There are still a lot of good football players available, and every year their are multiple gems that have good careers , and even a few that shine as rookies that come off the board on day 3. Without further ado here it is. I welcome your comments , but please be cool about it. Agreeing or disagreeing is welcome, but please do it intelligently & respectfully , or I just won't post it. So here it is. Enjoy.
# Is for a player for with reported character or maturity concerns.
** Is for a player with reported injury concerns.
101.CAROLINA - AUSTIN BOOKER - DE - KANSAS - 6"4" , 240
NFL PLAYER COMP - DORRANCE ARMSTRONG - COWBOYS
Booker is raw, inexperienced , and very talented. Has a lean rangy frame , and looks more like a basketball player with his long skinny arms & legs. He is a redshirt sophomore that I believe would have been better served by going back to school for another year. I had to watch a lot of his games to get a fair read on him because he doesn't play a lot of snaps , and after 6 games he was the same guy I saw after the first 2. He plays like a counter puncher in boxing , which means he is often re-acting instead of dictating the pace & structure of the play. By waiting for the blocker to throw his hands or move his feet when he does start moving forward , and throwing moves after. This may sound nuts in a game where edge rushers are often successful by how quickly they explode off the snap , but Booker was productive despite his limited snaps & counter punching philosophy. OT's could deep set him more then , but that just gives him a runway. I would short set him periodically , and catch him off guard. It's not like he's new to football because Booker played in high school , but I didn't expect a guy who played less than 50 snaps before this season to have such a wide array of pass rush moves. Austin can run the arc & dip under well for a tall rangy man , push/pull , bull rush club /rip , arm over , stutter steps , takeaways , olays , he can get skinny & knife through , and even a clumsy spin move. He uses his arms well too. He's still not polished on some counters & transitions , but he improved there steadily throughout the season. Also can take a longer road to the QB instead of the straight lines available at times. Has a penchant for late hits too , and that could get him fined , suspended , and retaliated against in the NFL. Can't hold his ground in the run game , set the edge , and definitely no stack & shed. Almost plays the run like a pass rusher trying to get by his man , and unless you are into a spot in gap control that won't hold up in the pros. So right now he looks like a situational pass rusher who needs a lot of muscle added throughout his entire frame to be more in the NFL , but he's already got a head start , and the upside is high.
102.SEATTLE-(wash)-THEO JOHNSON - TE - PENN ST. - 6"6" , 259
Theo is a 4th year senior with 28 starts in a boring run first offense. He has a elite frame & plus athleticism for the position , and good straight line speed & quickness. Can break some tackles after the catch , but basically straight ahead with little wiggle. Yet he needs work as a route runner because he doesn't change direction quickly , or sell fakes well, although once he get turned he accelerates out of his break well. Has the strength to be a stud inline blocker, and he did improve there this season , but still a bit high & stiff sometimes. Trys hard down the field as a blocker too. Has solid hands and can win contested catches. He is a guy who can give you some snaps as number 2 TE now, but his upside is ridiculous if he keeps getting better. also plays special teams. His athletic ability is exactly what the SPARQ score happy Seahawks are looking for.
103.PATRIOTS - BRANDON DORLUS - DE/DT - OREGON - 6"3" , 285
NFL PLAYER COMP - TYRONE CRAWFORD - retired
Dorlus is a tweener, and although I like him more inside as a 3 technique he played the edge a lot this year. A 5th year senior and 3 year starter with good backfield production all 3 years. He played a lot of snaps at a variety of spots too. His length and quickness are best used inside as a pass rusher , and he has power coming forward , but he doesn't have the bulk or pad level to hold his ground in the run game. Although he can penetrate well. Has much less chance against double teams inside , and doesn't always see it coming either. Has good technical heavy hand use , and a wide array of pass rush moves. So ideally he can play run downs outside , and kick inside in passing situations. He's a lot like a more polished version of Marshawn Kneeland , except he's bigger , and not quite as athletic. Also Kneeland is a better player standing , and Dorlus excels more out of a 3 point stance. Plus Dorlus is more versatile , played against better competition , and was more productive. Brandon has a pretty good long arm bull rush , and if doesn't win early he stalls out sometimes, but when he does he is great at getting his hands up into passing lanes to alter or bat down throws. He has a tendency to want to get upfield even when he shouldn't , and overrun some plays too. He needs to go to a team with a DC who knows how to use him right , and stay low to be a NFL playmaker. 2nd round grade.
104.ARIZONA - JADEN HICKS - S - WASHINGTON ST. - 6"2" , 211
NFL PLAYER COMP - DERWIN JAMES - CHARGERS
Hicks is a 2 year starter who looks like the poster boy for box safeties. He's big , rocked up , fast , and has above average speed for a safety. He's better at covering TE's than slot receivers, because he's a little stiff , but he's still alright inside against power WR's. When the balls in front of him his reads are good, especially in zone. Moves around a lot , but I like him closer to the line of scrimmage. He will hit you , and can be a forceful tackler , but his form can be hit & miss. Plays some LB , and hits like one , but doesn't take on blocks like one. Hicks can be too aggressive as a tackler. Brakes on the ball quickly , and sees the field well in coverage , but doesn't always see the blockers hunting him. Lightning blitzer too. Jaden has the tools & traits NFL teams want , and he should be a 2nd rounder.
