Category: 2024 NFL Mock Draft

2024 NFL Draft: Florida State WR Johnny Wilson scouting report

Florida State receiver Johnny Wilson is a giant for his current position. Will NFL teams be able to convince him to switch to tight end?

A four-star recruit out of Calabasas High School in Pacoima, California, Johnny Wilson had offers from Florida State, Georgia, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, Texas, UCLA and Washington on the table. He originally committed to Oregon, and then changed his choice to Arizona State to play under head coach Herm Edwards. He then transferred to Florida State for the 2022 season after everything fell apart for the Sun Devils. In 2023, Wilson caught 41 passes on 70 targets for 617 yards and two touchdowns. Four of those receptions came on passes of 20 or more air yards for 131 yards.

The interesting question about Wilson at the NFL level is whether he can be convinced to be a tight end. Based on his media session at the combine, it’ll be a tough go.

“If you go look at the Louisville game, the tape speaks for itself,” he told me. “I feel like every week, I showed what I can do. Just look at the Clemson game; they had an elite defense, but I was able to create separation and make some plays against them.”

PLUSES

— Wilson’s measurables (6′ 6⅜”, 231, 84½” wingspan) are all 97th to 99th percentile for receivers since 1999. He uses all of that to make himself a consistent contested catch winner with height and size, but also subtle pushoffs and the ability to box cornerbacks out from the line of scrimmage.

— Wilson isn’t the twitchiest receiver in short areas, but he’s better moving into the angles of his routes than you might expect with this many moving parts. Can turn sharply into slants, comebacks, and curls.

— Has decent acceleration in a straight line, though he’s not a third-level burner.

— Can beat press coverage with good foot-feints and crossovers from the line of scrimmage.

MINUSES

— For a guy this size, you’d certainly want to see a wider catch radius. Too many misses when the ball isn’t thrown in his area.

— Had five drops last season, most of which were timing-related.

— Needs to catch the ball away from his body to take better advantage of his ridiculous frame.

— Blocking is iffy at best, which you don’t want to see from a guy this huge. He’s more adept at using that physicality to gain separation than he is a blocker with intent.

— Not quite the YAC monster you might expect.

Maybe teams can convince Wilson to believe in a WR/TE hybrid role where he can win as both an X-Iso and a Y-Iso player. There are things he needs to clean up before he’ll be able to fulfill his athletic potential, but I’d be interested in thinking outside the box a bit in this instance. He brings a lot of fascinating possibilities to the right offense.

The Xs and Os with Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar: Doug’s favorite underrated draft prospects

In this week’s Xs and Os, Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar discuss Ricky Pearsall, Malik Washington, Renardo Green, Max Melton, Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, and Javon Bullard.

In this week’s episode of “The Xs and Os with Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar,” the guys get into six of Doug’s favorite underrated prospects in the 2024 NFL draft — players who most likely won’t hear their names called in the first round next Thursday night, but who all can provide serious value to their soon-to-be NFL teams. Two weeks ago, we focused on “Greg’s Guys” in that same regard. Now, here are Doug’s favorites.

Florida receiver Ricky Pearsall — Will Pearsall be able to maintain his gliding speed, route awareness and amazing catches into contact at the NFL level? We’re betting on “yes.”

Virginia receiver Malik Washington — Washington is a shorter (but not thin) player who can create explosive plays all over the field; a team like the Chiefs (for example) should be watching as much of his tape as possible right now.

Florida State cornerback Renardo Green — Green projects well as an outside cornerback despite a lack of desired size, but how will his NFL team deploy him?

Rutgers cornerback Max Melton — In Melton’s case, his NFL team will love his ability to match receivers all over the field, and they’ll likely see the necessary technique fixes as a worthy time investment.

Texas Tech safety Dadrion Taylor-Demerson — More than any other safety in this class, Taylor-Demerson has field-scalding speed when in coverage. If he can tamp down the more rogue elements of his athleticism, he could be an easy Pro Bowler.

