@YouTheReader alright this title is a bit clickbaity and the 4th track on Drake’s So Far Gone mixtape that is pretty much an album because Spotify says so. This is for sure one of Drake’s lesser-known songs. He collaborated with Peter Bjorn & John, the band who made “Young Folks.” That great song is played all the time while I’m drinking pints of Guinness and talking to people but I will sadly have to Back Pocket the tune until I get the whistle part down to perfection… It may take a while.
I enjoy this song because it shows early on in Drake’s career, he was going to be a bit unconventional. Not a ton of rappers in ‘09 were collaborating with Swedish indie pop/rock bands. Peter Bjorn & John have a very smooth hook and then Drake does his thing with 3 verses of his own. I’ll be cheating a bit by going out of order with a Drake song on Friday so we’ll save the @RapGenius for then.
For now, onto to some Mock Drafts for the real NFL Draft that takes place on April 27, ‘23…
The Scout That Never Was
@FanInsiders you can do a Mock Draft of your own on FanSpeak.com. I only picked the Jets players, a computer-simulated the rest of your football teams. Only featuring certain teams for now. Every player has a hyperlink to a YouTube highlight tape if you want to check out their good tape. I’m only doing the first 3 rounds for non-Jets fan insiders, I’ll try to start including all 7 rounds next week.
Bryan Bresee is a former #1 recruit in the country that lived up to the billing. He burst onto the college football scene in ‘20 as a Freshman All-American. Became the second ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year in Clemson history, joining Dexter Lawrence (‘16). Credited with 64 career tackles (15.0 for loss), 9.0 sacks, four pass breakups, an interception, a forced fumble, and a safety in 26 games (21 starts). He also contributed offensively to Clemson’s jumbo package. Bresee tore his ACL in ‘21 so this previous offseason he was spending most of it rehabbing the injury. This should not really weigh much into NFL GMs decisions as he appears to be fully recovered. His athleticism and versatility as a defensive lineman would make him an easy fit for any potential football team. (Source: Clemson)
Pick 13 (Jets)
Traded away to the Detroit Lions. The Computer-Run Lions gave up their Round 1 18th pick and Round 2 17th pick in the exchange.
Peter Skoronski was a 3-year starter who made an All-Big Ten Team every year. As a junior in ‘22, Skoronski was Unanimous First Team All-American (first ever by an NU player). He was named Rimington-Pace Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year (first ever by an NU lineman). Finished as a finalist for the 2022 Outland Trophy, recognizing the nation’s best college interior linemen on both offense and defense. Finished ‘22 with PFF’s highest pass-blocking grade in the country at 93.0, (also one of highest of all time), allowing only six pressures on 480 pass-blocking snaps. Had the best PFF single-season pass-blocking grade recorded over the last two years. He also finished with a 79.1 PFF run-blocking grade, ranking 5th among all qualifying Power 5 tackles. (Source: Northwestern)
Lukas Van Ness was twice on the Academic All-Big Ten team. He received Iowa’s Coaches Appreciation Award for his special teams play and the Team Hustle Award for defense. He was also selected to the All-Big Ten 2nd team in ‘22 by coaches and AP. He redshirted his freshman year at Iowa weighing only 240 lbs. Van Ness bulked up to around 275 lbs. and at 6’5” his teammates nicknamed him “Hercules.” During his career at Iowa, he ended up with 19.5 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks in 27 games played. (Source: Iowa)
Paris Johnson Jr is a two-time OSU Scholar-Athlete who is majoring in journalism and has written numerous articles that have been published in the school newspaper, The Lantern. (Source: The Ohio State University) Here hyperlinked is something he wrote on the Ohio State baseball team. The 6’6” and 310 lbs. left tackle played mostly guard before moving outside to tackle in ‘22. He anchored the blindside OL line that is sixth nationally in fewest TFLs allowed (37; only 7 sacks allowed). In 757 snaps at the new position, he gave up only 9 QB hurries, no QB hits, and two sacks. Johnson has the prototypical size and athleticism to play tackle in the NFL and also has a bit of a mean street on the field, which is never a bad thing on the gridiron.
