2024 NFL Draft 7 Round Mock/Ranking and Prospect Standouts (Edited 3/29/24)

[Tetsujin]

9 hours ago, Scoundrel said:

That kid is dangerously big. He needs to shed some weight.

I'd like to see him under 380. A team needs to spend resources just to make sure he's healthy.

[Ozzy]

10 hours ago, Tetsujin said:

I'd like to see him under 380. A team needs to spend resources just to make sure he's healthy.

He will be one to watch no question but still has a ways to go.  Jaheim Oatis on Bama is very big also and had that one monster game against Arkansas where he had 8 tackles and a sack.  

Will be interesting where Mazi Smith goes, he is a 1st round talent but seems the NFL is not wanting NTs like they used to.  Even Travis Jones last year who was a stud, he should have been a 1st rounder and ended up as a 3rd rounder but that dude is a big timer.  Same with Ika, preseason I had him 1st rounder but now might be a 2nd or 3rd rounder, but he did have a down year compared to the season previous.  

 

 

Simote Pepa could be a stud and has tons of upside as a huge dude, and Deone Walker could be a monster if he continues to improve, and USC got themselves a legit player in Bear Alexander from Georgia, he should be a star.  

[Ozzy]

In terms of trends from the 2023 draft:

 

*Record number of QBs selected in the draft, I am sure like they said everyone is trying to find Brock Purdy and also want a QB for cheap.  Cannot get a crazy contract even if they are good if they are a later round pick compared to being a 1st round pick.  Sure teams are afraid of paying the QB all this guaranteed money which is pretty nuts.  Still with the record set it is pretty crazy because this was a pretty weak QB draft honestly in terms of top end talent and a lot of these guys should not have been drafted.  Just think if the tons of QBs who went back to school declared, could of had even more drafted.  I still say the 2024 class is way deeper and more talented than this one.  

 

*Also a trend on smaller run and hit LBs, guys 6-0 or 6-2 that are 220-230 who can simply run and hit.  Was surprised guys like Drake Thomas or Charlie Thomas were not selected but Henley teams loved and for good reason.  

 

*And what is with centers and tight ends falling, was a very good to great group of centers and none were even selected in the 1st round.  And that is with a few teams needing centers, they all waited on them. Same with all the great TE prospects falling and teams just sitting and waiting to get one later when many should have been picked higher than they were.  

 

*All the RS SOPH players who were picked pretty low, might make some rethink declaring as a younger player.  CJ Stroud, Anthony Richardson, Lukas Van Ness, Broderick Jones and Christian Gonzalez were picked highly as a RS SOPH and all 1st round picks but a few who thought maybe, well it did not turnout like that.  

 

Kelee Ringo
Clark Phillips
Noah Sewell
Tucker Kraft
Luke Wypler
Sean Tucker UDFA

 

*Also big tackles like Dawand Jones, surprised he fell but if you are that large and do not have great movement skills, looks like you drop even though most likely the dude is a very solid pro.  Trenton Brown and Orlando Brown Jr dropped, that has not really mattered yet teams are still afraid to draft big guys like that it seems.  Ryan Swoboda was a UDFA, same with Kadeem Telfort and Dalton Wagner, I thought all should have been drafted especially Wagner and Telfort.  

 

 

 

 

As far as I can recall here are the guys who are 5th year players, 53 total which is a lot that were drafted, sure I am missing many but these are the guys I watched.   Some had medical redshirts, some had a COVID year etc.  Charlie Jones made arguably the biggest jump in improvement this past year.  Speed was crazy, he had 5 years on Georgia then last year he plays a little on MSU and get drafted.  Then Terell Smith great freshman year, then three years of not much and hurt then great final RS SR year.  And of course Bennett on Georgia and his crazy story from FBS starter, to off the team then back again and two time National Champion.   Were 6 guys with 6 years in college, one being Bennett obviously then Henley who did switch positions.

