Tyler’s Scouting Report

With Keenan Allen joining Ryan Poles for USC quarterback Caleb Williams’ pro day, the doubt surrounding who the number one pick will be in the 2024 draft is slowly dissipating. Poles and the Chicago front office learned from the Fields experience and have outfitted the Bears roster with a situation conducive to helping develop Williams into the QB of the future.

Tyler’s Scouting Report

It took some time to accept this fact, but we are here now: LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels is QB2 in this draft. The Commanders have made that apparent in their approach to building the offense. Daniels’ explosive playmaking, whether with his feet or through the air, makes him a good fit for Kliff Kingsbury and his Air Raid-esque offense. Mix in the dual-threat ability of the other member of their quarterback room, Marcus Mariota, and Daniels is the guy to lead the new era of Commanders football.

Tyler’s Scouting Report

The phone was ringing off the hook. The offers were enticing. However, Jerod Mayo and this New England staff know that this could be their best shot in finding their franchise guy and don’t overthink the situation. North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye ushers in the next era of Patriots football, and with seasoned veteran Jacoby Brissett to help ease him into the role, Maye will be the face of the Patriots franchise for years to come.

Minnesota sends picks 11, 23, a 2025 first-round pick and a 2025 sixth-round pick to Arizona for pick 4 and a 2025 fourth-round pick

Tyler’s Scouting Report

Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy requires a QB-friendly situation to help him develop into the best version of himself. The Vikings are one of the more quarterback-friendly situations remaining out of the teams that need a long-term answer. Second-year receiver Jordan Addison, new running back Aaron Jones and soon-to-be highest paid-non QB in the league Justin Jefferson headline an arsenal of weaponry that will make the transition to the NFL easy for any rookie quarterback.

Tyler’s Scouting Report

Getting cap-compliant meant losing the top two receivers for Justin Herbert, leaving a void for some sort of playmaker catching the football for the Chargers. With Arizona looking for more capital, Los Angeles gets into a dream scenario where arguably the best player in the draft, Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison, falls to five to help jumpstart the new age of Chargers football.

Tyler’s Scouting Report

The Giants need a spark in the pass-catching department after being one of four teams without an 800-yard pass-catcher in 2023 (Green Bay, New England & Denver). With LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers, you get that spark alongside an entire storm of run-after-the-catch opportunities and explosions behind the defense.

Tyler’s Scouting Report

In 2023, Will Levis saw pressure on the highest percentage of his dropbacks of any starting quarterback not named Zach Wilson. With their spending spree in free agency, the Titans are looking to see what they have in the second-year gunslinger out of Kentucky, especially in a division chock full of young quarterbacks who are the future of their respective franchises. To get the best look possible, Levis has to be upright. In comes Notre Dame’s Joe Alt. At 6’9” and 321 pounds, Alt is a mountain of a man who will be the perfect next step as the Titans continue to rebuild their line.

Arizona sends picks 11 & 66 to Atlanta for pick 8

Tyler’s Scouting Report

With the initial trade down, Arizona had seven picks in the top 100 to add to their roster. However, with the threat of Chicago at pick number nine, Arizona had to sacrifice one of those top 100 selections to move back up for the last of the top tier of receivers in this draft: Washington’s Rome Odunze. Sure, the Cardinals could have stayed put and added, well, anything, but Odunze is a blue-chip prospect as an outside receiver, maybe the last one on the board at this point, depending on your draft board.

Tyler’s Scouting Report

This exact scenario is why the Bears went to get Allen in the first place. The defense, while improved, isn’t without blemishes, and Poles uses his second top-ten pick to add to it. Florida State’s Verse is a powerful force off the edge that will add immediate juice to a team’s pass rush. With the addition of Montez Sweat last season, Chicago’s defense started to turn a corner towards being a top-ten unit (5th in EPA/play allowed, 10th in success rate allowed, 4th in EPA/dropback allowed and 6th in dropback success rate allowed). Adding Verse to the other side immediately makes Chicago a force on the defensive side of the ball again

Tyler’s Scouting Report

Should the signing of Tyron Smith deter the Jets from bringing in some depth early in the draft? Absolutely not. But it does give them a chance to add another dynamic weapon to the offense. Outside of Garrett Wilson, there isn’t a consistent threat to opposing defenses in the passing game. Georgia’s Brock Bowers is as versatile a weapon as you will find in this draft. Bowers can manufacture a mismatch virtually anywhere on the field, outside, in-line, or in the slot.

