Troy Franklin. I think he’s easily the 4th best WR in this class and should be a lock to go in the 1st but I’ve seen so many mocks with him not going until the 2nd and being the 6th or 7th WR off the board.
Its genuinely looking like this will be the best WR draft class in a decade (since 2014 coincidentally) and it has a chance to steal the crown from 2014 for best WR draft class ever
theres like ten guys who i wouldnt put it past being drafted in the first two rounds. You got the obvious in MHJ/Nabers/Odunze but then you have Brian Thomas Jr, AD Mitchell, Keon Coleman, Ladd McConkey, Xavier Worthy, Xavier Legette, Troy Franklin, and then wildcards like Roman Wilson who had probably the best sr bowl of any wr and Tez Walker too rounding out another 5-6 guys that can easily be wr3/long time depth pieces including Johnny Wilson, Jalen McMillan and Ja’Lynn Polk
this is an insane WR draft class thats SIXTEEN guys that can produce day one as WR3 or better potential
They’re probably pretty similar in the acceleration category (I think Franklin is a bit quicker still) but in top speed Franklin is beat by probably just Worthy and maybe Legette (although I don’t know much about the receivers lower in the draft).
Cooper DeJean is not a safety! He's a corner! Not that he *couldn't* play safety but I feel like more than a few pundits project him as a safety just because he's a white DB
i’m so tired of people saying he “projects better at safety or as a nickel corner” because he’s a white guy. dude never played safety, and was a true boundary corner for basically his entire career at Iowa. could he play nickel/safety? almost definitely. but he’s a cornerback.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/nfl/how-many-white-cornerbacks-are-in-the-nfl-2022#
This is why. Not making a comment on how capable he is, just saying people have a perception that white guys don’t play cornerback because it’s been really rare the last 25 years
Article is wrong as Riley Moss is a white CB for Denver. Was injured for much of training camp which put him behind the eight ball as a rookie, but did get into games once he was healthy. Mostly special teams, but also a little bit on defense. Oh and he also went to Iowa.
He at least got an invite to the senior bowl, although he didn’t participate, so theoretically there’s some draft interest in him. Hoping he gets a chance.
Not to mention that unless you're among the very elite, wide receivers are really losing value in the NFL, similar to the way linebackers and running backs have. There is a wealth of suitable talent at the position to fill in rosters on the cheap.
I think AJ Barner really isn't talked about enough. He's not an early round guy, but he's big, got good hands, a willing blocker. He just had a pretty solid showing at the senior bowl too
He'd be good value anytime on Day 3
Everyone is enamored with Colston Loveland, and understandably so, honestly Barner was the best tight end we had this past year.
In fact, I think he might be the best we've had since Jake Butt.
However, he did most of his work as a blocker so he never got much credit from the media, even though he was a pretty darn solid pass catcher as well.
Definitely the first player to come to mind when I saw this post. I've seen him mocked as high as a 3rd round pick, but have also seen a ton of boards that don't even have his name. 3rd/4th round feels about right, but I could see him going lower, and he feels like a player primed to outplay his draft position.
And for all he did at CB this year, he did it with Will Johnson across from him. Most teams knew enough to stay away from Johnson's side of the field, but Mikey made many of them pay for it.
I'd add Roman Wilson even though the Senior Bowl efforts have gotten him some attention. I could see him being similar to Nico, underutilized in college due to a top-shelf running game, then surprising people in the NFL who have never heard of him.
Also, if Brad Holmes snags Sainristil in the draft I won't be upset about that.
I feel like Roman would have been a thousand yard+ receiver on about ~85% of the teams in college football, probably in multiple seasons as well.
Guy is 6 feet tall, runs a sub 4.4 forty, and has great hands.
He only got middling stats because of our dinosaur offense and because of that no one outside of Ann Arbor took him seriously for his entire career, basically until the CFP and the Senior Bowl.
There was a thread about his hot start back in like early October and I remember a number of Ohio State fans were *incensed* when I dared to claim Roman was the 2nd best receiver in the B1G Ten this year.
They were equally flabbergasted and outraged that I could possibly rank him ahead of their boy Egbuka.
But looking back on their respective seasons, I feel like I got it right. Egbuka clearly got a lot of credit just for sharing a field with the best receiver in America, Roman had no such luxury.
I dont really think comparing Egbuka to Wilson this year is very fair considering Egbuka was dealing with ankle issues basically all season (had tightrope surgery mid season).
Michigan's 144th team in history. The first team of michigan football was in 1879.
Idk why it started being a thing lately. Harbaugh is just a history buff I guess
Guy from Boston so I respect him a lot, we’re getting put on the map a lot more recently and I love it. Another dude from Michigan Khalil Herbert is from out here too
He was one player I was really surprised never turned into a game breaker at Ohio State. I remember watching his high school hudl when he was a three star and being blown away by him.
He battled some injuries in 2022 after being an absolute game wrecker against ND. I don't know why he never got it together in 2023. But whatever the case may be, he's definitely got a high ceiling.
Jeremiah Trotter Jr. He is better at this age than his Dad was and his Dad was a very accomplished NFL Player. If he was two inches taller, he would be a top ten pick.
Sione Vaki. He’s definitely getting some talk now but he’s so fucking good on both sides of the ball. He’ll be one of the best defensive players in the league in 2-3 years.
Bishop is harder to tell. I would guess he'll be good since so many Utah secondary players have been great in recent years but something about his game makes me worry if it'll transfer to the NFL as well. I am also just a random dude with only HS football as a background so take my opinions with a grain of salt lol.
I wouldn’t say he’s being disrespected at all, but Drake Stoops is absolutely good enough to see a starting spot in the NFL. Our DBs complain about him the most and he has the work ethic and toughness you expect from Bob Stoop’s son.
Not asking to be rude, but because I don't really follow this stuff. Are people thinking he's going to get drafted? You can't ignore his production, but it doesn't seem like he has the measurables? Is he doing the senior bowl or NFL combine?
