a will linebacker in a 4-3.
I'd be intrigued to see what he played like with a bit more weight packed on, as in the 240lbs range he just seemed to get too easily guided around the pocket by tackles and wasn't very solid in the run game. I feel like he has more to give, mainly in that pure pass rushing role where he can really tap into that speed, of which he has plenty. I think I sound more down on him than I actually am. I quite liked him.
Jared Verse, Edge, Florida State
More of an old school 4-3 end, Verse is great against pass and run. Not so much dropping into coverage though. Athletic, excellent in single gap run defense, he was something of an all purpose disruptor. Will probably produce well in the NFL if not spectacularly. More of a dependable, down-to-down end than a highlight reel machine, which is arguably far more valuable. Doesn't seem to have the size of Latu, but I think he's faster and a better overall athlete. My favourite edge rusher.
Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama
Alabama corners are a bit like buying a Mercedes-Benz; you know it'll be quality and you know it'll be reliable. Arnold is both. Sometimes lined up as a slot corner, but that wasn't really his forte as he got beat a little too easily across his face at times in short areas. He plays best on the perimeter, facing off against a top opposition receiver, either in a deep zone or man. He tracks receivers excellently, turns and runs with them fairly seamlessly, and gets his head turned to play the ball on arrival. Also tackles well and not afraid to get stuck in physically. Top stuff.
JC Latham, OT, Alabama
Absolute unit of a man. Excellent against both run and pass, I don't think I saw him give up a single sack or serious pressure. Passed off blocks with his fellow linemen with ease. Easy first round pick, I had him down as my top tackle.
Laiatu Latu, Edge, UCLA
My understanding is there are some serious medical question marks over Latu due to a prior neck injury, so his medical at the combine will be important. If it checks out (think it did?), then Latu is a solid edge prospect.
He's outrageous. Listed as 6'5", 265 pounds, yet he comes off the snap almost like a running back. The sort of player you wish could play two ways as a tight end as well. His hand use is exceptional, as is his body control, though his effort levels can sometimes fall off when he's on the backside of plays. A 4-3 end through and through, and a great one at that.
The injury thing is the question mark, and one which I can't comment on as an outsider. I know that for my money I wouldn't want to use a first round pick on someone who was once told to medically retire.
Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama
If you need a corner, McKinstry has you covered (a joke fully intended and I'm sure has never been made in the history of draft analysis). But seriously, 6'1", excellent in either zone or man coverage. Reads and reacts exceptionally well, with great speed and agility. Still a little loose on some of the details of the position, such as his alignment in the red zone, but other than that he's about as complete a corner as you could expect to find in the draft. Shitty tackler though, but that's basically the default for modern cornerbacks anyway. If it was a choice between him and Arnold, I'd take McKinstry.
Michael Penix Jr, QB, Washington
Might just be the best quarterback in this draft. There, I said it.
Let's get the bad out of the way first. One, he's had more major injuries than I have, and I'm 40 and used to work as a bouncer and a manual labourer. I actually wrote that before having a heart attack and I do wonder if it was some kind of cosmic karma. Especially notable as he's had two serious shoulder injuries and two ACL injuries already, all in consecutive years. Though he's been injury free for a while now, he might be one more big shot away from retirement.
Two, the footwork on his throwing motion isn't great, leading to a tendency to throw a little inconsistently, especially on shorter passes where he sometimes drops the lead shoulder and yanks the ball low. Given the overall high quality of his drop back mechanics then this is - like it or not - almost certainly a product of the injuries and surgeries.
Three, has a tendency to throw prayers at times, relying on his receivers to bail him out. Some highly questionable decisions under pressure.
The good? Just about everything else. Some people are using the quality of his receivers against him, as if Tom Brady would have been shit had it not been for the likes of Gronkowski, Edelman, Welker etc. Now there is some truth to the fact that good receivers help a QB a lot, but it's not true to say they make him. What was particularly interesting for me is that by chance I happened to watch an entire series of games in chronological order, and as the season progressed you could see he became more dialled in at throwing the ball to his best receivers, which is actually something top quarterbacks do.
(Incidentally, I watched so much film on Penix that I legitimately had a fever dream about this part of the blog while high on diazepam after an operation).
Penix reads the field exceptionally well and makes quick decisions, contributing to his very low sack rate, along with the aforementioned drop back mechanics and the smarts to throw the ball out of bounds when the throw isn't there.
His mobility outside the pocket is definitely limited, but that's really never been a problem for traditional pocket passers. Indeed they collectively have a much better record of success than mobile quarterbacks, precisely because they're not so inclined to take off and run at every opportunity that presents itself. Penix is generally very accurate on his throws and has a big arm to add on top of that.
Yes he's a touch older than you'd like for a rookie, but QB careers now in the NFL are comfortably stretching out into the late 30s and early 40s. Even if he only gets to 34, which would still be a ten year career, that's ten years of very high level quarterback play that you're going to get out of him while you try and find a replacement. I would chance my arm and say that you'll probably add a Super Bowl trophy to the cabinet (or two) in those ten years.
Light years ahead of someone like Drake Maye, Penix's future really is only limited by those past injuries and how they affect him going forward. If he gets the green light and can stay healthy, I think he's an absolutely class quarterback and one of my top three.
Would I have drafted him given the chance? No. Not in the first round, anyway. Not with that injury history.
