Draft media bares its backside over Arch Manning
Last season Manning started two games in relief of an injured Quinn Ewers. He showed nothing in those two starts to feel like he was destined to be a first round pick, let alone anything more. With Ewers now in the NFL, Manning had his chance to justify the hype. Instead he showed what a player starting his third college football game under center often looks like.
I feel bad for him. Dan Orlovsky ridiculously called him a ‘generational talent’ after the game, bemoaning the Longhorns for not letting him loose as a passer. He’s shown nothing to warrant that label. He merely has a ‘generational’ second name.
Pair this along with all the various draft pundits — including nearly all of the big names — putting Manning at the top of their ‘way too early’ mock drafts and big boards. How the heck can anyone justify that? In what world is he a better overall talent for the 2026 draft than Caleb Downs?
He isn’t ready for the NFL. In fact he’s a mile away. And guess what? Anyone with only three college starts is going to be. Like nearly every human he’ll need at least two years of starting to get a proper picture as to what he is in the league. He’d benefit from playing longer than that in college, because we can see how extra time and playing experience has helped the likes of Jayden Daniels, Cam Ward, Bo Nix and Michael Penix Jr in recent years.
Make a note of the people who put Manning at the top of their boards and keep it in mind. They are either under pressure from editors to build up the Manning name as a story, they had their head turned by the second name and forgot to actually do any scouting or they simply don’t know what they’re talking about.
Stop with the lofty projections for 2026. Stop calling him a ‘generational talent’. Let him play games for Texas for two full seasons and at some point next year let’s have a conversation about how he’s developing, like we would any other quarterback.
Against Ohio State he looked like a dear in headlights for most of it. He isn’t ready for NFL chatter and nobody should’ve expected him to be.
Garrett Nussmeier is the real deal, Cade Klubnik is not
I wrote last week that Nussmeier was easily QB1 and that Klubnik had become overrated. I think the LSU vs Clemson game justified that take.
Nussemeier is a very natural passer. His release is sound, he throws with anticipation, there’s good velocity on his throws while retaining the ability to deliver with touch, he can move around surprisingly well and throw on the run with accuracy and he handles pressure better than the other draft-eligible QB’s. He had more pro-level throws last season than any other quarterback in college football. He also had too many ‘WTF’ mistakes and that’s why he returned to LSU, to cut those down. He did that against Clemson with zero turnovers.
His stat-line would’ve looked even better but for a terrible officiating call to take a clear touchdown off the board after a perfect throw and catch was ruled out:
This throw from Garrett Nussmeier to Barion Brown is insane. Ridiculous ball placement. pic.twitter.com/I9vOQZnhr5
— Bobby Football (@Rob__Paul) August 31, 2025
Nussmeier did not disappoint in this game. Remember, he was also playing a loaded defense with two prospective first round defensive linemen, playing behind a patched up offensive line that lost four starters to the NFL last year.
People seemed to have forgotten all the positives from last season and it was surprising to see Todd McShay grading Klubnik ahead of Nussmeier when he did his quarterback rankings recently. The Clemson quarterback showed here why that was a bad take.
Too many of his passes were off-target — thrown too high or behind. He had a lousy interception that was hopelessly overthrown. Klubnik had a chance to drive at the end and get a game-tying touchdown and couldn’t deliver. He didn’t have a touchdown in the game.
He’s a good athlete and can move around well. We saw some decent gains with his legs. However, Nussmeier is just on a completely different level as a passer. Going into the season I gave Klubnik a tentative early day three grade and frankly didn’t see anything last night to make me think that was harsh.
Nussmeier on the other hand was the only quarterback I felt worthy of a firm ‘could go in round one’ grade. If he can continue to limit the errors, keep winning with LSU and have a strong season as the leader of that team (he’s now wearing the fabled #18 jersey) — he has every opportunity to be the top quarterback taken next year.
The other players who impressed in the game included LSU transfer cornerback Mansoor Delane, who played very well. Avieon Terrell the Clemson corner also flashed. I liked the look of Clemson linebacker Wade Woodaz before he left the game with a shoulder injury. Pass rusher TJ Parker had his moments but I expected a bit more from Peter Woods given the changes to LSU’s offensive line.
