Category: 2024 Senior Bowl

New England Patriots’ best sleeper draft pick: Javon Baker, WR, UCF

The Patriots need a lot more from their receivers to succeed in 2024, and UCF’s Javon Baker has the skill set to help.

The Patriots have been trying in vain since Randy Moss was in his prime to find receivers who could separate from coverage, and the lack of those receivers was one reason New England’s offense was a trouble spot in Bill Belichick’s final few seasons. Now, there’s new blood up top with general manager Eliot Wolf and head coach Jerod Mayo, and evidently, a different way of scouting receivers. The Pats got Washington’s Ja’Lynn Polk with the 37th overall pick in the second round, and they doubled down with a great value in UCF’s Javon Baker with the 110th pick in the fourth round.

At 6′ 1¼” and 202 pounds, Baker is a big receiver with the ability to use his speed to take the top off opposing defenses. Last season for the Knights, he caught 15 passes of 20 or more air yards on 30 targets for 574 yards and four touchdowns. And at that size, Baker has no issue going for contested catches.

“We have leaders on the offensive side of the ball, and I would also say some of the additions, K.J. [Osborn] even Kendrick Bourne, those guys provide some leadership in that room,” Mayo said of the Baker pick, and the need for young alphas on offense. “At the same time, we wanted to draft good players, and you can’t help but turn on a UCF game and see that this guy really loves ball, the way he runs, the way he’s able to run routes. He’s just a good player.”

Minnesota Vikings’ sleeper rookie: Gabriel Murphy, EDGE, UCLA

The Vikings and defensive coordinator Brian Flores got a major steal in undrafted rookie pass-rusher Gabriel Murphy.

While the Vikings had some good picks in the third day (most notably Oregon cornerback Khyree Jackson in the fourth round), it’ll be tough for any of those guys to present equivalent value to what UCLA edge-rusher Gabriel Murphy can bring. At 6′ 2⅜” and 247 pounds, Murphy may be a bit undersized for some teams, but he put up eight sacks and 61 total pressures last season, and he absolutely has NFL-ready tape.

Perhaps some evaluators thought that he benefited too much from being Laiatu Latu’s bookend, but when you watch the tape, there are enough examples of Murphy winning against more than one blocker in his way. He’ll make Brian Flores’ blitz packages that much more interesting and effective.

Los Angeles Rams’ best draft sleeper pick: Brennan Jackson, EDGE, Washington State

The Rams are looking to replace Aaron Donald in the aggregate this season, and rookie edge-rusher Brennan Jackson could be a big part of that.

The Rams hit an absolute home run with the selection of Florida State edge-rusher Jared Verse in the first round (their first first-round pick since 2016), but in Washington State’s Brennan Jackson with the 154th pick in the fifth round, they got another edge defender who was almost as productive last season at another major program. Last season, Jackson totaled nine sacks and 40 total pressures to Verse’s 11 sacks and 62 total pressures.

Both players are power rushers to the quarterback, and in Jackson’s case, there’s a few pass-rush moves and speed to the pocket to build on. The native of Temecula, California is quite excited to play near home again.

“Just to know that I’m back here, I’m back home and now I get play in front of people who have been watching me play for years and years and years is just an incredible feeling,” Jackson said.

“The biggest thing is staying who I am in terms of being relentless and an energy monster and being physical on the field, because that can never change. And then also just realizing this is going to be a whole new playbook, being a sponge with knowledge, and getting on special teams, be someone that craves to be on the field to make big impact plays happen. There’s no better way than special teams early on, because those are game-changing plays. So bringing that same relentless motor and energy to all phases of the game is gonna help me stay here for a long time.”

Los Angeles Chargers’ best draft sleeper pick: Kimani Vidal, RB, Troy

The Chargers have quite the underrated running back in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL draft with Troy’s Kimani Vidal.

There are times when you watch a smaller-school player’s tape, and you immediately wonder, “How in hell did the bigger programs miss this guy?” For me, that was the case when I got into Troy running back Kimani Vidal as the NFL season ended. In Vidal’s case, he did get offers from LSU and South Carolina out of Marietta High School in Marietta, Georgia (one of his teammates was Cardinals edge-rusher BJ Ojulari), but he felt more of a connection with Troy’s coaching staff, so that’s where he went.