Brian Branch in ‘22 started every game at Nick Saban’s “star” position. He earned 1st Team All-America honors as the defensive back from CBS Sports and ESPN.com and at the flex position by PFF. He was selected as a 2nd Team All-American by the AP. He recorded 90 tackles, good for 3rd on the Tide’s defense. As a DB, he impressively finished 2nd on the team with 14 tackles for loss, including 3 sacks while adding in 7 pass breakups, 2 interceptions, and a pair of QB hurries. Branch also returned a punt for a 68-yard TD. He can play all over the defensive backfield. His 4.44 40-time gives him the range to play CF as a safety and his hard-hitting tackling ability allows him to also blitz or be a pseudo linebacker. (Source: Roll Tide)
Cam Smith as a starter in ‘21 and ‘22 showed 1st Round NFL talent. He had 6 career interceptions at South Carolina, 4 of which occurred in his final 2 years at SC. In ‘21 he had 9 pass breakups with a 36.5 QB rating when targeted and in ‘22 6 pass breakups with a 71.3 QB rating when targeted. One of his best game tapes is when he went up against Tennessee’s Jalin Hyatt, the nation’s fastest WR, and only allowed 65 receiving yards on the day. Despite being tall for a CB, he is twitchy enough as a defender to play both the nickel and outside. (Source: South Carolina)
Jordan Addison was the ‘21 Biletnikoff Award (nation’s top receiver) at Pitt before transferring to USC last season. As a transfer at USC, Addison had 59 catches for 875 receiving yards and 8 TDs. He is a natural in terms of route-running, he just knows how to get open. His cutting ability and speed should translate to yards after the catch in the NFL too.
Bijan Robinson made 28 starts at Texas and was the winner of the 2022 Doak Walker Award (Nation’s Top RB). He ranks 4th all-time in Longhorn history with 3,410 rushing yards and 41 total touchdowns (33 rushing, 8 receiving). Robinson was a unanimous All-American in ‘22, the 4th UT RB to earn the honor, joining James Saxton (1961), Earl Campbell (1977), and Ricky Williams (1997, 1998). He finished 9th in Heisman Trophy voting in ‘22. At Texas, he had 18 career 100-yard rushing games, including a streak of 7-straight games that is the 3rd-longest in program history. His 33 career rushing touchdowns are the 3rd-most in Texas history. Robinson ranks 4th all-time in UT history in tandem yards (4,215), 8th in all-purpose yards (4,231), and 9th in points scored (246). He had 805 career receiving yards, the 3rd-most all-time for a Texas RB, and his 8 career receiving touchdowns are the most ever for a Texas RB. All of these accolades plus his relentlessness, size, power, and speed make him the consensus RB #1 in the ‘23 NFL Draft Class. (Source: Texas)
Cody Mauch was nicknamed “Toothless and Ruthless” for his play at the Senior Bowl. He does not in fact have his two front teeth, but when you’re in the football trenches like he is, who cares? During his time as Bison, Mauch played a bit of guard and both of the tackle positions. He was AP All-America 2nd Team in ‘21. When he 1st walked on to North Dakota State, he was a 220 lbs. TE before he eventually bulked up to a 300+ lbs. offensive tackle without losing much speed. He was the captain of his team during his junior & senior seasons and he only gave up 2 sacks throughout his 5-year college career. Although he comes from a small school, his size, hair, and smile should make him stand out in the NFL.
