Category: 2024 NFL Mock Draft

2024 NFL Draft: Tulane QB Michael Pratt details his favorite college play

Tulane quarterback Michael Pratt’s favorite play in college was a leverage throw, and a pure progression read, for a touchdown. Here, he details it.

At the 2024 scouting combine, I was able to ask several draft prospects to give me their favorite plays from their college days – the ones they feel would best represent them to NFL teams. Next man up is Tulane quarterback Michael Pratt. 

Tulane’s offense has become pretty explosive under head coach Willie Fritz over the last two seasons, and Pratt has been a big part of that. Last season, he completed 185 of 283 passes for 2,405 yards, 24 touchdowns, five interceptions, and a passer rating of 110.5. And since he completed 24 of 53 passes of 20 or more air yards last season for 859 yards, nine touchdowns, two interceptions, and a passer rating of 115.8, it’s not a surprise that his favorite play with the Green Wave was a deep ball.

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Brown and Chris Brazzell II ran the over routes, Pratt liked what he saw to Brown when Rice safety Daveon Hook dropped to the flat from a Quarters look, and that’s how you get a 26-yard touchdown.

I have a sneaking suspicion that when Pratt gets in meeting rooms with NFL teams, he’ll impress them with his confident nature and football understanding. I could see him going in the high third day, probably as a third- or early fourth-round pick. He doesn’t blow you away with specific physical attributes, but he’s got it on lock when it comes to understanding the position.

2024 NFL Draft: Georgia OT Amarius Mims scouting report

Georgia offensive tackle Amarius Mims is one of the freakiest prospects we’ve seen in years. How much development will he need for his ultimate NFL success?

A composite five-star recruit out of Bleckley County High School in Cochran, Georgia, Mims stayed close to home by committing to Georgia, and he saw action in 2021 and 2022 as a reserve with 121 snaps at right tackle in 2021, and 383 in 2022.

Mims worked through injuries in 2023 that limited his snaps to 297, but when he was on the field, he allowed no sacks and one total pressure in 168 pass-blocking reps.

Why is Mims talked about as a first-round prospect with such limited experience? Athletic traits. At 6′ 7¾” ad 340 pounds, Mims brings a size/speed/agility profile to the position we don’t often see.

Mims’ NFL team will need to work with him on several foundational constructs before he’s able to fully realize that amazing potential, but as raw as his tape can be, you can also see why he’s prized as a prospect, and why he could be utterly amazing over time.

PLUSES

— Pure “Planet Theory” human being whose spider chart looks like science fiction; there just aren’t many people this big who can move like he does.
— Can move just about anybody in a straight line against their will.
— Shockingly agile on the move; Mims can get upfield quickly on screens and pulls and just bulldoze anybody in his way.
— Upper-body strength is comical; he’ll latch onto a defender and wind up just pushing and throwing the poor guy out of the octagon.
MINUSES
— Lack of experience shows up in limited technique; Mims needs work on his hands to latch and maintain through the block. He’s too leaky to either side to give up pressure.
— Also needs work on taking vision to execution, because he’s far too vulnerable to speed rushers crossing his face and zapping him with inside counters.
— Pass set is a work in progress; he’s more of a catcher than a fluid mover through the arc.
— Stunts and games might be a problem until he gets the hang of reading things through the play.

Mims is unquestionably a developmental prospect, but when you watch his tape, you understand exactly why some NFL team is highly likely to throw that first-round flier in. Over time, and with the right coaching, he has the athletic potential to be a rare prospect at right or left tackle.

2024 NFL Draft: Alabama OT JC Latham scouting report

Alabama offensive lineman JC Latham could be a great right tackle or guard at the next level, but he needs to align more agility to his power.

A unanimous five-star recruit out of Catholic Memorial High School in Waukesha, Wisconsin and the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, Latham committed to Alabama and saw action as a right guard right away. He moved to right tackle in the 2022 season, allowing no sacks and 12 total pressures in 517 pass-blocking reps, with knockdown blocks all over the place. Latham’s final college season of 2023 saw him giving up two sacks and 14 total pressures in 443 pass-blocking snaps, with power blocking as the order of the day.

With Latham, you have to know what you’re getting, and what needs development. If you’re in the market for a pure demolition expert at right tackle or right guard, he could be your man. If you prefer more quick and athletic blockers who will mirror speed rushers through the rep? That’s a different story. Latham worked to increase his weight and lower his body fat at Alabama; I might think about reducing the weight to help make him more immediately responsive off the snap. Latham just turned 21 on February 8, so the developmental curve is understandable.