105.CHARGERS - CAM HART - ** -CB - MICHIGAN - 6"3" , 202
NFL PLAYER COMP - ANTONIO CROMARTIE - retired
Hart is a 3 years starter at N. Dame , and if you have 33 starts for the Domers you should be at least a little more polished , aware, and consistent than he currently is. When I go looking to watch a player for the first time I look up their game schedule and the watch them against the players I already like. So I watched the Ohio ST. game, and he played pretty well against Marvin Harrison JR. because he has so big , long , and physical. Although if Kyle McCord was more confident he could have hit Harrison a lot more. Hart isn't just big & strong , because he has much better feet , and is more fluid than your average big CB. It's just that he doesn't have the route recognition or instincts to make the amount of plays on the ball he should. He is a press corner that can slow down & alter a receivers ability to get off the ball, and he can run fast in a straight line down the field. Also can play play off man if they are running deep. Yet if you can get a step on him , or have a confident QB that can fit it in tight windows, or throw a back shoulder, Hart might not be able to recognize when its time to get those long arms up to go for the ball. Plus if a shifty guy can slip him early he won't be able to stay with him out of the break without grabbing ,although he isn't regularly grabby or penalty prone right now. He is a man against the run and will tackle too. His tape was significantly better this year, and the tools & traits are high level so I don't see him getting out of the 3rd round. Too many man or cover 3 teams will want this guy, but he will need to take to coaching , and be in the right scheme to see the field much early.
106.TITANS - CHRISTIAN JONES - OT - TEXAS - 6"5" , 311
NFL PLAYER COMP - TERENCE STEELE - COWBOYS
Jones is a 6th year senior with 48 starts at OT for Texas with 13 at LT and the other 35 on the right side where he belongs. Has a fit well distributed build , but he might need to add a little more muscle in his legs and definitely needs to get more flexible. The closer he is to his man as a run blocker the better , and he takes bad angles to the 2nd level & he can get juked down the field. He is usually leaning too far forward as a run blocker , and his head is often ahead of his hands going forward robbing him of some of his initial contact power , and he doesn't extend his arms enough. As a drive blocker Jones does a good job latching while aggressively driving his feet working to sustain to the whistle ,and his hand placement is usually on the inside , but he is still kind of high off the ball. Plus he needs to learn to let go when his man is pulling away. In pass pro he plays with solid knee bend initially , but pad level rises when going backwards , and again leans too far forward too much. Plus his hands are sometimes late & wide catching rushers instead of punching at times, and blocking with elbows out instead of extending his arms. His feet are just quick enough for the outside , but he can't bend or adjust quickly when beat or against counters , and when he does fully extend his arms it's usually when he is beat so he's just giving a good bye shove. He also obviously holds more as a pass blocker. Good awareness for stunts & twists , but he gets even higher while watching for it , and it hurts his anchor on contact. Christian's anchor seems sound for the most part which is surprising with a guy who is kind of stiff , and who doesn't sink & bend real well. Then they played Washington , and his anchor was tested by the power of Bralen Trice which ended with him being driven consistently back. He definitely lost the pass protection battle to Trice in that playoff game , and while trying to lean into contact to slow the bull rush he got countered to the inside multiple times. Zion Tuluola-Fetui got him a couple times with both speed & power too. After that game I moved him back in my rankings because he will see a lot of good bull rushes in the NFL. Then he went to Mobile for the All star game and looked significantly improved on pretty much all the things that bothered me about him ,except extending his arms in pass protection. I absolutely loved his pass pro reps at RT at The Senior Bowl , and that's both in the one one ones and full practices. Played with better balance & posture with a flat back, and didn't bend or lean forward much. So I like that he's working on his technique flaws and ended up placing him in the 3rd late round on my board.
107.GIANTS-CHRISTIAN MAHOGANY- ** - G - BOSTON COLLEGE - 6"3' , 314
NFL PLAYER COMP - ALAN FANECA - retired
Mahogany is a 5th year senior , a 3 year starter , and he has 34 starts. Nasty & physical drive blocker that fires out with force & inside hands in the run game , but he would be even better if he could stay low more consistently. Christian has good arm length for a guard with a strong hand punch & he doesn't give up ground in the pocket in pass protection. Yet he lunges or leans so far forward in pass pro that he will get pushed pulled , olay'ed , and arm overed a lot more in the NFL. Plus he is a little stiff with limited lateral mobility for quick inside penetrators shooting gaps. Quick puller who had more de-cletes at the end of it than any guard tape I have seen in years. I Loved his 2021 Clemson tape , and I had a 3rd round grade on him after that year , but he went back to school after tearing his ACL. The tape is still good this season , but I liked his 2021 tape a little more . However , a lot of the time when a guy's coming back from a big injury it takes a year to get your full faculty back. Christian is a punishing drive blocker with powerful leg drive who pushes defenders far off the ball making it hard for 2nd level guys to get to the hole. Basically just a true mauler in the run game who is always looking to finish , especially in a gap scheme because right now he crowds the other guy on combo blocks too much. Yet he also needs to stay back & sink in pass pro to have a more fundamental anchor instead of just lunging or leaning hard. If his pass pro tape was as good as his beastly run blocking he would be a lock for the first round. I love the guy , and his tape is a blast , but pass heavy teams won't like him as much. Yet he's a ALPHA who will be a RB's best friend , and any coach who watches his tape will want this guy. Mahogony plays on the right side instead of the left , he's a little shorter , and he's not quite as polished but watching him pull was like watching Alan Faneca in his prime. I have him in the mid 3rd round so obviously I don't have a ton of faith that he can reach the comparison of a Hall Of Famer , but he plays the same way in the running game.
