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Yes if he is still there at 12 you definitely take him. He catches passes and he pass blocks in addition to his weaponry as a ball carrier.
2026 NFL Draft Thread
- Thread starter dbair1967
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Yes if he is still there at 12 you definitely take him. He catches passes and he pass blocks in addition to his weaponry as a ball carrier.
dbair1967
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If he's there at 12 it 's almost a lock that none of the primo defensive players made it to our spot. In which case he's very obviously the best player available. If some team/s blows you away with a trade down offer maybe you do that, but otherwise I don't know how you bypass this guy for a far lesser player at another position. Love is currently the #1 player on the consensus draft board.
That said, I can't imagine him making it anywhere near our pick and I definitely won't be surprised if he goes to TN or NYG.
dbair1967
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Bob McGinn Draft Series: WR's
WIDE RECEIVERS
1. CARNELL TATE, Ohio State (6-2, 192, 4.44, 1): Third-year junior. “He’s really, really good,” one scout said. “It’s just unbelievable how these (Ohio State) guys come out. If you watch the way he runs routes then you know that he’s ready. You can tell, with (Brian) Hartline working with them, they’re getting quality work. I saw him run by this guy, I saw him run by that guy. He runs by whoever he needs to get past.”
Functioned as the No. 3 wideout as a true freshman before starting 26 of 29 games in 2024-’25, missing three because of injury. “He’s got the reach and length (31 ¾-inch arms) and strength to compete well for the contested ball,” a second scout said. “He snaps off his breaks, finishes routes, finishes catches. He ran a lot of intermediate routes. He’s like a 4.55 guy but I don’t care what he runs. He’s so good that it doesn’t matter. He had Jeremiah Smith, two pretty good tight ends and a good quarterback but he was good last year and the year before.” Finished with 121 receptions for 1,872 yards (15.5-yard average) and 14 touchdowns. “He’s a No. 1 receiver,” a third scout said. “Hands are excellent. He’ll be a high-volume receiver in the NFL. I don’t think he has explosive speed but he can separate at the top of routes. He has really good short-area burst to separate and get open.” Won academic honors all three years. “I don’t think he’s a first-rounder,” said a fourth scout. “No, he’s not Garrett Wilson. He’s a little less than (Chris) Olave. You look at Marvin Harrison and Tate, they don’t have a lot of speed. He just doesn’t have explosion. Every time he gets deep it’s either a blown zone coverage or it’s against a bad corner. Those kind of guys, they come to this level and the DBs are so much better. Catches the ball OK. Goes down pretty easy. Not the biggest guy. He definitely doesn’t have the traits of a No. 1 receiver.” Four-star high-school prospect from Chicago. “I like him but I don’t in any way see a top-10 pick,” said a fifth scout. “Not overly explosive but a smooth-moving dude. Great hands. I had him at 4.5. All the best receivers are 4.5. Jaxon Smith-Njigba is 4.52. Puka Nacua is 4.6. Davante Adams (4.55). Who’s the last 4.3 that’s a great receiver? Tyreek Hill? It’s amazing. We make such a big deal out of 40 times with receivers but then just go down the list of great receivers. None of them ran 4.4, 4.3. A.J. Brown (4.51). Amon-Ra St. Brown (4.60). CeeDee Lamb (4.48).”
2. MAKAI LEMON, Southern Cal (5-11, 193, 4.53, 1-2): One of the most versatile receivers in the draft. “I think he’s a first-round pick,” one scout said. “Got a little bit of Jaxon Smith-Njigba to him. The body control and natural ball instincts are similar. He’s just real smooth. He’ll probably start out in the slot.” The shortest of the top eight wideouts and had the smallest hands (8 ¾ inches). “He’s an overachieving type,” said a second scout. “Got to give him credit for the production, and he’s tough as hell. He’s strictly a slot guy. I don’t think he’s really a top athlete with his movement, flexibility. Similar to like an Amon-Ra St. Brown. Same school, kind of plays the same position, moves a little bit like him. I didn’t think Amon-Ra would have the career he’s had. He might be a top pick but he’s just kind of a scrappy guy. Not in any way is he some sort of elite talent.” Played sparingly as a true freshman in 2023, when he also played briefly at cornerback. Finished with 137 catches for 2,008 (14.7) and 14 TDs. “Very effective in and out of breaks,” a third scout said. “He can do all the short-to-intermediate stuff and then he’s got enough juice to go down the seam and to the corner. Just makes a lot of catches. Has very good hands. He’s more of a slot-Z kind of receiver who can do some dirty work. He had kind of a wonky combine interview thing but I think people will overlook that. He just was kind of spaced out.” Returned 32 kickoffs for a 23.5 average (27.1 in 2024) and six punts for 11.8. “He’s a really good player but first round seems (high),” a fourth scout said. “He ended up running better than I thought. Just kind of average size, average speed. You don’t see those guys typically going in the first round.” From Los Alamitos, Calif.
3. JORDYN TYSON, Arizona State (6-2, 203, no 40, 1-2): Fourth in the nation in yards per catch (21.4) as a freshman at Colorado in 2022 before suffering a torn ACL late in the season and transferring. “He’s really good,” one scout said. “Somebody needs a receiver, you’re gonna look hard at him. I’d say he’s 20 to 30. He blocks. He can run great routes. He has great hands. He’s just a competitor. He’s fast and can hit the home run. He’s the whole package.” For the Sun Devils, he returned to play in three games as a sophomore before suffering a broken collarbone in 2024. He sat out three games in 2025 with a hamstring injury and still hasn’t worked out for scouts. “He’s the best receiver in the draft,” said a second scout. “His Achilles heel is just the durability. He’s had something every year. He’s not soft. It’s legit injuries. At minimum, talentwise, he’s a No. 2. He’s a starter. He has it all: size, athleticism, hands, route-run detail. Has run after the catch. He’s fast enough.” Finished with 158 catches for 2,282 (14.4) and 22 TDs. “I don’t think he has first-round traits,” said a third scout. “He’s got adequate size and adequate speed. He’ll catch the heck out of the ball. There were times he would disappear, and then all of a sudden he and (Sam) Leavitt would get together and they’d go boom-boom-boom and score. But there’s nothing about him that’s exceptional. All this first-round talk, I don’t see it. To me, to be in the first round you’ve got to have something special about you. There’s nothing physically about him – size, speed, anything – that sticks out. And he’s been hurt. He was an enigma to me.” Three-star recruit from Allen, Texas. “You can see the quick twitch and the movement, and he can run,” said a fourth scout. “But this guy is one of the most noncompetitive receivers I’ve done in a while. Body catcher even when it’s not contested. I’ve never seen anybody catch slants and just slide to the ground like this guy does. It’s nuts. He’s just not a tough dude. He doesn’t make catches when bodies are around him. Very inconsistent. And Hines Ward coaches him, which is crazy. Because I know no way Hines is saying, ‘This is what we need here.’ I don’t like him at all. He gets hurt all the time and I don’t think he’s very tough.” Ward is completing his second season as the Sun Devils’ wide receivers coach. Tyson’s brother, Jaylon (6-6, 215), was drafted No. 20 by the NBA Cleveland Cavaliers in 2024 and is averaging 13.1 points and 5.1 rebounds this season. Added a fifth scout: “If he’s healthy he’s really, really good. But they don’t come out of there (ASU) real tough. He’s going to have to show me he can be tough.”
4. DENZEL BOSTON, Washington (6-3 ½, 210, no 40, 2): Backed up for two seasons before starting all 25 games in 2024-’25. “He reminds me of Nico Collins with the body when he came out (in 2021, third round),” one scout said. “He’s probably going to have that same kind of developmental process. He’s more of a second- or third-round guy. He has length, size and really good speed. I’d estimate 4.45. He was a downfield threat for them. He was used so much down the field that you didn’t get to see a lot of that (inside). He’s got good hands but I don’t think they’re great. He’s got work to do there, but there’s only so much work you can do. Just like speed. If a guy doesn’t have great hands he’s never going to be super consistent at the next level. He is explosive off the ball. You can feel it when he’s in the game.” Finished with 132 catches for 1,781 (13.5) and 20 TDs. “He’s an X receiver,” a second scout said. “OK speed. He’s really more of a 50-50-let-me-outrebound-the guy. Body position, basketball player type guy. He’s a real starter.” Also a punt returner, bringing back 25 for an 8.5 average and one TD. “He’s got a little bit of Mike Evans in him but he’s just not as fast down the field,” said a third scout. “He’s got a lot of talent. He’s big and strong, runs good routes, great hands, separates, he’s physical. He’s probably like Tate in the speed department but I like him as a receiver better than Tate. He knows how to get open, set guys up, stop and start, good route runner. He doesn’t have the extra gear but he’s a really good possession receiver.” From South Hill, Wash.
5. KC CONCEPCION, Texas A&M (5-11 ½, 196, no 40, 2): Voted the Aggies’ most valuable player in 2025. “He can play Z but he’s really outstanding with the ball in his hands,” said one scout. “He can motor. He was very productive at NC State and left for A&M. Made some big plays for them. He is super explosive. If he’s your third receiver you’re really excited. If he’s your 2 you’re hoping he can grow into a good 2.” Won the Paul Hornung Award in 2025 as the nation’s most versatile player. Besides playing wide receiver, he finished fourth in FBS punt-return average with 18.2 in 2025. In all, he brought back 30 punts for 16.7 and two TDs. As a receiver, he caught 185 passes for 2,218 (12.0) and 25 TDs. As a rusher, he carried 70 times for 431 (6.2) and three scores. “He’s almost like a gadget guy, the way they play him,” another scout said. “It’s going to be a while before he’s anything. Looks like a track guy. You can tell he can run when things are free. They scheme him up for his production. Doesn’t catch the ball well. Lot of drops around a lot of bodies. Doesn’t have catch radius. They do this slip-screen stuff with him and he has no run after the catch.” Three-star recruit from Charlotte, N.C. “He’s a slot,” a third scout said. “Quick, explosive. He can run, catch and he’s competitive. He’ll be pretty good."
6. CHRIS BELL, Louisville (6-2, 222, no 40, 2-3): Suffered a torn ACL Nov. 22 at SMU and underwent season-ending surgery. “With a different team and without an injury he’d be higher than where he’s going to go, which is probably third round,” said one scout. “He’s really gifted. He’s a big receiver. He was on his way to a really strong year when he got hurt. He’s smarter than people think.” Played extensively in the final three of his four seasons, finishing with 151 catches for 2,166 (14.3) and 12 TDs. “He is a good player,” said a second scout. “One of the things we’re still checking out is, physically, I think he can play more than one spot. But, mentally, can he? He’s got some physical run after the catch. Like when he’s up and running you see some speed. But he won’t be able to run because of the injury. If healthy, I don’t see him as a first-round player. But if the mental completely checks out, I think he’s a second-round player.” Three-star recruit from Yazoo City, Miss. “I’m not a fan,” a third scout said. “He doesn’t separate. He’s got some deep burst but underneath he doesn’t separate. He’s kind of hit or miss. He makes some plays. He can run after the catch when it’s clean and he’s catching it on the move. He’s not real athletic and he’s not real fast. I thought he was overrated by people that liked him.”
7. CHRIS BRAZZELL, Tennessee (6-4, 198, 4.47, 2-3): Last season, he led the Southeastern Conference in receiving yards per game with 84.8. “He’s got good speed and he’s big,” one scout said. “He’s an X receiver at 6-4 and has good hands. Big and athletic. He goes deep. He goes up and gets the ball real strong. He’s going to be an impact guy, there’s no question. I’d take him over Boston. I’d take him over Ja’Kobi Lane.” After redshirting in 2022 and starting eight of 13 games at Tulane, he moved to Tennessee and started 21 of 25 games the past two years. Compared by one scout to Justin Hunter (6-4, 198, 4.40), another Volunteers wideout who went in the second round to the Titans in 2013. In six seasons for four teams, he had just 19 starts and 85 catches. “A lot of what Brazzell does is much like Justin Hunter coming out,” he said. “He’s a tall straight-liner who has athletic ability to tap into. Not a detailed or clean route runner. Doesn’t create lateral separation in routes and is going to have to catch through contact. I would love to have Brazzell as a role player but I don’t trust him being thrust into an offense with the vision of him being an impact player.” Finished with 136 catches for 2,072 (15.2) and 16 TDs. Best game of his career came Sept. 13 against Georgia when he hauled in six passes for 177 and three TDs. “This kind of profile usually doesn’t work out,” a third scout said. “Just a downfield, long strider, build-speed guy. Not a really good route runner because he’s tight and doesn’t separate really well. Not very strong. B hands. He’ll flash and run by a DB against Cover 0 or something but, overall, just not a polished, versatile, natural receiver. He’ll run the fastest (40 of the group). He’s a vertical guy.” Honors student from Midland, Texas, graduated in December. His father, Chris, was drafted as a wide receiver by the Jets in 1998 and played two years for Dallas and then seven more in the CFL.
8. OMAR COOPER, Indiana (6-0, 199, 4.43, 2-3): His 7-yard TD catch in the back of the end zone with 36 seconds left Nov. 8 at Penn State gave the Hoosiers a 27-24 victory and ranked as possibly the most memorable play of the 2025 season. “He’s gotten a little play because he had the big catch,” one scout said. After redshirting in 2022 and starting two of nine games in 2023, Cooper made four starts in 2024 and then 14 for the national champions in 2025. “He’s a tough guy,” one scout said. “Kind of a possession guy. He had the big play against Penn State. Overall, kind of inconsistent making plays because he’s always in traffic unless they scheme him to get open. He’s more like your No. 3-special teams type. He’s a lot better than (teammate Elijah) Sarratt but I don’t get the hype. Nothing special as far as playmaking or explosiveness.” Making 19 starts in 41 games, he finished with 115 catches for 1,798 (15.6) and 22 TDs. “He’s a really good receiver without any outstanding trait except he catches the hell out of the ball and helps your quarterback,” said a second scout. From Indianapolis. “He ran a lot faster at the combine than you would have thought on the tape,” said a third scout. “I thought he was going to be end of Day 2 but now I could see him creeping up closer to the top of the third or maybe end of the second. He’s really physical. He’s really instinctive. He’s got good run after the catch. He just not a super high-end athlete but he tested better than you would have guessed. After the top three there’s not a ton of high-end guys so some of these guys might get pushed (up in the draft).”