PLUSES

— 6′ 5¾”, 342-pound frame allows Latham to latch onto defenders and push them right off the screen; once Latham has you on the track and moving, you’re in huge trouble.

— Has the capability to chip at the line and head to the second level with target accuracy.

— Will seal the edge quickly in the run game, and once he’s sealed it, you’re not going to get through him.

— Has an anchor of concrete and fires out like a jackhammer when his technique is together. Extremely physically imposing blocker.

— Has experience at right guard (135 snaps in 2021), so there’s positional versatility there.

MINUSES

— Can be late to the party on stunts and games; he’ll fixate on his first target and recovery can be difficult.

— Slower kick-step leaves him vulnerable to quicker rushers off the snap, and he’ll need to be faster to deal with inside counters.

— Could stand to be more aggressive with his hands; he’ll allow leakage to either side because he needs to get his hands up and into the rusher’s numbers more quickly.

— Allows defenders to cross his face far too easily; slow response time exacerbates this issue.

Right now, Latham is a “see it and hit it” blocker with the potential to be a highly credible power-mover in the run game. Where he’ll need work (possibly a lot of work) in the NFL is in his ability to naturally and seamlessly respond to speed moves and schemed-up pressure concepts. As schemed-up pressure concepts become more common and varied at the next level, that might give evaluators pause if he sticks to the tackle position.

The Xs and Os with Greg Cosell: Greg’s favorite players in the 2024 NFL draft

In this week’s “Xs and Os with Greg Cosell,” Greg details the attributes of his some of his favorite prospects in the 2024 NFL draft class.

With just a few weeks until the 2024 NFL draft gets underway on April 25, it’s time to get a bit in the weeks with our prospect evaluation processes. So it is in “The Xs and Os with Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar,” with Greg (of NFL Films and ESPN’s NFL Matchup) and Doug (of USA Today Sports Media Group and Touchdown Wire) discussing some of Greg’s favorite prospects in this year’s draft class.

  • Trey Benson, RB, Florida State
  • Tyrone Tracy Jr., RB, Purdue
  • Anthony Gould, WR, Oregon State
  • Ladd McConkey, WR, Georgia
  • Troy Fautanu, OT, Washington
  • Laiatu Latu, EDGE, UCLA
  • Byron Murphy II, DL, Texas
  • Cole Bishop, Safety, Utah

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

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

…and on Apple Podcasts.

2024 NFL Draft: South Carolina QB Spencer Rattler details his favorite college play

In this new video series, 2024 NFL draft prospects detail their favorite plays from college. We begin with South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler.

In this new series, we asked several draft prospects at the 2024 scouting combine for their favorite plays in college — the ones they’d want to show NFL teams as the play that best represented their attributes, just as they might in meeting with NFL teams.

Let’s begin with South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler.

After three seasons at Oklahoma, Rattler moved to South Carolina, had one year of adjustment, and came around in 2023, completing 274 of 403 passes for 3,183 yards, 19 touchdowns, eight interceptions, and a passer rating of 99.1. There is a rogue gene in Rattler that his NFL coaches will need to manage, but when asked about his ideal play, he showed that he has it together above the neck.

“Den Dozer Right Strong Cozy 73 Y IHOP Swiss. Just a great play to draw up. It gets really intricate when you break it down. You’ve got your yes-or-no read, an alert to the cornerback, a little pivot route to the backside Cover-2, in-cut, influence read.”

Best version of that?

“Florida week.”

Cool. The closest example I could find in the Florida game was Rattler’s 24-yard pass to O’Mega Blake with 10:33 left in the fourth quarter. Blake hit the in-cut front-side against Florida’s Cover-3, the yes-or-no read was the go/flat, and the alert to the cornerback was which route he took to that side. There’s not every element here — it’s not Cover-2, for example — but it’s a nice insight into everything a quarterback has to read right away.

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Rattler’s aforementioned rogue tendencies will make some NFL teams shake their heads, but he’s got enough on the ball on tape to become a highly interesting middle-round prospect with spot-starter potential. One thing’s for sure — he’ll have a better offensive line in the NFL, because it would be nearly impossible to replicate the futility of South Carolina’s front five in 2023. Rattler was pressured on 186 of his 491 dropbacks last season (37.9%), and he still managed to complete 57 of 121 passes under pressure for 855 yards, five touchdowns, five interceptions, and a passer rating of 67.3.

