Unstoppable | Method to the Madness | The Scout That Never Was
@YouTheReader the 11th Track of Drake’s So Far Gone has a catchy hook used for the 15-Second Story&Reel.
@YouTheReader I’d like to think I have a decent set of manners as well. My empty schedule usually gets filled up with Guinness and watching sports though. Not much of a job.
@YouTheReader on this fine final Mock Draft Monday of March ‘23, I’m sure you’ll find a ton of other mock drafts on the internet. The NFL Draft is only 1 month away, April 27, ‘23, so I’m sure many Mock Draft Experts are ramping up their mocking.
Am I the only one using a Boy Meets World, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Princess Diana, as a cover Story/Reel though? Is there some sort of Method to the Madness? Oh, wait never mind, that’s just the next section on the Elite 8 below…
Kansas State’s senior point guard, Markquis Nowell, played a phenomenal game in a crushing loss at The Garden. He started off his tournament with 17 points, 14 assists, and 3 steals in the Round of 64. He had 27 points, 9 assists, and 3 steals in the Round of 32. In the Sweet 16, Nowell had 20 points, an NCAA record of 19 assists, and 5 steals. On Saturday night he capped off his run with 30 points, 12 assists, and 5 steals. At 5’8” and 23 years old, Nowell may have some skeptics about his prospects at the NBA level, but there is no denying he brings excitement. He played some of his best basketball when the lights were brightest.
Gonzaga’s senior center, Drew Timme, is the Bulldogs’ all-time leading scorer in school history. His 301 career points in the NCAA Tournament are twice the amount that Adam Morrison ever had at Gonzaga. Timme is the 10th player of all time to ever reach the 300-point club for their career. Here is the company Timme is associated with - Christian Laettner (407 points), Elvin Hayes (358), Danny Manning (328), Tyler Hansbrough (325), Oscar Robertson (324), Glen Rice (308), Lew Alcindor (304), Corliss Williamson (303), and Bill Bradley (303).
Creighton’s senior guard, Baylor Scheierman, was quoted after the game - “getting to come back home, put on the Creighton uniform, represent my home state, and do something that’s never been done in Creighton basketball history … It’s just a dream come true for a little kid who grew up in Aurora, Nebraska and dreamed of being here." He still has one more year left of eligibility as a 5th-year senior if he wants to stay for one more year. This game ended on a fairly ticky-tack foul that could have gone either way in the closing seconds.
Texas’ senior guards, Sir’Jabri Rice & Marcus Carr, scored in double figures in every NCAA tournament game they ever played in (11). The backcourt’s 32 points combined against Miami weren’t enough to stop the Hurricanes storming 2nd half. Both are 5th-year graduate students, although they may have 1 more year of eligibility due to COVID.
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. We’re switching things up this Monday. Full 1st Round and the Fan Insiders’ 2-5 Rounds. The 6th Round has 1 Jets bonus.
C.J. Stroud is a 2-time Heisman Trophy finalist and twice won Big Ten Conference offensive player of the year and QB of the year. He also was named Big Ten freshman of the year for a total of five Big Ten individual awards tying second all-time in conference history with Justin Fields and Orlando Pace and behind only Braxton Miller’s seven. According to PFF College, Stroud led the nation in pass efficiency rating in ‘22 (177.7) and was second in ‘21 (186.6). He ranked 2nd nationally in TD passes in 2’2 (41) and 3rd in ‘21 (44). This made Stroud the 1st QB in Big Ten history to have back-to-back seasons with 30 or more touchdown passes. Former Buckeye and current NY Jets WR (cough, cough, NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, cough, cough), Garrett Wilson, has high praise for his former college QB. “Hopefully that wasn’t the last time,” Wilson tweeted, “but just in case… it’s been a pleasure @CJ7STROUD.” This came last March when Stroud threw for his Ohio State WRs that were getting drafted, Wilson & Chris Olave.