Tyler’s Scouting Report

After traveling a metaphorical 3,491 miles, the eleventh pick is finally here, and the Atlanta Falcons are on the clock. Outside of Verse, the Falcons have virtually their pick of defensive talent, and they decide to (finally) address their pass rush. UCLA’s Laiatu Latu already has the size, speed and technical prowess to add to Atlanta’s pass rush on day one.

Tyler’s Scouting Report

A potential franchise quarterback should be on the shortlist of needs for the Broncos, especially after the Russell Wilson experiment fizzled out. However, there aren’t any on the board right now, so addressing other needs will take precedence at 12. In 2023, Denver had 117 total pressures for the season, the fourth-worst in the NFL. The uncertainty on the offensive side of the ball will put more pressure on the defense. Alabama’s Dallas Turner and his elite athletic profile could be just what the doctor ordered as they look to rebuild this roster.

Tyler’s Scouting Report

Outside of quarterback, one of the more pressing needs in Vegas will be at the offensive tackle position, specifically on the right side. Luckily for the Raiders, one of the top right tackles in college football is available in Alabama’s JC Latham. While Latham has expressed his want to play on both sides, he showed dominance at the point of attack and in pass protection while on the right side.

Jacksonville sends picks 17 & 96 to New Orleans for picks 14 & 212

Tyler’s Scouting Report

After the run on edge rushers, the cornerback market remains unscathed, leading Jacksonville to ensure they get out in front of the next positional run. Jacksonville could have stayed put and gotten a cornerback, but ensuring you get the one at the top of your board is paramount. Jumping divisional rival Indianapolis is just icing on the top of the cake. Toledo’s Quinyon Mitchell has shot up draft boards since showing that his second-team All-American selections the past two seasons weren’t flukes in the pre-draft process. Mitchell has consistently impressed scouts with his ability to stay glued to a receiver’s hips in press-man and off-man coverage.

Tyler’s Scouting Report

After getting jumped by Jacksonville, Indianapolis Colts’ General Manager Chris Ballard sticks to the plan and picks up the next-best cornerback on the board. Ballard has an athleticism threshold for prospects before being drafted. Alabama’s Terrion Arnold fits that criterion while also being one of the more skilled cornerbacks in the draft.

Tyler’s Scouting Report

With New Orleans out of the way and both AFC South teams choosing to bolster the secondary, that leaves a familiar face to slot in for Seattle. One of the main cogs of the 2024 Joe Moore Award-winning offensive line for the Washington Huskies was offensive tackle Troy Fautanu. The questions for him lie only where he would be slotted best at the next level, but he has the athleticism and technique to play virtually across the line. Fautanu is another solid addition to a Seattle offensive line that continues to get better as it gets younger.

Tyler’s Scouting Report

The risk with trading back here was that Oregon State’s Taliese Fuaga may have been snatched up by Seattle a pick before. However, the familiarity with Fautanu should leave New Orleans with a clear path to the athletically gifted Fuaga while netting another top-100 pick in a talent-heavy draft. With Ryan Ramczyk’s status uncertain for 2024 (and beyond), Fuaga can step in on day one and immediately contribute to the Saints offense.

Tyler’s Scouting Report

Cincinnati decides to roll the dice and the traits, bringing in Georgia’s Amarius Mims and continuing the late-round tackle run. Mims has only eight starts under his belt as a college player, but at 6’8” and 340 pounds, this is a bet that Bengals’ de-facto General Manager Duke Tobin should make.

Tyler’s Scouting Report

Leave it to the Los Angeles Rams to come away with one of the steals of the first round. Penn State’s Chop Robinson will be dinged for his size and will fall accordingly, but he won’t fall far when the Rams run up to bet on his traits. Robinson’s first step is explosion personified and can be a true difference-maker if properly deployed. After losing Leonard Floyd in free agency, getting a young gun (Robinson just turned 21) to replace him would be good business.

Tyler’s Scouting Report

The needs for the Pittsburgh Steelers are simple: They need offensive line help, especially at center. Luckily for them, the best center is still on the board in Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson. Powers-Johnson is simply a skilled, heavy-handed center with a mean streak. Mike Tomlin will love everything about him the second he puts on the black and yellow.

