PFF/Scouting Megathread

[Finsup1981]

How I Evaluate Each Position

By Bill Walsh

Coaches and scouts all have their own criteria for evaluating players. These criteria change as the game evolves and they differ depending upon the needs or systems of respective teams.

But there will always be certain, basic requirements for players at each position.

Still, evaluating players is not a science. It must take into account a myriad of factors and, in the final analysis, must answer one critical question — can this man perform on my team?

Requirements vary greatly by position, so here are some of the criteria and considerations I use when evaluating players at each position.

QUARTERBACK

Ideal size: 6-3, 210

To become a great quarterback, there must be instincts and intuition. This is the area that can be the difference between a very solid quarterback and a great quarterback. This isn't an area you can do much with as a coach. You can certainly bring a quarterback up to a competitive standard, but to reach greatness, the quarterback must possess that inherently, à la Billy Kilmer, Sonny Jurgensen, Ken Stabler, and Warren Moon.

If throwing a ball were the only aspect of playing quarterback, then this would be an easy position to evaluate. However, because of the dynamic role he plays on the team, a quarterback must have physical, mental, emotional, and instinctive traits that go well beyond the mere ability to pass a football.

Still, if he can't pass, he obviously won't be a good quarterback either. For now, let's assume our quarterback candidate has shown an ability to throw the ball.

Now, he must be courageous and intensely competitive. He will be the one on the field who is running the team. His teammates must believe in him or it may not matter how much physical ability he has. If he is courageous and intensely competitive, then other players will know and respect that. This will be a foundation for becoming a leader.

Naturally, he will have to perform up to certain physical standards to maintain that respect and become a leader.

Arm strength is somewhat misleading. Some players can throw 80 yards, but they aren't good passers. Good passing has to do with accuracy, timing, and throwing a ball with touch so it is catchable. This all involves understanding a system, the receivers in the system, and having great anticipation. It is a plus to be able to throw a ball on a line for 35 yards, but not if it is off target or arrives in such a way that it is difficult to catch.

Remember, the goal of passing a ball is to make sure it is caught ... by your intended receiver.

You look at how complete an inventory of throws a quarterback possesses — from screen passes to timed short passes to medium-range passes and downfield throws. This complete range. For the scout, not having a complete inventory does not eliminate the quarterback. But you are looking to evaluate in all facets and distances, and types of passes in throwing the ball.

There have been quarterbacks of greatness, Hall of Fame quarterbacks, who didn't have a complete inventory of passes. But you're looking to see the potential of the quarterback in each area. You can see where the emphasis of the offense would be if he were with your team.

A quick delivery , one that is not telegraphed to help the defense, gives the quarterback an advantage when he finds his intended target. That's when it is essential to get the ball "up and gone'' with no wasted motion. Some of this can be acquired by learning proper technique. But to a certain degree, a quick release is related to a quarterback's reaction time between spotting his receiver and getting the ball "up and gone.''


Touch is important, especially in a medium range passing game. One of Joe Montana's most remarkable skills was putting the right touch on a pass so that it was easily catchable by a receiver, who often did not have to break stride.

The ability to read defenses is not something that players have learned to a high degree coming out of college. Even if they have, the pro defenses are very different. But most systems require quarterbacks to look at primary and secondary receivers, usually based on the defense that confronts him. You can see if he locates that secondary receiver — or maybe even an emergency outlet receiver — with ease or with a sense of urgency.

This should work like a natural progression, not a situation where it's — "Oh, my gosh, now I must look over here ... no, over there.'' You can see which quarterbacks handle these situations with grace. These are the types who have a chance to perform with consistency in the NFL.

Mobility and an ability to avoid a pass rush are crucial. Some quarterbacks use this mobility within the pocket just enough so they are able to move and pass when they "feel" a rush. But overall quickness and agility can make a remarkable difference. As an example, there were some very quick boxers in Sugar Ray Leonard's era, but he was quicker than they were and because of that he became a great champ.

Quarterbacks must be able to function while injured. The pro season is about twice as long and more punishing than a college season. They are vulnerable to getting hit hard every time they pass. They must be able to avoid being rattled, get up and show they are in control and can continue to lead the offense.

The single trait that separates great quarterbacks from good quarterbacks is the ability to make the great, spontaneous decision, especially at a crucial time. The clock is running down and your team is five points behind. The play that was called has broken down and 22 players are moving in almost unpredictable directions all over the field.

This is where the great quarterback uses his experience, vision, mobility and what we will call spontaneous genius. He makes something good happen. This, of course, is what we saw in Joe Montana when he pulled out those dramatic victories for Notre Dame.

Great stuff thanks for sharing

 

[Finsup1981]

McShays Risers and Fallers and updated top 100 big board.

These numbers on Booker along with RAS scare me, for a guard in a wide zone to be that unathletic really pushes him down to like OG7 or OG8 for me. If we were running a power gap scheme sure I can see the value and he’d be ranked higher but I wouldn’t touch him before 48 at the earliest:

OT Armand Membou, Missouri
Current Ranking: 10
Previous Ranking: 13

Membou has jumped three spots since my last top 100, and passed LSU’s Will Campbell to become the top offensive tackle on my board. Membou’s workout numbers at the combine—he ranked first among tackles in the 40, the bench press, and the broad jump—might have been better than his tape, which is really damn good. History suggests offensive tackle is a traits-driven position when it comes to the draft, and for good reason. I expect him to be the first offensive lineman off the board.

EDGE Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M
Current Ranking: 14
Previous Ranking: 21
The Texas A&M standout was my no. 6 edge and the no. 21 overall player on my board coming out of the Senior Bowl. After a strong combine performance, he’s jumped seven spots and become my third-ranked edge behind Abdul Carter and Jalon Walker.
Stewart’s combine workout reminded me of former no. 1 pick Travon Walker’s. In fact, Stewart ran a faster 10-yard split and performed much better in the vertical and broad jumps. I actually see a bendier athlete with more pass-rushing potential than Walker ever showed at Georgia. That said, the same production questions that were asked about Walker—who had 9.5 sacks in his college career—are being asked about Stewart (4.5 sacks in college), and understandably so. That’s why he does not project as a top-10 pick. Still, I like this guy more than most and I’m comfortable with that. I think he’s in play for teams drafting in the 11-20 range.

WR Matthew Golden, Texas
Current Ranking: 15
Previous Ranking: 25
Golden is up to no. 15 on my board and has passed Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan to become my top-ranked wide receiver. I was leaning toward Golden as WR1 before the combine, and his speed testing in Indianapolis—Golden’s 4.29 40 was the fastest among all wide receivers and the second-fastest among all players—sealed the deal. His 10-yard split also tied for first among the WRs, which matches his ability to heat things up off the line of scrimmage in a flash. Golden’s exceptionally crisp route running and his body control when adjusting to the ball in the air stood out most on tape. Don’t be surprised if he’s the first receiver off the board, potentially as high as no. 12 to the Cowboys.

EDGE Donovan Ezeiruaku, Boston College
Current Ranking: 30
Previous Ranking: 40
Ezeiruaku has risen 10 spots since my last top 100 and is firmly in the first-round conversation. He was the only edge at the combine to log a sub-7.0-second three-cone time, and he ran a faster short shuttle (4.19 seconds) than several wide receivers. Ezeiruaku also has above-average arm length at 34 inches and production (16.5 sacks and 20.5 tackles for loss last year) to back up his testing numbers.

CB Maxwell Hairston, Kentucky
Current Ranking: 24
Previous Ranking: 42
Hairston is one of the biggest risers from this group, and for good reason. He ran the fastest 40 (4.28 seconds, with a top speed of 24.25 mph) of all players at the combine and ranked in the top three at his position in both the vertical and broad jumps. Teams I talked to about Hairston are really excited about his ability to excel in both man and zone coverage. He’s an absolute ball hawk who had six interceptions (three of which were pick-sixes) over the past two seasons.