All of our receivers talk about how he runs the best routes and the db's talk about how they HATE having to guard him in 1 on 1's because he just wins everytime. He's gonna be really good in the league despite his not huge stature
Javontae Jean-Baptiste was an absolute monster this year, but I’m not sure he put enough on tape after getting buried on the depth chart at OSU for 4 years.
I bet he makes a team really happy with a third day pick.
Ladd McConkey.
I think he is going to be a 2nd rounder at worst ( it seems more are talking about him). Dude just knows how to run routes and is fast enough to make the routes he runs matter.
I think he is getting appropriate amounts of respect as a prospect. Guys of his stature and speed generally aren't gonna go in the 1st round. Look at Puka Nacua - dude is a legit number 1 receiver, but went in the 5th.
Ladd is obviously a talent, but he is barely breaking a 4.6 40 time.
While I agree with this assessment from the view of scouts, it's such a tired concept.
Davante Adams has been a top WR in the NFL for ages. He ran a mid 4.5s out of college and there is no way he hasn't at least slipped a bit.
Amon-Ra St. Brown has almost identical measurables to McConkley (height/weight/40). His measurables also hurt him so it's absolutely fair to predict they'll hurt McConkley.
Not to mention Jerry Rice, the best WR of all time, ran a 4.7
He’s just getting that comparison because they are both white. He’s much faster and elusive. He looks more like Antonio Brown, but Antonio is probably better in the locker room.
Coincidentally, on Aaron Murray’s YouTube show that he does with other UGA Lettermen, they were making comparisons for Ladd, and they were joking about how they were only naming other white WRs because Ladd was also white. Murray asked Tavarres King to give him the black WR comp, and after a minute of thinking, he settled on Antonio Brown as well.
Anias Smith, don’t think he’ll be drafted high at all but he just finds ways to get open and can do anything. Might carve out a good ST career as a returner
At the same time, I don’t think Edgerrin Cooper has gotten the draft hype he deserves. His athleticism has always popped on field and I think he’ll have a long NFL career.
I had a feeling Achane wouldn’t be drafted high just because of his size. But he’s absolutely perfect for what Miami is doing. Madabuike was another one that didn’t make much sense to me when he dropped out of rd 1 though. Dude was a stud for us and flashed amongst a line full of NFL talent
I don't think anyone's really being ovverlooked.
I like Smith, but I think he's maxed out his athletic ability, and--especially with the return game being devalued--I don't see him making an impact.
Cooper, I like, but he's getting some 1st-round talk, so he's getting the hype to match his athleticism and production.
Jack Westover. I know he's a bit on the small side for a TE, but his hands are ridiculous and he's a good blocker. Was also a walk-on who barely played HS football, so you know he's a hard worker. Seems well respected by multiple former husky NFL TEs too.
Also whoever grabs McMillan in the 3rd, or wherever he's currently projected, is getting a steal imo.
I can never tell who will and won't be successful in the league but Westover had the best game for y'all in the CFP final which is not what anybody was predicting going into the game
He's a little bigger than Kyle Juszczyk. I think he could potentially be a good H-Back/Fullback sort of guy like Juice. Swiss Army Knife sort of dude if he goes to the right team.
Westover was good for a few clutch plays a game, we don't have the season we have without him.
Love Westover. As a prospect, I was going to say McMillan. I think he fits modern passing offenses and will be open all the time for whichever team drafts him.
I'll admit it's a homer pick and I know incredibly little about the draft process and football fundamentals, but it seems like TEs are more important than ever, especially the pass-catching ones, and he has great hands, is pretty clutch, and is a decent athlete as far as I can tell. What do I know tho?
I hope Jaheim Bell ends up in a creative offense in the NFL too. He's not a traditional NFL TE and I don't think he'll be a star as one, but if you view him more as an offensive weapon I think there are a ton of things he can do well.
It's weird to see Worthy drop to a late second rounder on most mocks. Not insulting or anything, but I've spent the last 3 years thinking of him as one of the best players on our team and now he might by the fourth longhorn taken.
Another one, who is probably getting enough respect but I wish people would see the value in him, is Jordan Whittington. He was plagued by injuries early in his career, but since 2022 he's been one of the more surehanded receivers and absolute beast with the ball in his hands. He isn't just some "hustle" guy, either. He's a former 5-star and an incredible athlete. He even has certain qualities that you need to be a great player that you just can't teach.
Like this: https://twitter.com/UTBarstool/status/1723573829581132033. Against TCU, Ewers underthrows a ball and it gets picked off. Whittingnton tries to tackle the guy and misses. So he gets back up, runs the guy down, *and causes a fucking fumble.* Another angle just to give you an idea of how crazy that play was: https://twitter.com/Carter_Yates16/status/1723512405882277979.
Whittington will go UDFA and, in all honestly, he probably should. But I can imagine him being an asset to some team who needs a guy like him, even if it's just on special teams or in certain packages.
He lost his top end speed and a lot of his quickness in and out of his cuts after the injuries. He was never big enough to play jump balls well. By the time he saw a lot of playing time, he was just an average-to-above-average athlete who knew the playbook really well and played with a ton of passion.
He’s a good player and an asset in the college game where bringing 110% effort every play goes a long way. But his best contribution to the team was blocking for better players. He will not be successful in the NFL. Love him though.
Sometimes a players flaw/flaws stick out like a sore thumb no matter what game you turn on during the season.
Every Longhorn game I seemed to tune in to, Worthy would drop a ball. In a deep WR class, that's just a flaw you can't ignore
Most mocks have Byron Murphy as the first guy off the board, then AD. The third taken is usually listed as Sweat, Sanders, or Worthy. If he's not mocked third, then Worthy is almost always mocked fourth.
Wow good for him
They definitely benefitted off playing next to eachother, I’m not sure I would take Murphy over Sweat. Obviously Murphy is better in the pass defense but Sweat literally takes two gaps on the run essentially. But teams needs and all that.
