Category: 2024 NFL Mock Draft

2024 NFL Draft: Illinois DL Johnny (Jer’Zhan) Newton scouting report

Don’t let his size get in the way of the evaluation — Illinois DL Johnny (Jer’Zhan) Newton is a first-round talent with monstrous upside.

The 2024 scouting combine is right around the corner, which means that it’s time to take a more critical and detailed look at this year’s draft prospects. With that in mind, we here at Touchdown Wire are doing as many thumbnail scouting reports as possible before the combine gets going on February 29. We will of course be doing more comprehensive reports before the draft, but here’s a good starting point.

Next man up here is Illinois defensive lineman Johnny (Jer’Zhan) Newton, who now goes by a new first name, but the game is the same, and it’s pretty ridiculous. In 2023, his fourth year on the field with the Fighting Illini, Newton totaled eight sacks, seven quarterback hits, 28 quarterback hurries, 32 stops, and 33 solo tackles, At 6-foot-2 and 295 pounds (unofficial), Newton can disrupt just fine inside, but he also saw 25% of his snaps last season either over or outside the tackles, and he brings an interesting set of techniques to foil blockers on the edge.

Newton should be seen as among the best interior defensive linemen in this draft class, though he can do much more. He will not work out at the combine due to a Jones fracture in his foot — which he played through the second half of his junior season… which makes his 2023 tape all the more impressive.

PLUSES

— Capable of pressure from every gap; spends most of his time at 3-tech, but he’s a disruptor all over the place.

— Gets skinny through gaps like a running back would; gets it done with more than just pass-rush moves.

— Violent with his hands to push through blocks with ridiculous speed — Hits the edge with burst around the turn; can beat tackles with edge techniques.

— Can run multiple gaps at the snap and has good vision to penetrate.

MINUSES

— Size deficits (6-foot-2, 295) show up when he’s doubled and can’t break free.

— Slides will have him lost in the wash and trying to recover at times.

— Needs to be less upright off the snap more often; that’s where he loses leverage.

I’ve always had a bias for smaller defensive tackles who can move around. Newton could wind up being another one of those Geno Atkins-style agitators if he gets his leverage together and devises strategies to beat double teams. Overall, about as fun a player to watch as I’ve seen in this draft class.

2024 NFL Mock Draft: Pre-combine first-round projections with scouting reports

Before the 2024 scouting combine begins, here’s one first-round mock draft that takes tape entirely into account before the rumor mill gets rolling.

The scouting combine begins in earnest early next week, and for the coaches and executives who go, it’s just as much about discussing potential trades and free agency signings over shrimp cocktails at St. Elmo’s as it is about watching the draft prospects on hand to show their talents at Lucas Oil Stadium.

For the prospects themselves, it’s all on the line. Not only in the workouts (for those who are working out), but also in the round-robin 15-minute meetings with those coaches and executives. Basically, this is where you might secure your next domain as a player.

With all that in mind, here’s one first-round projection just before the scouting combine rolls around. This is the last mock draft of the year that’s based primarily on tape, as the rumor mill starts hard and heavy once boots are on the ground in Indianapolis.

A couple notes:

— The Chicago Bears stick with Justin Fields, and start to surround him with much more credible weapons.

— The Denver Broncos trade with the New England Patriots to move up from the 12th overall pick to the third overall pick to take their next franchise quarterback, hoping that works better for them than it did for the San Francisco 49ers and Trey Lance a few years back.

— We also have thumbnail scouting reports for a lot of these prospects; that library will grow and be added to this mock over the next few days.

Now, let’s get to the pre-combine mock!

2024 NFL Draft: Alabama CB Terrion Arnold scouting report

Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold is a first-round prospect — but as a press-man defender, he might be Top 10 overall.

The 2024 scouting combine is right around the corner, which means that it’s time to take a more critical and detailed look at this year’s draft prospects. With that in mind, we here at Touchdown Wire are doing as many thumbnail scouting reports as possible before the combine gets going on February 29. We will of course be doing more comprehensive reports before the draft, but here’s a good starting point.

Next man up is Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold, who locked things down quite nicely for the Crimson tide last season. He allowed 41 receptions on 79 targets for 441 yards, 250 yards after the catch, two touchdowns, five interceptions, 13 pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 50.7. Arnold can play just about any route really well, though he’ll need some development on quick, angular routes when he’s in off coverage. When he’s in press, good luck getting anything by him.

