Category: 2024 Player Profiles

STRENGTHS
Dallas has a lot of potential to work with for the team that selects him. He has good overall athleticism and solid speed to play more than one position in your front seven. As an Edge rusher, he shows a good burst off the line of scrimmage with the quickness to get around his blocker and the foot speed to run down QB’s and RB’s behind the line of scrimmage. Dallas gives good effort on every play and because of his overall athleticism has been used to cover players in the slot and coming out of the backfield in passing situations. Dallas has the length teams look for in an edge rusher and that length along with his stats suggests that after he works out, teams will know that Dallas has the potential to be a starting edge rusher for the team that selects him in this draft.

CONCERNS
There are a lot of concerns. Dallas is not stout against the run and is inconsistent setting the edge. He lacks the flexibility to turn the corner when he rushes the passer and needs to develop more moves to get to the quarterback quicker for the next level. Although they use him sometimes in coverage when Alabama goes to its 3/4 defense, they take him off the field and that sends me a signal that either he lacks the football intelligence to play linebacker or, he lacks the change of direction quickness, and flexibility to play the LB position. He also struggles to get off blocks and hasn’t got a clue how to handle double teams. Dallas also is not a strong tackler overall unless he is running down players from behind. There is also, a lack of hand-fighting techniques but enough is enough, you get my drift.

BOTTOM LINE: 2.72
Teams will have to decide in his workouts where Dallas might fit in their defensive schemes and that will affect his draft status. Those who feel that Dallas is an edge rusher and just needs to bulk up and learn better techniques will rate him higher than other teams. In this draft class, there are not many potential dominating edge rushers so, Dallas could very well be selected in the first round. Those teams that are confused like I am, about where he might be the best fit, will rate him most likely as a weak-side linebacker who will still have to learn the position. Either way, I believe, Dallas is the type of player who will take time before he can impact at the next level despite what his accomplishments have been at the college level. Nevertheless, the potential to be an excellent edge rusher is there, given some time to develop his athletic talent and football IQ and that is what the draft is all about…potential. What round do you select potential in and the value of the position? My talent score doesn’t tell you that, it only tells you what impact I think the player will have and how quickly he will have it. What round Dallas most likely will be selected in you will find on Rob’s Value Board.

STRENGTHS
Amarius has the athletic talent, size, and length to be an offensive lineman at the next level. He shows the ability with quickness out of his stance, to play more than one position on the offensive line for the team that selects him. He has the athletic talent and foot speed to go out to the second level and be used on sweeps and screens. Amarius has the raw potential to become a starting offensive lineman at some point in the future.

CONCERNS
Right now, there are more concerns about Amarius than there are strengths. First, are his medical issues. Second, is mental strength. Third, is football IQ. Fourth, is Techniques in both pass blocking and run blocking. The truth is, that Amarius has not played enough at the college level to suggest that he can be successful at the NFL level. He is coming out way too early and listening to poor advice or not listening to good advice, and that speaks to the fifth concern, his level of maturity.

BOTTOM LINE: 4.00
From the little I have seen on film, Amarius would struggle to play right guard if he was thrown on the field after he was selected. His techniques are very poor and inconsistent. When he run blocks he is off balance and easily out-leveraged. Nevertheless, he shows the movement skills you look for in an offensive tackle prospect for sure. With his size and the fact that he carries his weight very well that does suggest, that he may have a solid work ethic. His combine workouts and passing his medicals could make some teams rate him higher than others because of the projected value of the tackle position. That being said, all I see right now is a project that will take a year or two at the very least before he can become a competent offensive tackle. Even if athletically, he can start and play, his football IQ and techniques are not near the level that an offensive lineman needs to be at. Amarius workouts and interviews will be extremely important for any team to consider him in the first three rounds, I would think. That being said, I have been wrong before and it is possible that Amarius, because of his athletic talent alone, will be the next great Right or Left Tackle to play in the NFL. It’s possible…

STRENGTHS
If you’re looking for 1st round talent in a receiver, Roman is your guy. Like the Former Buffalo Bills receiver Don Beebe, Roman is quick and fast and is fearless catching the ball. He can line up on the inside or outside because of his speed, quickness, and high football IQ. Roman has long arms for his size and along with his acrobatic talent to adjust to the ball in the air, he will catch any ball thrown to him, contested or not. Roman is sneaky strong and can run all the routes on the route tree, gaining separation against any kind of coverage. He has the unique ability, to sync himself physically and emotionally, with the quarterback to make the impact play when it is needed most. Roman is a match-up nightmare when lined up in any place in the offense.

