Category: 2024 NFL draft

Saints pick LSU star receiver in ESPN’s latest 2024 NFL mock draft

The Saints picked LSU star Malik Nabers in ESPN’s latest 2024 NFL mock draft. But does it matter who the receivers are with Derek Carr throwing at them?

This would sure be popular in Louisiana: ESPN’s Jordan Reid shared his latest 2024 NFL mock draft on Wednesday, which has the New Orleans Saints selecting LSU Tigers wide receiver Malik Nabers in the first round. Reid used ESPN’s Football Power Index tool to project the final draft order based off each team’s remaining schedule, which has the Saints slotted in at No. 15.

Nabers leads the nation with 981 receiving yards off of 56 receptions, including 9 touchdown catches. He’s been a highly effective deep threat in the LSU offense while catching 13 of his 20 receptions on targets at 20-plus yards downfield, and that’s an area the New Orleans offense could improve. They’ve taken a lot of shots downfield without enough success.

But does it matter who the receivers are with Derek Carr throwing at them? The 150-game veteran hasn’t looked the part in his first seven starts with New Orleans, routinely missing open receivers and too often checking the ball down well short of the sticks. His 43.2% success rate (defined at Pro Football Reference as a play which gains at least 40% of yards required on first down, 60% on second down, and 100% on third or fourth down) ranks 20th among the league’s 32 starting quarterbacks.

Carr is at fault for many of the offense’s struggles this season, and his contract structure means he’ll be on the roster until 2025 at least. Changing the weapons won’t change him, though the appeal of adding Nabers to a receiving corps of Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, and maybe Michael Thomas (should he re-sign in 2024) is obvious.

Here’s what Reid had to say about Nabers’ fit in New Orleans:

The Saints have a decision to make with Michael Thomas in the offseason. But even if they keep him, they must continue to find offensive playmakers for Derek Carr. New Orleans ranks 28th in yards per play this season (4.6).

Nabers has been one of the most explosive players in the country this season, with an FBS-leading 981 receiving yards. His game complements the downfield ability of Chris Olave, plus he has the versatility to threaten defenses from either the slot or the outside.

Additionally, Reid identified the offensive and defensive lines as additional team needs for the Saints. Some prospects to monitor in those groups who went off the board around New Orleans’ pick in this mock draft include Illinois defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton and Houston left tackle Patrick Paul, plus defensive ends Bralen Trice (Washington) and Laiatu Latu (UCLA). Any of them could help the team.

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Scouting notebook from CFB Week 8: Big Ten stars on the rise, another McCaffrey and more

2024 Scouting notebook from CFB Week 8: Big Ten stars on the rise, another McCaffrey and more

The Week 8 matchups in college football provided several key proving grounds for some prominent NFL draft prospects for 2024. Some looked worthy, while others showed more potential flaws. It also was a weekend where a couple of unheralded players shone.

Here are some notes and observations from a busy scouting weekend.

Titans’ updated list of 2024 NFL draft picks after Kevin Byard trade

An updated look at the Titans’ list of 2024 NFL draft picks after the Kevin Byard trade with the Eagles.

The Tennessee Titans made a blockbuster trade on Monday afternoon, with the team trading one of its franchise greats, safety Kevin Byard, to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a player and two picks.

The blockbuster part of the deal comes from the Titans trading Byard, but their return was anything but exciting. Tennessee netted 2024 picks in the fifth and sixth rounds, and received a throw-in player in safety Terrell Edmunds, who won’t be part of this team’s future plans.

According to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones, the two picks the Titans receive will be the highest in each round.

According to NFL Mock Draft Database, Philly’s highest pick in each round is currently No. 144 and No. 170. Of course, we won’t know for sure where any of Tennessee’s picks land until the season is over.

While definitely an underwhelming return for Byard, the Titans had to get something for an aging player who likely wasn’t going to be back in 2024. Also, Tennessee now has picks in the fifth and sixth rounds, which they didn’t have prior to the deal.

With the two picks added, the Titans now have seven overall in next year’s draft. Here’s a look at all of them:

NFL mock draft 2024: New projection with 6 months to go

Who should the Jaguars be eying in the 2024 NFL draft?

The Jacksonville Jaguars spent many years giving their fans more reason to look at the updated draft order rather than the playoff picture. That’s not the case in 2023, though.

After four straight wins, the Jaguars are currently leading the AFC South.

But Jacksonville’s roster isn’t perfect either. What should the Jaguars do with their first round pick if they wind up picking near the tail end of the first round again?

Here’s a projection of what the first round of the 2024 NFL draft could look like with about six months until it begins in Detroit next April:

Jayden Daniels pushing for first-round grade and Heisman trophy after 62-0 blowout win

Daniels is working his way into the first-round draft conversation and Heisman Trophy consideration

The LSU Tigers are no stranger to astonishing quarterback performances. It was only four years ago that Joe Burrow stunned the world with his National Championship and Heisman run. Now seemingly walking in the footsteps of Burrow, senior quarterback Jayden Daniels is putting up a season to remember and shoving his name into the Heisman race.

Over his last five games, Daniels has managed to score a mind-blowing twenty total touchdowns and a 4-1 record during that stretch, only losing in a close game to the ranked Ole Miss team. Daniels has looked snappy as a passer, creating plays with snappy decision-making and gorgeous out-of-pocket plays. Daniels is showing his experience and growth as a passer and combining it with his big arm and physical talents.

While it will be very difficult for LSU to find themselves in the playoff race, it has hardly been the fault of their star quarterback. If Daniels can continue to keep up his ridiculous pace on the season, he could find himself challenging the top Heisman contenders and the LSU record books (albeit for second place behind Burrow).

