There is still a place for those big earthmovers in todays NFL (Iupati made four Pro Bowls and had one All-Pro nod) as long as they have enough athleticism to get past the obvious transitive issues with this kind of size and strength. 3-Cone Drill: N/A Jones was rated as a five star coming out of high school in the 247 Sports Composite as a corner but 247 itself had rated him as a safety. Strengths: Brents uses his size as an advantage in that if the balls anywhere near him, its as much his as it is yours. Now he's in the NFL. NFL Over four seasons with the Fighting Tigers and Bears, Ika totaled seven sacks, 12 quarterback hits, 40 quarterback hurries, 53 tackles, and 45 stops. 20-Yard Shuttle: 5.00 (4th), Wingspan: N/A What was he doing before his debut? Broad Jump: 123 (90th) As youll see on his tape, smooth transitions are a big part of his game. Like Johnson, Dugger is at his best when he can set the tone against receivers as opposed to letting them get him out of phase with certain route concepts, and hes become one of the most valuable cogs in New Englands defense. Michael Lewis technically did attend college. Bio: Mayer grew up dreaming of playing basketball at Kentucky, but when he enrolled at Covington High in Covington, Kentucky, he started playing football, and it really stuck. Eventually, Hyatt committed to Tennessee over Penn State, Michigan, and Miami (Fla). Strengths: Turner excels in off coverage because his recovery speed is real, and it is spectacular. Kieras also ran a 4.69 40-yard dash. Stat to Know: Washingtons yards after catch average of 7.8 leads all tight ends on this list, and that should not come as a surprise. Please logout and login again. Weaknesses: Hyatt faced very little press coverage in that offense, and youd expect that hell get a lot more of it in the NFL. I mean, any of us could point at JaMarcus Russell, the LSU quarterback who came out early after the 2006 season, became the first player selected in the 2007 NFL draft and spectacularly underachieved in Oakland. Who is Derek Cox, you may ask? Ex-NFL greats: No tackle football before kids turn 14 - UPI They asked him to do some things you dont usually see from guys that size playing in the B-gap or being a 4i. Conclusion: White comes into an NFL that seems tailored for his skill set in some ways. That closing speed and match movement shows up in Williams positive reps as a run defender, and Ill add that hes just fine mixing it up from a guy his size. He has impressive contact balance, but he really gets his missed tackles through speed, suddenness, and agility. This end zone interception against Georgia had Kelee Ringo retorting for other sins in that game. He topped out at almost 21 mph on the GPS. One might call this an underthrow to a point I tend to think that if Anthony Richardson was throwing this ball, it might have been a touchdown but were splitting hairs there. Tom Brady didn't play tackle football as a kid. Neither should your It went well for the Sooners, as Mims became the first Freshman All-American in school history in 2020. Any kind of comeback can be a problem from the slot. Ward suffered a severe knee injury early in his senior season at powerhouse Concord (Calif.) De La Salle, and because he never had been a starter, colleges backed off. Broad Jump: N/A His transfer to Washington State for the 2022 season put him on the national radar, and Henley responded with a season in which he had five sacks, 18 pressures, 74 tackles, 40 stops, and he allowed 34 catches on 46 targets for 361 yards, 212 yards after the catch, two touchdowns, one interception, one pass breakup, and an opponent passer rating of 101.8. It took Smith a long time to succeed at the NFL level for multiple reasons, but when he finally caught on all the way with the Seahawks, he combined athleticism, accuracy, velocity to the second and third levels, and leadership attributes to make himself into a franchise quarterback. Bio: Roy played his prep football at University High School on the LSU campus, so the transition to the Fighting Tigers seemed like an easy one, especially given his four-star status. Bench Press: N/A Rule No. Yes, Turner is fast when he needs to be, but hes also patient through routes, and he knows when and how to play the receiver and close to the ball. When a prospect does most everything pretty well to very well, few things badly, and few things spectacularly, we tend to label him a safe pick and move to the next guy, hoping for something more explosive. Conclusion: The extent to which Freeland has