Category: 2024 scouting combine

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: Florida State DL Braden Fiske scouting report

Florida State defensive lineman Braden Fiske had an amazing scouting combine, but his NFL team had better have a clear plan for his on-field success.

There are those draft prospects who show up at the scouting combine ready to demolish every test, forcing NFL evaluators to go back to their tape with a new eye for things. Florida State defensive lineman Braden Fiske was one such prospect at the 2024 combine, as he put up testing numbers among the best for any interior defensive lineman in recent memory.

Fiske did destroy the 2024 combine in a positive sense, but what does that mean for his NFL future? After four seasons at Western Michigan, Fiske transferred to Florida State in time for the 2023 season, amassing six sacks, 28 total pressures, 29 solo tackles, and 26 stops against stronger competition. His athleticism on tape absolutely aligns with what we saw at the combine, but Fiske’s deployment at the next level will be crucial to his success — whoever drafts him had better have a very clear plan.

PLUSES

— Preposterous combine numbers show up on tape when he has to chase down quarterbacks and running backs in the open field.

— Has a great move to cross the face of the blocker and slip in to pressure.

— Shoots out of the gate right off the snap; less reactive blockers could get beaten before they get their hands up.

— Can be dynamite on stunts and games with the ability to cross multiple gaps with ease.

MINUSES

— Really short arms (31″, third percentile for IDL), and he’ll get negated by power and double-teams without more of a plan with his hands.

— More of an immediate speed-rusher than a guy who will win leverage battles.

— Might be maxed-out physically; not sure if you can add more than his 292 pounds without making him look more like a guard.

Fiske is an interesting prospect — a tweener in a lot of ways. His height may preclude him from winning leverage, and his weight gets in the way in power situations.

His NFL team will need to have a VERY clear plan for him. I’d put him on the edge more often than the Seminoles did, just to take advantage of his unusual athleticism, and he could be a real boss in a stunt-heavy front.

2024 NFL Draft: Texas IDL T’Vondre Sweat scouting report

Texas IDL T’Vondre Sweat is an intriguing combination of battleship size and motorboat short-area speed. How can he maximize it for his NFL future?

An all-state and multi-year all-district defensive lineman at Huntsville High School in  Huntsville, Texas, T’Vondre Sweat started making an impact in his freshman season, and that never really stopped. Over time, the mammoth Sweat refined his pass-rushing acumen, and in conjunction with fellow interior defensive lineman Byron Murphy, he was one half of a truly dominant duo.

The winner of the 2023 Outland Trophy, given to the NCAA’s best interior lineman, Sweat was also named 2023 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, and he was a unanimous All-American. He did all that in a season in which he totaled two sacks, 31 total pressures, 28 solo tackles, and 26 stops. Over five seasons at Texas, Sweat had nine sacks, 69 total pressures, 82 solo tackles, and 70 stops.

For Sweat and his NFL transition, the question is simple — while not many people can get done what he can get done at his size, is there more to unlock once he’s been in a next-level training situation for a while?

PLUSES
— Played at 365 pounds in 2023 (6′ 4½”, 366 at the combine), but this is no block-sucking stationary fat dude — Sweat is quick and mobile off the snap and can do real damage in short areas.
— Arm-over move might be his best weapon; he uses it like a club to stun and edge through blockers.
— Uses his hands to stack and shed through traffic; he’s very disruptive with his upper body and is always looking to penetrate.
— Strong enough to just push blockers aside to the ballcarrier.
— Can just cut through the line with the Stunt 4-3 technique, aligned at a 45-degree angle to the blocker.
— Startlingly fast to the pocket for a guy his size, and Sweat can really move in space.
MINUSES
— Never had more than 503 snaps in a season for the Longhorns; size may limit him to rotational status.
— Late-in-game tape shows him getting doubled and limited more often.
— Impact is up-and-down as a power player; this may be due to scheme to a point.

— Has some flexibility as a defensive tackle, but he’s really best at nose, where he can disrupt in a straight line.

I’d like to see what Sweat could do in the NFL at around 350 pounds, but even so, he projects well as a highly disruptive battleship in the Dontari Poe mold. I’m fascinated to see if he can escalate that to the Haloti Ngata department.

2024 NFL Draft: Penn State EDGE Chop Robinson scouting report

Penn State EDGE Chop Robinson hits the field with rocket sauce, and in the right NFL defense, he’ll continue to frustrate everyone who has to block him.

A four-star recruit out of Quince Orchard High School in Gaithersburg, Maryland, Demeioun “Chop” Robinson began his collegiate career with the Maryland Terrapins in 2021, racking up two sacks and 13 total pressures in just 82 pass-rushing snaps. He then transferred to Penn State in time for the 2022 season, which is when his pass-rush profile really expanded. Then, he had five sacks and 48 total pressures in 267 pass-rushing snaps, along with 16 solo tackles and 17 stops.

2023 looked to be another strong season for the 6′ 2⅞”, 254-pound Robinson, but he worked through injuries, and had three sacks and 26 total pressures in 148 pass-rushing snaps.

Robinson’s resume is smaller than one might like as a result, but the tape tells a clear story — he’s got speed and athleticism for the EDGE position that you rarely see. He’ll need some schematic assistance to bring out everything at the NFL level, but he’s got a lot of rocket sauce.

PLUSES

— Ridiculous combine measurables show up on tape; Robinson is so fast off the snap and will defeat tackles with that first step if his opponents aren’t set.

— Can knife through double teams as an inside mug rusher and a stand-up 3-tech or nose. Has a really nice feint crossover move and an exceptional inside counter.

— Works around the arc smoothly, and has the ability to lean into the turn to get under the blocker’s hands.

— Uses leverage against the blocker to further accentuate his speed when he closes to the pocket.

— Slap/swat move around the edge can be lethal; tackles had better be ready for it.

— Not a particularly powerful defender, but he’ll get speed-to-power bull-rushes.

MINUSES

— Robinson’s speed allows him to beat double teams before they’re set, but if they are set, he can be negated by power pretty quickly.

— Blockers who align to him in time can eat his lunch. This will probably be more of an NFL issue.

— Could stand to accentuate his hand work, especially in those power situations.

— Can create tackles for loss in the run game with that quickness, but if you need a guy to grapple through the snap, that’s not his fastball.

— Has a nice sense of control for all that speed, but there is the occasional inevitable whiff.

Robinson has one speed — balls-out, all the time. You’re not adding him to your team to win with power; you’re doing so to rain pure hell in the backfield over and over. That he did exceedingly well in college, and with a few tweaks, he’ll be dynamic-to-dominant in the NFL.