Author: timcr6

2024 NFL Draft: Three PAC-12 transfers who can raise their stock

The NFL draft is loaded with players from the transfer portal and the PAC-12 has some interesting names to watch for 2024

The transfer portal has completely taken over college football. Teams like TCU have essentially built the core of their roster through the portal. It has essentially become free agency in the college football world. Every year, countless players rise through the draft rankings at their new schools. In the PAC-12, there are some transfers at new schools who could find themselves surging up 2023 NFL draft rankings. Here are three guys to watch on the West Coast in 2023. 

Photo Credit: URI Athletics
Ajani Cornelius, Oregon Ducks (Via Rhode Island), OT

Dan Lanning has made it a point to upgrade the trenches ever since he took over after the 2021 season. Ajani Cornelius is sure to help in that department. Standing at a massive 6-4 and 315 pounds, Cornelius has the requisite size and strength to hold up at the next level. Cornelius was one of the most sought after transfers this off-season, and Oregon was able to win him over despite countless schools coming after him extremely hard.

A little-known prospect, he is sure to see an uptick in NFL draft stock with the transfer to Oregon and the PAC-12. The Ducks have fostered a great offensive line culture in recent years and Cornelius appears to be the next Oregon offensive lineman to find themselves playing on Sundays. 

MarShawn Lloyd, USC Trojans (Via South Carolina), RB

Lincoln Riley has built a reputation as one of the best run designers in the country. Adding a player of MarShawn Lloyd’s caliber to his backfield should make for some impressive numbers in 2023. Lloyd is one of the countless players to depart from the Gamecocks this off-season.

This was a player who contributed for the Gamecocks despite not touching the ball as much as he would have liked. Lloyd only had 129 touches during the entire 2022 campaign and still managed over five yards per carry. Adding a threat like this to Lincoln Riley’s offense is sure to raise his draft stock quite a bit.

Patrick McMorris, Cal Golden Bears (Via San Diego State), SAF

The California Golden Bears have built a reputation within the PAC-12 of having one of the better defenses. This off-season, they added a notable transfer in cornerback Patrick McMorris. McMorris is a 6-0, 210 pound safety who is transferring in from San Diego State.

McMorris is sure to get more attention from the NFL now that he is playing on Cal’s defense. In the Mountain West Conference, McMorris was the 2022 Co- Defensive Player of the Year. Had he declared for the draft in 2023, he likely would have been invited to All-Star events such as the Senior Bowl and Shrine Game.

Stock up, stock down after the 2023 Senior Bowl: The trenches shine in Mobile

No group had bigger crowd around them at practices in Mobile than the trenches. Which guys hurt or helped their stock this week?

The Senior Bowl is an event like no other. The entire NFL gathers in South Alabama’s Hancock Whitney stadium, which is decked out in bright orange, for the Reese’s Senior Bowl. Countless teams head to Mobile are looking for players to lead their franchise to wins. Most importantly, those wins start in the trenches. The offensive and defensive lines are surrounded by countless coaches and scouts for the entirety of practice. Which monsters in the trenches helped or hurt their stock at the Senior Bowl this week?

Senior Bowl Trenches: Stock Up, Stock Down

Photo Credit: Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports

Hurt: Andre Carter, EDGE, Army 

Andre Carter is a name that has seen some considerable buzz throughout this draft cycle. He has been mocked in the first round for months, but hit some bumps in the road. Prior to the season ending, legislation passed that would have prohibited Carter from declaring for the NFL draft prior to completing his military service.

Fortunately for Carter, a new bill allowed him to be grandfathered in and will allow him to play under the conditions that were in place when he signed in 2019.

In Mobile, Carter struggled mightily. Upon seeing him in person, Carter looked noticeably thin. His frame is massive, and there is certainly room to add mass, but he looked incredibly lean. He is certainly quick, and he used his length well to win on a handful of reps.

However, when people were able to get their hands on him, primarily Dawand Jones and Cody Mauch, he was put on a highlight tape. Jones drove him right out of bounds in a run drill, and Mauch put him on the ground the next day. 

Helped: Cody Mauch, OL, North Dakota State

North Dakota State’s Cody Mauch did a good bit to help his draft stock this week. To start off, Mauch was voted Offensive Line Practice Player of the Week by the defensive line and linebackers. Mauch is a tweener, with not enough length to play tackle and possibly not enough weight to play guard. His best position still projects as guard, but he did take several reps at center, as well. 

Mauch was far from perfect, and certainly had some reps he wanted back, but there was overwhelmingly more good than bad. His versatility makes him an incredibly intriguing prospect. There were some incredible reps in one-on-ones at left guard, including a pancake against the aforementioned Andre Carter. 

Helped: John Michael Schmitz, OC, Minnesota 

John Michael Schmitz could have his own article about his Senior Bowl week. For lack of a better word, he was fantastic; simple as that. Schmitz came in and measured at over 6’3”, 306 pounds. There is also some thought out there that Schmitz can also play guard. He would likely be great at that spot as well. Schmitz rarely lost a rep in Mobile. He won in one-on-ones, he won on stunt drills, and he won in team drills. 

