Category: 2024 Player Profiles

STRENGTHS
Patrick is a quality offensive tackle who is big, strong, long-armed, and very smart. Despite being as tall as he is, Patrick is a solid run blocker with the upper and lower body strength to stay with his blocks and finish. He is an efficient pass blocker, using his long arms to his advantage against those speedy, finesse-style pass rushers and his size and strength, against the power rushers. Patrick is smart, and if he does get beat, he will adjust during the game and not get beat again by the same move. Fool him once but you can’t fool him twice. Patrick shows leadership skills through his play on the field and has just enough of the “nasty” in him, that shows off his competitiveness needed to continue to improve. As I stated before, Patrick is a quality, efficient, offensive tackle with the high football IQ to be a ten-year starting offensive lineman for the team that selects him.

CONCERNS
Patrick is susceptible to a second move or spin move to the inside on an upfield speed rush. That’s because once he gets his big body moving it is hard for him not to lunge and get off balance and not be able to recover quickly when his QB steps up in the pocket. Once he learns to keep the angle, and not lunge, or panic and get too aggressive, this technique weakness, will be minimized. He is slow at times to move his feet and keep moving his feet when pass blocking. That’s because, he relies a little too much, on his long arms. Patrick can be lulled into making mistakes and set up for the big move nevertheless, he doesn’t get fooled twice. Patrick will need to lose some weight and when he does, this will help him to move quicker. At the combine, Patrick was listed at 331lbs, my guess is, he should be no more than 320lbs although… he does carry his weight well right now.

BOTTOM LINE: 1.86
Patrick reminds me a lot of former Ravens Offensive Tackle Jonathan Ogden. He plays the game with the same efficiency and the same high football IQ as Jonathan did. Patrick has the advantage of a 36 1/4 arm length over Jonathan Ogden’s, 34 1/8 arm length and both are about the same height. Now you can see why Patrick gets a little too comfortable relying more on his arm length than moving his feet. When Patrick loses a little weight and starts moving his foot consistently then slam, bam, thank you mam, you have yourself a potential franchise Left or Right Tackle.

 

STRENGTHS
Zack has the potential to be your starting offensive center the day after you draft him. He has excellent athletic talent to be used as a “move” center or guard. He’s able to go out to the second level with fluidity as well as being used on sweeps and screens. Zack is quick out of his stance, with the needed lateral agility to help out guards and pick up stunts easily. He is smart and anticipates stunts and where they are coming from better than most offensive linemen coming out in a draft. Zack uses excellent leverage and passion when run-blocking and likes to intimidate by quickly getting into his opponent and putting them on the ground. When pass blocking, Zack is an excellent overall technician and works hard and with pride. He shows excellent leadership skills and a high football IQ through his play on the field. Zack is a plug-and-play center and when you find a center like Zack, with his athleticism, size, and high football IQ, I suggest you draft him early.

CONCERNS
Zack admits that he’d rather run block than pass block. In the film against Texas, he seemed to get frustrated when pass-blocking with those big-nose tackles that played over him at times. Zack is an aggressive/attacking kind of offensive lineman. He wants to bring the fight to his opponent, and pass blocking is more of a reactive style of blocking rather than an attacking style of blocking. Nevertheless, Zack does what is needed of him to protect his QB when pass-blocking. All he has to do is correct some footwork off the snap and he can return to his aggressive nature when pass blocking.

BOTTOM LINE: 1.86
As I stated in the concerns, Zack does struggle pass blocking with a player right over him. With his wrestling background and athleticism, this is a bit of a surprise. The reason is, he lacks confidence and hesitates off the snap. He hesitates because he is not sure what move that big old nose tackle will use to defeat him and loses leverage. Most of his problem is in his footwork off the snap of the ball when pass-blocking. For an athletic player like Zack who has his, quick feet and lateral agility, this is an issue that can be corrected quickly with the needed repetition in practice. As soon as he learns the position needed of his feet after the snap, he can become more aggressive, especially after an opponent’s first move. Once he masters the footwork, I believe his passion to pass block will equal his passion to run block.

