Five Favorites - 2024 NFL Draft Edition

In this Five Favorites post, I’m taking a look at five players that I’m super excited about ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft. I’m not a trained scout, but I’ve watched a ton of tape in my time and have watched each of these players as much as I can. They’re all awesome, and I fully expected these guys to turn into studs in the NFL. No need for a lengthy intro—let’s dive in.

Quinyon Mitchell (Cornerback, Toledo)

Mitchell is the best and most exciting cornerback prospect in this class in my view, hands down. The Toledo product has a prototypical physical profile for a modern corner. Standing 6’0” and weighing in at 195 pounds, Mitchell posted the second fastest 40 time at 4.33 seconds (with a strong 1.51 second 10 yard split) alongside an impressive 38” vertical and 10’2” broad jump. He also put up strong numbers on the bench, hitting 20 reps of 225 pounds. Taken together, Mitchell has the speed, strength, and size to keep with the vast majority of WRs league-wide.

With that kind of athleticism, one would expect Mitchell to dominate at the collegiate level (particularly given Toledo faced just two Power 5 schools over the course of the last two seasons). And as a 3 year starter playing over 2,200 snaps, that’s exactly what he did. In 2021, Mitchell’s first year as a starter, he had 34 total tackles (2 tackles for loss), 8 pass breakups, an interception, and a forced fumble. In 2022, he had arguably his best season with 41 tackles (3.5 TFLs), 20 pass breakups, and 5 interceptions—including two for TDs against Northern Illinois. Last season, Mitchell had 41 tackles (two TFLs), 18 pass breakups, 1 interception, and a blocked kick. Mitchell also graded out well in coverage. According to Pro Football Focus, in 437 coverage snaps last season, Mitchell gave up a grand total of 27 catches (in 62 targets) for 290 yards and no touchdowns, and opponents posted a passer rating of just 51.1. 2022 was arguably better, as Mitchell also gave up 27 catches (in 70 targets) for just 270 yards and 3 touchdowns in 481 coverage snaps, and opponents posted a passer rating of just 34.8.

Setting the numbers aside, Mitchell shows up well on tape. He routinely shows good hip fluidity and change of direction to go with his obvious straight-line speed. He isn’t afraid to get physical and he rarely shies away from contact. Routinely you see him play through receivers to break up passes, and he’s got a couple tackles where he drops people with the force you’d expect to see from a safety more than a cornerback. Check out this hit:

The one question mark is how Mitchell plays on the line of scrimmage and in press. The vast majority of the time, Mitchell starts plays 5-10 yards off the line of scrimmage. This was obviously a strategy choice by Toledo that allowed Mitchell to easily track both the quarterback and his man effectively, which helped him rack up pass breakups (PBUs). But most NFL teams ask their corners to play press at least sometimes to give offenses different looks and disrupt their timing. You can’t really tell from Mitchell’s play at Toledo whether he can do that effectively against quality receivers, though his athletic profile suggests he’ll be fine if he can be coached up on technique.

Ultimately I think Mitchell will be able to gain the skills he needs to be an effective corner in almost any scheme at the NFL level. He’s tenacious and has great instincts for finding the ball, and he’s got the physical tools to match up with anyone in the league. What’s not to love?

Byron Murphy II (Defensive Tackle, Texas)

To be honest, I initially wanted to watch Texas film with an eye toward mammoth defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat. The Chargers need a nose tackle and Sweat seemed to fit the profile at 6’4” and 366 pounds. So I was super confused seeing a (relatively) small defensive tackle lining up at nose tackle, junior Byron Murphy.

What the hell is that? Murphy, #90, is lined up in a 0 technique head up on the center while Sweat—who is almost 70 pounds heavier—is lined up as a 3 technique outside the right guard against Alabama! That’s crazy, but it’s not an accident. Texas did it all the time last season.

It doesn’t take long to figure out why: Murphy is a dog.

I’ll start with Murphy’s draft profile. At 6’0.5” and 297, Murphy is compact for a defensive tackle but incredibly powerful and quick. He threw up 28 reps on the bench press at the combine with strong explosion numbers for his position (4.87 second 40 yard dash, 33” vertical jump, and 9’3” broad jump). In three years with the Longhorns, Murphy totaled 70 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, and 8 sacks. According to Pro Football Focus, he also had 62 quarterback hurries (36 in 2023) and posted a pass rush win rate of 19.6% this past season, amongst the leaders for defensive tackles nationwide.

That said, what really jumps out is Murphy’s tape. Though on the smaller side for his position, Murphy has enough strength to hold up at nose tackle and take on double teams without getting pushed backward. He also holds up well in the running game, routinely showing the ability to shed blocks and make plays. Check out these clips from Texas’ marquee matchups last season against Alabama and Washington—Murphy is routinely wrecking run plays.