He also showed his nasty streak in finishing countless reps. His personality also started to show quite a bit. Schmitz was a vocal leader on the field all week, and after successful plays, was seen bringing energy and high-fiving the rest of the offensive line.

For example, on a screen pass, he decleated a linebacker and then, when going to finish the block, was heard yelling all the way from the media bleachers. The center is the de-facto leader of the offensive line and Schmitz is the personality that has the ability to step into an offensive line room as a rookie and quickly become an alpha. 

2023 NFL Draft: Darnell Wright Scouting Report

Mammoth Tennessee offensive tackle Darnell Wright is poised to be a great value pick in the 2023 NFL draft. 

Offensive tackle is one of the most important positions in football and we see so many of them get drafted high come April. In this upcoming class, countless talented tackles have been mocked in the top 50. One of those is Darnell Wright, an absolute mammoth of a man controlling the right side for the Tennessee Volunteers. Wright stands at 6’6”, 335 pounds and is a force with his raw strength.

A former five star recruit, Wright has the pedigree of a top tier player. He’s currently projected to land somewhere in the late first-to-mid second round this spring. Let’s dive into the scouting report on Darnell Wright!

Darnell Wright Scouting Report

Darnell Wright Scouting Report
Photo Credit: Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics

Strengths on tape

Games Watched: Pitt (2022), Florida (2022), LSU (2022), Alabama (2022)

The first thing that immediately stands out about Wright is his otherworldly raw strength, particularly in his hands. It truthfully does not matter who’s in front of him. If he gets his hands on you, it’s over. With absolute vice grips attached to his wrists, Wright can shut down an array of moves from opposing edge rushers.

This was extremely evident in the Pittsburgh game. The same skip move (the James Houston move) was tried on him three separate times (it failed all three times). Seemingly every move was thrown at Wright this season and he never flinched. 

His patience and polish in pass protection is what really stands out. Not even a pro yet, Wright has nearly perfected the snatch-and-trap move. This move appears on his film multiple times each game. So many times he just shuts down whatever gets thrown at him, and it looks to be effortless as well. He has perfected the ability to win each rep with his hands.

Wright’s strength and power have emerged as his trump cards for anything thrown his way. Whether he’s de-cleating someone mid-spin move or just refusing to let Will Anderson disengage, Wright was an impenetrable force in pass protection.  

Concerns 

Look, he’s big and slow. If you can’t get past that, then he is not a player who should be on your board. Despite all his size and power, Wright really struggles to get on the move. There are some positive reps as a puller, but that is also inconsistent because of his limited range. Teams who ask their linemen to get out on the move should not be looking towards Wright.

Another concern is inconsistent hand placement. There are a handful of reps where he allows his hands to drift high and get up around the facemask of who he’s blocking. That getting cleaned up would make him even more reliable in pass protection. 

Team fits 

Whether it’s the late first or the mid second, there are a good amount of teams who should be heavily considering Darnell Wright. One of those is the Dallas Cowboys. With Tyron Smith’s availability issues, Dallas could consider moving on and plugging in Wright on the right side to pair with future Hall of Famer Zack Martin.

Another team who may consider Wright is the Arizona Cardinals. With a new head coach coming in, it is imperative to do everything they can to ensure that Kyler Murray is a $200 million quarterback whenever he returns. The best way to do that is to protect him.

Why Liam Eichenberg Shouldn’t Start After Stint on IR

The Miami Dolphins have announced that offensive lineman Liam Eichenberg has been activated from the injured reserve. Eichenberg, a former second round pick out of Notre Dame, began the season starting at left guard. On November 1st, the Dolphins placed Eichengerg on injured reserve after he was carted off the field.

In his place, Robert Jones has stepped in amicably. Jones, undrafted out of Middle Tennessee State in 2021, has been better than anticipated, but still not great. However, this return to the active roster for Eichenberg should end there. Jones has been just as good — if not better — than Eichenberg was. The results on the field show in both the numbers and the tape. 

Miami Dolphins offensive lineman Liam Eichenberg
Photo Credit: Junfu Han-USA TODAY Sports

Why Keep Liam Eichenberg out of the Starting Lineup 

Discipline 

One of the biggest reasons Robert Jones has been an improvement over Liam Eichenberg has been the reduction in penalties. Both players have started about 7.5 games along the Dolphins offensive line, but Eichenberg has considerably more penalties. Eichenberg has totaled five penalties this season, with three of them being holding. A holding penalty can absolutely kill a drive and put your offense behind schedule. Jones has just two penalties, with both coming as five yard false starts. 

Run game revelation

The Dolphins’ run game was lost early in the season. However, they have managed to find some rhythm late this year. The biggest surge came in Jones’ second start against the Cleveland Browns, where Miami rushed for nearly 200 yards on the ground. Strong surges against Buffalo and Green Bay kept Miami in those games when the passing game was sputtering. The Dolphins spent far too much time early in the season averaging less than four yards per carry on the ground. 