Chris Braswell, Edge, Alabama
Has the size and speed that NFL teams are looking for in an edge guy and yet oddly unproductive from what I saw. You can see the raw material though. On the few downs he was let loose to just rush the passer around the edge he looked very dangerous. Strong at the point of attack in the run game as well. He should be a hit at the next level, but there is that element of doubt.
Brian Thomas Jr, WR, LSU
Not as highly touted as team-mate Nabers, but might actually be the better receiver. Certainly the better pure route runner. At 6'4" he's a big target man, but still has great speed and consistently wins on his routes even against some tough opposition. Could easily become a team's number one receiver, and with a class stacked with talent - including receivers - might end up dropping as an absolute bargain into the lap of someone further back up the order.
Bo Nix, QB, Oregon
Some consider him a system quarterback and it's certainly true that Oregon had a way of playing that helped his numbers. But the inescapabale truth of it is that Nix is a very accurate passer with excellent ball placement on his throws, reads defenses very quickly, doesn't make many mistakes (only 7 interceptions on the season) and doesn't take many sacks (5 overall for the entire season... 5).
At an absolute minimum he could be a good game manager, but he actually showed a lot of touch and precision on his deeper throws, so I think his ceiling is a lot higher than that, though he'll need some coaching and encouragement to target more of those deep balls, especially to his top receiver.
Has started what I believe is a record number of NCAA games so is actually quite experienced already and has a lot of the really important skills and traits that matter at the NFL level. Based on what I've seen, I'd draft Nix over either Drake Maye or Caleb Williams.
As an addendum to this, having seen what he's been lumped with in Denver, God help this boy. His receivers are trash and seem to drop the ball more than they actually catch it. It's only been two games but there does seem to be a growing groaning among Broncos fans, for which I think Nix is going to be unfairly blamed.
Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia
For a guy who weighs 340 pounds, he sure did get thrown around and to the floor a lot.
Bralen Trice, Edge, Washington
Assembling this list, I feel like I've just watched the same four games on repeat. I don't mind though, in part because of Washington's sweet uniforms and in part because watching Bralen Trice manhandling tackles with a 50 pound weight advantage over him is pretty funny.
6'4", 274 pounds, more of a traditional 4-3 end. In the modern NFL he could probably even play as a 3-technique inside. A monsterously powerful man, if a little unrefined technically. His combine numbers should be quite interesing. Like Latu, but minus any of the neck injury risk, though not quite on that same physical level.
I was very high on Trice to say the least, and when messing around with mock draft simulators I consistently was taking him with my second round pick. Since seen that he picked up an ACL injury and has been written off for the season which is a shame. Normally for pass rushers that kind of injury ends up being quite serious.
Troy Franklin, WR, Oregon
Oh look, another PAC-12 player, though I suppose Oregon are headed off for greener pastures now, just like Franklin. I'm betting he'll get there first, on account of his absolutely ridiculous speed for a guy that's 6'3". Speed is at a premium in the NFL so Franklin may command a premium pick for his services.
He has pretty good hands to go with that speed, but he's not really much of a target man despite his height, being a little on the light side even in college for contesting jump balls reliably. Exciting to watch though, with smooth downfield route breaks to go with that speed. He'll give someone a persistent threat of taking the top off of any defense.
Ennis Rakestraw Jr, CB, Missouri
Not my cup of tea, to be honest. Sat deep the whole time, which makes it much easier not to get burned over the top and asked mainly to play in those deep zones. Didn't really see much man or any underneath zone coverage, so can't comment on his abilities in either, but just seems a rather narrow skillset for someone being touted as a first rounder, especially given the quality of what else is out there.
Jordan Morgan, OT, Arizona
Is a holding penalty waiting to happen. At times he was virtually tackling people, because he could barely block anyone.
Kamren Kinchens, S, Miami
Big talk about his speed and range. Alright, I get that. But he's a very mixed tackler, especially when tackling on an angle and his coverage abilities don't really pop off the screen at you. As a single high safety in a man heavy scheme (which almost nobody runs) I could see it but I can't say as I'd be rubbing my hands with glee at the thought of drafting Kinchens.
Tyler Nubin, S, Minnesota
Maybe I just didn't catch the right games but I didn't really see much from Nubin. Coverage was ok. Seems like he has a decent turn of speed and agility, but I don't see why you would part with much beyond maybe a 3rd round pick? There was nothing I saw that blew me away, let's put it like that.
Ladd McConkey, WR, Georgia
Being written off as a 'slot receiver' by most due to his size, but 6' isn't really that short. McConkey has seemingly demonic speed off the line. I can't wait to see his 10-yard split at the combine 40. He's a good route runner without being amazing, but he gets open very consistently underneath and has superbly safe hands, which is that critical combination teams are looking for in the next Wes Welker/Julian Edelman type slot guy.
Actually much more of a threat downfield than he seems to get credit for due to that lightning getaway, which puts defenders on their heels right from the snap and affords him room to work on intermediate breaks. Very under-rated from what I've heard so far. Only issue is he seems a little prone to picking up little knocks and small injuries here and there.
Kamari Lassiter, CB, Georgia
Really good. Could cover short or deep with equal ease. Only gave up one pass completion on all the targets I watched, though dropped a couple of would-be/should-be picks. But then that's probably why he plays corner. Think he probably plays better as a deep sitting corner than a man or short zone corner, but that's more just maximising a skill set than anything. Not a bad tackler either.
Leonard Taylor III, DL, Miami
Fast off the snap, but not the strongest and seemed to need a lot of rotating in and out which might be a conditioning issue? At the next level I think that limits the options to a 3-technique type player, playing alongside someone bigger and stronger who can eat the double teams for him. In that sort of set up he could thrive as he does have great one-on-one skills and that quick get off.