WR Jayden Higgins, Iowa State
Current Ranking: 28
Previous Ranking: 46
Higgins is a big, physical X receiver with unique route running ability and body control for his size. His touchdown reception against Iowa from this past season shows his contested-catch ability and focus in traffic. He ran a 4.47 40 at the combine and ranked among the top half of his position group in the broad and vertical jumps. I wouldn’t have a problem drafting Higgins late in the first round.

WR Jaylin Noel, Iowa State
Current Ranking: 35
Previous Ranking: 48
Noel had an outstanding combine, ranking first among wide receivers in the broad jump, tied for first in the vertical, tied for fifth in the three-cone, and fifth in the short shuttle. Noel is small but sturdy—he performed better in the bench press than five offensive linemen and five linebackers that tested in Indianapolis—and ultra quick out of the slot. I love his tape and his workout numbers gave me all the ammunition I needed to move him up the ranks. Like his Iowa State counterpart Jayden Higgins, I could see Noel being drafted late in the first round or early in the second, even though receivers his size typically don’t go that high.

CB Trey Amos, Ole Miss
Current Ranking: 48
Previous Ranking: 93
Amos is a longer corner with sticky man-to-man cover skills. I’ve dug into his tape recently, including the first two days of Senior Bowl practices, and have come to appreciate his natural movement skills. He’s also a ball hawk and worked out better than expected at the combine, posting a 4.43 40 time and a 10-foot-6 broad jump, both of which ranked in the top 10 among cornerbacks. Amos is inexperienced but toolsy and should continue developing in the NFL. I could see him being drafted as high as the top 50.

RB DJ Giddens, Kansas State
Current Ranking: 93
Previous Ranking: Unranked
Giddens’s workout numbers—he ranked among the top eight running backs at the combine in the 40-yard dash and the 10-yard split, fourth in the short shuttle, and tied for second in the broad jump—matched his lightning-quick agility on tape. I think he’s getting lost in the shuffle a bit in this historically loaded class, but don’t be surprised if his stock continues to rise. He was my no. 14 running back after the Senior Bowl and is up to RB9 a little over a month out from the draft.

DS Jonas Sanker, Virginia

Current Ranking: 94
Previous Ranking: Unranked
I went back and studied Sanker’s tape more after the combine, where he ranked in the top half of safeties in the 40-yard dash, the 10-yard split, and both jumping drills. He has the traits of a well-rounded, top-tier safety. I think his draft range is anywhere from the late third to the early fourth round.

DT Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, Georgia
Current Ranking: 100
Previous Ranking: Unranked
I admittedly might be a little high on Ingram-Dawkins, but he’s a former five-star recruit who battled some injuries and frustration while playing behind first-round defensive line talent at Georgia. He finally got his shot in 2024, playing in all 14 games with 10 starts and ranking fourth on the team with eight tackles for loss. He also had a career-high three sacks.
Ingram-Dawkins is a work in progress, but the tools are undeniable, and I think his best football is still ahead of him. In the late third or early fourth round, you might catch lightning in a bottle with this guy. That’s a risk I’d be willing to take as a GM in the 100-120 range of the draft.

QB Shedeur Sanders, Colorado
Current Ranking: 20
Previous Ranking: 19
Sanders may have fallen only one spot in my top 100, but his place here is more about how the conversation surrounding him and this quarterback class has changed since the last time I updated these rankings in early February.
Let’s start with the positives: Sanders is the best pure passer in this draft, he’s accurate, and he throws with anticipation. He’s a surgeon when he has protection and is playing in rhythm. That said, he’s not the surefire QB2 and top-10 pick many expected him to be throughout the college football season.
We’ve spoken at length on The McShay Show about Sanders’s interview process in Indianapolis, which left two high-ranking individuals from teams drafting in the top 10 that I spoke to wondering how much the quarterback cared about their impressions of him. But most of the conversations I had coming out of Indianapolis actually focused more on Sanders’s tape, and specifically how his worst habits—such as holding on to the ball too long and turning down easy plays—are reminiscent of Caleb Williams’s a year ago. The difference between Sanders and Williams is that Caleb has the mobility and arm strength to bail himself out of bad plays in the NFL, where Sanders doesn’t have the same type of high-end traits.
Sanders may still go as high as no. 3 to the Giants, but if he’s on the board after they pick, it could be a long first night of the draft for the Colorado quarterback.

OG Tyler Booker, Alabama
Current Ranking: 22
Previous Ranking: 18
Booker’s intangibles are off the charts and the tape is damn good. However, NFL teams are having a hard time trying to unsee one of the worst combine workouts turned in by a top offensive line prospect in recent memory. Take a look at where he ranked among his position group in the following drills:
40-yard dash: 5.38 seconds (second worst among offensive linemen)
10-yard split: 1.96 seconds (worst)
Vertical jump: 27 inches (third worst)
Broad jump: 7-feet-10-inches (worst, and the only OL under 8 feet)
Short shuttle: 4.84 seconds (fifth worst)
Three-cone: 7.96 seconds (second worst)
This is the rare instance where it would have been better had the player chosen to not work out.

My First Top 100 Big Board, Including the Biggest Risers and Fallers

mcshay-report.beehiiv.com

 

[Finsup1981]

RB Kaleb Johnson, Iowa
Current Ranking: 50
Previous Ranking: 45
I want to preface Johnson’s inclusion here by saying that I love him as a back, and I think he’ll outperform where he gets drafted. Still, he didn’t have a great combine workout, and there’s a slim margin for error in this loaded class, especially considering only a handful of teams typically spend early-round draft capital on the running back position.
Johnson’s 4.57 40-yard dash time was well below this running back group’s record-average 4.48 seconds, and his 1.62-second 10-yard split tied for last among the backs that tested in Indianapolis. This is not to say Johnson can’t succeed at the next level—a lot of great NFL running backs have had subpar combine performances. But in a crowded running back class, I can see teams preferring a back like Ohio State’s Quinshon Judkins, who at a similar size to Johnson showed much more burst during athletic testing.

RB Jordan James, Oregon
Current Ranking: Unranked
Previous Ranking: 92
Like Johnson, James didn’t do himself any favors on the field in Indianapolis, finishing tied for last among running backs in the 10-yard split while running a below-average 4.55 40-yard dash. That 40 time—which ranked among the seven worst running backs at the combine—is actually less impressive than Johnson’s, considering teams create size-adjusted speed grades and James is nearly four inches shorter and 20 pounds lighter than Johnson. As we mentioned before, there’s more supply than demand for running backs in this draft. Every interview, measurement, and tape evaluation matters more than it normally would.