Bryce Young is the only quarterback in Alabama history to throw for 3,000-plus yards in two seasons. Young finished 2nd in program history for career passing yards (8,356) and passing touchdowns (80). In ‘21, he set the Alabama single-season marks for passing yards (4,872) and touchdowns (47) while winning the Heisman Trophy. Bryce Young had elite escapability in college that he likely may not be able to pull off as much against grown men. His size will also be a cause for concern for some NFL teams. That said, if you are taking a QB with the #1 Overall Pick in today’s NFL, you almost have to expect that the QB can both throw and run. Bryce Young was entered into Saban’s starting QB1 role right after Mac Jones and it was as if the Alabama offense didn’t skip a beat, if anything Young’s legs made them that much more lethal.
Will Anderson Jr. may be the best player in the ‘23 NFL Draft. An executive for an NFC team told NFL.com, which told me when I read it that, “Power Five players with traits who get sacks in college are going to get sacks in the pros. Anderson is way more likely to succeed than any of these quarterbacks (in the draft). It’s not even close.” Anderson Jr finished his three years at ‘Bama ranked 2nd on Alabama's career sacks list with 34.5 (-201 yards), trailing only Derrick Thomas. He is a two-time Nagurski Trophy winner (Nation’s best defender), which makes him only the 2nd player in the award's history to take home the honors twice. He was the recipient of the Bednarik Award, which is another award presented to the nation's top defender. He was named the Rotary Lombardi winner, which goes to the player that “best embodies the values and spirit of NFL's legendary coach Vince Lombardi.” Not only that but Anderson Jr was also honored with the Lott IMPACT Trophy which recognizes a player for their performance on the field and character off the field. Only Manti Te'o can say he too swept all four awards. Anderson Jr. in 3 seasons at ‘Bama racked up 62 tackles for loss and a Pick 6 as well. (Source: Bama)
Myles Murphy is credited with 139 tackles (37.0 for loss), 17.5 sacks, six forced fumbles, and six pass breakups in 1,543 snaps over 38 games (27 starts) at Clemson. He has drawn comparisons to the #1 Overall Pick last year, Travon Walker. He and Louisville’s Yasir Abdullah as the only two Power Five players to record at least 35 tackles for loss and at least six forced fumbles across the ‘20-’22 seasons. was the only player in the country to produce at least 10 tackles for loss and at least one forced fumble in each of those three seasons. (Source: Clemson)
Tyree Wilson was regarded as one of the nation’s top most-impactful players during his final year as a Red Raider. Wilson turned in an All-American type year to place himself among the top prospects for the NFL Draft. In ‘22, Wilson had totaled 61 tackles (36 solo), including 14.0 for a loss and 7.0 sacks, up to the point where a season-ending injury cut his senior year short to just 10 games. In ‘21, Wilson also had 13.5 tackles for a loss and 7 sacks, so his college production doesn’t make him that much of a projection. At 6’6” & 275 lbs., Wilson has all the look of a physically imposing NFL pass rusher and he should be versatile enough to play both defensive end in a 4-3 front or outside linebacker in a 3-4 front.
Devon Witherspoon became the first Illinois football player in school history to be named a Jim Thorpe finalist. He also became the first football player in school history to be named a consensus first-team All-American. Both of these accomplishments occurred during the ‘22 season when the Dick Butkus Defensive MVP had 17 pass breakups (good for top 6 in all of the NCAA) and 3 INTs. Witherspoon is a very physical and willing tackler who was more importantly graded the #1 in coverage in the nation (92.5), according to PFF.
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.