I think one issue is that in the first round there is so much talent available at other positions it's hard to see yourself taking Taylor over one of the many other great options. Went undrafted in the end for reasons I'm not entirely sure but seem off field related? Otherwise I call bullshit on the idea that there were 200 something better players than Taylor. There might not even have been 100.
Devontez Walker, WR, North Carolina
Bit of an enigma. Tall, but not very tall. Fast, but not blindingly so. Good hands, but not amazing hands. Kind of suffered from the system he was in that didn't really play to his strengths. A think a lot of what is intriguing about Walker is the possibility of what he might become in an NFL type offense that pushes the ball down the field more. In that environment he has a lot of the physical and technical tools needed to thrive. It's a degree of risk, but Walker might just be worth it as a later round pick (was taken in the 4th, which seems about right).
Troy Fautanu, OG, Washington
Played left tackle in college, but doesn't have anywhere near the size for that in the NFL I think and instead projected to play guard. He's quite mobile and does a good job of tracking and hitting moving targets in the open field, so as a pulling left guard type he might be more comfortable, but honestly his pass set technique wasn't great. Lot of head down, waist bending. Against single gap speed rushers he frequently got cooked. Even as a guard I think he'll need a lot of help against NFL calibre defensive tackles.
Graham Barton, OG, Duke
Had a chance to show what he could do against an NFL caliber rush in the shape of fellow draftee Jared Verse. And got absolutely destroyed for the most part. In all phases seemed to lack upper body strength and balance. Was getting thrown around a lot and spent a lot of time on the ground. I'd pass, personally.
Jonah Elliss, Edge, Utah
Either I really don't understand what "twitched up" means, or me and most draft analysts just have very different ideas about what "twitched up" means. Unless he wows at the combine, I didn't see much evidence of any special level of athletic ability on display.
Against Washington and USC he was mostly a spectator. The most fun plays from my perspective were the ones were he was getting seven bells of shit knocked out of him by a variety of offensive linemen. To his credit, he did seem to keep going and keep fighting the whole game.
Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toldeo
Played mostly off coverage so it was difficult to get a good feel for him as an all rounder. Teams didn't seem particularly scared to throw the ball at him. Broke decently on some of the shorter stuff but a bit suspect in coverage deep down the field. Not sure how he'd handle the best receivers in the league to be honest.
Ended up as a first round pick, hilariously. Everyone seems very high on him but I just don't see it myself.
Keon Coleman, WR, Florida State
Not bad, just feel like he's more of a number two than a one. I think there's just something missing there, that sort of X-factor. Played second fiddle to his eye catching team-mate Johnny Wilson who is also in this draft yet oddly not as highly ranked or rated it seems. I always think it's a bit of a fools errand trying to second guess what the people in the building and the players around them day-to-day think of a prospect. There's a certain lack of confidence in Coleman by his quarterback in the big moments which is telling.
Still, he's tall, pretty fast, runs decent routes, and catches quite reliably. I like him. I'm just not sure I like him enough to use maybe a first round pick which is his projection.
T.J. Tampa, CB, Iowa State.
Unusually physical and aggressive for a corner, despite his slender build. Fast feet, and played a good variety of coverages. Probably better in man coverage where his height (6'2") and physical play style really shines. Sitting off and playing deeper he had a tendency to take his eyes off the receiver and get caught out by comebacks and other breaks underneath. I think he'll get better as time progresses and as a day 2 pick I think he offers someone a lot of value.
Adonai Mitchell, WR, Texas
What is this, a wide receiver who can block in the run game? This must be some kind of witchcraft! On a more serious note, I think Mitchell has some excellent characteristics as a number two receiver or playing out of the slot. His blocking aside, at 6'4" he's a decent, physical target man and he has an excellent set of release moves to help him get open quickly.
The down side is his lack of speed. I suspect at this stage his forty time at the combine will be nothing special. And if he posts a good one, I'm not sure whether that actually helps him or not as it will raise the question of where that speed was during the season?
Xavier Legette, WR, South Carolina
Deceptively quick. Dare I even say 'sneaky fast'? I think it's his larger frame that just makes him look a little slower and cumbersome than he actually is, and I suspect his combine forty time will actually be pretty good, if not blinding (it was a 4.39, which is pretty good). He has an excellent release from the line of scrimmage and shows a good understanding of both the techniques and tactics of route running. Pretty solid hands and strong on contested balls.
Overall a really nice looking receiving option. Maybe not quite a first rounder, but getting close, and with a lot potential.
Kiran Amegadjie, OT, Yale
Let's be real, the Ivy League is not exactly flush with NFL caliber pass rushers. He looked good, but that's kind of a minimum standard you would expect of someone aspiring to be an NFL lineman playing in that conference. He absolutely mauled defenders in the run game, but how do you translate that to NFL standard defenders? I have no idea. He might be outstanding at the next level, but that's quite the punt. I think he's more of an interior lineman due to his size and I can't see a sane world in which you use more than a 5th/6th round pick on what is somewhat of a roll of the dice. He might be amazing, but you can't seriously predict that based off Ivy League game tape and anyone that claims they can is lying.
Byron Murphy II, DT, Texas
I really liked watching Murphy. Not necessarily the fastest in the world, but his hand use was excellent and he consistently found himself getting penetration through the middle of the line. Touch on the small side for an NFL D-lineman, but more than held his own against even the toughest opposition. Outside of the first round he's a great option for teams looking for help on the inside, and paired with a quality outside rusher he could be a real menace flushing quarterbacks into their arms.