Other notes
— Alabama left tackle Kadyn Proctor is often talked-up as a top-10 pick. I didn’t even have him projected for round one based on my summer tape study. I think he’s too big and clunky and doesn’t move well enough. Against Florida State he was beat multiple times off the edge, giving up two sacks and six pressures. I really don’t understand what some of the draft media are seeing. The same goes for Alabama linebacker Dontae Lawson. He’s just not a projectable player early, yet I keep seeing him listed on big boards. He’s not physical enough, not quick enough and he doesn’t play the run well when he’s asked to come downhill.
— Penn State’s Dani Dennis-Sutton was very impressive against Nevada. He looks strong and powerful on contact, he clearly has some quickness for his frame, he gets low into his stance almost like a linebacker and uncoil’s to launch into contact. DDS has plenty of base power, violent hands and he’s capable of demolishing tight ends who try to block him. This was my first chance to really watch him and he flashed first round talent.
— Drew Allar had a reasonably good performance. He moved around and made plays on the run. He has really come on as a passer since year one and just looks far more comfortable throwing to all areas of the field. He had a nice touchdown pass with decent placement from a difficult body position. The problem is he’s very big and not the most agile. He does give you Brock Osweiler vibes at times but let’s not forget Osweiler was a high pick made by John Elway. Allar has talent and could be QB2 behind Nussmeier but he’ll face tougher challenges than a fairly routine win at home against Nevada.
— One of the players of the weekend was Jermaine Mathews Jr the Ohio State cornerback. He had a great interception of Arch Manning by running the receiver’s route. He almost had another, undercutting a route and deflecting the ball into the path of Sonny Styles (the linebacker couldn’t quite complete the catch). Mathews Jr is a bigger corner, he’s physical and looks the part. He did give up the Texas touchdown later on but his coverage was good — he just needed to be a little more physical with the receiver and do a better job playing the ball. He caught my attention and I want to see more.
— Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King is fun to watch. He has some skill as a passer and he’s a strong runner. As we saw last year, he’s also an absolute warrior. Against Colorado on Friday, his offensive line was a shambles. He had no time to throw and often had to make things happen with his legs. He did it superbly. There’s a player here and I can’t help but feel he’s being slept on a little bit. King won’t be a high pick but he has some tools to work with, plus he’s willing his team to compete every time he’s on the field.
— Baylor quarterback Sawyer Robertson flashed physical tools in a heavy defeat to Auburn, who were simply too good on the night. Defensive end Kedric Faulk, for example, showed why he could easily be a top-10 pick next year. Robertson has the size and the traits to be an intriguing draft prospect but I’m not sure he’s there yet on a technical level. Neither do Baylor look good enough to truly elevate his stock.
— No player brings me more joy to watch than Utah’s Spencer Fano. It’s not often you watch a highlights video to see a right tackle but that’s how he plays. He jumped off the screen multiple times with his footwork and agility at his size, his outstanding power and control at the point of attack and he just moves people with ease. Fano is one of the most controlling, bullying linemen I’ve ever watched. He’s a pancake machine. At one point in the game he dropped a defensive lineman to the turf, buried him, then got up and looked for a second defender to block on the run. A truly incredible talent and a player destined to go very early. I can’t wait to watch the full game tape of the UCLA beatdown.
It’s the biggest trade in some time and everyone has an opinion on the Micah Parsons-to-Green Bay deal.
There’s been talk about whether the Seahawks should’ve outbid the Packers and pulled the trigger themselves. I’ve gone back and forth in my own mind on that question for a few weeks. I’ve decided to say no and I’ll explain why in a moment.
Firstly though, we have to accept that it was never likely to happen. The peerless Brady Henderson, who everyone should pay attention to when he speaks on these matters, ruled it out some time ago. The Seahawks were never going to make this move, didn’t want any of the drama attached to Parsons and were never seemingly considering it.
For anyone wondering if that’s the right stance to take, remember that the Seahawks have Parsons’ former coach on their staff in Aden Durde. Not only that, they signed DeMarcus Lawrence earlier this year. In almost no time at all, Lawrence and Parsons exchanged an online war of words following an interview the former did with Brian Nemhauser where he questioned his chances of winning a Super Bowl in Dallas.
Considering how much the Seahawks have praised Lawrence’s veteran leadership, and given his apparent disdain for Parsons, it’s hardly surprising they didn’t fancy bringing him to the PNW.
Let’s also not forget controversy plagued Parsons’ pre-draft process following reports over a hazing complaint at Penn State. It makes for difficult reading.