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)
Broderick Jones started at LT in all 15 games in ‘22. Jones was named the Associated Press All-SEC First-Team selection. He is entering the NFL Draft as a Redshirt-Sophomore. In ‘21 as a Redshirt-Freshman Jones was named to the Coaches’ Freshman All-SEC Team for playing in every game and starting the last four games of the regular season at LT. When Jones entered college he was ranked as the #11 prospect nationally, the #2 offensive tackle prospect, and the #3 prospect from the state of Georgia. He was an ESPN five-star prospect, the #9 prospect nationally, #1 OT prospect nationally, #5 prospect in the Southeast region, and the #3 in Georgia. (Source: Georgia)
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)
If it feels like every year Notre Dame has a stud TE entering the draft, that is because they are basically Tight End University. Mark Bavaro, Anthony Fasano, Kyle Rudolph, John Carlson, Tyler Eifert, Troy Niklas, and Cole Kmet, are some of the notable names. Michael Mayer had at least one reception in all 36 games of his collegiate career. That consistency helped make Mayer the school's all-time leader in catches by a TE in an inconsistent offense. Mayer’s 809 receiving yards in ‘22 represented over 30% of Notre Dame’s 2,692 team passing yards.
Jalen Carter was sentenced to probation in a crash that killed a teammate and a team staffer. The crash happened hours after the Bulldogs’ national championship victory parade. Carter has pleaded no contest this past week to the charges he is facing of racing and reckless driving, according to his attorney, Kim Stephens. @YouTheReader the Computer Simulated Carter to be taken here. It remains to be seen how the NFL will handle this whole situation moving forward.
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)
Asking any rookie WR to step into an offense and immediately become WR#1 is a bit unrealistic, but Quentin Johnston may have some special YAC ability where they can manufacture him touches. Johnston was a Biletnikoff Award semifinalist in ‘22, recognizing the nation's most outstanding WR. He reached 1,069 receiving yards in ‘22 on only 60 catches for the season. That is an impressive average of 17.8 yards per catch. The 17.8 he averaged this past season was actually a career low at TCU as Johnston averaged 19.2 and 22.1 as a sophomore&freshman with fewer targets. Johnston at 6’4” with 4.4 speed should translate in pros.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba is coming off a ‘22 season where he only played 2 games due to injury. His ‘21 Rose Bowl MVP performance where he had 15 receptions, for 3 TDs and 347 receiving yards was the stuff of legends. Injuries and questions over if he is limited to being a slot WR, where he lined up over 80% of his snaps throughout his career, would be the reason he falls.
Joey Porter Jr is Joey Porter, the former Pittsburgh Steeler’s son. JPJ was named 1st team All-Big Ten by coaches and AP. He earned the team’s Most Valuable Defensive Player. At 6’2” he has great size for a corner and he obviously already has NFL genes in him.
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)
Lukas Van Ness was twice on the Academic All-Big Ten team. He received Iowa’s Coaches Appreciation Award for his special team’s play and the Team Hustle Award for defense. Coaches and AP also selected him to the All-Big Ten 2nd team in ‘22. 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)
Will Levis has the prototypical size at 6’4” and 230 lbs. that typical NFL Scouts drool over. The Scout That Never Was isn’t really all about size with QBs, for me, it's more about moxie (think Mike White). Anyway, the Wildcat QB will get compared to Josh Allen a ton in the lead-up to the draft because of his size, elite arm strength, and speed (runs a 4.75 40-time just like Allen). Levis was a two-time team captain for Kentucky after he transferred from Penn State. In 24 starts with the Wildcats, he threw for 43 passing TDs and ran in 11 TDs. His 23 career INTs with Kentucky are for sure a Red Flag, however, people forget that Josh Allen coming out of Wyoming had a similar issue with 21 INTs in 25 games. Levis could definitely be considered a boom or bust QB prospect, but when you factor in that less than half of 1st Round QBs manage to ever have a single 4000-yd or a 24-touchdown season, sometimes it’s best to draft the guy with the best tools and hope it works out. Just like the Bills with Josh Allen.
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)
B.J. Ojulari is a “Team leader who makes an impact on teammates, classmates, and the community on a daily basis. Goes in line with his heritage, being the grandson of a Nigerian prince. Awarded No. 18 days into training camp. The No. 18 is given each year to the player who best represents all the outstanding traits of an LSU football player. Versatile defender who can play defensive end or linebacker. Tremendous athlete who explodes off the ball … Excellent speed with the ability to run down quarterbacks. A very disruptive player who causes problems for the offense in both the passing and running games.”(Source: LSU)
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.
