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New York Times
24-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Shedeur Sanders' draft stock remains a question — here are the QB2 candidates to take his place
(Editor's note: The following is excerpted from Bruce Feldman's NFL Draft Confidential, featuring intel from anonymous coaches and evaluators about every position of the 2025 draft class. The coaches are identified by number to distinguish their contributions from each other.) At the end of the 2024 college football season, Colorado's Shedeur Sanders and Miami's Cam Ward were grouped as the top two quarterback prospects in this class. From what I've been hearing, Ward is the clear No. 1 — and Sanders is closer to the next tier than Ward. Advertisement OC No. 2 doesn't think Sanders is a legitimate top-10 talent but added, 'He'll probably go there because of necessity. I felt so much better about all those guys last year and C.J. (Stroud) the year before. Shedeur has some leaks in his throwing motion. But I do like the kid. I think he's smart. He's tough. I hate the system he played in. He got sacked 94 times in the last two years. I get it (he had a terrible O-line), but I don't. Get the ball out!' The passing game coordinator said he thinks Sanders potential is 'really high.' It's a plus that Sanders has been really good every year he's played in college, he said. You can't say that about many of the other higher-ranked QBs in this class. 'If he buys in, he has a chance.' OC No. 2 said he doesn't think Sanders is close to ready to be a legitimate NFL starting quarterback but added that Sanders is 'tough as hell. He's not overly mobile. That's where Cam really separates from him.' While there's been a lot of talk about Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart being the next-best QB prospect, the coaches I spoke to didn't see it that way. 'I like Tyler Shough better,' said OC No. 2. 'I'm not saying he's Joe Burrow, but he's got some Joe Burrow to him. I think he has the best feet in this quarterback class. I know he's had injuries, and if he didn't, I think he'd be a first-round QB.' The 6-5, 219-pound Shough ran a 4.63 40 at the NFL Scouting Combine, but he does have a lengthy injury history. He began his career at Oregon, where he spent three seasons before transferring to Texas Tech in 2021. He started three years there, but each was derailed by a season-ending injury. His age also has become a talking point; he'll be 26 in September, making him older than Trevor Lawrence, Brock Purdy and C.J. Stroud. 'He's probably the most pro-ready to go in and run an offense and be able to operate,' said passing game coordinator No. 1. 'Some people bring up his age — nope, don't care. This isn't baseball, where you're drafting 18-year-olds. He's athletic. He's a good interview. Smart. Arm talent is good.' Scouting director No. 1, though, said he could see Dart being the second quarterback taken: 'No knock on Shedeur, but Dart has a stronger arm, is a bigger man, has more mobility. I see him as a more polished Drew Lock.' Dart is much younger than Shough, only 21. He was the first-team All-SEC quarterback in 2024, throwing for 4,279 yards. He was a more polarizing prospect than I expected. 'I think he's the furthest away from being ready,' said OC No. 2. 'When I see him against the better talent of the SEC, he wasn't as his best. I like Jaxson, but I think he might have the most to overcome (of these top QBs). I think he has an average arm.' Advertisement Passing game coordinator No. 1 also viewed Dart as a project: 'He has some mechanical things in his lower body that he needs to work on. It is a weird offense to study, but he got better every year. He ran for 500 yards in the SEC twice. There is potential there. He seems like a really good dude.'
