Mock Draft Monday 2/3 '25
Rico
Rico
- NFL Building a Board
- College Hoops
- YouTube Rabbithole
Alright @YouTheReader,
Today’s tune is Meek Mill’s RICO, which features Drake. Before moving to the next album in chronological order (What A Time To Be Alive), these two rap artists had beef, and this was the song that ignited it.
After Drake didn’t promote Meek Mill’s 2015 Dreams Worth More Than Money album, the Philadelphia rapper turned to Twitter. More on the drama that ensued next Monday…
On to the sports…
Here’s what the Big Board looks like of NFL Draft Prospect Profiles in chronological order…
Taylor Elgersma, QB, Wilfrid Laurier
Taylor Elgersma is from London, Ontario. Growing up in Canada, Elgersma played hockey and football. After backing up as a freshman in ‘21, Elgersma became the starting QB of Wilfrid Laurier (Waterloo, Ontario) in ‘22. As a sophomore, he threw 15 TD passes with 2,141 passing yards in 10 games. During his junior year in ‘23, the 6’5” Canadian passer threw for 3,482 yards and 25 TDs while running in 10 scores too. This past season for the Golden Hawks, Elgersma threw for career-highs with 4,252 passing yards and 35 TDs. His promising 3 years as a starter at Wilfrid Laurier made him the first Canadian quarterback from a U Sports team to compete in the Senior Bowl Showcase. By all accounts from scouts, Elgersma has impressive arm strength and has been able to connect on quite a few tight throws. The Canadian QB is the clear and obvious sleeper of the NFL Draft among this QB class.
Billy Bowman Jr., S, Oklahoma
Billy Bowman Jr. is from Denton, Texas. At Ryan High School, Bowman Jr. was a 4-star prospect who was considered a WR prospect. As a senior at Ryan HS, Bowman caught 86 passes for 1,207 yards and 15 TDs. As a freshman at Oklahoma in ‘21, Billy Bowman Jr. made 7 starts at safety with the Sooners, mostly lining up at nickel. His role shifted to Free Safety as a sophomore as he came up with 3 interceptions and 4 pass breakups. By his junior season in ‘23, Billy Bowman Jr. was named to the All-Big 12 1st Team as he came up with a career-high 6 interceptions and brought 3 back to the house for scores. This past season as a senior, the Sooners awarded Bowman Jr. with their Don Key Award, which is the program’s highest annual honor. The WR turned Safety has great ball skills as a centerfielder of a defensive secondary. The 5’10” safety has elite instincts and quickness, which should make him an effective signal-caller in an NFL defensive backfield.
Tez Johnson, WR, Oregon
Tez Johnson is from Pinson, Alabama. While at Pinson High School, Johnson was coached by Patrick Nix and was Bo Nix’s top pass catcher. After growing up in less-than-ideal circumstances, the Nix family adopted Tez Johnson as he considered the Nix household his second home. Johnson’s first college stop was at Troy University. As a freshman in ‘20, Johnson showed some promise by catching 18 passes for 211 yards. He was able to redshirt due to COVID, and in ‘21 at Troy, Johnson was named All-Sun Belt 3rd Team as he improved to 66 catches for 712 yards. In Johnson’s final season at Troy, he caught 55 passes for 856 yards but was considered a gem by PFF College, who graded him out as the top WR of the ‘22 season. After Bo Nix transferred to Oregon, the Ducks hoped to bring in some WR talent, and Nix suggested his adopted brother. It was a great call as Johnson, in ‘23, broke the Oregon Ducks’ single-season catch record with 86 receptions for 1,182 yards and 10 TDs. This past season for the Ducks, Johnson again dominated from the Oregon slot as he made 82 catches for 898 yards and 10 more TDs. At 5’10”, Johnson will be limited to playing slot WR; however, he has elite quickness and is a good route-runner.
