A bit of a play on what Direkshun put together the past couple of seasons. I'll reserve the round grading, especially as of now. I'll keep adding to this as I progress through.
He's been in strong consideration for me with the Titans pick several times.
Issue is that he's a pure Will -- I don't see any world where he be a 3-down Mike and certainly not a Sam.
I'm not giving a 1st or 2nd rounder for a Will. They're too easy to find (Tranquill was all but free to acquire - we just overpaid to retain him).
Most of the time I end up passing on him with that Titans pick and end up going RB then he's gone before my late 3rd. But I've taken him a few times when he's still there with that pick at the back of 3.
Realistically, he should be the Mike in a 3-4 alongside a more physical Ted backer. Especially if you're going to run a more old-school 2-gap sort of system.
Rather than say "Hey Crow -- all that work you do to make your list? Why don't you do more to make it easier for me to read?" I figured I'd go ahead and do it and you're welcome to just copy/paste in the OP if you want to.
Just makes things a little overwhelming when the lists start to get that long.
QB
Spoiler!
QB Kurtis Rourke, Indiana - Prototypical size with a plus arm and great accuracy to the short and intermediate areas. Good pocket awareness and feet. Smooth mechanics. Can get caught watching the pressure at times and can be late with throws. Looks like a great backup with the chance to develop into more. Major negative is he'll be a 24-year-old rookie.
QB Max Brosmer, Minnesota - Quick release and the ball jumps off his hand, showing good zip to the short and intermediate parts of the field. Overall, he's accurate and has a decent deep ball but could use some refinement in that area. Shows quick feet and the ability to reset in the pocket as pressure is closing in. Has shown he'll take a shot to deliver the ball.
RB
Spoiler!
RB Omarion Hampton, North Carolina - Extremely complete RB with great NFL size and enough speed to make teams pay. Great burst. Good contact balance, good vision. Can catch the football but not dynamic. Good blocker.
RB Devin Neal, Kansas - Patient yet decisive runner. Explosive off initial cut. Great burst and speed over initial 15-20 yards. Loses steam on long runs so might not be a game-breaker in the pros.
RB Kaleb Johnson, Iowa - Zone runner that finds the lanes (though pretty big at times at Iowa). Hits the hole with conviction. Has homerun speed at plus size. Solid contact balance. Good receiver when called upon.
RB TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State - Patient runner with excellent vision to find cutbacks. Decent wiggle in the open field to create misses. Burst and speed are good and can hit the corner on the outside zone. Excellent receiving back.
RB Jo'Quavious Marks, USC - A Bucky Irving-style of runner with great ability to work the perimeter and be a threat in the passing game. A bit on the small side with no defining characteristic and a lack of true homerun speed but effective at creating 10-20 yard chunks in both facets. He might find his calling as a 3rd down back but he could be more.
RB RJ Harvey, UCF - Outstanding speed and outstanding lateral agility to go with excellent vision make for a dangerous combination at all levels. Very good receiving back as well. A little on the small side and likes to bounce it outside a bit much for the NFL. Needs to learn to get going North in with more urgency. Get him in space, and he'll break off big ones for you.
RB Jarquez Hunter, Auburn - Hard worker, smart. Excellent vision. Outstanding agility and quickness to the hole. Homerun hitting speed. Good contact balance. Plus receiving option. Good effort as a blocker. Extra mass wouldn't hurt and will need to continue to develop as a 3rd-down player.
RB Bhayshul Tuten, Virginia Tech - Ultra-quick back with outstanding long speed (reportedly 4.32) to make defenses pay. Great North-South runner that makes decisive cuts upfield. Good contact balance in traffic and excellent forward lean. Will put the hammer down between the tackles. Good receiving outlet but lacks a dynamic route tree. Lacks great vision and has had ball security issues. Not a great pass protector. Dangerous kick returner. Reminds me a bit of Aaron Jones.
RB Ollie Gordon II, Oklahoma State - Good vision and patience to set up blocks and find cutbacks. Good contact balance and strength to fight off tacklers. Enough lateral agility to make defenders miss in tight spaces but not so much in space. Decent long speed to take it the distance against safeties. Good router runner and good hands to make a mark in the passing game.
