Category: The All-22

2024 NFL Draft: Duke IOL Graham Barton scouting report

Duke’s Graham Barton was a pretty good left tackle in college. Will a move inside cement his NFL future in a positive sense?

A three-star recruit out of Ravenwood High School in Brentwood, Tennessee, Barton was named a Second team Freshman All-America pick by The Athletic, and worked his way up through 40 career games and 39 career starts with the Blue Devils to first team All-ACC honors in 2023. Barton switched from center to left tackle in 2021, and he allowed 10 sacks and 50 total pressures during his time at Duke.

The question is not how Barton will fare in the NFL as a left tackle; he’s certainly going to move inside. His body type doesn’t support staying at the edge, and the tape backs that up. But can he be a credible guard or center at the next level?

PLUSES

— Nasty technician on gap and inside zone runs; Barton gets low and under a defender’s pads to deliver a quick blow off the snap, and he’s got some formidable knockdown blocks. 

— Quick enough to cross the defender’s face and seal the edge. 

— Keeps his speed and balance on pulls; he’s accurate to his target on the move. 

— That target accuracy extends to the second level when he has to go up and take a linebacker out. Barton has outstanding contact balance in space. 

— Can move bigger defenders on the track even if he gets bent back in the rep. He’s got a recovery plan if things don’t go well right away. 

— Center tape from 2020 shows an easy mover with good power at that position.

MINUSES

— We’re not going to get into Barton’s issues as a left tackle, because it’s highly unlikely that he’ll be a left tackle in the NFL, but… his wingspan, arm length, and hand size are low percentile for tackles, and they’re even low for guards/centers. He’s moving inside.

— Can be easily shocked by speed rushers to either side; he’ll need to work on trapping defenders when they move outside of his vision. 

— Barton is hit-and-miss in power situations when he’s not striking the first blow; he really needs that quick aggression to succeed. 

— Has the vision and understanding to pick up stunts and games, though he’ll let some leakage through. 

I’ve seen some first-round talk with Barton, and while he’s got a lot to offer, I’m not so sure. If I’m selecting a guard or center that high, I would want to see obvious dominance at those positions, and Barton (while very good) really doesn’t do that.  

Most likely, someone’s going to get him early second day, firm up his IOL assets, and get a plus starter for the next 10 years. Nothing wrong with that.

2024 NFL Draft: Oregon C Jackson Powers-Johnson scouting report

Oregon center Jackson Powers-Johnson isn’t just a plug-and-play NFL prospect; he has All-Pro potential right from the start.

A consensus four-star recruit out of Corner Canyon High School in Draper, Utah, Jackson Powers-Johnson chose Oregon over BYU, Liberty, Missouri, Nebraska, Utah, Utah State and Washington State. He played in 11 games as a true freshman in 2021, adding a bit of time at defensive tackle. Powers-Johnson’s first start for the Ducks didn’t come until November 19, 2022, against Utah, but Powers-Johnson was more than ready for that, and he continued to prove it in 2023.

Powers-Johnson became the first Pac-12 player in conference history to win the Rimington Trophy, given to the nation’s best center, and he received First-Team All-American honors from  the AFCA, the Associated Press, the FWAA, the Sporting News, and Walter Camp.

In 2023, Powers-Johnson allowed no sacks, no quarterback hits, and one quarterback hurry in 497 pass-blocking snaps. Over his three seasons with the Ducks, Powers-Johnson gave up no sacks, one quarterback hit, and three quarterback hurries in 758 pass-blocking reps. Add that to his run-blocking tape and his work on the move, and Powers-Johnson isn’t just plug-and-play for the NFL; he could well display All-Pro potential from his first step on the field.

PLUSES

— Powers-Johnson’s combine weight of 328 pounds is 98th percentile for centers, and he carries it well, Big frame, wide butt, and no wasted pounds. It’s all coming right at you off the snap, Slappy.

— Looks to exert physical dominance on every snap in the run game; that’s his default mechanism. He doesn’t just want to take you out of the play, he wants to embarrass you.

— Good movement skills to get upfield; keeps his head on a swivel and doesn’t seem overmatched in space.

— Upper-body strength is impressive; Powers-Johnson can take a defender by the pads and just shake him into oblivion.

— Aggressive hands allow him to deflect and defeat rushers; Powers-Johnson can take a head-over nose tackle and just obliterate him.

— Mobile and agile enough to win on pulls and at the second level.

MINUSES

— While Powers-Johnson moves well in space, he isn’t going to make anybody forget Jason Kelce as a move center. He can be pre-determined with his landmarks and will occasionally let a defender through.