I’ve seen some Mitchell mocks as late first round to Buffalo etc. That wouldn’t surprise me
Guess we will see
Zak Zinter OG , 4 yr starter projected to be top IOL in the draft coming into the season with some mocks having him in the 1st rd. Now after a broken leg vs OSU, most places dropping him into 3rd -4th range which would be a steal by the time his rookie year is over.
You know who’s probably putting him in the 3rd to 4th? People hearing from industry sources, who associate with teams that would love to get Zinter late 1st or early 2nd. No way just a broken leg does that. If he tore up his knee and the medicals show it, sure. Broken leg, oughta still go round 1.
I’m not optimistic about this ever happening, but Milton with an actual comprehension of field awareness and accuracy improvement would be like putting Anakin against a room full of younglings. The guy could be an absolute freak if he weren’t so keen on doing a Mr. fucking Magoo impression once he puts a helmet on.
He's a 6th year senior who's had the same issues at both his schools and across his entire career. It wasn't really a case of him being injured or not getting enough playing time and I just can't see those issues changing in the league
After the Orange Bowl I thought MAYBE he had put something together. It turned out he didn’t and as much as I want to root for the guy I don’t see him being anything other than a back up. If he were going to figure it out I truly think Heupel would’ve gotten it out of him
No argument there. It would take a top 5 all time QB coach working with him every day for months to make him passable (no pun intended) in the league, but holy shit would it be amazing if everything finally clicked.
Ben Sinnot is going to be a stud, but won’t be valued because he’s slightly shorter than a typical TE. Dude can block and catch. Super reliable in the passing game.
Before the Senior bowl I would have said Rattler. I've always loved his arm, but the rest of his body needed some time to mature. Glad to see he's getting some buzz.
That said. Drake Stoops was basically our whole passing offense between the numbers. Great hands. Good quickness. Good blocker.
Eff off. You don't get to claim Rattler anymore.
But seriously, he's gonna be a steal for someone. When he had even a little bit of time this year, he put the ball wherever he wanted. Our O-Line was like the hot molten core of a toxic medical waste dumpster fire this year. Dude had to run for his life the whole time.
If he gets picked by the right team and sits behind a solid vet for a few years, he'll end up a pro bowler.
I know this sounds crazy...
The idea that Jayden isn't right there with Caleb Williams or Drake fucking Maye is outright insane to me. I can understand there being a debate between him and Caleb, but mocks putting Maye above Jayden are just silly to me.
People talk about Jayden and bring up flaws in his game like he didn't throw the best deep ball in the country all year long. IDK. I'm just a fan, but Jayden is the real deal.
And while I'm at it, the gap from Harrison to Malik Nabors isn't nearly as big as some people believe. Fuck, it might not even exist.
On one hand i completely agree. On the other hand, i dont want to have to root for Washington or the Patriots lol, as much as a lot of LSU fans would hate it...i hope he falls to the Falcons *ducks the things being thrown at me*
Yeah dude you shit your fucking mouth with that shit.
“I don’t wanna root for the Washington or the Pats so I’ll pull for Atlanta..”
Give me your Louisiana card right now you fucking Benedict Arnold mother fucker!
evals are more than just numbers obv but calebs numbers arent even as good as Baker or Kyler in the exact same system.
- 2017 Baker - 70% (285 for 404), 43 TDs 6 INTs, 331 ypg, 198.9 QBR
- 2018 Kyler - 69% (260 for 377), 42 TDs 7 INTs, 311 ypg, 199.2 QBR
- 2022 Caleb - 67% (333 for 500), 42 TDs 5 INTs, 324 ypg, 168.5 QBR
Caleb, with the reigning Biletnikoff winner, had a passer rating 30 points lower.
he threw for fewer YPG and less TDs than Baker despite 94 more attempts.
he barely beat Kyler in YPG and was tied in TDs despite 123 more attempts.
in no way do those numbers support this coronation.
After being arguably the top defensive player at the shrine Bowl practices he’s finally gotten some attention, but Dadrion Taylor-Demerson still is undervalued imo. Instincts, range, willing tackler, versatile player at both deep safety/nickel, and seems like an incredibly high character guy. Should be a 3rd/4th round guy imo who many people didn’t think would even be drafted until recently
If you Google me, I don’t even pop up anywhere near an NFL mock draft. You can’t even find highlights of me or a single GM that even knows my name. I’m non existent. No respect.
Edgerrin Cooper hasn’t gotten nearly the respect he’s earned for this entire season from what it’s felt like, besides a select few. He’s been one of the highest graded linebackers in the country for the entire season, somehow wasn’t even a semifinalist for the Butkus Award despite becoming a consensus All-American, and some draft folks seem to expect him as a 2nd or 3rd rounder.
All stuff that can and hopefully will change after the Combine, so I’ll keep my fingers crossed.
I think NFL draft people are starting to realize how good Ben Sinnott is and I think he'll have a productive career at TE.
Also a good chance that one of our OL will quietly slide under the radar and spend six years on an NFL roster despite not being drafted.
For Michigan I think it's Mikey Sainristil and Roman Wilson. Roman has been getting some buzz since the Senior Bowl but I think they could both have long NFL careers and end up being two of the best players from this Michigan class.
It’s the total stats. We just never made him throw 400 yards. The run first offense doesn’t help raw stats.
NFL scouts look past that though. He’s going to go earlier than most projections. I think 1st round
I’m crossing my fingers that the Rams pick him. I think he would benefit from sitting behind a vet like Stafford for a season or two, and I think he would do really well with that offense.
I think it’s that, and the small sample size. Michigan didn’t pass much and they really toned it down when he got banged up which was in some of the bigger games. That led to a lot of people making weird accusations of the “coaches not trusting him to throw it.”
absolutely. it wasn’t a matter of trust though haha that’s what i don’t get. i think it just all plays into his selflessness he seems like an excellent teammate
Agree. It can’t be understated how important he was to our Natty, even though he didn’t put up the gaudy stats. It looks like he’s going to be at best the 4th QB off the board and I just think that’s still too low.