Drew Sanders in ‘22 was a unanimous All-American in his single season at Arkansas, earning All-America status from the Associated Press (1st team). He became the 1st Arkansas LB to earn First-Team All-America honors from the AP since Ronnie Caveness in 1964. Named First-Team All-SEC by the AP, Coaches, Pro Football Focus, and USA Today. One of 3 finalists for the Butkus Award, Arkansas’ first finalist for the award in program history. He finished second in the SEC and 15th nationally with 9.5 sacks – the most by a Razorback since ‘12 and the seventh-most in a single season in program history. Started all 12 games he played in with a team-leading 103 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, and 9.5 sacks. (Source: Arkansas)
Emmanuel Forbes ended his college career, “owning the FBS career record with 6 pick-6s. He is the FBS active career leader in overall defensive touchdowns. Broke the FBS record shared by three other players, most recently by Oklahoma State's Darrent Williams (‘01-04). He has six interceptions this year and 14 total picks in his career – a total that also makes him the active career interceptions leader in the FBS. He leads the nation since his career began in ‘20 and is now fourth in MSU history. Forbes is also fourth among active FBS players in career interception return yards (390).” (Source: Hail State)
Luke Musgrave at 6’6” and 255 lbs. has the size along with the 4.51 40-time speed to play in the NFL. He is coming off a ‘22 season where a serious knee injury limited him to only 2 games played last year. He was healthy enough to play at the Senior Bowl (only TE to break 20 MPH in practice) and he should be participating the in NFL combine as well. His production in college is a bit underwhelming, but he could be a very solid Day 2 project pick.
Will McDonald IV went from Defensive Scout Team Player of the Year (‘18) to First Team All-Big 12 – Coaches (‘20, ‘21, ‘22), so McDonald IV seems willing to be coached up. He’d be learning from Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack.
Karl Brooks was the ‘22 PFF first-team All-American. Brooks at Bowling Green was a 2-time Team Captain. He played 5 years at Bowling Green and racked up 27.5 sacks in 52 career games. This past ‘22 season he had 10 sacks, a career-high. Just a shot in the dark, but I see a bit of young Mo Wilkerson in him. (Source: Bowling Green)
Jahmyr Gibbs is an explosive play-maker who transferred to Alabama from Georgia Tech ... Gibbs finished second in Crimson Tide's single-season history for receptions by an RB with 44. He earned 2nd-Team All-SEC recognition from both the AP and the league coaches as an RB and an all-purpose player. Gibbs averaged 6.1 yards per carry to rank 3rd in the SEC, and totaled a team-high 926 rushing yards, good for 7th in the SEC while adding seven TDs on his team-high 151 carries ... He led the Tide with 44 receptions for 444 yards and 3 receiving TDs as well. Gibbs also has return skills. He returned 13 kickoffs for 258 yards with a 57-yard return being the long. His 1,628 all-purpose yards rank 3rd in the SEC and 21st nationally. (Source: Roll Tide)
Recipient of the William V. Campbell Trophy awarded by the National Football Foundation to the American college football player with the best combination of academics, community service, and on-field performance. It is considered by many to be the "Academic Heisman.” Jack Campbell was also the winner of the Butkus Award as the top linebacker in the nation.
Matthew Bergeron is a two-time All-ACC selection. Finished his career with 39 starts at offensive tackle. Emerged as Syracuse’s starting right tackle during the last half of ‘19, moved to left tackle for the last eight games of ‘20 and all of ‘21 and ‘22. (Source: Cuse)
Felix Anudike-Uzomah was the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. He finished his career tied for 6th in school history in career sacks (20.5), while he tied for fourth in career forced fumbles (8)... The second player in school history to tally three games with 3.0 or more sacks (Nyle Wiren)... Left college football ranked fourth nationally and tops in the Big 12 among active players in forced fumbles per game (0.25), while he was sixth nationally and tops in the Big 12 in sacks per game (0.64). (Source: Kansas State)
Mekhi Garner transferred to LSU after playing 3 seasons for the Cajuns at Louisiana-Lafayette. He immediately took over a starting spot at CB for the Tigers playing in all 13 regular season games. His size (6’2”), speed (low 4.5 40-time), and hard-hitting ability combination may make Garner better suited for safety in the NFL. His run support and ability to play better off coverage, make him a prime candidate for a position change. In the 3rd Round, teams can start taking on “project” players who may be better off playing a different position in the pros.