108.VIKINGS - KHYREE JACKSON- # - CB -OREGON - 6"4" , 194
NFL PLAYER COMP - RICHARD SHERMAN - retired
Jackson has had a odd football journey. He didn't play until his Senior year of high school, got a scholarship to a small school, and then quit the game for 2 years when he wasn't happy there. Then he went the Juco route for 2 years , and the 2nd one got cancelled because of Covid. He got a offer from Bama, and spent 2 years there. Jackson even started the National Championship game against Georgia in 2021 , but still wasn't a starter in 2022 , and then got suspended by Nick Saban. So he transferred to Oregon for the 2023 season. So he is obviously raw & inexperienced with a low football IQ, and undeveloped route recognition for a 5th year senior who will be a 25 year old rookie. Plus between his past struggles to stick with the game & the suspension from Bama he has both football & of the field character questions. Now the good stuff. He has the tall long frame of a press man cover 3 defensive coordinators dreams. He strong , aggressive, and physical in both coverage and run support. Also has good top end speed for a big corner. Has played special teams a lot , and can blitz too. His tape progressed forward throughout the season , and you saw him being a little quicker & fluid as the year progressed. He looked pretty good at The Senior Bowl too. So he has the right demeanor , and all the physical tools to end up a great NFL corner in the right scheme if he is committed & takes to NFL coaching. It's entirely up to him if he fulfills his awesome potential.
109.FALCONS - TJ TAMPA - CB - IOWA ST. - 6"1" , 189
NFL PLAYER COMP - AHKELLO WITHERSPOON - RAMS
AJ Terrell is a free agent after the season , and he has great length , which both Dee Alford & Clark Phillips lack. TJ is physical with those long arms and big hands to re-route in press coverage , but doesn't play press a lot. Better in bump & run , but I want him to have safety help over the top because he lacks long speed. Has good feet , but a high pedal , and he's a bit stiff with his change of direction. Plays inside & out but I like him more outside because he can't stay with the shifty quick guys if he misses his jam. Far more experienced in zone than man , and his body type and skill set are perfect for cover 3. He's a former WR with great ball skills , and he challenges at the catch point with those long arms & big hands. Plays the run like a man. Comes forward and fights through blocks, and will hit you , but lacks the shiftiness to be a reliable open field tackler. Plus he ducks his head and dives at times. His combine was Ok , but he looks a lot bigger than 189 on tape , and he only ran a 4.59. I still like him in the 2nd round to a zone team , and Raheem Morris is zone guy so Tampa should fit right in with his Tampa 2. Sorry , but I just got done watching Ted Lasso so I can't resist a good pun right now.
110.PATRIOTS-(lac,chi)-JAYLEN WRIGHT - RB - TENNESEE - 5"10" , 210
NFL PLAYERS COMP - WILLIE PARKER - retired
Wright hasn't played a ton with only 283 carries over the last 2 seasons, but he is explosive with home run long speed. Led the team in rushing the last 2 years, but only a starter in 2023 , but you did see some progress in his vision. Speaking of his vision , but that and patience is what he lacks most. Plus he runs too tall ,and he would fumble less if he gave them less of a target shielding the ball with his body. Too often tries to bust one when he should just put his head down , lower the shoulder , & go straight ahead to get 3 or 4 yards. Jaylen has the power to break tackles when he tries to ,and he can make a lot of guys miss when he cuts. Wasn't used enough as a receiver either, because I would want to get this guy the ball in space a lot. Best pass protecting RB in the draft steeping forward and striking the rusher, but he needs to remember that its inside first then outside. I think he just needs more reps to be a better runner, but at the very least he could be an ace as a 3rd down back. I would want to throw him screens and have him return kicks too.
111.JETS - JA'TAVION SANDERS - TE - TEXAS - 6"4" , 245
NFL PLAYER COMP - MARK ANDREWS - RAVENS
Before this season I thought Sanders had a chance to go in the late first round , but his receiving numbers were down this season. Plus he ran slower than I expected at the combine, and that's after I assumed he slimmed down to 245 in the hopes of running a faster time , because he looks about 10 pounds bigger on tape. Definitely looks faster in pads too , as he can run vertical rotes beating LB's & safeties consistently. The ability to be a true inline TE is there, and he has good hand placement initially , but his effort & hips snap is inconsistent. Lines up inline , in the slot, and even in the backfield some. Has some good down the field blocks too , but again doesn't always look like his hearts in it. He separates pretty well , but is not a nuanced or polished route runner inline. Great big hands to win at the catch point. Had no drops on any of the 6 games I watched over the last 2 years , and that includes contested catches , and going up to get it. Good physical runner after the catch , and I wish they threw him more screens , used him more at the goal line , and handed him the ball 2 or 3 times a game. He actually covers kicks so that should push him up some. As a pass catching TE he could really blossom early with a team that made a more concentrated effort to get him the ball.
112.RAIDERS - DJ JAMES - CB - AUBURN - 6 ft. , 175
NFL PLAYER COMP - JONATHAN JONES - PATRIOTS
James is a 5th year Senior and 3 year starter with one at Oregon , and the last 2 at Auburn in the SEC. He's a fluid man corner with a smooth pedal , and he got his hands on the ball a lot over the last 2 years , but doesn't have good hands. DJ is both quick in the short area and has good long speed. Has good length, but his main problem is weight. Has a lean narrow ectomorph frame that takes awhile to add muscle too, but he need at least 10 more pound so he doesn't pushed around by NFL WR's , but even ectomorph's can add 2 pounds if muscle a month if they are dedicated to it. Not to mention that he isn't the best guy in run support or as tackler, but it's not for lack of trying. He aggressive and will get caught more jumping routes early in the NFL. Kind of grabby , but not overly so. One of only 4 corners that played well against LSU's stud WR's. He has good instincts in man , although not quite as good in off coverage. In zone James is still solid , but not quite there just yet. He's got a good track record in man coverage against good competition, and its almost all on the outside, Every team needs that. He attacks the ball as soon as he sees it , and plays with the confidence of a bigger guy. If he can get bigger I think he can be a good starter down the line.