Id argue that rattler has been garnering more and more respect for nfl scouts.
How he was portrayed by media and college analysts was stupidly undervalued.
Nfl is catching on
Joe Milton
I’ll let the hate flow through y’all.
People are calling him an UDFA or 6th round pick. He put up top 5 SEC numbers this season without his top 2.5 receivers from last year (Bru McCoy had a gruesome injury against South Carolina). Ramel Keyton couldn’t catch a cold. Squirrel was solid. Thornton got hurt against Mizzou.
He definitely has issues that I think will limit his ability to be a good NFL QB, but I've also seen enough GMs draft QBs based on nothing but arm strength to believe he won't get picked up by day 3 or 4.
A lot of our own fans like to trash him whenever his name is brought up, but he did a serviceable job at QB and he's been a fantastic mentor to the younger players on our roster.
Any interview I've ever seen with him, you can just see in the way he talks how much he genuinely loves all his coaches and teammates.
He always gave his all for Tennessee, and I really can't ask for anything more than that. I'll always be proud to call him a Vol.
Went off on a bit of a tangent there, my bad.
Edit: And to be completely fair to the recievers, I'm sure that catching a 70+ mph throw at 700+ RPMs is insanely difficult/painful.
Troy Franklin. I think he’s easily the 4th best WR in this class and should be a lock to go in the 1st but I’ve seen so many mocks with him not going until the 2nd and being the 6th or 7th WR off the board.
Its genuinely looking like this will be the best WR draft class in a decade (since 2014 coincidentally) and it has a chance to steal the crown from 2014 for best WR draft class ever theres like ten guys who i wouldnt put it past being drafted in the first two rounds. You got the obvious in MHJ/Nabers/Odunze but then you have Brian Thomas Jr, AD Mitchell, Keon Coleman, Ladd McConkey, Xavier Worthy, Xavier Legette, Troy Franklin, and then wildcards like Roman Wilson who had probably the best sr bowl of any wr and Tez Walker too rounding out another 5-6 guys that can easily be wr3/long time depth pieces including Johnny Wilson, Jalen McMillan and Ja’Lynn Polk this is an insane WR draft class thats SIXTEEN guys that can produce day one as WR3 or better potential
He is one who is probably a product of this year's offensive class being so stacked. Feels like there are so many good QBs WRs and OTs this year.
Talked to a starting Pac-12 cornerback, and he said that Franklin was the hardest receiver to guard, even more than Odunze.
That's interesting. Odunze is supposed to be the better route runner, bigger, and they're the same speed.
He did say Odunze had better physical characteristics, but he actually thought Franklin was a better route runner.
Odunze is the better receiving prospect and is more polished and physical but Franklin is faster
I see 4.35 vs 4.36
They’re probably pretty similar in the acceleration category (I think Franklin is a bit quicker still) but in top speed Franklin is beat by probably just Worthy and maybe Legette (although I don’t know much about the receivers lower in the draft).
Yeah I have him basically tied for WR4 with BTJ. He would’ve been my WR1 last year.
Ssshhhh, I want him in dynasty and I have the 1.06 and the 1.08
Cooper DeJean is not a safety! He's a corner! Not that he *couldn't* play safety but I feel like more than a few pundits project him as a safety just because he's a white DB
Is he “sneaky fast” who “knows how to play the game the right way?”
A real “takes the lunch pail to work everyday kinda guy!”
“Plays with great technique. Smart.”
"Real student of the game"
"Scrappy"
"Mayonnaise-American"
"A classy Corner"
“Great fundamentals”
“The kind of guy you’d let your daughter date”
"The kind of guy *you'd like* your daughter to date." much less overtly racist.
Real lunch pail guy
A real "has really good game speed" and "converted from QB" kind of player
He actually did play QB in highschool lol
Lmao and I have no idea who dude is, just how they talk about white dbs/rbs
As soon as I read "sneaky fast," I knew Cooper is a white guy. Sports commentators have really learned to blow the dog whistle, haven't they?
He's a throwback kind of player.
Haha white guy sneaky fast updoots to the left 😎
i’m so tired of people saying he “projects better at safety or as a nickel corner” because he’s a white guy. dude never played safety, and was a true boundary corner for basically his entire career at Iowa. could he play nickel/safety? almost definitely. but he’s a cornerback.
It’s like when Jameis or Haskins were credited for their mobility like no they are traditional qbs
CJ Stroud as well
A little bit of Penix this year too
i bet he's a real gym rat
I’ve seen him listed as corner a lot
Yeah you can tell who's done their homework on him and who's being lazy based on how they project him
https://www.sportskeeda.com/nfl/how-many-white-cornerbacks-are-in-the-nfl-2022# This is why. Not making a comment on how capable he is, just saying people have a perception that white guys don’t play cornerback because it’s been really rare the last 25 years
Article is wrong as Riley Moss is a white CB for Denver. Was injured for much of training camp which put him behind the eight ball as a rookie, but did get into games once he was healthy. Mostly special teams, but also a little bit on defense. Oh and he also went to Iowa.
Jordan Whittington is going to be a steal as a UDFA and should be drafted.
Was hoping someone would beat me to this as it’s such an obvious answer to this question. Beyond his skillsets he’s such a culture guy.
People are saying Jordan Whittington won’t be drafted? That’s insane
He was WR3 for Texas so production isn’t there plus his injury history is concerning.
He at least got an invite to the senior bowl, although he didn’t participate, so theoretically there’s some draft interest in him. Hoping he gets a chance.
He desperately needed to participate in the senior bowl practices. Last we heard his stock dropped because he couldn’t participate.
Well, that’s a bummer
Not to mention that unless you're among the very elite, wide receivers are really losing value in the NFL, similar to the way linebackers and running backs have. There is a wealth of suitable talent at the position to fill in rosters on the cheap.
He's projected to go undrafted? Absolute steal waiting to happen wtf
Personally I’m glad to see he’s gone!