— Needs to work on moving with defenders crossing his face and stunting; tends to attack what’s right in front of him. More of a lunger and grabber when he’s challenged laterally.

As I said in a more pejorative sense in my Graham Barton evaluation, if I’m taking a guard or center in the first round, I need to see obvious physical and mental dominance at the position(s).

No issue here — Powers-Johnson is a plug-and-play center in any scheme, and that tape is fun to watch. Let’s get nasty!

2024 NFL Draft: Oklahoma OT Tyler Guyton scouting report

Oklahoma offensive tackle Tyler Guyton has a surprising level of polish to his game despite a lack of starting experience. That should play well for his NFL transition.

Tyler Guyton was a second-team All-District 11-5A selection for Manor High School in Manor, Texas, where he played primarily defensive line. He chose TCU, but barely got on the field over two years… though he did bag a #THICCSIX touchdown for the Horned Frogs.

Guyton transferred to Oklahoma before the 2022 season, and that’s when things came into focus for him. He allowed two sacks and four total pressures that season in 191 pass-blocking reps at both left and right tackle, and in 2023 with his move to right tackle ensured, he allowed no sacks and 12 total pressures in 355 pass-blocking reps.

Guyton’s relative lack of big-school starting experience may put some NFL evaluators off, but when you watch the tape, there’s a whole lot to like. Guyton has pro-level potential at either tackle spot, and given how polished he is already, I don’t think the transitional issues will be tough to fix.

PLUSES
 
— Athletic mover with a really nice kick-step and turn around the arc. He has left tackle feet if you want him there.
— Understands stunts and games and will adjust his body on the fly to pick up the second defender.
— Keeps his feet under and aligned for the most part; this allows him to use his leverage optimally in power situations.
— Mirrors comfortably through the rep; it’s tough to get by him to either side because he recovers quickly.
— Has no issue driving defenders out in the run game, and he’s a headbanger in the pit when he needs to be. Perfectly capable of inflicting knockdown blocks and throwing linebackers around.
MINUSES
— Guyton is more of a catcher than an aggressor with his hands, and he’ll lose battles as a result when he could fire out. This might be a product of how the Sooners wanted him to do it; I’m not sure.
— Can get overpowered in two-point stances when he brings his upper body up too early in the rep.
— Guyton’s blocking isn’t… passive per se, but I would like to see him be a tick quicker to engage at times.
— If you want a tackle who clearly shows a will to dominate every rep, Guyton is more of a technician… but good luck getting his technique with some of the more dominant run-drivers.
Guyton is one of my favorite tackle prospects in this class, and I’m at a bit of a loss as to why he isn’t talked about more as a high-end (first-round) guy. I think he’s a plug-and-play RT in the NFL who can switch to the left side if need be. Yes, there is a relative lack of experience, but that makes his technique even more impressive.

Maybe the “blow your face up” blockers get more attention. Guyton just does everything really well. If that’s relatively boring, I’ll take boring 10 times out of 10. If he played with about 10% more Metallica, he might climb into OT 1/2 territory.

2024 NFL Draft: Georgia OT Amarius Mims scouting report

Georgia offensive tackle Amarius Mims is one of the freakiest prospects we’ve seen in years. How much development will he need for his ultimate NFL success?

A composite five-star recruit out of Bleckley County High School in Cochran, Georgia, Mims stayed close to home by committing to Georgia, and he saw action in 2021 and 2022 as a reserve with 121 snaps at right tackle in 2021, and 383 in 2022.

Mims worked through injuries in 2023 that limited his snaps to 297, but when he was on the field, he allowed no sacks and one total pressure in 168 pass-blocking reps.

Why is Mims talked about as a first-round prospect with such limited experience? Athletic traits. At 6′ 7¾” ad 340 pounds, Mims brings a size/speed/agility profile to the position we don’t often see.

Mims’ NFL team will need to work with him on several foundational constructs before he’s able to fully realize that amazing potential, but as raw as his tape can be, you can also see why he’s prized as a prospect, and why he could be utterly amazing over time.

