Mock Draft Monday 6/3 '24
Own It
Own It
- Building A Board ‘25 (Vol VI)
- NBA Draft ‘24
- YouTube Rabbithole
Alright @YouTheReader,
Today’s tune for this Mock Draft Monday is Own It by Drake. It’s the 5th track off the album Nothing Was The Same.
Drake doesn’t do this often in his albums, but Own It syncs up well with the 4th track, Wu-Tang Forever, which ends with the lyrics “It’s yours.”
Imagine being a journalist and Googling which ex-girl of Drake’s this song is about. *Cough, cough, probably Rihanna per usual, cough cough* Couldn’t be me. I never understood what the Maury line meant but it’s clever wordplay. Maury, the TV host, was famous for his “You are the father” reveals which plays with the “It’s yours” line. The song's main theme, however, is about how this girl owns his heart.
The Batphone *bleep* sound going on right after the work line can go unnoticed but is a funny feature of the tune. Many are saying it is about Rihanna because her real name is Robyn. Get it, Batman-Batphone-Robin. That would be slick, but who knows?
I’ll Own up to It and admit I wasn’t trying to ramble too much under the lyrics to this song, so…
On to the sports…
The ‘25 NFL Draft won’t be in Lambeau Field until April 24th, ‘25. I don’t have a Mock Draft for that class, still have to learn more about the players first. So, just like last year’s Mondays, we’ll get started with the biggest names in College Football for this upcoming season, adding 5 more players every Monday Mock Draft to Build A Board.
Last week we reached the Ohio State Buckeye’s top WR and DaRon Holmes II, the Dayton Flyers PF with a ton of potential as a possible 1st-round pick…
Mykel Williams, Edge, Georgia
Mykel Williams is from Columbus, Georgia, where he was a 4-star prospect. On a loaded Georgia Bulldog defense in ‘22, Williams earned 2 starts as a true freshman and was named 1st Team Freshman All-American. During his freshman campaign, Williams picked up 4.5 sacks while generating an absurd 31 QB hurries. This tied him with Jalen Carter for most on the team. In ‘23 as a sophomore, Williams became a full-time starter and led the Bulldog defense in sacks with 4.5 on the season. The Coaches of the SEC named him 2nd Team All-SEC. After playing much of his collegiate career on the inside of the Bulldogs’ front 7, Georgia plans to play Mykel Williams a bit more on the outside as a true pass rusher in ‘24. At 6’5” and 265 lbs, Williams has the size plus burst to dominate on the edge. The other element of Mykel Williams that NFL Scouts will love is that he will only be 20 years old next April. Willaims has already been highly productive as one of the younger CFB players in all the land and should have plenty more developmental potential during his first few years in the NFL.
Patrick Payton, Edge, Florida State
Patrick Payton is from Miami, Florida, where he was considered a 4-star prospect out of high school. After making an appearance against UMass in ‘21, Payton would redshirt the rest of the year. He returned in ‘22 to play in 13 games where he flashed with 5 sacks and 31 tackles. Payton was named the ‘22 ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year, becoming the first defensive FSU player to win ACC Defensive ROY in program history. During his ‘23 season as a redshirt sophomore, Payton started 13 games and earned an All-ACC Honorable Mention. The lanky 6’5” pass rusher with bend had career-highs in sacks (7), TFLs (14.5), pass deflections (10), and tackles (44). His Seminole offensive teammates also voted him for the Monk Bonasorte Award, which goes to the defensive player with the most heart. With Jared Verse entering the NFL, Patrick Payton will now be the lead dog in the Seminoles pass rush attack.
Landon Jackson, Edge, Arkansas
Landon Jackson is from Texarkana, Texas, which gets its name because it is on the border of TEXas and ARKansas while also being close to LouisiANA. A 4-star prospect out of high school, Jackson had 45 sacks while playing Texas high school football - 17 of which came his junior season. The defensive end had offers from Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Baylor, Florida State, and Tennessee, but chose to play for LSU. After a ‘21 freshman season where he played special teams for the Tigers, Jackson decided to transfer to Arkansas. In ‘22 for the Razorbacks, Landon Jackson earned more playing time and showed potential with 3 sacks. In ‘23 as a junior, the 6’7” monster off the edge really blossomed into his own, racking up 44 tackles, 6.5 sacks, and 13.5 TFLs. Jackson could have been drafted in ‘24, but told the media, “Growing up watching the Arkansas, LSU, and ‘Bama, I always wanted to play in the SEC. It didn’t really feel right going out on a 4-8 season so that was a big decision that played with me coming back. I’m really glad I came to that decision and ready to get this year going.” Landon Jackson has Alopecia, which got him picked on a bit as a kid. “I finally got to the point where I embraced it and didn’t care what other people felt.” Not for nothing, I think the bald shave for a defensive lineman looks tough as nails.
Tyleik Williams, DT, Ohio State
Tyleik Williams is from Manassas, Virginia. As a freshman in ‘21, Williams had 5 sacks out of his 16 tackles. This was enough for ESPN to name him to the Freshman All-American team. As a sophomore in ‘22, Williams was named to the All-Big Ten Honorable Mention. In ‘23, the 6’3” and 327 lbs. defensive tackle earned his most playing time and had his career-high of 54 tackles, 10 of which were for loss. He also is a menace in the passing game as he swatted down 5 passes as well. The Ohio State defensive front line unit has a ton of talent returning as he’ll play alongside the likes of Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau for another season. Expect the Buckeyes defense to once again be elite.