Calen Bullock, S, USC
I mean, he's alive. And he once played football. But then that's true of John Elway, and I wouldn't put him in at safety in the NFL either.
Jermaine Burton, WR, Alabama
Highly athletic, with quick feet, excellent acceleration and great agility, except for that one time that he hesistated so much while trying to block someone that he actually fell over like a dickhead. Outstanding release technique off the line and showed exceptional route running ability and change of pace.
His height (6' on the nose, allegedly) limits somewhat his ability as a true downfield, number one contested catch type receiver, which didn't seem to be his strongpoint, but in general he's going to be an absolute handful. Might be a day two gem, though there were some off field question marks about his attitude.
Kalen King, CB, Penn State
Got absolutely ruined by multiple receivers against Ohio State. Marvin Harrison Jr. made him look like a high school kid again.
Demeioun "Chop" Robinson, Edge, Penn State
Dear God he's fast. Should absolutely light up the combine (he did). Robinson is something of a pass rush specialist, though he held his own in the run game even if he didn't dominate. He's tailor made for playing as an outside backer in a 3-4 scheme, with the speed to drop into coverage when necessary, though make no mistake that his best use is getting after the quarterback and committing unspeakable acts against offensive tackles that are probably illegal in several states.
Just as an aside, I'm so glad Jim Harbaugh has finally left Michigan. Watching any combination of Iowa, Michigan, and Penn State play is the most mind-numbing thing in football, with Michigan being particular culprits. Football from the 1920s was more exciting than this.
Also of note is that edge is one of those positions where I've come to be much more appreciative of speed, and yet at the same time everyone else seems to be writing Robinson off as a kind of novelty, in a sort of weird reversal of the historic trend. So maybe I'm wrong, and he'll be terrible, but I think that speed will come good and he'll become a real handful for teams to deal with.
Kris Jenkins, DT, Michigan
Pretty good at getting stuck to his blockers. Oh wait...
Tyler Guyton, OT, Oklahoma
Big old boy, listed at 6'7" and almost 330 pounds. Athletically he's an odd ball. His lateral quickness is superb for a man of his size, but he runs in a straight line like someone with a fused spine. It's the weirdest thing, like he's forgotten how to run. He might be the first person in the history of the NFL combine to run the 20 yard shuttle faster going sideways than he could trying to go forwards.
Piss taking aside, he's a good tackle. Can be a bit unbalanced at times when people yank his jersey and perhaps a bit naive at times leaning into some of the better pass rushers who then pull and swim him. At this stage I think you're drafting the size and the lateral quickness and hoping you can fix some of the technical issues over time.
Xavier Worthy, WR, Texas
With speed in abundance, it's easy to see why teams would be attracted to Worthy. A big play waiting to happen on every down, he has very quick feet, so his release off the line is usually very good, and you can see that potential for blowing the top off a defense. A good route runner and actually pretty strong in contested catches, as well as being a solid catcher overall, his college numbers definitely suffered from inconsistent QB play.
I'm not sure he'll ever be a truly dominant number one type receiver, but for a team that already has one he'll make an excellent compliment, able to challenge and stretch the defense vertically and create space underneath for others.
Brandon Dorlus, DT, Oregon
A hard one to pin down. Size wise he's not the biggest and there's a question mark over where exactly he fits into an NFL defensive line. For my money I think he'd be a better fit for a three man front, slotting in at the defensive end spot. Really aggressive and violent hands, at times he gets into an offensive lineman's pads and drives them back, or works around them with a swim or rip move... and then a fair bit of the time he ends up getting knocked to the floor. Like, an unusually high amount of times.
Against some of the stronger teams he did seem to struggle a bit, but you can see that kernel of something special that shines through. I honestly don't know. I think he might be one of those players where the difference between his floor and ceiling is quite wide and he could fall anywhere between the two. For the right team, in the right set up (e.g. mainly rushing the passer) I think there's some value in there. It might be that initially he has to settle for being a rotational guy until his team finds a playing weight that suits him best.
Josh Newton, CB, TCU
Got absolutely torched in man coverage for the most part. More a liability than an asset.
Patrick Paul, OT, Houston
A big slab of raw material. That's what you're drafting with Paul, in the hope you can build or mold something out of it. Because right now his physical traits are entirely undermined by a lack of technical ability with his hands. Just about everyone he faced was able to defeat his hands at some point, and there were many times when he seemed uncertain about who he was supposed to block. This is really the sort of player you'd want to draft way down the order, day three style, and then hope you can make something of him with a couple of years to work with.
Ja'Lynn Polk, WR, Washington
Tall and not a bad blocker. Not a great one, but not a bad one. Excellent release off the line for the most part, but seemed to struggle to gain separation from his defenders, especially when he didn't win straight off the line. Had good hands and made a lot of solid contested catches, but again, a lot of that was because he struggled to separate on his routes.
I'll be interested to see how he tests at the combine. For a day two prospect there's some value there, but in a superbly loaded draft class at the position there's a lot of names ahead of him. I think for a team looking for a second receiver down the order then Polk can be good value.
Jackson Powers-Johnson, OC, Oregon
I'm very much of the opinion that center is an under-rated position. As in, very under-rated. Chronically under-rated. And I absolutely love Powers-Johnson because he embodies everything a good center should be. One of the reasons Oregon didn't give up many sacks was the influence of Powers-Johnson as the stout heart of the line, making the calls, picking up stunts and twists like a pro, and reading which of his guards needed the most help. One of the reasons they ran the ball so well was again because of Powers-Johnson as the stout heart of the line, absolutely mauling people, picking up linebacker blitzes and the like.