KJ Henry was a charismatic team leader who was voted by his teammates as a permanent team captain. As a 5th year senior, when he departed from Clemson for the NFL, his 58 career games were the most ever by a Clemson defensive end. The AP named KJ Henry to their All-ACC team. While his sack totals for his career may seem a bit underwhelming (13 sacks in 58 games), Henry in ‘22 had 9 tackles for loss as well as 6 pass deflections where he batted the ball down at the line of scrimmage. His other underlying stats include 23 total pressures, which included 13 QB hurries, & 5 QB hits in ‘21, and 50 total pressures, which included 31 QB hurries, & 14 QB hits in ‘22; so there is a possibility that the pass-rushing stats could improve with a little bit of luck.
Kendre Miller broke out in his ‘22 junior season, running for 1342 yards on 216 attempts for 6.2 yards per, with 17 TDs. At 6’ and 220 pounds, Miller’s bruising style would make for a nice complement to Saquon Barkley’s backfield. The TCU Bullfrog was named a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award, presented to the nation's top running back.
Andrew Vorhees appeared in 44 games during his career for the Trojans. He made 25 starts at right guard, 8 starts at left guard, and 4 starts at left tackle. (Source: USC) At 6’6” and 325 lbs, Vorhees according to the USC strength coach, Bennie Wylie, can bench 225 40 times. That doesn’t sound too surprising based on the limited clips&film I’ve seen on him. His versatility and experience in different spots on the offensive line should make him a Day 2 pick.
DeMarvion Overshown was named to the first-team All-Big 12 at linebacker by conference coaches and the AP in ‘22. The Super Senior Longhorn had 96 tackles, 10 TFLs, 4 sacks, 2 QB hurries, and 5 pass breakups last season. (Source: Texas) Overshown will likely need to put on weight in the NFL as a 220 lbs linebacker, but his 6’4” height and 4.5 40-time speed should make him a plus defender in coverage against athletic TEs and RBs.
Henry To’oTo’o earned first-team All-SEC honors from the league coaches. He was a true leader on a Nick Saban defense which almost certainly stands out for NFL scouts. Like most Saban LBs, To’oTo’o seems to have good instincts at linebacker which makes up for him being a bit undersized. He has some real athleticism but didn’t have much production in either pass coverage or pass rush.
Nick Broeker was the ‘22 Kent Hull Trophy Winner (presented to the top lineman in Mississippi). Broeker was on the ‘22 All-SEC Second Team. A 3-year starter on the left side of the Ole Miss offensive line, he appeared in 48 career contests as a Rebel, never missing 1 game in his 4 years at Oxford. He started 23 career games at left tackle and 13 at left guard. He was a two-time All-SEC selection and ‘22 second-team All-American. The Rebels have averaged 490-plus yards per game throughout an entire season five times in program history; Broeker was a starting O-lineman during three of those seasons ... Moved to left guard prior to the ‘22 season. (Source: Ole Miss)
Dorian Williams was a 3-year starter at Tulane who broke out in ‘20 as a sophomore when he had 15.5 TFLs. In his senior year in ‘22, Williams had a career-high in tackles (132), sacks (5), and INTs (2). Unlike the two previous LBs mentioned in the last two picks, Williams is a small-school linebacker who played for a team that went 15-22 from ‘19 to ‘21 before he led their defense his senior year to a 12-2 record. Tulane in ‘22 was ranked as high as #9 by the AP, the first time they have been ranked since 1998.