As much as Rattler does have rogue tendencies, evaluating him without pressure does remove some of those. 

2024 NFL Draft: Washington OT Troy Fautanu scouting report

Washington left tackle Troy Fautanu might be better-suited as an NFL guard, but regardless, he’s got the playing personality to succeed.

The 2023 Washington Huskies had one of the most explosive offenses in the NCAA, both run and pass, and while most of the credit goes to the skill position players, you’re not going to get a lot of those big plays happening if the guys up front aren’t doing their jobs.

So, it’s time to take a closer look at Washington left tackle Troy Fautanu, who should be a first-round pick on April 25, and might reach that status at either tackle or guard.

Why guard? Well, it comes up in Fautanu’s case because his height of 6′ 3¾” is third-percentile for the tackle position, and while his wingspan and arm length are more in the box for the position, that will have some NFL personnel people wondering. And Fautanu’s seek-and-destroy playing personality may add to it.

No matter where he plays in the NFL, Fautanu’s pass protection — he allowed two sacks and 23 total pressures last season on 623 pass-blocking snaps for the ultimate deep passing game — will hold up, and his run-blocking is just fun to watch.

PLUSES

– Brings a nasty mentality to the position; he’s technically sound, but he really wants to kick your ass and dominate the rep. More pancakes than an IHOP on Sunday morning. 

– Quick, nimble feet off the snap allow him to set his body to the rusher and to adjust against stunts and games. 

– Hand use is versatile and violent; he had a rep against Texas where he just slapped two pass-rushers down on an E/T stunt – Ethan Burke and T’Vondre Sweat. Those guys couldn’t keep their hands up. 

– Great blocker on screens and other second-level plays; he squares up quickly and accurately, and he’s looking to demolish in the open field. 

– Has no issue extending blocks for a longer period of time because he’ll latch on and mirror well. That’s pretty important when your quarterback has 117 attempts of 20 or more air yards in a single season.

– Agile enough to cross a defender’s face and seal the edge in the run game. 

MINUSES

– Can be beaten by inside counters once he’s set in his stance. 

– Smaller hands (9 ½ inches; 13th percentile for the position) show up when he’s trying to maintain protection around the arc or to either side of his body; he’ll allow some leakage there. 

– Could stand to be a bit more exact when firing out; he’s better in enclosed space than when he’s forced to react to quicker pass-rushers. Sometimes, he’ll just whiff when he’s too aggressive. 

– Will get run over from time to time when he’s too upright off the snap. 

I can see the sense in perhaps making Fautanu a guard at the next level, but if he wants to play tackle, he’s got the attributes to do it, especially in a power-based offense with multiple blocking schemes in the run game.

Based on my personal preferences, I’d try to kick him inside, because I think he could be an All-Pro move guard, as opposed to a pretty good-to-really good tackle. It will be interesting to see how that process takes place with Fautanu’s NFL team. 

2024 NFL Draft: Troy RB Kimani Vidal scouting report

Troy running back Kimani Vidal spent his college career under the radar, but his tape and metrics should have the NFL taking notice.

There are those draft prospects who find themselves relatively forgotten because of any number of things: They may be playing a position that’s either stacked or has lost some value in recent years, they may be smaller-school guys, or perhaps they don’t fit the NFL’s collective paradigm for their position.

At 5-foot-8 and 203 pounds, Troy running back Kimani Vidal would seem to have all three of those strikes against him: He’s a smaller guy at a position many see as fungible, and he did his thing in the Sun Belt. So, you probably haven’t heard Vidal’s name as much as some other running backs unless you’re fully invested in the Draft Industrial Complex.

Now, it’s time for an introduction. Last season, no back in the 2024 draft class had more carries (295) or rushing yards (1,661) than Vidal, and he wasn’t doing it all against “subpar” competition, as we will see. Vidal scored 14 touchdowns on the ground, and he was a threat to bust a play wide open at any time with his accelerant speed (19 rushes of 15 or more yards last season) and ability to create after contact (his numbers after contact are listed below, and they’re ridiculous). We will mention for the record that Vidal’s 94 missed tackles forced last season put 20 above any other back in this class; UCF’s RJ Harvey ranked second with 74.