New York Times
23-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Here's why the defensive lineman class is one of the best in the 2025 NFL Draft
(Editor's note: The following is excerpted from Bruce Feldman's NFL Draft Confidential, featuring intel from anonymous coaches and evaluators about every position of the 2025 draft class. The coaches are identified by number to distinguish their contributions from each other.) In 2024, a defensive lineman wasn't selected until the 15th pick of the NFL Draft, when the Colts took Laiatu Latu. Only six were picked in the first round: five edges and one interior DL. One year later, defensive linemen is the deepest position of the 2025 NFL Draft class by far. 'Easily a dozen go in the first round,' said DL coach No. 1. 'There might be three times as many good linemen in this draft as last year.' Advertisement 'This kills last year's group,' said DL coach No. 2. 'Somebody's gonna get some really good players in the second or even third round.' I think Penn State's Abdul Carter will be the first one picked. At 6-3, 250, he has blazing speed. He didn't run at the combine or pro day because he was coming off of a foot injury, but don't doubt his wheels. Every summer, I do the Freaks List, and there's no program whose players have backed up those numbers a year or two later at the combine than Penn State. Last offseason, at 254 pounds, Carter, I'm told, clocked a 4.48 40 along with a 4.35 shuttle to go with an equally impressive 10-7 broad jump. The guy led the nation with 23.5 tackles for loss and also had 12 sacks to go along with 68 tackles in his first season playing as an edge rusher full-time after spending most of his college career as an off-the-ball linebacker. (Carter, who suffered a shoulder injury in the Orange Bowl, did not re-test during the combine or at his pro day.) 'He can change an organization,' said DL coach No. 2. 'I think he's better than Chop (Robinson), better than Dallas Turner. You put this kid on the other side of Myles Garrett — holy s—! His pad level is high, yes, and sometimes he'll get washed or pushed past, but everything on film you hate about him, you can fix in a heartbeat.' DL coach No. 1 agrees: 'He's the real deal.' Georgia's Jalon Walker is on the smaller side at 6-1, 243 pounds with 32-inch arms. He won the Butkus Award as the nation's top linebacker and was dominant in big games for the Bulldogs. Ask the Texas coaches about him: They watched him terrorize their offense twice last season. Where he's best suited in the NFL, though, is open for debate. 'I would prefer him to be off the ball in most cases and bring him from different spots,' said DL coach No. 1. 'I don't know if he's a true edge. He's not gonna be big enough, but at third downs, he can really go. He's very smart.' Advertisement DL coach No. 2: 'I don't worry about his size. It's so more wide open in the game now.' As promising as Carter and Walker are, there is some belief among NFL coaches that the most talented D-lineman available is one of Walker's teammates at Georgia, Mykel Williams, a 6-5, 260-pound 20-year-old who was slowed by an ankle injury for the first half of the 2024 season but dominated when he played Texas in two meetings (four sacks). Williams isn't talked about in draft chatter as a sure top-10 pick, but make no mistake: There is a lot of love for him. 'I think he will have a better career than Jalon or Abdul,' said DL coach No. 1. 'He's physical as f—. He played hurt this year — he didn't care. Pullers come at him — he intends on f—ing them up. Guys I know at Georgia told me he's gonna be better than Travon Walker, and I think Walker is a baller. Overall, I think he's better than all of 'em.' Michigan's Mason Graham is viewed more as a top-10 guy. At 6-3, 296 pounds, he was down about 20 pounds at the combine from what he played at last season, when he had 45 tackles, seven TFLs and 3.5 sacks. 'He is a legit top-10 guy,' said DL coach No. 2. 'I hate the size, hate the short arms, but the film is really good.' Said DL coach No. 1, 'He was a wrestler in high school and knows how to drop his weight and use that to his advantage.' Kenneth Grant first turned heads when he arrived at Michigan four years ago as a 350-plus pounder who ran a sub-5.0 40, according to Jim Harbaugh. The 6-4, 331-pound Grant had a penchant for wowing coaches and teammates with his freakish athleticism. Over the past two seasons, he had a combined 11.5 TFLs, 6.5 sacks and 11 passes broken up. 'I think he has top-10 talent,' said DL coach No. 2. 