 

STRENGTHS
Blake is a strong multi-talented running back who reminds me a lot of former Giants Joe Morris – 2nd RD 1982. Look him up, I can’t do everything for you. Blake is an every-down running back, with hidden talents not used often enough by his college team. He is strong and yet extremely shifty, and tackling him in the open field is like trying to catch Rodger Rabbit with your hands. He has quick feet, excellent vision, and balance, and can break tackles when he needs to. He is also able to jump right or left while still going forward, (at least it seems that way). Blake is excellent as a check-down receiver and has hidden talents catching the ball like a slot receiver down the field. He is very smart and understands situational football and down-and-distance situations. He is very competitive to go along with that athletic talent and high football IQ. As I stated before he is an ever-down running back and don’t believe otherwise.

CONCERNS
Teams will downgrade Blake because of the value of his position and his size. The value of this position is starting to rise based on all the Free agent Running backs signed this year. As far as his size, it’s a gift and a curse. A curse, because teams will use it as an excuse to downgrade him. A gift, because linebackers can not see him behind those big offensive linemen and have no idea where he is in the backfield to tackle him. When I look at the film, I don’t see anyone tackling him behind the line of scrimmage unless it was by mistake and they got lucky and guessed where he was. Blake will struggle to pass block because of his size but it will not be because of a lack of effort.

BOTTOM LINE: 2.13
Blake is the perfect reason why Rob and I invented the 2-board system. It’s to show you that in every round, there are potential impact players, who fall to those rounds because of not meeting the norms and standards of a position. They also fall because of team needs based on the value of a position or based on the style of offense or defense they run. Players might also fall to later rounds because there is a plethora of talent at their position. I base my Bottom line score on talent and where I might pick a player in a draft, and how quickly I think that player can impact at the next level. I do not try to tell you what round a player might actually be selected in…that’s Rob’s job. Rob and I do not interact with each other before the draft on what I might think about a player’s potential to impact or what he thinks about what round a player will be selected. Simply put, Blake is a running back who can do everything on the field effectively except maybe pass block. Look at Rob’s board for what round Blake, most likely will be selected in with an over 80% accuracy, then remember this profile after he is on the field making an impact.

STRENGTHS
Byron is a strong powerful undersized Defensive lineman. He does a solid job against the run and does a good job penetrating on passing downs to disrupt the rhythm of a passing play. He is smart and explodes off the line using leverage, quick feet, and quick hand usage, timed up with his quick feet, to gain an advantage against the Offensive lineman. Byron’s ability to identify where the ball is in the backfield quicker than most Defensive linemen who are taller than he is surprising. On film, I see a very good run-stuffing Defensive lineman who handles the double team surprisingly well. I also see an out-of-control penetrating Defensive lineman who misses a lot of tackles in the backfield too. Once he settles down and understands his true value, Byron can be a very good player for the team that selects him.

CONCERNS
Byron uses so much energy and leverage off the line of scrimmage it affects his balance and ability to change directions and finish. He misses a lot of tackles in the backfield because he is out of control. The truth is, Byron, when he uses good techniques, is better against the run than he is as a penetrator.

BOTTOM LINE: 2.07
I think Byron wanted to get sacks this year and thought that would be the way to a better draft grade instead of just doing his job as a complete Defensive lineman. Byron can be an Aaron Donald/Ed Oliver, type of defensive lineman but he has to gain more control when shooting the gap and penetrating. He has the overall talent and explosiveness to get more than 5 sacks in the future if he just plays under more control and uses his techniques consistently. Against the run, Byron does a good job and is in total control at the line of scrimmage. When he comes off the line using those quick feet, timed up with his quick hand techniques, he can overpower offensive linemen. I don’t think that he realizes that he doesn’t have to shoot the gap to get into the backfield. Byron can make more tackles in the backfield once he realizes that playing under control is better than getting into the backfield and missing tackles. I believe, changing his style of play this year, to gain sacks, has hurt his draft status more than it has helped. Then again, I’ve been wrong before, maybe Byron will be selected earlier than I have him rated. You just never know when it comes to the draft. I do know this about Byron…he can play better.