Which was exceedingly good news for the Trojans, who went 11-3 last season and lost to Duke in the Birmingham Bowl. 2023 was Vidal’s fourth and final season, and he went out with a big bang — 295 carries for 1,661 yards, 14 touchdowns, 94 missed tackles forced, 19 runs of 15 or more yards for 625 yards, and 82 first downs. Don’t be fooled by Vidal’s size or his small-school status; he has a chance to succeed quickly in the NFL, and the fact that the Chargers got him with the 181st overall pick in the sixth round? Down the road, a lot of NFL teams might regret not making that pick in that area of the draft.

Las Vegas Raiders’ best draft sleeper pick: M.J. Devonshire, CB, Pitt

Cornerback M.J. Devonshire of the Raiders has the tools to be one of the NFL’s best rookie defenders.

I first watched Devonshire’s tape before I landed in Indianapolis for the scouting combine, and he immediately impressed me as a very good man/match prospect all over the field. He might not be the most immediate closer and transition player in zone, but any team looking for a cornerback who can press and carry should have found Devonshire interesting.

Ultimately, the Raiders found him interesting enough to take him with the 229th pick in the seventh round, which constitutes a pretty decent steal. Last season for the Panthers, Devonshire allowed 25 catches on 55 targets for 435 yards, 142 yards after the catch, three touchdowns, four interceptions, five pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 60.3. The Raiders have struggled for years to put a competent cornerback group on the field, so perhaps between Devonshire and fourth-round pick Decamerion Richardson from Mississippi State, they can get a leg or two up on that process.

Devonshire certainly doesn’t lack for confidence, as he told me at the combine.

“I started playing football at three, and my motivation was… I saw Darrelle Revis play, and Ty Law play, and the first position I learned was wide receiver. So, that one-on-one was instilled in my mind before I knew what the linemen did, and what the quarterback did, and the linebackers and safeties. I just picked my side as a cornerback, and I said, ‘I want to be the villain on this. I want to take guys out of the game.’ I would see how upset guys like Chad Ochocinco would be when Darrelle was locking them up, and I was like, ‘I want to be the guy who gives somebody that feeling.’ It takes confidence, and it takes a long time to get that confidence, but once you get it, it can be pretty good.”

Jacksonville Jaguars’ best sleeper draft pick: Myles Cole, EDGE, Texas Tech

The Jaguars might have a surprisingly productive edge-rushing rookie in Texas Tech’s Myles Cole.

What does Jaguars GM Trent Baalke love above all else, outside of pounding press box tables when his teams are losing (I know this from personal experience)? Draft prospects with ridiculous tools who are still looking to put it all together in a technical sense. Baalke certainly got one of those guys with Texas Tech edge-rusher Myles Cole.

At 6-foot-6 and 278 pounds, Cole has measurables right out of science fiction, and with four sacks and 27 total pressures in 281 pass-rushing reps last season, his tape is starting to back it up. Like a lot of collegiate defenders with ridiculous physical skills, Cole has yet to develop his hands for maximum impact against blockers — more often, he would just Godzilla those poor guys, and that would be that. So, maybe he’s a year away from doing any real damage, but when you get a guy like this with the 236th overall pick in the seventh round, you can afford to wait.

“Size, length, he’s a developmental guy for sure,” Baalke said of Cole after the pick was made. “Kind of got onto him later in the process just with his measurables, they just stood out. At that stage of the draft you’re looking for traits to develop, and he’s certainly got some.”

Indianapolis Colts’ best sleeper pick: Anthony Gould, WR, Oregon State

Oregon State’s Anthony Gould could be a surprise speed receiver for the Colts in his rookie campaign.

The Colts were pretty set at receiver from a B-level to D-level perspective before the 2024 draft, and they upped the ante with Texas’ Adonai Mitchell in the second round. But don’t overlook the selection of Oregon State receiver Anthony Gould with the 142nd overall pick in the fifth round. At 5′ 8⅜” and 174 pounds, Gould tested very well at the scouting combine, and that all shows up on tape. Gould will be a slot guy at the next level, and he’ll amplify his place in the position with some nasty foot fakes at the line, and impressive vertical speed. And while he has some juice as a return man, General Manager Chris Ballard sees him as more than just that.

