Official NFL Draft 1st Round Thread

[Joemailman]

Jayden Daniels

Overview
With five seasons of starting experience under his belt, Daniels possesses a rare blend of playmaking talent and command from the pocket. He’s tall but slender, so there will be concerns about durability, considering how often he ran in college. However, teams must also recognize that he has no issues sitting in the pocket and working through progressions as a platform thrower with good mechanics and footwork. Daniels possesses the football intelligence to get himself protected and take care of the football with quality decision-making. He’s an accurate passer over the first two levels and throws with anticipation to slice and dice zone coverages. He had noticeable issues putting deep throws on faster receivers in stride, though. He lacks ideal size and arm talent, but he’s much more capable as a runner and passer than most of the quarterbacks who have moved on to the next level lately. Daniels is positioned to become a very good NFL starter in a spread-based passing attack.

Strengths
Game is marked by command of the field and football intelligence.
Recognizes pre-snap pressure and has a plan to counter it.
Gets everyone on the same page when setting up protection.
Full-field reader with good rhythm through his progressions.
Willing to plant his flag and attack defenses from the pocket.
Maintains passing platform when sliding around the pocket.
Has made footwork as a passer a priority during his career.
Anticipatory thrower with accuracy and feel for attacking zone windows.
Has the running talent to turn scrambles into back-breaking plays.
Has the speed to keep defenses honest with zone-read concepts.

Weaknesses
Slender frame will lead to durability concerns.
Lack of zip creates danger for him outside the numbers.
Will drop his eyes in the pocket to scan for exits.
Below-average push and placement on deep throws.
Substantially more accurate on rollouts than as a scrambling passer.
Has a tendency to fall off of fade throws, leaving them short.

[Joemailman]

Marvin Harrison Jr.

Overview
Harrison comes from impressive NFL bloodlines and possesses similarities that made his father, Pro Football Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison, special. Harrison can run but isn’t a burner. What makes him tough to handle is his consistent play speed paired with quality salesmanship in his routes. He’s able to uncover no matter where he’s aligned or which part of the field his assignment takes him to, and he is capable of finishing catches in a crowd. Harrison can be sudden while working possession routes, and he’s well qualified to beat any opponent with his ball skills if the battle heads deep. Harrison is a touchdown champ with a variety of ways to excel, and that characteristic figures to follow him into the pros. He has the traits and tools to win in all three phases of the route and on all three levels of the field. He’s a pedigree prospect and a Day 1 starter with high-end production expected.

Strengths

Exceptional production as a high-volume, high-impact target.
Runs routes with threatening pace and is sudden out of breaks.
Good rhythm and body control snapping off comeback routes.
Uses speed changes to create indecisiveness in cornerbacks.
Elite scramble talent to uncover wide open when play breaks down.
Plays with pro feet working his boundary catches.
Highly focused deep-ball tracker with above-average ball skills.
Can make late body adjustments with sudden hands to bring in the catch.
Elegant leap and spin to snatch throws over defender’s heads.

Weaknesses
Room for improvement with release against press.
Allowed grabby coverage too much leeway in disrupting his routes.
Needs better route efficiency without as much stutter-stepping.
Might not have enough blow-by speed to consistently outrun NFL corners.
Had uncharacteristic drops in 2023.

[red]

come on giants, take JJ

[red]

no need for a QB in new york, we'll just draft another guy for no one to throw to

[King Friday]

This is the perfect NY pick…flashy guy who is never going to win shit.

[Joemailman]

Michael Penix

Overview
Penix will be a 24-year-old rookie with a history of season-ending injuries at Indiana and impressive production while at Washington. The Huskies’ offensive design helped declutter coverages for Penix, allowing him to throw a higher number of intermediate and deep passes. He plays with smart pocket mobility and a willingness to get rid of the football, which makes it difficult to sack him. His delivery is bundled and his release point is very low, but his monster game against Texas showed flashes of impeccable touch. Penix has plenty of arm but needs to work with more consistent timing between the numbers to eliminate unnecessary contested throws. He’s a pocket passer who was ineffective in 2023 when defenses were able to crank up the heat and make him move his feet. Playing in a shotgun-based spread attack might give him his best chance to succeed, but he needs to prove he can thrive outside of the Washington offense and stay free from injury.

Strengths
Possesses enormous hands to control the football.
Sees pressure creeping up pre-snap and gets himself protected.
Makes sudden transition from his drop to his release.
Slides from pressure and resets to find his platform.
Wrist flick sends it 50-plus yards without much effort.
Has ability to make drive throws with added velocity when needed.
Fearless attacking far-sideline buckets between corner and safety.
Sacked just 31 times over 1,759 career dropbacks, per PFF.

IWeaknesses
Suffered multiple season-ending injuries during his time at Indiana, including tearing his right ACL twice.
Posted 20 TDs and 9 INTs over his final 11 games of the 2023 season.
Forces receivers to break stride on a variety of throws.
Throws with wide-open front side when feet fail to follow his eyes.
Heavily reliant upon receiving talent winning jump balls.
Production/consistency plummet when forced to throw outside the pocket.