 

5 Year players:
Will McDonald OLB
Dalton Kincaid TE
John Michael Schmitz C
Keion White DL
Jartavius Martin DB
Juice Scruggs C
Hendon Hooker QB
Demarvion Overshown LB
Sydney Brown S
Mekhi Blackmon CB
Chase Brown RB
Cedric Tillman WR
Dylan Horton DE
Charlie Jones WR
YaYa Diaby DL
Jayden Reed WR
Riley Moss CB
Daniel Scott S
Tyler Steen OT
Dorian Thompson-Robinson QB
Dante Stills DL
Ventrell Miller ILB
KJ Henry DE
Jake Haener QB
Carter Warren OT
Jordan McFadden OL
Will Mallory TE
Jaelyn Duncan OL
Terell Smith CB
Viliami Fehoko DE
Yasir Abdullah LB
Cory Trice CB
Cameron Latu TE
Ronnie Bell WR
Jon Gaines OG
Sean Clifford QB
Robert Beal OLB
Chamarri Conner S
DJ Ivey CB
Erick Hallett II S
Jordan Howden S
Karl Brooks DL
Ryan Hayes OL 
Jarrick Bernard-Converse CB
Clayton Tune QB
Justin Shorter WR
Jarrett Patterson C
Atonio Mafi OG
Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu OL
Christopher Smith S
Brayden Willis TE
Nesta Jade Silvera DT
Ameer Speed CB

 

 

6 Year players:
Daiyan Henley LB
Cody Mauch OL
Olusegun Oluwatimi C
Andrew Vorhees OL
Stetson Bennett QB
Ameer Speed CB
 

Edited April 30, 2023 by Ozzy

[Ozzy]

I know I forgot some guys but here is the list for 2024 in terms of 5th, 6th and I found one 7th year guy.  Could be the most 5th and 6th year guys in the history of the NFL draft next year with the NIL money, transfer portal, COVID year and medical redshirt years being the reason.    On this list there are 115 guys as 5th year players and potential draft prospects, and 19 or so are 6th year guys.

 

 

6th Year Players:

Michael Penix Jr QB
Jordan Travis QB
Sam Hartman QB
Joe Milton III QB
Phil Jurkovec QB
Brennan Armstrong QB
Cameron Carroll RB
Chris Autman-Bell WR
Brant Kuithe TE
Zach Heins TE
Steven Jones OG
Xavier Thomas DE
Jermayne Lole DT
Nathaniel Watson ILB
Zion Tupuola-Fetui OLB
Terry Roberts CB
AJ Hampton CB
Al Blades CB
BJ Foster S
Josh Proctor S

 

5th Year Players:

Spencer Rattler QB
Jordan Travis QB
Devin Leary QB
Jayden Daniels QB
KJ Jefferson QB
Taulia Tagovailoa QB
Grayson McCall QB
Tyler Shough QB
Kedon Slovis QB
Dillon Gabriel QB
Hank Bachmeier QB
Spencer Sanders QB
John Rhys Plumlee QB
Tony Mathis Jr RB
Nay'Quan Wright RB
Trey Sanders TCU RB
Nakia Watson RB
Ainias Smith WR
Tayvion Robinson WR
Phillip Brooks WR
Jacob Warren TE
Brevyn Spann-Ford TE
Jared Wiley TE
Johnny Langan TE
Mason Fairchild TE
Erick All TE
Isaac Rex TE
Trey Knox TE
Austin Stogner TE
Jack Mashburn TE
Caleb Etienne OT
Brandon Coleman OT 
Jeremy James OT
Andrew Coker OT
Marques Cox OT
Julian Pearl OT
Christian Jones OT
Clark Barrington OG
Trevor Keegan OG
Cooper Beebe OG
LaDarius Henderson OG
Caleb Warren OG
KT Leveston OG
Quinn Carroll OG
Lokahi Pauole OG
Curtis Dunlap Jr OG
Darrian Dalcourt OG
Brady Latham OG
Derrick Eason OG
Victor Curne OG
Jacoby Windmon DE
Brennan Jackson DE
Richard Jibunor DE
Javontae Jean-Baptiste DE
Gabe Hall DE
TJ Franklin DE
Jablonski Green DE
Isaiah Mullens DE
Justin Eboigbe DE
Eric Gregory DE
Tyler Davis DT
Brandon Dorlus DT
Fabien Lovett DT
Noah Shannon DT
Ricky Barber DT
T'Vondre Sweat DT
Isaiah Lee DT
DeAngelo Carter DT
Nick Jackson ILB
Tommy Eichenberg ILB
Payton Wilson LB
Shane Lee LB
Maema Njongmeta ILB
Edefuan Ulofoshio ILB
Tarique Barnes ILB
Antonio Grier ILB
Adam Bock ILB
Marist Liufau ILB
Luke Reimer ILB
Aaron Brule ILB
Jestin Jacobs LB
JD Bertrand LB
JJ Weaver LB
David Ugwoegbu LB
Khris Bogle LB
Amari Gainer LB
Mohamed Toure LB
Gilbert Frierson LB
Storm Duck CB
Cam Hart CB
Myles Sims CB
Khyree Jackson CB
Miles Battle CB
Nehemiah Pritchett CB
MJ Devonshire CB
Mike Sainristil CB
Travis Jay CB
Akeem Dent CB
Hudson Clark CB
Greg Brooks Jr CB
Jalen Catalon S
Kendarin Ray S
Tyler Nubin S
Reggie Pearson S
Demani Richardson S
Jaylen McCollough S
Cam Allen S
Quinn Schulte S
Tykee Smith S
Travis Jay S
Myles Farmer S
Nook Bradford S
Nasir Peoples S
Dan Jackson S
Will Reichard K

 

 

7th Year Players:

Myles Jones CB

 

 

 

 

In terms of UDFA guys in the 2023 draft, it seemed it was a little bit weak and lacking depth, pretty sure this is the reason as to why that was.   Will be curious what it all looks like next year, could be a super deep group and tons of guys who should have been drafted could become UDFA types and many UDFA types will not even get that chance potentially.  

Edited May 6, 2023 by Ozzy

[Danger]

Two names I'm gonna tell you to look at for Penn State

EDGE Demeioun "Chop" Robinson
CB Kalen King

I expect both of them to be day 1 or day 2 picks.

RT Caedan Wallace could also be a potential day 3 guy.

[Ozzy]

9 hours ago, Danger said:

Two names I'm gonna tell you to look at for Penn State

EDGE Demeioun "Chop" Robinson
CB Kalen King

I expect both of them to be day 1 or day 2 picks.

RT Caedan Wallace could also be a potential day 3 guy.

Adisa Isaac is a guy who could breakout this season on the edge for Penn State, I might need to include him.  King I was never super impressed with him but will be interesting what he looks like as more of the man this year.

Wallace I have never liked him, he seems to get beat an absolute ton, maybe he will improve a lot this year though.  Wormley has a better chance but even with him I need to watch him more.  Theo Johnson is another I guess could be decent next year but we will see.  I kind of like Tyler Warren's upside a bit more.   

[ScoDucks823]

Some guys at Oregon that are worth keeping an eye on:

The guy that will probably be the highest selection next year is WR Troy Franklin. Broke out in a big way last year as a true soph (over 900 yds I think). Listed at 6'2-6'3, a bit lean but seems to have filled out some this offseason. Great at getting open, explosive speed. May not be a 1st WR taken type of guy but I think he could sneak into round 1, safely round 2 if he repeats what he did last year.

Jacobs is our wild card at LB - tons of talent but has had health issues and only shown flashes. Reportedly looking great in spring.

Terrence Ferguson is a monster at TE, banged up now but was a huge weapon for us last year. Hope he stays for his senior year, which I could see because he seems more like a mid-round solid all around TE than a truly elite athlete at the position.

