Category: The All-22

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: Missouri DL Darius Robinson scouting report

Missouri DL Darius Robinson is an ideal modern NFL disruptor, because he can get it done all over the defensive line.

A three-star recruit at Canton High School in Canton, Michigan, Darius Robinson didn’t play organized football until his junior year. But he still had a couple of pressures as a true freshman in 2019, and worked his way up to First-Team All-SEC in 2023 despite an injury-plagued season. Last year, the 6′ 5⅛”, 285-pound Robinson was good for nine sacks, 42 total pressures, 22 solo tackles, and 22 stops, and he did that all over the defensive line — 81% EDGE, 19% defensive tackle, and 1% nose tackle.

Robinson projects as an ideal every-gap disruptor at the NFL level, and his athletic traits could have him as a plus lineman when his professional career expands.

PLUSES

— Very strong upper body; when Robinson gets into the blocker’s numbers with his hands, he can just collapse his opponent, and he has a great shock move to bring the blocker in and then just shed him aside.

— Freaky wingspan allows him to roll quickly with the inside counter; Robinson can cross your face before you know it.

— Excellent speed to and through the pocket.

— Has a bull-rush with serious potential; Robinson will be a tough go for NFL tackles in power situations. Once he gets a tackle on the track, the tackle is in big trouble.

— Can win everywhere from wide-9 to 3-tech.

— Got it done as a pass-rusher without the help of a lot of blitzes; had several pressures out of three-man fronts.

MINUSES

— Robinson will occasionally get over his skis in open space and just whiff on tackles.

— Needs to be highly aware of pad level and leverage, especially inside, or he’ll lose power battles right off the snap.

— Needs a better plan with his hands to avoid wrestling when he should be penetrating.

— Gets so involved in what’s in front of him that he’ll miss run keys that are a gap over.

I avoid same-school comparisons unless they’re unavoidable. In Robinson’s case, he had me thinking of Aldon Smith right away in the combination of wingspan and play speed. That Robinson generally rolled at 20-20 pounds heavier is a testament to Robinson’s unusual athletic profile for his size. There are things to clean up here, but the raw and refined tools make me think that he may disappear a bit in his rookie season, but over time, he could be a true multi-gap demolition expert.

2024 NFL Draft: Florida State QB Jordan Travis scouting report

If Florida State QB Jordan Travis had stayed healthy through his 2023 season, the 2024 NFL draft quarterback conversation would be a bit different.

Jordan Travis spent his first collegiate season at Louisville in the post-Lamar Jackson landscape, but he completed just four of 14 passes in 2018 for 71 yards, one touchdown, one interception, and a passer rating of 42.3. A transfer to Florida State allowed him to be far more prolific. Over five seasons with the Seminoles, Travis developed as a quarterback and as an athlete, and his school records prove the point.

Travis holds holds FSU career records for touchdown responsibility, total offense, quarterback rushing yards and quarterback rushing touchdowns. He is the only player in FSU history with more than 50 passing touchdowns and at least 12 rushing touchdowns, the only player in program history with three different streaks of at least 120 passes without an interception, the only player ranked Top 10 on FSU’s career passing touchdowns and rushing touchdowns lists, and he accounted for school-record 97 total touchdowns and 10,554 yards of total offense.

Last season, Travis completed 207 of 325 passes for 2,755 yards, 20 touchdowns, two interceptions, and a passer rating of 108.4. He also rushed 46 times for 279 yards and seven touchdowns.

Had he not suffered a leg fracture against North Alabama on November 18, Travis might be heading into this draft class with a different conversation regarding the top players at his position. NFL teams will have to weigh the injury against Travis’ productivity and potential, and I think he’ll come out on the right side of that equation.

PLUSES

— Compact, consistent delivery which allows him to get the ball out quickly once he sees it downfield.

— Has the pace and touch to succeed as a downfield thrower, and though anticipation is not really his game, Travis has a knack for getting the ball deep where his guy can get it.

— Height (6′ 1⅛”) isn’t an issue; Travis completed 134 of 198 passes over the middle and left/right middle last season for 1,785 yards, 617 air yards, 10 touchdowns, two interceptions, and a passer rating of 112.6.

