This draft class is one of the weaker classes I can remember. There are not many sleepers this year because, frankly, there are not many studs either. The college QB class was a bit overhyped coming into the year so I believe that had a lot to do with it. However, there are still some difference makers so with only a few days to spare, here are my top 5 at every offensive position.

Note: One asterisk is who the Commanders have a legitimate chance to get and who they should target in the first round and two asterisks, 2^nd round.

QB:

1. Bryce Young, Alabama, 5’10” 204 lbs – 1st overall
2. CJ Stroud, Ohio State 6’3” 214 lbs – Top 5
3. Hendon Hooker, Tennessee, 6’4” 218 – 1^st-2^nd Round
4. Will Levis, Kentucky, 6’4” 229lbs – 1^st-2^nd Round
5. Anthony Richardson, Florida 6’4” 244 lbs -1^st-2^nd Round

Skinny: Bryce Young will go #1 overall and deservedly so. He had an excellent college career where he won both a national championship and a Heisman trophy. His numbers dipped a good bit last season since the team around him wasn’t nearly as dominant as the year before. However, he still showed good accuracy (64.5%) and had 32 TDs to 5 ints. His size might concern some GMs but his tape is second to none. Even at 5’10, dominated at the highest level of college football (the SEC) the last two years. I also liked how when the chips were down, he always seemed to dial in and rise to the occasion (ie the Texas game). Granted, he is not bust proof. There are some concerns with his game like his lazy footwork and the way he sails intermediate throws when facing pressure. There may be some growing pains but overall, the Panthers should be ecstatic to get him.

CJ Stroud comes in at #2 but I do not have a whole lot of confidence he will be a star. He played with arguably the greatest array of receivers a college QB could have over two years (NFL OROY Garret Wilson, Chris Olave, Jaxon Smith-Njiba, Marvin Harrison Jr.) and a star-studded offensive line as well (tackles Paris Johnson and Dawan Jones should be 1^st round picks this year). While you can argue whether or not he could have succeeded in another QBs situation like Young or Levis, there is no denying how well he played towards the end of the season. He shined against Georgia and frankly should have beat them if that field goal wasn’t missed at the buzzer. Stroud will need a year to develop at get used to some pressure in his face (which he rarely saw at OSU) but if you give him a clean pocket, he has all the tools to be a solid starter at the next level.

The rankings get a little tricky after the top two. Hendon Hooker would be my third choice at QB even though he will be 26 before he can even suit up on an NFL field. Before his ACL tear, Hooker was looking like a unanimous Heisman winner and had Tennessee as the favorite to win a national Championship until they went into Athens. The Volunteers gimmicky offense gives me pause but Hooker had a solid college career, hardly throwing interceptions (only 2 last season) and finishing with a 65% completion percentage or higher since his redshirt sophomore year (69.6% last year). He also has the best deep ball in the class. I feel like people are sleeping on his arm in general. Further, I feel like he might be one of the best in the class from the pocket and stands tall against interior pressure. If his ACL heals properly, he should be another day 2 QB that takes the league by storm.

Levis and Richardson fill out my top 5 QBs. Each are workout warriors and superb athletes (especially Richardson) but both struggle with inaccuracy and are inconsistent. Scouts like to compare Levis to Josh Allen but he’s more like Carson Wentz but possibly even more of a head case (eats bananas with the peels on and puts mayonnaise in his coffee). Yet, I can still see why scouts get so excited about him. He has the biggest arm in the class, is tough in the pocket, accurate on third down and isn’t scared to put his head down and fight for that extra yard. He had no help at Kentucky and still made them a top 25 squad. He’s everyone’s most hated prospect but honestly, I could see him being a solid starter in the NFL with the right coach. But hey, he I could also see him pissing off his teammates/ coaching staff and be out of the league in a year.

Richardson is the #1 boom or bust in the class. He is big, strong, fast, and has a cannon of an arm. However, he was awfully inaccurate at times at Florida and does not handle pressure well. Scouts like to say he’s the next Cam Newton but faster but I see a lot more Trey Lance in his game than I do Cam Newton. Still, if he’s drafted into the right system and the coaches are willing to go through some growing pains, he has higher potential than everyone. Also, he’s only 20 years old so unless he crashes and burns hard, he should be around for a while.

RB

1. *Bijan Robinson, Texas, 5’11” 215lbs, 4.46 40 – 1^st round
2. **Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama, 5’9”, 199lbs, 4.36 40 – early 2^nd
3. Tyjae Spears, Tulane, 5’10 201lbs, NA 40 – 3-4^th round
4. Israel Abanikanda, Pittsburgh, NA 40, 3^rd-5^th round
5. Zach Charbonnet, UCLA, 6’0 214lbs, 4.53 40 – 4-5^th round

Skinny: Bijan Robinson is the most exciting RB prospect since Saquon Barkley. He’s the total package or speed, power, balance, vision, and has sure hands. I have him #2 on my overall board but he will likely slide down the draft since modern GMs don’t appreciate the every down back anymore but if he’s there for the Commanders at #16, I would take him.