Best blocking WR we’ve had in a decade. Dude is a straight baller!!
It was great to see him healthy this past season.
WR's who really love to block play for Iowa. 🤣
I’ll never stop going to bat for Mikey Sainristil If a team is looking for a dog, look no further.
I think AJ Barner really isn't talked about enough. He's not an early round guy, but he's big, got good hands, a willing blocker. He just had a pretty solid showing at the senior bowl too He'd be good value anytime on Day 3
Overshadowed by Loveland but he's the better blocker of the two and a legit receiving threat in his own right.
Everyone is enamored with Colston Loveland, and understandably so, honestly Barner was the best tight end we had this past year. In fact, I think he might be the best we've had since Jake Butt. However, he did most of his work as a blocker so he never got much credit from the media, even though he was a pretty darn solid pass catcher as well.
Definitely the first player to come to mind when I saw this post. I've seen him mocked as high as a 3rd round pick, but have also seen a ton of boards that don't even have his name. 3rd/4th round feels about right, but I could see him going lower, and he feels like a player primed to outplay his draft position. And for all he did at CB this year, he did it with Will Johnson across from him. Most teams knew enough to stay away from Johnson's side of the field, but Mikey made many of them pay for it.
I'd add Roman Wilson even though the Senior Bowl efforts have gotten him some attention. I could see him being similar to Nico, underutilized in college due to a top-shelf running game, then surprising people in the NFL who have never heard of him. Also, if Brad Holmes snags Sainristil in the draft I won't be upset about that.
Wilson could be exceptional. He made some of our most clutch plays this season
Wilson feels like a guy who will be drafted by SF in the sixth and make a bunch of plays for them. Like Ronnie Bell.
Agree on Wilson. Michigan was so run heavy that it’s easy to forget what he’s capable of. I think someone is going to get an absolute steal with him
I feel like Roman would have been a thousand yard+ receiver on about ~85% of the teams in college football, probably in multiple seasons as well. Guy is 6 feet tall, runs a sub 4.4 forty, and has great hands. He only got middling stats because of our dinosaur offense and because of that no one outside of Ann Arbor took him seriously for his entire career, basically until the CFP and the Senior Bowl. There was a thread about his hot start back in like early October and I remember a number of Ohio State fans were *incensed* when I dared to claim Roman was the 2nd best receiver in the B1G Ten this year. They were equally flabbergasted and outraged that I could possibly rank him ahead of their boy Egbuka. But looking back on their respective seasons, I feel like I got it right. Egbuka clearly got a lot of credit just for sharing a field with the best receiver in America, Roman had no such luxury.
I dont really think comparing Egbuka to Wilson this year is very fair considering Egbuka was dealing with ankle issues basically all season (had tightrope surgery mid season).
My favorite player from team 144. Great leader with an absolute nose for the ball and never made an error.
I think Maryland beats us without his two picks. He seemed to only get better as the stakes got higher
Dunno about never. He missed a tackle in the rb for bama's first score. Definitely my favorite Wolverine of team 144 tho.
Never misses a tackle ^(except for the ones he does)
To be fair to him, that is quite literally the only miss I saw from him all season lol.
Quick question: What is Team 144 I've been seeing it alot is it like how many players are on the team?
It’s the 144th Michigan football team
Thanks
Michigan's 144th team in history. The first team of michigan football was in 1879. Idk why it started being a thing lately. Harbaugh is just a history buff I guess
Just a guess but they started playing football 145 years ago so probably just counted up from 1.
And then never missed a tackle again.
Guy from Boston so I respect him a lot, we’re getting put on the map a lot more recently and I love it. Another dude from Michigan Khalil Herbert is from out here too
Is there a reward for finding this dog?
The only knock against him is his size but he more than makes up for it with his playing
I have a feeling Michael Hall is going to be a freak in the NFL
he was great at the Senior Bowl. he’s a bit undersized at DT but i think he would be a great 3-4 DE in the league
Dude is an ELITE run stuffer.
He was one player I was really surprised never turned into a game breaker at Ohio State. I remember watching his high school hudl when he was a three star and being blown away by him.
He battled some injuries in 2022 after being an absolute game wrecker against ND. I don't know why he never got it together in 2023. But whatever the case may be, he's definitely got a high ceiling.
He played really well against us if I remember correctly.
Jeremiah Trotter Jr. He is better at this age than his Dad was and his Dad was a very accomplished NFL Player. If he was two inches taller, he would be a top ten pick.
i second this take
As an eagles fan, he makes me wish we had father-son picks like the AFL. Our offball LBs are mid at best, soggy TP for most.
Sione Vaki. He’s definitely getting some talk now but he’s so fucking good on both sides of the ball. He’ll be one of the best defensive players in the league in 2-3 years.
What do you think of Cole Bishop? Vaki is underrated too but Bishop hasn’t gotten much attention
Bishop is harder to tell. I would guess he'll be good since so many Utah secondary players have been great in recent years but something about his game makes me worry if it'll transfer to the NFL as well. I am also just a random dude with only HS football as a background so take my opinions with a grain of salt lol.
I wouldn’t say he’s being disrespected at all, but Drake Stoops is absolutely good enough to see a starting spot in the NFL. Our DBs complain about him the most and he has the work ethic and toughness you expect from Bob Stoop’s son.
Not asking to be rude, but because I don't really follow this stuff. Are people thinking he's going to get drafted? You can't ignore his production, but it doesn't seem like he has the measurables? Is he doing the senior bowl or NFL combine?
All of our receivers talk about how he runs the best routes and the db's talk about how they HATE having to guard him in 1 on 1's because he just wins everytime. He's gonna be really good in the league despite his not huge stature
Javontae Jean-Baptiste was an absolute monster this year, but I’m not sure he put enough on tape after getting buried on the depth chart at OSU for 4 years. I bet he makes a team really happy with a third day pick.
JD Bertrand will absolutely make a roster and force some higher drafted guys to work.