— Forced 23 missed tackles and scored seven touchdowns in 46 rushing attempts last season; has some definite potential at the next level.

— Has no issue throwing to either side on the move, which will help him force open lanes outside the pocket.

MINUSES

— Needs to see his target come open before he’ll turn it loose. Can be vulnerable to opportunistic defenders as a result, and this will increase in the NFL.

— Has periods of inaccuracy when he gets cute with his upper body.

— Gets a bit wild and unstructured as a scrambler at times when he should just take a profit and move on.

I’m of the belief that if Travis hadn’t suffered a brutal leg fracture in mid-November, and if he had played through the 2023 season as he did pre-injury, the 2024 quarterback conversation would be a bit different. Not that he’s ready to compete with Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels, but in that second QB tier, he had enough going for him to climb into the boat.

2024 NFL Draft: Rutgers CB Max Melton scouting report

Rutgers CB Max Melton may be under the radar as a starting NFL cornerback, but the tape shows a natural match defender with great athletic attributes.

Max Melton comes from an athletic family. His father Gary played wide receiver and running back at Rutgers from 1987-91, and his mother Vicky, competed on the Rutgers women’s basketball team from 1989-93. Melton’s older brother Bo also played for the Scarlet Knights, was selected in the seventh round of the 2022 draft by the Seattle Seahawks, and caught 18 passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns for the Green Bay Packers last season.

Max Melton might have the highest profile in his family when all is said and done. A receiving and rushing star at Cedar Creek High School in Egg Harbor City, Atlantic County, New Jersey, Melton chose Rutgers as an obvious family proposition, and had his best of four collegiate seasons in 2023. Then, he 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.

The 5-foot-11, 187-pund Melton is a bit under the radar as an outside cornerback in this class, but the tape shows an instinctive match defender with great athletic attributes.

PLUSES

— Natural match-and-carry cornerback in any scheme — zone/man, press/off.

— Will run foot-for-foot with any receiver; Melton has a frenetic playing style, but he’s able to keep it under control for the most part.

— Gave Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka all kinds of hassles vs. Ohio State.

— Smooth in his transitions and backpedal, and has excellent ball skills for deflections and interceptions.

— Can handle choice routes and other option concepts from the slot.

— 4.39 40-yard dash shows up on the field, as does the 40½” vertical jump and the 136″ broad jump (all high-percentile)

— Melton can get from Point A to Point B in a hurry, and he’s explosive to the ball when he gets there.

MINUSES

— Tackling is… well, a work in progress. He’s not going to get through blockers, and his tackling style is more pestering than truly bothersome.

— Doesn’t really have a concept of run fits.

— Recovery speed is nice, but he’ll give receivers too much of a cushion at times, which he doesn’t need to do.

— More of a man coverage expert; he’ll occasionally get a bit lost in zone.

Melton is a fascinating prospect. As a pass defender, he’s as sticky as anyone in this class. As a run defender, he doesn’t really look like he wants to be out there at all. I’m not sure how much his NFL coaches will be able to develop that killer instinct. I’m also not sure how much it matters, because his tape against the pass tells an important series of stories.

2024 NFL Draft: Michigan CB Mike Sainristil scouting report

Michigan cornerback Mike Sainristil may be limited to the slot, but don’t box him out — he’s a plug-and-play star at a vital position in today’s NFL.

A composite three-star prospect out of Everett High School in Everett, Massachusetts, Mike Sainristil was a star receiver and cornerback who chose Michigan and totaled 37 catches on 69 targets for 541 yards and five touchdowns in his time with the Wolverines. Sainristil brought that receiver’s understanding to his role as a primary slot defender, capping out in Michigan’s national championship season of 2023 with 29 catches allowed on 50 targets for 412 yards, 206 yards after the catch, four touchdowns, six interceptions, six pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 71.8. He also had 29 solo tackles, 18 stops, two sacks, and 11 total pressures.