Christian Gonzalez is another 6’2” corner. Gonzalez led the Ducks with 4 interceptions, 3rd-most in the Pac-12, and finished with 50 total tackles (35 solo) and one tackle for loss. Totaled 118 return yards on four interceptions, the most by a Duck in a season since ‘01. He tied for 6th in the Pac-12 with 11 passes defended and tied for 9th with 7 passes broken up. Gonzalez earned an 81.2 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, the best among all Duck defenders and No. 4 among Pac-12 cornerbacks. (Source: Oregon)
Kelee Ringo in ‘22 was named 2nd Team All-SEC by Coaches and AP. He has been compared to the likes of a young Patrick Peterson. Ringo at 6’1” runs like the wind with a 4.36 40-time. He red-shirted his freshman season so only played 2 years at Georgia where he had 4 career INTs and 19 career pass deflections. (Source: Georgia)
Trenton Simpson was a ‘22 Dick Butkus Award and Lott IMPACT (Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community, and Tenacity) semifinalist. His 4.39 40-time speed as a linebacker makes him extremely versatile. Although he at times may struggle in pass coverage, Simpson has great pass rush instinct from a stand-up linebacker. In ‘20 and ‘21, he combined for 10 sacks. He may have only had 2.5 sacks last season, but Simpson can hold his own as a chess piece on defense and at times line up essentially as a safety for Clemson.
Nolan Smith’s ‘22 season was cut short due to a torn pec. Still, entering the season he was named to preseason watch lists for the Outland Trophy (nation's top interior lineman) and Bronko Nagurski Trophy (nation's top defender). (Source: Georgia) While his career stat line may look a bit underwhelming, 11.5 sacks in 46 games in Athens, NFL scouts may point to Travon Walker from last year as a reason to take Smith in the first two days of the NFL Draft. Like Walker, Smith has some rare athletic traits that could be further developed as he matures as a pass rusher in the pros. Expect scouts to drool over his 4.44 40-time speed, but he’ll need to be coached up some to fine-tune his pass rush moves.
Josh Downs finished his career with 2,483 yards receiving, the 4th-highest total in UNC history. He had 22 career touchdown receptions, 2nd most in school history. Downs is one of three players in UNC history with over 200 career receptions, finishing third on the school’s all-time list with 202. He is one of two players in Carolina history with two 1,000-yard receiving seasons. Downs finished First-Team All-ACC in both ‘21 & ‘22. (Source: UNC)
Anton Harrison in ‘22 played 447 pass block snaps, allowed only 1 sack, gave up no QB hits, and had an 83.3 PFF pass block grade. (Source: @PFF_College) Harrison has experience in both OT positions.
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)
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)
O’Cyrus Torrence was the first Gator offensive guard to be named a Consensus All-American. Torrence played for LSU before Florida, where he was a part of 2 Joe Moore Award Semifinalist offensive line units. My thought process here is to kick Alijah Vera-Tucker to Left Tackle, where he was effective for a bit in ‘22.
Calijah Kancey in ‘22 was an American Football Coaches Association All-American (1st team), Associated Press All-American (1st team), Football Writers Association of America All-American (1st team), Sporting News All-American (1st team), Walter Camp All-American (1st team), CBS Sports All-American (1st team), ESPN All-American (1st team), and Pro Football Focus All-American (1st team). I mean shrimp, I might as well name him a Week to Week Notes All-American 1st teamer. College Football Network (CFN) also named him their National Defensive Tackle of the Year and he was the ACC Defensive Player of the Year. Kancey became the Panthers’ first Unanimous All-American since defensive tackle Aaron Donald in ‘13. In 133 seasons of intercollegiate football, Pitt players earned Unanimous All-America recognition only 15 times (13 total players have achieved this distinction). Kancey was the only player in the country to be selected as a 2022 finalist for both the Outland Trophy (nation’s best interior lineman) and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy (national defensive player of the year). His career stat line at Pitt ended up 37 games played, 16 sacks, 92 tackles, and 34.5 of them being a tackle for a loss. How could this guy fall out of the first round? Well, his size could be a Red Flag for scouts, as he stands 6’0” and weighs in at 280 lbs, which is featherweight for an interior lineman. What he does have going for him is that Aaron Donald is only an inch taller and weighs 284 lbs. (Source: Pitt)
At 6’7” and 270 pounds, Darnell Washington stood out on the College Football field and will do the same in the pros. Washington is the type of prospect who even if the team doesn't have a need for a TE, he’s such a freak that he might be worth taking a chance on. He’s a WR in the TE’s body.