developed his technique and athletic potential might have him as an early-to-middle Day 2 pick. Bench Press: N/A He had a 0.0% Blown Block Rate in pass protection last season, and his Blown Block Rate of 0.5% in the run game tied with Notre Dames Michael Mayer for second among tight ends on this list, behind only Iowas Sam LaPorta (0.0%). Tennessee Titans Round 6 2023 NFL Draft pick Jaelyn Duncan didn't start playing until he was a high school freshman. Arm Length: 34 (69th) As dominant as Avila can be against linemen who take him straight on, hell lose penetration to either side. And this red zone defense of a pass from USCs Caleb Williams to receiver Jordan Addison (one of the best receivers in this class) shows how well he moves from Point A to Point B and tracks the ball from there. That limited his utility and in turn his draft stock which drove him down the bog boards in league war rooms. Signed and released by the Seahawks in 2013, Fells caught on with the Cardinals in 2014, and over time with multiple teams, hes been a good big receiver in certain routes, and a plus blocker in all facets. He was a touchdown waiting to happen whether he was blazing past a defensive back on a deep pass, making somebody miss after a shorter toss or returning a kick. 10. All Rights Reserved. Tarps' Take: Four thoughts on A&M, the 2023 draft, and what it Van Ness, Campbell and Moss made up the backbone of one of the top defenses in the country the past couple of years, and no doubt the NFL took notice. 10-Yard Split: N/A Vertical Jump: 29 (52nd) Avila made All-Conference at offensive tackle and defensive end, choosing TCU as a three-star recruit. Well, if any place can get him and keep him on track this is the spot. His 58 catches on 90 targets for 648 yards and one touchdown should be seen in context. NFL Comparison: Darren Waller. NFL Comparison: Mike Hilton. Stat to Know: Tuipulotus 22 tackles for loss last season places him highest on this list. I watched him play safety at The Opening in 2019 and he was everything you could have wanted at the positionbut A&M liked big corners with former defensive coordinator Mike Elko and they needed a day one startingcorner for the 2020 season. Stat to Know: Brown did a lot well in 2022, but he was especially tough to deal with as a single-high safety. The college football stars we can't believe didn't make it in the Mayer is also a highly effective receiver on short passes because he can explode (in a relative sense) after the catch. Watching Ike and Reidel team up to make one remarkable catch after another, then turn on the jets to fake defenders out of their shoes, was a treat to watch as a student at the University of Florida. Bryce Youngs frame and size would have deterred me for durability concerns. Broad Jump: 122 (86th) But Vea has made the most of his tools at the next level, and if Ika can do the same, he could have the same kind of unique and transformative impact. Vertical Jump: 33 (47th) Weaknesses: The problem with the throw we just saw is that Levis is too inconsistent in putting the timing/accuracy/velocity equation together. 40-Yard Dash: 5.35 (30th) If not, it was a third-round pick, not a first, to get a guy who many of quarterback coaches think has the tools to be a starter in the league someday. Strengths: Smith is also excellent in off coverage because he anticipates routes so well, and he closes to the receiver quickly. Arm Length: 32 (52nd) Arm Length: 32 (15th) 5. Nine quarterbacks, none of whom threw for more than 6,033 yards (Edwards) or 28 touchdowns (Kolb) in their NFL careers. Had a bust right there, and I caught the ball over his head. Top NFL players that were former walk-ons You dont have to tell Oklahomas defense about it theyve seen it up close. They're going to hang me for that, but [American football is] fun and it's contact. 40-Yard Dash: 4.54 (88th) He admired Williams' athleticism and believes that he has also developed that trait. Strengths: Jones movement skills for a man his size are rare. Vertical Jump: 39 (91st) At all. Had Hendon Hooker not been pressured to throw this ball short on Hyatts vertical sweep, Hyatt would probably have had another touchdown. Broad Jump: 138 (99th) Hand Size: 9 (89th). National Signing Day: Notable NFL players who were college walk 4. The best cornerbacks and cornerback coaches will talk about staying in phase and not chasing plays. Steelers CB Ike Taylor announced his retirement from the NFL after a productive 12-year career. The Vikings took ONeill out of Pitt with the 62nd overall pick in the 2018 draft knowing what he had on the ball in an athletic and technical sense, and hoping that the power would come together. Weaknesses: Musgrave is more of an innocent bystander than a true blocker; effort and intent dont really show up on tape. NFL Comparison: Jaycee Horn. Vertical Jump: 34 (60th) The three-year varsity star also burned up the track at an All-American level, and participated in strength contests despite the fact that he weighed just 155 pounds as a high school senior. 