Category: 2023 Player Profiles

STRENGTHS
Sam is a pass-catching dream come true for the quarterback on the team that selects him. He has receiver-type speed, runs excellent routes and with his spider-like type hands, and athletic agility Sam has the web-catching radius of a tarantula. Sam, with his 4.5 speed, will stretch the field and catch the ball down the field. He has quickness off the snap of the ball that allows him to get quickly into his routes and gain separation. He can be lined up on the outside against cornerbacks because of his route-running talents and can be counted on, in third and long downs to make the catch and yardage needed just like a wide receiver. Sam, like George Kittle and Travis Kelce, will give you the “average yards per catch” needed to put your offense over the hump and into the playoffs. He is a “Dream Catcher” type of offensive weapon.

CONCERNS
I don’t have any info on his ability to block as an H-back or in line but, something tells me with his athleticism, it’s not a big problem. Nat being said until he proves that he can block, some teams will downgrade him on their boards if they are looking for a “complete” Tight End. Teams might also nitpick his size but, he is the same size as George Kittle.

BOTTOM LINE: 1.97
Sam is an offensive weapon, it’s just that simple. He has first-round talent to impact but, in this draft, the round Sam will be selected in is a guess I rather leave to Rob’s value board. George Kittle wasn’t selected until the 5th round but he had very little production to suggest he should be selected any earlier and is a little small by Tight End combine standards. Travis Kelce was selected in the 3rd round. He had excellent size and production but there were character issues that made some teams take him off their boards or he might have been selected earlier because of his size and production. This year Sam is in the mix of what most consider an excellent Tight End class in general. Because of Sam’s size and lack of proven blocking ability, who knows where he will be selected? He could be one of those steals of the draft and wind up being one of the best in this class when it’s all said and done. All I can tell you is, I see a potential offensive weapon who could be as good as George Kittle and I would not wait long to select him thinking I could get him later in this draft. I believe that Sam is more than just a pass-catching Tight End and that’s why I give him such a high grade. Nevertheless, we all know he will not be selected in the first round but he will be a steal in the later rounds because he is a “Dream Catcher” type of potential impact offensive weapon. Check Rob’s value board, it should be interesting.

STRENGTHS
Charlie is that gritty, fast, quick type of receiver, that you can depend on to run his routes exactly like he does in practice, giving his quarterback the confidence to throw to him in any type of down and distance situation. He can run all the routes on the route tree and because he shows good quickness off the line and out of his breaks, he gains the needed separation to be open on just about every route you need him to run. Basically, he is what we call a 7/11 receiver because, like a 7/11 store, he is open all the time. Charlie has a good catch radius. He will sell out to make the difficult catch and take whatever hit is coming and hold on to the ball. He has those quick feet and Velcro-like hands that make him one of the more dependable receivers in this draft. Charlie shows excellent strength when running his routes because of his quick feet to be able to recover when a CB tries to get physical with him. If he can stay healthy he will be one of the better receivers in this class.

CONCERNS
The biggest concern most teams will have will be about his size and lack of bulk to handle a 17-game schedule.

BOTTOM LINE; 3.19
If Charlie can stay healthy he can be a core player and a fan favorite for the team that selects him. Because he runs crossing routes, slants, and curl routes as well as anyone ever has, it makes you wonder how much pounding he can take with his body type. That being said, Charlie is one tough football player and never seems to shy away from catching the ball when running those routes. There is no doubt in my mind that he can play inside or outside as a receiver and shows the ability to be used on special teams. That ability to play special teams should make him more appealing to a lot of teams as a 2 or 3 receiver. If he were bigger, with more bulk he would be one of the top receivers in this draft but size matters when it comes to the draft. It doesn’t matter after the draft but it does in the draft.

