2023 NFL Draft

[beachcomber]

nothing yet on Darnell Washington, Dalton Kincaid, nor Luke Musgrave @TE for si/Draft Bible, and they list Jaheim Bell as a TE.

He is an unbelievable blocker with natural play strength to make an impact in the run game. He was able to drive defenders out of the play. His technique and footwork were elite for such a young player. As a junior next season, Gilbert should be one of the best blockers in the nation, and his blocking ability will translate to the next level. He is going to be able to contribute as a blocker from day one in the NFL. LSU always left him in no matter the down or distance because of his blocking. As a pass catcher, Gilbert displayed elite speed. Gilbert should have the fastest 40-yard dash at the combine, and he moves like a receiver. Even in the NFL, defenders will struggle to bring him down.

With all the good that comes with Gilbert, he is raw. He didn’t drop the ball on tape, but at times Gilbert struggles to catch the ball cleanly. Gilbert doesn’t really know how to run a route and relies on natural athleticism to get open. His understanding of attacking leverages to get open isn’t there yet, either. Gilbert is really fast, but he isn’t quick off the line. He takes false steps and is all over the place with his footwork at times as a receiver. Gilbert, for the most part, just struggles with the little things.

those are some significant red flags.... doesn't start on his team either (and perhaps understandably so). might be a bit too risky for someone carrying a first round grade ?? https://www.si.com/nfl/draft/scouting-reports/arikgilbert

[Bolt Dude]

^ I’d really like to see Darnell Washington in our TE room. 6’7, 270 with good hands, speed, and blocking ability? Sign me up.

After week 2 I want the following guys in the first 2 rounds:

Olumuyiwa Fashanu, OT, Penn St, 6’6, 321
Darnell Washington, TE, UGA, 6’7, 270

Keep building around Lord Herbert.

[beachcomber]

It must be said that Pipkins is playing admirably so far. Nevertheless, I still believe OT is out #1 need. Analysts are saying it’s a weak OT class, but I beg to differ.

When it’s all said and done, I think this kid from PSU might be OT1: Olumuyiwa Fashanu. 6’6, 321. He’s legit.

Some others include:

Paris Johnson Jr., OSU, 6’6, 310, 77
Peter Skoronski, NW, 6’4, 315, 77
Jaelon Duncan, MD, 6’6, 320, 71
Broderick Jones, UGA, 6’4, 310, 59
Blake Freeland, BYU, 6’8, 305, 71
Anton Harrison, OK, 6’5, 315, 71
Zion Nelson, MIA, 6’5, 316, 60
Dawand Jones, OSU, 6’8, 359, 79
Darnell Wright, TENN, 6’7, 335, 58
Carter Warren, PITT, 6’5, 325, 77
Matthew Bergeron, SYR, 6’5, 320, 60
John Ojukwu, BSU, 6’6, 315, 70

Pipkins should be our swing tackle of the future. Norton does not belong on an NFL roster.

Keep building the best OL possible around Herbert.

gonna be curious to see what our FO and coaching staff have in mind for the line going forward.... think it's pretty obvious they have Salyer penciled in @LG, which leaves Feiler's fate in doubt as he has an out in contract next offseason, and our FO is gonna have a budget crunch of sorts to deal with, and.... both Storm 'n Pips are gonna be FAs as well.

personally, and outside of Skoronski, don't see anyone that am too excited about in the draft, and don't see any FAs that are of any great interest either, and so.... if our line is Slater * Salyer * Linsley * Johnson.... bringing in a vet to play RT would make some sense to me ?? and guessing that would possibly come from a surprise cut by another team....

and if Fashanu is better than Ikem Ekwonu from last go 'round, that prolly puts Olumuyiwa out of our range/grasp....

my sense is that if we draft an Oline, it's gotta be @the OC to hedge our bet there w/Corey, and that bringing in a FA RT makes more sense given our potential trio on rookie contracts/deals ??