17 Star Athletes Who Didn't Start Until Their Senior Year He was awarded a scholarship in 2010. 3-Cone Drill: N/A Hand Size: 9 (83rd). Stat to Know: If you need a single-high safety in your defense, and teammate Sydney Brown is gone, you might want to look Martins way. Hookers NFL coaches will need to work with him on getting the ball out in time to avoid disasters like this. DE Ezekiel "Ziggy" Ansah, Detroit Lions. If he gets stronger, can he blossom in Tennessee? NFL He is truly an underappreciated NFL story @Pschrags discusses former NFL DT Eric Swann on #GMFB https://t.co/4KxS8QLdM9. Selected by the Cowboys in the seventh round of the 2005 draft out of Auburn, Ratliff put together his best seasons as a fast one-gap nose tackle in Wade Phillips 5-2 fronts. Witten was nobodys idea of a speed demon, and he wouldnt necessarily fit the modern prototype of the detached big receiver masquerading positionally as a tight end, but he made 11 Pro Bowls and had two All-Pro nods because he was consistent, tough, and fearless on the field. Tuipulotu had 835 snaps outside the tackles, 446 over the tackles, 180 in the B-gaps, 61 in the box, 32 in the A-gaps, and eight in the slot. Bio: Kraft attended Timber Lake High School in Timber Lake, South Dakota, a very small farming town. pic.twitter.com/PNEs0WGIrH, Doug Farrar (@NFL_DougFarrar) April 14, 2023. 10 NFL players who didn't play in college - Sportskeeda Levis, of course, ended up falling out of the first round entirely and endured a long, frustrating night in the Green Room, while the TV cameras from ESPN and the NFL Network were focused on him. But most teams would rather have the cornerback who just keeps things under control than amazes and frustrates with boom/bust drama, and Smith fits that role well. In 2022, Henley played 560 snaps at linebacker, 59 in the slot, 39 along the defensive line, seven at cornerback, and one at free safety. Oh, they remember him in Washington, but for totally different reasons. Tennessee also took two other wild-card kind of guys who could really pay off. Hes little at 5-8, 165, but he is super sudden and can really separate. 40-Yard Dash: 4.58 (40th) 10-Yard Split: 1.47 (96th) I wonder if he might be seen as a cornerback/safety hybrid at the next level. Especially in the after-catch game, a more consistent ability to catch the ball with a stronger base could lead to some comical reps for opposing defenders. Finallysafety Johnson fell to the 160th player taken overall (by Jacksonville) and he was mocked from 26th to 96th immediately before the event (but mostly in the 60s and 70s). When Jason Witten retired for the first time from the NFL, the Cowboys were hoping that Rico Gathers could help fill the void. Oklahomas 50-year-old offensive line coach/co-offensive coordinator has cranked out some terrific linemen, including a few Pro Bowlers since coming to Norman. Broad Jump: 125 (78th) Grading big trades during the NFL draft: Who won the D'Andre Swift deal? He is a true tight end in the old-school sense, and if that is what you want (or are willing to settle for) at the position, Mayer will be plug-and-play from Day 1. Even the balls he didnt catch against Alabama showed a danger any defense has to account for. He was drafted in the first round by the Packers in 2009. And the year before that, Iowa took a two-star cornerback named Riley Moss, who was rated as the 248th corner in the country. Height: 6 4 (52nd percentile) Weight: 249 (33rd) (Brad Sumrall / Getty Images), Phillips became a draft prospect because of production, not physical stature. 