In today’s NFL, you need at least one slot defender if you want your defense to work, so don’t pass Sainristil by just because he’s limited to the inside. He’s a smart, tough, aggressive, scheme-transcendent player who can work into an NFL roster right away.

PLUSES

— Quick closer to the receiver, and has a better eye for the ball than a lot of receivers do.

— Can lay in the weeds and jump routes with excellent timing and ball skills. Six INT and six PBU in the 2023 season.

— Matches the receiver through the route in press and off coverage, and has the easy speed to work through them.

— Understands and responds to switches and route combinations. Very heady in the open field.

— Outstanding hitter for his size; he’ll come down and lay the wallop, and a lot of his pass deflections come as a result of that.

— Great blitzer who shoots gaps like a running back, and is quick enough to get to the quarterback at an angle from the slot.

MINUSES

— Size (5′ 9½”, 182 pounds) will limit him to the slot at the next level.

— Has a tendency to leave too much cushion on angular routes, leading to easy completions he has the talent to prevent.

— Not a run defender of note; he gets blocked out too easily and his tackling is more made for receivers than running backs.

— Frenetic play style will have him biting on movement and action in the backfield.

— Will lose physical battles with tight ends and bigger receivers off the snap and up the seam.

We’re past the eras in which slot defenders were thought of in a pejorative sense; in a time when nickel is the new base defense, if you don’t have at least one good slot guy against a plethora of 3×1 and empty sets, your defense is going to be in trouble. Sainristil projects as a plug-and-play slot man with some hybrid safety potential, and I think that gives him second-round juice.

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: Florida State CB Renardo Green scouting report

Florida State cornerback Renardo Green has every attribute you want in an outside defender… except for ideal size. Where does that put him in the NFL?

A three-star prospect out of Wekiva High School in Apopka, Florida, Renardo Green chose Florida State over Ohio State and had 164 snaps as a true freshman in 2019. Green’s first prominent season was 2021, when he allowed an opponent passer rating of 46.5 on 121 coverage snaps. That put him in line for more opportunities both outside and in the slot (especially outside), and in 2023, he gave up 31 catches on 60 targets for 290 yards, 103 yards after the catch, one interception, three touchdowns, 13 pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 75.0.

Green has just about every attribute you want in an outside cornerback except for prototypical size. I will be fascinated to see how his NFL team deploys him.

PLUSES

— Green is a complete pain in the ass when he’s pressed up on the receiver and follows to the boundary on anything vertical; he’ll glue himself to his guy, and he’s very tough to shake. Ask Malik Nabers about that re: the video below.

— Very smart in his transitions in man/match; he’ll move foot-for-foot with the receiver.

— Has a good sense of landmark switches in zone coverage. — Brings some value as a free blitzer in open space.

— Played just 18% of his snaps in the slot last season, but absolutely has the movement skills to deal with choice and option routes inside.

MINUSES

— Size (5′ 11⅞”, 186 pounds) shows up on contested balls downfield; Green had 13 pass breakups last season, but if he can time those better and use what height he does have, there could be more interceptions.

— Savvier receivers at the NFL level might have him in a box to start with their foot feints; Green can be led the wrong way with the right look.

— Not a run defender to any degree; Green will get blocked out pretty easily and his tackling is more gnatty than anything else.

— Physical style could lead to more penalties in the NFL, especially if he keeps face-guarding as much as he does now.

The Seminoles trusted Green to be a boundary corner at his size, and he responded very well for the most part. At the NFL level, I think he’d excel with a team that has multiple coverage concepts demanding that their corners see more of the field. He’s ideally an inside/outside defender with a lot of potential, especially as a press defender who can adjust after the snap.

2024 NFL Draft: Washington State safety Jaden Hicks scouting report

Washington State safety Jaden Hicks brings size and aggressiveness to the equation; he’ll excel in the right NFL defense.