His upper body strength is ridiculous, chucking people off left, right and center with almost effortless ease. He's aggressive and finishes off plays well, exerting his physical presence on the defense. His big weakness is when plays breakdown and he finds himself on the move, where sometimes he loses concentration and ends up looking back for the quarterback. But that's about all I kind find fault in him for. Might be a name to keep an eye out for when the Bears pick at number nine overall, given how bad their center play was last year (their center play is still terrible).
All that said... interior offensive linemen are so abundant and so cheap on the veteran market it's difficult to justify a first rounder JPJ. Second round? Much more comfortable with that (he went second round, 44th overall. That's a great pick)
J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan
This would have been a lot easier if Michigan threw the ball more, but it is what it is. The question is, what is McCarthy? And I'm not sure I can give you a good answer for that to be honest.
By system design he rarely threw the ball deep, which is always a red flag for me. But when he did push the ball he really pushed it. I think his arm is stronger than he's getting credit for and he made some absolutely gorgeous throws over the middle. His ball placement and anticipation was generally excellent.
The major downside is that I think he might be a little bit too conservative with the ball. How much of that was the system instructions and how much of that is innate to him is impossible to tell without talking to him. He did look after the ball really well, but that came at the expense of being something of a game manager, which is very much what Jim Harbaugh would have wanted him to be, but isn't going to cut it at the next level. I do wonder as well if him holding the ball so long at times was simply him following instructions to only throw it when he got a clean look?
That's what makes McCarthy tough to judge. The raw tools are there and a good pro-day could help him show off his long distance accuracy. I think he makes some of those what I would call "Brady" decisions, e.g. on 4th-and-1 being decisive with his throws to the flats and so on. It's difficult to quantify, but I think it demonstrates a solid football IQ. He's also a great athlete with his feet, which adds that extra dimension to his game.
Really it's a question of whether you think you can squeeze that extra bit of juice out of him, or whether you think he's destined to be a lifelong game manager. He showed the courage to fit some balls into tight spaces at times so I am inclined from the outside to think it was more of a system thing than anything specific to him. I definitely think the ideal landing spot for him is someone that already has a quarterback and where he has a chance to sit and be patient, such as for the Jets behind Aaron Rodgers.
Overall, I really quite like him, but I'm not 100% sold. Maybe if I had the hours to just sit and pour over all the all-22 film and digest it I'd feel different, but there is that nagging doubt. You can see the excellent foundation in place. But you can also see the hesitancy and the fondness for checkdowns.
The Indiana game gives us an insight into why Michigan might have become more run dominant. In the space of a few plays, he; 1) missed an easy throw into the flat, 2) got sacked twice, 3) nearly threw a pick over the middle, 4) fumbled the ball after being run down while trying to escape, then 5) finished it all with a great anticipation read where he threw an absolute dart into tight coverage. Such is the ballard of J.J. McCarthy.
If I was on a team though, and could have a sit down interview with him, study film etc, and he assuaged my concerns? He might be the guy I'd want to use my first rounder on.
Ja'Tavion Sanders, TE, Texas
If you're looking for a blocking tight end, Sanders is not your guy. He's willing enough, he's just not very good at it. If you're looking for a pass catching, possession type tight end, Sanders is not your guy. If you're looking for an athletic, downfield mismatch type tight end, then Sanders is not your guy. I'm actually not sure what you do with Sanders to be honest. So he'll probably light up the combine and then go on to be a hallf of famer. I just don't see any of that in game.
Adisa Issac, Edge, Penn State
Overshadowed in more ways than one by his team-mate Chop Robinson. Not bad against the run, but never really showed anything that leaped out at me. More solid than spectacular. As a day three player, to be mainly a back-up/rotation/special teams guy I think he adds value.
Mekhi Wingo, DL, LSU
Pushes people back without really destroying anyone. As a day three tackle for someone that needs a bit of stiffness in their run defense rotation, Wingo has some value.
Rod Moore, S, Michigan
Safeties are hard to judge, in part because their effect on the game can be limited, enhanced at the collegiate level by the propensity of many teams to not throw the ball as much down the field. People are thus drawn to players that make the occasional big play. Moore has had some notable plays, but in general he didn't do all that much. His tackling ability is more on a par with nickel corners than a safety. I'd avoid, personally.
D.J. James, CB, Auburn
Very much on the light side, yet not afraid to stick his head in harms way which is admirable. He's quite athletic and should test well at the combine. I think he actually tracks receivers pretty well and has long arms to get in there and play the ball. Still unpolished, but the raw material is there. Projected as a third rounder or there abouts, and at that price I think he's excellent value to play opposite your starting corner while he develops. I think he might even have a ceiling that ends with him becoming a top corner.
Zach Frazier, OC, West Virginia
Solid if unspectacular. Better against the run than the pass, and struggles with picking up late blitzers, getting stuck on inside blocks a little too much. Not bad value later down the order. He's not going to maul people, but he can hold his own.
Jonathon Brooks, RB, Texas
Patient and physical, but not especially a big play back. Good at breaking arm tackles and a very willing (and able) pass blocker, but a classic example of the problems with running backs, being a player whose production you can reproduce with basically any back. Probably more useful as a fullback than anything else.
