Welcome to the first edition of Grab Bag, where I delve into prospects that you guys want to hear my thoughts on the most. For future editions, I will post a tweet asking for players you want me to analyze, and the likes will count as the votes. In this edition, running backs, wide receivers, Clemson defensive prospects, and a certain versatile, hybrid prospect out of Michigan are going to be highlighted. Thus, here are the 10 NFL Draft prospects for this week.
Breaking down ten popular NFL Draft prospects
Antonio Gibson, RB/WR Memphis
There is no correct answer, in my mind, of where to play Gibson. So instead of labeling him either a running back or wide receiver, I am just calling call the man what he is — an offensive weapon.
Gibson lacks vision and the nuances to be considered a running back right out of the gate. He also lacks the route running skills to be a great receiver at this point in time. But, he is a ton of fun to watch when he gets into the open field. His quickness, explosiveness, speed, elite contact balance, and physicality allow him to be a threat to take it all the way any time he touches the football.
The projection for Gibson is certainly muddier than most, but if you give him outside zones and sweeps, screens, and free releases off the line of scrimmage, he is going to be a dangerous big-play threat underneath and vertically with his speed. He is a guy who raises the floor of an offense with his big-play value.
JK Dobbins, RB Ohio State
Dobbins is ranked as the top running back for some people, but he is my fourth overall. However, I do not want to downplay what he brings to the field and his skill set is impressive. Dobbins has elite vision, great burst and speed, pass protection ability, and easy contact balance.
However, there are still some things that Dobbins lacks to make him a bit higher on my board. His receiving ability is pretty unproven at this point, and he has his fair share of bad drops on tape. That is worrying. Also, while he does have good athleticism, his lateral agility is a bit lacking. It is enough to the point where he does not have the stop and start ability to hit moves in succession with ease.
Lastly, in terms of his decision-making, he can be too patient and conservative. Dobbins has got to sometimes just hit the open hole once he has pressed the line and baited the linebackers into the traffic. He is a very good player, but this is not a flawless or first-round caliber running back.
Jonathan Taylor, RB Wisconsin
Taylor is a track champion with an absurd 10.19 100-meter dash, and it shows on film. His 4.39 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine was no fluke. The guy is a home run hitter not just because of his speed or explosiveness, but also because he has some great contact balance and vision to help create yards for himself with ease.
The biggest thing for Taylor was showing better receiving ability this past season. Taylor does not have the NFL route tree, and that is something he will have to learn, but he has the hands to be a threat in a modern NFL offense. I love his game, and this is a guy who is my second-ranked running back in this draft due to all the great skills he possesses.
AJ Dillon, RB, Boston College
Dillon is a fascinating case study. Some are going to love his tape and pound the table for him on the second day of the draft, but I am not one of those people, unfortunately. He is a throwback power runner who runs best between the tackles with leg drive and sheer strength.
There are just a lot of things Dillon lacks. He tested quite well, but on film, he lacks the burst and speed to be great. That limits him mainly to a short-yardage back who has situational usage.
He has decent hands, but no dynamic ability after the catch. Even his contact balance is spotty, and he goes down a bit too easily for my liking. So, while he absolutely can find a role as a short-yardage specialist in the NFL, Dillon is a guy who has seen his value diminish with the changing times and is firmly a third-day player.
Tee Higgins, WR, Clemson
Higgins is not a flawless wide receiver prospect and failed to make my top-10, but this is also a guy who does a lot of things well, and that will help him be a decent receiver in the NFL. He undoubtedly has great ball skills and contested-catch ability. That is where he will win in the NFL. Higgins uses his size well and plays with good physicality. He also runs a pretty healthy route tree.
However, Higgins is just a stiff route runner and lacks any dynamic ability after the catch. He may drag a defensive back a few yards, but this is not a player you are going to expect to do a lot once the ball is caught. In addition, Higgins does struggle to separate due to the lack of route running ability. He lacks the nuances at the line of scrimmage in his releases to win off the line as well. So, as much as I wish I could like Higgins more, there are just a lot of factors that cap his ceiling. He can be good, but I do not think he will ever be great.
Chase Claypool, WR, Notre Dame
There has been a lot of talk about Claypool moving to tight end, but I do not think that is necessary. Claypool is not the athlete he tested as but is someone with great length and size to bully guys at the catch point. That physicality and contested-catch ability with soft hands will allow Claypool to work great as a big slot and on the boundary as well.
Similar to Higgins, he is not dynamic after the catch and at all and wins mostly through his size. However, Claypool does a nice job of separating using his strength and size. Still, he is a stiff route runner who is not going to be an explosive player at the next level but can be a big target that stresses defenses over the middle from the slot.
K’Von Wallace, S, Clemson
Wallace is an entertaining safety prospect. Between his instincts, closing speed, and sure tackling, Wallace has a real place in the NFL as a sub-package safety and could even be a starting strong safety. He has the hip fluidity to be a deep safety in a cover-2 and flashes some solid ball skills that show he could be effective in that deep role.
Wallace is not an incredibly versatile player, but he is one that can condense multiple roles down in the box. From that subpackage linebacker to the slot cornerback, Wallace can fill all of those roles. In the modern NFL, where sub-packages are being played more than even base defense, Wallace has a ton of value and is a second-day player.
Tanner Muse, LB, Clemson
Muse is going to have to switch to linebacker at the next level. For all the things Muse does well, it is tackling and playing downhill. That straight-line athleticism is what is going to be his biggest asset as he learns to read keys as a weakside linebacker in the NFL and works in short zones rather than having to flip his hips and run vertically with guys. Muse is simply too stiff in his hips to even do that, and that is why he has to take the route of switching to linebacker.
I am not a huge fan of Muse and still believe that even as a linebacker, his coverage upside is capped due to the lack of lateral athleticism and change of direction skills. Still, Muse can be a four-phase special teamer and an athletic downhill linebacker who plays well in the run game more so than in the passing game.
Josh Uche, EDGE, Michigan
Uche is a hybrid pass rusher and linebacker, and that is the exact role he should fill in the NFL. As an off-ball linebacker, Uche is incredibly fluid and smooth and has even run step for step with K.J. Hamler and gotten a pass breakup on him. That is the type of thing he can do in coverage. Even still, he has good processing and reads through his keys well to play downhill.
As a pass rusher, Uche is not as polished. He has great burst and speed off the edge, but does not have a ton of power or hand usage of note. However, his bend is just elite, and he can get near parallel to the ground. Uche’s ability to corner around the arc is some of the best in this class. With that all in mind, Uche can eat up a significant portion of snaps and give depth and value at not one but two positions.