PLUSES

— Pure “Planet Theory” human being whose spider chart looks like science fiction; there just aren’t many people this big who can move like he does.
— Can move just about anybody in a straight line against their will.
— Shockingly agile on the move; Mims can get upfield quickly on screens and pulls and just bulldoze anybody in his way.
— Upper-body strength is comical; he’ll latch onto a defender and wind up just pushing and throwing the poor guy out of the octagon.
MINUSES
— Lack of experience shows up in limited technique; Mims needs work on his hands to latch and maintain through the block. He’s too leaky to either side to give up pressure.
— Also needs work on taking vision to execution, because he’s far too vulnerable to speed rushers crossing his face and zapping him with inside counters.
— Pass set is a work in progress; he’s more of a catcher than a fluid mover through the arc.
— Stunts and games might be a problem until he gets the hang of reading things through the play.

Mims is unquestionably a developmental prospect, but when you watch his tape, you understand exactly why some NFL team is highly likely to throw that first-round flier in. Over time, and with the right coaching, he has the athletic potential to be a rare prospect at right or left tackle.

2024 NFL Draft: Alabama OT JC Latham scouting report

Alabama offensive lineman JC Latham could be a great right tackle or guard at the next level, but he needs to align more agility to his power.

A unanimous five-star recruit out of Catholic Memorial High School in Waukesha, Wisconsin and the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, Latham committed to Alabama and saw action as a right guard right away. He moved to right tackle in the 2022 season, allowing no sacks and 12 total pressures in 517 pass-blocking reps, with knockdown blocks all over the place. Latham’s final college season of 2023 saw him giving up two sacks and 14 total pressures in 443 pass-blocking snaps, with power blocking as the order of the day.

With Latham, you have to know what you’re getting, and what needs development. If you’re in the market for a pure demolition expert at right tackle or right guard, he could be your man. If you prefer more quick and athletic blockers who will mirror speed rushers through the rep? That’s a different story. Latham worked to increase his weight and lower his body fat at Alabama; I might think about reducing the weight to help make him more immediately responsive off the snap. Latham just turned 21 on February 8, so the developmental curve is understandable.

PLUSES

— 6′ 5¾”, 342-pound frame allows Latham to latch onto defenders and push them right off the screen; once Latham has you on the track and moving, you’re in huge trouble.

— Has the capability to chip at the line and head to the second level with target accuracy.

— Will seal the edge quickly in the run game, and once he’s sealed it, you’re not going to get through him.

— Has an anchor of concrete and fires out like a jackhammer when his technique is together. Extremely physically imposing blocker.

— Has experience at right guard (135 snaps in 2021), so there’s positional versatility there.

MINUSES

— Can be late to the party on stunts and games; he’ll fixate on his first target and recovery can be difficult.

— Slower kick-step leaves him vulnerable to quicker rushers off the snap, and he’ll need to be faster to deal with inside counters.

— Could stand to be more aggressive with his hands; he’ll allow leakage to either side because he needs to get his hands up and into the rusher’s numbers more quickly.

— Allows defenders to cross his face far too easily; slow response time exacerbates this issue.

Right now, Latham is a “see it and hit it” blocker with the potential to be a highly credible power-mover in the run game. Where he’ll need work (possibly a lot of work) in the NFL is in his ability to naturally and seamlessly respond to speed moves and schemed-up pressure concepts. As schemed-up pressure concepts become more common and varied at the next level, that might give evaluators pause if he sticks to the tackle position.

The Xs and Os with Greg Cosell: Greg’s favorite players in the 2024 NFL draft

In this week’s “Xs and Os with Greg Cosell,” Greg details the attributes of his some of his favorite prospects in the 2024 NFL draft class.

With just a few weeks until the 2024 NFL draft gets underway on April 25, it’s time to get a bit in the weeks with our prospect evaluation processes. So it is in “The Xs and Os with Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar,” with Greg (of NFL Films and ESPN’s NFL Matchup) and Doug (of USA Today Sports Media Group and Touchdown Wire) discussing some of Greg’s favorite prospects in this year’s draft class.

  • Trey Benson, RB, Florida State
  • Tyrone Tracy Jr., RB, Purdue
  • Anthony Gould, WR, Oregon State
  • Ladd McConkey, WR, Georgia
  • Troy Fautanu, OT, Washington
  • Laiatu Latu, EDGE, UCLA
  • Byron Murphy II, DL, Texas
  • Cole Bishop, Safety, Utah

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

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

…and on Apple Podcasts.

2024 NFL Draft: South Carolina QB Spencer Rattler details his favorite college play

In this new video series, 2024 NFL draft prospects detail their favorite plays from college. We begin with South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler.

In this new series, we asked several draft prospects at the 2024 scouting combine for their favorite plays in college — the ones they’d want to show NFL teams as the play that best represented their attributes, just as they might in meeting with NFL teams.

Let’s begin with South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler.