Georgia safety Javon Bullard — Over the last two seasons, Georgia asked Bullard to completely change his positional profile in ways most college defenders are not asked to do, and he did it all very well. That should make him an easy prospect for most NFL teams.

You can watch this week’s “X and Os” right here:

You can also listen and subscribe to the “Xs and Os” podcast on Spotify…

…and on Apple Podcasts. 

2024 NFL Draft: Florida WR Ricky Pearsall scouting report

Florida WR Ricky Pearsall is a speed slot receiver with all kinds of game-breaking ability in the right NFL offense. He made the NCAA’s Catch of the Year in 2023.

A three-star prospect from Corona Del Sol High School in Chandler, Arizona, Ricky Pearsall committed to Arizona State over offers from Air Force,
Hawaii, and New Mexico State due to then-head coach Herm Edwards’ interest in him. Pearsall caught 61 passes for 794 yards and five touchdowns in three seasons with the Sun Devils before transferring to Florida after things went south for Edwards and the program. 2023 was Pearsall’s best season overall in five of them — he caught 65 balls on 87 targets for 963 yards and four touchdowns, with 11 catches on 20 targets of 20 or more air yards for 342 yards and all four of his touchdowns.

Pearsall isn’t a do-it-all receiver, but the things he does, he does very well, and he should be a plus vertical threat from the slot in the NFL.

PLUSES

— Tested off the charts in most combine drills that presage speed and explosiveness, and that shows up on tape. Pearsall works off the snap with smooth, gliding speed to get to his route bend.

— Very good understanding of the route tree, and how to use the nuances of routes to upend coverage.

— If your NFL team employs a lot of motion, you’ll love Pearsall as a guy who can get up to full speed when moving pre-snap and get into his concepts quickly.

— 6′ 1″, 189-pound frame, and he can win outside. Not an X-iso guy, but he’ll band it inside from tight splits and he can run the Cover- 3 beater up the seam all day long.

— Has some juice as a contested-catch receiver, both by using speed to separate at the ball point, and with some truly insane timed jumps.

— Clearly not afraid of contact in the open field; his preposterous catch against Charlotte (shown below) proves that. He had another catch against LSU into two defenders that was just about as ridiculous.

MINUSES

— The blocking tape is… well, really bad. Far too much “bad matador” reps. Seems more of a technique issue than a lack of willingness to get physical.

— Pearsall can gain yards after the catch and force missed tackles, but it’s far more through elusiveness than any kind of physical dominance.

— Needs free space to operate. He’ll require his NFL coaches to scheme him into that.

— Red zone efficiency will be affected until he’s more consistent in getting push against tacklers. You don’t expect him to be Deebo Samuel or anything, but he gets tackled a bit more easily than you might prefer.

The NFL is about matchups as much as it is about schemes, and Pearsall projects well as a move and motion target with great route awareness, quickness everywhere on the field, and fearless acrobatic catches. If Pearsall can bring a slightly more physical profile to his after-contact opportunities and learn to block to any degree, his coaches are not going to want to take him off the field.

Okay, now WATCH THIS FREAKING CATCH.

The Xs and Os with Greg Cosell: Paths to NFL success for 2024 draft quarterbacks

In this week’s “Xs and Os,” the guys talk NFL success for Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, Michael Penix Jr., and J.J. McCarthy.

One of the hardest things to do in any sport is to correctly predict the paths to success for draftable quarterbacks in their transition to the NFL. For every quarterback who becomes a success in the NFL. there are at least two who don’t. Some of those quarterbacks excelled in collegiate offenses that fluffed up their skill sets, but those skill sets just don’t work in the league. Some quarterbacks find themselves with the wrong coaching situation, and the connection required to get things going at the next level just isn’t there.

So, when we look to the 2024 draft, and the major quarterbacks therein, how can we best extrapolate success? In this week’s “Xs and Os with Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar,” the guys get into the universal traits required for NFL success, and specific fits for these specific quarterbacks:

Caleb Williams, USC — Can Williams’ NFL coaches tamp down his more rogue tendencies, without muting the special off-schedule things he can accomplish?