9. ZACHARIAH BRANCH, Georgia (5-8 ½, 176, 4.39, 3): Third-year junior caught 78 passes at USC from 2023-’24 and 81 last year for the Bulldogs. “He’s real quick and a slot,” one scout said. “Pretty good little slot but I think there’s better slot guys. He can play on the outside, too. He’ll drop some balls here and there. He shows up with the speed part.” Lightest of the top 18 wideouts and has short arms (29 3/8). “Little bit of a niche player,” a second scout said. “He’s really an inside player only. I feel he’ll be covered up outside. When you add it up and the draft’s over somebody will take the speed and the ability to be a punt returner, and you can do jet sweeps with him which ups his value.” Finished with 159 catches for 1,634 (10.3) and nine touchdowns. Also rushed 15 times for 94. As a returner, he brought back 44 punts for 13.3 and one TD and 39 kickoffs for just 19.3 and one TD. “They tried to get the ball in his hands really fast,” said a third scout. “He had like a 10-yard average. Little possession receiver. He competes, but he’d have to be a slot. He does return. He catches it (punts) OK but nothing natural on his return.” Nephew of Cliff Branch, the Raiders Hall of Fame wideout. Five-star recruit from Las Vegas. As a high-school track athlete, he ran 100 meters in 10.33, went 24-0 in the long jump and 46-4 ¼ in the triple jump.
10. BRYCE LANCE, North Dakota State (6-3 ½, 206, 4.39, 3): Redshirted in 2021 and caught just one pass over the next two seasons before surpassing 1,000 yards in 2024 ands ’25. “He was my favorite guy,” one scout said. “Good size and speed. Very smooth and polished and aware in his route running and separation. He’s coming from a program that hasn’t thrown it a lot. It did start throwing it the last few years so he’s developed in that system. I think he makes it look easy to get open and catch the ball. These kind of guys wind up being starters and No. 2’s, or at least No. 3’s.” The scout said Lance pales in comparison to Christian Watson, the ex-Bison wideout who was drafted in the second round by Green Bay in 2022. Finished with 127 catches for 2,157 (17.0) and 25 TDs to go with nine carries for 121 and two scores. “Love him,” a second scout said. “Can track the ball. Combat catcher. Really good down the sideline. Catches down the middle. He can catch.” His brother, Trey, is the quarterback drafted No. 3 overall by the 49ers in 2021. Playing for three teams, he has started six of 16 games. “He’s a big X receiver,” said a third scout. “Sometimes he gets a little soft in traffic. He’s got a big catching radius because he’s so tall. He can adjust easy. He’s fast, but there’s something raw about him. Just his running style. He’s real upright. Kind of a one-speed guy. Doesn’t really change gears.” Posted a vertical jump of 41 and a broad jump of 11-1 at the combine. Earned a master’s degree in business administration in December. From Marshall, Minn.
11. DEION BURKS, Oklahoma (5-9 ½, 182, 4.32, 3-4): Blew out the combine with a blazing 40, a position-leading vertical jump of 42 ½, a 10-11 broad jump and a position-best 26 reps on the bench press. “He ran 4.3,” one scout said. “There’s nothing close to him being a 4.3 when you put the helmet and shoulder pads on.” Played three seasons at Purdue (13 starts) before starting five games in an injury-shortened 2024 season for the Sooners and 13 more in 2025. “He’s really twitchy, really explosive,” a second scout said. “He’s been beat up quite a bit, which is his drawback, and there was a driving incident he had last year. There definitely are some questions about him where he might slide despite the explosiveness.” He was arrested in June 2024 for DUI and speeding. “He’ll be a slot and has a chance to be a low-level starter,” said a second scout. “He has explosiveness. He has some inconsistencies with his game the top guys don’t have.” Finished with 151 catches for 1,669 (11.1) and 14 TDs to go with 18 rushes for 50. Also returned 14 kickoffs for 19.9 in 2022. “His routes are sloppy,” said a third scout. “He has the speed to cross zones and run through voids. Has a quick release and the quickness to get on top of the defender. Lack of detail and (craftiness) keeps him covered. He’s an undersized perimeter receiver who does not look like he will function inside the formation because he’s not a jukey, sudden route runner. He’s more effective outside the hashes. He’s very good with the ball in his hands, which is going to be his best attribute in the NFL. Teams that try to force him into being a downfield route runner will likely be frustrated. Similar style of Zachariah Branch but not as good. Branch is just a little quicker and a little more sudden.” From Belleville, Mich.
12. ANTONIO WILLIAMS, Clemson (5-11 ½, 188, 4.43, 3-4): Fourth on the Tigers’ career receptions list. “Little slot guy, quicker than fast,” one scout said. “Really good feel. Catches what’s thrown to him. Isn’t going to make plays or contested catches. Doesn’t have great run after the catch. You can tell the little guy knows how to play. No special qualities.” Finished with 208 catches for 2,336 (11.2) and 21 TDs and 25 rushes for 187 and two scores. Returned punts in all four seasons, finishing with 39 for 9.0. Missed time with ankle, foot, hamstring and shoulder injuries. “Pretty good little player,” a second scout said. “He’s small, and small-boned. He’s definitely made plays. Made more a year ago than this year. He can also return. Very athletic.” Vertical jump of 39 ½. Four-star recruit from Irmo, S.C.
THE NEXT FIVE
Malachi Fields, Notre Dame (6-4 ½, 218, 4.64)
Said one scout: “He made a couple plays at the Senior Bowl and all of a sudden people were talking about him in the first round. Sometimes people grade helmets. Then he ran 4.65 and he’s back where he belongs. Just a big possession guy that can’t separate. He will flash some playmaking but just far too inconsistent.”
Ja’Kobi Lane, Southern Cal (6-4 ½, 204, 4.50)
Said one scout: “Talentwise, he’d be in the third round. But there is some character stuff with him that could drop him a little bit. Just stuff at the school. He’s just a pain in the ***.”
Elijah Sarratt, Indiana (6-2 ½, 210, no 40)
Said one scout: “He’s a nice player. Fourth, fifth, sixth round. The school loved Sarratt and kind of liked Cooper. Scouts had it the other way. It’s perceived the NFL has it flipped. I’m not sure that’s true. He’s not going to run fast. He’s a body position guy. Knows how to play and good after the catch.”
Germie Bernard, Alabama (6-1, 206, 4.51)
Said one scout: “He’s not a blazer and he didn’t test all that well. But he’s got strong hands. He’s physical. He’s good after the catch. He’s got a chance to be a No. 3 in the league. I don’t know what his true outside ability is because his speed is pretty average but he’s got good feel underneath. I think he’s a solid package, not a special one.”
Ted Hurst, Georgia State (6-4, 207, 4.44)
Said one scout: “Nobody knew about him until he got to the Senior Bowl. He’s probably the fastest riser. He’s unpolished but he’s super explosive and competitive. It’s hard to jam him off the line. He’s got a big (catching) radius and he can run. He’s going to get a lot better. He’s more than just a developmental guy. He’s better than a fourth-rounder.”
WIDE RECEIVERS
1. CARNELL TATE, Ohio State (6-2, 192, 4.44, 1): Third-year junior. “He’s really, really good,” one scout said. “It’s just unbelievable how these (Ohio State) guys come out. If you watch the way he runs routes then you know that he’s ready. You can tell, with (Brian) Hartline working with them, they’re getting quality work. I saw him run by this guy, I saw him run by that guy. He runs by whoever he needs to get past.”
Functioned as the No. 3 wideout as a true freshman before starting 26 of 29 games in 2024-’25, missing three because of injury. “He’s got the reach and length (31 ¾-inch arms) and strength to compete well for the contested ball,” a second scout said. “He snaps off his breaks, finishes routes, finishes catches. He ran a lot of intermediate routes. He’s like a 4.55 guy but I don’t care what he runs. He’s so good that it doesn’t matter. He had Jeremiah Smith, two pretty good tight ends and a good quarterback but he was good last year and the year before.” Finished with 121 receptions for 1,872 yards (15.5-yard average) and 14 touchdowns. “He’s a No. 1 receiver,” a third scout said. “Hands are excellent. He’ll be a high-volume receiver in the NFL. I don’t think he has explosive speed but he can separate at the top of routes. He has really good short-area burst to separate and get open.” Won academic honors all three years. “I don’t think he’s a first-rounder,” said a fourth scout. “No, he’s not Garrett Wilson. He’s a little less than (Chris) Olave. You look at Marvin Harrison and Tate, they don’t have a lot of speed. He just doesn’t have explosion. Every time he gets deep it’s either a blown zone coverage or it’s against a bad corner. Those kind of guys, they come to this level and the DBs are so much better. Catches the ball OK. Goes down pretty easy. Not the biggest guy. He definitely doesn’t have the traits of a No. 1 receiver.” Four-star high-school prospect from Chicago. “I like him but I don’t in any way see a top-10 pick,” said a fifth scout. “Not overly explosive but a smooth-moving dude. Great hands. I had him at 4.5. All the best receivers are 4.5. Jaxon Smith-Njigba is 4.52. Puka Nacua is 4.6. Davante Adams (4.55). Who’s the last 4.3 that’s a great receiver? Tyreek Hill? It’s amazing. We make such a big deal out of 40 times with receivers but then just go down the list of great receivers. None of them ran 4.4, 4.3. A.J. Brown (4.51). Amon-Ra St. Brown (4.60). CeeDee Lamb (4.48).”
2. MAKAI LEMON, Southern Cal (5-11, 193, 4.53, 1-2): One of the most versatile receivers in the draft. “I think he’s a first-round pick,” one scout said. “Got a little bit of Jaxon Smith-Njigba to him. The body control and natural ball instincts are similar. He’s just real smooth. He’ll probably start out in the slot.” The shortest of the top eight wideouts and had the smallest hands (8 ¾ inches). “He’s an overachieving type,” said a second scout. “Got to give him credit for the production, and he’s tough as hell. He’s strictly a slot guy. I don’t think he’s really a top athlete with his movement, flexibility. Similar to like an Amon-Ra St. Brown. Same school, kind of plays the same position, moves a little bit like him. I didn’t think Amon-Ra would have the career he’s had. He might be a top pick but he’s just kind of a scrappy guy. Not in any way is he some sort of elite talent.” Played sparingly as a true freshman in 2023, when he also played briefly at cornerback. Finished with 137 catches for 2,008 (14.7) and 14 TDs. “Very effective in and out of breaks,” a third scout said. “He can do all the short-to-intermediate stuff and then he’s got enough juice to go down the seam and to the corner. Just makes a lot of catches. Has very good hands. He’s more of a slot-Z kind of receiver who can do some dirty work. He had kind of a wonky combine interview thing but I think people will overlook that. He just was kind of spaced out.” Returned 32 kickoffs for a 23.5 average (27.1 in 2024) and six punts for 11.8. “He’s a really good player but first round seems (high),” a fourth scout said. “He ended up running better than I thought. Just kind of average size, average speed. You don’t see those guys typically going in the first round.” From Los Alamitos, Calif.
3. JORDYN TYSON, Arizona State (6-2, 203, no 40, 1-2): Fourth in the nation in yards per catch (21.4) as a freshman at Colorado in 2022 before suffering a torn ACL late in the season and transferring. “He’s really good,” one scout said. “Somebody needs a receiver, you’re gonna look hard at him. I’d say he’s 20 to 30. He blocks. He can run great routes. He has great hands. He’s just a competitor. He’s fast and can hit the home run. He’s the whole package.” For the Sun Devils, he returned to play in three games as a sophomore before suffering a broken collarbone in 2024. He sat out three games in 2025 with a hamstring injury and still hasn’t worked out for scouts. “He’s the best receiver in the draft,” said a second scout. “His Achilles heel is just the durability. He’s had something every year. He’s not soft. It’s legit injuries. At minimum, talentwise, he’s a No. 2. He’s a starter. He has it all: size, athleticism, hands, route-run detail. Has run after the catch. He’s fast enough.” Finished with 158 catches for 2,282 (14.4) and 22 TDs. “I don’t think he has first-round traits,” said a third scout. “He’s got adequate size and adequate speed. He’ll catch the heck out of the ball. There were times he would disappear, and then all of a sudden he and (Sam) Leavitt would get together and they’d go boom-boom-boom and score. But there’s nothing about him that’s exceptional. All this first-round talk, I don’t see it. To me, to be in the first round you’ve got to have something special about you. There’s nothing physically about him – size, speed, anything – that sticks out. And he’s been hurt. He was an enigma to me.” Three-star recruit from Allen, Texas. “You can see the quick twitch and the movement, and he can run,” said a fourth scout. “But this guy is one of the most noncompetitive receivers I’ve done in a while. Body catcher even when it’s not contested. I’ve never seen anybody catch slants and just slide to the ground like this guy does. It’s nuts. He’s just not a tough dude. He doesn’t make catches when bodies are around him. Very inconsistent. And Hines Ward coaches him, which is crazy. Because I know no way Hines is saying, ‘This is what we need here.’ I don’t like him at all. He gets hurt all the time and I don’t think he’s very tough.” Ward is completing his second season as the Sun Devils’ wide receivers coach. Tyson’s brother, Jaylon (6-6, 215), was drafted No. 20 by the NBA Cleveland Cavaliers in 2024 and is averaging 13.1 points and 5.1 rebounds this season. Added a fifth scout: “If he’s healthy he’s really, really good. But they don’t come out of there (ASU) real tough. He’s going to have to show me he can be tough.”
4. DENZEL BOSTON, Washington (6-3 ½, 210, no 40, 2): Backed up for two seasons before starting all 25 games in 2024-’25. “He reminds me of Nico Collins with the body when he came out (in 2021, third round),” one scout said. “He’s probably going to have that same kind of developmental process. He’s more of a second- or third-round guy. He has length, size and really good speed. I’d estimate 4.45. He was a downfield threat for them. He was used so much down the field that you didn’t get to see a lot of that (inside). He’s got good hands but I don’t think they’re great. He’s got work to do there, but there’s only so much work you can do. Just like speed. If a guy doesn’t have great hands he’s never going to be super consistent at the next level. He is explosive off the ball. You can feel it when he’s in the game.” Finished with 132 catches for 1,781 (13.5) and 20 TDs. “He’s an X receiver,” a second scout said. “OK speed. He’s really more of a 50-50-let-me-outrebound-the guy. Body position, basketball player type guy. He’s a real starter.” Also a punt returner, bringing back 25 for an 8.5 average and one TD. “He’s got a little bit of Mike Evans in him but he’s just not as fast down the field,” said a third scout. “He’s got a lot of talent. He’s big and strong, runs good routes, great hands, separates, he’s physical. He’s probably like Tate in the speed department but I like him as a receiver better than Tate. He knows how to get open, set guys up, stop and start, good route runner. He doesn’t have the extra gear but he’s a really good possession receiver.” From South Hill, Wash.