113.RAVENS-(den)- TROY FRANKLIN - WR - OREGON - 6"2" , 176
NFL PLAYER COMP - MIKE QUICK - retired
Franklin is a deep threat WR who can also play the slot. Franklin is a highly productive deep threat who can run down the field routes that pull safeties even when he's not getting the ball. He's long & lean , and while he doesn't run a full route tree yet he eats up the DB's cushion really fast , and has the homerun speed to separate from the defender when the balls in the air. Plus he runs his current routes well , and can make the guy covering him look lost at times. Good hands & timing to extend and snatch the ball with some acrobatic catches, but he occasionally drops the easy ones. He is competitive on contested catches , but doesn't win enough of them. Surprisingly competitive as a blocker for a lean/light guy as well , so it makes sense that he could be good at it if he added 10-15 more pounds of muscle. Still needs to get stronger because you see him get pushed around by some physical corners at times , and that will get worse in the NFL, but he has some crafty releases off the line of scrimmage. He's a big play waiting to happen , and as long as he adds 10-15 more pounds of muscle he can be a good Z who takes some slot snaps now & then in the NFL. For the Chargers I think he would play the slot more. Maybe he isn't a #1 WR , but paired with a big armed QB who can hit the deep ball he could be the kind of player who keeps Defensive Coordinators up all night , even if he only gets 5 or 6 targets a game. Justin Herbert fits that bill.
114.JAGUARS - TANOR BARTOLINI - C - WISCONSIN - 6"4' , 303
NFL PLAYER COMP - ALEX MACK - retired
Tanor is a tall athletic center who gets off the ball and gets by with solid technique. Needs to get stronger to improve his 1 vs. 1 drive blocking , and his short arms do work against him when long armed DT's get into his chest , but he does fight to sustain anyway. Drives his feet with a wide base and keeps them churning , but he needs to get stronger. He's usually too high off the ball in the run game, but tends to get some initial push anyway , although he does fall off too many blocks. Good combo blocker who could thrive in a zone heavy scheme , but also nasty enough to move a lot interior D-Lineman against their will in a man/gap because he keeps going to the whistle. Generally gets his hands inside , and has strong grip, but he needs to learn when to let go when they are outside or when the defender pulls away. Good anchor when he's latched on , but he still gets pushed back too much by some nose tackles. Tanor makes the line calls , and has good awareness for stunts & twists. He's quick and a better pass blocker than he is in the run game , which is not what I expect from a Wisconsin guy. Despite that quickness I was surprised that he ran a really fast ( 4.94) forty at the combine. I liked his 2022 tape at guard a little better, but I see him as a potential starter at either guard spot , or center. If he hits the weights and plays lower off the snap he can be a good starter.
115.BENGALS - BUCKY IRVING - RB - OREGON - 5"9" , 192
NFL PLAYER COMP - JUSTIN FORSETT - retired
Bucky is so explosive on tape, and made so many great splash plays that I was expecting him to run in the low 4.4's at the combine, but he instead logged a disappointing 4.55 at only 192 pounds. In 2023 alone Irving had 10 runs and 6 receptions that went for 15 or more yards , and 10 of those plays went for over 30 yards. I didn't think he was big , but he runs low with enough force & drive that I expected at least 200 pounds as well. He is a stocky , decisive, subtly shifty runner who will bounce off guys , and keep going. Plus even though Bucky won't carry a bunch of tacklers on his back he finishes his runs getting all he can from it a the end. Has great early vison for the hole, but I wish he would bounce a few more plays outside past the line of scrimmage. He is a good receiver, and only fumbled once in college so you can trust him on 3rd down or at the goal line. Willing & decisive in pass pro , but lacks the weight to stifle rushers much. Has returned kicks as well. Mcvay knows how to use a pass catching back , and it would also keep the Rams from overusing Kyren Williams to preserve him for the post season.
116.JAGUARS-(no)-CEDRICK JOHNSON - DE/OLB - OLE MISS - 6"3" ,260
NFL PLAYER COMP - KWITY PAYE - COLTS
Cedrick is a 3 year starter in The SEC , and he has steadily gotten bigger , while becoming more polished during that time . Has especially improved his pad level & gotten stronger setting the edge against the run , but needs to do a better job of shedding blocks quicker. His awareness to find the ball , avoid falling for fakes, and getting moving in the right direction improved this season a little , but its not a strength yet. As a pass rusher Cedrick needs a better inside counter or to learn to dip under because he was washed past the QB too much outside. As a pass rusher Johnson has heavy hands that he uses to swat away blocker hands early, but he doesn't get good positioning or hand fight well during the rep yet. Also lacks a more diverse pass rush plan , and needs to use those hands to transition quicker. Cedrick needs to stop getting caught up in the fight and be looking to disengage and find the ball. Should not be playing on his feet in a 2 point stance in the NFL, but in a 3 point as a 4-3 end I think he can develop into a starter if he uses his power better as a pass rusher , and add more pass rush moves. Has a good motor , frame , and a good tool box to work with. There aren't a lot of guys who are willing to play the run well coming put of college these days , but Johnson is just a 2 down player right now until he develops his rushing repertoire.
117.COLTS - JEREMIAH TROTTER JR. - LB - CLEMSON - 6 feet , 230
NFL PLAYER COMP - NICK BOLTON - CHIEFS
Jeremiah JR. is nowhere near as big or long as his retired ALL PRO dad who was the biggest MLB I can remember. So JR. won't be stuffing a guard back through the hole like dad, but he will step into them with force to try to stack , but his short arms keep him from being consistent at shedding them. He does beat the blocker to the spot or slip the block well though. JR. does have the high football IQ you would expect from the son of a former great NFL LB. , and he is usually the first guy moving in the right direction. Trotter is rarely fooled by fakes , but it happened more this season compared to 2022 tape. Great diagnostic skills & instincts for zone coverage , and he had 4 picks ( 2 taken to the house ) while getting his hands on the ball a lot the past 2 seasons. Can blitz too , and had 12 sacks over those 2 years. Has a tendency to occasionally come in too hot , and can get juked late as a tackler. Needs to be a little less grabby in coverage. Had a hamstring injury , and so he didn't run before the draft , but I wasn't expecting below a 4.7 anyway. So he is not real fast , and he doesn't change direction real well either, but he will cover a lot more ground than some guys who run in the 4.5's because he see's it before they do. I would happily want him as my middle LB. He is a QB of the defense who will make a ton of plays against the run , and he will be in the right place in zone.