Jayden Daniels, LSU — How can Daniels’ NFL coaches keep the explosive aspects of his college offense going while further developing the nuances Daniels already understands?

Drake Maye, North Carolina — Maye’s NFL coaches will need to temper their enthusiasm for a physical resume that is pro-ready right now, while working to accentuate the things that still need work.

Michael Penix Jr., Washington — With Penix, how much will his injury history and performance against defensive pressure mitigate his ball-winning downfield accuracy?

J.J. McCarthy, Michigan — McCarthy is the most prominent “game manager” in this class, so how will his NFL coaches make the most of his skills, while understanding that he’s just not an explosive play waiting to happen?

If you’re missing Oregon’s Bo Nix here, we didn’t discuss Nix in this episode because we recently talked ball and watched tape with Nix for nearly an hour. You can find that episode right here:

The Xs and Os with Greg Cosell: Watching tape with Oregon QB Bo Nix

As to this week’s “Xs and Os,” you can watch it (and subscribe to our YouTube channel) right here:

You can also listen and subscribe to “The Xs and Os” podcast on Spotify…

…and on Apple Podcasts.

2024 NFL Draft: Texas WR Xavier Worthy scouting report

Texas receiver Xavier Worthy’s record-breaking speed shows up on the field, but his limitations could impede his NFL journey.

Speed kills, and absolute speed kills absolutely. Texas receiver Xavier Worthy has absolute speed.

It was easy enough to diagnose that from watching his game tape, but when Worthy went to the 2024 scouting combine and set the record with a 4.21-second 40-yard dash, that was the clincher. And it was the only instance in which Worthy put up preposterous numbers.

Now, the height/weight profile could be a problem. There are other smaller speed receivers who have succeeded in the NFL, but the guys who have done it in the modern era generally check in a bit heavier — more on the 180-pound scale.

So, will Worthy’s NFL team stick with his weight as is, or try to beef him up a bit without losing any of that explosive potential? We can but wait and see.

PLUSES

— Record-breaking speed shows up on the field; Worthy can house a handoff or a quick screen, and he’s very adept at gaining separation in a straight line downfield.

— Has a nice sense of foot feints to get off press at the line of scrimmage and will then head into Acceleration Mode.

— Turns into his routes with little need to slow down and re-accelerate.

— Wins with late hands to the ball as it’s coming in.

— His ability to get open and up to top speed out of motion could make him a terrifying target in the right NFL offense.

— Not just a go/post/seam guy, Worthy will stick his foot in the ground to re-direct, and he’s got a pretty diverse route profile.

MINUSES

— For all his explosive potential, Worthy had just six catches of 20 or more air yards last season on 23 targets for 234 yards and two touchdowns.

— Focus drops are a legitimate issue; Worthy doesn’t have much of a catch radius, and he isn’t excited about heading into traffic.

— Blocking is more performative than effective.

— Creates YAC with speed as opposed to any sort of physicality; he’s not a contested catch player in the traditional sense, and his after-contact potential is iffy.

Worthy is more of a nuanced receiver than the speed numbers would have you believe. On the other hand, he isn’t as explosively effective as you’d like for a guy with his rare traits. A lot of that can be worked through with NFL coaching, but 5′ 11¼” and 165 pounds is what it is. Worthy’s NFL team had best have a clear plan for his schematic success.

2024 NFL Draft: South Carolina QB Spencer Rattler scouting report

South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler overcame the NCAA’s worst protection in 2023 to avail himself as a starting NFL prospect in the right offense.

A consensus five-star recruit out of Pinnacle High School in Phoenix, Arizona, Spencer Rattler was the No. 1 quarterback prospect in 2019, and he chose Oklahoma over just about every other program. He transferred to South Carolina in 2022 after losing the starting job for the Sooners to Caleb Williams in 2021, and after one average season for the Gamecocks, Rattler came around in 2023… or, he came around as much as his offensive line would let him.