CONCERNS
Here is my biggest concern with Roman…god help the teams in the AFC if he is selected by the Miami Dolphins or the Kansas City Chiefs and in the NFC by the 49er’s. Roman will need to add some bulk to take the pounding of a 17-game schedule to stay on the field and impact more than just a specialty receiver.

BOTTOM LINE: 1.83
Roman doesn’t show the production that most receivers with his talent have but trust me, that’s not his fault. It was just the way he was used and Roman never bitched or complain about it. That to me shows, his maturity and that he is team first type of player. His talent and high football IQ jumps off the film at you as soon as he runs a route and catches the ball. As I suggested before, he reminds me a lot of former Buffalo Bills WR Don Beebe. Roman is made for the new offenses that are being run in the NFL. His college team is still running the same offense that Don Beebe was stuck in years ago, and that’s why you don’t see the big production numbers that would normally go along with his type of talent. If Roman was used in a spread offense at the college level there is no doubt in my mind that the production would be there. There is also no doubt in my mind that if a team uses press coverage against Roman, because of his quickness, and sneaky strength, Roman will get off the line so quick and fast that the defensive back will be looking for his testicles at the line of scrimmage and Roman will be in the End Zone. That being said, Roman is a nice enough person to go back and help that DB look for both of them. Roman is my sleeper receiver who could be selected in any round in this draft so look for him on Rob’s board.

STRENGTHS
Kool-Aid has the size and length teams are looking for in the draft. He has solid athleticism and is well-coached to play in any style of defense. He has a high football IQ and techniques to play press coverage and communicates very well with his teammates when playing in zone coverages. Kool-Aid shows on film, the work ethic and attention to detail that most players at the college level lack. He is smart and understands down-and-distance situations, leverages, and the tendencies of an opponent’s offense during a game, very much like a safety. That is Kool-Aid’s strength, understanding during a game, an opponent’s offense’s tendencies, and capitalizing on those tendencies to make plays. He can play multiple positions in your defensive backfield and looks to be a potential excellent slot cover defensive back.

CONCERNS
Kool-Aid doesn’t have that extra gear to cover on the deep ball and against double moves to recover, without being physical. In the red zone, he is extremely “Handsy” and physical. This is not a good thing or a bad thing but he will have to learn to play to the referees and what they will call or he becomes a liability for his team. If Kool-Aid becomes more consistent, using good tackling techniques, then using him in the slot, in zone/matchup converges, or… moving him to a cover safety position would most likely be the best use of his intellect and athletic talents.

BOTTOM LINE: 1.83
If you use Kool-Aid, in press coverage on the outside he will get beat and struggle. If you use him on the outside in a multi-fascinate defensive scheme, then you limit those big, and small, but fast and quick, receivers from taking advantage of him because of a lack of top-end speed and quickness to recover. Relying on Kool Aids’ high football IQ and using him in different ways during a game is the best way to get impact from his athletic talents and his ability to make plays on the ball. If I’m a defensive coordinator who uses many different coverages depending on the down and distance I’m rating Kool-Aid higher on my board than a team that might use more press coverages and man-to-man single coverages. But that’s just me, just telling you what I think. His workouts will be important especially that 40-time and ten-yard split. His late-yard split will tell teams if he has the second gear that so many teams look for in a pure cover corner.

STRENGTHS
Rome is a highly intelligent receiver. He runs excellent routes from any position on the field. In the red zone, he is a matchup nightmare because of his size, strong hands, and acrobatic talent, to adjust to the ball in the air. Rome has the high football IQ to be in sync with his quarterback, reading the front seven of a defense, and adjusting his route in a blitz situation. He has those long strides that make it easy for him to separate on deep routes and the size to gain an advantage with his body on the short routes. Because of his outstanding eye/hand coordination, like a gecko, he can keep one eye on the ball to catch it, and one eye on the defender to break a tackle, and gain the needed yardage to move the chains. Also, because of that excellent eye/hand coordination, Rome catches everything thrown to him if it is anywhere near him. Rome has the skills, athletic talent, strong hands, high football IQ, and acrobatic talent to become a franchise receiver for the team that selects him.