Edgerrin Cooper, ILB, Texas A&M
Saw him return a fumble for a touchdown. Cool. That was about it. I mean that literally, I'm not sure I even saw him make a solo tackle and he didn't make many combined. Maybe I just caught the wrong games, maybe I just feel asleep, but I can't fathom why - especially in a class this loaded - you'd bother using a pick on Cooper.
T'Vondre Sweat, DT, Texas
Everyone is getting enormously excited about this enormously big nose tackle. I'm not. He's fine. If you need a young tackle to fill the middle of your defense then by all means take Sweat, but my guess is he'll be gone by the point at which he becomes good value, which is into the third day.
Jeremiah Trotter Jr, ILB, Clemson
It's a rough year if you need someone at the heart of your defense. Undersized and it shows. Quick and gap disciplined, but I wonder if he'd better used at the next level by dropping some weight and moving to a different position. Like running back.
Brenden Rice, WR, USC
The best of a bad bunch at USC. Had a decent release off the line, though he had a tendency to slow play the first few steps which throws off the timing of many routes, which will be a particular problem at the NFL level. Route technique was usually pretty sound, but a lack of high end speed and inconsistent catching puts a modest ceiling on him. Probably best value taken on day three and used primarily out of the slot.
Payton Wilson, ILB, NC State
Hard working and played a variety of linebacker spots, but looked painfully thin playing at a weight under 240lbs at 6'4". The obvious solution to that is 'add muscle', but athletically he looked like he was already struggling at that lower weight. I'm not sure adding another ten or twenty pounds of mass, especially in the upper body is going to do all that much for his mobility.
Kingsley Suamataia, OT, BYU
Doesn't so much run block as he does run up to defenders and hit them which, while amusing as a spectator, is neither reliable nor particularly desirable. Pass blocking was better, but he did get quite a bit of help with chips from running backs and struggled a little with people crossing his face to the inside. I also never really saw him have to go up against a true NFL grade pass rusher. He was doing ok with the ones he did face, but I wonder how harsh that step up a level might be. Another one of these more developmental type players.
Caelen Carson, CB, Wake Forest
Little on the slender side to play out wide, getting bullied too easily by some of the taller receivers, but I think as a nickle corner playing inside Carson is not a bad option. I didn't get to see too much of him, but from what I saw he looked pretty quick and his agility was good. Nothing amazing, but a solid base. I think day three he's not bad value.
Sione Vaki, S, Utah
Meh. Played well around the box when asked to, but other than that I didn't see much.
Ruke Orhorhoro, DT, Clemson
I think he's probably better shedding another ten pounds (currently listed at 290) and maybe moving to defensive end. Not that he's a bad tackle by any means, but he didn't really stand out either. I'd just be interested to see what he could do playing at end. I think Orhorhoro is one of those players you draft more because he has a modest floor to his talent level as opposed to a high ceiling. You know pretty much what you're getting and what you're getting is a generally reliable body in the middle. Day three, but with growth potential.
Michael Pratt, QB, Tulane
Caveat emptor: I was only able to watch two games.
So what did I learn from them and what impression do I have of Pratt? Honestly, I think he's really good. You give Drake Maye's receiving corps to Pratt and he blows Maye's production out of the water. He reads the field quickly and some of the passes he makes are just ridiculous. People make a lot about "NFL throws", well Pratt makes all of those and then some, from the difficult passes to the more routine stuff over the middle that a lot of young quarterbacks routinely miss.
Not the greatest running out of the pocket, but that's not what you pay quarterbacks for. With the ball in his hands, slinging it downfield, he thrives. Has a taste for some risky downfield throws, but that's actually a positive for me. Despite this aggression, he still only threw five interceptions on the year. Even more miraculously, given the terrible propensity of his receivers to drop the ball, he routinely was able to post a 70+% completion percentage.
So yes, from what I've seen of Pratt he looks absolute quality. I have never understood, and will never understand, how quarterbacks like Pratt who tick basically all the boxes of what NFL teams are looking for seem to struggle for attention, whereas the likes of Maye and Jayden Daniels are not just ranked above him, but are being talked about as potentially the second and third overall pick respectively. It's mad to me.
Projected as possibly a third or fourth round pick, I think that would be an absolute steal.
Darius Robinson, Edge, Missouri
Robinson is an odd one. His stock has risen very sharply of late, more so after the Senior Bowl, to the extent that a lot of people are now expecting him to go in the first round. Or, at the very least, they wouldn't be surprised to see him go there.
Much like his namesake Chop Robinson, I see the consensus on Darius and my view of him as a flip of how I used to look at edge players. In ye olden days this is the kind of guy I would have loved, because his greatest strengths are a) his literal strength, and b) his excellent use of the hands. He has a variety of rush moves and does a great job of shedding blockers with them. Me from ten years ago would have loved this. So why does the me of today a) still love this, but also b) have some questions?
The answer is because unlike the me of today, the me of ten years ago wouldn't have been bothered by the lack of finish. That's not to say he never gets sacks or TFLs, because he does. It's just that for someone so good initially, he often lacks the athletic spurt and burst to then race into the backfield and fully exploit all of his good work.
At 6'5", 296lbs, there's plenty of room there to drop maybe ten pounds and still maintain a lot of his leverage in the run game, while gaining a bit of speed. I suspect that's where a lot of NFL scouts and analysts are going with their thinking on Robinson. If he can find an extra step of speed to pair with that technique then that is a genuinely frightening combination. But we're back to the old game of 'if'.