Receiver
Spoiler!
WR Kyren Lacy, LSU - I love LSU WRs because they get taught the right way and Lacy is no exception. He beats man with a good release and quickness in/out of breaks. Attacks the defender. Good awareness and ball skills.
WR Tai Felton, Maryland - Outstanding route runner, excellent release. Sideline awareness. Can create after the catch. Lacks elite speed and has a smaller frame.
WR Elic Ayomanor, Stanford - Shows all of the tools with great hands and good route running. Worried slightly about his ability to consistently separate, especially when he makes the jump to the pros.
WR Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State - Extremely fluid with outstanding quickness and good, maybe great, speed. Excellent route runner, finds space in zone, and has shown he can win against press. Tracks the ball well and has great hands. Heavy usage from the slot is a concern but has outside wins.
WR Matthew Golden, Texas - Good burst and excellent speed to go with good route running leads to alot of separation. Competitive in contested catch situations. Solid hands but occasional focus drop. Alignment versatile. Agility, vision, and acceleration to create YAC. Exceptional kick returner. Similar to Brandon Aiyuk as a prospect.
WR Jack Bech, TCU - Great size has enough juice to create YAC. Great hands. Good route runner with excellent awareness to open up against zone coverage. Good body control. Not an elite athlete but solid speed and quickness will let him win in the pros and continue to be a possession type. Reportedly high-character.
WR Jaylin Noel, Iowa State - Outstanding quickness and lateral agility to make ankle-breaking cuts and instant separation. Good-to-great route runner. Plus hands and the attitude to get the ball in traffic. YAC monster. Versatile inside-outside ability. Lacks truly elite speed but it's good enough to get over the top of many corners. Will find immediate work as a slot, gadget player, and special teams return man.
WR Jalen Royals, Utah State - Speedster with a quick accelerator. Good hands and can make plays in traffic. Good at finding holes in zone. Runs a limited route tree but effective on slants and posts.
WR Savion Williams, TCU - Extremely quick with great lateral agility and top end speed. Might test off the charts in everything at the Combine. Good but not great concentration and good hands. Extremely versatile, playing Wildcat QB, RB, and WR in the Horned Frogs' gimmicky offense. I don't believe his 6'5" 225 "roster size" but I might believe 6'2" 215. An offensive weapon.
WR Tez Johnson, Oregon - Similar in some respects to KC's Xavier Worthy though I don't think he's nearly as fast. Johnson probably runs in the low 4.3s at 5'9" 160 or so. He certainly has the quick acceleration and agility to turn small gains into big ones much like Worthy. Unlike Worthy, he was more of a horizontal threat than vertical and doesn't offer the same catch radius or ability to win against press coverage. He could be a dynamic and dangerous slot option for a team capable of getting him into space.
WR Jordan Watkins, Ole Miss - Matchup nightmare with speed for days and can line up inside or outside. Big play extraordinaire, seeing several targets deep down the field. Good hands and can make tough, contested catches and play through traffic. Special teams ability. Route tree needs a lot of work.
WR Chimere Dike, Florida - Dike has been a big-time vertical playmaker at both Wisconsin and Florida. He has mid-4.4 speed, a prototypical frame (6'1" 199), and the ability to go up and high-point the football. He shows a developed route tree with good spacing in zone coverage, though he gets a slight knock for operating primarily from the slot. A special teams plus as a punt returner and gunner. Might be a nice late-round project
Tight End
Spoiler!
TE Mason Taylor, LSU - Move/Receiving TE that works the middle of the field and has good boundary awareness. Good ability to find holes in zones. Enough speed to threaten the seam and great size.
TE Gunner Helm, Texas - Technically proficient TE who runs good routes, especially adept at finding holes in zones. Good body control and great hands to navigate and make the catch at every level and in the red zone. Definitely has a "my ball" attitude. Good after-the-catch ability. Good zone blocker in the run game and reliable in pass protection with solid anchor strength. Needs a more nuanced route tree. Average speed as a deep threat and down the seam.
