It’s been a while since I did this sort of thing before the draft but I felt like declaring some of the guys I like better than the consensus or just a little more than I probably should. I’ll throw out a few guys at the end I don’t particularly like. I’m not going to include some of the top guys like Marvin Harrison Jr. or Brock Bowers, everyone loves those guys.
My Guys
QB Drake Maye – North Carolina: He’s my favorite QB in the class. He has all the physical tools from a great arm to great athleticism to be on the move. He’s also got the pedigree. His dad was a QB at North Carolina and his brothers were top athletes too. This guy has been competing his whole life and he’s ready to do that in the NFL.
RB Trey Benson – Florida St.: There aren’t going to be a bunch of RBs drafted very high and with that, I only like a couple. Benson has the talent and physical skills to be awesome. He needs to work on waiting for the hole to open but he can be a joy to watch.
WR Rome Odunze – Washington: My favorite player in the draft. He’s going to be a stud. He’s big, physical, runs great routes, and absolutely bullies defenders when the ball is in the air. I haven’t loved a WR this much since Andre Johnson.
WR Ja’Lynn Polk – Washington: He’s also great at the catch point and while he isn’t a freak like Odunze, he’s a really good WR.
WR Jalen McMillan – Washington: That Washington WR corps was amazing and McMillan was even hurt for some time last year. He’s going to be a fantastic slot receiver immediately and he can have some success outside eventually.
WR Keon Coleman – Florida St.: I don’t care what they say about him being slow in the 40, this guy has some serious talent and he has great size. He also hasn’t just focused on football for very long, he originally went to Michigan St. and played football and basketball. He’s just scratching the surface of his talent, I think he has #1 WR upside.
OT Olu Fashanu – Penn St.: I have no idea why some have him sliding down a bit in round one. Other than Joe Alt, there isn’t a better OT in this draft. He’s big, physical and while he has some rounding out to do of his overall game, he’s a beast.
OL Graham Barton – Duke: Guys this talented and versatile don’t miss. He could be a Pro Bowl center, a All-Pro guard, or just a really solid OT. He’s going to be a steal.
C Zach Frazier – West Virginia: He’s going to be a starting center early in his career and then for a very long time. He’s a grinder.
DT Jer’Zhan “Johnny” Newton – Illinois: As much as I hate giving praise to an Illini player this dude is so good. I’ve been watching him destroy people for years at Illinois and he’s too good not to be an awesome pro. The only thing that could stop him is if the foot injury he’s recovering from persists.
CB/DB Cooper DeJean – Iowa: Of course, I love DeJean but seriously, he’s going to be awesome if a team uses all his talents. He’s so versatile it boggles the mind.
CB TJ Tampa – Iowa St.: I hate giving the Cyclones any credit even more than I hate giving it to Illinois but I like Tampa. Physical, tough CB with some fight in him. He’s going to be a better pro than some of the CBs drafted ahead of him.
Not My Guys
QB Jayden Daniels – LSU: I’m scared the Patriots are going to end up with him. He’s skinny, he runs around like a kamikaze, and when he runs it’s to run, he never runs to throw. It’s a dangerous combination against NFL defenders.
QB Michael Penix Jr – Washington: As great as he was at Washington, I think he was a product of a great offensive system and elite WR talent (I already mentioned those guys). I think if he isn’t in the perfect system with some great WR talent, it could be a problem. (Maybe the Seahawks should draft him)
QB Joe Milton – Tennessee: This guy has a cannon for an arm. That’s the only good QB trait he has. He should try playing TE.
RB Braelon Allen – Wisconsin: He lost his way at Wisconsin last year in their new offense but part of it’s his fault. He’s a big back who doesn’t play with the decisive power he should. If he finds it, he can be good, if not he’ll be lucky to be Ron Dayne in the pros.
WR Adonai Mitchell – Texas: He’s big, he’s fast, and he’s just not that good at doing WR things. He needs a lot of help to take advantage of his physical gifts. There is just something missing from his game.
WR Xavier Worthy – Texas: I promise I’m not picking on Texas WRs on purpose. Worthy is really, really fast, he’s also really, really small. He also lacks some WR skills that would make him a bit better.
DE Chop Robinson – Penn St.: He’s an incredible athlete but I’ve seen this before. He has one move, run really fast around the edge and hope you get to the QB. He has no pass rush moves and can’t finish at the QB.
CB Ennis Rakestraw – Missouri: He had almost no ball production and he’s undersized. I don’t mind an undersized CB if he has some playmaking traits but that’s not Rakestraw.
I basically don’t like any LBs or Safeties in this draft. If you have a need at either of those positions, good luck and don’t pick any of them early. LB Junior Colson and S Tyler Nubin might be starters eventually but I’m not going out of my way to draft those guys.
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