'He can be like Dexter Lawrence at nose, where he gives guys so many problems. I also see some Chris Jones in him.' Said DL coach No. 1, 'I think he'll be better than Mason (Graham), but maybe that's a hot take.' Another interior tackle whose talent coaches are wowed by, but his intangibles are more of a question mark, is Ole Miss' Walter Nolen. A former No. 1 overall recruit, the 6-4, 296-pounder was part of a ferocious D-line in 2024, posting 14 TFLs, 6.5 sacks and 48 tackles after transferring from Texas A&M. Advertisement 'He's really twitched up and his change of direction is off the charts,' said DL coach No. 1. 'He's just gotta make sure he studies the game; just can't go out there and put his hand in the ground and think he's gonna beat everybody in the NFL.' 'I think he's a f—ing dude,' said DL coach No. 2. 'I comp him to Byron Murphy. I worry a little about his attitude, but everybody was worried about Jalen Carter, and then you put him on the Eagles and everybody forgets about that.' The national scout called Nolen a top-15 talent but said there are some concerns about his maturity and focus. 'You have to have a plan for him,' he said. 'I think he has to be in the right place and in a D-line room with some strong vets.' NFL defensive line coaches love Texas A&M's Shemar Turner, another twitchy interior lineman. A 6-3, 290-pounder with 33 5/8-inch arms, Turner had 16 TFLs and eight sacks in the last two years. 'He might've been a first-rounder if he was in last year's class,' said DL coach No. 2. 'He plays with such an edge. He's a f—ing asshole. I like his position flex. He can bounce out there and play edge, can kick him to the 3 (technique), kick him to the nose. Watch the tape, he's the best one from A&M. Holy s—, this fool is coming off the ball. Walter Nolen's the most explosive, hands down. But he's not far from him.' 'I love Shemar Turner,' said DL coach No. 1. 'I think he'll come off the board so quick.' They're also high on Oregon's Derrick Harmon, 6-4 1/2 and 313 pounds. Harmon was a force in his first season in Eugene, making 10.5 TFLs with five sacks and two forced fumbles. 'He has the most upside of them all inside, I think,' said DL coach No. 2. Harmon's teammate Jamaree Caldwell is seen as a notch below, at 6-2, 332, but he moved quite well for his size, clocking a 5.16 40. Advertisement 'He played at 340 and has a bad body, and people aren't really talking about him, but pop the tape on,' said DL coach No. 2. South Carolina's TJ Sanders (seven TFLs with four sacks in 2024 at 6-4, 297) is another SEC guy who is getting high marks. 'He's one of the best interior pass rushers in this draft,' said DL coach 2. 'He's gonna win off finesse. He's gonna win on a power rush. He has the whole bag.' 'He rose on my list,' said DL coach 1. 'He plays hard and looks like the leader of a talented front at South Carolina.' Ohio State's 6-3, 334-pound Tyleik Williams is seen by DL coach No. 1 as one of the most NFL-ready players, but the coach adds, 'I think he'll be a boom or bust player. Some games he'll look like the best player out there. You wonder, does he love football?' Coaches really like Toledo's Darius Alexander, who at 6-4, 305 pounds with 34-inch arms, tested well at the combine. He ran a 4.95 40 with a 31 1/2-inch vertical jump. 'I have him as a high second-rounder, but once that run (of D-linemen) happens, I think he could go in the first,' said DL Coach 2. (Photo of Walter Nolen: James Gilbert / Getty Images)
New York Times
23-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Where will Travis Hunter play in the NFL? Coaches, scouts have wildly different opinions
(Editor's note: The following is excerpted from Bruce Feldman's NFL Draft Confidential, featuring intel from anonymous coaches and evaluators about every position of the 2025 draft class. The coaches are identified by number to distinguish their contributions from each other.) What will happen when Travis Hunter, Colorado's Heisman Trophy-winning, two-way phenomenon, hits the NFL? Advertisement 'I think he is a defensive back wanting to play receiver, not the other way around,' said offensive coordinator No. 2. 'If he really wants to be a wide receiver, he's got to commit to being a wide receiver. Watch (Colorado's) pro day; he does all this stuff (on his routes) that doesn't matter. All this extra stuff at the line of scrimmage. You're not gonna have time to do all of that. His explosiveness and ball skills are what are so great about him. But walking up, man to man, Jalen Ramsey's over you, what is he gonna do? He's gonna have to grow up fast.' We've seen other elite athletes play both ways in college, most notably Charles Woodson and Champ Bailey, but they only dabbled on offense — just like Hunter's mentor Deion Sanders did in the NFL. In 2024, the 6-feet, 188-pound Hunter almost always logged well over 100 snaps per game, showing off a gas tank unlike any ever seen in major college football. As a receiver, he caught 96 passes for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2024. 