Burch has been a difference maker in spring ball but needs to finish more plays this year - athleticism could bring him up to round 1 but seems like a long shot.

Khyree Jackson looked great in the spring game and is BIG out there at CB, but needs to have a full season of production to be more than a late round flyer.

Steven Jones might not even have a starting spot on the OL with how well Marcus Harper played last year at G and Angilau coming in.

Nix seems to me to be more in the Haener mold of a solid guy you pick up to be a great long term backup, but his arm has some good juice and he obviously improved a ton last year. Would surprise me if he bumped into the 1st but crazier things than happen and I think he's a much more natural passer than Penix.

Dontae manning has the athletic talent but hasn't been very good. Hoping the positive reports about him in spring are legit.

Tysheem Johnson also a guy to watch in the nickle role. Very productive at Ole Miss.

Other possible guys we add in the portal include Gary Bryant Jr (from SC, crystal balls to us RN, was productive 2 years ago), or Franklin the WR from UTSA (Will Stein was his former OC, no buzz on him going to UO just a hunch given the Stein connection)

Overall our defense should be massively improved with some of the guys we brought in via the portal. As a duck fan I would love to see Jackson, Burch, Jacobs and Johnson come back for another year. I believe they all have at least 2 years of eligibility remaining. But, I expect at least a few of them to enter the draft if they have good years. 

[Ozzy]

17 minutes ago, ScoDucks823 said:

Some guys at Oregon that are worth keeping an eye on:

The guy that will probably be the highest selection next year is WR Troy Franklin. Broke out in a big way last year as a true soph (over 900 yds I think). Listed at 6'2-6'3, a bit lean but seems to have filled out some this offseason. Great at getting open, explosive speed. May not be a 1st WR taken type of guy but I think he could sneak into round 1, safely round 2 if he repeats what he did last year.

Jacobs is our wild card at LB - tons of talent but has had health issues and only shown flashes. Reportedly looking great in spring.

Terrence Ferguson is a monster at TE, banged up now but was a huge weapon for us last year. Hope he stays for his senior year, which I could see because he seems more like a mid-round solid all around TE than a truly elite athlete at the position.

Burch has been a difference maker in spring ball but needs to finish more plays this year - athleticism could bring him up to round 1 but seems like a long shot.

Khyree Jackson looked great in the spring game and is BIG out there at CB, but needs to have a full season of production to be more than a late round flyer.

Steven Jones might not even have a starting spot on the OL with how well Marcus Harper played last year at G and Angilau coming in.

Nix seems to me to be more in the Haener mold of a solid guy you pick up to be a great long term backup, but his arm has some good juice and he obviously improved a ton last year. Would surprise me if he bumped into the 1st but crazier things than happen and I think he's a much more natural passer than Penix.

Dontae manning has the athletic talent but hasn't been very good. Hoping the positive reports about him in spring are legit.

Tysheem Johnson also a guy to watch in the nickle role. Very productive at Ole Miss.

Other possible guys we add in the portal include Gary Bryant Jr (from SC, crystal balls to us RN, was productive 2 years ago), or Franklin the WR from UTSA (Will Stein was his former OC, no buzz on him going to UO just a hunch given the Stein connection)

Overall our defense should be massively improved with some of the guys we brought in via the portal. As a duck fan I would love to see Jackson, Burch, Jacobs and Johnson come back for another year. I believe they all have at least 2 years of eligibility remaining. But, I expect at least a few of them to enter the draft if they have good years. 

If Jacobs is not a starting LB for that team there is something wrong, not a ton of high end talent at LB for them it seems.  Franklin I need to watch more, Ferguson is ok but I need to see more of him at TE, seems athletic but not sure how elite he is as a player.  Burch was never great on South Carolina but maybe he will finally be a dominating player, looks the part but does not play the part.  Jackson I like a lot but again he was pretty up and down at Bama but has a ton of length.

