Name your sleepers in the upcoming draft... (1 Viewer)

[Andrus]

1. Dylan Laube-RB- most mocks are showing him go in the 5th, but I think he goes in the 4th or even 3rd depending on fit. I could see the Saints trading into the 4th for him because of his positional flexibility. His floor as a rookie is to make the team as as return man.

2. Jaylin Simpson- S- Experience playing CB and multiple Safety spots, with above average coverage ability for a Safety. He screams Saints mid-late round pick to me. Needs to work on run support, but if he had that down he’d be a 1st/2nd round pick.

3. Cornelius Johnson- WR- Ridiculous contested catch %, high RAS, above average run blocker. Slated to fall to the 5th/6th round, and he may have just been underutilized on a run oriented Michigan team. Looks like a Michael Thomas clone to me.

Honorable mention:
Evan Williams- S- another safety with positional versatility and above average coverage ability for the position. He plays with some extra fire like a young Tyrann Mathieu.

I don't know enough about Laube or Simpson, but agree with you on Cornelius Johnson. Hard to understand why some of the draft pundits have him ranked so low.

 

[SweetT]

I don't know enough about Laube or Simpson, but agree with you on Cornelius Johnson. Hard to understand why some of the draft pundits have him ranked so low.

He didn’t have the big stats like the others that are higher on the boards. Obviously his team never had to have a high powered passing attack, so that will hurt him, but at least he got a championship . He will prove himself at the next level though.

 

[RJS]

I don't know enough about Laube or Simpson, but agree with you on Cornelius Johnson. Hard to understand why some of the draft pundits have him ranked so low.

He's going to be a 24y.o. rookie which may cause some to push him down their rankings. That might be what happened with A.T. Perry last year.

I like the player and he seems like a quality person.

 

[NatureBoy]

I’m on the Tyrone Tracy bandwagon. Dude has the chops to be a full time back. Can catch, run and pass protect. Day 3 guy who could step in to or develop in to a starter.

 

[Eeyore]

I’m on the Tyrone Tracy bandwagon. Dude has the chops to be a full time back. Can catch, run and pass protect. Day 3 guy who could step in to or develop in to a starter.

I clicked this to submit his name. He's a sleeper because, if I remember correctly, he was a receiver for Iowa and made the switch at Purdue.

 

[MikeyF]

Mike Sainristil, CB, Michigan. Sainristil is an undersized slot cornerback. The NFL still values corners who play mostly on the perimeter more than those who feature in the slot, for reasons that remain unclear. More and more of the game’s best receivers are shuffling inside. And outside quarterback, slot corner is the most demanding position on the field. Sainristil is a pocket rocket who doesn’t have the prototypical size or deep speed for a corner but who is a fighter up on the line of scrimmage, a willing tackler and an elite blitzer. He’s the kind of guy teams pass over for a prospect at a more ‘valuable’ position … and then shake their heads when he’s making plays in the playoffs. OC.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2024/apr/25/nfl-draft-2024-predictions-mock-draft-jayden-daniels

 

[1960Saintsfan]

I don't know enough about Laube or Simpson, but agree with you on Cornelius Johnson. Hard to understand why some of the draft pundits have him ranked so low.

I followed Laube during the season, he is impressive.

 

[SWJJ]

Let's talk about the underrated/unheralded draft prospects that we think are undervalued and should be rated somewhat, or much higher in the upcoming draft. Maybe they come from smaller programs. Perhaps they didn't blow it up at the combine or pro-days, or were unable to participate.

Plus, I wanted to do this for posterity to follow how my own picks pan out.

So, I'm going to name three that I've made note of thus far. Feel free to post your own. The caveat is that I don't know what's going on between their ears, so you just don't know if any of the three that I listed below have what it takes from the mental and character standpoints.

1. DT Khristian Boyd - Northern Iowa. After his Saints visit I had to check into this guy. I kept seeing this powerful 6-2, 329 lb. space eating, run stuffing, well constructed for the position manster, that can pressure the QB going from rounds 4 through 6 in mocks. To me, he's likely the 5th or 6th best DT prospect in the draft, with significant upside, despite playing against lesser competition at Northern Iowa. Very disruptive. Great balance and leverage and has a high motor. Did 38 reps with 225lbs on his pro day. He didn't run due to a hammy, but on film you can see that he is explosive and moves well for a guy his size. He had 43 solo tackles, 6.5 for loss, and 3.5 sacks in 2024. Not too shabby. The knock is his length, but yeah, same knock that was on Trey Hendrickson, right? I was impressed with the film that I was able to find on him, so he is a guy that I want to keep an eye on as I think his ceiling is... well... I'm betting that he is a starter somewhere in the NFL within a couple of seasons.