5. KC CONCEPCION, Texas A&M (5-11 ½, 196, no 40, 2): Voted the Aggies’ most valuable player in 2025. “He can play Z but he’s really outstanding with the ball in his hands,” said one scout. “He can motor. He was very productive at NC State and left for A&M. Made some big plays for them. He is super explosive. If he’s your third receiver you’re really excited. If he’s your 2 you’re hoping he can grow into a good 2.” Won the Paul Hornung Award in 2025 as the nation’s most versatile player. Besides playing wide receiver, he finished fourth in FBS punt-return average with 18.2 in 2025. In all, he brought back 30 punts for 16.7 and two TDs. As a receiver, he caught 185 passes for 2,218 (12.0) and 25 TDs. As a rusher, he carried 70 times for 431 (6.2) and three scores. “He’s almost like a gadget guy, the way they play him,” another scout said. “It’s going to be a while before he’s anything. Looks like a track guy. You can tell he can run when things are free. They scheme him up for his production. Doesn’t catch the ball well. Lot of drops around a lot of bodies. Doesn’t have catch radius. They do this slip-screen stuff with him and he has no run after the catch.” Three-star recruit from Charlotte, N.C. “He’s a slot,” a third scout said. “Quick, explosive. He can run, catch and he’s competitive. He’ll be pretty good."
6. CHRIS BELL, Louisville (6-2, 222, no 40, 2-3): Suffered a torn ACL Nov. 22 at SMU and underwent season-ending surgery. “With a different team and without an injury he’d be higher than where he’s going to go, which is probably third round,” said one scout. “He’s really gifted. He’s a big receiver. He was on his way to a really strong year when he got hurt. He’s smarter than people think.” Played extensively in the final three of his four seasons, finishing with 151 catches for 2,166 (14.3) and 12 TDs. “He is a good player,” said a second scout. “One of the things we’re still checking out is, physically, I think he can play more than one spot. But, mentally, can he? He’s got some physical run after the catch. Like when he’s up and running you see some speed. But he won’t be able to run because of the injury. If healthy, I don’t see him as a first-round player. But if the mental completely checks out, I think he’s a second-round player.” Three-star recruit from Yazoo City, Miss. “I’m not a fan,” a third scout said. “He doesn’t separate. He’s got some deep burst but underneath he doesn’t separate. He’s kind of hit or miss. He makes some plays. He can run after the catch when it’s clean and he’s catching it on the move. He’s not real athletic and he’s not real fast. I thought he was overrated by people that liked him.”
7. CHRIS BRAZZELL, Tennessee (6-4, 198, 4.47, 2-3): Last season, he led the Southeastern Conference in receiving yards per game with 84.8. “He’s got good speed and he’s big,” one scout said. “He’s an X receiver at 6-4 and has good hands. Big and athletic. He goes deep. He goes up and gets the ball real strong. He’s going to be an impact guy, there’s no question. I’d take him over Boston. I’d take him over Ja’Kobi Lane.” After redshirting in 2022 and starting eight of 13 games at Tulane, he moved to Tennessee and started 21 of 25 games the past two years. Compared by one scout to Justin Hunter (6-4, 198, 4.40), another Volunteers wideout who went in the second round to the Titans in 2013. In six seasons for four teams, he had just 19 starts and 85 catches. “A lot of what Brazzell does is much like Justin Hunter coming out,” he said. “He’s a tall straight-liner who has athletic ability to tap into. Not a detailed or clean route runner. Doesn’t create lateral separation in routes and is going to have to catch through contact. I would love to have Brazzell as a role player but I don’t trust him being thrust into an offense with the vision of him being an impact player.” Finished with 136 catches for 2,072 (15.2) and 16 TDs. Best game of his career came Sept. 13 against Georgia when he hauled in six passes for 177 and three TDs. “This kind of profile usually doesn’t work out,” a third scout said. “Just a downfield, long strider, build-speed guy. Not a really good route runner because he’s tight and doesn’t separate really well. Not very strong. B hands. He’ll flash and run by a DB against Cover 0 or something but, overall, just not a polished, versatile, natural receiver. He’ll run the fastest (40 of the group). He’s a vertical guy.” Honors student from Midland, Texas, graduated in December. His father, Chris, was drafted as a wide receiver by the Jets in 1998 and played two years for Dallas and then seven more in the CFL.
8. OMAR COOPER, Indiana (6-0, 199, 4.43, 2-3): His 7-yard TD catch in the back of the end zone with 36 seconds left Nov. 8 at Penn State gave the Hoosiers a 27-24 victory and ranked as possibly the most memorable play of the 2025 season. “He’s gotten a little play because he had the big catch,” one scout said. After redshirting in 2022 and starting two of nine games in 2023, Cooper made four starts in 2024 and then 14 for the national champions in 2025. “He’s a tough guy,” one scout said. “Kind of a possession guy. He had the big play against Penn State. Overall, kind of inconsistent making plays because he’s always in traffic unless they scheme him to get open. He’s more like your No. 3-special teams type. He’s a lot better than (teammate Elijah) Sarratt but I don’t get the hype. Nothing special as far as playmaking or explosiveness.” Making 19 starts in 41 games, he finished with 115 catches for 1,798 (15.6) and 22 TDs. “He’s a really good receiver without any outstanding trait except he catches the hell out of the ball and helps your quarterback,” said a second scout. From Indianapolis. “He ran a lot faster at the combine than you would have thought on the tape,” said a third scout. “I thought he was going to be end of Day 2 but now I could see him creeping up closer to the top of the third or maybe end of the second. He’s really physical. He’s really instinctive. He’s got good run after the catch. He just not a super high-end athlete but he tested better than you would have guessed. After the top three there’s not a ton of high-end guys so some of these guys might get pushed (up in the draft).”
9. ZACHARIAH BRANCH, Georgia (5-8 ½, 176, 4.39, 3): Third-year junior caught 78 passes at USC from 2023-’24 and 81 last year for the Bulldogs. “He’s real quick and a slot,” one scout said. “Pretty good little slot but I think there’s better slot guys. He can play on the outside, too. He’ll drop some balls here and there. He shows up with the speed part.” Lightest of the top 18 wideouts and has short arms (29 3/8). “Little bit of a niche player,” a second scout said. “He’s really an inside player only. I feel he’ll be covered up outside. When you add it up and the draft’s over somebody will take the speed and the ability to be a punt returner, and you can do jet sweeps with him which ups his value.” Finished with 159 catches for 1,634 (10.3) and nine touchdowns. Also rushed 15 times for 94. As a returner, he brought back 44 punts for 13.3 and one TD and 39 kickoffs for just 19.3 and one TD. “They tried to get the ball in his hands really fast,” said a third scout. “He had like a 10-yard average. Little possession receiver. He competes, but he’d have to be a slot. He does return. He catches it (punts) OK but nothing natural on his return.” Nephew of Cliff Branch, the Raiders Hall of Fame wideout. Five-star recruit from Las Vegas. As a high-school track athlete, he ran 100 meters in 10.33, went 24-0 in the long jump and 46-4 ¼ in the triple jump.
10. BRYCE LANCE, North Dakota State (6-3 ½, 206, 4.39, 3): Redshirted in 2021 and caught just one pass over the next two seasons before surpassing 1,000 yards in 2024 ands ’25. “He was my favorite guy,” one scout said. “Good size and speed. Very smooth and polished and aware in his route running and separation. He’s coming from a program that hasn’t thrown it a lot. It did start throwing it the last few years so he’s developed in that system. I think he makes it look easy to get open and catch the ball. These kind of guys wind up being starters and No. 2’s, or at least No. 3’s.” The scout said Lance pales in comparison to Christian Watson, the ex-Bison wideout who was drafted in the second round by Green Bay in 2022. Finished with 127 catches for 2,157 (17.0) and 25 TDs to go with nine carries for 121 and two scores. “Love him,” a second scout said. “Can track the ball. Combat catcher. Really good down the sideline. Catches down the middle. He can catch.” His brother, Trey, is the quarterback drafted No. 3 overall by the 49ers in 2021. Playing for three teams, he has started six of 16 games. “He’s a big X receiver,” said a third scout. “Sometimes he gets a little soft in traffic. He’s got a big catching radius because he’s so tall. He can adjust easy. He’s fast, but there’s something raw about him. Just his running style. He’s real upright. Kind of a one-speed guy. Doesn’t really change gears.” Posted a vertical jump of 41 and a broad jump of 11-1 at the combine. Earned a master’s degree in business administration in December. From Marshall, Minn.
11. DEION BURKS, Oklahoma (5-9 ½, 182, 4.32, 3-4): Blew out the combine with a blazing 40, a position-leading vertical jump of 42 ½, a 10-11 broad jump and a position-best 26 reps on the bench press. “He ran 4.3,” one scout said. “There’s nothing close to him being a 4.3 when you put the helmet and shoulder pads on.” Played three seasons at Purdue (13 starts) before starting five games in an injury-shortened 2024 season for the Sooners and 13 more in 2025. “He’s really twitchy, really explosive,” a second scout said. “He’s been beat up quite a bit, which is his drawback, and there was a driving incident he had last year. There definitely are some questions about him where he might slide despite the explosiveness.” He was arrested in June 2024 for DUI and speeding. “He’ll be a slot and has a chance to be a low-level starter,” said a second scout. “He has explosiveness. He has some inconsistencies with his game the top guys don’t have.” Finished with 151 catches for 1,669 (11.1) and 14 TDs to go with 18 rushes for 50. Also returned 14 kickoffs for 19.9 in 2022. “His routes are sloppy,” said a third scout. “He has the speed to cross zones and run through voids. Has a quick release and the quickness to get on top of the defender. Lack of detail and (craftiness) keeps him covered. He’s an undersized perimeter receiver who does not look like he will function inside the formation because he’s not a jukey, sudden route runner. He’s more effective outside the hashes. He’s very good with the ball in his hands, which is going to be his best attribute in the NFL. Teams that try to force him into being a downfield route runner will likely be frustrated. Similar style of Zachariah Branch but not as good. Branch is just a little quicker and a little more sudden.” From Belleville, Mich.
12. ANTONIO WILLIAMS, Clemson (5-11 ½, 188, 4.43, 3-4): Fourth on the Tigers’ career receptions list. “Little slot guy, quicker than fast,” one scout said. “Really good feel. Catches what’s thrown to him. Isn’t going to make plays or contested catches. Doesn’t have great run after the catch. You can tell the little guy knows how to play. No special qualities.” Finished with 208 catches for 2,336 (11.2) and 21 TDs and 25 rushes for 187 and two scores. Returned punts in all four seasons, finishing with 39 for 9.0. Missed time with ankle, foot, hamstring and shoulder injuries. “Pretty good little player,” a second scout said. “He’s small, and small-boned. He’s definitely made plays. Made more a year ago than this year. He can also return. Very athletic.” Vertical jump of 39 ½. Four-star recruit from Irmo, S.C.
THE NEXT FIVE
Malachi Fields, Notre Dame (6-4 ½, 218, 4.64)
Said one scout: “He made a couple plays at the Senior Bowl and all of a sudden people were talking about him in the first round. Sometimes people grade helmets. Then he ran 4.65 and he’s back where he belongs. Just a big possession guy that can’t separate. He will flash some playmaking but just far too inconsistent.”
Ja’Kobi Lane, Southern Cal (6-4 ½, 204, 4.50)
Said one scout: “Talentwise, he’d be in the third round. But there is some character stuff with him that could drop him a little bit. Just stuff at the school. He’s just a pain in the ***.”
Elijah Sarratt, Indiana (6-2 ½, 210, no 40)
Said one scout: “He’s a nice player. Fourth, fifth, sixth round. The school loved Sarratt and kind of liked Cooper. Scouts had it the other way. It’s perceived the NFL has it flipped. I’m not sure that’s true. He’s not going to run fast. He’s a body position guy. Knows how to play and good after the catch.”
Germie Bernard, Alabama (6-1, 206, 4.51)
Said one scout: “He’s not a blazer and he didn’t test all that well. But he’s got strong hands. He’s physical. He’s good after the catch. He’s got a chance to be a No. 3 in the league. I don’t know what his true outside ability is because his speed is pretty average but he’s got good feel underneath. I think he’s a solid package, not a special one.”
Ted Hurst, Georgia State (6-4, 207, 4.44)
Said one scout: “Nobody knew about him until he got to the Senior Bowl. He’s probably the fastest riser. He’s unpolished but he’s super explosive and competitive. It’s hard to jam him off the line. He’s got a big (catching) radius and he can run. He’s going to get a lot better. He’s more than just a developmental guy. He’s better than a fourth-rounder.”
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Bob McGinn Draft Series: TE's
TIGHT ENDS
1. KENYON SADIQ, Oregon (6-3, 243, 4.32, 1-2): Third-year junior. “I would take him wherever … in the top 15,” said one scout.
“Just physical and can run. He’s put together really well even though lengthwise he’s not prototype. Very athletic in space. I thought they underused him. The quarterback (Dante Moore) struggled getting him the ball. Serviceable as a blocker. Can do the wing and motion stuff. Evan Engram is the guy I used to describe him.” Just five catches as a true freshman in 2023 and 24 in 2024 before becoming a starter last year and hauling in 51. “Before this year you could tell he was just learning the position,” a second scout said. “The primary way they would get him the ball was on screens and short passes. He was kind of a gadget guy. Lot of catch-and-run plays. This year they finally pushed him downfield with all of his speed and he had some deep-ball catches. He can really sky for the ball. He made some spectacular catches. He had six drops this year. It’s interesting. He really wasn’t a big factor in the offense. When you watched him against press-man coverage or even off he didn’t really have a feel for how to get open despite all this upside and athletic ability and speed. He’s coming. He’s got to keep getting better. What he’s capable of is just spectacular, it really is. I just don’t think he’s as ready to play as (Eli) Stowers.” Besides his fabulous 40, his combine performance included a vertical jump of 43 ½ inches, a broad jump of 11-1 and a bench press of 26 reps. “I don’t think he’s Brock Bowers,” a third scout said. “It’s not the tight-end class like the last couple years. He’s a freaky athlete. He’s not a big, long guy. Kind of a short, compact guy. The hands are above average. The route detail is average to above.” Finished with 80 receptions for 892 yards (11.2-yard average) and 11 touchdowns. His 51 receptions in 2025 were the most ever by a Ducks tight end. “Looks like a big wide receiver,” said a fourth scout. “He’s a little possession H-back. He’ll make some splash plays within their system because they do all that (short) stuff and the next thing you know he’s running free. You just don’t see great separation or explosiveness. As a blocker he tries, but he’s (small). This guy isn’t Harold Fannin. He knew how to get open and catch the ball. This guy’s not close to Fannin.” Four-star recruit from Idaho Falls, Id. Chicago’s Colston Loveland, the first tight end taken in 2025 at No. 10, also hails from Idaho (Gooding). “I love everything about him but I wish his hands were better,” a fifth scout said. “He has a lot of drops. Other than that, and that’s kind of a big thing, I like him a lot. What’s nice, too, is he isn’t a bad blocker. Yeah, he’s pretty good at it. You wish he was taller for the position but a receiving tight end that can get into people and block ‘em is good.”