Dorlus one would hope he is finally a dominating player for them after showing so much potential for so long.  Honestly pretty sad state of the program, all their best players are transfers it seems in Jacobs, Irving, Jackson, and Nix.  Irving is so hard to tackle, they are lucky to get him and Nix is good but needs to be a bit more consistent.  

Overall not amazed by their talent level and they need a lot of guys to step up to become a great team and not sure that happens.  Are they better than USC or Washington, I really doubt it but who knows.  

 

Got a great youthful coach so we will see how great he is at bringing in high end talent.  

Edited May 1, 2023 by Ozzy

[ScoDucks823]

1 hour ago, Ozzy said:

If Jacobs is not a starting LB for that team there is something wrong, not a ton of high end talent at LB for them it seems.  Franklin I need to watch more, Ferguson is ok but I need to see more of him at TE, seems athletic but not sure how elite he is as a player.  Burch was never great on South Carolina but maybe he will finally be a dominating player, looks the part but does not play the part.  Jackson I like a lot but again he was pretty up and down at Bama but has a ton of length.

Dorlus one would hope he is finally a dominating player for them after showing so much potential for so long.  Honestly pretty sad state of the program, all their best players are transfers it seems in Jacobs, Irving, Jackson, and Nix.  Irving is so hard to tackle, they are lucky to get him and Nix is good but needs to be a bit more consistent.  

Overall not amazed by their talent level and they need a lot of guys to step up to become a great team and not sure that happens.  Are they better than USC or Washington, I really doubt it but who knows.  

 

Got a great youthful coach so we will see how great he is at bringing in high end talent.  

Didn't mean that Jacobs won't be a starting LB, just that he's a wild card in terms of we just don't REALLY know what he can be for a whole season. Flashed when available at Iowa, but didn't stay on the field as much as you'd like. He's locked in as a starter, likely with Jamal Hill who is moving down from LB. If Jacobs lives up to his athletic potential, he goes round 2. If he gets hurt again he's back for another year and probably goes mid to late rounds. We have RS Fr in Devon Jackson who looks like he could be a stud too, but LB is a bit thin right now.

Can't believe I forgot Dorlus, he's a day 2 guy at worst. Was pretty dominant this past year as really the only pass rushing threat on the team (no idea how DJ Johnson was drafted round 3, especially with his attitude/character issues). Has some inside-outside versatility, but thrives as an inside pass rusher. I assume he's going to become a more national name now that we have some guys that can take some pressure off him in the pass rush.

I strongly disagree that we have a "sad state of the program". Franklin, TFerg, Dorlus, Connerly (he's gonna be a 1st rounder in 25), and others will all be high-impact guys that are homegrown. Dontae Manning has a chance to live up to his talent and Jhalil Florence was great as a Frosh in spurts, so CB actually has quite a bit of homegrown guys too. Mario was notorious for the fluff of his recruiting classes (high star ratings but too many guys never developed) but Lanning has completely remodeled the team. Honestly, I'd be concerned if I was a Miami fan, even with the "highly ranked" classes Mario brings in. Outside of the Sewell brothers, most of his highly-ranked recruits flamed out and had to transfer to lower levels. Lanning HAD to go get a bunch of transfers because of the mess Mario left behind (only 3-4 guys left from Mario's last class, and I think only 3 ended up at power 5 schools). Talent-wise, we are above UW (DeBoer is phenomenal coach, but we have more pure talent than them) and our depth is superior to SC for the most part. SC is above us in first-line talent for sure but their trenches are paper thin and they're taking some chances on some iffy character guys from the portal. If it weren't for Bo's ankle injury against UW, we win that game. Lost to OSU because Dillingham was already looking ahead to ASU, Nix couldn't run, and Lanning made some rookie mistakes. We rank in the top 10-12 nationally in "Blue-chip rate", so to say we don't have talent is wrong. The reality is that, outside of UGA/OSU/Bama, very few teams in CFB can afford not to rely on the portal significantly (and even they do to some degree).