[Joemailman]

Rome Odunze

Overview
A team captain with good size and elite ball skills, Odunze consistently dominated his competition. While most receivers look to open separation windows with speed or route running, Odunze seems to relish jump balls and contested catches. He shines in all aspects of ball skills, including positioning, body control, hand strength, timing and mid-air adjustments. He has a tendency to cruise through routes rather than working with attention to detail and pacing. He was a decorated high school sprinter, so speed should not be an issue in the pros. He’s a high-volume target on the next level that play-callers can utilize to mismatch finesse cornerbacks. Elite ball skills are often the secret sauce for top NFL receivers, so it should not surprise if Odunze is a Day 1 starter who becomes a top-flight WR1.

Strengths
Carries the frame and play strength of an NFL WR1.
Lacks rare speed but should be considered a playmaker.
Good separation talent.
Early eyes on the football to find positioning as quickly as possible.
All-star ball-winner with magnificent body control and acrobatic ball skills.
Brilliant job of bodying defenders and controlling air traffic.
Is going to be too strong and too skilled for some defenders.
Catches with strong, reliable hands away from his frame.

Weaknesses
Rushes through early stages of his double moves.
Upright and gradual into top of the route on comebacks.
Attention to detail is missing from his routes.
Too content taking 50/50 battles rather than operating at top speed.
Room for greater effort as a run blocker.

[red]

come on, someone move up to fuck the queens

[red]

penix JR goes #8 to the falcons????????

theres the first massive surprise

could the jets take JJ?

[pittstang5]

Ok, now it got interesting.

But somebody's gotta move up to take JJ...Cmon, Damn it, somebody move up.

[King Friday]

Defense doesn’t exist anymore.

[red]

bears got some offensive weapons

can they coach offense?

[red]

university of washington with 2 top 10 picks

has that ever happened before?

[Joemailman]

penix JR goes #8 to the falcons????????

theres the first massive surprise

could the jets take JJ?

Vikings have traded up to 10..They will take JJ.

[Joemailman]

Joe Alt

Overview
Long-limbed team captain with NFL-quality tackle play coursing through his veins. Alt plays a disciplined brand of football, avoiding penalties and working with fluid transitions from entry to sustain to finish as a run blocker. Alt is a capable drive blocker with the foot quickness to play onto the second level. He struggles to bend enough to compensate for his height and ends up playing with waist-bending and forward lean that can hamper his anchor against bull-rushers. Alt has quick hands and outstanding arm extension, promoting his ability to sustain blocks and redirect pass-rushers. He’s a good technician who carries himself with confidence from snap to snap. Alt clearly has the talent to become a Day 1 starter on the left side, but he’ll need to clean up his habit of leaning forward, or he could be in for some bumpy action early on.

Strengths
Father, John Alt, was a Pro Bowl NFL tackle and brother, Mark Alt, was an NHL player.
Creates pre-snap plan for combo blocks and is rhythmic getting from one to two.
Adjusts stride length and footwork to capture first contact with balance.
Maintains feel and keeps feet moving to mirror and ride opponents for block sustain.
Scores early with stiff right hand into rusher’s inside shoulder in pass pro.
Feet are fluid and instinctive to consistently mirror edge-to-edge rush challenges.
Uses arm extension to successfully steer arc runners and inside counters off the track.
Technically sound with good instincts to withstand attacks from twists.

Weaknesses
Gets off the snap with excessive forward lean in an attempt to lower pad level.
Leverage-based opponents can stand and stall drive blocking attempts.
Too much waist-bending and not enough chin-tuck in protection posture.
Beaten by late movement when feet start to sink too deep.
High center of gravity could make it hard to find emergency brakes against NFL power rushers.

[Joemailman]

Malik Nabers

Overview
Nabers is the next big thing coming out of LSU’s receiver room, with the pure explosiveness and talent to be mentioned in the same breath as former LSU stars starring in the league today. Despite a lack of polish and precision as a route-runner, Nabers’ gliding movements and speed alterations seem to disguise the top-end speed and separation potential that await opposing coverages. He’s a bouncy leaper with the athletic ability to make the impossible catches possible. He tucks away accurate throws and displays the toughness and play strength to fight for tight-window victories over the middle. Nabers will need to address his tendency to track and play deep throws with finesse, or his early advantages will turn into 50/50 battles. He can play all three receiver spots and has the profile to become a productive, high-volume target over all three levels as a potential WR1.

Strengths
Skills and traits needed to produce effectively on all three levels as a pro.
Glides and burns past defenders deep or pushes them into retreat for easy stop routes.
Changes speeds inside the route to tilt defenders off the break point.
Good hand-fighting and post-up talent to win positioning battles against big corners.
Frames up defender to finish contested catches underneath.
Premium leaper with contortionist’s talent for in-air adjustments on jump balls.
Catches off-frame balls with strong, sudden hands.
Has grab-and-go acceleration to catch it short and take it long.

Weaknesses
Runs free into big spaces but needs additional route schooling.
Inconsistent hip sink to snap routes off at crisp angles.
Would benefit from eliminating wasted motion in early phases of the route.
Lackadaisical to capture positioning and stack coverage behind him.