'He has all the talent, but he is pretty raw as a route runner,' said WR coach No. 1. 'That's not his fault. You can't be 100 percent dialed in if you're literally playing both ways. He's a freak show when it comes to his ball skills. He just doesn't believe there's a ball he can't catch, regardless of where the DB is.' Scouting director No. 1 said he thinks Hunter should play corner: 'I think you're doing him and the team a disservice if you're not playing him at corner. He helps your roster because he can play both, but I think he's more of a package player at receiver. At corner, he can get you 10 interceptions a season.' Who is to make that decision: the team that's likely spending a top-5 pick or Hunter himself? He said last week that he'd 'quit football' if he wasn't allowed to play both ways. Advertisement 'I think you let him figure that out,' said the scouting director. 'You be open-minded to it. At Colorado, he didn't practice much because he took so many reps. In the league, you've just got to let him know these are the practice demands.' Defensive backs coach No. 1, whose team isn't expected to have a shot at Hunter, felt strongly that teams should make him a corner who has a package at receiver, not the other way around. 'It's like the difference between a starting pitcher and a closer,' said DB coach No. 1. 'A corner is like a starting pitcher. He needs to amass reps throughout the entirety of a game. That's when he's rendered most effective. You're not looking for him to get three outs in nine pitches. You need him to play the long game. Be willing to give up a hit here. Give up a walk to a guy there. Be willing for it to get sticky in certain situations. 'When you play outside corner, that's the parallel. It's a long game. Get a feel for what routes you're seeing and when they're targeting guys. It's very tough to just come into that. Greg Maddux couldn't just come into the game in the eighth inning and get you three outs. Part of his genius is that he paints a whole picture. That's the same way with a corner. You've got to paint the whole picture.' The tricky part of all of this is that Hunter is seen by many as the most talented wideout in this year's draft. 'I think he's awesome,' said WR coach No. 2. 'He does a lot of things on tape that you can't teach, and the stuff that he struggles with, you can teach him. Like some of the fundamentals, the things you do at the top of routes, and some of the details, like little route-technique stuff, stuff that when you're playing 150 snaps a game, it's hard to hone in on that kind of stuff. But from an instinct, play-making skill, and the mindset he has, I think he can be awesome at wide receiver.' Advertisement WR coach No. 3 said he thinks Hunter is 'a great receiver' because of his rare twitch, separation skills and ball skills compared with almost all the other receivers in this draft. 'He did a little too much (dancing in his routes at Colorado's pro day) but that's kind of par for the course, especially when they're doing routes on air at a pro day where they make all these moves and do stuff that looks good for YouTube but is not necessarily realistic in a game. But sometimes those moves work. He's raw, but not as raw as you would think for playing over 100 snaps in a game and doesn't necessarily get all the coaching that you would get if you were on one side of the ball or another.' When asked about Hunter's potential as a receiver, passing coordinator No. 1 gushed: 'Oh my God! He could be Justin Jefferson, but he can really play corner. It's gonna be an interesting case study because we've never seen this.' Hunter dominated on both sides at Colorado, but the NFL isn't the Big 12. As talented as he is — several secondary coaches I talked to say he's the top cornerback prospect in this class by far and probably in the past few years — there is some risk involved if teams opt to go the two-way route with him. 'Is he gonna fully commit to doing that (playing defensive back)? I believe that it does take a lot to become a really good corner in this league beyond just having a lot of God-given ability,' said DB coach No. 2. 'He has the ball skills and ability to be a No. 1 corner if he was fully committed to it.' 'He's the best athlete and pure player in this draft,' said OC No. 1.