Burch is a weird case because he actually generated a ton of pressure last year, but just didn't finish the job. From everything reported and how he looked in the spring game, he may have turned a corner. Talent has always been there for sure. 

Bucky is my favorite duck at the moment, just a bit undersized to be drafted super high. Absolute jitterbug and never goes down on first contact. Very solid to great receiver out of the backfield (improved signficantly in this area as the season went on). Only reason he wasn't more productive with bulk stats is because of the stable of backs we have. Wittington is one of the fastest players in CFB (I think he hit 22 mph on a run last year), but doesn't quite have Bucky's wiggle or contact balance. 

Some sleepers for us this year would be on the O-line with Angilau and Jackson Powers-Johnson both draft eligible. JPJ likely won't declare but has been a rotation guard for us and taking over at center. PFF loves him and he's strong as hell. Marcus Harper is very underrated at guard, but may not even start because we have a ton of talent on the OL. Traeshon Holden probably won't be a day 1-2 pick, but could be a solid round 4-6 guy as a strong possession receiver. 

[Ozzy]

37 minutes ago, ScoDucks823 said:

Didn't mean that Jacobs won't be a starting LB, just that he's a wild card in terms of we just don't REALLY know what he can be for a whole season. Flashed when available at Iowa, but didn't stay on the field as much as you'd like. He's locked in as a starter, likely with Jamal Hill who is moving down from LB. If Jacobs lives up to his athletic potential, he goes round 2. If he gets hurt again he's back for another year and probably goes mid to late rounds. We have RS Fr in Devon Jackson who looks like he could be a stud too, but LB is a bit thin right now.

Can't believe I forgot Dorlus, he's a day 2 guy at worst. Was pretty dominant this past year as really the only pass rushing threat on the team (no idea how DJ Johnson was drafted round 3, especially with his attitude/character issues). Has some inside-outside versatility, but thrives as an inside pass rusher. I assume he's going to become a more national name now that we have some guys that can take some pressure off him in the pass rush.

I strongly disagree that we have a "sad state of the program". Franklin, TFerg, Dorlus, Connerly (he's gonna be a 1st rounder in 25), and others will all be high-impact guys that are homegrown. Dontae Manning has a chance to live up to his talent and Jhalil Florence was great as a Frosh in spurts, so CB actually has quite a bit of homegrown guys too. Mario was notorious for the fluff of his recruiting classes (high star ratings but too many guys never developed) but Lanning has completely remodeled the team. Honestly, I'd be concerned if I was a Miami fan, even with the "highly ranked" classes Mario brings in. Outside of the Sewell brothers, most of his highly-ranked recruits flamed out and had to transfer to lower levels. Lanning HAD to go get a bunch of transfers because of the mess Mario left behind (only 3-4 guys left from Mario's last class, and I think only 3 ended up at power 5 schools). Talent-wise, we are above UW (DeBoer is phenomenal coach, but we have more pure talent than them) and our depth is superior to SC for the most part. SC is above us in first-line talent for sure but their trenches are paper thin and they're taking some chances on some iffy character guys from the portal. If it weren't for Bo's ankle injury against UW, we win that game. Lost to OSU because Dillingham was already looking ahead to ASU, Nix couldn't run, and Lanning made some rookie mistakes. We rank in the top 10-12 nationally in "Blue-chip rate", so to say we don't have talent is wrong. The reality is that, outside of UGA/OSU/Bama, very few teams in CFB can afford not to rely on the portal significantly (and even they do to some degree).

Burch is a weird case because he actually generated a ton of pressure last year, but just didn't finish the job. From everything reported and how he looked in the spring game, he may have turned a corner. Talent has always been there for sure. 

Bucky is my favorite duck at the moment, just a bit undersized to be drafted super high. Absolute jitterbug and never goes down on first contact. Very solid to great receiver out of the backfield (improved signficantly in this area as the season went on). Only reason he wasn't more productive with bulk stats is because of the stable of backs we have. Wittington is one of the fastest players in CFB (I think he hit 22 mph on a run last year), but doesn't quite have Bucky's wiggle or contact balance. 

