Category: 2024 Player Profiles

STRENGTHS
Keon is a smooth, long-striding receiver, with the size and strength to be a physical mismatch, very much like former Cowboys Michael Irving. He shows the strong hands to catch contested passes along with an excellent and big catch radius. Keon is athletic enough to adjust to the ball in the air and because of his size and strength uses his body to outmuscle his opponent to the ball. Keon is the type of receiver who, because of his size and strength, is open when he is not open and can impact as long as he develops the trust of the play-caller and quarterback to make the difficult catch at the most important time in a game.

CONCERNS
Keon is a long strider and his speed is directly related to the length of the routes he runs. The longer the route, the better he can separate. The shorter the routes the less chance of him being able to separate. Because he is so physical he has a bad habit of using his body and running lazy routes and just expecting to be thrown the ball. On a lot of routes, he has his hands on the defensive back all the way down the field pushing off when he goes to catch the ball. Keon is big and strong so you would expect, more run after the catch yardage but because he lacks quickness, and the suddenness to change direction, he will struggle on the short routes to gain any more yardage than the route gives him.

BOTTOM LINE: 2.67
Keon is not a complete receiver. He lacks constancy in blocking, running the route tree, and understanding zone defenses. Right now, because of his stride and lack of quickness to change direction, he is limited in his ability to impact running the complete route tree. Keon has the talent to be an impact receiver but he has to mature mentally and physically on the field and understand that it takes more than talent to play in the NFL. If Keon works very hard he can be as impacting a receiver as Michael Irving was for the Cowboys. He has that type of talent and with an offensive coordinator who understands Keon’s natural talent there is no doubt that he can succeed but it will take a commitment by Keon to become the player his talents suggest that he can become.

 

STRENGTHS
Troy is a clone of the Cowboys Zack Martin. He has excellent strength, size, and the quick feet needed, to be able to play, multiple positions on the offensive line. Troy shows leadership skills and communicates with his teammates on tricky stunts that can sometimes confuse offensive tackles. Troy is very good at keeping the correct pass-blocking angles and this along with his quick feet makes it almost impossible to get around him for sacks and pressures. Troy does a solid job going out to the second level to make his blocks and because of his overall athleticism is excellent pulling and being used for sweeps and screens. He has a high football IQ pointing out the possible blitzing players to his line teammates, and quarterback before the snap. Troy will be worked out at Tackle, Guard, and Center, and if he shows he can snap the ball as a center, teams will likely be fighting to select him early in this draft.

CONCERNS
Troy doesn’t have the lateral agility or the long arms that teams look for in an offensive tackle. Most teams will be looking at moving him into the guard position and in this draft, with so many players who can play tackle, that will affect his draft status. He also needs to get stronger and add more football weight to play inside. Because Troy has such excellent foot quickness, there are still times when pass blocking, that he can get off balance and lose leverage. Nevertheless, I have no doubt that this will become less of an issue once moved inside.

BOTTOM LINE: 1.82
If Troy can prove in workouts that he can play offensive center, he has the potential to be as good as Eagles Jason Kelce. If he is moved from his college position of tackle to guard, he has the potential to be as good as Cowboys Zack Martin. Add to that resume, the ability in a pinch, to play tackle and Troy becomes a very valuable offensive lineman. Troy could get lost in this draft because of the Offensive Tackles but believe me when I tell you, Troy will be an excellent offensive lineman for the team that selects him no matter what round he is selected in.

STRENGTHS
Brock is an offensive weapon. His ability to take advantage of other players in the open field, gaining yards after the catch is unique to his size player. He has excellent balance, vision, and feel for gaining the needed yardage and making the big play. Brock also has excellent hand/eye coordination and strong hands to catch the ball. He possesses the athletic flexibility to adjust to the ball in the air and make the acrobatic catch when the ball is thrown in panic situations. Brock has a very high football IQ and this along with his natural athletic talent and competitiveness, adds to his ability to make the big play all through a game. Brock has speed that is equal to most receivers and has a burst that he uses once he catches the ball which is very unique also. When I watch Brock, I see a player who can make a quarterback better than he is, and that is a skill set available to only impact, franchise players. He reminds me a lot of a bigger version of the Rams WR Cooper Kupp and although they both play different positions, Brock’s impact in the offense will be the same.

