I don't want to sit and list 2/3 of my prospects thread here, so I'll try and outline one guy at each position that is projected day 2...
QB Kurtis Rourke, Indiana - I like his size and his confidence under pressure. He has a good arm and shows good touch. He's willing to put the ball into tight windows, sometimes to his demise, but I'll take that over someone that's gun-shy. You can always dial these types back a touch. He played almost all of 2024 on a torn ACL, which limited his velocity a bit. If you can speed up his release a tad, I think you have a good backup QB.
RB Jarquez Hunter, Auburn - Hunter isn't a big back, but he's relatively compact and has good homerun speed (4.44). He shows really good power between the tackles and good contact balance. He makes some plays in the passing game and on special teams. Work on his third-down ability (route running and blitz pickup), and I think you have a great back. (Note, I do think Tuten ran himself into late day 2 consideration at worst.)
WR Elijah Badger, Florida - His Arizona State tape is even better than his Florida tape, and there is something to be said about a guy that just gets open and has reliable hands. He isn't going to blow the doors off on anyone with a 4.43, but he's good at varying his routes and creating windows for his QB. He's a physical carbon copy of Stefon Diggs with similar ability coming out, IMO. He's also a pretty damned good kick returner.
TE CJ Dippre, Alabama - He's already very developed physically and has good NFL testing numbers. He shows better athleticism on tape than he's given credit for, IMO. I think if you can clean up his route running, he's going to be a guy that exceeds expectations as a receiving option, and he's already a solid run blocker.
LT Jalen Travis, Iowa State - If you can improve his hip sink, hands, and functional lower body strength/anchor, you could have a monster.
IOL Joshua Gray, Oregon State - He was an LT for four years, moved to LG for a year per scout recommendations, and then played OC at the Shrine Bowl. He's not big (6'5" 299), but he has that interior flexibility.
3T Warren Brinson, Georgia - He doesn't seem to make a ton of plays outside his frame, but he's disruptive and forces the QB to speed up his clock. He's a 3T rotational piece early on but could develop into a nice starter.
NT Yahya Black, Iowa - I really like Black's ability to shut down the run and be a plug at NT. He's more of a sheer size/length/brute strength prospect that won't give you much in the pass rush department, but he's going to be tough to move off his spot as a 2-down player.
DE Tyler Baron, Miami - I love the size and physical traits; he's got decent get-off, good pad level, and good fluid movement. I think if you add some strength and then coach his flaws, you might have a really good football player in a couple of years.
LB Shaun Dolac, Buffalo - This guy is criminally underrated. The fact that he's not in top 200 lists actually blows my mind. How does a consensus All-American, MAC Defensive Player of the Year, a guy that set the Buffalo record for tackles in a season (168 to go with 5 INTs, he had 147 two years ago), a guy that excels in both phases, and has who has perfect NFL size for a WLB at 6'1" 225, not get put on a top-200 list?
CB Tommi Hill, Nebraska - Big, long, athletic, and physical from press will always get my attention for this squad. If he's over his plantar fasciitis issues, he's going to be on the radar for Veach and Co., too. He has the tools with good hips in transition and good speed, plus the length and vertical to disrupt anywhere. As a former WR, he has pretty solid ball skills, too.
SS Jonas Sanker, Virginia - I like to think I've been hot on Veach safeties by liking the hell out of Bryan Cook and Jaden Hicks. Here's my next one in Sanker, who has great size and athleticism for the position. He's instinctive and flies downhill, and he can play well in man coverage.
ST A.J. Henning, Northwestern - This is a guy that might go undrafted, but if you want a crafty gadget playmaker extraordinaire and great special teams player, then this is your guy. He made big plays at Michigan and then became a better receiving option at Northwestern.
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Originally Posted by kccrow:
With the extra 4th from Chicago for Thuney in 2026, I'm actually very interested in Veach trading our 2026 4th for a 2025 5th this year, similar to the 5th/6th trade we made with Dallas a year or two ago. I think there will be some guys to grab in the early to mid 5th round with potential, especially on the DL, WR, and RB.
Every year I think "man, we could do with just a couple more picks". Even in a year that's not stellar, with the number of FAs we have, yeah, I'd really like an extra pick this year.
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