STRENGTHS
Cody is the one running back that intrigued me the first time I looked at him on film. He has those quick-cutting feet and strong after-the-cut burst, that I look for in a running back. He can catch the ball down the field like a receiver and in the open field seems to have an extra gear. He is smart and understands down and distance and can move the chains running the ball or catching the ball. Cody has slot receiver-type route-running skills. He has the body lean that makes it difficult to tackle him between the tackles. Cody has just enough speed and the Moxy in him to turn the corner on sweeps. I haven’t seen this type of “Thurman Thomas” running style in years coming out of the colleges because of the poor development of running backs and zone blocking. Cody runs tough mentally and physically but with an excellent high football IQ to do more than just run the ball in one style of offense run blocking scheme.

CONCERNS
Cody is not a good pass blocker but the truth is he should not be pass blocking anyway, he should be out catching the ball and running those “Cole Beasley” type routes on passing downs like Thurman did.

BOTTOM LINE: 2.18
It took me a while to put my finger on why Coby intrigued me when I first saw him. In fact, it haunted me until I finally went to do this profile. His style of running reminded me of Thurman Thomas. Then I said no…that’s crazy…and I doubted what I was looking at. So, I went and turned on some highlights of Thurman, and low and behold I could not believe what I saw. I saw the same lean when running the ball, the same north/south between the tackles quick cutting feet and vision, the same receiver-like hands down the field, and the same open field burst and balance. Then I thought…I cannot do a profile and compare this kid to one of the most complete backs ever, in the NFL! Nevertheless, I see what I see, and then I tell you what I see. It’s just that simple. In Cody, lord don’t strike me down, I see a potential complete running back who will get you the yards you need on any down and distance if you just give him the ball, or pass him the ball. I see a running back with excellent potential to adjust his running skills during a game to any style of defense you throw at him. I see what I see…so go ahead…let the insults begin. My guess is, that Cody will not be selected early in this draft because there are a lot faster, bigger, one-cut style backs in this draft, and to be honest, you can throw them all together and see which one you like the best. Nevertheless, few have Cody’s strong, quick, on-balance, north/south cutting ability. Some are quick and shifty but don’t have the strength. There are some who have power and straight-line speed and every once in a while, can make a player miss them. But none have Cody’s ability to put all of those talents and skills together in one package. None.

STRENGTHS
Jackson is a bigger version of Eagles Jason Kelce. He has Jason’s body type and arm length. He is about the same size He has unique athletic talent for a person his size. He has the foot speed to be used as a pulling center or guard. Jackson has quick feet that help him to explode off the line when run-blocking. He has that first quick lateral step, that allows him to help out guards in pass-blocking situations, and is stout against a bull rush in his face because of his weight and bulk. Jackson shows the mental toughness and mental stamina needed to become a Pro Bowl interior lineman for the next level. These mental attributes along with his natural athletic talent, size, and bulk make Jackson the type of multi-position interior lineman teams need to compete for the playoffs and Super Bowl every year.

CONCERNS
Jackson has some developing to do if he continues to play center at the next level. He needs to get stronger in his upper body to handle the one-on-one pass blocking required of that position. Jackson is so tight in the hips that losing weight will be necessary to become a true center and not be moved to guard. Losing some weight will limit leg injuries, caused by lunging to compensate for his lack of body and arm length. Nevertheless, Jackson showed at the Senior Bowl practices, that he is a quick learner defeating one gap defensive lineman moves much better than he did during the season.