After three seasons at Oklahoma, Rattler moved to South Carolina, had one year of adjustment, and came around in 2023, completing 274 of 403 passes for 3,183 yards, 19 touchdowns, eight interceptions, and a passer rating of 99.1. There is a rogue gene in Rattler that his NFL coaches will need to manage, but when asked about his ideal play, he showed that he has it together above the neck.

“Den Dozer Right Strong Cozy 73 Y IHOP Swiss. Just a great play to draw up. It gets really intricate when you break it down. You’ve got your yes-or-no read, an alert to the cornerback, a little pivot route to the backside Cover-2, in-cut, influence read.”

Best version of that?

“Florida week.”

Cool. The closest example I could find in the Florida game was Rattler’s 24-yard pass to O’Mega Blake with 10:33 left in the fourth quarter. Blake hit the in-cut front-side against Florida’s Cover-3, the yes-or-no read was the go/flat, and the alert to the cornerback was which route he took to that side. There’s not every element here — it’s not Cover-2, for example — but it’s a nice insight into everything a quarterback has to read right away.

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Rattler’s aforementioned rogue tendencies will make some NFL teams shake their heads, but he’s got enough on the ball on tape to become a highly interesting middle-round prospect with spot-starter potential. One thing’s for sure — he’ll have a better offensive line in the NFL, because it would be nearly impossible to replicate the futility of South Carolina’s front five in 2023. Rattler was pressured on 186 of his 491 dropbacks last season (37.9%), and he still managed to complete 57 of 121 passes under pressure for 855 yards, five touchdowns, five interceptions, and a passer rating of 67.3.

As much as Rattler does have rogue tendencies, evaluating him without pressure does remove some of those. 

2024 NFL Draft: Washington OT Troy Fautanu scouting report

Washington left tackle Troy Fautanu might be better-suited as an NFL guard, but regardless, he’s got the playing personality to succeed.

The 2023 Washington Huskies had one of the most explosive offenses in the NCAA, both run and pass, and while most of the credit goes to the skill position players, you’re not going to get a lot of those big plays happening if the guys up front aren’t doing their jobs.

So, it’s time to take a closer look at Washington left tackle Troy Fautanu, who should be a first-round pick on April 25, and might reach that status at either tackle or guard.

Why guard? Well, it comes up in Fautanu’s case because his height of 6′ 3¾” is third-percentile for the tackle position, and while his wingspan and arm length are more in the box for the position, that will have some NFL personnel people wondering. And Fautanu’s seek-and-destroy playing personality may add to it.

No matter where he plays in the NFL, Fautanu’s pass protection — he allowed two sacks and 23 total pressures last season on 623 pass-blocking snaps for the ultimate deep passing game — will hold up, and his run-blocking is just fun to watch.

PLUSES

– Brings a nasty mentality to the position; he’s technically sound, but he really wants to kick your ass and dominate the rep. More pancakes than an IHOP on Sunday morning. 

– Quick, nimble feet off the snap allow him to set his body to the rusher and to adjust against stunts and games. 

– Hand use is versatile and violent; he had a rep against Texas where he just slapped two pass-rushers down on an E/T stunt – Ethan Burke and T’Vondre Sweat. Those guys couldn’t keep their hands up. 

– Great blocker on screens and other second-level plays; he squares up quickly and accurately, and he’s looking to demolish in the open field. 

– Has no issue extending blocks for a longer period of time because he’ll latch on and mirror well. That’s pretty important when your quarterback has 117 attempts of 20 or more air yards in a single season.

– Agile enough to cross a defender’s face and seal the edge in the run game. 

MINUSES

– Can be beaten by inside counters once he’s set in his stance. 

– Smaller hands (9 ½ inches; 13th percentile for the position) show up when he’s trying to maintain protection around the arc or to either side of his body; he’ll allow some leakage there. 

– Could stand to be a bit more exact when firing out; he’s better in enclosed space than when he’s forced to react to quicker pass-rushers. Sometimes, he’ll just whiff when he’s too aggressive. 

– Will get run over from time to time when he’s too upright off the snap. 

I can see the sense in perhaps making Fautanu a guard at the next level, but if he wants to play tackle, he’s got the attributes to do it, especially in a power-based offense with multiple blocking schemes in the run game.

Based on my personal preferences, I’d try to kick him inside, because I think he could be an All-Pro move guard, as opposed to a pretty good-to-really good tackle. It will be interesting to see how that process takes place with Fautanu’s NFL team. 