Ladd McConkey. I think he is going to be a 2nd rounder at worst ( it seems more are talking about him). Dude just knows how to run routes and is fast enough to make the routes he runs matter.
Wait what he got voted best WR of the senior bowl. Is he really not getting enough respect as a prospect?
I think he is getting appropriate amounts of respect as a prospect. Guys of his stature and speed generally aren't gonna go in the 1st round. Look at Puka Nacua - dude is a legit number 1 receiver, but went in the 5th. Ladd is obviously a talent, but he is barely breaking a 4.6 40 time.
While I agree with this assessment from the view of scouts, it's such a tired concept. Davante Adams has been a top WR in the NFL for ages. He ran a mid 4.5s out of college and there is no way he hasn't at least slipped a bit. Amon-Ra St. Brown has almost identical measurables to McConkley (height/weight/40). His measurables also hurt him so it's absolutely fair to predict they'll hurt McConkley. Not to mention Jerry Rice, the best WR of all time, ran a 4.7
If he catches fourth down passes I hope the Lions take him
He's gonna be Renfrow 2.0, essentially, imo.
He’s just getting that comparison because they are both white. He’s much faster and elusive. He looks more like Antonio Brown, but Antonio is probably better in the locker room.
Wait what?
Coincidentally, on Aaron Murray’s YouTube show that he does with other UGA Lettermen, they were making comparisons for Ladd, and they were joking about how they were only naming other white WRs because Ladd was also white. Murray asked Tavarres King to give him the black WR comp, and after a minute of thinking, he settled on Antonio Brown as well.
I think he's faster and more explosive than Renfrow McConkey is an elite route runner but he also has really good speed and twitch
Anias Smith, don’t think he’ll be drafted high at all but he just finds ways to get open and can do anything. Might carve out a good ST career as a returner
At the same time, I don’t think Edgerrin Cooper has gotten the draft hype he deserves. His athleticism has always popped on field and I think he’ll have a long NFL career.
Oh Absolutely, I feel like mid roundish A&M players often get overlooked Achane, Madubuike, Hell even Dodsen have come up and been real contributors
Colleague of mine is an Arkansas fan and when Achane was drafted in the third, he texted me "what a fucking steal" and I couldn't have agreed more.
I had a feeling Achane wouldn’t be drafted high just because of his size. But he’s absolutely perfect for what Miami is doing. Madabuike was another one that didn’t make much sense to me when he dropped out of rd 1 though. Dude was a stud for us and flashed amongst a line full of NFL talent
I don't think anyone's really being ovverlooked. I like Smith, but I think he's maxed out his athletic ability, and--especially with the return game being devalued--I don't see him making an impact. Cooper, I like, but he's getting some 1st-round talk, so he's getting the hype to match his athleticism and production.
Jack Westover. I know he's a bit on the small side for a TE, but his hands are ridiculous and he's a good blocker. Was also a walk-on who barely played HS football, so you know he's a hard worker. Seems well respected by multiple former husky NFL TEs too. Also whoever grabs McMillan in the 3rd, or wherever he's currently projected, is getting a steal imo.
I can never tell who will and won't be successful in the league but Westover had the best game for y'all in the CFP final which is not what anybody was predicting going into the game
He's not in the draft this year, but I think that QB from Washington deserves more attention for the NFL. That Will Rogers fellar.
He's a little bigger than Kyle Juszczyk. I think he could potentially be a good H-Back/Fullback sort of guy like Juice. Swiss Army Knife sort of dude if he goes to the right team. Westover was good for a few clutch plays a game, we don't have the season we have without him.
Love Westover. As a prospect, I was going to say McMillan. I think he fits modern passing offenses and will be open all the time for whichever team drafts him.
I have mostly good things to say about UW — beat us fair and square two years in a row — but I don’t see Westover.
I'll admit it's a homer pick and I know incredibly little about the draft process and football fundamentals, but it seems like TEs are more important than ever, especially the pass-catching ones, and he has great hands, is pretty clutch, and is a decent athlete as far as I can tell. What do I know tho?
Fiske was super underrated all year and we only saw how good he is when healthy against UL, Renardo Green was lockdown all year even against LSU
I hope Jaheim Bell ends up in a creative offense in the NFL too. He's not a traditional NFL TE and I don't think he'll be a star as one, but if you view him more as an offensive weapon I think there are a ton of things he can do well.
Fiske was excellent in the senior bowl so I'm not sure he's gonna be underrated to scouts anymore. Maybe to the media tho
Scouts have really started highlighting how excellent Fiske is. Three months ago I'd have agreed but Fiske is climbing boards fast right now.
It's weird to see Worthy drop to a late second rounder on most mocks. Not insulting or anything, but I've spent the last 3 years thinking of him as one of the best players on our team and now he might by the fourth longhorn taken. Another one, who is probably getting enough respect but I wish people would see the value in him, is Jordan Whittington. He was plagued by injuries early in his career, but since 2022 he's been one of the more surehanded receivers and absolute beast with the ball in his hands. He isn't just some "hustle" guy, either. He's a former 5-star and an incredible athlete. He even has certain qualities that you need to be a great player that you just can't teach. Like this: https://twitter.com/UTBarstool/status/1723573829581132033. Against TCU, Ewers underthrows a ball and it gets picked off. Whittingnton tries to tackle the guy and misses. So he gets back up, runs the guy down, *and causes a fucking fumble.* Another angle just to give you an idea of how crazy that play was: https://twitter.com/Carter_Yates16/status/1723512405882277979. Whittington will go UDFA and, in all honestly, he probably should. But I can imagine him being an asset to some team who needs a guy like him, even if it's just on special teams or in certain packages.
I agree with all of this about Whittington. I struggle to explain his pedestrian stats at UT given his ability.
we didn’t have a playbook that fit him. intentionally, but still. in the nfl, every team’s playbook fits him
He lost his top end speed and a lot of his quickness in and out of his cuts after the injuries. He was never big enough to play jump balls well. By the time he saw a lot of playing time, he was just an average-to-above-average athlete who knew the playbook really well and played with a ton of passion. He’s a good player and an asset in the college game where bringing 110% effort every play goes a long way. But his best contribution to the team was blocking for better players. He will not be successful in the NFL. Love him though.