CONCERNS
Georgia is very smart in how they use Brock. They make sure he gets a free release off the line of scrimmage no matter where they are on the field or what “Tight End” route he is going to run. Brock is an excellent blocker. Nevertheless, he has that type of body that l suspect will struggle to keep weight on during the season. Using him as an in-line blocker for a 17-game season will challenge him physically and most likely lead to injuries.

BOTTOM LINE: 1.46
For me personally, I list Brock on my board, as a top five player in this draft. There I said it. Just because he is listed as a Tight End should not exclude him from being considered as a top player in this draft. He is an impact Receiver/TE who can make a quarterback better. And when you find a player on offense that can make players around them better we think of them as having the potential to be a franchise player no matter what position they are listed to play at. After all, Brock can block as well as any offensive lineman. He can run as fast and has a burst as good as any running back or receiver and gain yardage after the catch as good as any running back or receiver. He is as smart as any quarterback or any offensive coordinator so what’s the problem with listing him as the best player in this draft or a top-five player? If I’m a team in the top five of this draft and I have a solid to good quarterback, I’m looking at selecting Brock because I can get the ball into his hands quicker than I can any outside receiver and I know Brock will produce because of his unique ability to gain yards after the catch. I don’t care if you think Tight Ends should not be considered as the first pick of a draft. Like I always say, when you see the obvious…you draft the obvious and in Brock I see an obvious offensive weapon, and not just a Tight End.

STRENGTHS
Kamari has the size, strength, athletic talent, high football IQ, and excellent tackling talent to play any position in the Defensive Backfield. When lining up on the outside he uses the sideline to help him defend as well as any Cornerback coming out in any draft. He reads receivers and understands how to recover mentally and still defend the pass when he is in trial technique. Kamari tackles like a Tasmanian Devil, eating up ground against those horizontal passes to the outside, behind the line of scrimmage. Because of his quick recognition skills to make tackles, and his sure tackling talents, Kamari can play any position in the defensive backfield in any style of defense. He has the athletic talent and high football IQ to be used in the slot, on the outside, or as a safety in zone or single coverage situations. Kamari shows on the field the leadership skills and maturity to become a franchise defensive back for the team that selects him.

CONCERNS
Kamari hasn’t shown the talent to make interceptions but my guess is that’s because mentally he is looking to make sure the player he is responsible for does not get the ball a all. His Tasmanian Devil-like tackling talents are all about, separating the ball from the receiver rather than intercepting the ball. Some teams will downgrade him for this lack of interceptions…I would not because he is way too talented to play any position in your defensive backfield. Kamari’s ability to tackle like a Tasmanian Devil doesn’t amount to many penalties and who doesn’t want that on their team? Kamari’s workout numbers will decide where some teams will rate him. For me even if his workout numbers are average his play on film tells me all I need to know.

BOTTOM LINE: 1.61
In this day and age of football, covering skills are slowly taking a back seat to tackle skills for defensive backs. Teams play multiple defensive schemes bouncing back and forth from Zone, to match up zone, to single man to man, to half the field in zone, half man to man, to single safety, to two deep safety. The key to a good defensive backfield nowadays is the ability to limit the run after the catch yardage. To do that, you have got to be good at tackling and if you are not you will not win consistently. The arm talent that quarterbacks are coming out with, and the different release points they can throw from, makes coverage very difficult with just one corner unless that corner can shut down the run after the catch yardage. Kamari has the cover skills, tackling skills, and high football IQ to play any position and limit RAC yards. Kamari is a complete defensive back who can play multiple positions in any style of defense. I don’t know about you but rating just a cover corner higher seems like old school to me.

STRENGTHS
Taliese is a big, strong, long-armed, extremely athletic offensive lineman who can play more than one position on the offensive line for the team that selects him. He is quick out of his stance with the foot quickness and speed to be used in any style of offensive line blocking scheme. Taliese has solid lateral agility and does have the overall “athletic talent” to go up against speed rushes. He is a physical blocking offensive lineman and handles the bull rush with natural strength. Taliese is excellent when used as a pulling lineman and gets out to the second level and screens with athletic ease. Taliese athleticism makes him a good fit to be used as a Guard or Tackle for the team that selects him.