Moved to the interior as maybe a 3-tech or the like, that's a more interesting prospect to me. That's where I think his strength and hands are better utilised. Overall, I'm not sure I'd go as far as a first round pick, but a second doesn't seem like bad value for what might be.
On a side note, I could sit and watch this Missouri defense all day. It's so much fun.
Kristian Williams, DL, Missouri
Late in the draft/undrafted, there's value to be found. I think Williams is such a value pick. Strong and robust, Williams could be a great rotational player as an interior rusher and run stuffer. Probably a better fit as an end in a three man front, but can play as a central space eater for a four man front. Had a knack for getting off blocks and making tackles, clogging up the middle of the Missouri line. What he lacks in raw athletic ability he more than makes up for with effort. Could be a cheeky little bargain.
Javon Bullard, S, Georgia
Pretty good I thought. Little slow at times in his run recognition and not necessarily the greatest tackler, but willing enough. Had decent range as that sort of centerfield type free safety and a knack for showing up where the ball is. About as good in man coverage as you can expect out of a safety. For me he's more of a third rounder, but that's more to do with safety not being a high value position and the probability that there's still going to be several better players on the board even around the end of the second round. But a solid player still.
Roman Wilson, WR, Michigan
Oh no, Michigan again. I'm not sure what was more annoying; having to watch Michigan play or feeling like I wasted precious minutes of my life watching a receiver so bad that even when they sent him in motion to get him open with a free release, he still somehow ended up covered. I have no idea what he's doing on this list. I'm presuming he had some great catch or did like a funny TikTok or something? Wilson is the kind of player I'd want to use a divisional rival's pick on just to hamper them.
Cooper Beebe, OG, Kansas State
That's a big man. A big man who looks like he can barely walk. Not the most mobile in the world, which can be a problem at guard when asked to pull on certain run plays. Actually played some snaps as an emergency right tackle and did pretty well there, to the extent that it actually looked like a better fit. He's a mauler in the run game and pretty solid in pass protection, but that lack of general mobility is a concern. Could do with losing ten or twenty of his 335lbs. His game would likely improve, rather than suffer. A second rounder is maybe pushing it, but that's more because of the opportunity cost involved than himself, but certainly from third onwards he seems like decent value.
Trey Benson, RB, Florida State
Ah running backs, a much maligned species these days. What to say? Benson was quite good coming out of the backfield as a receiver, with pretty good hands. Solid enough as a runner, found the holes when they were open, but didn't seem to offer that much in terms of any unusual burst of speed in the open field. There was nothing here that screamed "pick me!"
Blake Corum, RB, Michigan
Ah, kill me, not Michigan again (karmas was taking notes...). I mean, he was a running back for a Jim Harbaugh team, so of course he got a lot of carries. I'm not sure he was the best running back on that team. He may not even have been the third best back on that team on a per carry basis. Nothing that really stood out.
Michael Hall Jr, DL, Ohio State
Quite interesting. Little bit undersized for a defensive tackle, which might be an issue at the NFL level, but otherwise quite solid. Excellent use of the hands and quite strong, he was able to generate a fair amount of penetration. I'm not sure if he's a second rounder given that it's bit speculative how he fits into a defense, but outside of that I don't think you can go far wrong.
Mike Sainristil, CB, Michigan
Oh no, not Michigan again! Though in this case I was actually quite excited, because I've heard a lot of good things about Sainristil and was looking forward to taking a closer look. Having done so, I'm less excited. The skinny on him is that a lot of people are excited by his potential as a nickel corner, apparently based on the principle that he actually tackles. Which is fine, because he does, but his coverage skills left much to be desired, especially in man coverage. Perhaps for more of a zone orientated team he might be a better fit, but nothing here filled with bags of confidence. Projected as a second or third rounder by many, that's far too high of a price for my liking.
Braden Fiske, DL, Florida State
I'm going to use that horrible scout phrase, so I apologise in advance, and say 'flashes'. There are flashes of potential there. Little moments that you see and think to yourself 'wow, that was really good'. The down side is that they're somewhat irregular in coming and the very first play I saw of him was him getting monstered downfield by a double team. One of those, modest floor, high ceiling type of players.
Put up some good combine numbers if I recall and as time went by and the more I watched him the more I became a fan of Fiske. It's the speed, I think. He had a lot of snaps where he got good penetration but was just steered away from causing trouble, but that often created opportunities for others. Ultimately went in the second round and was decent value at that spot I think.
GROUP TWO
Spencer Rattler, QB, South Carolina
I know at one point I was very low on Rattler, having seen him incidentally while watching Legette. But when I watched him more closely and more specifically I warmed to him a little more, given that South Carolina legitimately might have been able to lay claim to the worst offensive line in history with that unit. I still came away with the impression Rattler was a bit too chaotic.
Joe Milton, QB, Tennessee
Pretty dire. Got a look in on scouting boards largely because of his big arm I think.
Sam Hartman, QB, Notre Dame
Speaking of dire...
Taulia Tagovailoa, QB, Maryland
I actually quite liked him. Thought he did a good job leading some late drives, which is quite a desirable skill. For a late round, throwaway pick I thought there was something there. Understand he's now in the CFL, so it's all on him to try and make his way back and prove his worth.
Jordan Travis, QB, Florida State
Was highly unfortunate to break his leg as there's a good chance Florida State was playoff bound at that point. He'll get a great chance to learn from Aaron Rodgers up in New York and yeah, I really liked Travis and what I saw of him. I think he would have been much higher rated had it not been for the break.