Some sleepers for us this year would be on the O-line with Angilau and Jackson Powers-Johnson both draft eligible. JPJ likely won't declare but has been a rotation guard for us and taking over at center. PFF loves him and he's strong as hell. Marcus Harper is very underrated at guard, but may not even start because we have a ton of talent on the OL. Traeshon Holden probably won't be a day 1-2 pick, but could be a solid round 4-6 guy as a strong possession receiver. 

The state of the program is in regards to pro prospects.  Gonzalez is a super star and stood out big time last year.  They had a super experienced OL last year and Nix coming in and Irving and not sure they are better off this year without all those guys.  

 

Trikweze Bridges I guess I could include him, that dude could be a stud.  I do not have him declaring as a RS JR but maybe he could if he has a great year, that adds to their talent pool no question.  Bassa is ok but is a very small LB and really is just a safety playing LB.  Just overall I would think they would have more promising players on the team than they do, but again we will see sure some new guys will show up next  year.  Sewell was not the same player last year and not sure why that was, dude should have been a 1st rounder based on his early play but did not play that way last year at all.  

 

 

Just a few years back they seemed a lot more solid especially on D, they had Holland, Thibodeaux, Breeze, Graham, Dye, McKinley, Lenoir, Scott, Wright Slade-Matautia who seemed super promising then transferred.   They just do not seem that solid defensively especially in terms of depth and prospects.  

 

Just the few times I watched them last year they had standouts and there was not a ton of them in my opinion, but that can change.  

[ScoDucks823]

7 minutes ago, Ozzy said:

The state of the program is in regards to pro prospects.  Gonzalez is a super star and stood out big time last year.  They had a super experienced OL last year and Nix coming in and Irving and not sure they are better off this year without all those guys.  

 

Trikweze Bridges I guess I could include him, that dude could be a stud.  I do not have him declaring as a RS JR but maybe he could if he has a great year, that adds to their talent pool no question.  Bassa is ok but is a very small LB and really is just a safety playing LB.  Just overall I would think they would have more promising players on the team than they do, but again we will see sure some new guys will show up next  year.  Sewell was not the same player last year and not sure why that was, dude should have been a 1st rounder based on his early play but did not play that way last year at all.  

 

 

Just a few years back they seemed a lot more solid especially on D, they had Holland, Thibodeaux, Breeze, Graham, Dye, McKinley, Lenoir, Scott, Wright Slade-Matautia who seemed super promising then transferred.   They just do not seem that solid defensively especially in terms of depth and prospects.  

 

Just the few times I watched them last year they had standouts and there was not a ton of them in my opinion, but that can change.  

Sewell had a pretty bad shoulder injury he played through last year. I loved him as a duck, but also thought he was a more limited ILB prospect. Down hill thumper and blitzer but doesn't fit the modern game. Had he come out in the 90s or early 2000s, would have been a 1-3 round kinda guy. Medicals were definitely an issue with him too. Always thought he may have been better off moving to more of a lamar woodley type, shorter and sturdy edge guy with how good of a blitzer he was. 

Bridges is interesting because he really came on to end the year. We're playing with him moving back to safety this year but we also picked up a few really solid transfers there and likely need him at CB. Not sure how I feel about him as a prospect. Great size and speed, but has safety hips so doubt he sticks at corner in the NFL. Was a super raw pure athlete coming out of high school and seems to be finding his groove with technique. Will be very interesting to see what he turns into this year. 

Bassa seems like a fun college player with limited NFL upside to me, but he put on some good weight this offseason so we'll see how he holds up against the run. Good speed and occasional coverage flashes, but I don't expect him to be a draft priority. There's a chance he gets passed up by Devon Jackson this year.