The Outlook Going Forward

Robert Jones should certainly finish out the season at left guard, regardless of whether or not Liam Eichenberg is healthy. The results clearly show that Jones has been more effective, and January is not the time to be shaking up an offensive line that is playing relatively well. Going forward, however, could be a different story.

Both Eichenberg and Jones can be categorized as ‘replacement level’ players. They are not complete disasters like the days of Sam Young and John Jerry, but neither have produced results encouraging enough that Miami should be completely ignoring the position going forward. They can both be on the roster when training camp starts, but some type of stop-gap veteran should be signed in the process.

The Dolphins have a drastically improved offensive line from their 2021 disaster, but this unit is by no means a finished product. The line seemed to self-destruct any time that perennial pro-bowler Terron Armstead was out of the game. Better players at both left guard and right tackle should curb that trend. 

Bijan Robinson: The unquestioned RB1 for the 2023 NFL Draft?

Is Bijan Robinson RB1 for the 2023 NFL draft?
Photo Credit: Adam Davis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Bijan Robinson was an absolute legend at Texas. Robinson capped off his brilliant collegiate career with a stellar 2022 season; landing him ninth in Heisman Trophy voting and winning the prestigious Doak Walker award. Now, with Bijan Robinson likely turning his eye to the 2023 NFL draft, his name seems to be the only one that comes up when discussing who will be the top running back off the board. 

The value of the running back position has dropped precipitously in recent years, with many teams electing to ignore the position in the first round completely. In 2022, only three running backs were taken in the first two rounds, with none coming off the board until Breece Hall at pick 36 to the New York Jets. 

Robinson has been mocked anywhere from the top ten picks to the late second round. But, in every mock draft, one thing always remains the same: He’s the first running back selected. Every time. Is Bijan Robinson the clear best player at his position for the 2023 NFL draft? Does anyone even come close?

Tale of the tape

Photo Credit: Texas Athletics

Games watched: Alabama (2022), Iowa State (2022), Kansas State (2022)

The first thing that immediately jumps off the screen with Bijan Robinson is his size. He’s listed at 6-0, 222 pounds on the Texas official roster (the real numbers will be revealed at the combine). When bent in his stance, Robinson looks more like a linebacker than a running back. The size of his legs alone serve as a sign to defenses that it’s going to be a long day. 

Robinson is so remarkably hard to tackle. He easily sheds would-be tacklers time and time again. Whether it’s a stiff-arm or just simply bouncing off of them, Robinson rarely goes down on first contact and typically requires multiple tacklers. He also couples these extra yards with elite vision. If a hole appears, the chances are rather high that you might find number five in burnt orange bursting through it. Robinson keeps the Longhorns on schedule repeatedly with his meat-and-potatoes running style. 

While he doesn’t possess elite long speed, Robinson does have the requisite quickness and fluidity to find the hole and also hit those cuts to the outside. He has countless reps where he hits the edge and picks up some yards. His strength and contact balance make him a nightmare for defensive backs to come up and tackle.

While being one of the best runners in the country, Robinson had a surprisingly impactful role in the passing attack. He’s not a crisp route runner like Christian McCaffrey, but he is a diabolical weapon in the screen game with his ability to get downhill, follow his blockers, and shrug off tacklers. He can also catch the ball and turn up-field quickly.

Where he stands to improve in the pass game is in pass protection. He lacks instincts there and could use some work. However, there are some encouraging reps, including one against Alabama where he delivers a powerful blow to Will Anderson. 

Biggest Competitor to Bijan Robinson for NFL Draft RB1

The 2022 running back class looks like a deep one, but there seems to be a drop off after the first two names. That other name is Jahmyr Gibbs, originally a Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket who transferred to Alabama prior to the 2022 season. Gibbs is a player who has the potential to be an elite weapon in the passing game.  

Gibbs excels at those angle/Texas routes out of the backfield, and also spent a good portion of his time lined up out wide and working the middle of the field. He has also shown some nice reps in pass protection. While not perfect in that area, he is good enough to make him one of the better third down backs in the 2023 NFL draft class. 

As a runner, Gibbs is incredibly dynamic. He has good vision and does a nice job following his blockers to find the green grass. His explosiveness and speed make him a threat to score on every play. Speedy guys typically don’t fight for extra yards, but Gibbs showed many times that he never quits on a play and can lower his pads to power through for extra yards. 

What’s the verdict?

Almost everyone you ask will have Bijan Robinson as the top running back in the 2023 NFL draft class. There is certainly good reason to do so. Robinson may have the highest ceiling in this class. He should without a doubt be the first running back taken. How high should that be? 

Many draft websites have him as a top five player in the class. That means he almost certainly gets taken in round one. Whether or not that is wise to do so is up in the air. Najee Harris and Travis Etienne went in the first in 2021, and Robinson looks like an unquestionably better player than both. Could he go in the top 20, which no running back has done since Saquan Barkley in 2018? We shall see.