Xavier Hutchinson in ‘22 was a First Team All-American selected by AP and PFF. Hutchinson earned First Team All-Big 12 for the third time in his career. He led the Big 12 and broke his own single-season school record with 107 receptions. Became the first Cyclone in school history to record 100 receptions in a season. The first player in league history to lead the Big 12 in receptions in 3 consecutive seasons. He finished the season with 40 more receptions than the player with the next most in the Big 12 Conference. Topped the Iowa State career record with 254 receptions, the most-ever by a Big 12 player in just three seasons. Hutchinson finished his career with the eighth-most receptions in Big 12 history. He had 1,171 receiving yards as a senior, the 2nd most in a single season in school history. He concluded his career with 2,929 receiving yards, the 3rd most by a Cyclone, led the nation in receptions per game (8.9), making at least eight receptions in 11 of 12 games, and was among the top-10 nationally in receiving yards (8th). He set the ISU career mark with 13 career 100-yard games, including seven as a senior ... had a reception in all 37 games of his career, the 2nd-longest streak in school history, and tied for the 7th-longest active streak in the nation when his career ended ... recorded 9 career games with 10 or more receptions, a school record. Led ISU with 6 touchdowns receptions in ‘22 and 15 in his career, tied for the 5th-most in the ISU career record books. As a senior, he had 2 streaks of 3 consecutive 100-yard receiving games, the 2nd-longest streak in school history. (Source: Iowa State)
Jordan Battle in ‘22 was a 3rd-team All-American by the AP and selected as a 1st-team All-SEC honoree by the league coaches. Battle recorded 71 tackles, with 2 pass breakups and an interception. A 3-year starter for Nick Saban. (Source: Roll Tide)
Aidan O’Connell broke onto the college football scene with an exceptional junior season in ‘21 where he threw for 3,709 passing yards with a 71.9% completion percentage and 28 passing TDs. His ‘22 season had some drop-off, 3,483 passing yards, a 63.7% completion percentage, and 22 passing TDs. He may not have elite athleticism like you want in most modern-day QBs, but his accuracy and quick release should make him a solid throw of the dart at QB in the mid-rounds.
Jay Ward is a versatile defensive back who played safety, cornerback, and nickel back during his LSU career. In 46 games & 23 starts, Ward had 64 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, and 6 interceptions. He developed into a leader in the secondary for the Tigers and served as a coach on the field. Has a knack for finding the football and coming up with the big play … Tremendous hand-eye coordination and ball skills. (Source: LSU)
Eli Ricks transferred to Alabama from LSU. In ‘22, Ricks worked in 10 games with five starts after battling injuries early in the season. He recorded 13 tackles, including one for loss (-4 yards), to go with four pass breakups. Played in 14 games across his 2 seasons with the Tigers. He suffered an injury midseason that cut his ‘21 campaign short, but as a freshman, he recorded 20 tackles to go with 4 interceptions and 5 pass breakups so the potential, if he can stay on the field, is still there. (Source: Roll Tide)
Anthony Johnson attended Louisville at the start of his college career. He transferred to Virginia and left an impact in the locker room. Johnson was 1 of 5 team captains voted on by the players at the end of the season. He started all 10 games for the Cavaliers. Johnson was 7th in the nation with 1.4 passes defended per game. He earned First Team All-ACC and was named Virigina’s Team Defensive MVP at the program’s annual awards banquet. (Source: Virginia)
Marvin Mims led Oklahoma in receiving yards in each of his first 3 seasons. Mims caught 121 passes for 2,321 yards (19.2 average) and 20 TDs. He returned 32 punts for 368 yards (11.5 average) and 4 kickoffs for 105 yards (26.3 average). He also ranks 3rd in school history with his 18 receptions of at least 40 yards. Mims was a 1st-team All-Big 12 selection by the league’s head coaches and a second-team All-Big 12 choice by the AP. He should be a deep threat in the NFL, much as he was in college. (Source: Oklahoma)
