Category: The All-22

2024 NFL Draft: The Bills got their safety of the future in Cole Bishop

The Buffalo Bills’ secondary got old in a hurry last season, and rookie safety Cole Bishop is the key to the rebuild.

The Bills’ formerly amazing secondary got very old in a huge hurry last season. Safeties Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde are now off the roster. Cornerback Tre’Davious White is now with the Rams. And pre-draft, the potential starting five of cornerbacks Christian Benford, Rasul Douglas, and Taron Johnson, with safeties Taylor Rapp and Mike Edwards, probably didn’t inspire a ton of fear in opposing quarterbacks and receivers.

Buffalo is in an obvious rebuild in that department, but the good news is that the Bills got themselves a perfect fit in Utah safety Cole Bishop with the 60th overall pick in the second round. Head coach Sean McDermott wants safeties who are interchangeable, and can do just about anything on the field. Bishop qualifies after a 2023 season for the Utes in which he allowed 14 catches on 26 targets for 170 yards, 58 yards after the catch, two touchdowns, two interceptions, one pass breakup, and an opponent passer rating of 67.8. Bishop also had three sacks, 12 total pressures, 47 solo tackles and 22 stops, playing everywhere from the defensive line to the deep third.

Bishop majored in multiple disciplines for the Utes, playing more than 400 snaps in the box, in the slot, and at free safety over three collegiate seasons.

“They want their safeties to do a lot,” Bishop said after he discovered where his new home would be. “I think my versatility is something that kind of separates me, so being able to go to a team that you’re able to be versatile is huge. So I think I’m going to be able to excel as best I can.”

Bishop is so fast on the field, he’ll get in his own way at times from an assignment perspective. But you’ll accept that and work on it with him, because having safeties who can roam the entire field effortlessly is a big deal… and you really know when you don’t have one. Whether he’s coming down to lay the wood on a receiver who just caught a short pass, or matching deep with a vertical opponent, Bishop can do just about everything back there.

“He really impressed us throughout the process, his knowledge of the game, his smarts, everyone at Utah raves about him,” Beane said of Bishop. “Probably one of the most consensus players on our board.”

Beane didn’t think he’d be able to get Bishop with the 60th pick, and that had him trying in vain to trade up. In the end, he got his man.

“To add a guy that fits our defense the way he does and where we had him on the board … I would have been thrilled giving up something in the draft, you know fourth, fifth round to go get him.”

How the Arizona Cardinals got themselves a whole new secondary in the 2024 NFL Draft

The Arizona Cardinals may have had the NFL’s worst secondary in 2023, and they addressed that with a passion in the 2024 NFL draft.

Last season, the Arizona Cardinals ranked dead last in Defensive DVOA, and only the Washington Commanders “led” by Jack Del Rio (until Del Rio was fired) and Ron Rivera were worse in DVOA against the pass. Head coach Jonathan Gannon didn’t have a lot to work with in the secondary — safety Jalen Thompson was the only Arizona defensive back in 2023 who allowed an opponent passer rating of less than 80.0, and only Thompson had more than one interception with his four.

So, general manager Monti Ossenfort, assistant GM Dave Sears, and Gannon had a lot they needed to accomplish in the draft. Certainly in terms of draft currency, they did all they could to improve things with the selections of Rutgers cornerback Max Melton with the 43rd overall pick in the second round, Boston College cornerback Elijah Jones with the 90th overall pick in the third round, and Texas Tech safety Dadrion Taylor-Demerson with the 104th overall pick in the fourth round.

Both Melton and Jones are true outside stopper cornerbacks, and Taylor-Demerson has the range to play the deep third, leaving Jalen Thompson to do his thing closer to the line of scrimmage. If all these guys pan out early, the Cardinals could have one of the NFL’s most obviously-transformed secondaries in the 2024 season.

“I had about 20 [minutes] with him,” Gannon said of Max Melton in the pre-draft process. “Just his seriousness and intensity, honestly. This guy’s a very serious person. The mentality that we’re looking for fits the price of admission and [after] having him talk through some things, I could tell he was very well-schooled, well-trained, well-coached, and he understood what they were trying to get done there. I really fell in love with his mindset, his attitude and his demeanor. He walked down and I was like that’s a serious person and I liked that.”.

Last season, Melton 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.

As for Elijah Jones, he was one of the NCAA’s better true island cornerbacks in this class — he allowed 13 catches on 40 targets for 194 yards, 58 yards after the catch, one touchdown, five interceptions, six pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 18.1 — which means that opposing quarterbacks were better off throwing the ball into the stands than they were trying to get it past Jones.

Taylor-Demerson was one of my favorite defensive backs in this draft, and my favorite deep-third safety. I was happy to see that the Cardinals see him in a similar fashion.

“Absolutely, he’s played safety down there for them,” Ossenfort said of Taylor-Demerson as a deep-third defender. “Really his best attributes I’d say are his range and his ball skills. He really has a nose for the football. I think he’s going to be able to play the deep half of the field and then we’ll see what else he can do. Versatility will come after that, but we think he brings a versatile element and range to the back half of the defense.”

My scouting report agrees.

The Xs and Os with Greg Cosell: The best offensive scheme fits in the 2024 NFL draft

From Jayden Daniels to Xavier Worthy, Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar get into the best offensive scheme fits from the 2024 NFL draft.

There are at least two stages of evaluation when dealing with draft prospects. There’s the work you do watching tape of a player in a vacuum pre-draft, when you’re looking at a player’s attributes and liabilities overall. Then, when the player is drafted, you’re trying to figure out why the team selected the player, and how that player best fits in his new home from a schematic and performance perspective.