STRENGTHS
Kayshon is your typical big, strong, run-after-the-catch receiver. He has those strong hands to catch the ball with the athletic talent to adjust to the ball in the air and make those very needed acrobatic catches that keep an offense on the field. Kayshon is a very strong route runner, the type most physical defensive backs will struggle to try to get him off his route. He has the speed, quickness, and strength that make it very hard to catch him if he gets behind the defense. He’s a good route runner, selling his routes, making it difficult for defensive backs to read him to make a defensive play. Kayshon runs those crossing routes with strength and power and if you hit him in stride unless he runs out of field, he is a threat to take it all the way.

CONCERNS
Kayshon seems to have that alpha mentality that will make some teams feel he might not be a fit for their team in general. Also, there are rumors that will need to be checked out. These big-time college programs allow for an entitlement attitude for their players and it’s easy to see how an immature player can make bad decisions. I don’t condone it but I do understand how it can happen.

BOTTOM LINE: 1.94
Kayshon is a plug-and-play receiver and in the right situation could be the rookie of the year and that’s saying a lot with the talent at the receiver position this year in this draft. There is a lot of receiver talent in this draft. That being said, most of the talent is projected to be slot receivers. Kayshon is an “I can play any one of the receiver positions” type, and there are not many of those in this draft with his talent and size. As of this writing, Kayshon is a sleeper in this draft because of rumors about character. I only look at film and tell you what I see. I learned a long time ago that the media is not to be trusted when it comes to rumors so for me I see first-round talent and teams will have to make decisions for themselves on everything else.

STRENGTHS
Deonte is a big, strong, physical cornerback with excellent speed and agility to frustrate and defend the best receivers you can throw at him. He is smart, understands routes, and has the makeup speed to stay with just about any size receiver. Deonte has the quickness to be used on the outside covering wide receivers, and the quickness and strength to cover those big slot Receivers/Tight Ends. If you use Deonte as a slot corner he is big enough and physical enough to Blitz as well as smart enough to disrupt any size receiver off the line or cover them down the field because of his speed. Deonte has the size to be moved to safety and could play any one of the safety positions in the box or as a single high safety because he is a solid tackler.

CONCERNS
Deonte hasn’t shown on tape, the ball-hawking and ability to intercept the ball and make plays other than defending. He is an excellent defender and there is nothing wrong with his hands catching the ball. The issue is, looking to intercept the ball. He reads the receiver and knocks the ball away because that is his job but to be more of a playmaker, Deonte needs to work on being more aggressive when the ball is in the air and not just defending the pass. He will do it, give him time, he has the hands.

BOTTOM LINE: 1.50
If a player has the hands to catch the ball and make interceptions but doesn’t, that is more of a coaching issue, very much like a player who is a good tackler but doesn’t cause fumbles. It’s up to the Defensive Coordinator and position coach to accept that if the player goes after the ball he may miss defending the play, or miss the tackle and that is ok. Some coaches will not accept missing defending the ball for an interception. I suspect that Deonte’s coaches drilled it into him to make sure the receiver didn’t catch the ball and that’s why Deonte is not looking to intercept the ball. Deonte can play any position in the defensive backfield but to be a playmaker he has to look more for the ball instead of just settling to defend. He is such a good cover corner and I suspect that using him to play in zone coverage more than single coverage, where he could make more plays on the ball, could be a reason why he lacks this one skill. Great corners are playmakers and until Deonte proves he can make a play on the ball and change the momentum of a game for his team, he will be considered as an excellent cover corner but he will not be feared.

STRENGTHS
John has the athleticism you look for in a center. He is smart and also shows the leadership skills that are needed to be successful at the next level. John is what I call a “move” center. He is best on the move because of his footspeed and ability to go out to the second level and make his blocks. He does an excellent job finishing his blocks because once he engages he keeps his feet moving, giving him the leverage and strength most offensive linemen coming out, struggle with. John is quick out of his stance and can make all the snaps and this will allow him to play in any style of offensive system. He also shows, the lateral agility and athleticism to play more than one position on the offensive line but his impact position will be at center, for the team that selects him.

CONCERNS
John is light and will struggle against those big nose tackles and this issue could be a problem for some teams in this draft. He will struggle against a bull rush when pass blocking until he can add some lower body strength and learn to not panic and give up his leverage and techniques. Because he struggles with a player head-on, it makes it difficult to move him to any other interior line position, and this too could affect his draft status.