The Buckeye’s Center is from Montvale, NJ, and went to high school at St. Joseph’s Regional. Wypler snapped the ball every play on the offense that ranked #1 in the nation in total offense yards and scoring offense. Ohio State’s offense also ranked in the Top 5 nationally in 2021 in passing (3rd; 380.9), passing efficiency (2nd; 182.3), and third down conversions (2nd; 52 percent). (Source: THE Ohio State University)
Eric Gray earned 1st-team All-Big 12 recognition from PFF in ‘22. Gray was an All-Big 12 2nd Team selection by league coaches and AP. He was an Academic All-Big 12 First Team honoree and one of three recipients of the program’s coveted Don Key Award (for excellence on and off the field). Gray started all 12 regular season games and produced the 9th-best single-season rushing total in OU history (1,366 yards). He ended up in 3rd in all-purpose yards per game (132.9) in the Big 12. Gray runs with violence. (Source: Oklahoma)
Parker Washington caught a pass in all 32 games of his career. Owns 146 career receptions, ranking 10th all-time at Penn State. His 1,920 career receiving yards, is good for 13th in program history, and his 12 receiving touchdowns rank 16th in program history. Washington may be limited to only the slot but turns into an explosive RB-type when he has the ball in his hands. (Source: Penn State)
Jarrett Patterson was named a team captain prior to the start of the ‘22 season. Started and played in 12 of the final 13 games after missing the season-opening game at Ohio State. Made the transition to left guard for his final season at Notre Dame. Helped the Irish average 4.6 yards per carry during the ‘22 season, racking up 2,457 total rushing yards. Finished the season with 25 total rushing touchdowns as the Irish offense averaged 31.77 points per game. Helped clear the way for seven games of 220+ yards rushing, with four games of 260+. Irish ranked 16th nationally in the least TFLs allowed per game. Patterson was named the team’s offensive lineman of the year in ‘22. (Source: Notre Dame)
Jarrick Bernard-Converse transferred to LSU from Oklahoma State. JBC started 47 consecutive games in four years for the Cowboys and capped his Oklahoma State career with 216 tackles, 7.0 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, 23 passes defended, and a pair of interceptions. He had 2 INTs with LSU in 9 starts in Baton Rogue. (Source: LSU)
DJ Dale was a part-time player at Alabama who at the Senior Bowl has given reason to NFL teams that he can take on a bigger role at the next level. His stock is pointing up to get drafted in the later rounds. (Source: @TheCrimsonWhite)
DJ Johnson possesses extreme athleticism, so much so that he played Edge as well as TE throughout his career in Oregon. In ‘22 as a senior, he returned to defense full-time in his final collegiate season. He played in 11 of Oregon’s first 12 games, making 10 starts, before opting out of the SDCCU Holiday Bowl to prepare for the ‘23 NFL Draft. This past season he led the Ducks with a career-high 6.0 sacks, tied for fifth-most in the Pac-12 … He was 2nd on the team with a career-high 8.5 tackles for loss. Johnson had 39 total tackles, including 15 solos. He closed his collegiate career with 67 tackles, 19.5 TFLs, and 9.0 sacks over 6 seasons. (Source: Oregon)
Robert Beal in ‘22 played in all 15 games, starting in 8 for the back to back National Champions. This past season he had 26 total stops and 20 QB pressures. In the National Championship in ‘22 Beal had 3 tackles and a sack in against TCU. In his career at Georgia, he finished with 10.5 sacks as a rotational pass rusher. (Source: Georgia)
Dee Winters according to reports (@CamMellor) was unblockable in the pass rush drills at the Senior Bowl. Finished career at TCU with 246 tackles, 3 INTs, 33.5 tackles for loss, and 12.5 sacks. His 4.5 40-time speed should translate well as a blitzer and someone who can guard TEs & RBs out of the backfield at a decent rate. (Source: TCU)
Dermario Douglas runs a 4.4 40-time at 5’8” and 175 lbs. Reports out of the Senior Bowl are that he was consistently open. He made the Paul Hornung Award watch list (most versatile player in college football) his senior year in ‘22. He can put on matrix moves as a punt returner. NFL teams could probably also use him in their screen game. In his final year at Liberty, Douglas had 70 catches for 980 yards for an average of 14.0 yards per catch with 6 TDs. (Source: Liberty)
…we’ll end with this. I’ll try to do everybody’s team through the 7th Round next week…
Thanks for reading! Gotta go listen to some Celine Dion on a Field Trip. Enjoy President’s Day, Cheers!