Jackson Slater, G, Sacramento State
Jackson Slater is from Bellevue, Washington. His father played football for Western Washington. As a 3-star prospect at Newport High School, Jackson Slater played all over the offensive line while also competing in baseball, basketball, and track. As a freshman in ‘21, Slater made a home at Left Guard, making 9 starts while allowing just 2 sacks all season. He retained his starting job at LG in ‘22, again only allowed 2 sacks with 11 QB Hurries for the Hornets, which earned him 1st Team All-Big Sky recognition. During his junior year in ‘23, Jackson Slater allowed 0 sacks and only 9 QB Hurries as he was named 1st Team All-Big Sky for the 2nd straight season. As great as he was the 3 years previous, Slater had his best season in ‘24. The AP named him a 1st Team All-American while he also became the first offensive lineman in program history to earn 3 1st Team All-Big Sky recognitions. Not only did Slater not allow a single sack as a senior, but he only gave up 3 pressures in 379 pass block snaps. The Sacramento State Hornets' LG anchor has been snapping at the ball at the center at the Senior Bowl, which should only add to his versatility. Although he’s a small school prospect, the 6’4” and 316 lbs. interior lineman has plenty of power to protect NFL QBs up the gut.
Demetrius Knight Jr., LB, South Carolina
Demetrius Knight Jr. is from Locust Grove, Georgia. His older cousin, DeAngelo Hall, was a star CB for the Atlanta Falcons, but he also has family ties to Gladys Knight and Aretha Franklin. In high school at Strong Rock Christian, Knight Jr. was a 4-year starter at QB while also playing basketball and baseball. He allegedly threw down a dunk so hard in high school that it broke the rim. Knight Jr. became the 1st Strong Rock Christian football player to play D1. His first stop in College was at Georgia Tech. Knight Jr. was a backup linebacker in his 4 seasons with the Yellow Jackets, as he compiled just 51 tackles in 36 games. He decided to transfer to Charlotte in ‘23, where he immediately became the starting Linebacker, and he showed out. Knight Jr. had 96 tackles, 6 TFLs, 1.5 sacks, and 3 INTs in his lone season with the 49ers. The ‘23 First-Team All-AAC Linebacker then transferred again, this time to South Carolina. As a Gamecock in ‘24, Demetrius Knight Jr. was awarded the Rex Enright Team Captain, the Most Outstanding Senior, and the team’s Joe Morrison Defensive MVP. The 6th year senior recorded 82 tackles, 8 TFLs, 2 sacks, and 1 INT. While on the older side for an NFL rookie, Knight Jr. is an intriguing linebacker prospect because of his speed and pass coverage ability. He also has potential as a good QB spy option, which in today’s NFL, with QBs that can run, can be very important.
Here are this week’s 5 College Basketball player profiles around the country…
John Poulakidas, F, Yale
John Poulakidas is from Naperville, Illinois. He went to Neuqua Valley High School, scoring over 1,300 career points and becoming their all-time leading scorer. When asked why he chose Yale University, Poulakidas stated, “Because attending this university is a 40-year decision, not just a four-year one, and I feel that it was best suited for me on and off the court. Not only is Yale an elite academic institution, but Coach Jones and his staff have built a tremendously strong basketball program.” Smart answer. As a freshman at Yale, Poulakidas didn’t play much while coming off the bench but impressed his peers enough to earn the Josh Hill Dedication Award. As a sophomore in ‘22-’23, Poulakidas was awarded the team’s Most Improved Player as he made 30 starts while averaging 12 points and 3.2 rebounds per game. Last season, John Poulakidas continued to improve as he earned 2nd Team All-Ivy recognition. The left-handed small forward averaged 13.4 points per game, shooting 41% from 3-point range. He saved his best game last season for the opening round of the NCAA Tournament as he scored 28 points in Yale’s upset over Auburn. Now a senior, the 6’6” Ivy Leaguer leads the conference in scoring with 19.8 points per game. Poulakidas is shooting 44% from beyond the arc and 91% from the charity stripe. The Yale Bulldogs had a huge weekend of conference games, beating both Princeton and Penn on Friday/Saturday. Yale is currently on a 7-game winning streak and is in 1st place in the Ivy League. Poulakidas’ scoring ability will play a major role in whether the Bulldogs return to another NCAA Tournament this March.