[beachcomber]

12. Camerun Peoples, Appalachian State

• 6012/220 lbs Redshirt Super Junior
• 2 star (73) from Clay Central (Lineville, AL)
• Camerun Peoples is a poor mans Najee Harris – his size and running style is very similar to the Pittsburgh Steelers running back. I don’t think he is as versatile, hence the poor man’s comparison. Peoples was unstoppable through the early portion of the season, scoring 13 touchdowns through the first seven games of the season. He ended up surrendering a lot of playing time to his teammate, Nerlens Noel, who settled into more of a starting role over him in 2021.

Pros

• Solid speed, especially for his bigger frame.
• Runs with high knees and is difficult to get ahold of. Lowers the pad level well in short yardage situations. Runs too upright to be as effective.
• Very explosive through the hole. Accelerates extremely well.
• Reads his blocks well, isn’t caught behind the line much at all.
• Will not be brought down by an arm tackle. Fights through traffic well. So good at falling forward despite contact from several points.
• Very solid power in pass protection assignments. Bigger body helps tremendously with this. Positions quickly and well. Shows good anchor. Will simply not see assignments come up at times. Struggles to get into position off of a play action.

Cons

• Not much of a change of direction running back. He is much better suited for the downhill run. Doesn’t show a lot of lateral run ability.
• Runs too upright to be as effective.
• Not a lot of contact balance in space. Struggles to get through being tripped up by defenders going low.
• Not a receiver. Was very rarely asked to run routes or be in a progression at Appalachian State.

http://nfldraftblitz.com/2022/08/25/2023-nfl-draft-running-back-rankings/

4. Bijan Robinson, Texas

• 5116/214 lbs Super Sophomore
• 5 star (0.9928) from Salpointe Catholic High (Tucson, AZ)
• Bijan Robinson enters the 2022 season with huge expectations. His great uncle, Paul Robinson, was a star running back for the Cincinnati Bengals and the Houston Oilers in the late 1960s through the early 1970s. His father was a track and field star at Northern Arizona.

Pros

• Very natural athlete, moves extremely well and is very smooth. Speed is very good and he has the ability to outrun secondaries. Ridiculously shifty. Very smooth athlete.
• Runs with a low center of gravity and generates a lot of power.
• Very explosive. Comes off of the cut with insane burst. Accelerates well.
• Almost unstoppable in the open field. Consistently finds a way to fall forward.
• Solid receiver both out of the backfield and as a receiver. Natural receiver – has good hands. Good route runner. Was seldom used out wide as a receiver from both the boundary and the slot – and was an active part of the read progression.

Cons

• Has decent patience. Does want to plant his foot in the ground and go too soon.
• Good runner between the tackles but doesn’t create too many opportunities there without space.
• Doesn’t offer much power in pass protection but he’s intense. Lacks a lot of technique. Not great at working off of the play action to position himself to be effective in pass blocking. Doesn’t accurately read blitz pickups.

[beachcomber]

4. Siaki Ika, Baylor


HT: 6026
WT: 350
4 star (0.9400) Super Junior from East (Salt Lake City, UT)
A transfer from LSU, Siaki Ika is built like a model nose tackle prospect. Ika enters his second season in Baylor with Dave Aranda, his third with the coach of his four-year collegiate career. The pair worked together during the national championship run at LSU in 2019. For someone with the immense size that he has, Ika has not been coached well on technique and is a project prospect with very high upside.

Pros:

• Flashes the ability to just throw dudes around, especially in 1v1’s.
• First step is good, not great.
• 4.5 sacks last year over 12 starts. Consistently finds a way into the backfield and generate pass rush. Generated 24 hurries last year per PFF.
• Has the ideal size and will be a high-upside prospect in the draft.

Cons:

• Decent speed for his build, but will be very average in the position group.
• Would really like to see more upper body strength from him. For someone who is as big and physically threatening as Ika, he’s not impressive with his strength consistently.
• Drew double teams upon occasion. Didn’t always show the consistency to know what to do with them.
• Oftentimes looks lost with his hands, doesn’t know how to use them to get off of blocks. Will mostly just bullrush and slowly compress the pocket.
• Not a great tackler by any stretch of the imagination. Uses his size to bully his way around. Doesn’t wrap up.

