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Jake Vickers
1. Luke McCaffrey
WR (Rice)
Despite being new to the position, Luke McCaffrey lacks the explosiveness and polish of his brother, but demonstrates solid route running, good hands, and good athletic ability out of the slot. He doesn’t have the speed to take the top off a defense, but Luke McCaffrey should be an effective target at the NFL level.
2. Brenden Rice
WR (USC)
Brenden Rice is a very strong route runner and a very physical player. In my opinion, he is one of the more underrated receivers in this class. His foot speed isn’t the quickest, but he is able to set up defenders well and get separation consistently over the middle of the field.
3. Johnny Wilson
WR (Florida State)
Wide receiver, tight end, whatever. Say what you want about Johnny Wilson, but the truth is, he is a big time weapon. You will pretty much never see someone as big as Johnny Wilson move like he does. He has Darren Waller-like potential as someone who can dominate the middle of the field as a volume target from the big slot position.
4. Isaac Guerendo
RB (Louisville)
Isaac Guerendo was put on my radar at the combine when he posted this year's top 40 yard dash time of any RB this year. Guerendo runs like he is shot out of a cannon, and has some power and receiving ability as well. He reminds me a lot of Raheem Mostert.
5. Ben Sinnott
TE (Kansas State)
Ben Sinnott doesn’t get enough respect as one of the top tight ends in this class. As a first year starter at Kansas State, he showed his great athletic ability with flashes of great route running. He has a lot of similarities to Sam LaPorta, and could become a guy, like LaPorta, that becomes a really solid starting tight end early in his NFL career.
Backseat Scout
1. Bo Nix
QB (Oregon)
If you read my scouting eval on Bo Nix, you’ll know I’m probably one of his biggest fans. Nix’s accuracy on and off platform, success versus pressure/blitzes, and ball security are all incredibly impressive and set him up to succeed in the NFL. He thrives in between the hashes and in the middle depth of the field which is essential for an NFL QB. I really think that if Nix goes to a Shanahan-like offense, he could become one of the most productive quarterbacks in this class.
2. Jalen McMillan
WR (Washington)
Jalen McMillan is one of the smoothest route runners in this class. There were times when corners had absolutely no chance of keeping up with McMillan’s quickness and were chasing him all game. The biggest thing holding him back is his hands, especially in contested catch situations. However, he has long arms which give him the potential to pull it together in the NFL.
3. Jamari Thrash
WR (Louisville)
Jamari Thrash is one of my favorite players in the class who may make a lot of teams look crazy for passing him up until day 3. His route running is great with some absolutely explosive cuts that will leave NFL corners in the dust. Despite his smaller frame, he also brings a very versatile and effective release package. As I mentioned in my eval of him, I don’t think he will be as productive as Tank Dell, but I think Thrash can shock people the way Dell did with the right team.
4. Bucky Irving
RB (Oregon)
Bucky Irving’s size and lack of explosiveness will absolutely limit him in the NFL. However, Irving’s elusiveness, contact balance, and receiving skills will raise his floor and earn him a role with a team. He’s one of the hardest backs in this class to square up and bring down and I think he will give NFL defensive players trouble. In a weak running back class, Irving at least has one of the clearer paths to a defined role with a team.
5. Blake Watson
RB (Memphis)
Blake Watson not receiving a Senior Bowl invite and being snubbed for the combine likely is a sign that he is going to be drafted on day 3 at the earliest or could go undrafted. However, this is “My Guys,” so I’m sticking to a player I believe in. The incredible athleticism, balanced skillset with a background at receiver, and solid contact balance and elusiveness just feel like they will translate to the NFL. Watson’s age and the lack of NFL attention isn’t great, but there will be a lot less complete players that get drafted ahead of him.