With perhaps the NCAA’s worst protection last season, the 6′ 0¼”, 211-pound Rattler still completed 274 of 403 passes for 3,183 yards, 19 touchdowns, eight interceptions, and a quarterback rating of 99.1.

Evaluating Rattler as an NFL prospect is a bit of a struggle, because South Carolina’s passing game was pretty dysfunctional, but there’s enough on tape to see him as a credible starter in the right offense.

PLUSES

— Operated behind what was likely the NCAA’s worst offensive line and was still responsible for a lot of structured explosive plays.

— Pocket movement is a plus attribute; Rattler is very good at staying in the boxing ring and moving away from pressure. Bailing out of the pocket isn’t his default. He’ll also stand and deliver in the pocket when he’s about to get walloped.

— Natural move quarterback who quickly gets his body turned to the target, which allows him to stay on point with his mechanics and boots and scrambles.

— Has the arm to throw comfortably to all levels of the field. It’s not a Howitzer, but it’s not a weakness, either.

— Unafraid to throw downfield into tight windows, and has the touch and velocity to do so.

— Has a lot on the ball as a runner, both in designed concepts and when things do break down. Forced 15 missed tackles on 28 rushing attempts last season.

MINUSES

— Rattler is more of a “see it and throw it” guy than a true anticipation thrower; you’d like to see more instances where he throws his target open.

— Most of Rattler’s pressures and sacks were on his line, but if he could speed up his internal clock just a hair, it would help.

— Has stretches of “Bad Russell Wilson” where he’ll just hold onto the ball, and you’re yelling at the screen for him to get the dang thing out.

— Has a tendency to throw interceptions that are more “WTF” throws by Rattler than specifically heroic efforts by the defenders. His downfield vision aligns with his throw timing and can be a tick late.

There is a rogue element to Rattler’s play that very much brings Baker Mayfield to mind, and it would likely be more effective behind an offensive line that wasn’t actively participating in his demise. If you’re stuck in the group that has him as a third-day pick, I get it, but the more you watch him, the more you tend to like him and his NFL potential.

2024 NFL Draft: North Carolina State LB Payton Wilson scouting report

North Carolina LB Payton Wilson is an ideal three-down defender at the NFL level, capable of just about everything a linebacker can do.

The winner of the 2023 Butkus Award as the nation’s top linebacker, the 2023 Bednarik Award as the nation’s best defensive player, and the ACC Defensive Player of the Year, Payton Wilson was a four-star recruit out of Orange High School in Hillsborough, North Carolina. He missed his freshman season of 2018 due to knee injuries, but came on in 2019, and never looked back. In the Wolfpack’s 2023 season, Wilson totaled six sacks, 22 total pressures, 92 solo tackles, 67 stops, and he allowed 24 catches on 37 targets for 221 yards, 164 yards after the catch, no touchdowns, three interceptions, three pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 47.2.
Linebackers have been devalued to a degree in the NFL, but linebackers like Wilson, who has such impressive and efficient versatility, don’t come around every day, either.

PLUSES

— Depending on where he’s aligned pre-snap, can cover everywhere from the flat to hook/curl. An instinctive natural in coverage.

— Can rush the quarterback off-ball and on the line of scrimmage. Has the speed to chase down mobile quarterbacks all over the field, and can even get a little bendy around the edge.

— Gap-shooting expert who will quickly cross the faces of blockers, and moves to the ballcarrier in a hurry.

— Reacts quickly and intelligently to fakes and misdirection to the line of scrimmage; you can tell that he has a quick-twitch brain.

— Reads the quarterback well enough to break off of his first responsibility and deal with whatever he wasn’t expecting.

MINUSES

— Tends to live on a straight line in pursuit; occasionally, he’ll get waylaid by bigger guys whomping him from the side.

— Can cover tight ends up the seam, but he’s better near the line of scrimmage. More a true linebacker than a big safety.

— Hell-bent style of play will occasionally have him whiffing mightily in the open field.