118.SEAHAWKS - CEDRICK GRAY - LB - N. CAROLINA - 6"2" , 241
Cedrick is a durable 3 year starter , Gray has been very productive over his career at N. Carolina with 369 tackles , 29 TFL'S , 8.5 sacks , 5 picks and forcing 6 fumbles over those3 seasons. As a weakside LB who can just run to the ball he can be a star if he's protected , but he doesn't take on or shed blocks well yet. I was surprised he just ran a solid 4.64 forty & 1.58 ten yard split at the combine because he looks like a low 4.5 guy in pads , and his short area burst looks great too. I have seen him beat some fast guys to the edge on film , but part pf that could just be taking the right angle in the open field. Has the size to be a MLB , but doesn't play strong enough for the job , and too much of that weight is in his upper body. Seems to always be trying to run past , slip , or give a soft shoulder to blockers instead of stacking & shedding them. Football IQ is hit & miss which makes me think he is guessing too much. Some of that running around ends up leaving big gaps in the defense to cut back in , or just run through , and he also came in too hot and overran some plays. Solid tackler. He covered pretty well, but is probably a better fit there in zone unless you put him on a TE. Gray has a lot of the right tools , and if he can pump up his football IQ & legs in the film & weight rooms he could become a good starter. He played a lot of special teams in college so he can be useful while he improves , but he needs to play a more physical version of football more than anything.
119.STEELERS - MEKHI WINGO - DT - LSU - 6 feet , 284
NFL PLAYER COMP - MIKE PATTERSON - retired
Wingo is a versatile interior D-Lineman who was a team captain this year at LSU , and was one of the few players on their defense who looked like he was fighting it out all year. He lines up all over , and has experience in both odd & even fronts. Has a ripped stocky build & tree trunk legs. Mekhi has a great first step that allows him to fly off the ball low getting into the blocker before they are ready. He can bull rush/push-pull/arm over or just shoot a gap pretty seamlessly. Has 32 inch arm length which is long for his height , but still short. Wingo also has knock back power off the snap , and then he can use his violent accurate hands to separate from blockers quickly , but he's tight hipped & doesn't change directions well enough to always take advantage of it. Great motor and a violent tackler too. He will get manhandled by some of the bigger blockers , especially if they can out length him. I still love this guy though. He's a little smaller , not quite as strong , and doesn't have as many moves yet , but his play style is very similar to 2 HOFers ( Aaron Donald & John Randle) and a future (Geno Atkins) HOFer. Since I am giving him a 3rd round grade I doubt he reaches the level of any of them, but he sure does a lot of the same things well.
120.EAGLES-(ram)- JARED WILEY - TE - TCU - 6"6" , 249
Wiley is a 5th year senior who spent his first 3 years at Texas behind Ja'tavion Sanders before transferring to TCU for the last 2 , and was a team captain this year. Has a great lean frame with good length that could easily carry another 10 pounds of muscle , as he looks more like a NBA small forward right now , and he doesn't even look like the solid 249 he weighed at the combine. Had 47 catches for 520 yards and 8 TD's this season , but was very underused as a receiver because he was open a lot more. Has strong hands , a wide catch radius , and the jump timing to go up and get the ball at its highest point. Was a great red zone weapon this season. Gets off the line quickly but still too much rounding in his routes right now , and doesn't sink & separate the way a guy as athletic as he is could. Generally starts out well as a blocker low & with hands inside , but lacks hip snap, violence , and committed leg drive as a inline blocker. Does a better job picking off smaller players down the field , but his best blocking is done in pass pro. Wiley needs polish and more time on the squat rack , but there is a lot to work with here. I think he is a ascending player I am giving him a late 3rd round grade.
121.BRONCOS-(mia)-JAVON BAKER - WR - UCF - 6"1" , 202
NFL PLAYER COMP - HAKEEM NICKS - retired
Baker was a former Bama recruit who transferred away after 2 years of limited playing time and became the number one WR at UCF over the next 2 years. He has a strong thick build, and he's kind of a jack of all trades master of none . With the exception of running after the catch where he turns a lot of short passes into first downs. Also wins a lot of deep balls , and he can adjust to off target throws to go up and get it. Had to adjust a lot with his QB too. Plays about 75% outside and 25% in the slot on the games I watched. A good short area burst off the ball to eat up the cushion ,but top speed is just solid. Generally has strong hands , but some focus drops. He's shows some nuance running routes , and can accelerate out of his breaks pretty well , but needs more practice spotting some of the holes against zone. Has some good releases , but not a polished route runner yet , even though I saw clear improvement from 2022 to 2023. While he only had 52 catches this season he averaged almost 22 yards per catch. I see Baker as a ascending player who still has his best football ahead of him if he goes to a team with a better QB. Plus he commits to blocking. I think he is solid #2 WR with some more reps and NFL coaching.