“Obviously, he’s got the return ability, but he can do some things at wideout as well. To add that speed – he’s a 4.33 guy, another speed guy. We know Anthony [Richardson] can throw it so it’s good to get both of those guys.”

Last season, Gould caught 44 passes on 70 targets for 711 yards and two touchdowns. Were he a bit bigger, and had he played in the SEC, we might be talking about a third-round pick here.

Green Bay Packers’ best sleeper pick: Kitan Oladapo, S, Oregon State

The Packers have a new three-safety rotation, and Oregon State’s Kitan Oladapo has what it takes to be a big part of it.

The Packers had a desperate need to re-install a culture of danger in their safety group after a disappointing 2023 season, and they went after it. They gave former Giants star Xavier McKinney a four year, $67 million contract with $23 million guaranteed, they selected Georgia do-it-all safety Javon Bullard in the second round, and they then took Oregon State’s Kitan Oladapo with the 169th overall pick in the fifth round. When you go from no safeties who can be deployed all over the field to three? Yeah, that’s pretty good.

Oladapo was primarily a deep-third and split safety defender for the Beavers last season, but he also excelled in short areas, especially in the red zone, where he came up with multiple denials against opposing offenses. Overall, the 6-foot-2, 216-pound Oladapo allowed 21 catches on 36 targets for 212 yards, 58 yards after the catch, one touchdown, two interceptions, seven pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 61.3. And he’s already got it together regarding one of the NFL’s most dangerous offensive trends — speed motion from one side of the field to the other.

Denver Broncos’ best sleeper pick: Devaughn Vele, WR, Utah

The Broncos have an underrated receiver in Utah’s Devaughn Vele, who has a fascinating backstory.

A receiver/cornerback star at Rancho Bernardo High School in San Diego, Devaughn Vele was frustrated by his lack of juice in the national recruiting services. He received no big-school offers, and instead of working his way up through a smaller program, he chose to serve three years in a religious mission in Samoa with the Church of Latter-Day Saints. When he came back to America, he walked on at Utah in 2019, got a scholarship in 2020, and became an Honorable mention All-Pac-12 player in 2022. Last season, despite missing three games due to injury, Vele caught 43 passes on 70 targets for 593 yards and three touchdowns. Because of all the things he’s done, Vele will come into the NFL as a 26-year-old, and he’ll turn 27 on December 12, before his first professional season is over.

Most likely, that’s why he lasted until the 235th pick in the seventh round.

Broncos General Manager George Paton was asked last week about selecting players of a specific age, and his answer in Vele’s case was definitive.

“Vele in particular, he was just too talented to pass up. We had a clear vision for him fitting in with what we are doing. Twenty-six [years old] is still young, relatively speaking. He plays a mature game. He has all the traits. He is a prototype. He is big and fast. For a big guy, he can get in and out of his breaks. We just thought he was too talented to pass up.”

Dallas Cowboys’ best sleeper pick: Caelen Carson, CB, Wake Forest

The Cowboys got a great value pick in Wake Forest cornerback Caelen Carson in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

Yes, Jerry Jones has a lot of weird things to say about the player evaluation process, and that bears out in free agency. But don’t sleep on Dallas’ scouting department, led by Will McClay — that’s where all the great draft picks come from. And in the 2024 draft, the Cowboys got a sleeper at cornerback in the person of Wake Forest’s Caelen Carson. I spoke with Carson at the scouting combine, and he talked with pride about his ability to take the playbook and make something out of it.

Which shows up on tape. Last season, Carson allowed 36 catches on 64 targets for 436 yards, 146 yards after the catch, four touchdowns, no interceptions, four pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 98.2. Had Coleman turned a few of those pass breakups into interceptions, his metrics would more closely mimic what you see on the field. Maybe this is why the Cowboys landed him with the 174th overall pick in the fifth round.

I also asked Carson for his favorite NCAA play, and he went right to his battle with Keon Coleman when Wake Forest played Florida State last season.

“Keon Coleman tape. Slot fade, I pressed him with outside leverage because I knew it was going to be a fade. I used my technique and flipped him to the outside. Didn’t turn my head, because he was in the slot, and there was too much space to the sideline, and he’s a big guy. If I had turned my head, he could have pushed me.”