Antonio Johnson was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Week and Lott IMPACT Trophy Player of the Week honors after recording 13 tackles in the ‘22 win against Arkansas. (Source: The 12th Man) His sophomore season of ‘21 was what put Johnson on the NFL scouting map. He 58 tackles, 18 assists, and had 26 stops (the total number of plays by a defensive player that prevent a successful play by the offense, defined as 45% of needed yards on first down, 60% of needed yards on second down, and 100% of needed yards on third or fourth down, according to Football Outsiders). In coverage, he totaled one pass breakup, one interception, and an impressive QB rating of 71.2 when targeted against. Johnson regressed in ‘22 a bit in terms of coverage (91.2), but still kept to par in run defense with 55 tackles, 16 assists, and 28 stops. His 6’3” size should help the 21-year-old fill out into a very physically imposing safety one day.
Tuli Tuipulotu is a force to be reckoned with in the trenches. He finished his career at USC with 32 TFLs, 21 sacks, 5 pass deflections, and 4 forced fumbles. In ‘21 Tuipulotu proved to be one of the nation’s top young defensive linemen. He made the 2021 All-Pac-12 first team and won USC’s ‘21 Defensive Lineman of the Year Award & Bob Chandler Award. (Source: USC)
Jalin Hyatt is all gas, no brakes. The ‘22 Biletnikoff Award Winner was the nation’s most explosive playmaker. Hyatt holds the Tennessee school records for single-game touchdown receptions (5 vs. Alabama on 10/15 ‘22) and single-season receiving touchdowns (15 in ‘22). Of his 108 career catches, 52 went for 10+ yards, 30 for 20+ yards, 21 for 30+ yards, and 12 for 40+ yards. (Source: Tennessee) In my opinion, he’ll be taken in the 1st round of the draft, but scouts may be skeptical that Hyatt really only has one year of elite college production. Tennessee WR Coach Kelsey Pope said this past Aug ‘22, “Jalin Hyatt is like a different person this year. Impressing early. Put on 8-10 pounds in weight and continue to improve.” The added muscle during the offseason from hard work certainly played a key factor in his breakout season. An easy player comparison as a floor for Hyatt would be Robbie Anderson. If Hyatt is able to add more than just the 4.2 40-time straight-line speed into his game, he may be Scary Terry McLaurin good or maybe even better - why place ceilings on a hard-working 21-year-old?
Jaquelin Roy’s first year as a full-time starter was in ‘22 and he posted a career-high 49 tackles from Defensive Tackle. 6’4”, 300 lbs, and athletic. A key figure among LSU’s deep and talented defensive front. Tremendous upper body strength. A run stuffer who can also get after the quarterback. Quick feet and difficult to block. Roy has had Top-30 visits with the Bills and Eagles, some of the NFL’s best scouting departments. (Source: LSU)
Zach Harrison was the most experienced Ohio State defensive end in ‘22. Harrison finished his Buckeye career with 25.5 career TFLs and 13 sacks. In ‘21 he was a team captain. He’s 6-foot-6, 274 pounds and has the longest arms of any EDGE in the ‘23 draft. (Source: Ohio State)
Clark Phillips III’s ‘22 season was littered with awards. He was a consensus All-American, a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, and the AP Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year. Phillips started every game he played and had 9 career interceptions, including a school-record-tying 4 that were returned for TDs. (Source: Utah Utes) He also had an impressive 30 career pass breakup in only 31 career games. At 5’10”, he may be best suited to play the nickel back position in the pros, but that shouldn’t be too big of an issue as he has experience playing on the outside as well as in nickel as a Ute. Per PFF, his 6 INTs while playing man coverage in ‘22 were the most among CBs.