TE Elijah Arroyo, Miami - Finds openings in zones and adjustments back to the QB. Good hands and gritty over the middle. Solid blocker in all phases. Lacks good get-off at the LOS. Doesn't snap off routes. Seems to be a long-strider with build-up speed. Poor balance to maintain runs. Medical history is a concern.
TE Kole Taylor, West Virginia - Solid receiving TE with good speed to threaten the seams and gain the boundary on wheel/go routes. Good ability to find open zones. Good hands and tends to snatch the ball out of the air. Significantly lacks as a blocker. Long but extremely lean frame that needs years of continued development and definition.
OT
Spoiler!
LT Josh Conerly, Jr., Oregon - Very athletic tackle with excellent lateral movement skills. Elite pass blocker. Good hands, a solid punch. Picks up the inside counter. Recognizes and picks up stunts. Reminds me a bit of Jason Peters. Might be the best pure pass-blocking LT in the draft.
LT Wyatt Millum, West Virginia - Athletic left tackle. Elite pass blocker. Smart and durable, multiple academic All-Conference honors. A prototype for a passing offense like KCs IMO. Shorter arms and lack of anchor might force him inside though.
LT Josh Simmons, Ohio State - Prototypical size and length with outstanding power and athleticism. Explosive and physical blocker. Versatility at both tackle spots. Can overwhelm second-level targets in the run game. Poor hand placement and developing footwork lead to misses. Has a history of taking too many penalties.
OT Anthony Belton, NC State - Pretty solid at everything and has a thick frame. Shows displacing power. Aggressive. Lacks the agility and footwork to remain out a LT in my opinion, but would make an exceptional conversion project to LG.
LT Charles Grant, William & Mary - Outstanding athleticism and movement skills that will translate to the next level. Great arm length. Shows good depth on kick slide and great lateral agility. Consistently squares to his target. Gets to the second level and engulfs defenders. Outstanding zone blocker. Recognizes and communicates stunts and blitzes. All-State wrestler in HS. Concerns about weight, looks under 300 pounds, which could point to a move to Center. Senior Bowl invite could answer questions.
IOL
Spoiler!
LG Donovan Jackson, Ohio State - Outstanding size, length, strength, and bend to play anywhere on the offensive line. Sets anchor in the pass game and maintains his blocks. Slides to cut off backside rush lanes with ease. Great awareness of blitzes and twists on the defensive front. Athleticism shows up on pulls, reaches, and down blocks. Can seal backside contain. Excellent hands. Exceptional, top-tier OG with the ability to slide out to LT.
RG Connor Colby, Iowa - Solid all-around OG but is not an OT (spent some atrocious time at RT). Good pass sets with good hand placement. Adapts well to twists and stunts. Great on double-teams. Smart, Academic All-Big 10. Has some anchor. Needs to reduce waist-bending tendencies. Not a power blocker, won't generate great push upfield. A movement, zone run blocker.
RG Marcus Mbow, Purdue - Great size and versatility to play both OT and OG. Smooth mover with good slide and hand usage to keep the QB clean. Great snatch and trap technique. Plus anchor against power. Ability to reach the second level as a run blocker. Likely lacks the arm length, weight, and overall footwork to remain outside at OT in the NFL on the regular.
OG Jordan Williams, Georgia Tech - Fairly athletic RT but short arms and lack of kick slide depth will push him inside to OG in the NFL. Has good size. Shows movement ability and arm extension in pass pro to keep rushers at bay. Has mobility to get to the second level or pull out in space in the run game. Lacks block sustain and doesn't reset the LOS, more of a seal-off run blocker. Looks for additional work off double-teams. Tardy at times picking up delayed blitz.
DE/Edge
Spoiler!
DE J.T. Tuimoloau, Ohio State - Very complete, NFL-sized DE. You'll be able to trust this kid to lock down his lanes and shut down the run. He needs to improve his hand usage and pass-rush plan but he shows flashes of dominant ability.
DE Jack Sawyer, Ohio State - Much like his teammate, Tuimoloa, is very solid in all facets and sports an NFL-ready frame. Has a very solid first step off the line. Shows good power. Needs to develop more as a pass rusher but was much better this season. Similar to George Karlaftis.