1. Particulars: Attended USC. The good news is that when you have a player with 92nd percentile height and 12th percentile weight for his position, the primary fix is obvious, and I dont think Freelands movement abilities will be negatively affected by an additional 15-20 pounds. With the first round not decided, heres my best remaining prospects for the 2023 NFL draft, with full and detailed scouting reports for each player. Martin had 1,012 snaps in the slot, 851 at cornerback, 300 at free safety, 249 in the box, and 91 along the defensive line. The Texans took Barwin in the second round of the 2009 draft out of Cincinnati, and while Barwin always had a decent number of snaps in the box throughout his career with Houston, the Eagles, the Rams, and the Giants, he was primarily an edge guy and a very good one at his peak, with three seasons of double-digit sacks. NFL Comparison: Derek Cox. Simmons projects best as an off-ball wrecker who can blitz off the edge, and can cover in certain (mostly man) concepts. 10-Yard Split: 1.51 (74th) Hes better as a straight-ahead hunt and kill disruptor. 14. Let's get into the analysis right now. The three-star recruit received a ton of offers from MAC schools, deciding on P.J. Conclusion: Henley comes into the NFL at a time when his type of linebacker the off-ball specialist who can legitimately cover half the field is more valuable than ever. As a matter of fact, the Lithuanian-born Kieras had never even seen a football game until he arrived on campus in 2014. He has Josh Allens arm with Michael Vicks speed and explosiveness. But he has shown he is a quick study. Vertical Jump: 33 (13th) From his school bio: His brother, Marlon, was a defensive lineman at USC (2017-20), earning All-Pac-12 first team in 2020, and now is with the Philadelphia Eagles. 40-Yard Dash: 4.64 (79th) He was an underrated and under-utilized deep defender who could be built up in that role, and hell be one of your best blitzers from the start. Stat to Know:Ika is seen primarily by some as a nose tackle, but six of his 18 pressures last season came when he was either aligned right over the guard, or to the guards outside shoulder. What he is, is a dominant yards after catch receiver because he can turn on that Road Runner gene, go all meep meep on a defense, and thats going to be that. Joseph at his peak was always an underrated cornerback who did a great job of taking his freaky combine numbers to the field. Eric Swann will turn 51 years old later this year. The Beast:The complete draft guide. An All-State and All-County player who finished his high-school tenure with 187 catches for 3,019 yards and 32 touchdowns, Downs also lettered in basketball and track. Dexter didnt play football until his junior year at Lake Wales High School in Florida. Hell hit in the NFL because he brings a serious load at first contact, and he had some compelling answers for what to do after it. 20-Yard Shuttle: 4.56 (68th), Wingspan: 78 (53rd) Devin White is the first @Buccaneers player to have an interception and a fumble recovery return for a touchdown since Ray Seals in 1993.The Buccaneers lead the Jaguars 25-0 at halftime. That physicality extends to an ability to beat aggressive press coverage, as Tillman did here against Georgia cornerback Kelee Ringo. Vertical Jump: 29 (72nd) In cases like that, you want to see consistent dominance to project his professional future, as opposed to stuff like this. Hand Size: 9 (61st). He needs to be schemed open for those big plays, because hes not going to win in those situations with his own pure athleticism, and hes at his best aligned to the formation. 10-Yard Split: 1.56 (55th) Johnson can also struggle to catch up in off-coverage at times; if youre putting him in the slot, you probably want him pressing and disrupting the receiver more often than not. Theres nothing wrong with that per se its not a professional death sentence. He chose Texas A&M over offers from Alabama, Florida State, Houston, and LSU. This is also a work in progress. NFL Comparison: Emmanuel Sanders. Arrived from Ghana as a track athlete and never played football until 2010 as a Cougars sophomore. Top-five NFL Draft pick admits he was 'shocked' to be selected 20-Yard Shuttle: N/A, Wingspan: N/A NFL Comparison: Trumaine Johnson. He is instinctive, competitive and athletic and will be a great fit for how the Seahawks DBs play. Mauch came out of high school as a 220-pound tight end, defensive end, and quarterback for a school that could only manage nine-man football due to relatively low enrollment. Height: 6 5 (80th percentile) Weight: 253 (52nd) An undrafted free agent out of Mississippi State by way of East Mississippi Community College, Autry first got on with the Raiders in 2017, became a real force multiplier with the Colts in 2019 and 2020, and has continued that with the Titans over the last two seasons. Home-run hitters like this dont grow on trees. Weaknesses: While Mims has a nice playing demeanor when the ball is on the way to his area, that doesnt always transfer to blocking. 