BOTTOM LINE: 1.89
I don’t think there is any doubt that teams are projecting Jackson as a plug-and-play 10-year offensive lineman. As a center, he will struggle “somewhat” until he gets stronger and loses just a little weight to keep his balance better. He will also have to learn the pass blocking techniques that a short-arm, offensive lineman needs to use at the next level to be more than just a potential Pro Bowl guard. All of this will happen because Jackson has proved his ability to take what he learns onto the field quickly at the Senior Bowl practices. I think Jackson and teams have to be more concerned about his weight in the future. The truth is, his short stature along with his short arms and added weight could be a downfall for him despite his overall excellent athletic talent. Then again his mental strength and toughness without much doubt, make him a potential Pro Bowl center or guard for sure. At the Senior Bowl, his weight was listed at 334 lbs. If Jackson gets better upper body strength and plays at about 320 lbs, he will dominate. He will be more explosive and quicker off the ball, play with better leverage and balance, and overcome his lack of arm reach and body length. He will also be quicker and faster getting out for sweeps and screens and be able to dominate smaller players when blocking in open space. Now you see how easy it is to nit-pick a player when to nit-pick is irrelevant.

 

STRENGTHS
Chop reminds me of another Penn St Edge Rusher who was the Buffalo Bills 1st-round pick in the 2009 draft. Like Aaron, Chop has all the physical and athletic qualifications teams look for in the perfect Edge Rusher for the NFL. His size and arm length are close to being perfect. His athletic numbers at the combine will be close to being perfect. He has the speed, burst, and quickness on paper that should be able to embarrass offensive linemen. Chop can duck his shoulder and turn the corner to make a sack whenever he wants to. He is fluid and has the strength and long arms to keep players off his body and shed blocks. Chop could be a dominant defensive lineman because of his physical and athletic skills. The question is…why hasn’t he been?

CONCERNS
Chop with all of his physical and athletic talent has NEVER been a dominate Defensive Lineman at the college level. Why would that change at the next level, because he can run and jump with the best? He obviously lacks the passion, consistent effort, mental strength and needed football IQ to match his potential dominating physical and athletic talents.

BOTTOM LINE: 2.72

If you want to go off Chop’s combine workout numbers and hope your favorite team selects him then be my guess but don’t come to me and tell me the combine means nothing. That being said, maybe they will be right and Chop will become a dominating Edge Rusher. Let’s me be honest, I would draft Chop in the later rounds because of his workout numbers. After all, his physical and athletic talents are real and Chop has had some pretty good games but those games are few and far between. I’m not talking about stats, I’m talking about play that other teams game plan for and double team, effort, and making a big play in a big game. Let’s just say that for all of his obvious physical talent his film leaves a lot to be desired. Maybe I’m prejudiced because of the Bills Aaron Maybin pick that year. After all, It was the year I threw my bowl of Fruit loops at my TV when the Bills selected Aaron. I have never gotten over that pick to this day. Maybe the fear that the Bills will once again will reach out for a player like Chop and that is what’s driving me on this profile. If that happens I pray to God that he makes me eat every word of this profile. In fact, if any team drafts him in the 1st round I pray he makes me eat this profile. I understand how teams can overlook production not matching athletic talent. I just struggle with selecting that player early in the draft. Year after year some teams fall for the banana in the tailpipe routine and my guess is, it will happen once again this year.

STRENGTHS
Malachi reminds me a lot of former Panthers Steve Smith Sr. He is a bigger version but has the same toughness and high football IQ, with those strong hands to catch almost anything thrown to him. He is an excellent route runner and has the size and quickness needed to make a lot of “run after the catch” yardage. Malachi is the type of receiver the faster you get the ball into his hands the more yardage he will get out of the route he is running. He can play inside or outside but he is best as your move receiver or man-in-motion receiver because of his size, toughness, and ability to break tackles. He is very smart and seems to be in tune with his quarterback, especially on plays that have to be extended or break down. Malachi can line up at different positions in your offense and impact. His high football IQ and attention to detail is obvious, add to that his passion to catch the ball and break tackles and you have a potential weapon on offense that most teams will struggle to match up against.

CONCERNS
Malachi has excellent quickness and burst but lacks the long speed to be a true every-down outside receiver. That’s why he should be moved around the offense and not just left playing one position.