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Overall	Name	School	Position	Pos. Rank	Grade
1	Abdul Carter	Penn State	EDGE	1	95
2	Travis Hunter	Colorado	CB	1	95
3	Mason Graham	Michigan	IDL	1	94
4	Ashton Jeanty	Boise State	RB	1	93
5	Tyler Warren	Penn State	TE	1	93
6	Cam Ward	Miami-FL	QB	1	92
7	Jalon Walker	Georgia	EDGE	2	92
8	Colston Loveland	Michigan	TE	2	92
9	Jahdae Barron	Texas	CB	2	92
10	Armand Membou	Missouri	OT	1	92
11	Omarion Hampton	North Carolina	RB	2	92
12	Will Campbell	LSU	OT	2	91
13	Jihaad Campbell	Alabama	ILB	1	91
14	Shemar Stewart	Texas A&M	EDGE	3	91
15	Matthew Golden	Texas	WR	1	90
16	Mykel Williams	Georgia	EDGE	4	90
17	Mike Green	Marshall	EDGE	5	90
18	James Pearce Jr.	Tennessee	EDGE	6	90
19	Nick Emmanwori	South Carolina	DS	1	90
20	Shedeur Sanders	Colorado	QB	2	90
21	Will Johnson	Michigan	CB	3	90
22	Tyler Booker	Alabama	OG	1	90
23	Kelvin Banks Jr.	Texas	OT	3	89
24	Maxwell Hairston	Kentucky	CB	4	89
25	Tetairoa McMillan	Arizona	WR	2	89
26	Emeka Egbuka	Ohio State	WR	3	89
27	Kenneth Grant	Michigan	IDL	2	89
28	Jayden Higgins	Iowa State	WR	4	88
29	Derrick Harmon	Oregon	IDL	3	88
30	Donovan Ezeiruaku	Boston College	EDGE	7	88
31	Jaxson Dart	Ole Miss	QB	3	87
32	Tyler Shough	Louisville	QB	4	87
33	Grey Zabel	North Dakota State	OG	2	87
34	Malaki Starks	Georgia	DS	2	87
35	Jaylin Noel	Iowa State	WR	5	87
36	Josh Conerly Jr.	Oregon	OT	4	87
37	TreVeyon Henderson	Ohio State	RB	3	87
38	Josh Simmons	Ohio State	OT	5	86
39	Walter Nolen	Ole Miss	IDL	4	86
40	Mason Taylor	LSU	TE	3	86
41	Luther Burden III	Missouri	WR	6	86
42	Quinshon Judkins	Ohio State	RB	4	86
43	Donovan Jackson	Ohio State	OG	3	86
44	Benjamin Morrison	Notre Dame	CB	5	86
45	Elijah Arroyo	Miami-FL	TE	4	85
46	Azareye'h Thomas	Florida State	CB	6	85
47	Darius Alexander	Toledo	IDL	5	85
48	Trey Amos	Ole Miss	CB	7	84
49	Tyleik Williams	Ohio State	IDL	6	84
50	Kaleb Johnson	Iowa	RB	5	84
51	Joshua Farmer	Florida State	IDL	7	84
52	Marcus Mbow	Purdue	OG	4	84
53	Omarr Norman-Lott	Tennessee	IDL	8	84
54	Oluwafemi Oladejo	UCLA	EDGE	8	83
55	Aireontae Ersery	Minnesota	OT	6	83
56	Shavon Revel Jr.	East Carolina	CB	8	83
57	Alfred Collins	Texas	IDL	9	83
58	Quincy Riley	Louisville	CB	9	82
59	Nic Scourton	Texas A&M	EDGE	9	82
60	Carson Schwesinger	UCLA	ILB	2	81
61	T.J. Sanders	South Carolina	IDL	10	81
62	Charles Grant	William & Mary	OT	7	80
63	Tre Harris	Ole Miss	WR	7	80
64	Xavier Watts	Notre Dame	DS	3	80
65	Landon Jackson	Arkansas	EDGE	10	79
66	Cameron Skattebo	Arizona State	RB	6	79
67	Jack Bech	TCU	WR	8	79
68	Terrance Ferguson	Oregon	TE	5	79
69	Darien Porter	Iowa State	CB	10	79
70	Jordan Burch	Oregon	EDGE	11	78
71	Jonah Savaiinaea	Arizona	OG	5	78
72	RJ Harvey	Central Florida	RB	7	78
73	Bradyn Swinson	LSU	EDGE	12	78
74	Harold Fannin Jr.	Bowling Green	TE	6	77
75	Shemar Turner	Texas A&M	IDL	11	77
76	Jalen Milroe	Alabama	QB	5	76
77	Cameron Williams	Texas	OT	8	76
78	Jalen Royals	Utah State	WR	9	76
79	JT Tuimoloau	Ohio St	EDGE	13	76
80	Ozzy Trapilo	Boston College	OT	9	76
81	Demetrius Knight Jr.	South Carolina	ILB	3	75
82	Jack Sawyer	Ohio State	EDGE	14	75
83	Princely Umanmielen	Ole Miss	EDGE	15	75
84	Ty Robinson	Nebraska	IDL	12	75
85	Tate Ratledge	Georgia	OG	6	74
86	Dylan Sampson	Tennessee	RB	8	74
87	Josaiah Stewart	Michigan	EDGE	16	74
88	Gunnar Helm	Texas	TE	7	74
89	Kevin Winston Jr.	Penn State	DS	4	74
90	Savion Williams	TCU	WR	10	73
91	Jared Wilson	Georgia	OC	1	73
92	Ashton Gillotte	Louisville	EDGE	17	73
93	Jacob Parrish	Kansas State	CB	11	73
94	Jonas Sanker	Virginia	DS	5	73
95	Dj Giddens	Kansas State	RB	9	72
96	Will Howard	Ohio State	QB	6	72
97	Billy Bowman Jr.	Oklahoma	DS	6	72
98	Jordan James	Oregon	RB	10	71
99	Kyle Kennard	South Carolina	EDGE	18	71
100	Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins	Georgia	IDL	13

 

[Finsup1981]

Also had an article on the players best in space, since we have Achane and Wright we are good on home run hitters at RB so I want a bruising short yardage package back along with a taller X.

I think Burden is an amazing fit for what we do, but I can’t justify a day 1 pick on a WR and he’s not dropping to the 2nd.

So the only 2 I’d love for the Dolphins as realistic targets are Savion Williams and DJ Giddens. Although Giddens isn’t exactly a bruiser he loves to be elusive, he’s also 6-1 215 so bigger than Jaylen wright. Now that we’ve moved on from Jeff Wilson JR we need a power back unless they want to do FB dive with ingold overt and over lol.

​

1. Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado​

He won’t log an official 40 time, but Hunter’s more of a 4.40 guy than a 4.30. He has plenty of speed to annihilate a crease when he catches one, but his superpower is his agility. From his lightning-quick feet to his oily hips to his Matrix-like field vision, Hunter’s just athletically different from every other skill player in this draft. He forced 47 missed tackles after the catch over the past two seasons, almost none of which featured tackle-breaking power.

Hunter’s ball skills are the rarest of the rare as well. You might wonder how that factors into his ability to make defenders miss in space. The answer is simple: Watch how quickly Hunter plucks the ball out of the air and transitions upfield while on the run. It’s a blur. There’s zero wasted motion, which disorients an oncoming defensive back who’s trying to gauge an attack angle. Hunter frequently beats the first responder before they know what’s happened.

2. Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri
At 6 feet and 206 pounds, with a 4.41-second 40, Burden is just a flat-out difference-maker with the ball in his hands. NFL scouts frequently compare him to Deebo Samuel, and there’s some truth to it. They’re both built more like running backs, they show a natural quickness when they pluck the ball out of the air and transition upfield, and their good vision and contact balance allow them to generate chunk yardage with the ball in their hands.
In three seasons at Missouri, Burden averaged 7.3 yards after the catch and forced 65 missed tackles. He also averaged 6.9 yards on 34 carries with four touchdowns and 10.5 yards on 24 punt returns with another score. So while his route running needs refinement and he comes with some questionable intangibles, Burden’s ability to create in space is undeniable, and he’ll be taken among the top 40 picks.

3. TreVeyon Henderson, RB, Ohio State
With Henderson, it’s less about ankle-breaking movement and more about blinding acceleration. His feet are so damn quick. He’s a downhill runner who will make a slight shuffle-slide before kicking it into full gear. His combine showing featured a 4.43-second 40 time, a 1.52-second 10-yard split, and top-five results at his position in both the vertical jump (38.5 inches) and broad jump (10 feet, 8 inches), confirming the explosiveness littered all over his tape.
Like Jahmyr Gibbs coming out of Alabama two years ago, Henderson has NFL teams salivating about his potential as a chunk-play generator in the passing game. Henderson’s ball skills are underrated: He’s a great pass blocker (which will keep him on the field without tipping tendencies), and he averaged 11.1 yards per catch at Ohio State, a staggering number for a running back.

4. Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State
I’m not gonna apologize for putting Jeanty fourth on this list. It’s actually a hell of an honor to be ranked this high considering how much of his damage comes from his power and contact balance. For the purposes of this list, I’m focusing on the twitch-driven yards Jeanty generates in space. Combine the two, and it’s easy to see why Jeanty is the best all-around running back prospect to enter the NFL draft since Saquon Barkley in 2018.
I marvel at Jeanty’s ability to sense against-the-grain cuts (big or small) and how his feet and hips cooperate with his brain. That’s the best way I can describe it. He averaged 6.4 yards on 750 career carries and 10.8 yards on 80 career receptions. What makes that 10.8-yards-per-catch mark so remarkable is that the vast majority of his catches came at, near, or behind the line of scrimmage. He generated nearly all of that yardage with his quick transitions upfield, sensational vision, and breathtaking ability to string multiple cuts together—and, yes, his ability to break tackles.
He hasn’t run a 40-yard dash, and I don’t really care. His play speed is plenty fast (I would estimate mid-to-high 4.4-second range), and his ability to accelerate to top speed off of cuts is one of the features that makes him so special.