BOTTOM LINE: 2.17
John is a center and a very good one but he has to gain more strength in his upper and lower body if he is going to play a 17-game schedule in the NFL. Teams will load up and play a defensive lineman on his nose and it will not matter how athletic he is, he will struggle and need help, and a center needing help as opposed to a center giving help will be a big-time problem. A center who needs help is giving up the interior of the offensive line and the quickest way into the backfield. Nevertheless, because of the more athletic quarterbacks and spread offenses, having an athletic, light center is more of a positive than a negative in the new NFL. I what my guards to be able to play center but I don’t necessarily want my center to be able to play guard because my center should be more difficult to replace than a guard. John will get stronger and he is smart, and with better coaching, should be able to handle a bull rush with better strength. So, what do I always say…when you see the obvious, you draft the obvious and John is obviously an excellent center.

STRENGTHS
Siaki is a pure-nose tackle. He’s not a defensive tackle or a defensive end, his impact position is in a 3/4 defense on the nose of the offensive center. He is strong and for his size, shows solid athleticism. Siaki has the ability to control the line of scrimmage on both running downs and passing downs. He is not a stat kind of defensive lineman but he is the type of defensive lineman who takes on the double team on all downs allowing his teammates to make the tackles before, and on the line of scrimmage and sacks. Siaki knows that his job is to control the player or players in front of him and change the line of scrimmage in his favor against any down or distance. That’s his job and he does it well.

CONCERNS
Siaki really does a good job controlling the line when lined up on the nose and seems to have less of an impact when playing Defensive Tackle in a 4/3 defense. Why you ask, I think it’s a mental thing, he feels like he is the man when he is on the nose of the center and seems to move better. Maybe he’s a little claustrophobic and playing with four down linemen he feels more closed in. I do know this, when he plays on the nose he can dictate where the double team is coming from and anticipate and deal with it better. When he is at Defensive Tackle, the double team can come from either side, and until the snap of the ball, he seems to wait and then deal with it, big difference for him. Siaki is not a pass rusher, he is a pass disrupter and a workhorse player whose job on passing downs is to either flush his QB out of the pocket or, keep the QB in the pocket and not let him out. He struggles to get off blocks and doesn’t get his hands up to knock down passes and if he did he would have more of an impact.

BOTTOM LINE: 3.25
Siaki’s value to each team will be different, affecting what round he most likely will be selected in. If I’m right, a team running a 3/4 defensive front is going to select him earlier than teams running four down linemen as their base defense. When lined up on the nose all he has to do is shade to the shoulder of the center and he now knows which guard is most likely to double-team him and can dictate to his teammates what their avenue of attack should be. When he is lined up at defensive tackle in a 4/3 he has less chance to manipulate his opponent because of the responsibilities his teammates have next to him. It should be very interesting what round Siaki will be selected in at draft time. Siaki is the type of player you have to believe what you see on the film and not be affected by his stats or workouts, as to his value and possible impact.

STRENGTHS
Darnell is a man-child with the potential to be the best Tight End of this solid Tight End class. He catches the ball with ease and grace, snatching the ball in the air as if he had the same 8 Talons Eagles use to capture their prey. When catching the ball, Darnell reminds me a lot of former Charges Tight End Antonio Gates. He shows surprising speed and agility to run routes and because of his long strides and big body, he is impossible to cover at any point on the field against any down and distance. He has those strong hands and yet the same softness that is unique to only receivers who wind up being impact players for their teams. Darnell is a good in-line blocker and looks like a big pulling guard when used on sweeps. He can make the acrobatic catch and the contested catch easily, and the all-important catch when everyone in the stadium knows the ball has to go to Darnell.

CONCERNS
I don’t think Darnell knows how good he can be if he just plays with a little more aggression. He just needs to become more consistent in all areas of his game and when he does, he will be impossible to stop.