CONCERNS
Taliese is a natural guard. As a tackle, he will have to learn much better hand techniques against those speed rushers to become a starter. He will also have to learn better pass protection angles because, despite his athletic talent, he lacks the true lateral agility to play the tackle position in the NFL. At guard, he’s a Pro Bowl player. At tackle he will need to few years of technique work and better mental stamina in pass protection, to be considered as a Pro Bowl player but he does have the talent.

BOTTOM LINE: 1.83
Selecting Taliese early in this draft seems like a no-brainer to me. He is a plug-and-play guard and a potential Pro Bowl offensive tackle. His athletic talent is rare in a player his size and his natural strength is impressive too. Taliese likes to get his hands on his opponent from the snap and as we all know that style when pass blocking, leads to a lot of holding penalties. There are times when I see Taliese come off the line of scrimmage, mirror his opponent when pass-blocking, and then engage. That is when you see his potential to become an excellent pass-blocking tackle. I would select him early, put him on the field as a guard, and continue to work with him on pass-blocking techniques that will eventually allow him to be moved to one of the tackle positions. If it doesn’t

STRENGTHS
Michal is the pocket-passing extraordinaire quarterback of this draft. His accuracy and overall arm talent from the pocket are franchise-like. He has the size and arm velocity in the red zone to defeat any style or type of defense. Michael shows leadership skills through his play on the field. He will make the throw with accuracy, that most NFL quarterbacks can’t make. Michael has the arm talent to make the players around him better. His ability to make plays in the passing game opens up the ability to run the ball and that is the definition of a franchise quarterback. If the team that selects him protects him in the pocket with a good offensive line, I guarantee, you will see Michael in the Super Bowl.

CONCERNS
Injuries have made Michael a pocket passer and stolen his quickness when flushed out of the pocket. He must learn to manipulate the pocket better and not take the big hits in the pocket or he will never make it through a 17-game schedule. He has to become more “Tom Brady like” to gain better passing lanes, set up his offensive line better, and keep himself healthy.

BOTTOM LINE: 1.47
Because we don’t have Tight Ends that block or fullbacks, and teams send 6 players from the defense against 5 offensive linemen, the NFL is now looking for a more athletic quarterback who can extend plays running the ball and throwing the ball on the run. At one time, Michael was one of those types of quarterbacks. Now Michael is a pocket-passing extraordinaire type of quarterback; believe me, those are rare, especially with Michael’s accuracy. There is no throw in the NFL quarterback book, that Michael can’t make with the velocity, accuracy, or touch, needed to bring a team from behind to win a game. Don’t worry about drafting receivers because Michael can make anyone a better receiver. Don’t worry about drafting a running back because Michael will force teams to play light in the box allowing his running back to run the ball effectively. Just worry about one thing after you select Michael…drafting and finding offensive lineman to protect him. You do that and trust me, Michael will take you to a Super Bowl.

STRENGTHS
Jayden has the athletic talent, size, speed, arm talent, and arm strength to be a franchise quarterback for the team that selects him. When he runs, he looks like a wide receiver playing quarterback. Jayden has different gears when he runs that fool tacklers into thinking they are about to tackle him but they really don’t have a chance. He does a good job passing the ball with accuracy and velocity from a clean pocket and can make all the throws needed to impact at the next level. Jayden has the needed leadership skills and character to carry a franchise on and off the field. Add to that, his “Lamar Jackson” type athletic talent to play the quarterback position and you have a potential franchise quarterback.

CONCERNS
Jayden needs to gain more confidence playing from the pocket. Right now, when his team is in trouble he runs to gain the needed yardage or threatens to run and leave the pocket. When forced to play from the pocket and not given the lanes to run, he struggles to throw the ball with the needed accuracy and confidence to make an impact play. He has the talent, character and work ethic to improve given the time and experience and, I have no doubt that he will.