5. Isaiah Bond, WR, Texas
Bond is undersized, has durability questions, is raw as a route runner, and has inconsistent hands. But he can fly and has staggering run-after-the-catch abilities! He ran a disappointing 4.39-second 40 at the combine and reportedly ran a faster time at Texas’s pro day—in the 4.35-second range. He did, however, reach a top speed of 24.17 miles per hour at the combine, second fastest among all players.

6. DJ Giddens, RB, Kansas State
Giddens has gone criminally under the radar during this draft process, largely because of the historically deep talent pool in this year’s running back class. But it won’t take long for this twitched-up, 6-foot, 212-pound back to make his mark in the NFL. Giddens is near the top of the list among his position group when it comes to his ability to make defenders miss in tight spaces. What’s truly remarkable is that he’s significantly taller and bigger than other backs like Henderson, Jeanty, Jaydon Blue, RJ Harvey, and Dylan Sampson.
Giddens was a checkdown/outlet receiver in college and still averaged 11.7 yards per catch—better than Henderson and Jeanty. But he has the traits to run actual routes in the NFL. The team that drafts Giddens (presumably in Round 3) will get one of the true steals of this year’s draft class.

7. Jaydon Blue, RB, Texas
Blue is undersized but a lightning strike waiting to happen. He wasn’t a featured back at Texas (five career starts) and never will be in the NFL, but whichever team drafts him will find a way to get the ball in his hands a few times per game. He’s explosive and has unique elusiveness to complement his 4.38-second 40 speed (second fastest among running backs at the combine). I like him most in the passing game—he has experience running actual routes, knows how to uncover, and has reliable hands. His two touchdown catches against Ohio State in the College Football Playoff semifinal were memorable. He also averaged 26.7 yards per kickoff in 2023.

8. Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama
Milroe is a rare athlete at the quarterback position. He rushed for 1,257 yards and 32 touchdowns in two seasons as Alabama’s starter and is an absolute burner. He’ll be selected on night two of the draft and will eventually become one of the two or three most dynamic running threats at the quarterback position in the NFL. I think we’ll need to wait a year or two for him to develop before we witness the impact of his 4.37-second 40 speed on NFL defenses.

9. Savion Williams, WR, TCU​

Likening Williams to Cordarrelle Patterson is probably the most accurate comp of any in this year’s draft class. Like Patterson, Williams is unrefined—to say the least—as a receiver, his ball skills are erratic at best, and you never know what you’re getting. But also like Patterson, Williams is big, fast, versatile, and dynamic with the ball in his hands. I’ve talked to personnel who think Williams, who averaged 6.9 yards after the catch in 2024 and scored 20 touchdowns on only 199 career touches, will come off the board in Round 2, despite all his flaws.

10. Bhayshul Tuten, RB, Virginia Tech​

He’s the fastest back in this year’s loaded class, running a 4.32-second dash at the combine. You see the speed on tape when he hits a crease. Tuten’s not the biggest or most elusive runner, but he’s a pursuit-angle assassin when he hits daylight. He’ll have real value as a middle-round pick for a team that will deploy him in a rotation.

11. RJ Harvey, RB, UCF​

Harvey’s absolutely electric as a pick-and-slide runner and has good patience and vision. He hits openings hard and has an excellent jump-cut and acceleration off of his cut. He also shows outstanding stop-start quickness with the ball in his hands. He averaged 13 yards on 39 catches in his last two years at UCF and can be a difference-maker in the NFL passing game.

My 2025 NFL Draft All-Satellite Team: The Players Who Excel in Space

mcshay-report.beehiiv.com

 

[djphinfan]

Bill Walsh on playing qb.

“overall quickness and agility can make a remarkable difference.”

TUAAAAA, come out and playeeeeee!!!

 

[djphinfan]

Also had an article on the players best in space, since we have Achane and Wright we are good in home run hitters at RB so I want a bruising short yardage package back along with a taller X.

I think Burden is an amazing fit for what we do, but I can’t justify a day 1 pick on a WR and he’s not dropping to the 2nd.

So the only 2 I’d love for the Dolphins as realistic targets are Savion Williams and DJ Giddens. Although Giddens isn’t exactly a bruiser he loves to be elusive, he’s also 6-1 215 so also bigger than Jaylen wright. Now that we’ve moved on from Jeff Wilson JR we need a power back unless they want to do FB dive with ingold overt and over lol.

​

1. Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado​

He won’t log an official 40 time, but Hunter’s more of a 4.40 guy than a 4.30. He has plenty of speed to annihilate a crease when he catches one, but his superpower is his agility. From his lightning-quick feet to his oily hips to his Matrix-like field vision, Hunter’s just athletically different from every other skill player in this draft. He forced 47 missed tackles after the catch over the past two seasons, almost none of which featured tackle-breaking power.

Hunter’s ball skills are the rarest of the rare as well. You might wonder how that factors into his ability to make defenders miss in space. The answer is simple: Watch how quickly Hunter plucks the ball out of the air and transitions upfield while on the run. It’s a blur. There’s zero wasted motion, which disorients an oncoming defensive back who’s trying to gauge an attack angle. Hunter frequently beats the first responder before they know what’s happened.

2. Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri
At 6 feet and 206 pounds, with a 4.41-second 40, Burden is just a flat-out difference-maker with the ball in his hands. NFL scouts frequently compare him to Deebo Samuel, and there’s some truth to it. They’re both built more like running backs, they show a natural quickness when they pluck the ball out of the air and transition upfield, and their good vision and contact balance allow them to generate chunk yardage with the ball in their hands.
In three seasons at Missouri, Burden averaged 7.3 yards after the catch and forced 65 missed tackles. He also averaged 6.9 yards on 34 carries with four touchdowns and 10.5 yards on 24 punt returns with another score. So while his route running needs refinement and he comes with some questionable intangibles, Burden’s ability to create in space is undeniable, and he’ll be taken among the top 40 picks.

3. TreVeyon Henderson, RB, Ohio State
With Henderson, it’s less about ankle-breaking movement and more about blinding acceleration. His feet are so damn quick. He’s a downhill runner who will make a slight shuffle-slide before kicking it into full gear. His combine showing featured a 4.43-second 40 time, a 1.52-second 10-yard split, and top-five results at his position in both the vertical jump (38.5 inches) and broad jump (10 feet, 8 inches), confirming the explosiveness littered all over his tape.
Like Jahmyr Gibbs coming out of Alabama two years ago, Henderson has NFL teams salivating about his potential as a chunk-play generator in the passing game. Henderson’s ball skills are underrated: He’s a great pass blocker (which will keep him on the field without tipping tendencies), and he averaged 11.1 yards per catch at Ohio State, a staggering number for a running back.

4. Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State
I’m not gonna apologize for putting Jeanty fourth on this list. It’s actually a hell of an honor to be ranked this high considering how much of his damage comes from his power and contact balance. For the purposes of this list, I’m focusing on the twitch-driven yards Jeanty generates in space. Combine the two, and it’s easy to see why Jeanty is the best all-around running back prospect to enter the NFL draft since Saquon Barkley in 2018.
I marvel at Jeanty’s ability to sense against-the-grain cuts (big or small) and how his feet and hips cooperate with his brain. That’s the best way I can describe it. He averaged 6.4 yards on 750 career carries and 10.8 yards on 80 career receptions. What makes that 10.8-yards-per-catch mark so remarkable is that the vast majority of his catches came at, near, or behind the line of scrimmage. He generated nearly all of that yardage with his quick transitions upfield, sensational vision, and breathtaking ability to string multiple cuts together—and, yes, his ability to break tackles.
He hasn’t run a 40-yard dash, and I don’t really care. His play speed is plenty fast (I would estimate mid-to-high 4.4-second range), and his ability to accelerate to top speed off of cuts is one of the features that makes him so special.