DE Ashton Gillotte, Louisville - Explosive player with great burst off the snap. Strong and can hold the point against the run. Good quickness to close as a pass rusher. Versatility and size to line up inside and outside. Very high motor player. Lacks elite length and bend but can be a strong part of a pass rush arsenal in a Charles Omenihu type of role.
DE Jared Ivey, Ole Miss - Long and versatile edge defender. Disruptive with good get-off at the snap and quickness to penetrate gaps. Effective on stunts. Good closing burst to the QB. Quick, active hands, sets an edge. Lacks elite bend and athleticism but has solid power.
ER Mike Green, Marshall - Good get-off, good bend. Shows the ability to put the heat on the QB with regularity. A bit on the small side and an ankle-biter. Needs to bulk up but should end up a quality 3-4 OLB sooner than later. Reminds me a bit of Nik Bonitto.
DE Kyle Kennard, South Carolina - Good length. Good speed-to-power. Solid bend. Needs more strength and more consistency. Concerning lack of tackles compared to his last season at Georgia Tech. Going to be a 23-year-old rookie.
DE Princely Umanmielen, Ole Miss - The Florida transfer shows good explosion and excellent bend, making it difficult on opposing tackles in pass protection. He has good, active hands and an outstanding spin move to win multiple ways. He lacks a great speed-to-power or power rush, which may end up being a function of time and development in the pros. He plays with high IQ and a strong motor. Lacks the sand in his pants to set a true anchor against the run but shows good effort and arm extension to try to keep offensive lineman off of him to make plays in that regard.
DE Jah Joyner, Minnesota - Long DE with long arms. Explosive first step with violent punch. Exceptional close to the ball carrier. Relentless, high-motor player. Shows outside/inside moves. Poor hand placement and usage limits his effectiveness. Doesn't process quickly enough to re-engage when his initial rush stalls. Lacks consistent maintenance of gap integrity. Developmental rusher with the tools but needing coaching.
IDL
Spoiler!
DT Derrick Harmon, Oregon - A bit tardy off the snap but once he gets moving he's an absolute freight train to slow down. Very solid in all facets. Looks like he can make a living in the backfield as a passing down disruptor. Thicker and shorter than former Ducks DeForest Buckner and Arik Armstead but has a similar play style.
DT Walter Nolan, Ole Miss - Explosive off the snap with violent power into blockers. Extremely disruptive. Lacks a controlled rush at this point and will vacate gap responsibilities in pursuit. Disruption hasn't led to high sack numbers but has potential.
DT Deone Walker, Kentucky - Massive man with exceptional power and quickness to cause havoc at the point of attack. Strong tackler and elite run-stopping ability. High motor with good stamina, which is rare for a man of his stature. Brings memories of Dontari Poe.
DT Omarr Norman-Lott, Tennessee - Outstanding burst off the LOS. Shows the ability to be a one-man wrecking crew. Needs to learn to play under control and stay off the ground.
DT Yahya Black, Iowa - Space-eating NT. Good strength and impressive mass to lock down the interior against the run. Not much of a pass rusher. Might be a two-down player.
DT Ty Robinson, Nebraska - Rare size and athleticism for a DT similar to JJ Watt. Explosive first step creates problems for interior blockers. Excellent upper body strength to rock offensive lineman, maintain hand positioning, and violently disengage. Extremely versatile, able to play every alignment. Superb awareness and gap discipline. Relentless in the mold of Maxx Crosby. Pad height consistency can be an issue. Needs more finesse moves as a pass rusher. Limited lateral agility due to height. One of my favorite players to watch.
DT Alfred Collins, Texas - Outstanding length and sturdy build allow him to anchor relatively well against the run. Exceptional stack and shed ability. Will read and react extremely well. Versatile in alignments. Can lose ground at times and get rocked more than you like against double teams. Good bull rush and makes his presence felt in pass rush but doesn't have enough juice or enough moves yet to get home with regularity. Inconsistent pad level and very average get-off at the snap.
DT Mason Graham, Michigan - Explosive first step and good lateral movement skills. Crosses face of blockers with regularity to make plays. Great hand usage with a violent pop, good shed, and excellent swim/arm-over moves to gain wins. High IQ and instincts. High effort. Short arms and limited overall length can show up against bigger, better O-linemen. Limited pass rusher who relies a lot on the bull rush but has a solid closing burst to the QB.