While his run defense is very strong, especially at his size, Murphy’s pass rushing skills are what will really get him reps at the next level. Defensive tackles that can rush the passer are increasingly at a premium in today’s game, as shown by mammoth deals given out this off-season to players like Chris Jones (10.5 sacks), Christian Wilkins (9 sacks), and Justin Madubuike (13 sacks). Murphy’s talent rushing the pass rusher is obvious, and the NFL has recently made clear it values players who can create havoc from the interior to bring pressure in a quarterback’s face. In pass rush, Murphy’s quickness and strong hands allow him to defeat one-on-one blocks routinely. He also takes advantage of his smaller frame and quickness to get skinny and slip through double-teams. He’s even shown that he can get off the line quickly enough to blow by the occasional blocker who doesn’t get off the snap quick enough. You see all three traits in the clip below:

Murphy still has to work on getting home after he beats blocks, but there’s no question the talent to do so is there. Lots of mocks have Murphy going to the Rams at pick #19 to replace future Hall of Fame Aaron Donald. Those are big shoes to fill and it’s unfair to expect anyone to replace Aaron Donald, but Murphy’s still good enough to very excited about.

Malik Nabers (Wide Receiver, LSU)

I hear there have been a handful of good receivers to come out of LSU in recent years. Justin Jefferson, Ja’marr Chase, and Odell Beckham come to mind. After exploding for 1,569 yards and 14 touchdowns this past season as a junior, Malik Nabers set LSU’s all-time receiving yards record, loudly announced himself as part of that vaunted group of receivers, and put himself in the conversation to be the #1 wide receiver in the 2024 draft alongside Marvin Harrison Jr. (Ohio State) and Rome Odunze (Washington).

LSU’s passing game dominated SEC defenses last season to the tune of 45.5 points per game, propelled by almost 339 yards per game and over 10.7 yards per attempt passing. Nabers was a huge part of that success, as he lead LSU’s wide receiver corps in yards and receptions and placed second in touchdowns. In fact, Nabers ranked second nationwide in receiving yards (behind only Odunze) and tied for third in touchdowns (his teammate Brian Thomas Jr. led the nation with 17 receiving touchdowns).

Obviously Nabers benefitted from tremendous seasons from Thomas Jr. and star quarterback Jayden Daniels, but he was a driving force behind LSU’s offense himself. Nabers was Daniels’ favorite target, as he led the team in catches (89) and targets (128). Despite the high volume, Nabers was remarkably efficient. According to stats from Pro Football Focus, Nabers caught almost 70% of his targets for 17.6 yards per reception while sporting a contested catch of over 45% (10 of 22 on contested catches) and a drop rate of just 5.3% (5 total drops). He also showed the ability to rack up yards in a variety of ways. He had a healthy average target depth of 12.2 yards and racked up 624 yards on deep passes, but he also had 14 catches on screens, forced 30 missed tackles, and racked up 6.6 yards after catch per reception on the season per PFF.

Nabers’ success was possible because he is a rare athlete by almost any measure. From a numbers standpoint, Nabers matches up well with some of the best athletes at the wide receiver position; for example, he fits right in with the LSU greats that I mentioned above. Nabers is 6’0”, 199 pounds, ran a blazing 4.35 second 40, and posted astounding jumping numbers with a 42” vertical and 10’9” broad jump at his pro day in March. For comparison, here’s how his measurables compare to Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, and Odell Beckham:

But forget the numbers, the real delight is watching Nabers play. You can see he has the quickness to get on top of cornerbacks in a hurry. Everyone in the secondary is aware that he has game-breaking speed, and they react accordingly. Here’s some fun clips from last season that show Nabers taking advantage of his speed to either blow past DBs (including with safety help over the top) or create plays where nothing much was there to be had.

You can find a million highlight videos for Nabers and, truly, they’re really fun to watch. The guy has insane movement skills, and watching cornerbacks and safeties give him absurd cushions just to avoid getting burned is awesome. Or sometimes you can find even good teams failing to respect Nabers’ speed enough, to disastrous results. For example, he torched even Georgia’s championship caliber defense in the 2022 SEC championship to the tune of 128 yards and a touchdown, including some truly epic blow-by’s of double coverage from Kelee Ringo (now on the Eagles) and Malaki Starks:

Yikes.

Michael Hall Jr. (Defense Tackle, Ohio State)

Unlike the first three guys on my Five Favorites list, Michael Hall Jr. isn’t likely to be drafted in the first round. More likely, Hall isn’t going to come off the board until late Day 2 or early Day 3. But I really like his game regardless, and I expect him to be a high-quality interior pass rusher at the NFL level.