CONCERNS
Rome is not quick or explosive coming off the line and to minimize this, his team uses him all over the offense, to give him a free release off the line of scrimmage. His route-running intelligence is excellent but his speed is inconsistent running those routes. I don’t believe Rome is a lazy route runner but I do believe, that he is an arrogant route runner and this at the next level could lead to a lot of problems until he gets humbled and stops trying to trick defensive backs into making mistakes. I’m nitpicking but the speed will be the biggest issue for him to prove in his workouts because, on film, he shows a big inconsistency in using his speed.

BOTTOM LINE: 1.82
Rome reminds me a lot of a bigger version of the Buffalo Bills Stefon Diggs. He runs routes very much in the same manner as Diggs. Also, like Diggs, he has great hands, gecko-like eyes, a high football IQ, and the arrogance to get open anytime he wants to. Also, like Diggs, he will demand you throw the ball to him because Rome is open when he is not open. Rome has those quiet hands running routes that don’t give away the flight of the ball giving him the advantage to make the acrobatic or contested catch. Rome also has the same skill set as Diggs, to make the big catch when the big catch is needed and this is what separates him from most other receivers. His ability to come off the line of scrimmage may be questionable (an easy fix) but his potential to impact on the field is not. Rome is a quality receiver who has the talent to run a team’s passing game through him because of that talent. These are the facts and they are undisputed.

STRENGTHS
Malik is a physical receiver who takes pride in his run-after-the-catch skills. He is a good route runner and has the acrobatic talent to adjust to the ball in the air and the strong hands to make the contested catch. Malik has the speed, suddenness, and size to play any one of the receiver positions in any down and distance situation. He is a matchup nightmare in the red zone because of his suddenness and unique ability to make himself available to his quarterback when a play breaks down, and this is a talent and skill that only the franchise receivers seem to have. He is tough to bring down and this along with his large catch radius, burst to the ball when running his routes, and suddenness makes Malik one of the top receivers in this draft.

CONCERNS
Malik is faster after he catches the ball than he is running some of his routes. He will have to become more consistent with his speed or the quarterback will have a lot of missed throws to him unless they have great arm talent to overcome this minor flaw in his game. He also seems to run his deep routes in the slot and his short routes (stop routes, crossing routes, etc.) when lined up on the outside. That might be just the way they used him or it might be because of a lack of consistency in the speed he uses, running his routes.

BOTTOM LINE: 1.47
I feel the best skill set Malik has, which a lot of other top receivers in this draft do not have, is his ability to make himself available to his quarterback, when the play breaks down. He senses when to go deep, work into a space, or go back to the quarterback without being directed. Most coaches will tell the receivers, depending on the arm strength of the quarterback, to go deep or go back to the QB when a play breaks down. Malik sees what is happening, evaluates what the QB needs at that time, and makes himself available. It could be going deep, or it could be stopping in a zone, or simply, going back to the QB. This is a signal that Malik understands the quarterback position and how it needs to interact with the receiver position. He has an excellent feel for the game and that is what separates him, along with his athletic talent from the other top receivers in the draft.

STRENGTHS
Xavier is a legit specimen. He has the size, strength, speed, and bulk to handle the physicality at the next level, to become a franchise receiver for the team that selects him. Xavier has the athletic talent to adjust to the ball in the air and has a large catch zone. He is a strong route runner and has some very impressive route-running skills. Xavier is a matchup nightmare because he has the size and physical strength to outmuscle corners and the speed to be used in the slot to outrun safeties and linebackers. The only way to defend him is to use the sideline and safety over the top, when he is lineup outside and double him when he is used in the slot. He can block and that is important because his size and strength will allow him to be used as an extra H-back type of blocker.

