Way way way too early 2024 prospect talk.

[warfelg]

Thanks @armsteeld for suggesting this.  

 

There’s the obvious prospects of:

Marvin Harrison Jr

Caleb Williams

Drake Maye

Olumuyiwa Fashanu

 

Some early prospects and groups I’m watching:

DT - 2024’s DT class is what 2023’s CB class was.  Part of the reason I’m not high on Benton is he’s a 5th round pick in 2024.

Jared Verse - May need a top 10 pick for him but he’s Leal like EDGE/DE.

JT Tuimoloau - I see OSU Cam Heyward when watching him.  Big EDGE who’s a 3T in the NFL 

Maason Smith - Tore his ACL last year, so won’t be himself this year.  But this screams Steelers Special in round 2.  He’s very Tuitt like in his 2021 tape.

 

 

WR - 2024’s class has the top end talent in MHJr, but the talent behind that has yet to really show itself.  So far we have a lot of ‘toolsy’ guys who need to put it together.

Beaux Collins - Mismatch special.  QB play somewhat held him back.

Emeka Egbuka - He’s the “other” OSU WR, who I think has the shot of being the 2nd best of the group of the last 4 years.

JoCorey Brooks - “One trick pony” comes to mind with him but it’s a hell of a trick.

 

[3rivers]

if the class is deep at DT, then why risk a player that had a torn ACL? 

How is the RT class?

Whats the C class like compared to 2023? I would be nice to get a good C around Rd3-4

ILB class wrt coverage and speed as well as instincts?

QB class for QB2 potential, so again RD3-5 range?

it's early but we will need a good draft again.  At least we should have about 3 more picks to start off with and not as much of a need to trade up in RD1.

[armsteeld]

Mississippi State ILB Nathaniel "Boogie" Watson is a menace at ILB. He's big, 6'2 248, fast and powerful. He was my top ILB for the 2023 draft class and I see no reason why he isn't the top dawg for the 2024 class. 

He doesn't have cutups yet but here's Mississippi State defense. He's #14

 

 

[bigben07MVP]

Slightly bigger Bryce Young. Highest graded PFF QB last season.

[mwalker]

J.Verse will be a top ten pick, along with the QBS (Williams and Maye) and Harrison Jr. (maybe Egbuka too)
Fashunu from PSU and Latham the OT from Bama as well.

Alabama is loaded again, other than maybe QB, but CB K.McKinstry is very good (also likely top 10 though)

I think we'll be drafting mid to late 20's this year, if I had to bet.

Clemson has some good players -
A.Makuba - maybe the best Safety in the class
B.Carter - a very good ILB

Miami Safety James Williams at 6'5 225 is an interesting one

Sedrick Van Pran is Georgia's All American Center

Be interesting to see who shows up big this season.

I think LSU Sophomore LB Harold Perkins Jr will dominate.




 

[armsteeld]

Kenny Pickett better not struggle this season as the 2024 NFL draft is filled with high end QBs. Cameron Ward, Shadeur Sanders, Michael Penix (huge fan), Jaylon Daniels, Bo Nix, Drake Maye, Joe Milton III, among some others I can't recall at the moment.

Pickett was the outgoing GM's choice for QB but I wonder how Khan views him. If Pickett's play is subpar, that opens up the table for QB play in the '24 nfl draft.

[warfelg]

8 minutes ago, armsteeld said:

Kenny Pickett better not struggle this season as the 2024 NFL draft is filled with high end QBs. Cameron Ward, Shadeur Sanders, Michael Penix (huge fan), Jaylon Daniels, Bo Nix, Drake Maye, Joe Milton III, among some others I can't recall at the moment.

Pickett was the outgoing GM's choice for QB but I wonder how Khan views him. If Pickett's play is subpar, that opens up the table for QB play in the '24 nfl draft.

I’d take Bo Nic off that list because of age. 

[3rivers]

3 hours ago, armsteeld said:

Kenny Pickett better not struggle this season as the 2024 NFL draft is filled with high end QBs. Cameron Ward, Shadeur Sanders, Michael Penix (huge fan), Jaylon Daniels, Bo Nix, Drake Maye, Joe Milton III, among some others I can't recall at the moment.

Pickett was the outgoing GM's choice for QB but I wonder how Khan views him. If Pickett's play is subpar, that opens up the table for QB play in the '24 nfl draft.

I have no concerns about KP. Look how he did after 2 concussions and once the OL was decent  and with canada and a RB that was immobile with plate in foot. Once the OL got better and play calling got better, this looked more like a playoff team than a bottom of the league team.  Now with the OL and OL depth, there should be a much better run game and possibly pass pro. Jones pass pro is the concern of all things, and a reason I would keep Moore there for a bit and let Jones get used to the NFL and see how he does vs TJ and Alex in practice. 

What would be good is if we got a few more Rd3 and Rd4 picks (trade down, comp piucks or trades) and if we got one of those QB's there. That would be QB2 and in worse case scenario of KP got IR injury or if a few more concussions caused him to retire.  The importance of QB should be higher priority than most team have it. We are paying like it is, but that was proven not to be a good idea with our current QB2 or at least when he played in the canada offence last year. Maybe the new offence will help Mitch as well?

[jebrick]

Next draft is absurdly deep at OG.  Perhaps the best class ever.