2024 NFL Draft: Michigan WR Roman Wilson scouting report

Michigan receiver Roman Wilson is already a big play waiting to happen, and that could happen even more in the NFL.

Last season, Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy completed 25 of 46 passes of 20 or more air yards for 706 yards, 10 touchdowns, one interception, and a passer rating of 130.0. Roman Wilson caught 12 of those passes on 18 targets for 311 yards and six touchdowns, so you know where most of the explosive plays came from.

Overall, Wilson caught 48 passes on 67 targets for 789 yards and 12 touchdowns — all career highs through his four seasons with the Wolverines. When he gets to the NFL, Wilson’s next team will have a high-caliber slot weapon who can work the field as few others can in a big-play sense. And if you’re of the opinion that Michigan could have aired it out a lot more than it did last season, perhaps Wilson is due for a statistical rise.

PLUSES

— 16 of his 48 catches last season were explosives; Wilson can scald a defense from anywhere on the field.
— I keep thinking “Future Miami Dolphin,” because he’s so hard to cover and track upfield out of any kind of motion.
— Brings impressive toughness for his size (5′ 10¾”, 185); he has no problem with catching the ball over the middle when he knows he’s going to get smacked.
— Understands how and when to sink into his routes by reading the defender, especially in zone coverage.
— Physical nature of his play extends to his ability to get handsy within the rules to force short-area openings.
— Devilish foot-fakes and burst at the snap allow him to beat press coverage.
MINUSES
— Three outside targets in 2023; he’s going to be a slot guy in the NFL.
— Wilson gets contested catches by getting away from the defender and eliminating the “contested” part; he’s not going to win a lot of 50/50 battles.
— More of a “point of catch” weapon than a true YAC factor; his game is more about getting and staying open.
— Blocking isn’t great, but if you’re debiting him for that, you’re probably looking for a different type of receiver.
Remember how effective Victor Cruz was as a speed slot target for the Giants back in the day? Wilson has a lot of that kind of juice.

He’d be wasted on a lot of heavy TE teams; his best bet is to land with a team that wants to air it out wide with vertical stuff, and will design concepts that allow him to get free in space. Because he’s a monster when that happens.

2024 NFL Draft: Georgia WR Ladd McConkey scouting report

Georgia WR Ladd McConkey has a certain physical profile, but putting him in the “Gritty White Slot Receiver” box is a mistake. There’s more to his game.

Let’s be frank about it: If you’re a smaller white receiver, people are going to want to compare you to every smaller white receiver, put you in a box labeled “Gritty Slot Guy,” and move on to the next. Those who wish to typecast Georgia receiver Ladd McConkey thusly are really missing out.

Over three seasons with the Bulldogs, McConkey caught 119 passes on 158 targets for 1,692 yards and 14 touchdowns. Injuries limited his 2023 productivity to a degree, but he still caught 30 passes on 37 targets for 483 yards and two touchdowns. 70% of his targets came outside, while 23% came from the slot, and 6% from the backfield, so this isn’t just another guy limited to two-way goes from the inside.

McConkey is faster than you might think, tougher than you might think, and his route awareness is NFL-plus right now. Don’t penalize him because he isn’t the typical X-iso outside receiver; focus on all the things he can do for your passing game. And in that realm, he does contain multitudes.

PLUSES

— Route mastery is clear from his tape; McConkey has the full route tree at his disposal, and he can take that right to the NFL.

— McConkey uses an impressive burst off the line of scrimmage to set cornerbacks up in press or off coverage, and then, those cornerbacks are going to have issues with his sudden cuts into and out of his breaks.

— Has a great sense of how to force the defender into a spot, and then will break away quickly to get open.

— Especially for his size (6-foot-0, 186), McConkey has no issue getting grimy catches in traffic, or breaking tackles on an end-around.

— Not at all limited to the slot; he had 485 wide snaps and 204 slot snaps through his Georgia career.

MINUSES

— McConkey doesn’t project as an X-iso receiver per se; he can get boxed out of contested catch situations, especially at the boundary.

— He’s at his best when he has space to create, and while he has the foot movement and short-area quickness to beat press off the line, that could be an adjustment in the NFL.

— Bigger, more aggressive NFL cornerbacks could give him fits for a while; he might need a couple more techniques to get free from those guys.

Every passing game is better with one of those “death by a thousand paper cuts” receivers who can get you that 6-8 yards on third-and-whatever. McConkey is absolutely that guy. And if he’s in an offense where designed openings are the order of the day, he’ll use his understanding of the nuances of the position to become a great asset. He’s more than just a little slot guy at the next level.