2. ELI STOWERS, Vanderbilt (6-3 ½, 241, 4.50, 2): A 7-foot state high-jump champion in Texas, he put on a show at the combine with a vertical jump of 45 ½ and a broad jump of 11-3. The vertical jump was unheard of for a tight end and the broad jump also led the position this year. “He crushed the drills and ran crazy fast,” one scout said. “He’s a better receiver than Sadiq as far as movement and hands. He just has a better catch radius and hands than Sadiq. Neither one will give you much blocking. Stowers’ catching is what caught my eye. He’s got long-*** arms (32 5/8 inches) and he’s tall. He can catch. If somebody’s covering him he can still just go out fast and get the ball. I don’t see that in Sadiq.” Four-star recruit as a quarterback. Played QB for two years at Texas A&M without throwing a pass before shoulder injuries and opportunity prompted his move to TE at New Mexico State in 2023. Caught 35 passes for the Aggies with Diego Pavia at quarterback, then followed him to Vanderbilt in 2024-’25. “He was super hungry in 2024,” a second scout said. “He almost beat Alabama singlehandedly. I think he saw it as a chance to play in the SEC and show people what he had. This year he didn’t show that hunger until later on in the year. They got away from using him as a blocker and I don’t think it helped his game necessarily. He got out of the flow a little bit. There’s not a whole lot he can’t do. He definitely can block in space. He has shown he’s more than tough enough. He has really skilled eyes and hands. He can run after the catch. I think everybody feels he’s too small to play tight end but I don’t see that. I see a guy maturing into a role. I mean, he was a quarterback. I’d say he’s a top-50 player, for sure. To me, he’s a top 25.” Finished with 146 catches for 1,773 (12.1) and 11 TDs. “He’s intriguing,” a third scout said. “He’s more of a glorified wide receiver disguised as a tight end. I think he’ll make it somewhere. He could go second or third round because he tested well but he’s not going to be much of a blocker.” Won the William V. Campbell Trophy, which often is referred to as the academic Heisman. “Really, really athletic,” a fourth scout said. “That’s kind of his calling card. He’s a smooth athlete, runs well, has good receiving skills. Pretty poor blocker. He’s a quarterback converted to tight end so that kind of tells you where the blocking’s going to be. I thought third round but he may go higher than that.” From Denton, Texas.
3. MAX KLARE, Ohio State (6-4 ½, 246, no 40, 3-4): Played three seasons at Purdue, backing up as a freshman in 2022 before starting 16 of 17 games in 2023-’24 and then going to Ohio State in ’25. “He probably should have stayed at Purdue,” one scout said. “When he was there he kind of lit it up. He got in there (at Ohio State) with a crowded group of tight ends. Most of them were better (blockers). Not that he’s not willing. He’s just not that powerful. He didn’t get the ball much early. He goes in the second or third. He won’t run that well. He’s got the skillset. He’s a good route runner. He can create separation. He’s got really good hands. He’s a really savvy player. I just don’t think he’s going to change a team.” Suffered a broken ankle in 2023 and missed seven games. In all, he caught 116 passes for 1,329 (11.5) and six TDs. “He runs the same route over and over,” a second scout said. “They run a little delay drag route. That’s pretty much where he gets all his production from. Not a natural hands catcher. He’s got easy drops. If you’re that kind of guy you better have great hands. He doesn’t. As a blocker, you’re not getting much from him at all. They had two other guys (Will Kacmarek, Bennett Christian) that did the blocking so he just goes and hangs out with the receivers. They don’t even put him in the mix to do it. He’s a supposed receiving-type tight end who doesn’t catch the ball well and doesn’t really make any big plays or get open well. I didn’t see much there.” Comes from a football family: his father, brother, grandfather and two uncles all played collegiately. “He’s got the genetics,” said a third scout. “He’s more of a work-in-progress guy. I comped him with (Luke) Schoonmaker, who played at Michigan. They used him as a motion and move guy and on whams and kickouts, and I think that’s going to be his forte at the next level, too. He’s not that great blocking but a lot of these guys aren’t. I liked the way he moved around.” Three-star recruit from Guilford, Ind. “He can get himself into the mix,” said a fourth scout. “I don’t think the year went as well for him as expected but I think he’s still going to get there.”
4. JUSTIN JOLY, North Carolina State (6-3 ½, 243, no 40, 3-4): Said one scout: “He reminds me of a poor man’s Sadiq. They’re both kind of chiseled, strong, muscular.” Caught 74 passes at Connecticut in 2022-’23 and 92 more for the Wolfpack in 2024-’25. “Kind of a squattier body but he’s a guy that can block and he can catch, and he’s pretty fast,” said a second scout. “He can get down the seams. You want a guy a little bit taller. He’s kind of a fullback-tight end. He can win blocking man on the line of scrimmage. He works to finish. Third round.” Finished with 166 catches for 1,978 (11.9) and 15 TDs. “What a great set of legs,” said a third scout. “He was listed once at 260. I can imagine that with the legs. Man, is he cut up lower body. His upper body isn’t to the same proportion. Good football player. Just undersized. Has a little bit of tightness sometimes getting away from coverage or getting into his route. He’s got outstanding speed. I think he’s a starter at F. He’ll do the dirty blocking. He’ll go after the ball and catch in a crowd.” From Brewster, N.Y. “He looks more like an H-back but he doesn’t have the toughness to play H-back,” a fourth scout said. “He fancies himself like Tony Gonzalez or Travis Kelce, like this legit receiver. He’s a functional receiver but not good enough to get away with his lack of blocking. F tight ends, a lot of them aren’t great blockers. This guy did improve as a senior but as a junior he was total horse****. He turned stuff down. He’s not a vertical field threat. His speed is just average. He does have a little bit of run after the catch because he’s got a knack and instincts. Somebody will think they can scheme him. He does have some upside as a receiver.”
5. MARLIN KLEIN, Michigan (6-6, 249, 4.71, 4): Growing up in Cologne, Germany, he played soccer and basketball. At age 15, he informed his parents that he wanted to play football. They moved to Georgia, and he developed quickly into a legitimate prospect. “He played the F and the Y,” one scout said. “He can use his head and shoulders to create separation. He has enough seam speed, good hands, can track (the ball), can bend. Good position blocker but lacks that blocking strength.” Spent his first two years hardly playing behind Luke Schoonmaker, AJ Barner, Erick All and Colston Loveland. Served as the No. 2 behind Loveland in 2024 before starting last season. Missed two games early in the season with an ankle injury and returned in limited form until November. Finished with 38 catches for 364 (9.6) and one TD. “Depth-level player,” a second scout said. “I’d be surprised if he got drafted.” Four-star recruit. Three-time All-Big Ten academic honoree.
6. MICHAEL TRIGG, Baylor (6-3 ½, 240, no 40, 4-5): Played seven games at USC in 2021, 10 games (six starts) at Mississippi from 2022-’23 and 22 games (16 starts) at Baylor from 2024-’25. “He’s one of those guys that either is gonna make it or he’s gonna go bust,” said one scout. “He flunked out (of Ole Miss). He could go anywhere (in the draft). Somebody’s going to see something they like and has a coach that thinks he can get it out of him … sees the highlights and this is his best, and we’ll travel with the best.” His arms measured 34 ¼, longest at the position. “He made some great catches that would fill up two to three minutes of his highlights,” the scout said. “He is the prototype new-age tight end. He’s a highlight reel waiting to happen as far as catching the ball down the seam. Marginal blocker. He’s got some issues in his past. He got suspended for a game a year ago and then kind of turned it around (in 2025). They had nothing but high marks for him this year as far as being a teammate. I saw him warm up and he didn’t do a thing. Not one thing. I thought, ‘This guy’s a dog.’ Then he comes out in the first series and makes an unbelievable catch for a touchdown. That’s kind of who he is, though. He’s gonna be a fringe guy that’s gonna have to toe the line. He’s going to have to put on some weight. He’s actually a big wide receiver. He doesn’t block worth beans. He comes across the split zones and he just throws his shoulder in there and isn’t real good at it.” Finished with 108 catches for 1,419 (13.1) and 14 TDs. “Ole Miss basically told him to leave,” a second scout said. “It’s hard to get thrown out at Ole Miss. Talentwise, he deserves to go third round. It’ll just be what (teams) uncover in terms of what his true value is. He’s more talented than Max Klare but he’s not as consistently reliable. He’s got some catches on tape, I mean, over the top of people. He also has some points where you go, ‘Huh? A little lazy there, young man.’ Doesn’t like blocking too much but when he does it he’s good. He’s a weapon. He’s probably the third most talented tight end.” Four-star recruit from Tampa. Averaged 22.6 as a junior on his high-school basketball team.
7. WILL KACMAREK, Ohio State (6-5 ½, 261, 4.77, 5): Regarded by some scouts as the best blocking tight end. “He will steamroll your face,” said one. “I think he’s a starting Y. He can catch but receiving isn’t his primary duty. He’s tough. Sticks his face in there. He’s a very good blocker and he has good hands. You can get the ball to him in certain situations and trust him. He’s a guy that can help you win. I don’t see him as a reason (why you win). He runs a good speed for a Y. He doesn’t run a good speed for an F.” During the blocking drill at the combine he attacked the sled like no other tight end. “A lot of times you have to give up athleticism for the power you need on double-downs ands kickouts, even in pass protection,” said a second scout. “Athletically, he’s a lot like the (Luke) Farrell kid in Jacksonville. I thought he should have gotten the ball more.” Slowest of the top tight ends. “I think he’s just OK,” said a third scout. “He’s more like a third (tight end). He’s not a difference-maker.” Starting 24 of 55 games, he caught 65 passes for 761 (11.7) and four TDs. “With Kacmarek, you know exactly what he’s going to do in the league,” a fourth scout said. “I think he’ll be a starting Y. He’s really good in that role.” From St. Louis. Registered 23 sacks as a defensive end in high school.
8. ELI RARIDON, Notre Dame (6-6, 248, 4.62, 5): Played four seasons for the Irish, starting six of 28 games from 2022-’24 before winning the job and starting 12 times last season. “Interesting guy,” one scout said. “Real big target. Good hands. Got a ways to go as a blocker but he’ll do it. He blocks really erect. He’s been hurt (ACL in ’22) and has a real staggered play history; his medical grade will be a factor. I think he’s just coming into his own. There’s quite a bit there if he wants to be a Y. He has to keep getting stronger and learn how to play with leverage. He’s a better receiver than Kacmarek but not quite the same blocker. He’s definitely not an F. He’s a Y.” Finished with 48 catches for 623 (13.0) and three TDs. “He’s tall, good athlete, has the deep speed, good hands and adjustment,” a second scout said. “Will have some lapses; they all do. Can take a hit over the middle. Very functional blocker who tries to extend. He’s definitely not a drive blocker. He can hit the target on wham blocks across the formation. Better F than Y, but has value at both.” Four-star recruit from Des Moines, Iowa.
THE NEXT FIVE
Jack Endries, Texas (6-4 ½, 245, 4.70)
Said one scout: “Not in love with this guy but he does get a good vertical stretch. Not much of a blocker. Not a lot of width to this guy. He’s got a small-hipped structure. But he’s a good athlete with good hands. He’s tough when he catches. He can be that No. 2 tight end but I don’t see him as a No. 1.”
Oscar Delp, Georgia (6-5, 245, 4.49)
Said one scout: “Really interesting player due to a very inconsistent career. Played amazing for a season, then completely disappeared. When he was used, Delp showed he could be the type of athlete that could create in the pass game. He has some stiffness in his movements but is more than able to win one-on-one against linebackers and safeties. He’s tough to bring down after the catch, which gives him even more value. His lack of production (70 receptions in 55 games, including 34 starts) could hurt but teams will likely think he has a chance to shine at the next level.”
Lake McCree, Southern Cal (6-4, 246, 4.82)
Said one scout: “I thought he was third round. I know I’ve got him rated higher than most people. He reminded me of Greg Dulcich of UCLA coming out. Pretty smooth in and out of his breaks. He’s got good hand quickness and foot quickness. He’s tough. He’ll compete over the middle and influence people with his routes. He’s going to be a serviceable as a run blocker but he does the movement stuff. He needs to put on weight and get a little stronger.”
Seydou Traore, Mississippi State (6-3 ½, 233, no 40)
Said one scout: “He was born in (London) and is a potential NFL International guy that you could get a roster spot for for free (via the Player Pathway program). A lot of people will be interested in him in that regard. At the East-West Shrine he stood out in the one on one’s. He’s got a ways to go as a blocker and all that but as a receiver and as an athlete he’s got some tools. I wouldn’t be surprised if he got picked in the third day.”
Khalil Dinkins, Penn State (6-4, 251, 4.67)
Said one scout: “He sat in a very talented tight-end room and got on the field this year. His career production (37 receptions in 47 games) is very underwhelming, but more of that is on the staff than him. They couldn’t get him the ball very much, especially this year. He’s an athlete. He’s raw. It might take him a little bit of time, and the good news is he’s got a special-teams background. His dad (Darnell) played in the league for quite a while (2002-’09) and made his living as a special-teamer.”
TIGHT ENDS
1. KENYON SADIQ, Oregon (6-3, 243, 4.32, 1-2): Third-year junior. “I would take him wherever … in the top 15,” said one scout.
“Just physical and can run. He’s put together really well even though lengthwise he’s not prototype. Very athletic in space. I thought they underused him. The quarterback (Dante Moore) struggled getting him the ball. Serviceable as a blocker. Can do the wing and motion stuff. Evan Engram is the guy I used to describe him.” Just five catches as a true freshman in 2023 and 24 in 2024 before becoming a starter last year and hauling in 51. “Before this year you could tell he was just learning the position,” a second scout said. “The primary way they would get him the ball was on screens and short passes. He was kind of a gadget guy. Lot of catch-and-run plays. This year they finally pushed him downfield with all of his speed and he had some deep-ball catches. He can really sky for the ball. He made some spectacular catches. He had six drops this year. It’s interesting. He really wasn’t a big factor in the offense. When you watched him against press-man coverage or even off he didn’t really have a feel for how to get open despite all this upside and athletic ability and speed. He’s coming. He’s got to keep getting better. What he’s capable of is just spectacular, it really is. I just don’t think he’s as ready to play as (Eli) Stowers.” Besides his fabulous 40, his combine performance included a vertical jump of 43 ½ inches, a broad jump of 11-1 and a bench press of 26 reps. “I don’t think he’s Brock Bowers,” a third scout said. “It’s not the tight-end class like the last couple years. He’s a freaky athlete. He’s not a big, long guy. Kind of a short, compact guy. The hands are above average. The route detail is average to above.” Finished with 80 receptions for 892 yards (11.2-yard average) and 11 touchdowns. His 51 receptions in 2025 were the most ever by a Ducks tight end. “Looks like a big wide receiver,” said a fourth scout. “He’s a little possession H-back. He’ll make some splash plays within their system because they do all that (short) stuff and the next thing you know he’s running free. You just don’t see great separation or explosiveness. As a blocker he tries, but he’s (small). This guy isn’t Harold Fannin. He knew how to get open and catch the ball. This guy’s not close to Fannin.” Four-star recruit from Idaho Falls, Id. Chicago’s Colston Loveland, the first tight end taken in 2025 at No. 10, also hails from Idaho (Gooding). “I love everything about him but I wish his hands were better,” a fifth scout said. “He has a lot of drops. Other than that, and that’s kind of a big thing, I like him a lot. What’s nice, too, is he isn’t a bad blocker. Yeah, he’s pretty good at it. You wish he was taller for the position but a receiving tight end that can get into people and block ‘em is good.”