Vidal might not look like a future NFL back on the surface, but once you put on the tape, it’s easy to see how he could be a real asset to any professional run game.

PLUSES

— Led all backs in this class in both yards after contact (1,056) and missed tackles forced (94); he’s an explosive play waiting to happen most of the time.

— Vidal’s jump cuts may pace those of every back in this class; he’ll leave defenders haplessly gasping in his wake.

— Acceleration to the boundary is exceptional, and he’s a tough runner. Vidal has no issue delivering a blow as he’s taking one.

— Smooth glider to and through the hole as an inside runner. Has a nice eye for openings as they happen.

— Has good reps as a receiver out of the backfield, with some slot potential.

MINUSES

— Vidal had 28 negative runs on 250 carries last season; as explosive as he is more often than not, there is a boom-or-bust element to his running style.

— His blocking isn’t terrible, but he’s more gnat-like in power situations than he is a real headbanger.

— Strength of competition will be an obvious concern for NFL evaluators, but he had credible games against Kansas State and Duke last season. (His 46-yard run against Kansas State is featured below).

Vidal was perhaps at his most productive as a gap runner in college, but I would love him as an inside/outside zone guy at the next level. No matter where he lands, his big-play potential and Muscle Hamster physique project well for professional success.

2024 NFL Draft: Texas WR Adonai Mitchell scouting report

Texas receiver Adonai Mitchell has one of the most complete skill sets in this draft class, and he’s a few tweaks away from WR1 NFL status.

Between Adonai Mitchell, Xavier Worthy, Jordan Whittington, and tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders, Texas quarterbacks certainly weren’t lacking for targets in the 2023 season. And Mitchell, who caught 55 passes on 86 targets for 845 yards and 11 touchdowns in his first season with the Longhorns after two seasons at Georgia in which he was underutilized, proved to be the most complete receiver of that impressive group.

The 6-foot-2, 205-pound Mitchell ran a 4.34-second 40-yard dash at the scouting combine, and that is well in line with the explosive nature of his play. Last season, he bagged eight receptions of 20 or more air yards on 22 targets for 302 yards and three touchdowns, and with an NFL team in possession of a more credible deep passing game, that reception total could easily double sooner than later.

Able to beat cornerbacks over the top as well as he’s able to scorch defenders on quick hitches and slants, Mitchell should be a first-round pick in the upcoming draft, and he’s a few little tweaks away from true No. 1 receiver status at the next level. The upside is pretty fierce here.

PLUSES

— Great vertical speed, but it’s Mitchell’s speed cuts that will put defenders in blenders; he can cut and re-set at full speed without losing ground, which is a rare attribute. That speed also allows him to cross a cornerback’s face before the cornerback knows what to do about it.

— Sinks into his breaks on digs and slants like a five-year NFL veteran; he’s really well-formed and practiced as a route-runner overall.

— Can be a YAC addition to a receiver room with open space in front of him; Mitchell is especially tough to deal with on hitches and comebacks.

— Has an extra gear in the open field, and will accentuate it with subtle movements as deep defenders converge.

MINUSES

— Mitchell’s contested catches are made more through speed and separation than force; you can take him out with physicality to a degree.

— Let’s just say that he’s not the first guy you’ll have in mind when it comes to blocking for other receivers on screens and run plays.

— Not especially physical in traffic. He doesn’t dry up and blow away with defenders converging, but it’s not an attribute.

— Had just 11 explosive receptions last season, but I could see that total double in the right NFL offense; there were only so many deep balls to go around with Texas’ roadrunners.

Mitchell is one of My Guys this year. I love his ability to get free with moves that a lot of NFL receivers haven’t mastered yet. As long as you scheme him into space to a point and let him cook, he can be a devastating explosive weapon. Not a small guy at 6′ 2¼” and 205, and if he can develop a bit more dawg in him, he absolutely has X-iso potential at the next level.

2024 NFL Draft: Texas TE Ja’Tavion Sanders scouting report

Texas’ Ja’Tavion Sanders might be everyone’s TE2 after Georgia’s Brock Bowers, but don’t underestimate Sanders’ ability to dominate a defense.

The 2023 Texas Longhorns had more talent at the receiver position than most — between Xavier Worthy, Adonai Mitchell, and tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders, that offense was about hurling the ball all over the place, and for good reason. In Sanders’ case, it allowed him to put up a second consecutive standout season, catching 45 passes on 67 targets for 682 yards and two touchdowns after grabbing 54 passes on 72 targets for 613 yards and five touchdowns in 2022.