— Decent recovery speed for his position, but he really needs to be on his target from the snap.

— Gets his tackles in the backfield more from quickness and gap understanding than pure power; he’s not your ideal guy for “Jacked Up!” highlights.

If you like Frankie Luvu as a hyper-versatile linebacker (and if you don’t, what the heck is wrong with you?), Wilson profiles very much the same way as a true three-down ‘backer in any scheme. There isn’t much he can’t do, and as much as anybody in this class, he personifies the modern linebacker who can take half the field over, and is a credible problem for opposing offenses in multiple ways.

2024 NFL Draft: Missouri DL Darius Robinson scouting report

Missouri DL Darius Robinson is an ideal modern NFL disruptor, because he can get it done all over the defensive line.

A three-star recruit at Canton High School in Canton, Michigan, Darius Robinson didn’t play organized football until his junior year. But he still had a couple of pressures as a true freshman in 2019, and worked his way up to First-Team All-SEC in 2023 despite an injury-plagued season. Last year, the 6′ 5⅛”, 285-pound Robinson was good for nine sacks, 42 total pressures, 22 solo tackles, and 22 stops, and he did that all over the defensive line — 81% EDGE, 19% defensive tackle, and 1% nose tackle.

Robinson projects as an ideal every-gap disruptor at the NFL level, and his athletic traits could have him as a plus lineman when his professional career expands.

PLUSES

— Very strong upper body; when Robinson gets into the blocker’s numbers with his hands, he can just collapse his opponent, and he has a great shock move to bring the blocker in and then just shed him aside.

— Freaky wingspan allows him to roll quickly with the inside counter; Robinson can cross your face before you know it.

— Excellent speed to and through the pocket.

— Has a bull-rush with serious potential; Robinson will be a tough go for NFL tackles in power situations. Once he gets a tackle on the track, the tackle is in big trouble.

— Can win everywhere from wide-9 to 3-tech.

— Got it done as a pass-rusher without the help of a lot of blitzes; had several pressures out of three-man fronts.

MINUSES

— Robinson will occasionally get over his skis in open space and just whiff on tackles.

— Needs to be highly aware of pad level and leverage, especially inside, or he’ll lose power battles right off the snap.

— Needs a better plan with his hands to avoid wrestling when he should be penetrating.

— Gets so involved in what’s in front of him that he’ll miss run keys that are a gap over.

I avoid same-school comparisons unless they’re unavoidable. In Robinson’s case, he had me thinking of Aldon Smith right away in the combination of wingspan and play speed. That Robinson generally rolled at 20-20 pounds heavier is a testament to Robinson’s unusual athletic profile for his size. There are things to clean up here, but the raw and refined tools make me think that he may disappear a bit in his rookie season, but over time, he could be a true multi-gap demolition expert.

2024 NFL Draft: Florida State QB Jordan Travis scouting report

If Florida State QB Jordan Travis had stayed healthy through his 2023 season, the 2024 NFL draft quarterback conversation would be a bit different.

Jordan Travis spent his first collegiate season at Louisville in the post-Lamar Jackson landscape, but he completed just four of 14 passes in 2018 for 71 yards, one touchdown, one interception, and a passer rating of 42.3. A transfer to Florida State allowed him to be far more prolific. Over five seasons with the Seminoles, Travis developed as a quarterback and as an athlete, and his school records prove the point.

Travis holds holds FSU career records for touchdown responsibility, total offense, quarterback rushing yards and quarterback rushing touchdowns. He is the only player in FSU history with more than 50 passing touchdowns and at least 12 rushing touchdowns, the only player in program history with three different streaks of at least 120 passes without an interception, the only player ranked Top 10 on FSU’s career passing touchdowns and rushing touchdowns lists, and he accounted for school-record 97 total touchdowns and 10,554 yards of total offense.

Last season, Travis completed 207 of 325 passes for 2,755 yards, 20 touchdowns, two interceptions, and a passer rating of 108.4. He also rushed 46 times for 279 yards and seven touchdowns.