A three-star prospect out of Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, Hicks got a bit of action as a true freshman for the Cougars in 2021, and really started to make an impact as a box/slot player in 2022 with 60 solo tackles, 18 stops, one sack, eight total pressures, and one tackle for loss. Hicks was a work in progress as a coverage defender that season (33 catches allowed on 41 targets for 410 yards, 188 yards after the catch, three touchdowns, one interception, four pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 122.6), but he saw improvement in that department in 2023, when he allowed 20 catches on 31 targets for 170 yards, 129 yards after the catch, two touchdowns, two interceptions, four pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 73.3.

Hicks isn’t your traditional deep-third safety, but he could make a lot of noise in an NFL defense where he isn’t penalized for that, and he can roam as a downfield weapon in big-nickel looks and dime stuff.

PLUSES

— Box/slot enforcer with great size (6′ 1⅞”, 211 pounds) who comes down with bad intentions.

— Has the straight-line and match speed to work with receivers from the flat to up the seam.

— Has a nice sense of how to work through blocks to create tackles for loss from between the tackles to the boundary, and he can come down from the deep third quickly to erase run plays and pressure quarterbacks.

MINUSES

— Change of direction is an issue; Hicks can be stiff in his transitions and is much better as a guided missile where he can get a bead on his target and go.

— Will get over-exuberant as his target gets near, leading to some whiffs in the open field.

— Needs to adjust more quickly to changing responsibilities in zone coverage.

— Hicks will need a better plan against blocks in the open field if he wants to be a consistent stopper in the box.

— Recovery speed is average, and this shows up too often when he’s on the move or in deep-third coverage.

Hicks isn’t what I would call a traditional deep-third safety in coverage, but if you need a guy to come down and rock it in the box, he is absolutely that. A good player for heavy big-nickel teams, and he can work as a dime linebacker, too.

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: Alabama EDGE Dallas Turner scouting report

Alabama EDGE Dallas Turner has one speed — all-go, all the time. With the right NFL team, he could be a disruptive superstar.

Dallas Turner played for played for head coach Roger Harriott at St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, helping his school to back-to-back Florida 7A State Championships and the High School National Championship in 2019. He was a consensus five-star prospect, and he chose the Crimson Tide over Georgia, Miami, Michigan, Ohio State and Oregon, and any other major program you’d choose to mention.

Turner had nine sacks and 25 total pressures as a freshman in 2021, upping the ante to 37 total pressures in 2022. But 2023 was Turner’s real breakout season, as he exactly tied his count of 647 snaps from the previous season, but got 11 sacks and 55 total pressures this time around.

Turner is one of the most dynamic athletes in this draft, regardless of position. The question here is whether he’ll find the right NFL team to make the most of his attributes, and build on the things that still need work. If that’s the case, watch the heck out for this guy.

PLUSES

— Twitched-up, hyper-athletic ball of fury who moves off the snap with a killer first step and great acceleration to and through the pocket. And his spin move should be illegal.

— Has no problem flattening his rush path with the dip-and-rip and working under the tackle’s hands around the arc.

— Absurd quickness in open space; he can re-set from flat coverage to take the quarterback down at the boundary. He has the closing speed of a fast linebacker, and you, Mr. QB, are not safe running away from him. 

— Short-area speed extends to stunts and gap games; Turner will cross a gap or two to work pressure inside.

— Not a power player per se, but the speed-to-power moves are just fine.

MINUSES

— Turner is so good at running around (and occasionally through) enemy blockers that he will need to expand his hand work to be similarly successful at the NFL level. He’ll get negated more than he should. Tight ends should not be able to woodshed him.

— Oversells to create pressure at times, which leads to some “cat on a freshly waxed kitchen floor” moments where he’ll whiff at a huge level. He’ll also bite hard on fakes and counters.

— Not much of a plan against double-teams.

— Could stand to deal better with power; right now, if you strike the first blow, you have a great chance of winning the rep.

— Not a run defender of note, though you don’t want to debit him too much for this and miss out on the blinding attributes.

Turner might be your EDGE1 if you need a preposterous athlete to embarrass opposing blockers with every possible speed attribute. If your preferences lie elsewhere, you may just have to deal with him beating your tackles over and over.

It’s vitally important that he be placed in a defense where his special skills are maximized, and the things he’s not really built to do don’t matter as much.