5. Isaiah Bond, WR, Texas
Bond is undersized, has durability questions, is raw as a route runner, and has inconsistent hands. But he can fly and has staggering run-after-the-catch abilities! He ran a disappointing 4.39-second 40 at the combine and reportedly ran a faster time at Texas’s pro day—in the 4.35-second range. He did, however, reach a top speed of 24.17 miles per hour at the combine, second fastest among all players.

6. DJ Giddens, RB, Kansas State
Giddens has gone criminally under the radar during this draft process, largely because of the historically deep talent pool in this year’s running back class. But it won’t take long for this twitched-up, 6-foot, 212-pound back to make his mark in the NFL. Giddens is near the top of the list among his position group when it comes to his ability to make defenders miss in tight spaces. What’s truly remarkable is that he’s significantly taller and bigger than other backs like Henderson, Jeanty, Jaydon Blue, RJ Harvey, and Dylan Sampson.
Giddens was a checkdown/outlet receiver in college and still averaged 11.7 yards per catch—better than Henderson and Jeanty. But he has the traits to run actual routes in the NFL. The team that drafts Giddens (presumably in Round 3) will get one of the true steals of this year’s draft class.

7. Jaydon Blue, RB, Texas
Blue is undersized but a lightning strike waiting to happen. He wasn’t a featured back at Texas (five career starts) and never will be in the NFL, but whichever team drafts him will find a way to get the ball in his hands a few times per game. He’s explosive and has unique elusiveness to complement his 4.38-second 40 speed (second fastest among running backs at the combine). I like him most in the passing game—he has experience running actual routes, knows how to uncover, and has reliable hands. His two touchdown catches against Ohio State in the College Football Playoff semifinal were memorable. He also averaged 26.7 yards per kickoff in 2023.

8. Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama
Milroe is a rare athlete at the quarterback position. He rushed for 1,257 yards and 32 touchdowns in two seasons as Alabama’s starter and is an absolute burner. He’ll be selected on night two of the draft and will eventually become one of the two or three most dynamic running threats at the quarterback position in the NFL. I think we’ll need to wait a year or two for him to develop before we witness the impact of his 4.37-second 40 speed on NFL defenses.

9. Savion Williams, WR, TCU​

Likening Williams to Cordarrelle Patterson is probably the most accurate comp of any in this year’s draft class. Like Patterson, Williams is unrefined—to say the least—as a receiver, his ball skills are erratic at best, and you never know what you’re getting. But also like Patterson, Williams is big, fast, versatile, and dynamic with the ball in his hands. I’ve talked to personnel who think Williams, who averaged 6.9 yards after the catch in 2024 and scored 20 touchdowns on only 199 career touches, will come off the board in Round 2, despite all his flaws.

10. Bhayshul Tuten, RB, Virginia Tech​

He’s the fastest back in this year’s loaded class, running a 4.32-second dash at the combine. You see the speed on tape when he hits a crease. Tuten’s not the biggest or most elusive runner, but he’s a pursuit-angle assassin when he hits daylight. He’ll have real value as a middle-round pick for a team that will deploy him in a rotation.

11. RJ Harvey, RB, UCF​

Harvey’s absolutely electric as a pick-and-slide runner and has good patience and vision. He hits openings hard and has an excellent jump-cut and acceleration off of his cut. He also shows outstanding stop-start quickness with the ball in his hands. He averaged 13 yards on 39 catches in his last two years at UCF and can be a difference-maker in the NFL passing game.

My 2025 NFL Draft All-Satellite Team: The Players Who Excel in Space

mcshay-report.beehiiv.com

Savion Williams is fine prospect and would love to have him as a dolphin, but he won’t be there in the fourth and unfortunately we’re not in a position to go bpa because if the ineptitude of our GM

 

[Buff]

Outstanding thread. Thank you.

 

[Finsup1981]

Kippers new article on 13 players he’s higher on than the consensus and where they will end up, a few of our favorites on there..Savion Williams at 116 David Walker at 135, CJ west at 150, Upton Stout at 155 and Lampkin with one our 7ths would make day 3 of the draft an A+++ in my book.

Quarterback​

Dillon Gabriel, Oregon​

Gabriel is a winner. He won 46 of his 63 career starts over time at UCF, Oklahoma and Oregon. There is a lot of good football on his tape. And Gabriel was terrific in 2024, throwing for 3,857 yards with 30 touchdown passes and six interceptions. He also ran in seven scores.

At 5-foot-11 and 205 pounds, Gabriel is a rhythm passer with pinpoint accuracy and really impressive timing. He sees the field well, makes quick decisions and gets the ball out on time and on target. He completed 72.9% of his throws last season (third in the nation), and he was off target 6.1% of the time (second best). And Gabriel doesn't throw interceptions or turn the ball over. In six seasons, he has never thrown more than seven picks. Gabriel is sort of a poor man's Tua Tagovailoa in the way he plays (and not just because they are both lefties).

I probably should also mention Shedeur Sanders here. The Colorado quarterback is a Day 1 pick, so I went with Gabriel. But I am higher on Sanders than other evaluators, as he's my QB1 in the class -- even above Miami's Cam Ward. He's tough, accurate and surgical in how he picks apart a defense. He's going to be a very good pro.


Projection: I think Gabriel ends up going in the fourth or fifth round. He's my No. 8 quarterback right now, but he has the traits to emerge from the Day 3 group.

---

Running back​

Dylan Sampson, Tennessee​

This is a deep running back class, so it's hard to pick just one guy to highlight. I like Syracuse's LeQuint Allen a lot and thought about him. But I just love watching Sampson take off when he gets into space; he's a home run waiting to happen every time he touches the ball. He had 12 runs for 20 or more yards last season -- tied for 15th in the country -- en route to 1,491 rushing yards and 22 rushing TDs.

I see burst and conviction on the tape -- he sees the hole, commits and explodes through the gap. At 5-foot-8 and 200 pounds, Sampson runs with fierceness and contact balance, with 820 of his yards coming after first contact. Those traits are also useful at the goal line, where he can power in for six points. Inside 3 yards, he scored on eight of his 11 carries last season.

To top it all off, Sampson catches the ball well out of the backfield (37 receptions over the past two seasons) and is willing to step up as a blocker. That gives him some third-down upside in addition to his rushing ability.

Projection: Sampson will be a really good third- or fourth-round pick for a team that needs a boost in the run game. He's the RB6 on my current board, which will be finalized early this week. You know what you're going to get with Sampson. He's consistent. Consider that he had at least 100 rushing yards, averaged at least 5.0 yards per carry and scored at least one TD in eight of his 13 games last season.

---

Wide receiver​

Savion Williams, TCU​

Williams can do a lot of different things on offense, and a savvy NFL offensive coordinator will find ways to get him the football. TCU lined him up out wide on both sides of the field, in the slot and even as a Wildcat quarterback. He runs hard after the catch and breaks tackles, and he ran a solid 4.48-second 40-yard dash at the combine despite his big (6-foot-4, 222-pound) frame. Williams caught 60 passes last season, totaling 611 yards -- 419 of which came after the catch -- and six TDs.

Turn on the tape from the Horned Frogs' October game against Texas Tech to see all he can do. In the first quarter, he scored on a 35-yard run and a 75-yard catch. I think he could return kicks in the pros, too. Having that versatility and size/speed combination makes me think a little about Cordarrelle Patterson.

There are legitimate concerns about his hands, though. He doesn't always look natural catching the ball, and he has a tendency to body-catch too often. But he's improving there; I see more consistency.


Projection: We could see a bunch of receivers come off the board on Day 2, and Williams has a chance to go at the end of that run. If not, I think he's a really solid fourth-round pick as one of my top-10 receivers in this class.

---

Tight end​

Oronde Gadsden II, Syracuse​

At 6-foot-5 and 243 pounds, Gadsden is basically a wide receiver in a tight end's body. He catches everything. Gadsden had 73 receptions for 934 yards and seven TDs last season. Forty-six of those catches went for first downs, and 19 of them came on contested plays. He missed most of the 2023 season with a foot injury, but he produced back in 2022, too, with 969 receiving yards.

