Ben Solak put together a list of 11 players that aren't the big name guys who may not show crazy stats or measurables but show out when you see them on film.
Quarterback: Tyler Shough, Louisville - He is older than Trevor Lawrence (seems insane). Big body with legit NFL arm talent and downfield touch. Panics in the pocket under pressure. Compares well to Jared Goff.
Running Back: Devin Neal, Kansas - 5'11" 213 lbs (solid) had a high avg yards per carry (5.7) even though he carried the ball a ton (760 times) in college. Doesn't fumble and is a good receiver out of the backfield. He is not fast. Has pretty good explosiveness but lacks top speed. He reminds Solak of Zack Moss who was drafted by the Bills in round 3.
Wide Receiver: Jack Bech, TCU - Transitions from Catcher to Runner extremely well. Compares well to Cooper Kupp but is a bit shorter and heavier so is a bit more solidly built. Would be an immediate good fit in a Shanahan/McVay offense. Solak thinks the Texans at pick no. 58 would be a good landing spot for Bech.
Tight End: Mitchell Evans, Notre Dame - He was the third leading TE in receiving in 2023 but had a rough 2024 after recovering from a late season injury from the year before. He's a legit 3 down TE as a good blocker with a good catch radius. Kmet from the Bears is a good comparison for Evans.
Offensive Tackle: Will Campbell, LSU - Started for three years in the SEC. Good flexibility and football IQ and was left on an island a lot against great pass rushers. Has shorter arms than the desired length for an NFL tackle (if he's good who cares?). He may switch to Guard but will at least get a shot at Tackle.
Interior Offensive Line: Willie Lampkin, North Carolina - Started as a Freshman at Coastal Carolina in 2020 at Guard then played Tackle and Center the next 2 years. He is only 5'11" making him the shortest in the NFL Next Gen database going back to 2003. Some teams have questioned about moving him to a FB role because of his stature.
Interior Defensive Line: Tyleik Williams, Ohio State - Great run defending tackle with multiple years of starting experience. He's big and can stuff the run even though he wasn't asked to play traditional nose at OSU with a four front. Has great play recognition. Alim McNeil is a good comp for him.
EDGE: Ashton Gillotte, Louisville - Has short arms but makes up for it with explosive play strength and surprising quickness. Won't be a sack artist but will be useful in different packages. Would be useful in a defense like Tampa Bay, Denver or Detroit. Markus Golden is a good comp for him.
Linebacker: Carson Schwesinger, UCLA - Started 10 games last year and scored double digit tackles in 9 of them. He is a converted safety and a one year starter so you need to watch the tape to see his capabilities. Flies to contact and hits with legit stopping power. Needs to learn to defend routes running behind him. Build reminds Solak of Fred Warner.
Cornerback: Azareye'h Thomas, Florida State - Big, long, strong corner that isn't as fast as you would like. Has quiet feet and steady hands and is good in press man coverage. Does not have many interceptions even though he is often in good position. Carlton Davis III is a good comparison here.
Safety: Andrew Mukuba, Texas - Is a smart defender with multiple interceptions based on recognizing route concepts. Has good speed. He's a scrappy player that arrives to contact with bad intentions. He is also a good culture setter in the locker room. His issue is size, he is small for a safety. C.J. Gardner-Johnson is his comp.
Quarterback: Tyler Shough, Louisville - He is older than Trevor Lawrence (seems insane). Big body with legit NFL arm talent and downfield touch. Panics in the pocket under pressure. Compares well to Jared Goff.
Running Back: Devin Neal, Kansas - 5'11" 213 lbs (solid) had a high avg yards per carry (5.7) even though he carried the ball a ton (760 times) in college. Doesn't fumble and is a good receiver out of the backfield. He is not fast. Has pretty good explosiveness but lacks top speed. He reminds Solak of Zack Moss who was drafted by the Bills in round 3.
Wide Receiver: Jack Bech, TCU - Transitions from Catcher to Runner extremely well. Compares well to Cooper Kupp but is a bit shorter and heavier so is a bit more solidly built. Would be an immediate good fit in a Shanahan/McVay offense. Solak thinks the Texans at pick no. 58 would be a good landing spot for Bech.
Tight End: Mitchell Evans, Notre Dame - He was the third leading TE in receiving in 2023 but had a rough 2024 after recovering from a late season injury from the year before. He's a legit 3 down TE as a good blocker with a good catch radius. Kmet from the Bears is a good comparison for Evans.
Offensive Tackle: Will Campbell, LSU - Started for three years in the SEC. Good flexibility and football IQ and was left on an island a lot against great pass rushers. Has shorter arms than the desired length for an NFL tackle (if he's good who cares?). He may switch to Guard but will at least get a shot at Tackle.
Interior Offensive Line: Willie Lampkin, North Carolina - Started as a Freshman at Coastal Carolina in 2020 at Guard then played Tackle and Center the next 2 years. He is only 5'11" making him the shortest in the NFL Next Gen database going back to 2003. Some teams have questioned about moving him to a FB role because of his stature.
Interior Defensive Line: Tyleik Williams, Ohio State - Great run defending tackle with multiple years of starting experience. He's big and can stuff the run even though he wasn't asked to play traditional nose at OSU with a four front. Has great play recognition. Alim McNeil is a good comp for him.
EDGE: Ashton Gillotte, Louisville - Has short arms but makes up for it with explosive play strength and surprising quickness. Won't be a sack artist but will be useful in different packages. Would be useful in a defense like Tampa Bay, Denver or Detroit. Markus Golden is a good comp for him.
Linebacker: Carson Schwesinger, UCLA - Started 10 games last year and scored double digit tackles in 9 of them. He is a converted safety and a one year starter so you need to watch the tape to see his capabilities. Flies to contact and hits with legit stopping power. Needs to learn to defend routes running behind him. Build reminds Solak of Fred Warner.
Cornerback: Azareye'h Thomas, Florida State - Big, long, strong corner that isn't as fast as you would like. Has quiet feet and steady hands and is good in press man coverage. Does not have many interceptions even though he is often in good position. Carlton Davis III is a good comparison here.
Safety: Andrew Mukuba, Texas - Is a smart defender with multiple interceptions based on recognizing route concepts. Has good speed. He's a scrappy player that arrives to contact with bad intentions. He is also a good culture setter in the locker room. His issue is size, he is small for a safety. C.J. Gardner-Johnson is his comp.