2. ELI STOWERS, Vanderbilt (6-3 ½, 241, 4.50, 2): A 7-foot state high-jump champion in Texas, he put on a show at the combine with a vertical jump of 45 ½ and a broad jump of 11-3. The vertical jump was unheard of for a tight end and the broad jump also led the position this year. “He crushed the drills and ran crazy fast,” one scout said. “He’s a better receiver than Sadiq as far as movement and hands. He just has a better catch radius and hands than Sadiq. Neither one will give you much blocking. Stowers’ catching is what caught my eye. He’s got long-*** arms (32 5/8 inches) and he’s tall. He can catch. If somebody’s covering him he can still just go out fast and get the ball. I don’t see that in Sadiq.” Four-star recruit as a quarterback. Played QB for two years at Texas A&M without throwing a pass before shoulder injuries and opportunity prompted his move to TE at New Mexico State in 2023. Caught 35 passes for the Aggies with Diego Pavia at quarterback, then followed him to Vanderbilt in 2024-’25. “He was super hungry in 2024,” a second scout said. “He almost beat Alabama singlehandedly. I think he saw it as a chance to play in the SEC and show people what he had. This year he didn’t show that hunger until later on in the year. They got away from using him as a blocker and I don’t think it helped his game necessarily. He got out of the flow a little bit. There’s not a whole lot he can’t do. He definitely can block in space. He has shown he’s more than tough enough. He has really skilled eyes and hands. He can run after the catch. I think everybody feels he’s too small to play tight end but I don’t see that. I see a guy maturing into a role. I mean, he was a quarterback. I’d say he’s a top-50 player, for sure. To me, he’s a top 25.” Finished with 146 catches for 1,773 (12.1) and 11 TDs. “He’s intriguing,” a third scout said. “He’s more of a glorified wide receiver disguised as a tight end. I think he’ll make it somewhere. He could go second or third round because he tested well but he’s not going to be much of a blocker.” Won the William V. Campbell Trophy, which often is referred to as the academic Heisman. “Really, really athletic,” a fourth scout said. “That’s kind of his calling card. He’s a smooth athlete, runs well, has good receiving skills. Pretty poor blocker. He’s a quarterback converted to tight end so that kind of tells you where the blocking’s going to be. I thought third round but he may go higher than that.” From Denton, Texas.
3. MAX KLARE, Ohio State (6-4 ½, 246, no 40, 3-4): Played three seasons at Purdue, backing up as a freshman in 2022 before starting 16 of 17 games in 2023-’24 and then going to Ohio State in ’25. “He probably should have stayed at Purdue,” one scout said. “When he was there he kind of lit it up. He got in there (at Ohio State) with a crowded group of tight ends. Most of them were better (blockers). Not that he’s not willing. He’s just not that powerful. He didn’t get the ball much early. He goes in the second or third. He won’t run that well. He’s got the skillset. He’s a good route runner. He can create separation. He’s got really good hands. He’s a really savvy player. I just don’t think he’s going to change a team.” Suffered a broken ankle in 2023 and missed seven games. In all, he caught 116 passes for 1,329 (11.5) and six TDs. “He runs the same route over and over,” a second scout said. “They run a little delay drag route. That’s pretty much where he gets all his production from. Not a natural hands catcher. He’s got easy drops. If you’re that kind of guy you better have great hands. He doesn’t. As a blocker, you’re not getting much from him at all. They had two other guys (Will Kacmarek, Bennett Christian) that did the blocking so he just goes and hangs out with the receivers. They don’t even put him in the mix to do it. He’s a supposed receiving-type tight end who doesn’t catch the ball well and doesn’t really make any big plays or get open well. I didn’t see much there.” Comes from a football family: his father, brother, grandfather and two uncles all played collegiately. “He’s got the genetics,” said a third scout. “He’s more of a work-in-progress guy. I comped him with (Luke) Schoonmaker, who played at Michigan. They used him as a motion and move guy and on whams and kickouts, and I think that’s going to be his forte at the next level, too. He’s not that great blocking but a lot of these guys aren’t. I liked the way he moved around.” Three-star recruit from Guilford, Ind. “He can get himself into the mix,” said a fourth scout. “I don’t think the year went as well for him as expected but I think he’s still going to get there.”
4. JUSTIN JOLY, North Carolina State (6-3 ½, 243, no 40, 3-4): Said one scout: “He reminds me of a poor man’s Sadiq. They’re both kind of chiseled, strong, muscular.” Caught 74 passes at Connecticut in 2022-’23 and 92 more for the Wolfpack in 2024-’25. “Kind of a squattier body but he’s a guy that can block and he can catch, and he’s pretty fast,” said a second scout. “He can get down the seams. You want a guy a little bit taller. He’s kind of a fullback-tight end. He can win blocking man on the line of scrimmage. He works to finish. Third round.” Finished with 166 catches for 1,978 (11.9) and 15 TDs. “What a great set of legs,” said a third scout. “He was listed once at 260. I can imagine that with the legs. Man, is he cut up lower body. His upper body isn’t to the same proportion. Good football player. Just undersized. Has a little bit of tightness sometimes getting away from coverage or getting into his route. He’s got outstanding speed. I think he’s a starter at F. He’ll do the dirty blocking. He’ll go after the ball and catch in a crowd.” From Brewster, N.Y. “He looks more like an H-back but he doesn’t have the toughness to play H-back,” a fourth scout said. “He fancies himself like Tony Gonzalez or Travis Kelce, like this legit receiver. He’s a functional receiver but not good enough to get away with his lack of blocking. F tight ends, a lot of them aren’t great blockers. This guy did improve as a senior but as a junior he was total horse****. He turned stuff down. He’s not a vertical field threat. His speed is just average. He does have a little bit of run after the catch because he’s got a knack and instincts. Somebody will think they can scheme him. He does have some upside as a receiver.”
5. MARLIN KLEIN, Michigan (6-6, 249, 4.71, 4): Growing up in Cologne, Germany, he played soccer and basketball. At age 15, he informed his parents that he wanted to play football. They moved to Georgia, and he developed quickly into a legitimate prospect. “He played the F and the Y,” one scout said. “He can use his head and shoulders to create separation. He has enough seam speed, good hands, can track (the ball), can bend. Good position blocker but lacks that blocking strength.” Spent his first two years hardly playing behind Luke Schoonmaker, AJ Barner, Erick All and Colston Loveland. Served as the No. 2 behind Loveland in 2024 before starting last season. Missed two games early in the season with an ankle injury and returned in limited form until November. Finished with 38 catches for 364 (9.6) and one TD. “Depth-level player,” a second scout said. “I’d be surprised if he got drafted.” Four-star recruit. Three-time All-Big Ten academic honoree.
6. MICHAEL TRIGG, Baylor (6-3 ½, 240, no 40, 4-5): Played seven games at USC in 2021, 10 games (six starts) at Mississippi from 2022-’23 and 22 games (16 starts) at Baylor from 2024-’25. “He’s one of those guys that either is gonna make it or he’s gonna go bust,” said one scout. “He flunked out (of Ole Miss). He could go anywhere (in the draft). Somebody’s going to see something they like and has a coach that thinks he can get it out of him … sees the highlights and this is his best, and we’ll travel with the best.” His arms measured 34 ¼, longest at the position. “He made some great catches that would fill up two to three minutes of his highlights,” the scout said. “He is the prototype new-age tight end. He’s a highlight reel waiting to happen as far as catching the ball down the seam. Marginal blocker. He’s got some issues in his past. He got suspended for a game a year ago and then kind of turned it around (in 2025). They had nothing but high marks for him this year as far as being a teammate. I saw him warm up and he didn’t do a thing. Not one thing. I thought, ‘This guy’s a dog.’ Then he comes out in the first series and makes an unbelievable catch for a touchdown. That’s kind of who he is, though. He’s gonna be a fringe guy that’s gonna have to toe the line. He’s going to have to put on some weight. He’s actually a big wide receiver. He doesn’t block worth beans. He comes across the split zones and he just throws his shoulder in there and isn’t real good at it.” Finished with 108 catches for 1,419 (13.1) and 14 TDs. “Ole Miss basically told him to leave,” a second scout said. “It’s hard to get thrown out at Ole Miss. Talentwise, he deserves to go third round. It’ll just be what (teams) uncover in terms of what his true value is. He’s more talented than Max Klare but he’s not as consistently reliable. He’s got some catches on tape, I mean, over the top of people. He also has some points where you go, ‘Huh? A little lazy there, young man.’ Doesn’t like blocking too much but when he does it he’s good. He’s a weapon. He’s probably the third most talented tight end.” Four-star recruit from Tampa. Averaged 22.6 as a junior on his high-school basketball team.
7. WILL KACMAREK, Ohio State (6-5 ½, 261, 4.77, 5): Regarded by some scouts as the best blocking tight end. “He will steamroll your face,” said one. “I think he’s a starting Y. He can catch but receiving isn’t his primary duty. He’s tough. Sticks his face in there. He’s a very good blocker and he has good hands. You can get the ball to him in certain situations and trust him. He’s a guy that can help you win. I don’t see him as a reason (why you win). He runs a good speed for a Y. He doesn’t run a good speed for an F.” During the blocking drill at the combine he attacked the sled like no other tight end. “A lot of times you have to give up athleticism for the power you need on double-downs ands kickouts, even in pass protection,” said a second scout. “Athletically, he’s a lot like the (Luke) Farrell kid in Jacksonville. I thought he should have gotten the ball more.” Slowest of the top tight ends. “I think he’s just OK,” said a third scout. “He’s more like a third (tight end). He’s not a difference-maker.” Starting 24 of 55 games, he caught 65 passes for 761 (11.7) and four TDs. “With Kacmarek, you know exactly what he’s going to do in the league,” a fourth scout said. “I think he’ll be a starting Y. He’s really good in that role.” From St. Louis. Registered 23 sacks as a defensive end in high school.
8. ELI RARIDON, Notre Dame (6-6, 248, 4.62, 5): Played four seasons for the Irish, starting six of 28 games from 2022-’24 before winning the job and starting 12 times last season. “Interesting guy,” one scout said. “Real big target. Good hands. Got a ways to go as a blocker but he’ll do it. He blocks really erect. He’s been hurt (ACL in ’22) and has a real staggered play history; his medical grade will be a factor. I think he’s just coming into his own. There’s quite a bit there if he wants to be a Y. He has to keep getting stronger and learn how to play with leverage. He’s a better receiver than Kacmarek but not quite the same blocker. He’s definitely not an F. He’s a Y.” Finished with 48 catches for 623 (13.0) and three TDs. “He’s tall, good athlete, has the deep speed, good hands and adjustment,” a second scout said. “Will have some lapses; they all do. Can take a hit over the middle. Very functional blocker who tries to extend. He’s definitely not a drive blocker. He can hit the target on wham blocks across the formation. Better F than Y, but has value at both.” Four-star recruit from Des Moines, Iowa.
THE NEXT FIVE
Jack Endries, Texas (6-4 ½, 245, 4.70)
Said one scout: “Not in love with this guy but he does get a good vertical stretch. Not much of a blocker. Not a lot of width to this guy. He’s got a small-hipped structure. But he’s a good athlete with good hands. He’s tough when he catches. He can be that No. 2 tight end but I don’t see him as a No. 1.”
Oscar Delp, Georgia (6-5, 245, 4.49)
Said one scout: “Really interesting player due to a very inconsistent career. Played amazing for a season, then completely disappeared. When he was used, Delp showed he could be the type of athlete that could create in the pass game. He has some stiffness in his movements but is more than able to win one-on-one against linebackers and safeties. He’s tough to bring down after the catch, which gives him even more value. His lack of production (70 receptions in 55 games, including 34 starts) could hurt but teams will likely think he has a chance to shine at the next level.”
Lake McCree, Southern Cal (6-4, 246, 4.82)
Said one scout: “I thought he was third round. I know I’ve got him rated higher than most people. He reminded me of Greg Dulcich of UCLA coming out. Pretty smooth in and out of his breaks. He’s got good hand quickness and foot quickness. He’s tough. He’ll compete over the middle and influence people with his routes. He’s going to be a serviceable as a run blocker but he does the movement stuff. He needs to put on weight and get a little stronger.”
Seydou Traore, Mississippi State (6-3 ½, 233, no 40)
Said one scout: “He was born in (London) and is a potential NFL International guy that you could get a roster spot for for free (via the Player Pathway program). A lot of people will be interested in him in that regard. At the East-West Shrine he stood out in the one on one’s. He’s got a ways to go as a blocker and all that but as a receiver and as an athlete he’s got some tools. I wouldn’t be surprised if he got picked in the third day.”
Khalil Dinkins, Penn State (6-4, 251, 4.67)
Said one scout: “He sat in a very talented tight-end room and got on the field this year. His career production (37 receptions in 47 games) is very underwhelming, but more of that is on the staff than him. They couldn’t get him the ball very much, especially this year. He’s an athlete. He’s raw. It might take him a little bit of time, and the good news is he’s got a special-teams background. His dad (Darnell) played in the league for quite a while (2002-’09) and made his living as a special-teamer.”
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TACKLES
1. FRANCIS MAUIGOA, Miami (6-5 ½, 328, 5.14, 1): Third-year junior. “I liked Will Campbell but I’d have to say this guy’s better than Will Campbell,” one scout said. “He’s not that (Hall of Famer Willie Roaf) but he’ll be an All-Pro type. He looks like a guard but he moves like a tackle. He’s got feel, balance, and he can bend. He positions guys really well. He’s an instant starter.”
The last four Hurricane tackles taken in the first round — Ereck Flowers (No. 9, 2015), Vernon Carey (No. 19, 2004), Bryant McKenzie (No. 7, 2002) and Leon Searcy (No. 11, 1992) — all started at least 100 NFL games. “He has less questions about him than the others,” said another scout who ranked him atop the pack. “He is a big man. He can stop people. He’s a little more patient than (Monroe) Freeling.” Born in American Samoa, he moved to Florida and became a 5-star recruit out of IMG Academy. “He’s either a right tackle or a guard,” said a third scout. “Big power player. I see him more as a guard. He definitely can be a starting tackle but he’s a Pro Bowl guard. He just doesn’t have quite the agility outside on the NFL level. I’d take him over (Penn State’s Vega) Ioane as a guard.” Arms were 33 ¼ inches, hands were 10 5/8 inches. His short shuttle of 4.59 paced the group. “A freaky, rare-sized tackle that isn’t the agile athlete that (Spencer) Fano and (Caleb) Lomu are,” a fourth scout said. “But in the run game, that’s where you see his power. He’s just more powerful in-line than the other (top) guys. He can move people off the ball. His deficiencies show maybe in pass pro dealing with some of these athletic, twitchy guys. He’s definitely a starter, but when you’re comparing him to the others he doesn’t have that lateral agility. But he can get out and run on pulls and getting to the second level. He’s probably a little heavier than anybody would like him.” Made all 42 starts at RT from 2023-‘25. “Usually the O-line coaches will tell you to make sure he’s a dancing bear and can pass protect and I’ll teach them how to run block,” a fifth scout said. “He’s a deceptive athlete who they’ll love to get their hands on and work on hand placement and consistency. He’ll be a solid starter at the beginning but by the end of the (first) year you’ll be enamored with him as your starter at left tackle or right.” From Ili’ili, American Samoa.