BOTTOM LINE: 1.83
If you want to compare Malachi to Deebo Samuel of the 49ers, that makes sense but when Deebo came out he wasn’t as consistent a receiver as Malachi is now. The big difference is that Deebo played for South Carolina and Malachi plays for Western Kentucky. Nowadays receivers are required to be able to run after the catch more than ever before. Also, receivers need to be quicker in their route running to get open quickly so quarterbacks can get rid of the ball faster. Malachi and Deebo are those types of receivers with that Steve Smith-type toughness to catch the ball no matter when or where the ball is thrown to them. Malachi is athletic and can adjust to the ball in the air and that is why he can be used out wide or in the slot as a receiver. He has the size of a running back and can break tackles and that’s why he can be used coming out of the backfield. He may lack the long speed to go deep but improving his route running will allow him to make double moves and get deep when he needs to. He is smart and has an excellent feel for running routes and getting open especially when plays break down, and this alone will make him a difficult match-up for just about any defense he plays against.

STRENGTHS
Xavier reminds me a lot of the former Colts, Hall of Fame wide receiver the original Marvin Harrison. He has the speed and quickness to get open deep at any time in a game. He is an excellent Special Teams player, returning punts. Xavier has a smooth stride that makes it easy for him to catch the ball deep. He can line up out wide or in the slot with the ability to make a big impact play at both positions. Xavier’s quickness allows him to separate, and be open easily, on any route he runs. His quickness and deep speed make it easy for him to gain yardage after the catch because tackling him is like trying to catch a fly out of the air with just your hand. He will run all the routes and is fearless going over the middle on crossing routes and if his quarterback can hit him in stride then as quick as the flick of a cigarette lighter, he will be in the end zone.

CONCERNS
Xavier has a slight build that makes it very hard to add bulk too without it affecting his speed and quickness. Despite his talent to be an impact player his lack of bulk will make it hard for a team to use him as a starting receiver. There are times in a game when it looks like Xavier gets bored and uninterested if he knows the ball is not coming his way. It’s obvious that the game comes easy to him and if he is not challenged mentally his mind tends to wander. Xavier is not great at blocking but he does give the effort, just not consistently. Xavier does have some drops on passes he should catch but then again if he is paired up with a quarterback who lacks velocity throwing the ball, this will happen because his mind, hands, and body are going much faster than the ball is getting to him.

BOTTOM LINE: 2.17
There is a ton of pent-up talent in this kid for sure. In the Alabama game, you could see that even when he was double-teamed he was open, and with a better-throwing quarterback, Xavier would have torched that defense for big-time yards instead of just 75 yards and 1 TD. At the next level, his lack of bulk will be an issue but his talent to impact will not be. If Xavier can mentally and physically handle being pushed off routes, mauled at the line of scrimmage, and doubled teamed all the time on deep routes, there is no doubt that he can impact. He is a special teams nightmare returning punts and this skill set alone puts him in the impact player column of a team’s evaluations. Remember, Xavier is not just a deep-threat receiver. Don’t forget the players in games trying to tackle him in the open field without fly paper attached to their hands. Xavier doesn’t break tackles…He just makes it impossible to make the tackle. Once again, Xavier doesn’t have to be a starting player to be an impact player, you just need a quarterback with a strong arm and who throws with some velocity to get him the ball.

STRENGTHS
Ladd is a specialty receiver for the NFL. His foot quickness allows him to separate quickly on short routes moving the chains, and as a weapon in the red zone. His eye/hand coordination and quick feet, are unique and allow him to catch the ball when other receivers are still running their routes and are not set to catch anything but the flu. Ladd is a 3rd and short down nightmare, for a defensive back to match up with. He has the football instincts to adjust the timing of his route running, during a game, making it easy to match up with his quarterback who can extend plays. His ability to make yardage against zone coverages or when plays have broken down shows a high football IQ to understand route running from the quarterback position. In the right situation and the right quarterback Ladd, can become as impacting a player as Julian Edelman was for the Patriots.