BOTTOM LINE: 1.97
Darnell has the “potential” to be an outstanding Tight End in all aspects of the game. That being said, he needs time to continue to develop. Darnell is young and needs “in-game repetitions” to improve and yes, a team will have to put up with him missing a block and dropping a ball until Darnell understands, that this is not college and his new teammates are feeding their families based on their production on the field, and their production is based on how well he does his job. I’m not suggesting that Darnell has character issues or work ethic issues. All I’m saying is that he is young and like many young people coming out of college, he does not yet understand the responsibilities of the next level. The game itself is fun but all the other stuff is work and everything comes easy to Darnell right now with little effort because of his unbelievable athletic ability. I believe he will be a better NFL player than he has been a college player because he will meet the challenge and improve dramatically once it clicks in. I don’t believe Darnell is afraid to work hard I just think he gets frustrated because things come easy for him and that leads to him being inconsistent. Darnell is a player I would target and yes if I’m a playoff team it would be very hard for me to pass on him in the 1st RD. His potential screams for him to be over drafted and rightly so. At least that’s how I see it. The combine will be big for Darnell.

STRENGTHS
Jordan is big, fast, and smart. He shows more pure cover skills than most safeties in this draft. He does a good job tackling when playing in the box and does an excellent job coming from deep making a tackle and in general, shutting down sweeps and screens. Jordan can be used to play multiple positions in your defense because of his high football IQ, size, and leadership qualities. He can play in the box as a strong safety, as a hybrid LB/Safety, as a slot cover corner against those bigger slot receivers, and as a single free safety because of his speed to go sideline to sideline. He is a good tackler because if he wasn’t, he would not play or start for a coach that prides himself on his back-field coaching. Jordan has the potential to be the same type of Defensive Back/Safety as the Seahawks’ Jamal Adams.

CONCERNS
Jordan did not play in the Senior Bowl because of injuries so that will have to be addressed at the combine and if still lingering, could affect his draft status. Jordan was not THE standout star for his team because of all the talent and because of the way he was used and coached. That’s not a knock-on Alabama, a team that prides itself on holding everyone on the field accountable and not just its star players.

BOTTOM LINE: 1.46
In case you have forgotten, Jamal Adams was the 6th pick of the 2017 draft and then traded to the Seahawks, the Jets received 2 first-round draft picks. That means, interviews, workouts, and medicals will be important for Jordan at the combine. The question you might have for me is, do I really think Jordan will be selected in the first round? I don’t have a clue. All I can tell you is on my board yes, I would select him in the first round if I had to but…if Jordan is not listed until a later round in this draft I know I can wait and draft him later and get more value for my selection. Nevertheless, no matter what round he is selected in understand this…I believe your favorite team has selected a player who will play as if he was selected in the 1st RD. You see, no matter where a player is selected, my talent board rating will not change. If that player does happen to prove me wrong, you can bet I’ll never bring up his profile ever again. You’ll just have to find it for yourself in the archives and then you’re free to say, “That Boylhart’s an Ass.

STRENGTHS
Jordan is the type of receiver who will add speed and big play ability to your offense. He has the speed to scare defensive coordinators and the ability to break the big play on any down and distance. Jordan will run those jet sweeps and double-move routes, which will make it difficult to tackle him. In the slot or on the move, he is a match-up nightmare for linebackers and safeties and will require a cornerback to cover him or he will get loose and make the big play. Jordan shows on film the solid size, hands, quick feet, and speed to get separation running the route tree.

CONCERNS
Jordan is a one-speed route runner. He needs to learn to change gears and not just outrun everyone he is up against. At the next level, most players will match his speed so learning to run routes better and change gears is imperative. He also is a “move receiver” who does better against zone coverages than when he is up against single coverage because he is not a physical receiver, and can easily be moved off his routes. Jordan on film does not show a large catch radius or demonstrate the ability to adjust to the difficult throw and make the acrobatic contested catch. Of course, this is because of his speed and his ability to gain separation by outrunning his opponents but not showing it much on film, makes you wonder how physical can he be.