2. WR Bub Means - Pitt. 6-1. 212 lbs. 33/14 in arms, 10 1/8 in hands. Here is what I think went going unconsidered in the write up below... Pitt had TERRIBLE QB's. One could argue that had Means played in a program with better QB play would be rated a LOT higher. Most have Means rated as a late round pick and a projected backup. I think he's better than that. Good size, strong, fast, excellent large hands, and with build up speed/long speed, meaning he is even faster than his 4.43 time suggests when running the shorter 40 yd dash, I would definitely consider taking a flyer on the guy with one of the later round picks. I could see him in a WR rotation sooner than later.

Bub Means Draft and Combine Prospect Profile | NFL.com

All Combine and Draft-Related Analysis, News, Video, and Biographical Information for Bub Means

www.nfl.com

3. TE Jared Wiley - TCU: 6'6, 249. Ok, perhaps not ideal as a blocker, but willing. However, as a receiver he's pretty much NFL Ready, IMO. This past season Wiley had 47 receptions for 520 yards and 8 TD's. He's a former QB that understands the position and where he needs to be to get open. He ran a 4.62-40 at the combine which is close to Jimmy Graham's 4.56, and notably both Wiley and Graham actually came in at 6'6" at the combine while Jimmy weighed in at 260 compared to Wiley's 249. Graham had a slightly better vertical (38.5 to 37.0), 10-yd split (1.58 to 1.62) and 3 cone (6.9 to 7.19), so they were close on the measurables. Not saying that he is the next Jimmy, just that Wiley isn't far off, and it gives us an idea of his ceiling. His film, to me, looks a good bit better than the write up below suggests. I see a guy with upside, and I think he's future starter material for some team.

Andrus = GOAT status.

 

[abnrgr]

Let's talk about the underrated/unheralded draft prospects that we think are undervalued and should be rated somewhat, or much higher in the upcoming draft. Maybe they come from smaller programs. Perhaps they didn't blow it up at the combine or pro-days, or were unable to participate.

Plus, I wanted to do this for posterity to follow how my own picks pan out.

So, I'm going to name three that I've made note of thus far. Feel free to post your own. The caveat is that I don't know what's going on between their ears, so you just don't know if any of the three that I listed below have what it takes from the mental and character standpoints.

1. DT Khristian Boyd - Northern Iowa. After his Saints visit I had to check into this guy. I kept seeing this powerful 6-2, 329 lb. space eating, run stuffing, well constructed for the position manster, that can pressure the QB going from rounds 4 through 6 in mocks. To me, he's likely the 5th or 6th best DT prospect in the draft, with significant upside, despite playing against lesser competition at Northern Iowa. Very disruptive. Great balance and leverage and has a high motor. Did 38 reps with 225lbs on his pro day. He didn't run due to a hammy, but on film you can see that he is explosive and moves well for a guy his size. He had 43 solo tackles, 6.5 for loss, and 3.5 sacks in 2024. Not too shabby. The knock is his length, but yeah, same knock that was on Trey Hendrickson, right? I was impressed with the film that I was able to find on him, so he is a guy that I want to keep an eye on as I think his ceiling is... well... I'm betting that he is a starter somewhere in the NFL within a couple of seasons.





2. WR Bub Means - Pitt. 6-1. 212 lbs. 33/14 in arms, 10 1/8 in hands. Here is what I think went going unconsidered in the write up below... Pitt had TERRIBLE QB's. One could argue that had Means played in a program with better QB play would be rated a LOT higher. Most have Means rated as a late round pick and a projected backup. I think he's better than that. Good size, strong, fast, excellent large hands, and with build up speed/long speed, meaning he is even faster than his 4.43 time suggests when running the shorter 40 yd dash, I would definitely consider taking a flyer on the guy with one of the later round picks. I could see him in a WR rotation sooner than later.