Sanders will bring up a familiar debate in NFL scouting rooms — when you select a tight end in the draft, what kind of tight end do you prefer? Do you want the traditional archetype at the position who will block like a lineman and add a little spice to your passing game, or are you after a true weapon all over the formation? If your NFL team wants the latter, Ja’Tavion Sanders is a really good place to start — especially if your team missed out on Georgia’s Brock Bowers.

As is the case with Bowers, Sanders has explosive plays all over his tape (13 of his catches were explosives last season), and if his NFL team wants him to work more outside as a true iso receiver in the Travis Kelce mold, he’s got all the skills to make that happen.

At the scouting combine, I asked Sanders for his favorite NCAA play, and he brought one up that perfectly illustrated what he will bring to his NFL team.

PLUSES

— Didn’t have a lot of outside iso targets, but showed an easy ability to get open and work downfield for impactful plays outside when he did.

— Sits in zone coverage like an NFL veteran; he’ll get you that eight-yard slant on third-and-6 every time.

— 348 of his 682 yards came after the catch last season. He’s great at taking a simple drag route beyond its logical conclusion, and he can get there with speed and toughness.

— Experienced scramble-drill receiver who knows when to break off after the play has broken down.

— Will take match-and-carry defenders right up the chute, and he’s just fine catching the ball when he knows he’s going to get whacked.

MINUSES

— Blocking is decent but not remarkable; he’s a move tight end more than aligned to the formation.

— Catch radius was tested by inconsistent throw timing, and I would have liked to have seen a bit more there.

I don’t have a lot of dings for Sanders. If you understand what kind of tight end he is, and you need a guy who will work the middle of the field in the intermediate to deep passing game, just turn in the card and make it happen.

He’s a move TE and an offensive weapon. That should be good enough, and if he sneaks into the low first round, I wouldn’t be completely surprised.

2024 NFL Draft: Georgia TE Brock Bowers scouting report

Georgia’s Brock Bowers is everybody’s TE1 in the 2024 draft class, and his NFL team could unleash even more for its passing game.

Brock Bowers was a four-star prospect out of Napa High School in Napa, California, and it took him no time to make an impact in Georgia’s offense. As a freshman, he caught 56 passes on 71 targets for 882 yards and 13 touchdowns, winning all kinds of Freshman of the Year awards. No one-year wonder, Bowers caught 63 passes on 82 targets for 942 yards and seven touchdowns in 2022, and he had 56 catches on seven targets for 717 yards and six touchdowns in 2023.

Bowers certainly projects well as a high-end tight end in the NFL, but there could be more to the picture with his NFL team. He didn’t run downfield for a ton of isolated vertical shots in college, but it could be a hidden superpower that his next team will unleash. Overall, it’s obvious why he’s everybody’s TE1, and there could be more to come.

PLUSES

— Plays at 6′ 3⅛” and 243 pounds with below-average wingspan, arm length, and hand size. Now, go to the tape and tell me any of that is evident. He looks about 6’6″, 260, with all the physical attributes you want at the position.

— Bowers’ desire for the ball shows up both in his acrobatic catches (extending his catch radius), and the ways in which he’ll win contested catches.

— Brings nice acceleration through his routes, and understands how and when to break into gaps in coverage.

— Wins after the catch with pure power; if you’re trying to arm-tackle him, you might as well go home, especially after he gets a full head of steam in the open field.

— When he squares up to block, he’s capable of pancaking defensive linemen with his technique and will to dominate.

MINUSES

— Bowers does need work on his blocking technique; he’s just as prone to wild misses as he is to direct hits.

— He’s more of a glider as a runner than an explosive weapon off the line of scrimmage.

— Arm length shows up as a negative when he has to go up against lankier defenders in tight situations.

I like Bowers a lot, and it’s clear that he’s TE1 in this class. I’d stop short of the “generational” label; he strikes me as an excellent H/slot weapon in a TE-heavy offense with Travis Kelce/George Kittle potential. I appreciate how he’s maximized his tools, and there could be more to the ceiling.

That ceiling may be his ability to run Y-iso routes as Kelce and Kittle do; Georgia didn’t have him doing that a lot, but he’s clearly got the tools to make it happen.