John Rhys Plumlee, QB, Central Florida
I want to say that I watched one game and was like "that's not bad". He is on the Jaguars roster, who are terrible, so he legit might get a chance.
Austin Reed, QB, Western Kentucky
I actually quite liked Austin Reed. I think there was enough there to justify a 7th or the like to secure him as a development prospect.
Jaylen Wright, RB, Tennessee
I really didn't pay much attention to the running backs if I'm brutally honest, but I did like seeing Jaylen Wright. His turn of speed was highly entertaining and I think I had him pegged mentally as a third or fourth rounder.
Jalen McMillan, WR, Washington
Not bad, as a depth guy. If you're looking for a two, McMillan is a sound bet. Think he was a decent route runner, but just not a big, explosive athlete. Third round-ish.
Johnny Wilson, WR, Florida State
At the Senior Bowl practices in particular I think Wilson was weirdly getting a lot of undeserved stick from analysts. I did find it funny that I saw one recap video where someone complained about his inability to get separation just as a clip was playing over the top of him getting separation... but that's draft analysts for you. Is the NBA, MLB and NHL like this as well?
Anyway, big man which I've become convinced over time has a value all of itself and I think he actually played really well at FSU. He seemed to be the favourite target of Jordan Travis and did more than enough to warrant more respect than what he's been getting. I think a sixth round pick is a disgrace, I had him more in the 3/4 boundary type region. If you'd told me I could sign him with a sixth I'd have bitten your hand off. His height alone justifies that.
Javon Baker, WR, Central Florida
Didn't strike me as the fastest, but his route running technique, especially in man coverage, caught the eye. Pretty safe hands as well. Went about where I thought he would and I think he's good value at that spot, probably as more of a slot receiver.
Ben Sinnott, TE, Kansas State
Remember coming away very impressed from watching Sinnott, even if I can't specifically remember why. I think it literally was a case of him being a solid all arounder.
Jared Wiley, TE, TCU
This is my guy. Modern tight ends are basically just tall wide receivers now anyway and Wiley is one of those. His release technique in particular was superb, along with safe hands. I think even the 4th rounder the Chiefs paid might be cheap.
Erick All, TE, Iowa
This was the other tight end who had piqued my interest. More of a classic tight end type being a more capable inline blocker, but I do think with the injury history the 4th rounder the Bengals paid might be a little much, but normally outside of the second round it's all monopoly money anyway so it's not a big deal.
Roger Rosengarten, OT, Washington
I was decently impressed with Rosengarten. Not so much to pay a second rounder though, I don't think. Still I think he was a solid looking tackle.
Blake Fisher, OT, Notre Dame
Nothing better illustrates how broken the tackle market is than the fact Fisher was a second round pick. I don't even say that to mean I think he's a bad tackle, just that I'm not sure he was second round worthy. Solid.
Christian Jones, OT, Texas
I quite liked him. I know a lot of people didn't. As a right sided road grader I think there's something there.
Dominick Puni, OT, Kansas
I believe the plan is to kick Puni inside to guard but I do think that's a little harsh. He was good at left tackle and never really looked out of place there. Maybe it's a height or reach thing? Whatever the thinking he should be a solid guard.
Zak Zinter, G, Michigan
Solid guard prospect. Bit pricey at a 3rd rounder though.
Sedrick Van Pran-Granger, C, Georgia
Surprised he fell to the fifth. Not bad value for what was a decent college center.
Marshawn Kneeland, DE, Western Michigan
I was quite impressed by Kneeland. Till I found out he went in the second round. That's quite pricey I think for someone is a bit of a niche pass rusher.
Austin Booker, DE, Kansas
Lot of hype. Not so much production to back it up. The Bears paid a fifth rounder which is a modest price to find out whether his speed in college translated to the next level.
Xavier Thomas, DE, Clemson
As the fifth rounder he ended up being, I think that's good value.
Gabriel Murphy, DE, UCLA
Along with twin Grayson, he went undrafted, so I'll do the pair here together. For the level of talent they showed I think getting either of them undrafted is quite a bargain. Even if you just get a situational rusher that's fine. Gabe in particular showed flashes of athletic ability that alone could have justified a late round pick.
Jaden Hicks, S, Washington State
My favourite of the safeties this year. The 4th round I think was solid value for him.
Cedric Gray, ILB, North Carolina
And my favourite of the inside linebackers. The 4th round I think is a bit of a steal for the Titans.
Kris Abrams-Draine, CB, Missouri
Really caught my eye at the senior bowl. Showed exceptional agility and recovery. When Missouri played LSU, Abrams-Draine found himself covering Nabers in the slot and basically shut him down for most of the game. His reward? A fifth round pick. I think that's a little digusting. For me I would even have parted with a 2nd for him under the right circumstances. So yeah, I really like him.
And that, as they say, is that. There are some other names in there I see where I remember watching them but I have zero notes and not enough recollection of how I felt to warrant putting even my admittedly modest name to some evaluation of them. The two FSU corners for example. I remember liking one, which I think was Jarrian Jones, and not being so hot on the other, but I'd have to go back and pour through hours of footage to reaffirm that, which I just don't have the time for now. I also never really got a good look at the guards or defensive tackles in general.
I may keep coming back to this blog over the season and dropping some articles here and there, but this was mainly just a personal thing; something I started before my brush with death and so something I just wanted to finish. It's theraputic I guess. It may yet prove to be prophetic. It may equally as likely prove to be pathetic, but we'll see.
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to watch Pat Narduzzi give a clinic about the 4-3 defense. Because why not?