122.BEARS-(phi)- DADRION TAYLOR-DEMERSON - S - 5"10" . 197
Dadrion is a 5th year senior who has produced a lot over the last 3 seasons with 208 tackles , 33 passes defensed , 10 picks , 7 TFL's , 2 forced fumbles , and 2 sacks. His football IQ still needs work at safety , but he was primarily a RB in high school so its reasonable to assume that he is still learning some of the nuances of the position. Right now he still takes the chees more than he should , but fell for less fakes this season compared to 2022. He already shows pretty good instincts & diagnostic skills on tape already , and you see him lining people up and calling stuff out pre-snap. Good blitzer too. He is a undersized free safety, and doesn't play big , and he will have an even harder time bringing down ball carriers in the NFL. In the box he is just a little too aggressive at times too , and doesn't have the sand in his pants to play there much. Also he had a few hip drop tackles on tape, and while I think the new pussified NFL shouldn't ban the maneuver, they have and it could lead Dadrion to some penalties & suspensions. Also a little late to turn & run in the slot , and plays a lot faster when playing deep. Yet any player who gets his hands on the ball this much , can cover this much ground from center field , and who can run this fast is a valuable asset against QB's at the very least. Late 4th round grade.
123.EAGLES-(hou,clev)-DEVONTEZ WALKER - N. CAROLINA - 6"1" , 197
NFL PLAYER COMP - DJ CHARK - FA
Walker is a twitchy vertical receiver with all the talent you can want, but his football IQ ,and confidence need to be pumped up. The NCAA blocked his transfer for the Tar Heels first 4 games , and he looked like he was learning on the fly in week 5 vs Syracuse , but he was a monster against Miami the following week with 6 catches for 132 and 3 TD's. Smooth & fluid mover. Tez needs work as a route runner, and with his ability to see the holes in zone if he wants to be more than just a deep threat. While he only played 8 games for the Tarheels he was the main threat defenses had to game plan for by his 2nd game. Has the kind of speed where he can separate down the field on the deep ball , and run away from defenders to the end zone. Made some great catches where he tracked the ball and brought it in on deep balls , but also dropped a lot of easy ones. Had a lot of drops during Senior Bowl week too, but then gutted it out running routes all day during the actual game when a bunch of other guys sat out. Blew up the combine too. At almost 6"2" the long armed explosive Walker ran a 4.36 forty , had a 1.56 , 40.5 vertical , and a 11"3" broad jump.
124.SF 49ers-(dal)- SPENCER RATTLER - # - QB - S. CAROLINA - 6 feet , 211
NFL PLAYER COMP - JEFF BLAKE - retired
I first heard about Spencer Rattler on a Netflix show called QB one about the top high school QB's back in 2018 , but he got suspended as a Senior. He was still considered one of , if not the , top QB recruits in the country. He played sparingly as a backup to Jalen Hurts as a true freshman at Oklahoma, and by 2020 he was the starter for the Sooners. Heading into 2021 Rattler was one of the favorites for the Heisman, and after what he showed in 2020 many of us thought he might be the 1rst pick in the draft after that season. Then he got benched against Texas, and Caleb Williams himself took over , but then Rattler got the Drew Bledsoe treatment. So he transferred to S. Carolina for 2022 where former sooner assistant Shane Beamer was now the head coach. There was less talent there, with the O-Line especially being subpar , and his numbers suffered some. He threw a lot more picks that season. I also believe his confidence had taken a hit too. Well his O-Line was even worse this season , and his receivers had a lot of drops. Yet Spencer had more yards, a higher completion percentage , more TD's and less picks anyway. So I think that restored some of his confidence. Rattler is undersized, but has a compact frame. A just good enough arm to make all the throws, but nothing special in this draft full of big armed QB's , but he will try to force some unnecessary balls in anyway. Solid mechanics, big hands , good feet, good pocket awareness, not afraid to throw over the middle , and he actually throws guys open. He can scramble, but just OK throwing on the move , and not a great athlete or running threat. He can go through his full read progressions, but they still need to speed up, which is funny considering how rarely he had the time to make full reads. Spencer's lack of height does get him trouble because he doesn't see some robbing LB's in coverage. He was a captain the last 2 seasons, but QB"s usually are , although maturity questions from his past will need to be vetted by NFL teams during interviews. Plus he will need to show he can play under center. He is QB #7 for me , and I have a late 3rd on him. With Cousins age , and coming off a Achilles injury they need a young capable backup with the chance to develop into a starter down the road. I think Rattler is the best bet to make that happen after the first 6 are off the board , even though I have him in his own tier well behind even Nix.
125.TAMPA BAY - TOMMY EICHENBERG - LB - OHIO ST. - 6"2" , 233
NFL PLAYER COMP - JAMES LAURINAITIS - retired
The first time I noticed Tommy he was kicking ass in The Rose bowl game on new years day against Utah back in 2022. That game is more known for the ridiculous stat line that Jaxon Smith-Njigba put up , and as the coming out party for Marvin Harrison JR. in a very high scoring game. Eichenberg was everywhere making plays against the run , and while too many balls were caught in front of him I thought he would improve in time. Cut to the 2022 season , and he was still kicking ass against the run , especially between the tackles , and looked kind of solid in coverage too. So I expected him to enter the draft , but he went back to school. With his high football IQ ,throwback size , and willingness & power to fill against the run he might have been a 1rst rounder 30 years ago , but in today's game he's too limited to be more than a run down backer. Yet when I watch his 2022 tape I see a guy who can make it as a solid starter in a zone heavy scheme. This year he was playing hurt , and even missed three games with a messed up wing , and maybe that's why the tape wasn't as good. He looked even worse in coverage too , even in zone where there were too many balls caught in front of him. He will fly into blockers to stack , but his short arms prevent him from shedding well. He's a 5th year senior and 2 time team captain with the personality & experience to play special teams well. I am betting the tape went down this year because of injury , and unless its a chronic thing I don't know about he will be a starter for some NFL team. He actually reminds me of his Ohio ST. linebacker coach on the field.