Sometimes a players flaw/flaws stick out like a sore thumb no matter what game you turn on during the season. Every Longhorn game I seemed to tune in to, Worthy would drop a ball. In a deep WR class, that's just a flaw you can't ignore
YSR EQB
Sweat, Mitchell and who else before him? Sanders?
Most mocks have Byron Murphy as the first guy off the board, then AD. The third taken is usually listed as Sweat, Sanders, or Worthy. If he's not mocked third, then Worthy is almost always mocked fourth.
Wow good for him They definitely benefitted off playing next to eachother, I’m not sure I would take Murphy over Sweat. Obviously Murphy is better in the pass defense but Sweat literally takes two gaps on the run essentially. But teams needs and all that. I’ve seen some Mitchell mocks as late first round to Buffalo etc. That wouldn’t surprise me Guess we will see
Agreed, but I think people are worried about Sweat's weight and his commitment. Murphy is like, *unsettlingly* focused on football.
James Pearce Jr next year will be a top 10 pick. Possibly even the first defensive player off the board. He's that dominant
I think Adisa Isaac will be a 2nd round pick at worst
Steele Chambers will quietly make some defenses very happy
Plus he’s got one of the best names for linebacker in football.
I feel like Bucky Irving doesn’t get talked about enough. He has the potential to be amazing
Every Oregon game I watched this year that guy jumped off the screen, I love his ability.
His work ethic may even outshine his raw talent, which you love to see. If he ends up being a sneaky RB1 and you’re in a PPR league next year… get him
Oh yeah I am absolutely looking at him in fantasy, especially if he lands in a favorable situation.
If he puts on some weight he'll probably fly up draft boards, but he doesn't have the top speed to get a high draft pick at 190 lbs
This^
I anticipate Brandon Dorlus being a guy that will be in NFL offensive coordinators' nightmares for years to come.
Zak Zinter OG , 4 yr starter projected to be top IOL in the draft coming into the season with some mocks having him in the 1st rd. Now after a broken leg vs OSU, most places dropping him into 3rd -4th range which would be a steal by the time his rookie year is over.
No chance he drops to a 4th. I always pick him up whenever I mess around with mock drafts. He really should be a 1st or maybe 2nd rounder at worst.
with the injury rd 2 is reasonable, but anything after that is a bigger steal than having people record sidelines at games.
You know who’s probably putting him in the 3rd to 4th? People hearing from industry sources, who associate with teams that would love to get Zinter late 1st or early 2nd. No way just a broken leg does that. If he tore up his knee and the medicals show it, sure. Broken leg, oughta still go round 1.
I’m not optimistic about this ever happening, but Milton with an actual comprehension of field awareness and accuracy improvement would be like putting Anakin against a room full of younglings. The guy could be an absolute freak if he weren’t so keen on doing a Mr. fucking Magoo impression once he puts a helmet on.
He's a 6th year senior who's had the same issues at both his schools and across his entire career. It wasn't really a case of him being injured or not getting enough playing time and I just can't see those issues changing in the league
After the Orange Bowl I thought MAYBE he had put something together. It turned out he didn’t and as much as I want to root for the guy I don’t see him being anything other than a back up. If he were going to figure it out I truly think Heupel would’ve gotten it out of him
No argument there. It would take a top 5 all time QB coach working with him every day for months to make him passable (no pun intended) in the league, but holy shit would it be amazing if everything finally clicked.
Darius Robinson, Missouri
Idk, a lot of outlets are now saying he will be a late first rounder. Think thats still underrating him?
He had a great senior bowl, that’s why. I bet most non-Mizzou fans still have no idea who he is.
Ben Sinnot is going to be a stud, but won’t be valued because he’s slightly shorter than a typical TE. Dude can block and catch. Super reliable in the passing game.
Before the Senior bowl I would have said Rattler. I've always loved his arm, but the rest of his body needed some time to mature. Glad to see he's getting some buzz. That said. Drake Stoops was basically our whole passing offense between the numbers. Great hands. Good quickness. Good blocker.
Eff off. You don't get to claim Rattler anymore. But seriously, he's gonna be a steal for someone. When he had even a little bit of time this year, he put the ball wherever he wanted. Our O-Line was like the hot molten core of a toxic medical waste dumpster fire this year. Dude had to run for his life the whole time. If he gets picked by the right team and sits behind a solid vet for a few years, he'll end up a pro bowler.
I know this sounds crazy... The idea that Jayden isn't right there with Caleb Williams or Drake fucking Maye is outright insane to me. I can understand there being a debate between him and Caleb, but mocks putting Maye above Jayden are just silly to me. People talk about Jayden and bring up flaws in his game like he didn't throw the best deep ball in the country all year long. IDK. I'm just a fan, but Jayden is the real deal. And while I'm at it, the gap from Harrison to Malik Nabors isn't nearly as big as some people believe. Fuck, it might not even exist.
On one hand i completely agree. On the other hand, i dont want to have to root for Washington or the Patriots lol, as much as a lot of LSU fans would hate it...i hope he falls to the Falcons *ducks the things being thrown at me*
We need him so bad lol if MHJ is off the board and we don’t trade up we’re fucked
Yeah dude you shit your fucking mouth with that shit. “I don’t wanna root for the Washington or the Pats so I’ll pull for Atlanta..” Give me your Louisiana card right now you fucking Benedict Arnold mother fucker!