It doesn't matter if the ball is throw high, low, off target, whatever ... he's likely going to bring it in. But blocking will be a question mark in his evaluation. Gadsden needs to get stronger and play with more physicality when aligning in-line and taking on pass rushers.


Projection: His father, Oronde Gadsden, played receiver for the Dolphins from 1998 to 2003. He went undrafted, but his son looks like an early-Day-3-pick to me. I actually have him ranked with my H-backs right now, second on that list behind Bowling Green's Harold Fannin Jr.

---

Offensive tackle​

Charles Grant, William & Mary​

I've been high on Grant since the preseason. His upside is really intriguing. At 6-foot-5 and 311 pounds with long 34¾-inch arms, he is a true left tackle. Grant wrestled in high school, and you can see that background in the way he plays. He has explosive movements and is physical at the point of attack.

Despite 41 career starts, Grant's game is still raw. He will need time to develop and get coached up in the pros. Grant also hasn't played against elite competition in the FCS, and a knee injury kept him out of the Senior Bowl. But I just love watching him play, and I think he has the traits to make an impact on an NFL offensive line. Grant allowed just two sacks over his final three seasons.


Projection: Grant is a sleeper, but I had him in the three-round mock draft that Field Yates and I did last week. As one of the top 10 offensive tackles in this class, I see him as a third- or fourth-round pick.

---

Guard​

Marcus Mbow, Purdue​

Mbow has played right tackle for the past two seasons after playing primarily at right guard in 2022. So he has some versatility, but I have Mbow as a guard in the pros. He has 32-inch arms on his 6-foot-4, 303-pound frame, and his traits align better with blocking inside.

He's fun to watch. Mbow has really good movement traits, and he can wreck defenders downfield once he pops to the second level. He hits moving targets really well. But what makes his tape so entertaining is his urgency. Mbow attacks every single play and never quits, playing right through the whistle.


Projection: Yet another player who should go in the third or fourth round. Mbow's draft range really depends on how quickly the guards come off the board. He's in the top five at the position on my Big Board.

---

Center​

Willie Lampkin, North Carolina​

Lampkin is a smaller prospect at 5-foot-11 and 290 pounds. But he is a fierce competitor with a ton of versatility. I'd want those kinds of players on my team.

Over 61 starts and five seasons, Lampkin has played significant snaps at both guard positions and center -- and he even saw 72 snaps at left tackle back in 2020. Over that time, he allowed just one sack. Lampkin levels defenders, but he's never on the ground himself. He got after it every single snap while facing some tough ACC defensive tackles. His technique is sound, and he plays in balance in pass protection. I just want to see fewer lapses in concentration.

You might scan my interior offensive line rankings and not be able to find Lampkin. Well, check the fullback/H-back list, where he's No. 4. Similar to how Baltimore's Patrick Ricardhas been used at both defensive tackle and fullback, I think there's a case for Lampkin to see some fullback snaps in the NFL.


Projection: Lampkin is a late-Day 3 prospect, likely going somewhere in Rounds 5-7. He will make a team.

---

Defensive tackle​

CJ West, Indiana​

The low man often wins at the line of scrimmage, and West has a low center of gravity and strong hands to get into linemen. His tape shows excellent technique, power and tenacity, which make him difficult to block. And at 6-foot-1 and 316 pounds, he gets enough push to collapse the pocket. I even see some pass-rush upside, though he had just two sacks last season. He ran a solid 4.95 in the 40-yard dash at the combine, so he has the speed to get home on the quarterback.

West, who transferred from Kent State to Indiana before the 2023 season, was a big part of the Hoosiers' run to the College Football Playoff. His run defense was solid, with 12 run stops and 8.5 tackles for loss. In fact, it was the fourth straight season that West had at least seven tackles for loss and double-digit run stops.


Projection: Early Day 3 makes sense, even though I snuck him into our three-round mock draft last week, giving him to the Eagles late on Day 2. He's the DT8 on my Big Board at the moment.

Kiper: NFL draft prospects I like more than most at every position, plus when all 13 could get picked

Mel Kiper Jr.'s annual list of NFL draft favorites includes two FCS standouts, a sleeper QB and a few powerful offensive playmakers.

www.espn.com

 

[Finsup1981]

Defensive end​

Ashton Gillotte, Louisville​

Here's one of my "Orange Crushers" from the "First Draft" podcast. Gillotte is going to be a good pro. The 6-foot-3 264-pounder displays good bend, strength and a powerful punch when he engages blockers. Plus, he closes fast, showing sustained intensity all the way through the play.

The concern might be the production. Gillotte was eighth in the nation in 2023 with 11 sacks. Great. But then he managed just 4.5 in 2024. Teams will be looking at that closely. I'm not really worried about it because Gillotte actually got more consistent pressure last season, even if he didn't finish as often. His pressure rate jumped from 12.0% to 14.7%, and his 50 pressures ranked eighth in the nation.


Projection: I'm high on Gillotte, but he's be an underrated third- or fourth-round pick for a team that needs help off the edge. He cracks my top five defensive ends in the class.

---

Outside linebacker​

David Walker, Central Arkansas​

I've talked about Walker a lot this year (and really much longer than that). He played at Division II Southern Arkansas before moving to Central Arkansas, and he dominated at both levels. In fact, I think he could have played on a Power 4 team and made an impact. He proved that at the Senior Bowl, where he looked the part. Over three seasons with the Bears, Walker had 31 sacks and 63 tackles for loss. He just has a knack for getting after the QB.

Simply put, the 6-foot-1, 263-pound Walker jumps off the tape. He is a problem for offensive tackles off the edge because of his power, leverage, explosion, bend and speed. I particularly like how he mixes up his pass-rush moves to keep blockers guessing. Walker is turning 25 years old, but NFL coaching staffs will like that maturity and experience.


Projection: Walker is another really good late-Day-2, early-Day-3 prospect to watch. If he does go in Round 3 (or earlier), he would become the highest-drafted Central Arkansas player ever; cornerback Robert Rochell is the current high as a 2021 fourth-rounder. I have Walker ranked as OLB7, but I might bump him up on my final Big Board this week.

---

Off-ball linebacker​

Nick Martin, Oklahoma State​

Martin is a late riser as we near the draft. Everyone has been sleeping on him because he missed most of the 2024 season with a knee injury. But this guy can play. Martin is built like granite at 6 feet tall and 221 pounds. He flies around the field with 4.53 sideline-to-sideline speed and lands some hard hits on ball carriers. His explosion showed up at the combine, where he posted solid jumps -- 38 inches in the vertical and 10-foot-3 in the broad.

And if you want production, he's your guy. His 135 tackles in 2023 ranked sixth in the FBS. His 21 run stops tied for eighth. He chipped in six sacks and two interceptions that season, too. And even though he was limited to five games in 2024, he still put up good numbers (47 tackles). One of my favorite games to watch on his film is the Arkansas matchup in early September. Martin was all over the place, with 15 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and five run stops.

Projection: He's climbing my board quickly. I think I will have him in the LB4 range when all is said and done. I projected him to Tampa Bay at No. 84 in the recent three-round mock draft, but he's probably more likely to hear his name early on Day 3. Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy raves about him, and some team will land a really good player in the middle part of the draft.

---

Cornerback​

Upton Stout, Western Kentucky​

Stout is a classic overachiever. He's only 5-foot-9 and 181 pounds. But he maximizes his talent, and he's tough to get off the field because he prepares well and has an impressive skill set. Stout allowed 2.4 yards per pass attempt on throws his direction last season, which was sixth in the nation among defensive backs with 200-plus coverage snaps.

He diagnoses well and displays a good feel for the position; his instincts are terrific. That helped him to six interceptions over the past three seasons, though four of them came in 2022. Stout has a sixth sense for being around the ball.

That goes for run defense, too. Stout closes well with 4.44 speed, and he is a reliable tackler in the open field. He had 10 run stops and 7.5 tackles for loss last season, playing primarily in the slot for the Hilltoppers.