CONCERNS
Xavier struggles with consistency in running routes. He is a strong route runner but at times he over strides throwing his balance off and this messes up the timing of his routes. Although he is a strong and good blocker he struggles at times to identify who he is supposed to block and adjust his blocking in the open field. Xavier might have to get use to the velocity of throws at the next level. Until he does he will have more drops than the average receiver and this could affect his confidence and the confidence of his QB to throw to him affecting his development.

BOTTOM LINE: 2.00
Xavier Reminds me of A. J. Brown Titans/Eagles. He is a strong receiver that needs to realize that he can play at the NFL level but that might take some time. Once he gains that confidence he could easily turn into a franchise receiver. Sometimes a player has the lights go on just because of one play. The one play that says to him that he can play with anybody if he just stays on course, keeps working hard, and finds teammates and coaches who see his potential and are willing to be patient with him. Xavier needs development in the details and consistency in all aspects of his play. When he gains that consistency, he will become a fan favorite, a coach’s favorite, and a quarterback’s favorite who can carry the passing offense for the team that selects him. Xavier is legit

 

STRENGTHS
Olu has all the athletic measurements to become an offensive lineman for the team that selects him. He has those long arms and overall size to keep those pesky edge rushers away from quarterbacks. He is excellent at picking up stunts and looks to be very smart overall working, well with his offensive line teammates. Olu should be able to play more than one position on the offensive line for the team that selects him because of his high football IQ and overall maturity. He moves his feet well and has the athletic talent to be used for screens and as a pulling tackle or guard. Olu shows leadership skills and the maturity to improve and continue to get better and that adds a lot to his evaluation, and his potential to be a starting Offensive lineman for the team that selects him.

CONCERNS
There are a lot of concerns that I’m sure most teams will take a look at before the draft. The first concern is injuries and why the leg injury is undisclosed and if this injury affected his play in some games. Also, he shows a lack of consistency in his lateral agility and the quickness to get out of his stance. His lack of strength, lower and upper body, is shocking but then again, maybe he went to class instead of the weight room. He struggles going out to the second level to make a block because he lacks the lateral agility and change direction agility in the open field, and this could be a concern blocking for screens. The biggest concern is the inconsistency of his play in general, his balance, and his techniques.

BOTTOM LINE: 1.86
On film, in the Ohio State game, Olu struggled and did not look like he was ready for the NFL. That being said, against Michigan he did look like he was ready for the NFL. Against Ohio State, he was slow out of his stance, took bad angles, and struggled staying with his blocks when run blocking. At times he was even on the ground blocking air. He struggled and it made me think that his leg injury was more of an issue. Against Michigan, he was just the opposite and much better. Nevertheless, I could in see in both games that at the next level he would struggle with the edge rushes and if not paired with an athletic quarterback, Olu would be better off moving to a guard position. All of those concerns aside, I do think with better coaching and concentration that he can play Tackle at a high level in the NFL. Selecting Olu early in this draft seems like a no-brainer to me because of his athletic measurements, maturity, and high football IQ to get better and be more consistent. His mature character traits to improve quickly are his strength along with his athletic measurements and as I stated before, selecting him early would be smart because potentially good offensive linemen are needed by every team in the NFL.

STRENGTHS
Marvin reminds me a lot of former WR Randy Moss. He has the same size and almost the same speed. He has those long legs and stride, that give him the ability on deep routes, to separate easily. Marvin is the type of receiver who is open when you think he is not open. He is smart, runs excellent routes, and knows how to beat double coverages. He has the athletic talent to adjust to the ball in the air along with those strong hands to catch those tough contested passes in any down-and-distance situation. Marvin is a red-zone nightmare to defend against. Because of his speed and gifted athletic ability, he extends the red zone allowing for quarterbacks, with less than the strongest of arms and velocity, to start attacking the End Zone from the 50-yard line in. Maserati Marvin is a franchise receiver with the ability to make your quarterback better and that my friends is talent that is unique to very few receivers.

CONCERNS
Maserati Marvin has to build up his physical stamina to deal with the next level. Of course, questionable medicals could affect his draft status also. To my knowledge, both of those concerns are not real concerns.