[beachcomber]

3. Calijah Kancey, Pittsburgh


HT: 5116
WT: 280
3 star (0.8614) Super Redshirt Sophomore from Northwestern (Miami, FL)
Calijah Kancey has drawn lofty comparisons in his first two years with the Pitt Panthers since taking the field – some people daring to mention NFL all-pro Aaron Donald. Maybe it’s just the uniform, but maybe it’s more. Kancey is a technical fighter with similar size to the all pro and overall a very similar skillset.

Pros:

• Great speed for his size.
• Excellent lateral quickness. Is a problem trying to deal with him at the line. Smaller than linemen and has no problem getting under their pads.
• Good upper body strength to get push and disrupt the mechanics of the blocker. Strong lower body drive to push the blocker back, especially effective in 1v1 situations.
• Strong first step. Very disruptive. Explosive defensive tackle.
• Goes into every rep with a plan in place.
• Strong, intense wrap up. Great tackler. Rangy defensive tackle who isn’t afraid to chase a play to the sideline.
• Kancey has been a consistent pass rusher all of his career. Generated 64 pressures in his first two seasons, and jumped from 2 to 9 sacks from 2020 to 2021.

Cons:

• Didn’t draw many double teams throughout his reps. Struggled with double teams mostly.
• Would like to see better hand placement. He has so much potential and flashes it with his hand fighting but can’t consistently get to the right places.
• Has good strength at his hands, but his lack of length will prevent him from getting off of blocks consistently.
• Slow recognition. Doesn’t stay on with the play well.

http://nfldraftblitz.com/2022/09/02/2023-nfl-draft-3-4-defensive-end-rankings/

4. Dante Stills, West Virginia


HT: 6036
WT: 285
4 star (0.9467) Super Senior from Fairmont (Fairmont, WV)
Dante Stills is an intriguing NFL prospect with the ability to both play outside and inside in just about every defensive scheme in the book. His brother, Darius, played defensive line at West Virginia, and his father, Gary, was an all-Big East linebacker for West Virginia before playing in the NFL with Kansas City, Baltimore, and the St. Louis Rams.

Pros:

• Stills has great speed for the position, and may test well at the combine.
• Explosive lateral quickness.
• Good upper body strength. Strong arms allow him to make some arm tackles that a lot of players can’t make.
• Good explosion. Difficult to contain off of the snap.
• Great hand placement, can work a gap very quickly. Strong hands.
• Excellent tackler. Wraps up well and has the strength to make solid arm tackles when he needs to. So disruptive in the gap.

Cons:

• Doesn’t bend well.
• First step isn’t consistent, but when he’s on it, he’s devastating.
• Doesn’t often pull double teams because of the variety of usage across the defensive line.
• Doesn’t always go in without a plan, so consistency is sometimes an issue. Flashes the ability to come after the passer (13 hurries, 8 QBH last year) but isn’t there nearly enough.

[beachcomber]

4. Jared Verse, Florida State


HT: 6032
WT: 248
Not Rated Super Redshirt Sophomore from Central Columbia (Dayton, OH)
A transfer from Albany. Absolute game wrecker. Albany was Verse’s only offer coming out of high school, where he was listed as a 6’4″ 247 lbs edge player from Central Columbia High. He enrolled in Albany on August 1st, 2019, and worked his way into catching the attention of Florida State, who found him while scouting for Syracuse. His performance against the Orange was so impressive that Florida State put everything they had into getting him when he entered the transfer portal.

Pros:

• Very solid athlete, especially for the position. So quick laterally. Can do everything he’s asked to in a scheme. Excellent speed.
• Solid first step. Very difficult to contain.
• Very good bend.
• Strong tackler.

Cons:

• Could use some more weight added to his frame.
• Not great with his hands, doesn’t look like he knows how to use them.

http://nfldraftblitz.com/2022/09/07/2023-nfl-draft-4-3-defensive-end-rankings/

5. Tyree Wilson, Texas Tech


HT: 6052
WT: 275
3-star (0.8813) Super Redshirt Junior from West Rusk (New London, TX)
A transfer from Texas A&M, Tyree Wilson really stepped up as a pass rusher in 2021, generating 37 pressures and collecting 6 sacks. His efforts landed him on the Senior Bowl Watchlist, the Shrine Bowl 1000, and even named as a top 25 prospect by the NFS, according to a leaked list from Sports Illustrated reporter Albert Breer.