The point is there was plenty of background and experience with this player to make a call before you even get into the price of a contract and trade. The Seahawks, as with other teams, could’ve gone all-in to acquire Parsons and chose not to.
Now onto the other reasons why I wouldn’t have done the trade:
1. The need to retain stock
The Packers are in a different place to the Seahawks. They’ve drafted a quarterback in round one, had multiple years to assess Jordan Love and then signed him to a big extension. They are at a stage in their process where they are 100% committed to their man. In the last two seasons they have a 1-2 playoff record and want to smash through into a serious contender.
The Seahawks haven’t qualified for the playoffs for the last two seasons. They haven’t had multiple years with their quarterback and will spend this season assessing Sam Darnold. Nobody can say with any certainty whether they’ve found ‘the guy’. They are realistically where the Packers were a couple of years ago, starting out with Love under center.
They might need to draft a quarterback next year. Spending your next couple of first rounders on a defensive player won’t feel very wise if you have an elite defense in 2025 and are let down by the QB. What then?
I appreciate that an elite defense would also help Darnold and the offense and Parsons is clearly one of the best in the business. If Darnold plays badly, though, there’s nothing an edge rusher can do about that. The Seahawks are duty bound to see how this year goes at quarterback and review things in a few months. They are not yet in a position like the Packers where it is time to push all of the chips into the middle of the table.
2. Mike Macdonald can succeed without an elite pass rusher
He won a Head Coaching gig in Baltimore by creating the #1 ranked DVOA defense in 2023. That year, the Ravens led the NFL in sacks with 60. Their best pass rushers were Nnamdi Madubuike, Jadeveon Clowney and Kyle Van Noy.
None of their defensive tackles or pass rushers ranked in the top-15 per PFF grade. Roquan Smith ranked 17th at linebacker. None of their cornerbacks ranked in the top-50. Kyle Hamilton was the ninth best safety.
It paints a picture of clever scheming and the cumulative group being the main factor, rather than relying on difference makers.
We saw that in Seattle last year as the defense developed into one of the better units in the league. Leonard Williams played at a fantastic level most weeks but overall, the Seahawks were not relying on a superstar or two just playing better than anyone else. It was the whole unit succeeding.
This doesn’t mean the Seahawks are guaranteed to continue growing in 2025 and won’t in the future require a blue-chip difference maker. They might as well let Macdonald crack on first, though, before rushing to try and accelerate growth.
It feels a little bit like he thinks he needs a certain type of player — low maintenance, committed, prepared to do their job within structure. I suspect he’s more comfortable adding a veteran like Lawrence and complementing them with the youth of someone like Nick Emmanwori, rather than going for the splashy big name who suddenly gets $47m a year.
As with the quarterback position, this should be a year for assessment. If he can push the Seahawks towards having one of the top defenses in the NFL without having to go all-out to acquire someone like Parsons, as he did in Baltimore, then they can keep their resources and avoid taking on a massive outsider contract.
3. The price would’ve been too much
Parsons is a top player, clearly, and that comes with a hefty price-tag. Sacrificing Kenny Clark and two first rounders is reasonable for the Packers. Given the Cowboys seemingly wanted to fix their run defense with a quality defensive tackle — would you have been prepared to give up Leonard Williams? Or wave away Byron Murphy — a top-20 pick — after just one season in the league? I wouldn’t have been comfortable with that.
On top of this, $47m a year for a non-quarterback feels especially rich even with an expanding salary cap. The Seahawks have a number of young players approaching the time where they can expect to begin negotiations over second contracts. Do you really want to set an extraordinary bar for their expectations? Or cede leverage with an obvious, ‘well you gave him a massive deal’ counter to anything you offer?
Can Parsons even live up to the contract? After all, the Cowboys only won one playoff game during his four years with the team. It’s not like they didn’t have talent on the offensive line, at quarterback and weapons either. His presence did not automatically turn Dallas into a big winner. There may be reasons for that, such as coaching or even Jones’ meddling. The point is though, adding Parsons was never going to guarantee anything. For $47m a year, millions more than the next best pass rusher in the league, that’s an eye-watering price to pay when it might not be necessary to push Macdonald’s unit to the top of the tree.