2. SPENCER FANO, Utah (6-5 ½, 312, 4.92, 1): Third-year junior with 24 starts at RT in 2024-’25 and 11 starts at LT in 2023. “In this era of football I like Fano the best because he could at least be a left tackle potentially,” said one scout. “He’s got shorter arms (32 1/8) but he’s got good feet. I think he’ll be able to do it.” His arm length was the shortest of the top 20 tackles. “My concern last year with Will Campbell was he was a little bit short-armed (32 5/8),” a second scout said. “He wasn’t 34, 35 (inches) like some of these guys. I really do think, if you watch throughout the season and especially in the Super Bowl, you could see where that showed up. People are intrigued by Fano the athlete. He’s got a nice frame. He’s got some Rashawn Slater to his game. He’s really athletic and a great technician. But that worried me as well (because) Rashawn’s had a lot of durability issues.” Fano’s 7.34 clocking led the tackles in the short shuttle. His hand size (9 inches) tied for the smallest among the top 20. “He doesn’t have really good length but he’s a great athlete,” a third scout said. “Utah ran a lot of plays where they’d walk down a wideout and pull a tackle out front. He just destroyed people in his path. Or run the quick screen to the wideout and he’d run out there and block the DB and run down the field with the running back. His best blocks are down blocks where he can just maul the guy. He’s not the size of Penei Sewell (6-5, 331, 5.09, 33 ¼ arms). Sewell is built like a brick.” Named Polynesian College Football Player of the Year in 2025. “Against Texas Tech there were a couple times when he gave up his edges early in the play,” a fourth scout said. “But he has the footwork to recover. I think he’s a better foot athlete than Will Campbell. I honestly don’t think that’s much of a concern. Light on his feet. He can mirror in pass pro. Not like a powerful, uproot, road-grader type but he can generate power by being on the move. He’s not weak. It’s more of a stalemate to a gradual win. He’s a top-15 pick.” Four of his uncles played in the NFL. “He’s just kind of average at everything,” a fifth scout said. “Doesn’t have top strength or top movement or feet. Inconsistent with production. He moved around better at the combine than I saw on tape but that’s drill work. He’s got a quirky-type personality.” From Spanish Fork, Utah.
3. BLAKE MILLER, Clemson (6-6 ½, 318, 5.05, 1): Started 54 games over four seasons for a school record total of 3,778 snaps. “There’s nothing sexy,” one scout said. “Nothing that stands out where you go, ‘Oh, wow.’ All he does is play down in, down out with consistent technique. He plays lower than you think for his frame. He can stay down. Pretty efficient in both areas in terms of run blocking and pass blocking. Not a guy with elite feet. His feet aren’t sweet feet, so to speak. But he’s an ideal starting right tackle right off the bat.” Started both ways in high school, participated in track and also wrestled. “Now he’s not the prettiest player all the time but he’s solid and lined up in every game he ever played,” a second scout said. “He’s very reliable in that way. That counts for something. There’s a real strong belief that he’ll go first round at the end.” Despite years of team success Clemson has never had an offensive lineman drafted in the first round. Their second-round picks were Jackson Carman (2021), Dave Thompson (1971) and Harold Olson (1960). “He’ll get thrown down a lot because he’s a little tight in the hips,” a third scout said. “He’s tough. Not the strongest, but he works at it. Good in pass pro. His thing is he’s really, really quick and positions well. After that, sometimes he’s up and down just because he’s not super strong or a top athlete. Ideally, he’s in the second round, but probably will go one.” Arms were 34 ¼, hands were 9 ¾. His 32 reps on the bench press led the position. From Strongsville, Ohio.
4. KADYN PROCTOR, Alabama (6-6 ½, 358, 5.19, 1): Third-year junior, three-year starter at LT. “Like him,” one scout said. “Has a little bit of a younger game but he’s got some lift to him. If a guy’s 366 and 6-7, and he’s a dancing bear, the offensive line coaches can figure it out. I don’t know the wiring because there have been some Alabama tackles that have kind of **** the bed in the league. If it (mental) is not a glaring hole, I just think when the league’s O-line coaches will get their hands on this kid they’re going to be, like, ‘Wait a second. It’ll take you a minute to run around this guy, let alone if he can’t move.’ But he can (move).” The Crimson Tide has had eight tackles drafted in the first round in the past 25 years: Chris Samuels (2000), Andre Smith (2009), D.J. Fluker (2013), Jonah Williams (2019), Jedrick Wills (2020), Alex Leatherwood (2021), Evan Neal (2022) and JC Latham (2024). Samuels, with six, is the only one to receive Pro Bowl honors. All were selected within the first 17 picks. “I didn’t like Evan Neal and this guy is exactly the same,” a second scout said. “I wanted to like him, too. He has a little bit of movement for being so big. But the game against Auburn, he’s just standing around watching. He just teases you and, ultimately, disappoints. Big, good-looking dude but not physical, not a lot of grit. Stands around and watches.” Five-star recruit from Des Moines, Iowa. Played for coach Nick Saban as a freshman, then transferred to Iowa for two months before reentering the transfer portal and returning to Tuscaloosa and the new staff of coach Kalen DeBoer. “Had the transfer portal issue where he kind of quit on the team and was going back to Iowa and then he came crawling back and his teammates accepted him,” said a second scout. “Light on his feet. He can bend. He can move people. He can anchor. Talentwise, there’s no question who this kid is. But he has had weight issues over his career. The intelligence is not great. At the end of the day, O-linemen that are big, smart and tough are the guys that play. The guys that are super talented and maybe not that smart and have weight issues and the work ethic doesn’t match to the talent are the ones you worry about. He’s how you want to draw them up physically but it gives you a little pause with who he is.” Was committed to the Hawkeyes out of high school before flipping to the Tide on national signing day. Also participated in basketball and track. “Big, massive athlete,” said a third scout. “You cannot deny the physical ability but just a lot of hype, a lot of recognition early on. He’s going to go probably in the 20’s but it’s embarrassing. He should be in the top five, top six. He’s more athletic than my top two guys (Fano, Mauigoa) but the top two guys produce consistently. He didn’t. Will he play? Yes. Are you going to be satisfied with him? Probably not. Alabama never really was.” Arms were 33 3/8, hands were 9 ¾. “He’s overrated,” a fourth scout said. “Slow feet. Kind of an oozer. Slow twitch, not a good athlete for pass protection. He’s got to be a right tackle or a guard. But he’s a massive guy and sometimes that’s all you need, especially at guard.” Added a fifth scout: “I don’t know if he has the grit to play guard but he could. He does not dominant consistently. Depends which tape you watch. He’s gifted, though. He’s just a mountain of a man with great feet. He gets lazy sometimes.”
5. MONROE FREELING, Georgia (6-7 ½, 317, 4.98, 1): Third-year junior backed up in 2023, started four games in late 2024 and assumed the LT job in 2025. “You can tell he hasn’t started a ton but every game he got better and better,” one scout said. “He’s got what we call s**t in his neck. He’s got a little more physicality than some of these guys for a younger guy that hasn’t played a bunch. He’s that kind of kid that’s gonna walk in there and be, like, ‘Nothing’s going to be too big. I’m going to learn this job and take this job and make it my own.’ He strikes me as having that kind of play personality. He’s athletic enough. He just needs to continue to develop that man strength. He’s going to play left tackle and play it really, really well.” Had the largest hands (10 ¾) and tied for the longest broad jump (9-7) of the top 20 tackles. “He’s really talented,” a second scout said. “But he has some issues core strength-wise, hand placement, all that stuff.” Four-star recruit from Charleston, S.C. “He’s big, he’s long and he’s got great feet,” said a third scout. “Kind of like a Kolton Miller type. For a guy that’s (inexperienced) he sees things really well. I didn’t see any big holes in his game at all other than being a one-year starter. He’s so big with a wide base. He can change directions. Plays aggressive. He gets overaggressive sometimes but we can work with that. He’s bigger and longer than Fano. Just the body of work is a lot smaller.” Arms were 34 ¾. The Bulldogs have had five first-round tackles in the past eight years: Isaiah Wynn (2018), Isaiah Wilson (2020), Andrew Thomas (2020), Broderick Jones (2023) and Amarius Mims (2024). “Looks thin,” a fourth scout said. “He’s got some initial movement and quickness. He’s just so weak. He’s off with his technique. He kind of falls around a lot. Gets smashed to the ground. You see some athletic stuff there but he’s just a long ways away. I can’t see first round.” Played high-school basketball, averaging 2.3 points and 2.5 rebounds.
6. CALEB LOMU, Utah (6-6, 311, 5.01, 1-2): Assuming Spencer Fano is selected before him, Lomu could become Utah’s fourth-ever first-round tackle. The first two, both Pro Bowl players, were Jordan Gross (2003) and Garett Bolles (2017). “He’s a good athlete, too, but Spencer’s a notch above him,” one scout said. “Lomu has the prototypical size and length. He’s light, too. He has the bigger frame (than Fano). He has the traditional tackle body that you like. Not that he’s soft or anything but he just doesn’t finish with the same urgency. Fano has more strength and power than Lomu.” Third-year junior and two-year starter at LT. “He’s more of a finesse guy than Fano,” a second scout said. “Needs to gain some strength. The feet, the athlete, the body to work with – it’s all there. It may take him a while. I don’t think he’s a guy you can pencil in this year. Physically, there’s some things he needs to get better at and get stronger. I saw him get bull-rushed a couple times.” Arms were 33 5/8, hands were 9 ½. “Both of them are (finesse players),” a third scout said. “It’s the old coaching adage: is it that way, or did you allow it to happen? He’s a good athlete but I wouldn’t call him elite. It’s surprising that he would play there (left tackle) and Fano played right given that Fano’s probably a little better athlete. I like him. He’s the kind of guy that by the end of his first year he’ll be playing good, productive football. I just don’t think he’s a plug-and-play starter.” Four-star recruit from Gilbert, Ariz. Was born in Honolulu. “I think he’s the better of the two,” a fourth scout said. “He’s more athletic than Fano. His production is up and down. He’s not very strong. He gets stood up a lot. Good athlete, not a top athlete. But he’s going to play.” Managed 25 reps on the bench press. “He’s relatively small when you compare him to tackles that are playing,” said a fifth scout. “Just not a big man. I’m a little lower on him than Fano because he’s not a real gritty, edgy O-line mentality.”
7. MAX IHEANACHOR, Arizona State (6-6, 321, 4.90, 1-2): Born in Nigeria, moved to Compton, Calif., at age 13 and played football for the first time in 2022 at East Los Angeles Junior College. “Somebody on campus saw him and said, ‘Man, you need to check out the football team,’” one scout said. “He’s literally only played real football for maybe four years. His arrow is up. He’s got the feet. His deficiencies are all coachable and things he can (improve). Physically, he has first-round talent. He got better as the season went along this year. What he did against David Bailey and those Texas Tech ends put him on the map. You saw what he could do against a real NFL-type pass rusher. He just needs to play more.” Started five games for the Sun Devils in 2023 because of injury. Started at RT in 2024 and at LT in 2025, then played RT at the Senior Bowl. “Good for him if he went to the Senior Bowl like a job interview and took advantage of it,” said a second scout. “I call him a tease because he helped himself at the Senior Bowl but his film was so inconsistent. You saw an athletic dense body, physical at times. But my concerns with him were his instincts, and that leads into smarts. If you’re a little bit of a slow reactor then you can’t take advantage of your talent. I had a hard time with the film. ‘What happened here?’ He’ll go four or five plays and you’re, like, ‘What is this guy?’ You have to figure out if you like him, if you love him and if you’re nervous about him. Athletically and physically, I like him. He just has a hard time consistently putting it all together. Whether that’s mental or not toughness, I don’t know.” Arms were 33 7/8, hands were merely 9. “The more you watch him the more you fall in love with him,” a third scout said. “He’s not going to be a great pass blocker. He’s not the athlete that Fano is but he does a lot of good things. Down blocks. He can pull and get out in front better than you would think just watching him move around. He’s not an elite foot athlete but he can get in the way. He’s a second- or third-round pick. I’d take Lomu.” Shared the position lead in the broad jump at 9-7. “He’s new to football and he plays like it,” a fourth scout said. “These guys are always hit or miss and how long will it take and if he’ll get it. You can see the ability, the flashes but he just plays raw. You just don’t know the background, the learning, the work ethic, and whether you have confidence that’s going to develop. He’s off balance a lot. The hand placement’s wide. He doesn’t seem to pick things up quickly and visually. He is a classic Senior Bowl guy. Everything’s kind of dumbed down there. Those kind of guys shine. It’s easy. You don’t have to learn much. That’s why it isn’t (valuable). He’ll be a second-rounder. If you do all the background and the learning and the toughness, then you say, ‘All right, he’s worth a shot.’” Played basketball and soccer in high school.
8. AUSTIN BARBER, Florida (6-7, 318, 5.13, 2-3): Spent five years in Gainesville, starting 38 of 50 games. “He’s a lot like Blake Miller,” said one scout. “Really tough, very physical. Not as long as I’d like. Sometimes he gets beat by long-arm moves where you can’t stop it at first and then they get you off your feet and get you light on your heels. He’s steady, efficient, smart. He’s going to figure out how to play.” Played at the Senior Bowl. “I don’t think he had as good an all-star week as he would have liked to have had,” the scout said. Arms were 33 1/8, hands were 9 5/8. “He can play on either side but preferably right tackle for me,” said the scout. “But he’s been a left tackle. He’s more like a fourth-round pick especially now that he struggled a little bit (in Mobile).” Four-time All-Southeastern Conference honors student. Played high-school basketball in Jacksonville, Fla.