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)
Noah Sewell is the younger brother of Penei Sewell. Finished three-year career with 215 tackles, 19.5 TFLs, 7.5 sacks, two interceptions and three forced fumbles. First Oregon player to be named a finalist for the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award multiple times, and UO’s first two-time semifinalist for the Butkus Award. (Source: Oregon)
Davis Allen was voted by his teammates as a permanent team captain. Allen is a reliable receiver, physical blocker, and team leader who recorded 88 receptions, 951 receiving yards, and 12 receiving touchdowns in 1,842 offensive snaps over 54 games (25 starts). He was also a core special teamer throughout his time at Clemson. Allen exited as one of only six tight ends in Clemson history to record double-digit career touchdown receptions, as his 12 touchdown catches tied John McMakin (12 from 1969-71), Dwayne Allen (12 from ‘09-11) and Brandon Ford (12 from ‘09-12) for the second-most career touchdown receptions by a tight end in Clemson history. (Source: Clemson)
Tre'Vius Hodges-Tomlinson was the ‘22 Jim Thorpe Award Recipient as the nation's top defensive back. He became the 2nd Horned Frog (Tre'von Moehrig, ‘20) in three years to receive the honor. He was selected as the ‘22 First-Team All-American by the AP, Sporting News, and ESPN. He was also selected to the ‘22 First-Team All-Big 12 and ‘22 Honorable-Mention Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. TVHT had 3 pass breakups in the College Football Playoff semifinal win over Michigan. Finished his career at TCU with 5 INTs and 41 pass breakups. Tre'Vius Hodges-Tomlinson is the nephew of Ladanian Tomlinson. (Source: TCU)
Daiyan Henley played one year at Washington State as a graduate transfer from Nevada. Henley was named to All-Pac-12 Conference First Team as a linebacker and All-Pac-12 Second Team as an all-purpose/special teams player. He was a Butkus Award Finalist (top college linebacker), the first Butkus finalist in Washington State’s program history. In ‘22 alone, Henley had 106 tackles, 12 of which were for a loss of yards, 1 INT, 4 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, and 2 fumble recoveries. Henley has all the tools to be a stud LB in the NFL as he seems to be a natural in coverage on an island. (Source: Washington State)
Joe Ngata is credited with 88 career receptions for 1,287 yards and six touchdowns in 1,510 offensive snaps over 45 career games (25 starts) from ‘19-22. He also averaged 23.2 yards on 14 kickoff returns in ‘19. (Source: Clemson)
Spencer Anderson has experience as both an offensive guard and tackle. He plays chess in his spare time. He was a part of the ‘22 East-West Shrine Bowl and in ‘20-’21 was a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar. (Source: Maryland)
Moro Ojomo at Texas was a fifth-year defensive lineman who has played in 50 career games and made 30 starts. In ‘22 second-team All-Big 12 by the Associated Press and an honorable mention All-Big 12 selection by the league’s coaches. Ojomo established career-highs with 33 tackles (16 solo), 5.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, and one forced fumble and added two quarterback hurries his final year in Austin. (Source: Texas)
Jaylon Jones started right out of the gate as a freshman at Texas A&M. At 6’2” with long arms, Jones will be able to match up against some of the larger NFL WRs. He is also a sure tackler in run defense. He had 3 career INTs along with 17 passes deflected. Jones wasn’t targeted too often this past season, having a QB rating when targeted of 66.6.