4. Drafting well and smart trades is still the key
It’s very rare that big ballsy trades get you to the promise land. The only recent example is the Rams with their ‘F those picks’ approach that clinched a Super Bowl. Their big move was to acquire a quarterback and pair him with Sean McVay. That is a lot more understandable than going big on a defensive player. The quarterback being their big move is more palatable than trying to pump investment into the defense to prop up Jared Goff (who they sent to Detroit in the deal for Matthew Stafford).
Most other contenders are built like the Eagles. Savvy veteran trades that are more about value than splurge, smart drafting, knowing who and what you want to be and player development.
It’s plausible to argue, as we often have, that the Seahawks need some of their good young players to become ‘great’ in order to take the next step. It’s also likely they’ll need to hit on a trade or two in the future — such as the 49ers did with Trent Williams and Christian McCaffrey.
Those are calculated moves though. I’m not sure the big splash is the way to go and those moves (Percy Harvin, Jamal Adams) didn’t work for the Seahawks in the past. They’re better off being opportunistic and although the Leonard Williams and Ernest Jones trades were quite expensive rentals initially, given both re-signed, the deals look more favourable over time.
They’ve drafted well recently and need to continue doing that. They undoubtedly will continue to search for opportunities in the trade market. They now have the staff — offensively and defensively — to develop talent.
If it was as easy as ‘acquire and pay a big name player then immediately become a contender’ someone would’ve outbid the Packers.
The Seahawks were right to sit this one out.
Firstly, let’s address the way the new Seahawks uniforms look. People are saying it’s an Oregon Ducks tribute act. I beg to differ.
Every Seahawks uniform in history has contained some element of the colour green. It’s also a colour synonymous with the Pacific Northwest. It was inevitable that these new uniforms would also have green on them.
This doesn’t make them the Ducks.
The design is supposed to be modern and different. This isn’t an attempt to be traditional. If we’re going to say that every grey jersey with some trendy design on it, that also carries the colour green, is effectively an Oregon uniform — I think that’s looking for a problem.
Some have noted the design looks quite similar to a previous Oregon uniform where they had ‘steel ridges’ designed into the shoulder-pad area with a metallic green number. I’d also point out that Oregon have had so many different uniform combinations — including multiple in-season — that it was always going to be very easy to find the one that was a bit similar to this.
As far as I can tell the Ducks have never had a helmet that reflects different shades of blue and green, with blue socks. So unless we’re saying the Seahawks can never have a wolf grey uniform with a modern design — I think we should just let this one slide.
I do think uniforms matter in team sports. It’s your identity. You want to be able to see the uniform on TV and instantly recognise your favourite team.
I’m also a big traditionalist. I think teams should stick to age-old classics. I want the Seahawks to make the throwbacks their permanent uniforms. They look great and it’s an identity that can stand the test of time.
However, I also think the league should market these ‘special’ one-offs. It’s nice to see different ideas and modern twists for the occasional game here and there. Rather than make the throwbacks a three-game experience every season, why not use them for 12 or 13 games and then trot out something a bit different like these rivalry uniforms for the rest?
In soccer, teams change their uniforms every year and it creates a lot of income. We don’t want the NFL to go down that road, so giving teams an opportunity to produce some new merch without tampering with a classic look could be important.
I also think it’s good for fans to have new things to buy. I have a lot of typical Seahawks gear, plus other sports teams I’ve become attached to over the years. Buying merchandise is often something I’ll do when visiting a new city. Having some different looking Seahawks stuff to buy is fun — and people aren’t obliged to buy it if they don’t like the look.
In terms of the design itself I think it looks clean, interesting and different. All-white/grey uniforms can look quite boring sometimes but this isn’t. The ‘soundwaves’ on the shoulder liven things up, the number is complemented well against the ‘Seahawks’ wording which looks good centrally. Blue socks balance out the helmet and ensure the thing isn’t ‘too’ grey.
More importantly, these are way better than the ‘action green’ uniforms we’ve been forced to stare at for multiple years. I also find it off that people seemed to really like the original wolf grey uniforms but are opposed to these.
I’d like to see them build on this concept in the future, perhaps with a navy blue version to be used at home. That would be a really nice thing to do — but only after re-introducing the throwbacks as the home/road primary look.
I don’t think there’s been too much drama during cut-downs for the Seahawks this year. A lot of the moves were anticipated, with only a couple of minor surprises. It’s really encouraging to see them protecting young UDFA’s like Jared Ivey and Nick Kallerup. Any good roster will typically have some diamonds you find in the later rounds and beyond. Ivey seemed to have a great pre-season while Kallerup could be groomed to be the long-term version of Eric Saubert.
