Kentucky QB Will Levis
Maybe the most intriguing storyline of the whole draft is Will Levis’ slide out of the first round. He’s a good quarterback with tight mechanics, but his game is a tad rough around the edges. I found him and Anthony Richardson to be close talent wise, and for AR-15 to come off the board at four and Levis to slide completely out of the first round left me gobsmacked. I could see the Rams, Raiders, or Saints taking Levis and ending his misery early on in the second round.
Penn State CB Joey Porter Jr.
My love for this year’s corner class had me blinded to reality. I foresaw possibly six or seven defensive backs coming off the board last evening. That was not the case. The only corners taken were Christian Gonzalez, Emmaunel Forbes, Devon Witherspoon, and Deonte Banks. Personally, I have Porter graded above both Forbes and Banks. Porter is a tough corner against the run and was the reason that Penn State’s secondary was one of the nations best in 2022.
Notre Dame TE Michael Mayer
What’s more shocking than Porter Jr. or Levis still being on the board is Michael Mayers’ fall out of the first round. I viewed him as a player like Will Anderson Jr. or Peter Skoronski where they’re safe picks and sure fire day one starters for your franchise. Mayer posses great talent in the run game as a blocker and might have the best hands in the draft. Buffalo took Utah tight end Dalton Kincaid last night and I view that as a huge mistake. He may have better upside than Mayer, but Mayer could come in and easily start over Dawson Knox in Week One.
Minnesota C John Michael Schmitz
We saw a run on offensive tackles with Paris Johnson Jr., Peter Skoronski, Broderick Jones, and Anton Harrison all getting drafted last night. We also saw no interior offensive lineman get drafted. I thought Schmitz would be a late first round pick to either Cincinnati or New York, but they opted against taking the massive center with a high football IQ. His value only increases going into round two. He’ll be a steal tonight and I wouldn’t be shocked if a team traded up for him.
Alabama S Brian Branch
Was I wrong or was I wrong? I predicted Brian Branch to go as high as 14 to New England and even expected teams like Detroit at 18 or Minnesota at 23 to draft him. He’s a jack-of-all-trades player that had 90 tackles, 3 sacks, and 2 interceptions in 2022. His ability to play in the box, the slot, or high safety is unmatched by any defensive back in this draft. The one positive for Branch is that no other safeties came off the board before him.
Florida OG O’Cyrus Torrence
Like I mentioned with John Michael Schmitz, no interior offensive linemen were drafted last night. I expected Jacksonville, Cincinnati, or even Buffalo to take Torrence, but he’ll have to wait a few more hours to hear his name get called. Torrence is a massive, flesh moving offensive lineman with raw potential. His technique can be sloppy from time to time, but an NFL offensive line coach can work those kinks out.
Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker
I’m adding Hendon Hooker to this list solely because it’s enticing. He’s a twenty-five year old quarterback coming off a torn ACL and is a running quarterback. Someone is going to take a gamble on him, but I just don’t see it. There are too many factors and holes in his game that won’t translate well to the NFL. He’s a second round talent tonight, but not a starting quarterback in the NFL.
Oregon State TE Luke Musgrave
If Luke Musgrave comes off the board before Michael Mayer I’m going to lose my mind. Just saying. In the case of Musgrave, he is a well-rounded tight end that has starter potential, but could serve as a teams solid second tight end weapon. In the two games he appeared in last season, he caught 11 passes for 169 yards, and 1 score. Teams to keep an eye on to draft Musgrave are Dallas, San Francisco, and Arizona.
Georgia TE Darnell Washington
Another tight end that’s still in draft purgatory is the athletic specimen that is Darnell Washington. Just off of pure athleticism in this years draft, Georgia has the two top prospects with Washington and Nolan Smith. Washington stands at 6’7, 264 pounds and at the combine ran a 4.64 40 yard dash and benched 225 pounds 21 times. Whoever lands Washington steals a goal line threat with elite blocking skills.
Ole Miss WR Jonathan Mingo
Of all the wideouts in this year’s draft, Jonathan Mingo runs the best routes. He has transfixing hips that never seem to tell a defensive back which was he’s cutting. That coupled with good hands and great quickness makes him a devious number two wideout prospect. I don’t see him ever being a team’s number one wideout, but definitely a productive number two.
Georgia Tech DE Keion White
Keion White is a true hand-in-the-dirt defensive end. He’s 286, 6’5 and made 54 tackles and 7.5 sacks in 2022. His ability to play from the 4i-technique to the 7-technique will make him a hot commodity in the second round. I don’t anticipate he’ll be on the board for a long period of time this evening. White posses elite quickness and good power as a pass rusher.
LSU OLB BJ Ojulari
BJ Ojulari is a good player that has fallen victim to a stacked edge rusher class. I’m not surprised he’s still on the board, but whoever lands him in the second or third round gets a high value selection. He had 56 tackles and 5.5 sacks in 2022 and was one of LSU’s top defensive players. Keep an eye on New England or Jacksonville to take him in the second round.