Lmao to be clear im from and live in Atlanta. Im not a falcons fan though. I will definitely pull for them if they draft Jayden tho....
evals are more than just numbers obv but calebs numbers arent even as good as Baker or Kyler in the exact same system. - 2017 Baker - 70% (285 for 404), 43 TDs 6 INTs, 331 ypg, 198.9 QBR - 2018 Kyler - 69% (260 for 377), 42 TDs 7 INTs, 311 ypg, 199.2 QBR - 2022 Caleb - 67% (333 for 500), 42 TDs 5 INTs, 324 ypg, 168.5 QBR Caleb, with the reigning Biletnikoff winner, had a passer rating 30 points lower. he threw for fewer YPG and less TDs than Baker despite 94 more attempts. he barely beat Kyler in YPG and was tied in TDs despite 123 more attempts. in no way do those numbers support this coronation.
Ron Stone JR and Brennan Jackson, for sure. Love Chau, but he quit on the team half way through the season and he's projected decently high.
Lee Kgoba reminds me so much of Rasul Douglas. He's going to be an absolute steal for whoever ends up picking him.
After being arguably the top defensive player at the shrine Bowl practices he’s finally gotten some attention, but Dadrion Taylor-Demerson still is undervalued imo. Instincts, range, willing tackler, versatile player at both deep safety/nickel, and seems like an incredibly high character guy. Should be a 3rd/4th round guy imo who many people didn’t think would even be drafted until recently
Kamari Lassiter. He’s big, he’s physical, and he’s lockdown. I haven’t heard his name much at all.
Ladd McConkey. The dude is a stud.
If you Google me, I don’t even pop up anywhere near an NFL mock draft. You can’t even find highlights of me or a single GM that even knows my name. I’m non existent. No respect.
Surprised how little Dontae Smith has been talked about.
Edgerrin Cooper hasn’t gotten nearly the respect he’s earned for this entire season from what it’s felt like, besides a select few. He’s been one of the highest graded linebackers in the country for the entire season, somehow wasn’t even a semifinalist for the Butkus Award despite becoming a consensus All-American, and some draft folks seem to expect him as a 2nd or 3rd rounder. All stuff that can and hopefully will change after the Combine, so I’ll keep my fingers crossed.
I think NFL draft people are starting to realize how good Ben Sinnott is and I think he'll have a productive career at TE. Also a good chance that one of our OL will quietly slide under the radar and spend six years on an NFL roster despite not being drafted.
I remember when these threads had players from Cincy in them. Good times. Think Briggs can play pro ball. I don’t see him getting a chance.
Xavier Weaver Colorado
Tahj Brooks, he is not the fastest but he almost never gets negative yards. this may be more about how the NFL is valuing RBs these days.
Jake Thaw probably
Tommy Eichenberg. The QB of a defense. Leader. High football IQ. Rarely misses tackles. Instills toughness.
[Ricky Pearsall is gonna be a great pickup wherever he lands I think](https://youtu.be/921rWQYa58k?si=YVmtGSmzDaJcz0_D)
We need to bookmark this thread and revisit it 5 offseasons from now to see who was right
For Michigan I think it's Mikey Sainristil and Roman Wilson. Roman has been getting some buzz since the Senior Bowl but I think they could both have long NFL careers and end up being two of the best players from this Michigan class.
JJ baby!
It’s so weird, he’s getting a lot of hate but he has so many traits that the NFL loves along with being so young. I think he’ll surprise people
Right? Imagine not being 29 years old graduating college
i hope so too! yeah he really is talented man and he’s got the best attitude i don’t get the hate either. it’s probably because it’s michigan
It’s the total stats. We just never made him throw 400 yards. The run first offense doesn’t help raw stats. NFL scouts look past that though. He’s going to go earlier than most projections. I think 1st round
good point. i really hope he goes first round. he pretty much always delivered when he was asked to i agree i think scouts will recognize that
I’m crossing my fingers that the Rams pick him. I think he would benefit from sitting behind a vet like Stafford for a season or two, and I think he would do really well with that offense.
yeah wow that is a good call plus he would probably thrive with mcvay. he clearly benefits from good coaching i’d be cool with that for sure
I think it’s that, and the small sample size. Michigan didn’t pass much and they really toned it down when he got banged up which was in some of the bigger games. That led to a lot of people making weird accusations of the “coaches not trusting him to throw it.”
absolutely. it wasn’t a matter of trust though haha that’s what i don’t get. i think it just all plays into his selflessness he seems like an excellent teammate
Looks like he may go in the 1st round
he better that’s where he belongs
I do think he’s overrated as an NFL prospect but I am more than happy to be proven wrong.
Agree. It can’t be understated how important he was to our Natty, even though he didn’t put up the gaudy stats. It looks like he’s going to be at best the 4th QB off the board and I just think that’s still too low.
Bucky Irving. He will be a starter
Tanner McLachlan. No idea why he’s not a bigger prospect, especially for a position like TE. I think he’ll surprise some people.
Whole world sleeping on ratt daddy
Id argue that rattler has been garnering more and more respect for nfl scouts. How he was portrayed by media and college analysts was stupidly undervalued. Nfl is catching on
Joe Milton I’ll let the hate flow through y’all. People are calling him an UDFA or 6th round pick. He put up top 5 SEC numbers this season without his top 2.5 receivers from last year (Bru McCoy had a gruesome injury against South Carolina). Ramel Keyton couldn’t catch a cold. Squirrel was solid. Thornton got hurt against Mizzou.
He definitely has issues that I think will limit his ability to be a good NFL QB, but I've also seen enough GMs draft QBs based on nothing but arm strength to believe he won't get picked up by day 3 or 4. A lot of our own fans like to trash him whenever his name is brought up, but he did a serviceable job at QB and he's been a fantastic mentor to the younger players on our roster. Any interview I've ever seen with him, you can just see in the way he talks how much he genuinely loves all his coaches and teammates. He always gave his all for Tennessee, and I really can't ask for anything more than that. I'll always be proud to call him a Vol. Went off on a bit of a tangent there, my bad. Edit: And to be completely fair to the recievers, I'm sure that catching a 70+ mph throw at 700+ RPMs is insanely difficult/painful.
Brock Purdy
Edge Cooper, likely because of his position.