Projection: Let's say Round 6. There are a lot of good corners in the middle rounds this year, and teams might favor more size. But Stout could be a Day 3 contributor for a roster.

---

Safety​

Andrew Mukuba, Texas​

He might be the last name listed here (because I went by position), but he was one of the first I wrote down. I love Mukuba's game. (And I know Louis Riddick does, too -- Mukuba also made his list of sleepers.)

Mukuba is 5-foot-11 and 186 pounds, but he hits like a linebacker. He's a heat-seeking missile from the deep parts of the secondary, using his 4.45 speed to drive top-down and hit ball carriers like a ton of bricks. He lays the wood. There were multiple times when I watched his tape where I found myself wondering where he came from to all of a sudden make a play. He explodes to the football. Mukuba sort of reminds me of Hall of Famer Troy Polamalu in play style, though he's not as big and probably doesn't have that sort of ceiling.

Mukuba had five interceptions last season, his first year with the Longhorns after playing at Clemson from 2021 until 2023. Overall, he holds up well in coverage, and you'll even see him creep down and line up over the slot at times.

Projection: I say Round 3 at the latest. Mukuba is a top-five safety on my board, and plenty of NFL defensive coordinators are going to love his tape. He went 70th to Jacksonville in the three-round mock draft that Field Yates and I did last Tuesday.

 

[Finsup1981]

Jeff Legwolds top 100 big board, it’s a free article so here’s the link..Warren at 4 and Nolen at 5 are way too high imo, also think he has Grant and Shemar Stewart too low.

Legwold ranks the 100 best NFL draft prospects: An annual list of the top names to know

Jeff Legwold reveals his top NFL draft prospect list for 2025, which is based purely on ability regardless of position. Who is No. 1?

www.espn.com

 

[MrClean]

OG Tyler Booker, Alabama
Current Ranking: 22
Previous Ranking: 18
Booker’s intangibles are off the charts and the tape is damn good. However, NFL teams are having a hard time trying to unsee one of the worst combine workouts turned in by a top offensive line prospect in recent memory. Take a look at where he ranked among his position group in the following drills:
40-yard dash: 5.38 seconds (second worst among offensive linemen)
10-yard split: 1.96 seconds (worst)
Vertical jump: 27 inches (third worst)
Broad jump: 7-feet-10-inches (worst, and the only OL under 8 feet)
Short shuttle: 4.84 seconds (fifth worst)
Three-cone: 7.96 seconds (second worst)
This is the rare instance where it would have been better had the player chosen to not work out.

Booker is sort of a wild card in how well he'd fit with Miami, for lack of a better word. We've all been led to believe the wide zone as employed by any offense from the Shanahan tree requires mobile OGs with good shuttle and forty times. That's what we mostly look for when trying to guess which OGs to mock to Miami.
Two of the LGs who played a total of 9 years under Kyle Shanahan in SF tell a different story, in a manner of speaking. Laken Tomlinson for 5 seasons, and Aaron Banks for the last 4.
Tomlinson's shuttle at the Combine was 4.87, and he improved to 4.71 at his Pro Day. His forty was 5.33 at the Combine, and he improved it to 5.22 at his pro day. His ten-yard was 1.89 and 1.75, respectively.
Banks' shuttle was 4.92 at his Pro Day, his forty was 5.34, and his ten was 1.91. He didn't work out at the Combine.
Booker's shuttle was 4.84, forty was 5.38, and ten was 1.89 at the Combine. At his Pro Day, his shuttle was 4.65 and his ten was 1.90.
The SF offense functioned well with either of them as their LGs. As you can see, when it comes to shuttles and sprints, Booker compares very favorably. Banks just got a big contract to sign with the Packers, and they run the same scheme and their GM is one of the best in the league, IMO.
So, before we discount Booker out of hand as to how he'd do in our offense, we should consider how similar players did in the same offense playing the same position.

 

[MARINO1384]

Jeff Legwolds top 100 big board, it’s a free article so here’s the link..Warren at 4 and Nolen at 5 are way too high imo, also think he has Grant and Shemar Stewart too low.

Legwold ranks the 100 best NFL draft prospects: An annual list of the top names to know

Jeff Legwold reveals his top NFL draft prospect list for 2025, which is based purely on ability regardless of position. Who is No. 1?

www.espn.com

Shemar still too high, will be a major bust.

 

[MrClean]

Kippers new article on 13 players he’s higher on than the consensus and where they will end up, a few of our favorites on there..Savion Williams at 116 David Walker at 135, CJ west at 150, Upton Stout at 155 and Lampkin with one our 7ths would make day 3 of the draft an A+++ in my book.

Quarterback​

Dillon Gabriel, Oregon​

Gabriel is a winner. He won 46 of his 63 career starts over time at UCF, Oklahoma and Oregon. There is a lot of good football on his tape. And Gabriel was terrific in 2024, throwing for 3,857 yards with 30 touchdown passes and six interceptions. He also ran in seven scores.

At 5-foot-11 and 205 pounds, Gabriel is a rhythm passer with pinpoint accuracy and really impressive timing. He sees the field well, makes quick decisions and gets the ball out on time and on target. He completed 72.9% of his throws last season (third in the nation), and he was off target 6.1% of the time (second best). And Gabriel doesn't throw interceptions or turn the ball over. In six seasons, he has never thrown more than seven picks. Gabriel is sort of a poor man's Tua Tagovailoa in the way he plays (and not just because they are both lefties).

I probably should also mention Shedeur Sanders here. The Colorado quarterback is a Day 1 pick, so I went with Gabriel. But I am higher on Sanders than other evaluators, as he's my QB1 in the class -- even above Miami's Cam Ward. He's tough, accurate and surgical in how he picks apart a defense. He's going to be a very good pro.


Projection: I think Gabriel ends up going in the fourth or fifth round. He's my No. 8 quarterback right now, but he has the traits to emerge from the Day 3 group.

---

Running back​

Dylan Sampson, Tennessee​

This is a deep running back class, so it's hard to pick just one guy to highlight. I like Syracuse's LeQuint Allen a lot and thought about him. But I just love watching Sampson take off when he gets into space; he's a home run waiting to happen every time he touches the ball. He had 12 runs for 20 or more yards last season -- tied for 15th in the country -- en route to 1,491 rushing yards and 22 rushing TDs.

I see burst and conviction on the tape -- he sees the hole, commits and explodes through the gap. At 5-foot-8 and 200 pounds, Sampson runs with fierceness and contact balance, with 820 of his yards coming after first contact. Those traits are also useful at the goal line, where he can power in for six points. Inside 3 yards, he scored on eight of his 11 carries last season.

To top it all off, Sampson catches the ball well out of the backfield (37 receptions over the past two seasons) and is willing to step up as a blocker. That gives him some third-down upside in addition to his rushing ability.

Projection: Sampson will be a really good third- or fourth-round pick for a team that needs a boost in the run game. He's the RB6 on my current board, which will be finalized early this week. You know what you're going to get with Sampson. He's consistent. Consider that he had at least 100 rushing yards, averaged at least 5.0 yards per carry and scored at least one TD in eight of his 13 games last season.

---

Wide receiver​

Savion Williams, TCU​

Williams can do a lot of different things on offense, and a savvy NFL offensive coordinator will find ways to get him the football. TCU lined him up out wide on both sides of the field, in the slot and even as a Wildcat quarterback. He runs hard after the catch and breaks tackles, and he ran a solid 4.48-second 40-yard dash at the combine despite his big (6-foot-4, 222-pound) frame. Williams caught 60 passes last season, totaling 611 yards -- 419 of which came after the catch -- and six TDs.

Turn on the tape from the Horned Frogs' October game against Texas Tech to see all he can do. In the first quarter, he scored on a 35-yard run and a 75-yard catch. I think he could return kicks in the pros, too. Having that versatility and size/speed combination makes me think a little about Cordarrelle Patterson.

There are legitimate concerns about his hands, though. He doesn't always look natural catching the ball, and he has a tendency to body-catch too often. But he's improving there; I see more consistency.