PLUSES

— Outstanding man/match corner with step-for-step ability and excellent ball skills to catch and break up passes all over the field

— Hyper-aggressive playing personality when it comes to timing the ball; he thinks it’s more his than yours if you throw it in his area

— Short-area agility and transition speed make him a real pain in tight coverage

— Love him in press coverage where he’s velcroed to the receiver all the way though

— Has an great sense of how to disrupt receivers off the line, which is crucial in today’s NFL with so much quick game

MINUSES

— Had a bad stretch mid-season where Tennessee and Arkansas just killed him with comebacks

— Can be a step late to diagnose and react; you’d like to see him get going just a hair quicker at times

— Grabby at times, which NFL officials might ding him on based on their own competence (ha)

— Needs to work on closing to the target in off coverage

The dings are minor here, though I think that Arnold would be better in a defense with more press coverage than not if you want him to be a Day 1 alpha.

2024 NFL Draft: UCLA EDGE Laiatu Latu scouting report

UCLA’s Laiatu Latu might be the best edge defender in the 2024 draft class, and his versatility is the thing that will define him at the next level.

The 2024 scouting combine is right around the corner, which means that it’s time to take a more critical and detailed look at this year’s draft prospects. With that in mind, we here at Touchdown Wire are doing as many thumbnail scouting reports as possible before the combine gets going on February 29. We will of course be doing more comprehensive reports before the draft, but here’s a good starting point.

We now turn our attention to UCLA edge defender Laiatu Latu. In 2023, his second season with the Bruins after one season at Washington, the 6-foot-5, 265-pound Latu had 15 sacks, 11 quarterback hits, 36 quarterback hurries, 33 stops, six tackles for loss, 33 forced fumbles, and four catches allowed on five targets for 19 yards, 12 yards after the catch, no touchdowns, two interceptions, and an opponent passer rating of 42.9. Latu got 42% of his pressures from the left defensive edge, 47% from the defensive right edge, 7% from defensive tackle positions, and 3% from nose tackle or nose shade.

Here’s our thumbnail scouting report on Laiatu Latu.

PLUSES

— Primarily an edge defender, but can disrupt at nose shade and 3-tech in a standup or three-point position.

— Crosses the faces of blockers and jumps gaps with incredible quickness to drive to the pocket; it’s his fastball.

— Speed to and through the pocket is nightmare fuel for opposing blockers.

— Brings impressive speed-to-power from the edge; you had better do more than just chip him.

— Swipe move is a pure killer; brings a lot of strength in his hands.

— Can drop into flat and curl coverage, and has good eyes and hands to go after the ball.

— Was dominant more often than not at the Senior Bowl.

MINUSES

— Has an embryonic bull-rush and dip-and-rip potential, but he’ll want to round those out at the NFL level.

— His slow-play to disengage move might not be as effective against better NFL tackles.

— Can get caught watching the ball and will miss the action.

— Would like to see him become more violent with his hands in his initial strike as opposed to glancing off blockers.

Latu is the best edge defender in this class in my opinion; the things that need work are common among draft prospect pass-rushers. His athletic traits and multi-gap potential make him an ideal player in today’s NFL.

2024 NFL Draft: Penn State OT Olumuyiwa Fashanu scouting report

Penn State offensive tackle Olumuyiwa Fashanu has more tools than any other lineman in this draft class. Will it pay off immediately?

The 2024 scouting combine is right around the corner, which means that it’s time to take a more critical and detailed look at this year’s draft prospects. With that in mind, we here at Touchdown Wire are doing as many thumbnail scouting reports as possible before the combine gets going on February 29. We will of course be doing more comprehensive reports before the draft, but here’s a good starting point.

Our next subject is Penn State offensive tackle Olumuyiwa Fashanu, the 6-foot-6, 309-pound blocker who allowed no sacks, no quarterback hits, and 10 quarterback hurries in 382 pass-blocking reps in his 2023 season — his second as a full-time starter for the Nittany Lions. The 21-year-old Fashanu shows just about every attribute you can ask from an offensive tackle, and as soon as he’s able to put it all together, he has All-Pro potential.

PLUSES

— Easy footwork around the arc allows him to deal with counters and late in the down movement

— Mirrors very well out of a quick ready stance; easily picks up stunts and counters

— Rarely lets anyone into his chest. He’s clearly used to physically dominating his opponents

— Will absolutely bury guys once he gets a head of steam to the second level

MINUSES

— Ohio State game was the negative exception; Fashanu struggled to pick up different kinds of pressure and was late with his eyes and hands too often

— Will lose his latch at times later in the down

— Still working to consistently pick up line games

— Doesn’t always pick up his target in space

— Playing too upright could get him in trouble at the NFL level

Fashanu is still a bit raw from a technique and awareness perspective, but there is absolutely top-5 pick potential here.