Daniels progress has surely not gone unnoticed in the front offices of NFL teams either. Daniels possesses pro-level arm strength, and his growth at the position is as impressive as anyone this season. It remains to be seen if he can put himself up there with the likes of Caleb Williams or Drake Maye, but it does just add to a ridiculously stacked quarterback class that could see as many as six signal-callers go in day one.

North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye building up No.1 overall pick buzz

No player is pushing harder to be the top pick than North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye.

Ever since the beginning of the season, there has been one name that has unanimously sat at the top of most pundits’ draft boards for the 2024 NFL draft, and that has been USC’s Caleb Williams. With some recent downturn in USC’s success and an uptick in play from other quarterbacks, North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye has pushed his name into the conversation for that number one overall pick.

Possessing prototypical size, arm strength, and athleticism, Maye is the prototypical modern NFL quarterback. He has used his prototypical skills and developed into one of the best signal callers in the entire country, putting up his most impressive season yet. With 1,902 yards passing and 16 total touchdowns on the season Maye has been the leading force of a Tar Heels offense that has seriously impressed and pushed to a 6-1 record after their recent loss to Virginia.

Maye possesses all the talent you could want in a prototypical passer and with his level of play being up there with anyone in the country, he has certainly left an impression on decision-makers for each of the 32 NFL teams. If Maye can continue to progress and put up another solid year he could place himself as a shocking front-runner for the top pick of the 2024 NFL draft.

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How the Texans could draft Florida State WR Keon Coleman

Houston Texans QB C.J. Stroud highlighted FSU receiver Keon Coleman on ESPN College GameDay. Would Coleman have a shot playing in Houston?

Tank Dell is C.J. Stroud’s favorite receiver from the 2023 NFL draft, but the Houston Texans quarterback may have signaled another from the 2024 class.

The No. 2 overall picked joined ESPN College GameDay Oct. 20 from the site of Ohio State versus Penn State to make the program’s celebrity picks. During the slate of games, Stroud picked Florida State over Duke, and broke down one of the Seminole receivers as a big reason for his selection.

“I’m going Florida State,” Stroud said. “I like Keon Coleman, one of the receivers. I think he’ll be a top draft pick. Yeah, he’s a beast. I like the offense that they run.”

The Texans were able to land Dell in the third round. How difficult would it be for the Texans to take Coleman?

According to Trevor Sikkema from Pro Football Focus, Coleman would go in the top-10 if the draft were held this week.

The Giants may use their first-round pick on the trenches when all is said and done, but for now, we’ll give them an offensive weapon — specifically, a mold they don’t have in a contested-catch machine. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Coleman has hauled in four contested catches already this season.

Certainly the Texans wouldn’t be picking in the top-10, not with their 3-3 record, and not with their holding just the Cleveland Browns’ first-rounder. Try No. 14 overall. It would take another receiver-needy team prioritizing another wideout above Coleman for Houston to have a shot.

Receiver may not even be an area of concern for the Texans by April. Consider Nico Collins would be entering the final year of his contract and presumably coming off a career year. Dell would also enter his second season, and the club would have a better grasp of what John Metchie could bring to the offense.

At least Stroud knows what’s out there.

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Best-case scenario for the 1st 10 picks in the 2024 NFL draft

Which players can help the teams in the Top 10 of the 2024 NFL draft?

Anytime we look at the NFL draft in terms of a mock draft, there are a couple of ways to approach it. You can approach the draft like a prediction in playing GM for all 32 teams. Or you can offer up a true prediction even if you don’t agree with the picks, it’s more about what you would think the team would do.

This time around, we decided to do a little experiment. Only using the first 10 picks, let’s try and give those teams the best-case scenario regardless of team need or player rankings. Some of these are going to surprise you.

Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr. impresses with huge game vs Penn State

Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. looked like the best player in college football on Saturday.

There is no denying the Ohio State offense is now what it has been in recent years. There is no top-tier quarterback or blue-chip running back to help carry the load. But the Buckeyes do have a Maserati.

Marvin “Maserati” Harrison Jr. rose to the occasion on Saturday against Penn State and despite the struggles by quarterback Kyle McCord, threw the offense on his back to push the Buckeyes to the win.

Harrison finished with a career-high 11 catches for 162 yards and one touchdown. This might not be his best performance of the season statistically but it is games like this that NFL teams point to when they consider if a receiver is worth a Top Five pick.

At this point, the gap between Harrison and whoever you consider the second-best wide receiver in the country is widening. And that is with all due respect to guys like LSU’s Malik Nabers, Florida State’s Keon Coleman and Washington’s Rome Odunze. All great players but Harrison is the guy you draft and know even as a rookie he will make his new team better from day one.

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Penn State CB Daequan Hardy shows NFL traits against Ohio State’s offense

Penn State cornerback Daequan Hardy is showing up something big vs. Ohio State with multiple NFL teams in attendance.

It should come as no surprise that Saturday’s matchup between Penn State and Ohio State is on the radar of every NFL team… and it’s not just people watching Buckeyes receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.

There’s all kinds of talent on both rosters, and early on in this game, it was Penn State cornerback Daequan Hardy who showed up with two passes defenses as Ohio State tried to get the ball in the end zone. No dice, said Mr. Hardy.

Coming into this game, Hardy had allowed six catches on 15 targets for 36 yards, 20 yards after the catch, no touchdowns, two interceptions, one pass breakup, and an opponent passer rating of 1.0.

Hardy also had two punt return touchdowns against UMass.

The 5-foot-9, 181-pound Hardy has been showing out all season long, and it will be interesting to see what his 2024 draft stock looks like.