John Michael Schmitz was an AP 1st Team All-America in ‘22 and All-Big Ten First Team in ‘22 for coaches & media. Started all 12 regular-season games at center. He blocked for an offense that rushed for 2,698 yards and 33 touchdowns and one that passed for 2,369 yards and 12 touchdowns. (Source: Minnesota)
Richard Gouraige earned his bachelor's degree in Sociology (Spring ‘22). Three-time SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll (‘19 & ‘21-22) Gouraige started at LT in all 13 games of the season for an offensive line limiting opponents to 1.3 sacks per game. (Source: Florida)
Will Mallory had the most productive season of his Miami career in ‘22. Mallory had 42 receptions for 538 yards and 3 touchdowns. He was named the All-ACC Seoond-Team tight end. He graduates as number one or two in total receptions, receiving yardage, and receiving touchdowns by a tight end in Hurricanes' history. (Source: Miami)
Jacob Copeland in ‘22 led Maryland in yards per catch averaging 14.5 yards per reception. He transferred to Maryland from Florida where he hauled in 86 catches for 1,366 receiving yards and 9 TDs from ‘18 to ‘21. His mom famously walked out of his college signing day because he picked Florida over her choice of Tennessee. (Source: Maryland)
Devon Achane in ‘22 was named All-SEC First-Team Running Back, All-SEC First-Team All-Purpose Player, and an Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Semifinalist. He started his career with the Aggies at an 8.5-yards per carry clip in ‘20. His yards per carry took regressed a bit in ‘21 to a 7.5 yards per carry clip, before falling off a cliff to a 5.6 yards per carry last year. @YouTheReader any RB who runs above 4.5 yards per carry in a game likely had a great day on the ground, so anything above 5 yards per carry on a season is absurd. Achane also returned kicks at Texas A&M, averaging 30.6 yards per return (well above average) and scoring 2 TDs. Achane would be a very scary addition to an offense in Miami that already had so much speed at the playmaking position.
Who? Mike Jones Jr. transferred from Clemson to LSU in ‘21. Who? Mike Jones Jr. played both inside and outside linebacker as well as nickel back during his college career. He is a versatile player with great instincts and tremendous vision & pursuit of the ball. Team leader on and off the field. He finished his college career with 102 tackles, 11 TFLs, 1.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 2 INTs. (Source: LSU)
Evan Hull led all FBS running backs with 54 receptions and was second amongst all Big Ten receivers with 483 yards after the catch in ‘22. Hull is only the 16th player since 2000 to average over 75 rushing yards and 45 receiving yards a game over an entire season, most recently done by Travis Etienne and Saquon Barkley. He became the first Big Ten player with 200+ receiving yards and 50+ rushing yards in the same game since at least 2000. Should be a good 3rd down receiving back. (Source: Northwestern)
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.
Luke Schoonmaker was named twice to the All-Big Ten Team. He shared Most Improved Player (Offense) honors in ‘21. (Source: MGoBlue.com) Michigan’s 5th-year senior is more of a block-first type of TE. Anthony Fasano?
DJ Turner was a two-time All-Big Ten selection (second team coaches; third team media, ‘22; honorable mention, coaches and media, ‘21). He Shared Most Improved Player (Defense) honors and Defensive Skill Player of the Year honors in ‘21. He played a ton of special teams at the beginning of his time at Michigan before ‘22 when he started all 14 games at cornerback; made 36 tackles with one for loss, one interception among 11 pass breakups, and one fumble returned 45 yards for a touchdown and one quarterback hurry, and returned one punt, to earn his fourth varsity letter. (Source: Michigan)
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.
Xavier Gipson runs a 4.48 40-time. He was extremely productive throughout his time at Stephen F Austin. In ‘19, Gipson had 52 catches for 934 receiving yards and 7 TDs. In ‘20, he had 52 catches for 841 yards and 9 TDs. In ‘21, Gipson had 74 catches for 1,367 receiving yards and 14 TDs. He capped off his college career in ‘22 with 65 catches for 1,163 receiving yards and another 7 TDs. All in all, Xavier had 243 catches for 4,305 and 37 TD receptions.