CONCERNS
Like Julian had Rob…Ladd had Brock, making it easier for Ladd not to be double-teamed on third downs and allowing both Julian and Ladd to impact with their quickness. Ladd, like Julian, lacks the long speed needed to run the entire route tree as an outside receiver. Ladd’s size and lack of bulk will be a concern for a lot of teams. He has to add more muscle to his frame to handle a 17-game schedule in the NFL. His medicals at the combine will be important. Ladd has lost games with injuries and with his slight build teams will be concerned and past injuries could affect his draft status also.

BOTTOM LINE: 3.39
Most of the time receivers with this type of skill set are not selected until after the third round because they are not considered potential every-down receivers, but that is changing because of the spread offenses that are coming to the NFL. Slot receivers or “move receivers”, are staying on the field more than ever but still, most of them have to be big enough to block on the move, more than ever before. Ladd will be listed on some team’s boards higher than others depending on how a team envisions using him in their offense. Nevertheless, I don’t think he is the type of player whose value demands being targeted and that means he could be selected in any round or not get selected at all. He can be an impact player but if you look at the up’s and downs of the Raiders Hunter Renfrow’s impact, you will see it all depends on the offensive system, play calling, trust of the offensive coordinator, and injury factor. FYI, Hunter was selected in the 5th round. As I stated earlier, Ladd is a specialty receiver but his production sends a signal that he can be an impact specialty receiver like Julian Edelman was for the Patriots. Remember my grades have nothing to do with where a player will most likely be selected. They are my profiling of the player’s potential impact and where I would list them on my board to select. Look at Rob’s board for what round Ladd is most likely to be selected in on draft day.

 

STRENGTHS
Roger is a Right tackle with the potential to be a Pro Bowl Left tackle for the team that selects him. He has the size, arm length, quick feet, and quick twitch off the snap, that makes it easy for him to mirror his opponent when pass blocking. Roger has the lateral agility to stay with the speed rushes and the quick hips and fluidity to turn and finish when pass blocking. Roger’s athletic talent to “pass block” and play the tackle position on either side is as good, if not better than the highest-rated offensive tackle in this draft. He has the mental stamina and leadership skills that are needed to be a professional player for the next level. It’s obvious, that he takes great pride in pass blocking. That being said, he has the unique athletic talent to be used on sweeps and screens as well as the high football IQ to handle stunts and go out to the second level to make a block. Roger has the potential to be a Pro Bowl offensive tackle for the team that selects him on either side of the line and that is rare.

CONCERNS
Roger, because of his athletic talent, has been inconsistent in using his hand techniques when pass-blocking. He also struggles with his pad level when run blocking, losing control of his assignment, and doesn’t finish. He has to get a lot stronger in his upper and lower body because, at the next level, his unique foot quickness will not be enough for him to pass block or run block the aggressive, faster, quicker, and smart, defensive lineman at the next level.

BOTTOM LINE: 1.97
Roger is a quick learner and his athletic talent is more than just impressive but his lack of upper and lower body strength is a bit shocking for a player who has had as many snaps as he has had at the college level. He has been pigeonholed as a Right Tackle but remember the right tackle is the blind side for a left-handed quarterback…think about it. The shock for me came at the Senior Bowl practices when they switched Roger over to the left side in the one-on-ones and he more than handled that move and looked like he played that position for the last 2 years. Teams do not pay tackles to run block. They pay them to pass block and although Roger doesn’t run block as well as he pass blocks, I don’t think that is a real concern. All Roger needs to do to become an excellent run blocker is to gain strength and lower his pads. Right now, Roger will struggle for a 17-game schedule with his strength and that will lead to injuries and missed blocks if you put him on the field too early as a starter. Nevertheless, there is no doubt in my mind that given the time to improve his strength the team that selects Roger will have a starting Pro Bowl left or right tackle and maybe a franchise left or right tackle. In my opinion, Roger has 1st round talent and after the combine, he should be flying up the boards.