Pros:

• Very quick. Good athlete overall, should test fairly well in all categories.
• Very sudden first step, dangerous when he can time it with the snap well. Very explosive athlete.
• Has some serious leg drive to generate a powerful bull rush.
• Strong tackler.
• Motor is good, not great. I’d like to see him work to the boundary better.

Cons:

• Really needs to disengage with blocks better and faster. Likes to hold them in place.
• Stiff athlete, don’t really see any bend from him.
• Has no idea how to use his hands. Gets plugged routinely at the line of scrimmage.
• Doesn’t typically place his hands very well.
• Maybe too heavy and might help himself to lose some weight.

[Bolt Dude]

gonna be curious to see what our FO and coaching staff have in mind for the line going forward.... think it's pretty obvious they have Salyer penciled in @LG, which leaves Feiler's fate in doubt as he has an out in contract next offseason, and our FO is gonna have a budget crunch of sorts to deal with, and.... both Storm 'n Pips are gonna be FAs as well.

personally, and outside of Skoronski, don't see anyone that am too excited about in the draft, and don't see any FAs that are of any great interest either, and so.... if our line is Slater * Salyer * Linsley * Johnson.... bringing in a vet to play RT would make some sense to me ?? and guessing that would possibly come from a surprise cut by another team....

and if Fashanu is better than Ikem Ekwonu from last go 'round, that prolly puts Olumuyiwa out of our range/grasp....

my sense is that if we draft an Oline, it's gotta be @the OC to hedge our bet there w/Corey, and that bringing in a FA RT makes more sense given our potential trio on rookie contracts/deals ??

I’ve got 5 OTs with low-1st/high-2nd round grades:

Paris Johnson Jr., OSU, 6’6, 310
Peter Skoronski, NW, 6’4, 315
Olumuyiwa Fashanu, PSU, 6’6, 321
Broderick Jones, UGA, 6’4, 310
Jaelon Duncan, MD, 6’6, 320

If we go into the off-season still unsatisfied with Pipkins, there should be draftable option(s) at the end of R1.

IMO (which most pundits don’t agree with at this point) the OT class is talented and fairly deep. It just doesn’t have top-10 dominator types like Ekwonu or Neal. But a good handful of year-1 NFL starters.

The pundits will come around eventually. They always do.

But to your point, I agree with your assessment on Salyer. He will most likely supplant Feiler next year. And yes, we should look for a more serviceable back up center, either by R5 or in FA.

Id like Pipkins to be re-signed for the swing tackle role. The RT of the future should be drafted in R1 if possible.Quality OTs are just too hard to find in FA and/or later rounds.

[beachcomber]

looking @the history/pattern of Stalesco, would surmise the odds are that the neither of Pips nor Feiler are resigned, and that they will draft an Olineman and sign a FA lineman as well.

for myself, my suspicion is that Eli Cox could turn into my Zion Johnson of this draft, as he could well play himself into first round consideration when all is said and done.

are there any FA lineman that you think might fit w/us ??

[Formula 21]

Looking at Lombo’s offense, I wonder if they’ll draft YAC receivers instead of speed receivers.

[TexanBeerlover]

Looking at Lombo’s offense, I wonder if they’ll draft YAC receivers instead of speed receivers.

Hopefully Lombo is gone and we won’t have to worry about it.

[beachcomber]

JACOBY WINDMON 6'2" 230 EDGE, Michigan State

A transfer from UNLV, Windmon has been unstoppable within the trenches in Michigan State’s first two games. Against Akron, his 1.5 sacks, three forced fumbles (two recovered), and five total tackles displayed his full skill set. A well-built linebacker who’s been used primarily off the edge, Windmon is a name to watch as the Spartans head into conference play in the coming weeks.