There are a couple of positions I wanted to discuss though.
At cornerback, cutting Shaquill Griffin might not be as it seems. The Seahawks have in the past cut veterans to avoid guaranteeing their contracts at the start of the season, only to try and bring them back later. They might be doing this here, feeling they can get through the first week without Griffin on their 53-man roster.
(As I was writing this piece, John Schneider did a press conference and alluded to the likelihood of Griffin sticking with the team in some capacity)
In the meantime they can take a look at Derion Kendrick, who they claimed after being cut by the Rams. I wasn’t a big fan of Kendrick’s during the 2022 draft process, giving him an undraftable grade. He was taken in the sixth round but hasn’t played well in LA — aside, it seems, from a standout performance against the Seahawks in 2023. That possibly is the reason why they want to take a closer look.
It might be a short stint in Seattle if he doesn’t shine. We could see Griffin back in the future. This feels like a fluid situation.
Linebacker is a bit more of a question mark for me. There’s a ‘scrambling around for solutions’ vibe to this position. They’ve added Chazz Surratt, a player I graded in round three ahead of the 2021 draft but after going in that range is now onto his fourth team in as many years. Chris Paul has also been added to the practise squad after being cut by the Rams.
Prior to Surratt’s arrival, they only had three inside linebackers on the roster. That includes Ernest Jones (had surgery earlier this year) and Tyrice Knight (had injury question marks throughout training camp). Drake Thomas was the third player.
It’s hard to imagine Surratt is going to provide much of an answer given how it hasn’t worked out for him in Minnesota, New York (Jets) or San Francisco so far. Perhaps Paul can make an impression as a rookie? He seemed to impress Rams fans. Yet it’s hard to work out why the Seahawks haven’t been more pro-active at this position.
We saw last year how the wrong linebackers can potentially derail this defense. Jones and Knight being introduced as the starters had a major impact when they replaced Tyrel Dodson and Jerome Baker. If Jones and/or Knight miss time, which wouldn’t be totally unexpected, how will they handle that? Was there not a free agent or rookie they could’ve added to provide better depth? Or someone they could’ve traded for?
Perhaps there wasn’t? From that perspective it’s all understandable. There aren’t a laundry list of great inside linebackers at the moment. It does, however, feel like an important position within Mike Macdonald’s system — one where they’re a little light on quality depth. It was important enough to trade a fourth round pick for a 10-game initial rental of Jones. It’s curious that they haven’t done a bit more here to offer a degree of cover and protection against injuries.
A final note for today, I wanted to share some news. This season I will be on Seattle Sports with Bump & Stacy for a new weekly segment. This will be on top of the Seahawks Collective podcast we recently started and my weekly conversation on Puck Sports. Plus, all of the stuff I do on my own YouTube channel and the usual writing you can expect on the blog.
I’ll post all of the content on here and you’d be doing me a big favour if you checked it all out. In eight days time I’m heading out to Seattle for opening week and can’t wait to get started.
I was on Puck Sports on Monday, ahead of the regular return of my weekly spot. You can watch it below. The piece starts 1:09:15 into the show:
There’s been at least some chatter recently as to whether the Seahawks should make a push to trade for Micah Parsons or Trey Hendrickson. Sunday’s loss in the final pre-season game of the season is evidence as to why they’re unlikely to trade away premium assets.
Nobody should write off Jalen Milroe after one poor performance at the very start of his NFL career. However, what we saw was at least a reality check for those people wondering about his future starter potential. He didn’t look comfortable. Even as a scrambler, his physical talent didn’t jump off the screen. He was unable to move around and create. Overall he looked awkward.
It should put to bed any concept of a significant Milroe package for the regular season. There was no evidence here of a benefit to getting tricky on offense, trying to force him onto the field to befuddle opponents. Even the idea of using him in short-yardage situations in the way the Eagles use Jalen Hurts — you can’t help but think they’d be better off just running the ball conventionally after Milroe’s fumbling issues in Green Bay.
Longer term he will work on his craft behind the scenes and we’ll see how he is next camp and pre-season. It’s at least possible though that a so-so college career at Alabama is a precursor to a player not being good enough for the next level. He might just be an impressive person and athlete but not a NFL starter.