66 also was terrific. Hand Size: 10 (87th). Bench Press: N/A Johnson is a guy who can bail his quarterback out quite credibly. Of course, after his back-to-back Heisman runner-up finishes and being a first-round draft pick out of Arkansas, I wasn't alone. 10-Yard Split: 1.62 (69th) Vertical Jump: 44 (98th) Hand Size: 9 (62nd). You do not expect a 6-foot-3, 235-pound backer to align at a cornerback position and bomb out the top of a wide trips right formation, but Simpson has multiple examples of doing just that. The Chicago Bears hold the first pick of NFL In the modern era, there are future Hall of Famers like Bobby Wagner, Drew Brees, Seve Smith Sr., Andrew Whitworth, Travis Kelce, and Rob Gronkowski who have been taken in the second and third rounds. Wherever you line him up, he has the quick movement skills to get open, and the speed to make something of it after the catch. Tulanes Tyjae Spears (81st overall) was a player one RB coach told me was the sleeper of the running backs class. Bench Press: N/A Sav Rocca Easily the best name on the entire list, Sav Rocca was a latecomer to the NFL he didnt play in the league proper until the age of 36, when he caught on with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2006, becoming the oldest rookie in league history. As a slot defender, which comprises a lot of the safety position for most of the players on this list, Branch is a real pain in the butt for opposing quarterbacks and receivers. Bench Press: 18 reps (39th) So, not just a speed guy. 3-Cone Drill: 6.63 (93rd) Its called a seam read, Spears said. White had 445 snaps outside the tackles, 96 over the tackles, 39 in the B-gaps, and three in the box. in honor of the Hall of Fame Game the Cowboys were supposed to play tonight, please enjoy this clip from the last time they were in Canton, when Kellen Moore stepped up in the pocket like a boss and found Rico Gathers for six. Avila provides a natural barrier between pass-rusher and quarterback when he fires his hands out and starts to get nasty. If you come straight ahead at Jones well, youd best not miss. Broad Jump: 10 (76th) 2023 NFL Draft: Arizona draft updates, news, analysis The same was said of Sauce Gardner, and Sauce Gardner turned into a pretty good NFL cornerback in his 2022 rookie campaign. Jarryd Hayne would try to join American football through the collegiate system but he did not finish high school. Tillman accepted the Vols offer for the 2018 class. Tennessee Titans Round 6 2023 NFL Draft pick Jaelyn Duncan didn't start playing until he was a high school freshman. Stroud and Bryce Young, the consensus top two quarterbacks in this class, fare on such passes in 2022? Over three years with the Aggies, Achane gained 2,376 yards and scored 21 touchdowns on 369 carries, adding 65 catches for 554 yards and five touchdowns. Strengths: Mauch is quick and agile on the move, whether its at the line of scrimmage or to the second level, and through his play strength is nothing to write home about, hes efficient and enthusiastic when its time to show the power hes got. He wasnt a full-time starter in college until 2021, when he became a fixture at right tackle. Like Daniels, who finished his NFL career as one of Peyton Mannings more reliable targets in Denver, LaPorta has proven the ability to transcend broken offenses. 40-Yard Dash: 4.38 (90th) The Atlanta Falcons took a flyer on him and Banks spent a summer with them before getting cut. All other NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League. He played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1989 to 1993 as a defensive end and a nose tackle. Stat to Know: In 2022, all six of Mims receiving touchdowns came on passes of 20 or more air yards. Charlie Weis had just coached Tom Brady to three Super Bowl championships and developed Quinn into a two-time All-America selection, a Heisman Trophy finalist and the Maxwell Award winner in 2006. Were drafting the All-Fun Team & 11 fans will win a cruise. The most damning thing about it was Stanford had those five draft picks but only six total wins the past two years. 