Hall Jr. played all over the defensive line at Ohio State and he’s generally expected to settle in as a 3-technique defensive tackle in the NFL. He was decently productive in terms of counting stats, racking up 43 tackles and six sacks in the last two seasons. Last year, Hall also posted good pass rushing numbers per Pro Football Focus, as he posted 22 hurries in just 413 defensive snaps and a pass rush win rate of 18.3%, impressive numbers for a defensive tackle. While it would’ve been nice to see him convert more of his pressures to sacks, disruption from the interior can be very valuable even if the DT doesn’t get home, as it can screw up the quarterback’s timing or force them to turn into oncoming edge rushers.

Hall put together some solid pass rush tape. He’s really quick and explosive for a defensive tackle, and he does a good job of finding ways to annoy quarterbacks. Even when he can’t get there for the sack, Hall will throw up his hands and push guys back into the QB’s lap. Here are a few clips from games last season against Penn State and Michigan, where Hall showed some promising pass rush ability against quality opponents:

To the extent folks have concerns with Hall, they’re largely around his size and ability to hold up in the run game. Hall was listed at 6’2” and 280 pounds for most of last season, which is on the small side for a defensive tackle. Ohio State frequently moved Hall out to outside shades of guards and even head up on tackles, which masked some of his size issues, but there’s no question he wasn’t the biggest or strongest defensive tackle around. But Hall won’t even turn 21 until June, and it looks like he’s still quite capable of adding bulk to his frame. In fact, at Ohio State’s Pro Day in March, Hall put up some incredible testing numbers that showed he can add weight and stay explosive. Hall weighed in at a respectable 299 pounds but still managed to run a blazing 4.78 second 40 yard dash and post strong jumping numbers with a 33” vertical and 9’3” broad jump, while putting up 24 reps on the bench press test. For comparison, Braden Fiske (DT from Florida State) dominated NFL Combine coverage with roughly similar numbers: 292 pounds, 4.78 second 40 yard dash, 33.5” vertical jump, 9’9” broad jump, and 26 reps on the bench press. If Hall can continue to build up his body while maintaining his athleticism, he could easily become a 3-down player at the NFL level.

Even if Hall can get bigger and stronger, he’ll need to continue to refine his run defense. Although he does a decent job of shedding blocks, there are times that he can get pushed out of gaps a little too easily. Size and strength will help there, and Ohio State’s defensive scheme may have played a role, but it would be nice to see him anchor his space more consistently. There’s no question in my mind he can play the run when he wants to though. Just take a look at this clip from Ohio State’s 2022 game against a very good Notre Dame team—Hall absolutely dominated against the run, and put some great reps together in pass rush too:

Regardless of where Hall ends up going in the draft, he’s going to be a player I watch closely next season in the NFL. He has tremendous talent and can be an impact player right away.

Jaylen Wright (Running Back, Tennessee)

Most of the time, I dislike Auburn and I hate Tennessee. But I’m going to make an exception for Jaylen Wright. This man is a flat out baller.

Wright showed out in 2023. In 12 games, Wright toted the ball 137 times for 1,013 yards and 4 touchdowns and he averaged 7.4 yards per carry, second in the nation amongst qualifying running backs per Sports Reference. I’m a sucker for explosive, and Wright showed repeatedly that he could make magic happen whenever he touched the ball. Wright had four carries of 40+ yards (including runs of 42, 52, 75, and 82 yards) and 10 carries of 20+ yards (7.3% of his carries). Check out these two house calls to open games against Georgia and Connecticut:

Wright’s speed shines in the clips above, and he confirmed his track-star status with numbers at this year’s Combine. Even at 5’10.5” and 210 pounds, Wright was able to run a blistering 4.38 second 40 yard dash, good for second fastest amongst the running backs. Wright’s other explosion numbers were also encouraging, as he had a 38” vertical jump and stellar 11’2” broad jump, the best amongst running backs and third amongst all offensive players at the Combine.

Wright isn’t a between-the-tackles bruiser and definitely shows a preference for getting to the edge of the defense. That makes sense given that when he is able to get to the edge, he can absolutely kill defenses. But he does show some willingness to mix it up inside the tackles. While he’s not a natural downhill runner, he shows good patience in the hole and can turn on the jets if he gets a seam. Check out the mix of runs in the clip below. Wright makes chunk run after chunk run, whether he’s running through the B- and C-gap or hitting the edge. These rushes may not all be home runs, but solid gains like these really stress defenses that are already on alert for the possibility of a house call.

I’d love to see Wright improve his pass protection and ability to rush through early contact. He also didn’t produce a ton as a receiver, although he does appear comfortable catching the ball. But few running backs come out of college as complete players, so it’s hard to knock him for not being Christian McCaffrey.

There isn’t a running back in this year’s draft that’s going to go in the first round. Wright himself will probably end up going in the third or fourth round, in part because he has some holes to fill and in part because of the NFL devaluing the running back position. Still, Wright’s tremendous talent leaps off the screen, and I’m super excited to see what he can do in space in the NFL.