BOTTOM LINE: 1.46
I have this rule when you see the obvious…you draft the obvious. Although I do feel that you can draft a receiver in any round in a draft there are exceptions and Marvin is just that exception. He wants to be the top dog and he wants to stay around for a long time and money, although a priority, doesn’t seem to be his primary priority. Maserati Marv can make an average quarterback be considered an excellent quarterback and that alone speaks volumes. The anticipation that Marvin has the potential to do that makes him the potential top player in this draft. As I stated before when you see the obvious… you draft the obvious, and you don’t let the obvious be drafted by somebody else.

 

STRENGTHS
Caleb is a Patrick Mahomes clone. He works a game plan with the same eerie-like calmness that Mahomes has. He is a mobile pocket passer who is more at home working from the pocket but if forced to leave the pocket can extend a play like a bat working a maze. Caleb can make all the throws and has the velocity to make those difficult throws in the red zone. He can throw the ball from different release points with velocity and accuracy without setting himself. He shows excellent leadership on the field and the maturity off the field to carry a franchise through adverse situations. Caleb has the athletic talent, needed to be a franchise quarterback for the team that selects him.

CONCERNS
Caleb has to improve his physical stamina. In tight games, you can see a lack of strength in him physically, to finish. This will also help him mentally to handle the adversity during a game and struggle less. At this point in his career, Caleb struggles mentally and physically to lead and finish with play on the field, that will force opposing teams to make mistakes that benefit his team in the 4th quarter.

BOTTOM LINE: 1.54
Caleb has the athletic talent to be a franchise quarterback but does he have the mental makeup when adversity hits? For me, that is the big question. He may look like Patrick Mahomes physically but he seems to lack the killer instincts when adversity hits that Patrick has. This makes Caleb a boom-or-bust type of draft selection, one who if handled correctly could wind up being one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. I can only tell you what I see from the film and watching him play. I do not get close and interview these players or do the work on them that scouts and GM’s do. So, take this profile and use it as you see fit. For me, Caleb is without a doubt a 1st round-talented quarterback. Nevertheless, his lack of killer instincts to finish against UCLA, Oregon, Washington, Utah, and Notre Dame needs to be developed.

STRENGTHS
Troy reminds me a lot of Vikings Justin Jefferson. He has that same lanky build but is strong with the speed and the suddenness to run all the routes on the route tree. He can move the chains and also take the top off the defense. He has strong hands and the athletic agility to adjust to the ball in the air and make the difficult, acrobatic catches. Troy is taller than most defensive backs, and in the red zone, and when running deep routes, this gives him the advantage to make a play on the ball. His suddenness allows him to make cuts other long-legged receivers cannot make and helps him from rounding off routes not allowing defensive backs to get underneath him to make interceptions. Troy shows up in the big games and because of his long strides, speed, and size, can make the home run ball an option for a playcaller at any point in a game. Troy has all the ingredients needed to make an average quarterback, better than average and carry the passing game for the team that selects him. He is a potential franchise receiver.

CONCERNS
Well, he’s not perfect. He will have to work at securing the ball better on those low, “almost hitting the ground”, passes… using more hands than body, but I have no doubt he will improve. He also needs to be more physical on his short routes and use his long leg strides coming out of his breaks, to get those pesky defensive backs off of him. Troy also needs to bulk up to handle the physical defensive backs at the next level. All of these concerns are nitpicking a player who should overcome all of them once he gets to the next level.

BOTTOM LINE: 1.47
As I stated before Troy has the potential to become a franchise receiver. Nevertheless, because of all the talented receivers coming out in this draft, your guess is as good as mine as to what round Troy will be selected in. I suspect if there is a run on receivers Troy will be selected in the first round and if not, then the second round seems likely. Also, you have to accept the bias of the division he plays in. He is not playing in the SEC and there are some very good receivers in this draft from the SEC that could be rated higher because of that bias. This bias is not necessarily wrong, after all, the history of quality receivers coming out of the SEC dictates that it’s smart to rate those players a little higher on the draft boards than other receivers coming out in other divisions. Troy might not be rated as high as I have him rated but I will say this…I stand by this profile of stating that Troy will be a franchise receiver for the team that selects him once he gets on the field no matter what round he is selected in. That’s what the talent board is all about. If a player is selected in the 3rd round, his impact will be as if he was selected in the 1st round. That’s the 2-board system.