Adding to this, the Seahawks can’t even be sure Sam Darnold is the answer. They’re not committed to him long term and we’ll see how he goes in 2025. They can move on quite easily if needed.
The point I’m making is it’s not out of the realms of possibility the Seahawks will need to consider drafting a quarterback in 2026. Trading away high picks now will make that harder. As a franchise, they need to keep their options open. They can’t afford to go all-in on other players while they have question marks under center beyond the current season.
By this time next year perhaps Darnold has shown he’s ‘the guy’? Then you’d be in a very different place. For now though, it’s too soon to say.
This is very different to Green Bay, who’ve been linked with a move for Parsons. They’ve already thrown their lot in behind Jordan Love. They are banking on him being their man and now they have a duty to make it work. The Broncos are in a similar place with Bo Nix, Commanders with Jayden Daniels, Patriots with Drake Maye and Bears with Caleb Williams. So are the teams with already established elite quarterbacks. These are all more significant investments than the Seahawks have made at the position.
I have faith in Darnold to work in a system which will be set up to help him. I think there’s a good chance Klint Kubiak will be able to create an environment similar to the one Kyle Shanahan has in San Francisco. That will put the Seahawks in a winning position.
Faith needs to become reality though. Until we’ve actually seen it on the field, you just don’t know.
As a franchise the Seahawks still have a question mark next to the quarterback position long term. While that remains the case, they can’t go around trading multiple picks for other players. They have to keep their options open for now, just in case their high picks are needed next year.
For more on this topic check out the latest live stream…
A college football game will be played tomorrow. Kansas State is taking on Iowa State in Dublin. It’s the best game they’ve had since they started doing this in Ireland. It’ll be particularly interesting to watch K-State quarterback Avery Johnson, a player with the potential to rise in the coming weeks.
Seeing as we’re getting back into the swing of things, I’ve been trying to cram in some scouting ahead of the season. Usually by now I’m a couple of months of solid study into the next draft class. This year, I’ve had the busiest summer day-job wise in my career with the BBC. Those who follow me on Twitter will probably be bored stiff hearing about the story I’ve been covering and it has delayed my draft work. My apologies for that.
Recently I have been able to watch some tape. I’ve done a tentative grade board with 66 names on it. Here’s an overview of what I expect this year…
I think there are a handful of players with a lot of obvious talent where it’s easy to imagine they could be high picks:
Caleb Downs (S, Ohio State)
Jeremiyah Love (RB, Notre Dame)
Spencer Fano (T, Utah)
Peter Woods (DT, Clemson)
TJ Parker (EDGE, Clemson)
Kedric Faulk (DE, Auburn)
Francis Mauigoa (T, Miami)
On top of this I think Garrett Nussmeier (QB, LSU) should be considered the top signal caller going into the season, followed by Drew Allar (QB, Penn State).
Ohio State safety Caleb Downs is the best overall prospect, sporting a complete game. His instinct, size, athletic range and college tape all scream top-five pick. The only thing that’ll hold him back is positional value — yet we’ve seen top echelon defensive backs go very early and I imagine that’ll be the case with Downs too.
In terms of pure talent, Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love (brother of Julian) might be second on the list. He doesn’t necessarily have ideal bulk for the position but he’s extremely fast, has superb vision and he just looks the part of a future star. As with Downs, positional value will be a consideration.
It’s looking like a good, deep offensive line class. I am a huge fan of Spencer Fano, Utah’s right tackle. Stylistically he’s been my favourite player to watch so far. He reminds me of a slightly better version of Taliese Fuaga (himself a top-15 pick). Fano just gets after opponents, plays with superb power and aggression and he’s a good enough athlete to handle pass-pro duties additional help. The next best tackle I’ve watched so far is Miami right tackle Francis Mauigoa. Whether he stays at tackle or kicks inside to guard, he’s another very athletic, aggressive, balanced blocker.
There are more names you could add to the list. Gennings Dunker the Iowa right tackle is exceptionally underrated. Caleb Lomu, the left tackle team mate of Fano at Utah, is a good pass-protector and could also be a top-50 pick. I enjoyed watching tape of Auburn’s Xavier Chaplin. Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor also has some talent I just worry about his weight — he looks too big and heavy. The talent is there but he could stand to drop a few pounds.
Iowa’s Logan Jones and Alabama’s Parker Brailsford are the top two centers for me and both belong in the top-50 discussion.