9. CALEB TIERNAN, Northwestern (6-7 ½, 323, no 40, 2-3): Fifth-year senior. Redshirted in 2021, started five games at RT in 2022 and 38 games at LT from 2023-’25. “He’s smart and he’s tough,” said one scout. “Moves around OK. Can play on both sides. He probably will get taken higher than people think. I’m guessing third round but he could go higher than that. Not great in pass pro, but not bad. I don’t know if he’s strong enough for guard. I don’t think he played that heavy (323 at pro day).” Played four years of varsity basketball at Detroit Country Day High School. “He’s deceptively physical,” a second scout said. “There’s some good toughness in that kid. Little bit of a limited foot athlete. I love the frame but he tends to play to that 6-7 and gets a little high at times. He’ll struggle at times with power rush when he’s late with his hands. He’s got to develop some core strength. What you see is kind of what you get. I wrote him as a solid starter. I don’t know that there’s a ton of upside but steady and efficient. Not elite. Third round.” Arms were short (32 ¼), hands were small (9). Led the tackles in the vertical jump (35 ½). “Tall guys never have to bend, and when they do bend they bend at the waist,” a third scout said. “This guy can bend his knees. He had adequate punch and arm extension. He opens up the gate sometimes to the inside. Good at picking up the switches. Adequate stopping the bull. He can slide his feet. Good at hitting targets on screens.” From Livonia, Mich. “I didn’t like him,” a fourth scout said. “Gave him a backup grade. Mid-to-late rounds. He’s (big) but he just doesn’t play strong.”
10. MARKEL BELL, Miami (6-9, 348, 5.43, 2-3): Weighed close to 400 pounds before and during his two years at Holmes (Miss.) Community College before starting 21 of 28 games at left tackle for the Hurricanes. “He reminds me a little bit of Trent Brown (6-8 ½, 380, 5.26), who went in the seventh round (in 2015),” said one scout. “He had a lot of negatives but he was so damn big and he’s still in the league playing. Bell’s so damn big and he’s got decent enough feet. As soon as he gets his hands on people he wins. He’s so massive. He’s an intriguing guy. He’s more of a pass pro guy with upside. The run blocking … kind of lazy at times. He gets high and lumbers around. But when he wants to he can cave in a side. His thing is, you just stick him at right tackle and he’s got the pass pro and he’s massive. He’s got to go early. You can’t find guys like this. Tackle is the hardest position to find. That’s why the good ones fly off the board. He’s a piece of clay you can coach up.” Longest arms (36 3/8) at the position but merely 9-inch hands. “Some gap teams might like him,” a second scout said. “He is a giant. But he’s raw. But he can get in the way.” Ranked as the No. 4 JUCO prospect out of Holmes. “This guy is a monster,” a third scout said. “He is gigantic, and that’s his whole game. He can smother people in the run game. When he gets his arm extended he does everything really well but he’s so inconsistent at it. He slides good enough but if you redirect with quick stuff on him he’s gonna miss you. If he gets those damn arms on you, at his length, you can’t beat him. If the work ethic and mental are there he can play with the limitations he has. The hand size is weird.” From Cleveland, Miss. “He’s barely draftable,” said a fourth scout. Added a fifth scout: “He’s my eighth tackle and he’s more of a third-round pick. I think he can start in the league.”
11. JUDE BOWRY, Boston College (6-5, 315, 5.10, 3-4): Shared the position lead in the broad jump (9-7) and hand size (10 ¾). “If you took him on straight talent he’s a second-round pick,” one scout said. “He is a natural bender. He is super light on his feet. You say, ‘Yeah, that’s a left tackle right there.’ But the technique’s all over the place. There’s plays where he just short-circuits. Sometimes he’s able to recover because he’s so athletic but sometimes he just gets stuck in the mud.” Limited to 31 games over four seasons, including 21 starts at LT and two at RT, by a series of concussions and other injuries. Looked OK during the practices at the Senior Bowl but then gave up sacks to Duke’s Vincent Anthony and Western Michigan’s Nadame Tucker in the game. “He had a horrible Senior Bowl game,” a second scout said. “He gave up two sacks and some pressures. It was bad. I think he will drop, but he might be a good find late in the draft if he hasn’t lost his confidence.” Arms were 33 ¾. “I’m hanging onto my *** a little bit because I really liked him,” said a third scout not long after the Senior Bowl and after filing his report. “There was a reason he was at the Senior Bowl. He was a physical, aggressive guy. He finished people. What worries me is his confidence as well as his energy kind of dipped when he got beat a couple times. That bothered me. I’ve got to find out who he is. I’d go back to the film and fight for him. Off college tape he was a really good player.” Three-star recruit from Germantown, Md.
12. DAMETRIOUS CROWNOVER, Texas A&M (6-7, 319, 5.15, 3-4): Arrived in College Station as a 3-star tight end in 2021 before redshirting and moving to tackle. “It’s pretty damn close between him and Bell,” said one scout. “He has his strengths. He’s huge. He’s a little better athlete than Bell. He’s a low starter to begin with who can grow into being a (solid) starter. Fourth round.” Two-year starter at RT. Arms were 35 3/8, hands were 10. “He has the ability (to start),” a second said. “There’s not many guys walking the earth like that. He’s light on his feet. He’s got extremely long arms. The body’s not great. He was really late to football. He was a basketball player at a small high school so it might be a little big for him early. But the guy’s been productive in the SEC so that transition gives you encouragement that he’s able to make this next step. He’s a very, very nice kid but you saw him on tape actually bury people. I don’t know if he’s going to go super high just because there are some questions but he’s a massive, long, good athlete that I can see starting. If he’s handled all these interviews I would say back of the third or early fourth.” From Grandview, Texas.
THE NEXT FIVE
Drew Shelton, Penn State (6-5, 313, 5.19)
One scout said: “I have him at guard. He just fits there better. He could be a right tackle. He’s a starter in the league. He could start at guard because of his size and he’s got good feet and lateral range. His hand placement is average. He’s got to get better. I was disappointed in every single Penn State guy. He’s a second-third round type.”
J.C. Davis, Illinois (6-4 ½, 319, 5.13)
One scout said: “Yeah, he has the arm length (34 ¼). Good play strength, good arm length, adequate athlete. He can slide in protection. Has some trouble with speed to power. That’s what really got him. He gets real high in goal-line. Fifth-round type. He played left tackle but he’s a right tackle.”
Isaiah World, Oregon (6-5 ½, 323, no 40)
One scout said: “I really liked him but now he has an ACL (suffered Jan. 9 against Indiana). He’s athletic. I thought he was first part of the second round had he not gotten hurt.”
Diego Pounds, Mississippi (6-6, 328, 5.17)
One scout said: “He’s a massive man to try to move, and there’s a lot of area to try to run around. However, he is slow-footed and struggles with defenders who know how to use their speed. He will have a chance to get into the NFL and stick around a long time ala Dan Skipper.”
Nolan Rucci, Penn State (6-8 ½, 314, 5.45)
One scout said: “His dad (Todd) played in the league (starting guard, Patriots, 1993-’99) and was like a man’s man, a pro’s pro. So you know he’s been raised right. This is a big, long (34-inch arms) guy. He was up and down this year. It might take him a few years but eventually he becomes a really good swing tackle.”
TACKLES
1. FRANCIS MAUIGOA, Miami (6-5 ½, 328, 5.14, 1): Third-year junior. “I liked Will Campbell but I’d have to say this guy’s better than Will Campbell,” one scout said. “He’s not that (Hall of Famer Willie Roaf) but he’ll be an All-Pro type. He looks like a guard but he moves like a tackle. He’s got feel, balance, and he can bend. He positions guys really well. He’s an instant starter.”
The last four Hurricane tackles taken in the first round — Ereck Flowers (No. 9, 2015), Vernon Carey (No. 19, 2004), Bryant McKenzie (No. 7, 2002) and Leon Searcy (No. 11, 1992) — all started at least 100 NFL games. “He has less questions about him than the others,” said another scout who ranked him atop the pack. “He is a big man. He can stop people. He’s a little more patient than (Monroe) Freeling.” Born in American Samoa, he moved to Florida and became a 5-star recruit out of IMG Academy. “He’s either a right tackle or a guard,” said a third scout. “Big power player. I see him more as a guard. He definitely can be a starting tackle but he’s a Pro Bowl guard. He just doesn’t have quite the agility outside on the NFL level. I’d take him over (Penn State’s Vega) Ioane as a guard.” Arms were 33 ¼ inches, hands were 10 5/8 inches. His short shuttle of 4.59 paced the group. “A freaky, rare-sized tackle that isn’t the agile athlete that (Spencer) Fano and (Caleb) Lomu are,” a fourth scout said. “But in the run game, that’s where you see his power. He’s just more powerful in-line than the other (top) guys. He can move people off the ball. His deficiencies show maybe in pass pro dealing with some of these athletic, twitchy guys. He’s definitely a starter, but when you’re comparing him to the others he doesn’t have that lateral agility. But he can get out and run on pulls and getting to the second level. He’s probably a little heavier than anybody would like him.” Made all 42 starts at RT from 2023-‘25. “Usually the O-line coaches will tell you to make sure he’s a dancing bear and can pass protect and I’ll teach them how to run block,” a fifth scout said. “He’s a deceptive athlete who they’ll love to get their hands on and work on hand placement and consistency. He’ll be a solid starter at the beginning but by the end of the (first) year you’ll be enamored with him as your starter at left tackle or right.” From Ili’ili, American Samoa.
2. SPENCER FANO, Utah (6-5 ½, 312, 4.92, 1): Third-year junior with 24 starts at RT in 2024-’25 and 11 starts at LT in 2023. “In this era of football I like Fano the best because he could at least be a left tackle potentially,” said one scout. “He’s got shorter arms (32 1/8) but he’s got good feet. I think he’ll be able to do it.” His arm length was the shortest of the top 20 tackles. “My concern last year with Will Campbell was he was a little bit short-armed (32 5/8),” a second scout said. “He wasn’t 34, 35 (inches) like some of these guys. I really do think, if you watch throughout the season and especially in the Super Bowl, you could see where that showed up. People are intrigued by Fano the athlete. He’s got a nice frame. He’s got some Rashawn Slater to his game. He’s really athletic and a great technician. But that worried me as well (because) Rashawn’s had a lot of durability issues.” Fano’s 7.34 clocking led the tackles in the short shuttle. His hand size (9 inches) tied for the smallest among the top 20. “He doesn’t have really good length but he’s a great athlete,” a third scout said. “Utah ran a lot of plays where they’d walk down a wideout and pull a tackle out front. He just destroyed people in his path. Or run the quick screen to the wideout and he’d run out there and block the DB and run down the field with the running back. His best blocks are down blocks where he can just maul the guy. He’s not the size of Penei Sewell (6-5, 331, 5.09, 33 ¼ arms). Sewell is built like a brick.” Named Polynesian College Football Player of the Year in 2025. “Against Texas Tech there were a couple times when he gave up his edges early in the play,” a fourth scout said. “But he has the footwork to recover. I think he’s a better foot athlete than Will Campbell. I honestly don’t think that’s much of a concern. Light on his feet. He can mirror in pass pro. Not like a powerful, uproot, road-grader type but he can generate power by being on the move. He’s not weak. It’s more of a stalemate to a gradual win. He’s a top-15 pick.” Four of his uncles played in the NFL. “He’s just kind of average at everything,” a fifth scout said. “Doesn’t have top strength or top movement or feet. Inconsistent with production. He moved around better at the combine than I saw on tape but that’s drill work. He’s got a quirky-type personality.” From Spanish Fork, Utah.
3. BLAKE MILLER, Clemson (6-6 ½, 318, 5.05, 1): Started 54 games over four seasons for a school record total of 3,778 snaps. “There’s nothing sexy,” one scout said. “Nothing that stands out where you go, ‘Oh, wow.’ All he does is play down in, down out with consistent technique. He plays lower than you think for his frame. He can stay down. Pretty efficient in both areas in terms of run blocking and pass blocking. Not a guy with elite feet. His feet aren’t sweet feet, so to speak. But he’s an ideal starting right tackle right off the bat.” Started both ways in high school, participated in track and also wrestled. “Now he’s not the prettiest player all the time but he’s solid and lined up in every game he ever played,” a second scout said. “He’s very reliable in that way. That counts for something. There’s a real strong belief that he’ll go first round at the end.” Despite years of team success Clemson has never had an offensive lineman drafted in the first round. Their second-round picks were Jackson Carman (2021), Dave Thompson (1971) and Harold Olson (1960). “He’ll get thrown down a lot because he’s a little tight in the hips,” a third scout said. “He’s tough. Not the strongest, but he works at it. Good in pass pro. His thing is he’s really, really quick and positions well. After that, sometimes he’s up and down just because he’s not super strong or a top athlete. Ideally, he’s in the second round, but probably will go one.” Arms were 34 ¼, hands were 9 ¾. His 32 reps on the bench press led the position. From Strongsville, Ohio.
4. KADYN PROCTOR, Alabama (6-6 ½, 358, 5.19, 1): Third-year junior, three-year starter at LT. “Like him,” one scout said. “Has a little bit of a younger game but he’s got some lift to him. If a guy’s 366 and 6-7, and he’s a dancing bear, the offensive line coaches can figure it out. I don’t know the wiring because there have been some Alabama tackles that have kind of **** the bed in the league. If it (mental) is not a glaring hole, I just think when the league’s O-line coaches will get their hands on this kid they’re going to be, like, ‘Wait a second. It’ll take you a minute to run around this guy, let alone if he can’t move.’ But he can (move).” The Crimson Tide has had eight tackles drafted in the first round in the past 25 years: Chris Samuels (2000), Andre Smith (2009), D.J. Fluker (2013), Jonah Williams (2019), Jedrick Wills (2020), Alex Leatherwood (2021), Evan Neal (2022) and JC Latham (2024). Samuels, with six, is the only one to receive Pro Bowl honors. All were selected within the first 17 picks. “I didn’t like Evan Neal and this guy is exactly the same,” a second scout said. “I wanted to like him, too. He has a little bit of movement for being so big. But the game against Auburn, he’s just standing around watching. He just teases you and, ultimately, disappoints. Big, good-looking dude but not physical, not a lot of grit. Stands around and watches.” Five-star recruit from Des Moines, Iowa. Played for coach Nick Saban as a freshman, then transferred to Iowa for two months before reentering the transfer portal and returning to Tuscaloosa and the new staff of coach Kalen DeBoer. “Had the transfer portal issue where he kind of quit on the team and was going back to Iowa and then he came crawling back and his teammates accepted him,” said a second scout. “Light on his feet. He can bend. He can move people. He can anchor. Talentwise, there’s no question who this kid is. But he has had weight issues over his career. The intelligence is not great. At the end of the day, O-linemen that are big, smart and tough are the guys that play. The guys that are super talented and maybe not that smart and have weight issues and the work ethic doesn’t match to the talent are the ones you worry about. He’s how you want to draw them up physically but it gives you a little pause with who he is.” Was committed to the Hawkeyes out of high school before flipping to the Tide on national signing day. Also participated in basketball and track. “Big, massive athlete,” said a third scout. “You cannot deny the physical ability but just a lot of hype, a lot of recognition early on. He’s going to go probably in the 20’s but it’s embarrassing. He should be in the top five, top six. He’s more athletic than my top two guys (Fano, Mauigoa) but the top two guys produce consistently. He didn’t. Will he play? Yes. Are you going to be satisfied with him? Probably not. Alabama never really was.” Arms were 33 3/8, hands were 9 ¾. “He’s overrated,” a fourth scout said. “Slow feet. Kind of an oozer. Slow twitch, not a good athlete for pass protection. He’s got to be a right tackle or a guard. But he’s a massive guy and sometimes that’s all you need, especially at guard.” Added a fifth scout: “I don’t know if he has the grit to play guard but he could. He does not dominant consistently. Depends which tape you watch. He’s gifted, though. He’s just a mountain of a man with great feet. He gets lazy sometimes.”