BOTTOM LINE: 3.31
Because Jordan lacks the bulk to be more physical he falls into the category of a specialty receiver. Because of his speed, he is up against zone coverages a lot but at the next level that will change and the fact that he has not shown if he can handle being physical, catching contested passes, prove he has strong hands, and prove he can get separation in the red zone, will affect his draft status. At least it does for me because you need more than speed to be a successful receiver at the next level. Am I saying that Jordan cannot be the next T Y Hilton? Absolutely not…He could very well wind up being just as good because he has the same size, speed, and skill set. Nevertheless, T Y Hilton was selected in the third round.

STRENGTHS
Felix’s style of play and body type reminds me a lot of former Ravens ER Terrell Suggs. He shocks the offensive lineman off the line of scrimmage, with his fanatical hand usage and “power with leverage”, using both, like Jason Bourne in a fight scene in one of those Bourne Identity movies. He has very strong hands and is one of the best Defensive linemen in this draft at fighting the double team and still making a play in the backfield. Felix has unique quickness and this along with his relentless effort, makes him an impact player whose stats do not show his full impact as a pass rusher and run stuffer. He is double-teamed constantly and still produces. Felix has that intensity to produce on every play along with his unique quickness and fanatical hand-fighting, that will make him a top pass-rushing maniac for the team that selects him.

CONCERNS
Felix does not have the perfect body type teams look for in a pass rusher. He is stiff in the hips, like Terrell was, and is not going to bend around the corner to make a sack. All he does is beat the crap out of you and make the corner bend to him, to make a sack.

BOTTOM LINE: 1.57
When the game is over the offensive line will feel like they have been in a fight for their football life playing against Felix. His quickness and power along with his fanatical effort and strength in his hands make’s every play against him a nightmare. Felix has the remarkable ability to identify where the ball is once he gets into the backfield, quicker than most defensive linemen and this allows him to be at, or around, the play at all times to make tackles or disrupt the rhythm of the play. I can’t tell you how many times I see Felix, flying off the line and winning right off the snap, and disrupting a Quarterback’s concentration and rhythm of the play. He is fun to watch because he will not give up fighting like Jason Bourne against double teams. As of this writing, Felix is very underrated, I think that will change the closer we get to draft day.

STRENGTHS
Dalton has the potential to be an impact pass catching Tight End that moves the chains and be a match-up nightmare in the red zone. He shows pass-catching skills, and just enough foot speed to split a two-deep zone, and catch the ball down the hash marks. Because he has a large and acrobatic catch radius, Dalton will make impact plays all over the field for any down and distance. He is the type of receiver that becomes a quarterback’s best friend on the field. Dalton is an adequate blocker but his true impact will be as an added impact receiver for a team’s passing game. He will sell out to make the catch that can change the momentum of the game.

CONCERNS
As I stated, Dalton is an adequate blocker but the truth is, he is more of a receiver similar in style to Chiefs’ Travis Kelce. I’m not convinced he will ever be a great blocker but he will get the job done.

BOTTOM LINE: 2.14
If you draft Dalton and use him in your offense like the Chiefs use Travis, you will have an impact Tight End, who will make plays all over the field. If you think he is going to become a great blocking Tight End…think again, Dalton doesn’t have that type of mentality. He turns on the aggressiveness when he runs routes and is thrown the ball but as far as blocking that just is not his forte. Nevertheless, he will block and he will protect just enough, showing the needed aggressiveness to block when he knows that the play is depending on him making a block. The truth is, he really wants to run a route and make the difficult catch that gets the fans and his team motivated. So, don’t bother drafting Dalton if you’re an offensive coordinator or quarterback who doesn’t make use of their Tight End in the passing game. Dalton’s talent to catch the ball will help to open up the running game because he will take a linebacker out of the front seven but only if he is on the field and you make a game plan to throw the ball to him like the Chiefs throw the ball to Travis…otherwise don’t bother to draft him. Let him impact another team’s passing game plan.