DT T.J. Sanders, South Carolina - Outstanding length and explosive first step yield penetration and disruption in the backfield. Good hand usage. Versatile and high-effort player. A bit slender and can get rocked by double-teams and powerful O-lineman. Limited experience. Needs to develop better hand usage to win in multiple ways. High pad level at times.
DT Joshua Farmer, Florida State - Solid stack and shed ability. Good anchor. Good lateral agility and knives through gaps and double teams. Explosive once in motion. Can let himself get too high post-snap and get locked down. Relatively pedestrian first step. Tackles the QB a bit higher than you want for the NFL due to penalty potential.
DT Darius Alexander, Toledo - Good first step and solid lateral movement. Good, not great, anchor against the run, and solid ability to stack and shed to make plays. Good power and speed to power as a pass rusher but limited overall ability outside of that. Struggles against double-teams. Needs hand work and refining his rush plan. Strength of competition is a factor.
LB
Spoiler!
LB Jihaad Campbell, Alabama - Long LB with freakish athleticism. Plays sideline-to-sideline. Was much improved in 2024 as a coverage player. Can collect tackles in the box. Moves well in space. Legitimate threat as a pass rusher. Student of the game and team leader. True first-round skillset.
LB Jalon Walker, Georgia - Might be a 1st round LB. Exceptional athlete with solid skills at almost everything and has the speed to play sideline-to-sideline. Needs more experience but he's just tipping the iceberg.
LB Danny Stutsman, Oklahoma - Excellent size and athleticism for an NFL LB with the ability to close. Great production, good tackler, and good blitzer. Can play all three positions. Struggles at times with misdirection and play action. Needs to get stronger at the point of attack. Reminds me a bit of Germaine Pratt.
LB Lander Barton, Utah - Rangy, sideline-to-sideline, coverage LB. Looks the part of a prototypical weakside LB. Playmaker. NFL bloodline. Needs to strengthen his ability against the run and put on some pounds.
LB Chris Paul, Jr., Ole Miss - Athletic weakside linebacker with the ability to carry TEs and RBs in coverage. Outstanding closing burst and blitz. Instinctive and aware player with great processing and overall football IQ. Elite change of direction. Lacks the sand in his pants to anchor down and fight off bigger offensive lineman, will struggle to stay clean on his own. Can get caught in overpursuit.
LB Jamon Dumas-Johnson, Kentucky - A downhill banger with enough speed and agility to play 3 downs. Playcaller, leader. Won't ever be great in coverage. Has some bouts with missed tackles. Similar to Nick Bolton but a little bigger.
LB Jay Higgins, Iowa - Physical, downhill thumper with excellent instincts. Smart and the QB of the Iowa defense. Great tackler. Lacks high-end athleticism and true sideline-to-sideline speed. Adept at zone coverage but struggles in man-to-man. Very much in the mold of Nick Bolton.
LB Shemar James, Florida - Another athletic weakside linebacker that functions well in coverage. Has outstanding burst and blitzing ability. Triggers downhill quickly with good hands to fight blocks. Inconsistent processing and sometimes late in diagnosing plays. Needs to take better angles.
CB
Spoiler!
CB Trey Amos, Ole Miss - Extremely adept press-man technique and violent disruption at the LOS. Exceptional boundary awareness and usage to squeeze off routes. Uses length to eliminate catch point. Good transitional footwork and good-to-great recovery speed to go with top-notch IQ to mirror routes. Explosive driving to the football to cut off routes and to make jarring tackles. Good ball skills. Sometimes too hands-on down field which could draw NFL flags. Susceptible to double-moves, especially against quick WRs.
CB Jahdae Barron, Texas - An extremely versatile corner who can play press, off-man, and zone but is best at press or zone. Has great ball skills. An elite tackler who will come downhill with a safety mentality. Processes quickly and stays on top of all routes. Can lose to elite speed or quickness. Reminds a lot of L'Jarius Sneed.