With the 2024 NFL draft in the rearview, it’s time for Greg Cosell of NFL Films and ESPN’s NFL Matchup, and Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire and the USA Today Sports Media Group, to determine the best scheme fits from this class.

Greg and Doug begin on the offensive side of the ball, with these players:

  • Jayden Daniels, QB, Washington Commanders
  • Bo Nix, QB, Denver Broncos
  • Troy Franklin, WR, Denver Broncos
  • Blake Corum, RB, Los Angeles Rams
  • Jonathon Brooks, RB, Carolina Panthers
  • Brian Thomas Jr., WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
  • Xavier Worthy, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
  • Ladd McConkey, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
  • Kimani Vidal, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

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

You can also listen and subscrive to the Xs and Os podcast on Spotify…

…and on Apple Podcasts.

The Xs and Os with Greg Cosell: Our favorite draft picks (mostly) outside the first round

In this week’s “Xs and Os,” Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar get into their favorite draft picks (mostly) outside of the first round.

Now that the 2024 NFL draft is in the books, which players who were not selected in the first round have the best chances to make real impacts on their new NFL teams? In this episode of “The Xs and Os with Greg Cosell,” Greg and Doug Farrar get into their favorite guys mostly outside of the first round.

Ricky Pearsall, WR, San Francisco 49ers — We’re cheating a bit here, as Pearsall was selected with the 31st overall pick, but if the 49ers keep both Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk on the roster, Pearsall can impact the passing game in ways that his new teammates will find complementary, and in ways that bring new colors to Kyle Shanahan’s playbook. Also, watch out for fourth-round receiver Jacob Cowing from Arizona as a smaller speed element.

Renardo Green, CB, San Francisco 49ers — On the defensive side, and with the 64th overall pick in the second round, the 49ers got a cornerback who showed all the athleticism and coverage skills you want at the position, and brings an absolute dawg mentality. You need look no further than Green’s tape against LSU’s Malik Nabers.

Marshawn Kneeland, DL, Dallas Cowboys — The Cowboys’ scouting staff is one of the NFL’s best, and with the 56th overall pick in the second round, Dallas picked up the Western Michigan and Senior Bowl star, who brings Khalil Mack to mind with his power-based rush, and Za’Darius Smith to mind with his effective gap versatility.

Malik Washington, WR, Miami Dolphins — Stop us if you’ve heard this one before, but the Dolphins got a receiver who’s really fast in some really interesting ways. Washington, the Virginia receiver who Miami stole with the 184th overall pick in the sixth round, brings an exciting, physical style that puts defenses in severe conflict when those defenses also have to deal with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.

Cole Bishop, S, Buffalo Bills — The Bills’ former secondary got old overnight, and a re-do is now necessary. Bishop, the Utah star, is a prefect safety with which to rebuild because he can do just about everything at a high level.

Adonai Mitchell, WR, Indianapolis Colts — Mitchell showed at Texas that he has first-round talent, and if he can put it together with the nuances of the position, he’ll give the Colts the alpha receiver that seems to be the only thing this offense was missing. Not bad for the 52nd overall pick in the second round.

Jalen McMillan, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers — McMillan may have been the lost member of the Washington receiver group from a production standpoint due to injury in 2023 (which is how the Bucs were able to get him with the 92nd overall pick in the third round), but the tape shows a valuable deep receiver who can expertly dice zone coverage downfield.

Trey Benson, RB, Arizona Cardinals — At Florida State, Benson showed the ability to run with power like a bigger man, and to evade tackles with the agility of a smaller back. The Cardinals selected Benson with the 66th overall pick in the third round, and they’ll likely avail themselves of Benson’s special skill set sooner than later.

Bub Means, WR, New Orleans Saints — At Pitt, Means displayed the ability to be a fantastic deep receiver despite a trio of quarterbacks who really struggled to do anything. Odds are, the Saints got a receiver with the 170th pick in the fifth round who can be even better in the NFL — all he needs is functional quarterback play to turn it loose.

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

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

…and on Apple Podcasts.

The Xs and Os with Greg Cosell: How are prospects scouted differently than 10 years ago?

How does the changing nature of the NFL in a schematic sense change how NFL teams evaluate draft prospects? Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar investigate.

The NFL is an ever-changing business, and that applies just as much (if not more) to the prospects coming into the NFL as it does to the players who are already there. Schemes and trends and concepts are so different now than they were 10 years ago, or even five years ago, and you’d better be ahead of the game on that in how you evaluate college players for your NFL team.

In this week’s “Xs and Os with Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar,” the guys get into the differences in evaluation for these positions:

Quarterback — There are about as many snaps with quarterbacks moving around and throwing outside the pocket as there were a decade ago, but how have things changed in how these mobile quarterbacks are evaluated? And can you even succeed in the league anymore without those movement skills?

Receiver — The massive increase in pre-snap motion over the last decade has teams thinking differently about receivers, especially smaller receivers who might not have even made an NFL team in 2014. How has this changed the receiver prototypes teams really want?

Offensive Guard — With the increase in quick game passes in the NFL, edge-rushers don’t always have time to get to the quarterback before the ball is out, which means that interior protection is more important than ever. The NFL is paying guards on an entirely different wage scale than it did a decade ago, so why are guards so much more crucial to offensive success than they used to be?

Interior Defensive Lineman — Correspondingly, the league now has a group of massive defensive tackles who can get to the quarterback in some really freaky ways for their various sizes. Where did this group of agile Godzillas come from, and how has their presence shaped what defenses do?

You can watch this week’s “Xs 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 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. 

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.