BOTTOM LINE: 1.46
Every year we see talented quarterbacks come out in the draft and watch their ability to play the position, they’ve played all of their lives, dissolve right in front of our eyes. The difference between a franchise quarterback, and a good quarterback, is the ability to overcome poor coaching. I believe most of the quarterbacks selected in the first round fail because of that one reason…poor coaching at the NFL level. I believe the talent is there but the quickness in decision-making is lacking and poor coaching magnifies this mental flaw instead of developing it. As I have always said…it takes more than talent to play in the NFL. I believe Jayden has more than talent and can overcome poor coaching with the character, maturity, and work ethic to make the players and the coaching around him better. That is the definition of a potential franchise quarterback.

STRENGTHS
Joe is a master at keeping his angles when pass blocking very much like former Bengals 2nd round pick Left Tackle Andrew Whitworth. He has excellent size and strength to play his position and a high football IQ to adjust to stunts working well alongside his teammates in tandem. Joe is a solid offensive lineman. His overall techniques are excellent and he shows just enough lateral agility and foot speed to go out to the second level to be used in any style of offensive line blocking system. Joe shows leadership qualities because of his consistency when both run blocking and pass blocking. He will be the stabilizing force on the offensive line for years to come for the team that selects him.

CONCERNS
Joe lacks the lateral agility to be an outstanding Offensive tackle against speed rushers. He will need help in those situations. He also lacks the balance needed to recover when he is beaten on the outside. Joe lacks the foot quickness out of his stance, needed to be a top-flight tackle but he does show the foot speed once he gets going.

BOTTOM LINE: 1.64
Joe’s ability to keep his angles allows him to play at a higher level than his overall athletic agility suggest that he should be able to play. In the right system and with help when needed, Joe will be an excellent offensive tackle for the team that selects him. Offensive Tackles are one of the skill positions on the offense and if you need a tackle then you better pick one early in a draft. Joe should be a solid offensive tackle for the team that selects him. The type of player who will grow with his teammates and become a leader and stabilizing type of player. He has some limitations, but nothing to make you think that Joe won’t be a starting ten-year offensive lineman for the team that selects him.

STRENGTHS
Bo Nix is a football player. He is all about football. His passion to compete and play is what sets him apart from any other Quarterbacks in this draft. He has excellent size and arm talent that is above average. He has the velocity in the red zone to defeat those tight windows and score touchdowns. Bo has the athletic talent to run the ball on any down and distant situation to move the chains. He is an excellent athlete and could play a number of different positions on both sides of the ball but his passion is to be an excellent quarterback. Bo has the potential to be considered the top quarterback in this draft and a potential franchise quarterback for the team that selects him.

CONCERNS
There are times in a game when Bo tries to do too much. It seems like he doesn’t have trust in his teammates to make plays because he questions if their passion to win matches his. If and when his offensive line struggles to make their blocks and Bo is under Constant pressure, he looks to make the big play rather than the right play. Bo’s improvement from last year has shown everyone that put in the right coaching situation Bo can be the player he envisions himself to be and that is a winning quarterback. I can nit-pick any player to death but for Bo, his ability to deal with on and off-the-field adversity is the biggest concern. He has to learn to better deal with and accept his team’s failures as not just his own. Leadership in adverse situations is not necessarily playing harder, leadership in adverse situations is getting others on the team to play harder.

BOTTOM LINE: 1.51
Bo has reached his goal of playing football at the college level and becoming the winning quarterback he knew that he could become. He did it by finding a team with a nurturing coach and teammates who have the same passion to win that he has. Bo’s athletic talents and mental football IQ are as good as any quarterback who has ever come out in the draft. Of course, he has some issues that he needs to improve but nitpicking those issues will not improve them for Bo. He is the type of player who is harder on his self than most players are so, a coach who beats him up emotionally is just going to make him shut down and not succeed. Bo could be the 1st quarterback selected in this draft. Or he could be selected as the last quarterback selected in the 1st round. Some teams will be turned off by Bo’s sensitivity to hard coaching. Other teams will love the fact that Bo is a self-motivating player who doesn’t need hard coaching. As a person who has managed people and businesses all my life, I love self-motivating people.