2024 NFL Draft: LSU WR Brian Thomas Jr. scouting report

LSU receiver Brian Thomas is one of the best downfield speedsters in this draft class, but is he ready to be a WR1 at the NFL level?

The 2024 scouting combine is right around the corner, which means that it’s time to take a more critical and detailed look at this year’s draft prospects. With that in mind, we here at Touchdown Wire are doing as many thumbnail scouting reports as possible before the combine gets going on February 29. We will of course be doing more comprehensive reports before the draft, but here’s a good starting point.

Next man up in our series is LSU receiver Brian Thomas Jr. With Jayden Daniels as his quarterback, Thomas caught 68 passes on 87 targets for 1,177 yards and 17 touchdowns. On passes of 20 or more air yards, Thomas caught 15 passes on 22 targets for 670 yards and 12 touchdowns. Thomas did most of his work on go, seam, dig, and hitch routes, often against defenses that were playing off to respect the Tigers’ deep passing game.

PLUSES

— He’s creeping death on go and seam routes; nice build-up speed, and then whammo — he’s gone.

— Extensive library of foot fakes both at the line of scrimmage and when in open space; he knows how to get open.

— Leans into and out of his routes to create openings, and the burner speed comes right back up.

— Leverages his routes to coverage; would work well in any option route offense.

— Great at slow-playing cornerbacks off the line of scrimmage before turning on the jets.

MINUSES

— Could be more sudden on quick cuts.

— Drops show up on tape and could be an issue at the next level.

— Will face a crapton more press coverage than he did in college.

— Not a contested-catch receiver per se; his game is about getting free from those situations.

— Can he feast on more than go/seam and hitch stuff? Remains to be seen.

I love Thomas as a complementary speed target. I’m not sure if he’s ready to be a true WR1 just yet.

2024 NFL Draft: Notre Dame OT Joe Alt scouting report

Notre Dame offensive tackle Joe Alt won’t blow you away with raw athleticism, but he does everything at a very high level.

The 2024 scouting combine is right around the corner, which means that it’s time to take a more critical and detailed look at this year’s draft prospects. With that in mind, we here at Touchdown Wire are doing as many thumbnail scouting reports as possible before the combine gets going on February 29. We will of course be doing more comprehensive reports before the draft, but here’s a good starting point.

We now turn our attention to Notre Dame offensive tackle Joe Alt. In 2023, his third season as a starter with the Fighting Irish, the 6-foot-8, 322-pound Alt gave up one sack, two quarterback hits, and two quarterback hurries in 368 pass-blocking reps. He allowed no sacks, two quarterback hits, and six quarterback hurries in 406 pass-blocking reps, so the consistency as a pass-blocker is certainly there. And he’s more than capable of making things happen in the run game.

Alt brings Andrew Whitworth to mind — he doesn’t blow you away with his pure athleticism, but he does just about everything at a very high level, and that should transfer pretty easily to the NFL level.

PLUSES

— Keeps a wide base and strong fundamentals even when swerving to deal with speed rushers

— Mirrors well through the rep. He doesn’t need to over-extend to make up for wasted moves

— Fires out with a nasty demeanor; when he gets his arms out, a defender is in trouble more often than not

— Recovers well if he does lose the leverage battle

— Hits his targets at the second and third level

MINUSES

— Athletic to a point, but he needs to keep his technique letter-perfect or things can go south quickly

— Needs to avoid coming off the snap too upright; when he does, the usual stuff happens

— Can fall off blocks at times when he loses his feet from under him

— More of a short-area blocker than a true athletic marvel

2024 NFL Draft: Washington WR Rome Odunze scouting report

Washington receiver Rome Odunze brings to mind the NFL’s best strength-based receivers, and his skills are plug-and-play at the next level.

The 2024 scouting combine is right around the corner, which means that it’s time to take a more critical and detailed look at this year’s draft prospects. With that in mind, we here at Touchdown Wire are doing as many thumbnail scouting reports as possible before the combine gets going on February 29. We will of course be doing more comprehensive reports before the draft, but here’s a good starting point.

Next up is Washington receiver Rome Odunze, who caught 92 passes on 140 targets last season for 1,639 yards and 13 touchdowns. As a deep target, Odunze caught 23 of 49 passes of 20 or more air yards for 783 yards and six touchdowns. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Odunze feasted on go, seam, post, and hitch routes, but there really isn’t any route he can’t run.