Our most promising players are underclassmen rn honestly. Lanning has done a really good job the last 2 cycles. The depth in numbers and talent is there but not experience. LB is definitely a question with Flowe and Brown transferering out, even if Flowe was horrible last year and Brown doesn't really hit the system. Florence, Connerly, and Matayo all have day 1 potential in 25/26 - Connerly could be a top 10 guy if he lives up to his billing as a freak athlete. Played really well when called upon as a true Frosh, same with Florence. We brought in about 6-7 DL/Edge guys this year that have at least mid-round potential. Our OL is more talented this year but not as experienced. 

Last year's defense was terrible but they were trying to fit Mario's guys (more lumbering LB types, recruited CB pretty poorly, no pass rush juice) into Lanning's defense. Talent level on that side of the ball especially has really shot up, so I expect us to have some more buzzy draft guys in the next few years. We were also one of the younger teams in the country last year outside of OL, which explains why we've seen a dip in prospects (although we did have the most guys drafted of any team out west)

But to go back to my first post, Troy Franklin is a guy to look out for as a round 1-3 WR next year. Expected to be a Biletnikov contestant and is a really springy athlete, should test pretty well and has good height/length. Needs some work on route running but already gets open with ease. Biggest downside with him is a bit of a thinner frame. Could see a faster Marvin Jones being a reasonable comp, with some more athletic upside being what COULD push him higher

[Ozzy]

A few additions:

 

*Nathan Pickering Miss State RS SR DT:  Dude looks the part, has been pretty consistent for awhile but would be nice to see him take it to another level this up coming season.  Could be a pretty legit 3/4 DE prospect or a solid DT in a 4/3 possibly.  

*Tyler Barron Tennessee SR DE:  Was not a huge fan of his last year, but could take another step this up coming season.  Has production but needs to increase his level of play no question and might this up coming year.  Beasley his teammate at LB could be included but I still need to see a bit more from him.

*Zach Heins South Dakota State RS SR TE:  I thought he was out in this 2023 draft, is back at South Dakota State and I liked him last year and should be even better next season.  Huge TE with great length and good hands.


*Te'Cory Couch Miami FL RS SR CB:  I thought he was in the 2023 draft, is in 2024 and returned to school, decent corner, right now I have him on the list of guys that missed the cut to being drafted but he will be one to watch, he and Roberts the transfer from Iowa could be a decent tandem at Miami.

*Luke Reimer Nebraska RS SR ILB: Nothing amazing at ILB but solid player with decent speed for the position, I also have him on the out list but that could change.  

*Casey Thompson NA RS SR QB:  Have him on the out list but honestly since he has transferred out of Nebraska the kid probably will get another year with that transfer maybe, who knows if he is even in the draft.  Was ok last year but nothing great, would have been interesting to see him again as the full time starter but Sims took his spot there so we will see where he ends up.  FAU apparently but not sure that is final yet, at that level he should be able to really produce one would think.  
 

[TitanSlim]

I think he’ll probably end up as a 2025 prospect but any thoughts on Duke QB Riley Leonard?

[Ozzy]

3 hours ago, TitanSlim said:

I think he’ll probably end up as a 2025 prospect but any thoughts on Duke QB Riley Leonard?

I like him, he is a run heavy QB and the QB run game is huge for him.  Was solid last year, but all of these guys below had 500 rush yards or way over that last year.  We will see how Leonard develops this next season when teams will be ready for him and know what he can do.  

Drake Maye 
Jordan Travis 
Bo Nix 
Jayden Daniels
KJ Jefferson

 

Seems odd to join a very deep and experienced 2024 QB class but who knows, if Leonard outplays say Travis and others in the ACC and has a great year sure he could possibly declare but yeah 2025 seems more likely for him.  Interesting QB no doubt, I have him right behind JJ McCarthy in that JR class and might over take him unless McCarthy cleans up his ball security and decision making.  I also have McCarthy not declaring for the 2024 draft but he could.  It is a loaded SR QB class full of true seniors, RS SRs and even sixth year senior QBs.  

 

 

 

[Tetsujin]

FSU JR CB Renardo Green may be one to keep tabs on.