Bub Means Draft and Combine Prospect Profile | NFL.com

All Combine and Draft-Related Analysis, News, Video, and Biographical Information for Bub Means

www.nfl.com

3. TE Jared Wiley - TCU: 6'6, 249. Ok, perhaps not ideal as a blocker, but willing. However, as a receiver he's pretty much NFL Ready, IMO. This past season Wiley had 47 receptions for 520 yards and 8 TD's. He's a former QB that understands the position and where he needs to be to get open. He ran a 4.62-40 at the combine which is close to Jimmy Graham's 4.56, and notably both Wiley and Graham actually came in at 6'6" at the combine while Jimmy weighed in at 260 compared to Wiley's 249. Graham had a slightly better vertical (38.5 to 37.0), 10-yd split (1.58 to 1.62) and 3 cone (6.9 to 7.19), so they were close on the measurables. Not saying that he is the next Jimmy, just that Wiley isn't far off, and it gives us an idea of his ceiling. His film, to me, looks a good bit better than the write up below suggests. I see a guy with upside, and I think he's future starter material for some team.

You nailed it Andrus!

 

[baarbogast]

Let's talk about the underrated/unheralded draft prospects that we think are undervalued and should be rated somewhat, or much higher in the upcoming draft. Maybe they come from smaller programs. Perhaps they didn't blow it up at the combine or pro-days, or were unable to participate.

Plus, I wanted to do this for posterity to follow how my own picks pan out.

So, I'm going to name three that I've made note of thus far. Feel free to post your own. The caveat is that I don't know what's going on between their ears, so you just don't know if any of the three that I listed below have what it takes from the mental and character standpoints.

1. DT Khristian Boyd - Northern Iowa. After his Saints visit I had to check into this guy. I kept seeing this powerful 6-2, 329 lb. space eating, run stuffing, well constructed for the position manster, that can pressure the QB going from rounds 4 through 6 in mocks. To me, he's likely the 5th or 6th best DT prospect in the draft, with significant upside, despite playing against lesser competition at Northern Iowa. Very disruptive. Great balance and leverage and has a high motor. Did 38 reps with 225lbs on his pro day. He didn't run due to a hammy, but on film you can see that he is explosive and moves well for a guy his size. He had 43 solo tackles, 6.5 for loss, and 3.5 sacks in 2024. Not too shabby. The knock is his length, but yeah, same knock that was on Trey Hendrickson, right? I was impressed with the film that I was able to find on him, so he is a guy that I want to keep an eye on as I think his ceiling is... well... I'm betting that he is a starter somewhere in the NFL within a couple of seasons.





2. WR Bub Means - Pitt. 6-1. 212 lbs. 33/14 in arms, 10 1/8 in hands. Here is what I think went going unconsidered in the write up below... Pitt had TERRIBLE QB's. One could argue that had Means played in a program with better QB play would be rated a LOT higher. Most have Means rated as a late round pick and a projected backup. I think he's better than that. Good size, strong, fast, excellent large hands, and with build up speed/long speed, meaning he is even faster than his 4.43 time suggests when running the shorter 40 yd dash, I would definitely consider taking a flyer on the guy with one of the later round picks. I could see him in a WR rotation sooner than later.

Bub Means Draft and Combine Prospect Profile | NFL.com

All Combine and Draft-Related Analysis, News, Video, and Biographical Information for Bub Means

www.nfl.com

3. TE Jared Wiley - TCU: 6'6, 249. Ok, perhaps not ideal as a blocker, but willing. However, as a receiver he's pretty much NFL Ready, IMO. This past season Wiley had 47 receptions for 520 yards and 8 TD's. He's a former QB that understands the position and where he needs to be to get open. He ran a 4.62-40 at the combine which is close to Jimmy Graham's 4.56, and notably both Wiley and Graham actually came in at 6'6" at the combine while Jimmy weighed in at 260 compared to Wiley's 249. Graham had a slightly better vertical (38.5 to 37.0), 10-yd split (1.58 to 1.62) and 3 cone (6.9 to 7.19), so they were close on the measurables. Not saying that he is the next Jimmy, just that Wiley isn't far off, and it gives us an idea of his ceiling. His film, to me, looks a good bit better than the write up below suggests. I see a guy with upside, and I think he's future starter material for some team.

Got to give you credit, you got 2 out of 3, will Wiley give you the hat trick?

 

[joe87]

Yeah Andrus nailed these!

 

[Taker597]

The only thing that I worry about with Byod is the current landscape with run stuffers just getting their position de-emphasize.

 

[El Caliente]

I need Powerball numbers next time the pot is over $1,000,000,000.

Please and thank you.

 

[Deuuuuce]

Andrus GOATed for getting the first two.

 

[jesusfish]

Andrus was dropping insider info, and we didn't even know