Walter Nolen, DT, Ole Miss
Walter Nolen is from Powell, Tennessee, where he was a 5-star prospect at Powell High School. As a freshman at Texas A&M in ‘22, Nolen made 4 starts and played in 10 games totaling a sack with 2.5 tackles for loss. The Aggies named him the defensive Top Newcomer at their annual team banquet. In ‘23 as a sophomore, Walter Nolen took over a starting role and finished with 29 tackles, 4 sacks, and 8.5 tackles for loss. He entered the transfer portal at the end of last season and was considered the top DT amongst transfers. He decided to take his talents to Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss. The Rebels have plenty of firepower on offense with the addition of Walter Nolen on their defensive front, they will be a possible College Football Playoff contender this fall.
With the NBA Draft set for June 26th, we’ll add 5 more NBA Draft prospects to a list in preparation for a Mock Draft 1st Round. Here are the players profiled thus far…
Cody Williams, SF, Colorado
Cody Williams was born in San Luis Obispo, California, and grew up in Gilbert, Arizona. The high school McDonald’s All-American represented Team USA’s U19 National team in the ‘23 FIBA Men’s World Cup. Cody Williams has an older brother, Jalen, who was the 12th Pick in the ‘22 NBA Draft. Jalen Willams averaged 19.1 points per game this season for the #1 Seed in the West OKC Thunder. Cody Williams is coming off a nice season as well with the Colorado Buffalo. The younger Williams averaged 11.9 points and 3 rebounds per game while shooting 42% from 3. This earned the forward a spot on the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team in ‘24. The freshman one and done this past year displayed both high-flying ability as well as toughness. In the middle of the regular season this past February, Cody Williams took an elbow to the face and wore the classic Batman mask. The 19-year-old is 6’8” with a 7’1” wingspan and could still be growing for all we know. When you factor in his brother’s pedigree, his shooting, and finishing, it is easy to why Cody Williams will be a lottery pick come draft night.
Cam Spencer, SG, UConn
Cam Spencer is from Davidsonville, Maryland, and was a grad student who transferred to UConn this past season. While in high school, Spencer was the ‘19 Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association Player of the Year. Initially, he decided to go to college in the state at Loyola-Maryland University. From ‘19 to ‘21, Spencer played in 58 games making 42 starts for the Greyhounds and he averaged 14.6 points, 3.1 assists, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game. He shot 39% from beyond the arc at Loyola before he transferred to Rutgers University in ‘22. As a Scarlett Knight, Spencer made 34 starts with the team and immediately had an impact by leading the team in scoring with 13.2 points per game. This past season at UConn, Spencer improved to 14.3 points per game while shooting 44% from beyond the arc. The experienced guard was excellent in Coach Dan Hurley’s offense as he was in constant movement off the ball. Spencer was named 1st Team All-Big East, the Big East Newcomer of the Year, and named to the NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Team. His 91.1% free throw percentage set a UConn record. While Cam Spencer may not make an All-NBA Team in the Association, his shooting ability and experience of off-the-ball movement certainly should translate in the NBA in some role.
Tristen Newton, PG, UConn
Tristen Newton is from El Paso, Texas, and is cousins with Green Bay Packers RB Aaron Jones. In high school, Newton played for Burges High where as a senior he led the state of Texas averaging 37.2 points per game. UConn has not been Newton’s only school he’s played for post-Burges, as from ‘19 to ‘22 he attended East Carolina. As a Pirate for 3 seasons, Newton’s best season down there came his junior year when he averaged 17.7 points, 5 assists, and 4.8 rebounds per game. He transferred to UConn in ‘22 and started 38 games, averaging 10.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.7 assists. While Newton was a very important member of the Huskies’ ‘23 March Madness Championship, his season last year was even better. Tristen Newton was named a Consensus 1st Team All-American, the Bob Cousy Award winner, the Big East Player of the Year, and the NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player. He elevated his game in ‘24 to 15.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game as the team’s leading ball handler. Newton has a ton of versatility in his game and can play both on or off the ball. The UConn Husky Ring of Honor member should be a 1st Round pick in the NBA Draft.
Reed Sheppard, PG, Kentucky
Reed Sheppard is from London, Kentucky. I had no idea we had a London over here in the States but it’s about an hour south of Lexington, Kentucky. Both of Reed Sheppard’s parents were hoopers at Kentucky. His father, Jeff, was the MVP of the 1998 Final Four and won 2 National Championships with the Wildcats. Reed Sheppard was a McDonald’s All-American and Mr. Basketball of his home state in high school. He followed in his father’s footsteps, even wearing #15 because that’s what his dad wore while a Wildcat. Last year, the Wildcat PG was the Coaches National Freshman of the Year and Dick Vitale’s “Diaper Dandy” of the Year. He averaged 12.5 points, 4.5 assists, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.5 steals per game. Sheppard is also a lethal shooter as he hit 52% of his 3-point shots last season. My favorite part of his game is his passing. He is excellent at looking up the floor and can really dart passes, something that should translate quite well in the NBA game.
Baylor Scheierman, SG, Creighton