PLUSES

— Contested-catch monster who seems to welcome converging defensive backs and close-in situations

— Arm-tackling him is an exercise in futility; you’d better wrap him up after the catch

— “Drifts” really well on posts and fades and has late hands to give him an advantage if the CB isn’t playing the ball

— Outstanding end zone target who can subtly re-distribute defenders to keep him open in short areas

— Finds the voids in coverage, and then he wants to beat people up to stay open

MINUSES

— Doesn’t have third-level breakaway speed, but go tell him it’s a problem

— Speed off the snap is generated more by route concepts than pure vertical ability

— Effort and intent as a blocker, but the technique is a bit iffy

Odunze has every attribute you want at the position except for downfield accelerant speed, and as much else as he brings to the field, that shouldn’t be an issue.

2024 NFL Draft: LSU WR Malik Nabers scouting report

LSU’s Malik Nabers is the best speed receiver in this draft class, and he’s a lot more than just a downfield burner. Here’s our scouting report.

The 2024 scouting combine is right around the corner, which means that it’s time to take a more critical and detailed look at this year’s draft prospects. With that in mind, we here at Touchdown Wire are doing as many thumbnail scouting reports as possible before the combine gets going on February 29. We will of course be doing more comprehensive reports before the draft, but here’s a good starting point.

Nest up is LSU receiver Malik Nabers, who absolutely torched the field in his third season with the Tigers. Nabers caught 89 balls on 128 targets for 1,568 yards and 14 touchdowns. On passes of 20 or more air yards from Jayden Daniels, who may have been the NCAA’s best deep thrower in the 2023 season, Nabers had 19 catches on 29 targets for 624 yards and nine touchdowns, and his NFL team could give him even more deep-ball volume, depending on the offense. Nabers primarily ran go, seam, and hitch routes in 2023, but he’s got enough tape doing other things to point to route versatility, which will be of paramount importance for any receiver with his explosive profile.

If you’re looking for the next great speed receiver in the Tyreek Hill mold, you might have to wait in line for this guy.

PLUSES

— Legit home run speed to any area of the field; can just as easily run by a cornerback for 60 yards as he can turn a hitch or stop route into a 50-yard touchdown

— Leans into his route stems subtly and professionally and doesn’t lose a lot of speed when doing so

— Unafraid to catch the ball in traffic; he’ll get the grimy yards after the catch

— Changes the geometry of the defense; your safeties are playing back nervously

MINUSES

— Not a blocker of note, but that’s not why you want him on the field

— Could work to expand his catch radius; he’s more capable of getting the ball clean and turning it into a car chase

— Focus and timing drops are notable enough for it to be a small coaching point at the NFL level

— 50/50 balls are about 50/50; he’s not your ideal contested-catch target

The combination of pure speed and route understanding could have Nabers as the top WR in this class. If Marvin Harrison Jr. is No. 1, Nabers is 1A for his own special reasons.

2024 NFL Draft: Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr. scouting report

Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. is the best receiver in this draft class, and his tape is a resounding endorsement of that idea.

Now that the 2023 NFL season is over, and the 2024 scouting combine is just around the corner, it’s time to look at 2024 draft prospects with a more critical eye. We will of course have more detailed scouting reports for those prospects as time goes along, but here’s our thumbnail scouting report for Ohio State receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.

Harrison, thought to be the No. 1 receiver prospect in this class, caught 67 passes on 114 targets for the Buckeyes last season for 1,211 yards and 14 touchdowns. On throws of 20 or more air yards, he caught 15 passes on 24 targets for 598 yards and five touchdowns. Harrison is capable of burning defenders on any route, but he ran primarily go, dig, hitch, post, drag, and seam routes.

Here’s our quick scouting report:

PLUSES

— Contested-catch artist who can wriggle out of press coverage by slow-playing cornerbacks and adjusting his moves off the line of scrimmage.

— Has an impeccable understanding of voids in zone/man/match; he’ll become his NFL quarterback’s best friend.

— His release into route stems is absolutely filthy. Basically, covering him all day just sucks.

— Catch radius is also ridiculous. He’ll do as much as any receiver to mitigate inaccurate throws.

MINUSES

— Doesn’t have Tyreek Hill-level burner speed, but it won’t matter because he has so many ways to get open downfield.

— Focus drops can be a problem, even after he’s tied a poor cornerback into knots.

— Could work on blocking.

This is about as ding-proof a draft analysis as I’ll ever do. Harrison is absolutely plug-and-play from Day 1.