Projection: We could see a bunch of receivers come off the board on Day 2, and Williams has a chance to go at the end of that run. If not, I think he's a really solid fourth-round pick as one of my top-10 receivers in this class.

---

Tight end​

Oronde Gadsden II, Syracuse​

At 6-foot-5 and 243 pounds, Gadsden is basically a wide receiver in a tight end's body. He catches everything. Gadsden had 73 receptions for 934 yards and seven TDs last season. Forty-six of those catches went for first downs, and 19 of them came on contested plays. He missed most of the 2023 season with a foot injury, but he produced back in 2022, too, with 969 receiving yards.

It doesn't matter if the ball is throw high, low, off target, whatever ... he's likely going to bring it in. But blocking will be a question mark in his evaluation. Gadsden needs to get stronger and play with more physicality when aligning in-line and taking on pass rushers.


Projection: His father, Oronde Gadsden, played receiver for the Dolphins from 1998 to 2003. He went undrafted, but his son looks like an early-Day-3-pick to me. I actually have him ranked with my H-backs right now, second on that list behind Bowling Green's Harold Fannin Jr.

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Offensive tackle​

Charles Grant, William & Mary​

I've been high on Grant since the preseason. His upside is really intriguing. At 6-foot-5 and 311 pounds with long 34¾-inch arms, he is a true left tackle. Grant wrestled in high school, and you can see that background in the way he plays. He has explosive movements and is physical at the point of attack.

Despite 41 career starts, Grant's game is still raw. He will need time to develop and get coached up in the pros. Grant also hasn't played against elite competition in the FCS, and a knee injury kept him out of the Senior Bowl. But I just love watching him play, and I think he has the traits to make an impact on an NFL offensive line. Grant allowed just two sacks over his final three seasons.


Projection: Grant is a sleeper, but I had him in the three-round mock draft that Field Yates and I did last week. As one of the top 10 offensive tackles in this class, I see him as a third- or fourth-round pick.

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Guard​

Marcus Mbow, Purdue​

Mbow has played right tackle for the past two seasons after playing primarily at right guard in 2022. So he has some versatility, but I have Mbow as a guard in the pros. He has 32-inch arms on his 6-foot-4, 303-pound frame, and his traits align better with blocking inside.

He's fun to watch. Mbow has really good movement traits, and he can wreck defenders downfield once he pops to the second level. He hits moving targets really well. But what makes his tape so entertaining is his urgency. Mbow attacks every single play and never quits, playing right through the whistle.


Projection: Yet another player who should go in the third or fourth round. Mbow's draft range really depends on how quickly the guards come off the board. He's in the top five at the position on my Big Board.

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Center​

Willie Lampkin, North Carolina​

Lampkin is a smaller prospect at 5-foot-11 and 290 pounds. But he is a fierce competitor with a ton of versatility. I'd want those kinds of players on my team.

Over 61 starts and five seasons, Lampkin has played significant snaps at both guard positions and center -- and he even saw 72 snaps at left tackle back in 2020. Over that time, he allowed just one sack. Lampkin levels defenders, but he's never on the ground himself. He got after it every single snap while facing some tough ACC defensive tackles. His technique is sound, and he plays in balance in pass protection. I just want to see fewer lapses in concentration.

You might scan my interior offensive line rankings and not be able to find Lampkin. Well, check the fullback/H-back list, where he's No. 4. Similar to how Baltimore's Patrick Ricardhas been used at both defensive tackle and fullback, I think there's a case for Lampkin to see some fullback snaps in the NFL.


Projection: Lampkin is a late-Day 3 prospect, likely going somewhere in Rounds 5-7. He will make a team.

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Defensive tackle​

CJ West, Indiana​

The low man often wins at the line of scrimmage, and West has a low center of gravity and strong hands to get into linemen. His tape shows excellent technique, power and tenacity, which make him difficult to block. And at 6-foot-1 and 316 pounds, he gets enough push to collapse the pocket. I even see some pass-rush upside, though he had just two sacks last season. He ran a solid 4.95 in the 40-yard dash at the combine, so he has the speed to get home on the quarterback.

West, who transferred from Kent State to Indiana before the 2023 season, was a big part of the Hoosiers' run to the College Football Playoff. His run defense was solid, with 12 run stops and 8.5 tackles for loss. In fact, it was the fourth straight season that West had at least seven tackles for loss and double-digit run stops.


Projection: Early Day 3 makes sense, even though I snuck him into our three-round mock draft last week, giving him to the Eagles late on Day 2. He's the DT8 on my Big Board at the moment.

Kiper: NFL draft prospects I like more than most at every position, plus when all 13 could get picked

Mel Kiper Jr.'s annual list of NFL draft favorites includes two FCS standouts, a sleeper QB and a few powerful offensive playmakers.

www.espn.com

I want Lampkin badly enough that I'd use a 5 and not risk waiting til the 7th.

 

[MARINO1384]

Booker is sort of a wild card in how well he'd fit with Miami, for lack of a better word. We've all been led to believe the wide zone as employed by any offense from the Shanahan tree requires mobile OGs with good shuttle and forty times. That's what we mostly look for when trying to guess which OGs to mock to Miami.
Two of the LGs who played a total of 9 years under Kyle Shanahan in SF tell a different story, in a manner of speaking. Laken Tomlinson for 5 seasons, and Aaron Banks for the last 4.
Tomlinson's shuttle at the Combine was 4.87, and he improved to 4.71 at his Pro Day. His forty was 5.33 at the Combine, and he improved it to 5.22 at his pro day. His ten-yard was 1.89 and 1.75, respectively.
Banks' shuttle was 4.92 at his Pro Day, his forty was 5.34, and his ten was 1.91. He didn't work out at the Combine.
Booker's shuttle was 4.84, forty was 5.38, and ten was 1.89 at the Combine. At his Pro Day, his shuttle was 4.65 and his ten was 1.90.
The SF offense functioned well with either of them as their LGs. As you can see, when it comes to shuttles and sprints, Booker compares very favorably. Banks just got a big contract to sign with the Packers, and they run the same scheme and their GM is one of the best in the league, IMO.
So, before we discount Booker out of hand as to how he'd do in our offense, we should consider how similar players did in the same offense playing the same position.

Power to the left, finesse to the right,
Tua deep to the middle leads to Waddle out of sight

 

[Finsup1981]

Booker is sort of a wild card in how well he'd fit with Miami, for lack of a better word. We've all been led to believe the wide zone as employed by any offense from the Shanahan tree requires mobile OGs with good shuttle and forty times. That's what we mostly look for when trying to guess which OGs to mock to Miami.
Two of the LGs who played a total of 9 years under Kyle Shanahan in SF tell a different story, in a manner of speaking. Laken Tomlinson for 5 seasons, and Aaron Banks for the last 4.
Tomlinson's shuttle at the Combine was 4.87, and he improved to 4.71 at his Pro Day. His forty was 5.33 at the Combine, and he improved it to 5.22 at his pro day. His ten-yard was 1.89 and 1.75, respectively.
Banks' shuttle was 4.92 at his Pro Day, his forty was 5.34, and his ten was 1.91. He didn't work out at the Combine.
Booker's shuttle was 4.84, forty was 5.38, and ten was 1.89 at the Combine. At his Pro Day, his shuttle was 4.65 and his ten was 1.90.
The SF offense functioned well with either of them as their LGs. As you can see, when it comes to shuttles and sprints, Booker compares very favorably. Banks just got a big contract to sign with the Packers, and they run the same scheme and their GM is one of the best in the league, IMO.
So, before we discount Booker out of hand as to how he'd do in our offense, we should consider how similar players did in the same offense playing the same position.

Great points, I just feel there are other guards that would fit what we do better, for example Jackson and Savaiinaea give you that same power and nastiness but can also get to the 2nd level much better and tested far better at the combine, plus I think he has the ability to fill in at tackle in a pinch whereas Booker is strictly a guard. I wouldn’t be unhappy with Booker because he can’t be worse than Eich but only if some of these other guys are off the board.