Had he not suffered a leg fracture against North Alabama on November 18, Travis might be heading into this draft class with a different conversation regarding the top players at his position. NFL teams will have to weigh the injury against Travis’ productivity and potential, and I think he’ll come out on the right side of that equation.

PLUSES

— Compact, consistent delivery which allows him to get the ball out quickly once he sees it downfield.

— Has the pace and touch to succeed as a downfield thrower, and though anticipation is not really his game, Travis has a knack for getting the ball deep where his guy can get it.

— Height (6′ 1⅛”) isn’t an issue; Travis completed 134 of 198 passes over the middle and left/right middle last season for 1,785 yards, 617 air yards, 10 touchdowns, two interceptions, and a passer rating of 112.6.

— Forced 23 missed tackles and scored seven touchdowns in 46 rushing attempts last season; has some definite potential at the next level.

— Has no issue throwing to either side on the move, which will help him force open lanes outside the pocket.

MINUSES

— Needs to see his target come open before he’ll turn it loose. Can be vulnerable to opportunistic defenders as a result, and this will increase in the NFL.

— Has periods of inaccuracy when he gets cute with his upper body.

— Gets a bit wild and unstructured as a scrambler at times when he should just take a profit and move on.

I’m of the belief that if Travis hadn’t suffered a brutal leg fracture in mid-November, and if he had played through the 2023 season as he did pre-injury, the 2024 quarterback conversation would be a bit different. Not that he’s ready to compete with Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels, but in that second QB tier, he had enough going for him to climb into the boat.

2024 NFL Draft: Rutgers CB Max Melton scouting report

Rutgers CB Max Melton may be under the radar as a starting NFL cornerback, but the tape shows a natural match defender with great athletic attributes.

Max Melton comes from an athletic family. His father Gary played wide receiver and running back at Rutgers from 1987-91, and his mother Vicky, competed on the Rutgers women’s basketball team from 1989-93. Melton’s older brother Bo also played for the Scarlet Knights, was selected in the seventh round of the 2022 draft by the Seattle Seahawks, and caught 18 passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns for the Green Bay Packers last season.

Max Melton might have the highest profile in his family when all is said and done. A receiving and rushing star at Cedar Creek High School in Egg Harbor City, Atlantic County, New Jersey, Melton chose Rutgers as an obvious family proposition, and had his best of four collegiate seasons in 2023. Then, he allowed 24 catches on 44 targets for 252 yards, 72 yards after the catch, three touchdowns, three interceptions, three pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 65.7.

The 5-foot-11, 187-pund Melton is a bit under the radar as an outside cornerback in this class, but the tape shows an instinctive match defender with great athletic attributes.

PLUSES

— Natural match-and-carry cornerback in any scheme — zone/man, press/off.

— Will run foot-for-foot with any receiver; Melton has a frenetic playing style, but he’s able to keep it under control for the most part.

— Gave Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka all kinds of hassles vs. Ohio State.

— Smooth in his transitions and backpedal, and has excellent ball skills for deflections and interceptions.

— Can handle choice routes and other option concepts from the slot.

— 4.39 40-yard dash shows up on the field, as does the 40½” vertical jump and the 136″ broad jump (all high-percentile)

— Melton can get from Point A to Point B in a hurry, and he’s explosive to the ball when he gets there.

MINUSES

— Tackling is… well, a work in progress. He’s not going to get through blockers, and his tackling style is more pestering than truly bothersome.

— Doesn’t really have a concept of run fits.

— Recovery speed is nice, but he’ll give receivers too much of a cushion at times, which he doesn’t need to do.

— More of a man coverage expert; he’ll occasionally get a bit lost in zone.

Melton is a fascinating prospect. As a pass defender, he’s as sticky as anyone in this class. As a run defender, he doesn’t really look like he wants to be out there at all. I’m not sure how much his NFL coaches will be able to develop that killer instinct. I’m also not sure how much it matters, because his tape against the pass tells an important series of stories.