20-Yard Shuttle: N/A, Wingspan: N/A Bench Press: N/A Broad Jump: N/A I love it," Kieras said. Strengths: At his best. An NFL D-line coach we talked to last week was even more effusive about him. NFL Comparison: Travis Benjamin. If such a transition is good enough for Andy Reid, it should be good enough for anybody else. 20-Yard Shuttle: N/A, Wingspan: N/A Conclusion: My evaluative process generally has me watching more tape of players who give me a negative hit right off the bat than the guys who just wow me. John Michael Schmitz rolls out of bed reaching frontside DTs. This, in the same year that Tom Brady, who didnt play tackle football until high school, led the New England Patriots He has nine drops throughout his collegiate career, and hell need to shore that up. As one QB coach told me of Hooker last week, look at him as a three-year project. Bench Press: N/A In four collegiate seasons, Levis completed 478 of 739 passes for 5,880 yards, 46 touchdowns, 25 interceptions, and a passer rating of 95.8. Broad Jump: 131 (91st) He spent two years stocking shelves at a grocery store, until he began playing arena football, all the while trying to get the NFL to give him another shot. 3-Cone Drill: N/A NFL If there is an overriding consideration to all of this, its that A&M as a program hasnt placed a great emphasis on speed and twitch since the arrival of Jimbo Fisher and thats evidenced by their testing and usage. Titans' Jaelyn Duncan, who didn't play football until high school Disney made a movie about Papale's story called "Invincible" and stars Mark Wahlberg. Taylor joined Louisiana-Lafayette as a junior walk-on in 2002. I had to clear the linebacker there he had a bust right there, and that aint my problem. We had been working on that play Hug the playside leg, and it just popped right out the front door. Arm Length: 34 (98th) LaPorta is an after-catch demon, who has the wherewithal to find openings in space on short passes, and an impressive determination to beat people up when their uniforms look different than his. Particulars: Attended Oregon. Musgrave doesnt have Wallers longer track speed (Waller ran a 4.46-second 40-yard dash at his scouting combine), but the 1.58-second 10-yard splits are identical, and from the deep play potential to the blocking issues to the occasionally maddening drops, Musgrave looks a lot like Waller to me. One of the more famous players, Ray Seals never played football in college but somehow snuck his way into the NFL. Achane started with a bang, winning the Most Valuable Player award in A&Ms Cotton Bowl win over North Carolina at the end of his freshman season. In an NFL where quick game is the thing, and defenses are responding with more press coverage, this is an important next-level asset. Stat to Know: Hyatts 13.9 yards per target leads all receivers on this list by a large margin; TCUs Quentin Johnston ranked second at 10.9. Broad Jump: 131 (92nd) If youre going to throw deep to the boundary, you need at least one receiver who can beat tight boundary coverage. He was selected by the Jaguars in the third round of the 2009 draft out of William and Mary, and he had three different four-interception seasons in four years for Jacksonville, and he had his hands all over the ball, with 11 pass deflections in both 2009 and 2012. Ika will start to fall off and miss things when he gets gassed. Where you want him is in that role as a true half-field backer who can clean things up at the line of scrimmage, create pressure from all over the place, and cover beyond where most linebackers can. Hes a bit of a project in that regard, but the upside, and the existing tape, will have some NFL team betting with enthusiasm on what he could be. Could A&M have helped Johnsons draft stock by playing him at deep safety? We thought out some guys for consideration Allen, Vick, Cam Newton, Patrick Mahomes, Andrew Luck, but they did not quite fit this package. I'm from Europe. NFL Comparison: Johnathan Joseph. Every year we played him he got better.. Stat to Know: Mayer led all tight ends in the 2023 class with eight receptions of 20 or more air yards, gaining 420 yards and scoring four touchdowns on those plays. Jones relative lack of lateral agility is evident from time to time when he needs to link with his fellow linemen in slide protection situations. 20-Yard Shuttle: 4.05 (80th), Wingspan: 82 (99th) Which leads me to Darren McFadden, who was probably the best running back I've covered at the college level, and I was absolutely certain he was going to be a superstar. Weaknesses: As much as its true for any cornerback on this list, Brents has real issues matching and catching receivers who can shake him with changes in quick angles. However, he ended up going to jail before getting a shot in college football due to sexual assault allegations. 40-Yard Dash: 5.08 (82nd) In the past six years, the Sooners have had nine offensive linemen drafted, four less than the rest of the Big 12 combined.