Rafael Castro, C, George Washington
Rafael Castro is from the town of Dover in north-central New Jersey. He went to Dover High School, averaging 20.3 points, 16.3 rebounds, and 4.7 blocks per game as a junior. Castro also represented the Dominican Republic in the ‘19 CentroBasket U17 Championship, contributing to their 4th-place finish. His initial college out of Jersey was up in Providence. After redshirting his freshman year in ‘21-’22, Castro played 2 seasons with the Friars, where he had trouble finding many minutes of action. In 60 games at Providence, Castro averaged just 2.5 points and 2.3 rebounds per game off the bench. This past spring, the 6’11” big man decided to transfer to George Washington University, and he’s already made 22 starts for the Revolutionaries. Castro averages 12.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game. He’s particularly a menace on the offensive glass as he leads the A-10 in offensive rebounds and has no issue putting defenders on posters. Castro’s best game thus far of his career came in GW’s win over Richmond last week, as he scored 21 points, grabbed 16 boards, and blocked 2 shots.
Madison Durr, G, Monmouth
Madison Durr is from Atlanta, Georgia. He split his high school playing days between Pace Academy and Hargrave Military Academy. Durr helped Pace Academy win 2 state championships while he averaged 11.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 7.8 assists as a senior at Hargrave Military Academy. His first stop out of high school was at The Citadel. As a true freshman in ‘22-’23, Durr averaged 7.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2 assists per game. This earned him a spot on the Southern Conference All-Freshman Team. As a sophomore at The Citadel, Durr improved to 11.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game. After playing 2 seasons with the Bulldogs, Madison Durr decided to transfer to Monmouth University last spring. While he averages 13 points per game this season, the junior shooting guard was on fire last week. Durr scored a career-high 40 points in Monmouth’s double-OT win over Drexel and followed that up with a 27-point performance against Delaware. In those two games, Durr has combined to hit 33 of 33 free throws. A slash-first guard, Durr can absorb contact and is a great finisher around the rim.
Kadary Richmond, G, St. John’s
Kadary Richmond is from Brooklyn, New York. He played for South Shore High School, where in ‘19 he averaged 16.3 points per game while being named the New York City Public School Player of the Year. The following season for college, Kadary Richmond then spent a year at Brewster Academy, where he received prep school national recognition. Richmond decided to play for Syracuse and Jim Boeheim as he came off the bench as a freshman to average 6.3 points, 3.1 assists, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game. After one season with the Orange, Kadary Richmond transferred to Seton Hall. He earned a starting role as a sophomore while averaging 8.8 points, 4.1 assists, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game, becoming the Pirates primary point guard by the end of the season. As a junior at Seton Hall, Kadary Richmond improved his 3-point shooting to a career-high 44%, averaging 10.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 2 steals per game. While his shooting from beyond the arc fell to 27% from 3, Richmond improved to have his best overall season as a senior. Last season as an All-Big East 1st Team guard, Kadary Richmond averaged 15.7 points, 7 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 2.2 steals per game. This season, Richmond decided to transfer again, this time to St. John’s, to play for Rick Pitino. After a relatively slow start to his time with the Johnnies, the super senior had his best game of the season over the weekend in their win over Providence. Richmond scored a season-high 24 points, including the game-winning bucket, while tacking on 8 rebounds and 8 assists. Since Thanksgiving, St. John’s has won 14 of 15 games and is currently on an 8-game winning streak. Richmond will certainly play a huge role down the stretch for the Red Storm to have a deep run this March.
Danny Wolf, C, Michigan