STRENGTHS
Drake reminds me a lot of Jets QB Zack Wilson. He has the size and athletic talent to extend plays. Drake has very good accuracy and a strong arm when working from a clean pocket. He has the arm talent to make the difficult throw. He does an excellent job running the ball when the play breaks down and in fact, is difficult to bring down in the open field. Drake has the arm and athletic talent to be a starting quarterback for the team that selects him.

CONCERNS
Drake struggles with his accuracy and decision-making from a muddy pocket. He struggles to lead and play with confidence consistently. When Drake is under duress his mechanics are all over the place dropping his release point and throwing balls high, allowing for the potential at the next level for tip balls and interceptions. When he lowers his release point to three-quarters, he also runs the risk of the ball being knocked down. Drake needs time to learn how to deal with the defenses at the next level. He also needs a very strong running game and play action to work from a clean pocket and in rhythm. Clemson, Miami, UVA, and Georgia Tech defenses, gave Drake a lot of problems.

BOTTOM LINE: 2.06
Drake’s stats show his potential to become a starting quarterback for the team that selects him. That being said, if you look at the games he struggled in and see how he struggled and never improved, you will see as I have, a talented quarterback that needs good coaching and time before he is put on the field to lead a team at the next level. I’m not saying Drake cannot be an excellent quarterback. In fact, I think he can but for the purposes of this draft, selecting him in the top ten of this draft and throwing him on the field the day after you select him will be a big mistake. He needs a lot of time and has a lot to learn before he is ready to be a starting 17-game quarterback for the team that selects him. I see it and it’s obvious if you watch the games he struggled in. In those games, he needed play calling that relied on a strong running game very much like Jimmy Garoppolo. Don’t get me wrong Drake has the talent to play at the next level but as I always say, it takes more than talent to play in the NFL. Personally, I would select him in the first round but not in the top ten or even the top 20 but that’s just me. As we all know, almost everyone else seems to think differently than me.

STRENGTHS
Cole has the size, strength, speed, and high football IQ, to play multiple positions in the defensive backfield in any style defense for the team that selects him. He can play in the box in coverage, or be used to blitz or as a run defender. Cole can be used as a 2 deep zone safety or as a single safety because of his speed and anticipation to cover sideline to sideline. He shows leadership skills because of his high football IQ to play multiple positions and the ability to make a play on the ball in just about every game he has played in. Cole can cover those big pass-catching Tight Ends down the seam and has the speed to cover running backs out of the backfield on those pesky wheel routes that seem to give defenses trouble at the most inopportune times in a game. Cole has the athletic talent and football intelligence to be a coach on the field and that is the most important talent a safety can bring to the team that selects him.

CONCERNS
Cole needs the play to be in front of him to impact. He will need to improve his anticipation and match-up intelligence when he is used as a single safety. This will come in time and experience of learning his teammate’s strengths and weaknesses and learning his opponent’s receiver’s strengths and weaknesses. Right now, he overestimates his abilities and hangs too long in the middle before he reacts. I’m sure he is trying to bait the QB’s into interceptions but that is a bad habit. My guess is Cole will get beat deep until he learns to play that position better at the next level if a team uses him at that position.

BOTTOM LINE: 2.31
Cole has the potential to be a coach on the field and an impact player for the team that selects him in any style of defense. He’s a fit for a conventional defense or a 4/2/5 defense because of his ability to play the run, blitz, and be used in coverage against running backs and Tight Ends. He is not the fastest defensive back but he is smart and has excellent explosiveness and anticipation to cover ground quickly. It’s hard to suggest what round a safety like Cole will be selected in. Most safeties despite being the backbone of most defenses, don’t get selected until after the third round. Cole might not have the quickness to be used in the slot against all types of slot receivers. His overall talents and athletic abilities are very much like the Buffalo Bills Jordan Poyer, and Jordan wasn’t selected till the 7th round of the 2013 Draft. That being said, defenses are more complicated and safeties are used differently and at more positions than in the past and that makes Cole more valuable than just an average safety.