In terms of defensive linemen, I think there are three obvious high picks. Clemson duo Peter Woods (DT) and TJ Parker (EDGE) plus Auburn’s big defensive end Kedric Faulk. All three appear to have rare traits and the profile to go very early.
There are others who could get into the debate. Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks is a good athlete for his huge height and size and he does an excellent job working into the backfield. However — unsurprisingly for someone noted at 6-6 and 325lbs he’s not the most sudden or agile player and you don’t see much in the way of gap-shooting or twitch. It does make you wonder if he’ll be as effective at the next level.
Georgia’s Christen Miller is a bully of an interior defender, playing the run brilliantly without showing much in the way of a pass rush. Zane Durrant at Penn State is undersized at 6-1 and 290lbs but he’s athletic talent is off the charts.
I don’t have a receiver with an early ‘could be a first rounder’ grade and the same goes for the tight end position. The best three I’ve watched so far are Arizona State wide-out Jordyn Tyson, Oregon’s Evan Stewart and Vanderbilt tight end Eli Stowers.
I think Penn State running back Nicholas Singleton can be a top-50 pick.
At linebacker, Georgia’s CJ Allen and Ohio State’s Sonny Styles are the best two I’ve seen — both with early day two marks. I have the same grade on cornerbacks Avieon Terrell (Clemson), Jalon Kilgore (South Carolina) and Malik Muhammad (Texas).
There are some players I think are being overrated by the national media in pre-season. This includes Alabama linebacker Dontae Lawson, Texas linebacker Anthony Hill Jr, Alabama defensive end LT Overton, Alabama guard Jaeden Roberts, Miami quarterback Carson Beck, Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt and Clemson tackle Blake Miller.
I’ll finish with the quarterbacks overall. I don’t understand why Clemson’s Cade Klubnik is suddenly being pitched as a potential top pick. To me he looks like a middle rounder with limited upside and tools.
Perhaps it speaks to this class overall, before the season begins, that people are reaching for players like Klubnik to be something they aren’t? It’s also partly why there’s an obsession over Arch Manning because he’s a big name (and a Manning). The guy has barely played in college. How can anyone say he’s a potential #1 pick? Just because of his second name? South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers also gets pushed into the top-five but based on what? We need to see a lot more from him to justify that talk.
For me very little has changed from the end of the last college football season. Garrett Nussmeier and Drew Allar should be considered the top-two quarterback prospects entering the season. I get the sense, like usual, that familiarity is breeding contempt.
Nussmeier had the biggest number of pro-throws in college football for LSU last season, looking the part on a technical level. While he doesn’t possess a cannon his arm strength is still plenty good enough. He does need to limit the number of WTF mistakes in year two as a starter but the good last year was very good. There are some concerns about his Head Coach noting ‘patellar tendinitis in his knee’ but hopefully it’s not as bad as it sounds. If he’s cleared by teams, he is a very clear favourite to be the top QB taken next year.
I’m a little bit bemused by the negativity about Allar online to the point it feels almost the trendy view now to say he isn’t a first round talent. As someone who was very critical of his 2023 tape, there’s no denying he made major strides in 2024. Now we get to see if he can up his game even further. It’ll be harder without Tyler Warren to throw to us as a safety valve — but that’s even better for judging his tape.
He’s big, athletic, has a tremendous arm and is of good character. He showed maturity returning to Penn State to work through aspects of his game despite so many people talking him up as a potential high pick during the playoffs.
Who else could emerge? For me the name to watch as a toolsy prospect who can rise is Baylor’s Sawyer Robertson. He has everything physically, he’s a good, mobile runner and he can make plays in multiple ways. He’s a player to keep an eye on. I think Georgia Tech’s Haynes King is being slept on somewhat. Byrum Brown at USF is someone to watch to see if he can take a step, as is the aforementioned Johnson at Kansas State. Indiana’s system will help Fernando Mendoza after he transferred from California while transfers for Jacob Zeno, Mark Gronowski and Billy Edwards Jr will also provide some intrigue to the class.
The point is though, I currently only have Nussmeier and Allar in the ‘could be first rounders’ category before a pass is thrown. There are players who can grow, develop and turn this into a good class. Even Klubnik can change my mind with a strong, consistent season where he makes difficult, complex throws downfield and drives Clemson to a big year. Currently though, I don’t think there’s a cluster of clear first round types.