5. MONROE FREELING, Georgia (6-7 ½, 317, 4.98, 1): Third-year junior backed up in 2023, started four games in late 2024 and assumed the LT job in 2025. “You can tell he hasn’t started a ton but every game he got better and better,” one scout said. “He’s got what we call s**t in his neck. He’s got a little more physicality than some of these guys for a younger guy that hasn’t played a bunch. He’s that kind of kid that’s gonna walk in there and be, like, ‘Nothing’s going to be too big. I’m going to learn this job and take this job and make it my own.’ He strikes me as having that kind of play personality. He’s athletic enough. He just needs to continue to develop that man strength. He’s going to play left tackle and play it really, really well.” Had the largest hands (10 ¾) and tied for the longest broad jump (9-7) of the top 20 tackles. “He’s really talented,” a second scout said. “But he has some issues core strength-wise, hand placement, all that stuff.” Four-star recruit from Charleston, S.C. “He’s big, he’s long and he’s got great feet,” said a third scout. “Kind of like a Kolton Miller type. For a guy that’s (inexperienced) he sees things really well. I didn’t see any big holes in his game at all other than being a one-year starter. He’s so big with a wide base. He can change directions. Plays aggressive. He gets overaggressive sometimes but we can work with that. He’s bigger and longer than Fano. Just the body of work is a lot smaller.” Arms were 34 ¾. The Bulldogs have had five first-round tackles in the past eight years: Isaiah Wynn (2018), Isaiah Wilson (2020), Andrew Thomas (2020), Broderick Jones (2023) and Amarius Mims (2024). “Looks thin,” a fourth scout said. “He’s got some initial movement and quickness. He’s just so weak. He’s off with his technique. He kind of falls around a lot. Gets smashed to the ground. You see some athletic stuff there but he’s just a long ways away. I can’t see first round.” Played high-school basketball, averaging 2.3 points and 2.5 rebounds.
6. CALEB LOMU, Utah (6-6, 311, 5.01, 1-2): Assuming Spencer Fano is selected before him, Lomu could become Utah’s fourth-ever first-round tackle. The first two, both Pro Bowl players, were Jordan Gross (2003) and Garett Bolles (2017). “He’s a good athlete, too, but Spencer’s a notch above him,” one scout said. “Lomu has the prototypical size and length. He’s light, too. He has the bigger frame (than Fano). He has the traditional tackle body that you like. Not that he’s soft or anything but he just doesn’t finish with the same urgency. Fano has more strength and power than Lomu.” Third-year junior and two-year starter at LT. “He’s more of a finesse guy than Fano,” a second scout said. “Needs to gain some strength. The feet, the athlete, the body to work with – it’s all there. It may take him a while. I don’t think he’s a guy you can pencil in this year. Physically, there’s some things he needs to get better at and get stronger. I saw him get bull-rushed a couple times.” Arms were 33 5/8, hands were 9 ½. “Both of them are (finesse players),” a third scout said. “It’s the old coaching adage: is it that way, or did you allow it to happen? He’s a good athlete but I wouldn’t call him elite. It’s surprising that he would play there (left tackle) and Fano played right given that Fano’s probably a little better athlete. I like him. He’s the kind of guy that by the end of his first year he’ll be playing good, productive football. I just don’t think he’s a plug-and-play starter.” Four-star recruit from Gilbert, Ariz. Was born in Honolulu. “I think he’s the better of the two,” a fourth scout said. “He’s more athletic than Fano. His production is up and down. He’s not very strong. He gets stood up a lot. Good athlete, not a top athlete. But he’s going to play.” Managed 25 reps on the bench press. “He’s relatively small when you compare him to tackles that are playing,” said a fifth scout. “Just not a big man. I’m a little lower on him than Fano because he’s not a real gritty, edgy O-line mentality.”
7. MAX IHEANACHOR, Arizona State (6-6, 321, 4.90, 1-2): Born in Nigeria, moved to Compton, Calif., at age 13 and played football for the first time in 2022 at East Los Angeles Junior College. “Somebody on campus saw him and said, ‘Man, you need to check out the football team,’” one scout said. “He’s literally only played real football for maybe four years. His arrow is up. He’s got the feet. His deficiencies are all coachable and things he can (improve). Physically, he has first-round talent. He got better as the season went along this year. What he did against David Bailey and those Texas Tech ends put him on the map. You saw what he could do against a real NFL-type pass rusher. He just needs to play more.” Started five games for the Sun Devils in 2023 because of injury. Started at RT in 2024 and at LT in 2025, then played RT at the Senior Bowl. “Good for him if he went to the Senior Bowl like a job interview and took advantage of it,” said a second scout. “I call him a tease because he helped himself at the Senior Bowl but his film was so inconsistent. You saw an athletic dense body, physical at times. But my concerns with him were his instincts, and that leads into smarts. If you’re a little bit of a slow reactor then you can’t take advantage of your talent. I had a hard time with the film. ‘What happened here?’ He’ll go four or five plays and you’re, like, ‘What is this guy?’ You have to figure out if you like him, if you love him and if you’re nervous about him. Athletically and physically, I like him. He just has a hard time consistently putting it all together. Whether that’s mental or not toughness, I don’t know.” Arms were 33 7/8, hands were merely 9. “The more you watch him the more you fall in love with him,” a third scout said. “He’s not going to be a great pass blocker. He’s not the athlete that Fano is but he does a lot of good things. Down blocks. He can pull and get out in front better than you would think just watching him move around. He’s not an elite foot athlete but he can get in the way. He’s a second- or third-round pick. I’d take Lomu.” Shared the position lead in the broad jump at 9-7. “He’s new to football and he plays like it,” a fourth scout said. “These guys are always hit or miss and how long will it take and if he’ll get it. You can see the ability, the flashes but he just plays raw. You just don’t know the background, the learning, the work ethic, and whether you have confidence that’s going to develop. He’s off balance a lot. The hand placement’s wide. He doesn’t seem to pick things up quickly and visually. He is a classic Senior Bowl guy. Everything’s kind of dumbed down there. Those kind of guys shine. It’s easy. You don’t have to learn much. That’s why it isn’t (valuable). He’ll be a second-rounder. If you do all the background and the learning and the toughness, then you say, ‘All right, he’s worth a shot.’” Played basketball and soccer in high school.
8. AUSTIN BARBER, Florida (6-7, 318, 5.13, 2-3): Spent five years in Gainesville, starting 38 of 50 games. “He’s a lot like Blake Miller,” said one scout. “Really tough, very physical. Not as long as I’d like. Sometimes he gets beat by long-arm moves where you can’t stop it at first and then they get you off your feet and get you light on your heels. He’s steady, efficient, smart. He’s going to figure out how to play.” Played at the Senior Bowl. “I don’t think he had as good an all-star week as he would have liked to have had,” the scout said. Arms were 33 1/8, hands were 9 5/8. “He can play on either side but preferably right tackle for me,” said the scout. “But he’s been a left tackle. He’s more like a fourth-round pick especially now that he struggled a little bit (in Mobile).” Four-time All-Southeastern Conference honors student. Played high-school basketball in Jacksonville, Fla.
9. CALEB TIERNAN, Northwestern (6-7 ½, 323, no 40, 2-3): Fifth-year senior. Redshirted in 2021, started five games at RT in 2022 and 38 games at LT from 2023-’25. “He’s smart and he’s tough,” said one scout. “Moves around OK. Can play on both sides. He probably will get taken higher than people think. I’m guessing third round but he could go higher than that. Not great in pass pro, but not bad. I don’t know if he’s strong enough for guard. I don’t think he played that heavy (323 at pro day).” Played four years of varsity basketball at Detroit Country Day High School. “He’s deceptively physical,” a second scout said. “There’s some good toughness in that kid. Little bit of a limited foot athlete. I love the frame but he tends to play to that 6-7 and gets a little high at times. He’ll struggle at times with power rush when he’s late with his hands. He’s got to develop some core strength. What you see is kind of what you get. I wrote him as a solid starter. I don’t know that there’s a ton of upside but steady and efficient. Not elite. Third round.” Arms were short (32 ¼), hands were small (9). Led the tackles in the vertical jump (35 ½). “Tall guys never have to bend, and when they do bend they bend at the waist,” a third scout said. “This guy can bend his knees. He had adequate punch and arm extension. He opens up the gate sometimes to the inside. Good at picking up the switches. Adequate stopping the bull. He can slide his feet. Good at hitting targets on screens.” From Livonia, Mich. “I didn’t like him,” a fourth scout said. “Gave him a backup grade. Mid-to-late rounds. He’s (big) but he just doesn’t play strong.”
10. MARKEL BELL, Miami (6-9, 348, 5.43, 2-3): Weighed close to 400 pounds before and during his two years at Holmes (Miss.) Community College before starting 21 of 28 games at left tackle for the Hurricanes. “He reminds me a little bit of Trent Brown (6-8 ½, 380, 5.26), who went in the seventh round (in 2015),” said one scout. “He had a lot of negatives but he was so damn big and he’s still in the league playing. Bell’s so damn big and he’s got decent enough feet. As soon as he gets his hands on people he wins. He’s so massive. He’s an intriguing guy. He’s more of a pass pro guy with upside. The run blocking … kind of lazy at times. He gets high and lumbers around. But when he wants to he can cave in a side. His thing is, you just stick him at right tackle and he’s got the pass pro and he’s massive. He’s got to go early. You can’t find guys like this. Tackle is the hardest position to find. That’s why the good ones fly off the board. He’s a piece of clay you can coach up.” Longest arms (36 3/8) at the position but merely 9-inch hands. “Some gap teams might like him,” a second scout said. “He is a giant. But he’s raw. But he can get in the way.” Ranked as the No. 4 JUCO prospect out of Holmes. “This guy is a monster,” a third scout said. “He is gigantic, and that’s his whole game. He can smother people in the run game. When he gets his arm extended he does everything really well but he’s so inconsistent at it. He slides good enough but if you redirect with quick stuff on him he’s gonna miss you. If he gets those damn arms on you, at his length, you can’t beat him. If the work ethic and mental are there he can play with the limitations he has. The hand size is weird.” From Cleveland, Miss. “He’s barely draftable,” said a fourth scout. Added a fifth scout: “He’s my eighth tackle and he’s more of a third-round pick. I think he can start in the league.”
11. JUDE BOWRY, Boston College (6-5, 315, 5.10, 3-4): Shared the position lead in the broad jump (9-7) and hand size (10 ¾). “If you took him on straight talent he’s a second-round pick,” one scout said. “He is a natural bender. He is super light on his feet. You say, ‘Yeah, that’s a left tackle right there.’ But the technique’s all over the place. There’s plays where he just short-circuits. Sometimes he’s able to recover because he’s so athletic but sometimes he just gets stuck in the mud.” Limited to 31 games over four seasons, including 21 starts at LT and two at RT, by a series of concussions and other injuries. Looked OK during the practices at the Senior Bowl but then gave up sacks to Duke’s Vincent Anthony and Western Michigan’s Nadame Tucker in the game. “He had a horrible Senior Bowl game,” a second scout said. “He gave up two sacks and some pressures. It was bad. I think he will drop, but he might be a good find late in the draft if he hasn’t lost his confidence.” Arms were 33 ¾. “I’m hanging onto my *** a little bit because I really liked him,” said a third scout not long after the Senior Bowl and after filing his report. “There was a reason he was at the Senior Bowl. He was a physical, aggressive guy. He finished people. What worries me is his confidence as well as his energy kind of dipped when he got beat a couple times. That bothered me. I’ve got to find out who he is. I’d go back to the film and fight for him. Off college tape he was a really good player.” Three-star recruit from Germantown, Md.
12. DAMETRIOUS CROWNOVER, Texas A&M (6-7, 319, 5.15, 3-4): Arrived in College Station as a 3-star tight end in 2021 before redshirting and moving to tackle. “It’s pretty damn close between him and Bell,” said one scout. “He has his strengths. He’s huge. He’s a little better athlete than Bell. He’s a low starter to begin with who can grow into being a (solid) starter. Fourth round.” Two-year starter at RT. Arms were 35 3/8, hands were 10. “He has the ability (to start),” a second said. “There’s not many guys walking the earth like that. He’s light on his feet. He’s got extremely long arms. The body’s not great. He was really late to football. He was a basketball player at a small high school so it might be a little big for him early. But the guy’s been productive in the SEC so that transition gives you encouragement that he’s able to make this next step. He’s a very, very nice kid but you saw him on tape actually bury people. I don’t know if he’s going to go super high just because there are some questions but he’s a massive, long, good athlete that I can see starting. If he’s handled all these interviews I would say back of the third or early fourth.” From Grandview, Texas.
THE NEXT FIVE
Drew Shelton, Penn State (6-5, 313, 5.19)
One scout said: “I have him at guard. He just fits there better. He could be a right tackle. He’s a starter in the league. He could start at guard because of his size and he’s got good feet and lateral range. His hand placement is average. He’s got to get better. I was disappointed in every single Penn State guy. He’s a second-third round type.”
J.C. Davis, Illinois (6-4 ½, 319, 5.13)
One scout said: “Yeah, he has the arm length (34 ¼). Good play strength, good arm length, adequate athlete. He can slide in protection. Has some trouble with speed to power. That’s what really got him. He gets real high in goal-line. Fifth-round type. He played left tackle but he’s a right tackle.”
Isaiah World, Oregon (6-5 ½, 323, no 40)
One scout said: “I really liked him but now he has an ACL (suffered Jan. 9 against Indiana). He’s athletic. I thought he was first part of the second round had he not gotten hurt.”
Diego Pounds, Mississippi (6-6, 328, 5.17)
One scout said: “He’s a massive man to try to move, and there’s a lot of area to try to run around. However, he is slow-footed and struggles with defenders who know how to use their speed. He will have a chance to get into the NFL and stick around a long time ala Dan Skipper.”
Nolan Rucci, Penn State (6-8 ½, 314, 5.45)
One scout said: “His dad (Todd) played in the league (starting guard, Patriots, 1993-’99) and was like a man’s man, a pro’s pro. So you know he’s been raised right. This is a big, long (34-inch arms) guy. He was up and down this year. It might take him a few years but eventually he becomes a really good swing tackle.”
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