126.PACKERS - KRIS ABRAMS-DRAINE - MISSOURI - 5"11" , 179
Draine was a 3 year starter in the SEC who got his hands on the ball a lot with 40 passes defensed & 7 picks during that time , and he saved his best for last with career high 16 passes defensed & 4 picks this season. Had a career high 50 tackles this year too. He's a lean guy with average height , but he will aggressively come up to tackle , although he can get over powered by bigger ball carriers. At his size I thought he would be more of a slot guy , but he was almost always outside on tape. He's a former WR & QB and that probably explains why he recognizes route combinations so well , gets to the ball so often , especially in off zone. A smooth mover with great feet when its in front of him , and he has hands & timing to find the ball like the WR he used to be , but his pedal can get high. Needs to work on his hands in press , and hopefully add 10 more pounds of muscle so he can fulfill his natural aggression as a outside corner better He might get big brothered by some larger receivers , but it won't be from lack of trying. I have a late 3rd on him , and he can give a zone heavy team some snaps as a rookie.
127.TEXANS - KHRISTIAN BOYD - DT - N. IOWA - 6"2" , 320
Boyd is a 6th year senior who was a team captain his final season. He plays low with strength , and he can only be a nose tackle right now because he gets off the ball slow , and doesn't shed blocks well with his short arms, but he did hold his ground well against double teams. Not a great pass rusher with mostly just clubs, arm over ,bull rush , and the occasional push pull , but he telegraphs theM & grts off balance at times. Boyd has a good motor , and he played a lot of snaps for a noose so you know his gas tank is good. If he can get off the ball quicker he could become a starting nose in the NFL.
128.BILLS - SEDRICK VAN PRAN - C - GEORGIA - 6"4" , 301
Van Pran is a 3 years starter and 2 time team captain. Even though he gets stood up at the line of scrimmage too often I love the way he sticks with run blocks by keeping his feet driving even when he is initially losing , and sometimes he ends up turning them late and putting them on the ground. Sedrick too often takes bad angles to the second level , and his balance & timing is off there too so zone teams will have him lower on their boards , but some man/gap teams will be higher on him. Throws his short arms out a little early in pass pro , but his target seems to be the shoulders instead of the chest most of the time and while I'm happy to see him get full extension it puts him a little too far forward & off balance. His anchor is iffy , and you see his short arms causing him to get pushed back, and he isn't quick enough to stop some explosive penetrators from shooting his gap. Also doesn't shuffle sideways well at all. He's a fighter , he's smart & experienced, but he's also scheme specific. Plus, his short arms , balance issues and limited upside have him lower on my board than I expected by the time I finished his tape. Late 4th round.
129.JETS-(vik,det)-HUNTER NOURZAD - C - PENN ST. - 6"3 , 317
With Alijah Vera- Tucker coming off a big injury a guy who can play guard could be needed. Hunter is another 6th year senior who spent his first 4 years as right tackle ( 20 starts ) at Cornell where he was ALL IVY League in 2021 , but moved up to Penn ST. for the last 2 seasons. Started the last 8 games of 2022 at guard, and started all 13 games this year at center. His tape was definitely better this season. Nourzad has good size and above average arm length for a center and a strong thick frame. He fires out low and aggressive in the run game , but can be out of control ducking his head & leans too far forward at times which results in him either falling off blocks , or outright whiffing. Pulls well , and delivers a blow at the end of it. When he fits up right he can dig his man out of the hole, and move him man off the ball with strong legs. In pass protection his awareness is lacking , and not just missing stunts & twists, because his head isn't on a swivel all the time. On some plays Hunter is uncovered he goes to help the first guy he sees instead of waiting to see who is actually in trouble. Strong anchor heads up but doesn't shuffle laterally well for guy shooting a gap. Hunter looks new to center , and maybe this is his first time ever playing the position so its reasonable to assume he will improve with more reps at the pivot , especially on the mental side of things. I like guys who play low and go the whistle, but I don't expect to see him starting anytime soon in the NFL until he can play more in control & with a higher football IQ that a center needs. Yet I think he will be a starting center at some point because he went to Cornell so you know he has the brains to improve with time. Late 4th round.
***TRADE*** The DALLAS COWBOYS TRADE their 3rd rounder in the 2025 draft to BALTIMORE RAVENS for their 4th (#130) round compensatory pick ***TRADE***
130.DALLAS-(rav)- BRAELON ALLEN - RB - WISCONSIN - 6"1" , 235
NFL PLAYER COMP - LEGARRETTE BLOUNT - retired
Dallas has to get a RB in this draft who has the ability be their main guy so this trade makes sense. Braelon is a big back who often tried to use the running style of a smaller man this season , and the results were mixed for me this year. He can run to his size when he chooses to , and he has legit tackle breaking power when he uses it , but there are too many times he heads for open space when he would have gotten more yards if he just kept driving forward. On the plus side he does have enough burst and top speed to outrun the defense to the spot at times. Yet I liked his 2022 tape more, and right now he looks like he's trying to change into a Leveon Bell clone when he hasn't yet shown the patience & feet that made Bell special in his prime. He was used more as a receiver this season , and Allen had a few good catches that make me believe he can handle more receiving duties with increased reps , but I want him to get straight up the field after the catch quicker. Plus I need to see him run more routes instead of just being a outlet guy. Also had better understanding of pass protection , but I want him to extend his hands better when stepping into it. He's not shifty or elusive so I think he should just embrace his size and go back to punishing defenders on a more consistent basis with a more north/south running style. He's tall so he should also try to run a little lower to avoid more big hits. Allen has been productive all 3 years in college , but after his breakout freshman year I expected him to be a potential first rounder by now. He's only 20 so its reasonable to assume he's just caught in the midst a learning cycle right now , but if he embraces his power full time he can be a bell cow back as a rookie.