Tyler’s Scouting Report

The Miami Dolphins saw their roster gutted this off-season. One of the larger losses, literally and metaphorically, was defensive tackle Christian Wilkins. The luxury of having that kind of pass-rush from the interior will always be invaluable. Based on that logic, the Dolphins decide that Illinois’ Johnny Newton is the perfect pick in the later parts of the first round. Newton has exceptional athletic ability at 6’2” and 304 pounds. His agility and quickness will make him an early contributor for the Dolphins defense.

Tyler’s Scouting Report

Howie Roseman won’t allow a Nick Saban-coached corner to fall past him in the 2024 NFL Draft. Alabama’s Kool-Aid McKinstry came into the year as a consensus CB1 but lost his hype after the rise of Arnold and Mitchell. However, this doesn’t make McKinstry any less of a problem at the position. McKinstry still has the technique and athletic ability to stay hip-to-hip with any receiver.

The Cardinals still need virtually everything on the roster, and after acquiring Odunze, they continue to bolster the offense, this time up front. Duke’s Graham Barton is another player who can play virtually anywhere on the line, but he will likely live in the interior. Barton is another guy who’s a consistent, reliable offensive lineman that you can bet on giving good reps week in and week out for years to come. For a rebuilding franchise like Arizona, that’s a safe bet to make.

Tyler’s Scouting Report

They say that everything’s bigger in Texas. Their draft picks are no different. At 6’8” and 322 pounds, Oklahoma’s Tyler Guyton has all the traits necessary to be a dominant tackle in the NFL. He’s got good feet, a massive frame, explosive in the run game and long arms to help in the passing game. He’s just raw as a prospect, but when has that ever stopped Jerry Jones?

Tyler’s Scouting Report

How Iowa’s Cooper DeJean landed in the lap of Brian Gutekunst and the Green Bay Packers is beyond me. DeJean projects to play virtually anywhere in the secondary, which is good for Green Bay because they need help virtually everywhere in the secondary. DeJean’s athleticism will make him a fun chess piece for defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley.

Tyler’s Scouting Report

With the runs on tackle, the Bucs are left to either go receiver or continue to build up the defensive line. It’s Tampa Bay, so we’re going defense and picking up Missouri’s Darius Robinson. The strong, twitchy tweener will have some fun figuring out his niche at the next level, but he has all the traits of a guy who can be a consistent problem in the NFL.

Tyler’s Scouting Report

With their third first-round pick of the day, the Cardinals decide to address the defensive side of the ball. Teams ran at will against the Cardinals last season, as Arizona posted league-worst metrics in yards allowed and was second-worst in rushing success rate. Texas’ Byron Murphy II is the second uber-talented defensive tackle who meshes size and strength with unique agility and quickness to make a Broly-type figure on the interior.

Tyler’s Scouting Report

With all the hype surrounding this receiver class, there are a lot of questions that surround some of the major prospects. For LSU’s Brian Thomas Jr., it’s his consistency from down to down. He has all the traits from elite speed to explosive play-making ability. If he can bring those traits every down, Thomas could be a favorite target for Josh Allen for years to come.

Tyler’s Scouting Report

Despite Detroit’s magical run to the NFC Championship last season, one of the main concerns for the Lions was their inability to stop the passing game. They were aggressive in their attack against the run, loading up the box on most downs and daring teams to throw. However, there were times, including during San Francisco’s furious comeback, when the Lions were rendered powerless against the pass. Clemson’s Nate Wiggins would be a big step in ensuring that offenses see more resistance when deciding to throw the ball. Wiggins is an athletic specimen, his 4.28 40-yard dash time came as he was actively pulling his hamstring. Wiggins was expecting to be even faster. Mix that with his long arms and competitive nature, Wiggins is a perfect fit for Dan Campbell and the Lions.

Tyler’s Scouting Report

Adding more firepower in the passing game is paramount for Baltimore, and they have plenty of options at the back end of the first round. They take the long, explosive outside receiver in Texas’ Adonai Mitchell.

There’s not much that San Francisco can complain about with the current state of their roster. The only glaring problem is along the offensive line, and even with the egregious amount of tackles taken in this exercise, the 49ers can find a solution in Arizona’s Jordan Morgan. Morgan’s athleticism makes him a versatile weapon along the offensive line.

Tyler’s Scouting Report

The Kansas City Chiefs want a receiver, but not just any receiver. A receiver that can help them bridge the final stages of this era and help them into the next. A receiver that can both help them win now and develop into a greater threat in the future. Texas’ Xavier Worthy could be that receiver for the Chiefs. Worthy is more than a field stretcher. He is a separator that, if he gets loose, is an almost guaranteed touchdown.