CB Azareye'h Thomas, Florida State - Long, physical press-corner. Finds the ball and disrupts passes at the catch point. Used in multiple alignments. Can cover TEs from the slot. Solid run defender and pass rusher. A bit grabby, especially when the field shrinks. Needs to learn to stick through the route.
CB Jacob Parrish, Kansas State - Superb press corner with outstanding footwork and quick feet, and elite change of direction to mirror in man coverage. Intelligent player with strong understanding of route concepts and timing. Can play and win on an island much like Trent McDuffie, despite his size. Good trigger downhill in the run game or to limit YAC and an aggressive tackler. Lacks the ideal length and mass to be an outside starter in the NFL and projects best as a potentially elite nickel.
CB Jordan Hancock, Ohio State - Extremely versatile defensive back, having lined up at outside CB, nickel, and FS. Might be the best slot corner in the nation. Extremely fluid with good route recognition to disrupt passing windows at all levels. Capable of press, off man, and zone. Very good blitzer from the slot but needs to add mass to finish plays in the NFL. Is a playmaker on the football with good ball skills.
CB Denzel Burke, Ohio State - Good length and solid hips and transitional footwork. Great man/press skillset. Lacks elite speed. Not as physical as you want at times.
CB Jason Marshall Jr., Florida - See Burke above.
CB O'Donnell Fortune, South Carolina - Long corner with good long speed, quick feet, and fluid hips to match any WRs up and down the field. Strong understanding of route concepts to stay in phase. Makes good breaks on the ball to disrupt timing patterns and uses solid ball skills to make big-time plays in critical moments. Quick to diagnose runs and trigger downhill to fill his alley. Lighter weight for his size can lead to drag-down tackling on the edge. Operates best from off-man and zone but has shown ability to press, just needs more tutelage there.
CB Jermari Harris, Iowa - Another long, physical press corner that disrupts releases off the line. Quick hips allow him to stay in phase against most outside receivers but lack of elite speed shows against truly fast WRs. Solid but not elite ball skills. Solid run defender. He maintains his position and can use the boundary to his advantage. Older prospect, will turn 25 early in the season which likely will drive his stock way down.
CB Korie Black, Oklahoma State - Quick, fluid corner that is adept at playing man coverage in both press and off sets. He has good hands to make plays on the ball. Black is a striking tackler in open space and isn't afraid to mix it up in run defense. Paired with DJ McKinney in 2023, they were amongst the top 10 nationally in catch percentage allowed with Black coming in at 39%.
Safety
Spoiler!
FS/SS Xavier Watts, Notre Dame - A converted WR with exceptional ball skills and instincts in coverage. Can play multiple positions. Experience at rover position early in his transition leads to a LB mentality as a tackler. High motor with the IQ and physicality to be a great NFL playmaker. Won the Bronko Nagurski trophy in 2023 and received unanimous All-American honors. Was once again an All-American in 2024.
FS Andrew Makuba, Texas - Clemson transfer with high-end athleticism and functioned as a Swiss Army knife at both stops. Can play nickel, high, box, and everywhere in between. Needs work on man coverage.
SS Jonas Sanker, Virginia - Versatile safety but at his best in the box in a Justin Reid role. Very good and aggressive tackler. Makes plays in the backfield. Disrupts the intermediate throwing lanes over the middle of the field. Not as good of a player the further off the line he gets. Loses the battle to shiftier WRs.
FS Craig Woodson, California - Quick, fluid safety with adequate but limited speed. Good and dedicated tackler, an aggressive downhill defender. Great in man coverage with good ball skills. Lacks zone discipline. Will be 24-year-old rookie.[/QUOTE]
Originally Posted by Dunerdr:
I think he’s pushing for rb1.
Ya I agree. The problem i have is there class is looking fairly deep at RB like you can snag a starter in the 4th round. Thats why it's hard for me to justify taking a RB in round 1 [Reply]
Originally Posted by Titty Meat:
Ya I agree. The problem i have is there class is looking fairly deep at RB like you can snag a starter in the 4th round. Thats why it's hard for me to justify taking a RB in round 1
I doubt it’ll be a decision for the Chiefs to make. Just can’t see Hampton lasting to 31.
If he does though, he’s almost certainly going to be the BPA. [Reply]