[3rivers]

4 minutes ago, jebrick said:

Next draft is absurdly deep at OG.  Perhaps the best class ever.

what about RT, C?

[43M]

11 hours ago, armsteeld said:

Kenny Pickett better not struggle this season as the 2024 NFL draft is filled with high end QBs. Cameron Ward, Shadeur Sanders, Michael Penix (huge fan), Jaylon Daniels, Bo Nix, Drake Maye, Joe Milton III, among some others I can't recall at the moment.

Pickett was the outgoing GM's choice for QB but I wonder how Khan views him. If Pickett's play is subpar, that opens up the table for QB play in the '24 nfl draft.

Yet another reason why Khan and Weidl should have been installed BEFORE last offseason.

Maybe Khan had a say in Pickett...but I doubt it, and I can guarantee Weidl didn't.

I have hopes for Pickett...but they are relatively tame hopes, especially with Canada still at OC.

That being said, I think Pickett would have to be pretty awful for us to go QB next year.  Like...top 5 to 10 pick bad, which I doubt.

If Kenny is just meh, I see us possibly targeting a vet FA next year, like Cousins or Tannehill.   Many wont like that, but I just dont see us drafting QB next year unless we are picking very high and they love someone and dont see Kenny getting better.

Id feel a little more optimistic for Kenny if we had hired a real OC this offseason.  

 

[3rivers]

1 hour ago, 43M said:

Id feel a little more optimistic for Kenny if we had hired a real OC this offseason.  

most of us (myself inclused) thought canada would be fired asap.

peyton manning thinks it's a good idea to keep canada for continuity . Maybe this isn't a bad idea but I will have to see the offence be improcved to believe it.  The talent is there now, so it's about play calling now.

 

of course we remember them hiring an OC assistant earlier for some reason 

[AFF]

2 hours ago, 43M said:

Yet another reason why Khan and Weidl should have been installed BEFORE last offseason.

Maybe Khan had a say in Pickett...but I doubt it, and I can guarantee Weidl didn't.

I have hopes for Pickett...but they are relatively tame hopes, especially with Canada still at OC.

That being said, I think Pickett would have to be pretty awful for us to go QB next year.  Like...top 5 to 10 pick bad, which I doubt.

If Kenny is just meh, I see us possibly targeting a vet FA next year, like Cousins or Tannehill.   Many wont like that, but I just dont see us drafting QB next year unless we are picking very high and they love someone and dont see Kenny getting better.

Id feel a little more optimistic for Kenny if we had hired a real OC this offseason.  

 

I think he’ll get a 3rd year even if he struggles…my guess is that they’d fire Canada and give it 1 more year.

[43M]

2 hours ago, 3rivers said:

most of us (myself inclused) thought canada would be fired asap.

peyton manning thinks it's a good idea to keep canada for continuity . Maybe this isn't a bad idea but I will have to see the offence be improcved to believe it.  The talent is there now, so it's about play calling now.

 

of course we remember them hiring an OC assistant earlier for some reason 

I absolutely LOATHE the continuity argument when used in this fashion.

Continuity is good when youre seeing growth and potential.   And sure, some will say we say growth and potential of our offense last year.

What I saw was 1) a rookie QB who started to adjust to the NFL game and understand defenses better later in the season, 2)  an offensive line that began to play as unit as opposed to individual players, 3)  a running back who finally got a bit healthier and 4)  all of that vs a pretty weak schedule.   I didnt see an evolution or improvement in playcalling.

Bottom line....I dont believe anything positive we saw last year was the result of anything Canada did.    I believe it was due to marginal to moderate improvement of certain young players as the year went on and a much easier 2nd half schedule.

I have no choice but to give Canada a chance to prove me wrong, and believe it or not...I really hope he does.   No problem being served copious amounts of crow in situations like this.   But every time I shake my magic 8 ball and ask it if Matt Canada is going to prove all the "haters" wrong in 2023, you know what it tells me?

Outlook is bleak.

 

[3rivers]

6 minutes ago, 43M said:

I absolutely LOATHE the continuity argument when used in this fashion.

Continuity is good when youre seeing growth and potential.   And sure, some will say we say growth and potential of our offense last year.

What I saw was 1) a rookie QB who started to adjust to the NFL game and understand defenses better later in the season, 2)  an offensive line that began to play as unit as opposed to individual players, 3)  a running back who finally got a bit healthier and 4)  all of that vs a pretty weak schedule.   I didnt see an evolution or improvement in playcalling.

Bottom line....I dont believe anything positive we saw last year was the result of anything Canada did.    I believe it was due to marginal to moderate improvement of certain young players as the year went on and a much easier 2nd half schedule.

I have no choice but to give Canada a chance to prove me wrong, and believe it or not...I really hope he does.   No problem being served copious amounts of crow in situations like this.   But every time I shake my magic 8 ball and ask it if Matt Canada is going to prove all the "haters" wrong in 2023, you know what it tells me?

Outlook is bleak.

 

I don't care for the continuity  theory either, but if Peyton speaks that highly of it, then it should have some  meaning. Of course, canada could be the exception here as well, time will tell. 

we all want to be wrong about canada. I actually have a save pic of eating crow ready just for this. I checked yesterday an it's still in the photos album ready to go

As for the outlook being bleak, this is where the new hire OC assistant  enters the pic. No way they tolerate a losing streak if the OC is to blame. I think the seat is warm, but we will see