131.CHIEFS - CAELEN CARSON - ** - CB - W. FOREST - 5 feet ,199
Carson is a 4th year starter with a lengthy injury history so he only had 34 starts during those seasons , and the only season he didn't miss a game due to injury was the cut short Covid season. Has decent size , twitchy smooth movements , and loose hips Caelen played inside & out this season too. Physical hands at the line, and at the catch point. He aggressively brings it as a tackler , but can get dragged a bit by stronger ball carriers. Averaged almost a pass defensed per game, but only 4 picks , and he doesn't get his head around to find the ball enough. He's smart , sees it quickly , and flies to the ball. Has great quickness , but just good speed. Much better up tight where he can get his hands on the receiver, and too much backfield peeking when playing off.
132.EAGLES-(sf)- MASON MCCORMICK - G - S. DAKOTA ST. - 6"4" , 309
McCormick is yet another 6th year senior , a 4 year starter , a 3 time captain , and a 2 time All American. Yes I know it was at small school South Dakota ST. , but that's still some impressive accomplishments. Mason looked pretty good at the East/West Shrine bowl, and that's when he first came to my attention. At the shrine his hands were inside more , and he played with a little more control. So I went looking for his tape , and when looking for tape on small school guys I look for there games against division one opponents if they have any. The first game was 2002 against Iowa. He's well put together looking like a bull, but kind of stiff, and he pops right up off the snap. Did a good job of staying connected when on the move with reach blocks. Despite being too high tends to get a good initial pop, but hands didn't consistently latch , and when they were he usually grabbed outside so he stalled out a lot drive blocking. Surprisingly quick reach blocking and stays engaged on the move. Got to the 2nd level on combos , but hands too wide and he grabs outside the shoulders too often , but generally made his block effectively down field. Had a good anchor in pass pro heads up , but also had some quick losses where his hands got slapped away and he got shucked, or he leaned to far forward off balance and got shucked Good awareness for stunts & twists and meets the looper with a stiff punch. Always looking to help out when uncovered. So not super impressed , but I saw his potential as 6th/7th round draftable guy. After that I watched his two 2023 playoff games against Albany & Montana. Mason showed the same flaws , but had better results against that level of competition. Especially against Albany , but his Montana game was just OK at best because he looked a little confused and late by some of the games their D-Line was playing. Plus he had multiple plays where he hit no one at the second level , although did pull pretty well. He blew up the combine too , but I still wouldn't take him before the 4th round.
133.CHIEFS-(buf)- CADE STOVER - TE - OHIO ST. - 6"4" , 247
NFL PLAYER COMP - JAKE FERGUSON - COWBOYS
Farmer Gronk as Stover is known is not Gronk on the field. He lacks the size or athleticism to be associated with Gronk. Yet he does have show the toughness , and hard nosed play style of the former LB he used to be. Stover is 5th year senior who has only been starting at TE for 2 years , and so I didn't expect him to be so polished as a receiver. He tries hard as blocker , and he takes good angles & works to sustain , but he isn't yet strong enough to live up to his reputation as a true inline Y TE. Cade has some good releases off the ball and is pretty good at selling the fakes on his routes early , but not a big separator. Great hands, and knows to use his body to shield defenders and he fights at the catch point. Unlike his past Ohio ST. QB's Mccord was looking to check down or throw underneath a lot. Has decent quickness and top end speed, but he's not running way from NFL LB's down the seem. Since he is new to the position , and was named a captain this season it's reasonable to assume he will be dedicated in both the weight & film rooms to keep getting better. There are a lot of other TE's with higher ceilings in this draft , but Stover has the higher floor to be a true 2 way inline Y TE.
134.JETS-(rav)- RAY DAVIS - RB - KENTUCKY - 5"8" , 211
NFL PLAYER COMP - DEVONTA FREEMAN - retired
Davis grew up in the foster care system , and has the kind of backstory that breaks your heart & makes me want to pull for him. He's a soon to be 25 year old 5th year senior who actually had over 1,000 yard from scrimmage with 3 different college programs so he has a lot of miles on his tires , but I can't bet against a guy who has lived his life. He's a duel threat back who can run & catch with natural hands , and a combined 21 TD's this season. His game against Florida was straight dominant. He's a willing blocker , but his decisions and timing there are still a work in progress. Vision & patience has gotten better , and he runs with force , but still looks like he's thinking mid run sometimes. He's quick , but just average long speed , although he sure looked fast enough on the 75 yard run against the Gators. He is tough and will break some tackles , and some wiggle in space. I will be rooting for him wherever he plays. Late 3rd round grade.
135.SF 49ers - NATHAN THOMAS - G/T - LA. LAFAYETTE - 6"5" , 332
WWE COMP - MARK HENRY
Thomas is a small school 5th year senior who has been a 2 year starter at left tackle. A lot of former TE"s who become tackles are still lean and looked like really big TE's , but not Thomas. He is still in great shape with very little body fat , but he's thickly built like a large guard , or the rare nose tackle who isn't overweight. His technique is literally bad in every way. He is very powerful, but has the high pad level & wide hands that regularly plagues college blockers. Although you mostly see that power on down blocks in the run game, or flat footed swipes in pass protection that smack a defender aside. Plus he alternates between aggressively leaning forward too much , or looking hesitant & waiting too long to engage , but the hesitance is more common. Rarely tries to finish guys , but he's surprisingly not grabby. There are times he should latch on and keep driving his feet , but he just lets the defender slip away and go. His awareness is way behind too because I have never seen a guy shuffling around looking lost , and not hitting anyone so much while watching tape. Since he comes from a small school it's very possible that he can take a big step forward with NFL coaching. Thomas has heavy feet , but also heavy hands. I like him at guard where his heavy feet won't be a hindrance , and he definitely has the power to play inside if he just plays lower. I'm not saying he couldn't be a tackle with better technique , but he could play a lot sooner inside. So as a developmental guard prospect I would take him in the late 5th to early 6th round in the hopes that I could teach him how to block and then that would unleash his confidence & aggression. Its just with his build , tools , and traits someone will probably take him higher. If he doesn't make it in football he should try the WWE.