Gibbs is a speedster who glides down the field almost exactly like Alvin Kamara. I’ve seen plenty of NFL talking heads say he’s the best RB in the class so I might be sleeping on him a bit.

Spears film really impressed me and he could be a late day 2, early day 3 superstar for the right team. He has elite one cut acceleration that could fit perfectly into a Kyle Shanahan style zone-read scheme. Abanikanda had an incredible year at Pitt and could be an every-down back in the NFL with his combination of speed, toughness and catching ability. Charbonnet is a reminds me of LaGarrette Blount when he runs but he has a decent bit of speed as well.

WR:

1. Jaxon Smith-Ngiba, OSU, 6’1” 196lbs, NA 40 – 1^st round
2. Jordan Addison, USC, 5’11” 173lbs, 4.49 40 – 1^st round
3. Jalin Hyatt, Tennessee, 6’0” 176lbs, 4.4 40 – 1^st round
4. Quentin Johnson, TCU, 6’3” 208lbs, NA 40 – 1-2^nd round
5. Tank Dell, Houston, 5’8” 165lbs, 4.49 – 2^nd round

Skinny: Feel like this WR class is being slept on a bit. These 1^st round WRs have serious star potential. Take Jaxon Smith Ngiba. JSN had a hamstring injury that limited him towards the end of his time at OSU (some even thought he milked it a bit to get ready for the draft) but he was an absolute stud when healthy. He might not be the burner that some of the rest of these guys are but he is an excellent route runner, makes acrobatic catches look easy and gets plenty of separation. OSU has producing plenty of NFL stars lately and I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s the next one.  

Addison was a star at Pitt and a star at USC. He has the speed to take any catch to the house and like JSN, always seems to find himself wide open. He isn’t the strongest so he won’t break a bunch of tackles and will struggle against press. He should be a solid #2 in the NFL.

Jalin Hyatt is an exciting prospect. He’s a burner and showed it against Bama where he went for 5 TDs. He reminds me a bit of DK Metcaff coming out where he has all the athleticism but only ran three routes at college. He will need to work on his intermediate route-running and possibly add some weight to his frame, but if you are looking for speed, this is your guy.

Quentin Johnson rounds out my 1^st round graded WRs and when I first watched the highlights, I thought I was watching Randy Moss 2.0. He’s a bigger receiver who may be the fastest in the class. He gets vertical in a hurry but can also leap over you and has a knack for making defenders miss with the ball in his hands. Only issue is he disappeared in some games for TCU and appears to have a drop problem according to reports. If college DBs were able to take him out of games, he may struggle even more at the next level. He will not be a Randy Moss 2.0 in the NFL, but if he can improve that route tree and work on his hands, he has all the tools to be a solid #2 receiver at the next level.

Tank Dell finishes my top 5 WRs and edges out the others since he is a great punt returner. He will do all his damage from the slot in the NFL and has that quick twitch speed that you need to be successful. Most of his highlights were him wide open so you won’t have to worry about his separation. You will have to worry about his hands. Like Johnson, he is not the surest handed. If he can’t fix that, he will be out of the league in no time.

TE:

1. Michael Mayer, Notre Dame, 6’4” 249lbs, 4.7 40 – 1-2^nd round
2. Darnell Washington, Georgia, 6’7” 264lbs, 4.64 40 – 1-2^nd round
3. Dalton Kincaid, Utah, 6’4” 246lbs, NA 40 – 2^nd round
4. Luke Schoonmaker, Michigan, 6’5” 251lbs, 4.63 40 – 2-3^rd round
5. Zack Kuntz, ODU, 6’7” 255lbs, 4.55 40 – 3-5th round

Skinny: This TE class is as good as any I can remember and is the best position class of this draft. Michael Mayer has been a stud for a couple years at ND and should be the first TE selected off the board even though he ‘didn’t test well’ for some scouts. Turn on the film and you’ll see what a difference maker he is. He’s the complete TE – great blocker, great hands, great catching in traffic, solid route running. The only reason I have a late 1^st grade on him is because of how good the rest of the class is. Some teams may wait until day 2 to pick their TE but I’d still be surprised if he fell out of the first round.

Darnell Washington is the most exciting TE in the class. He is a mammoth of a TE at 6’7” 264lbs and moved the sled further than half the O lineman at the combine. He didn’t have the most productive career at Georgia since he played second fiddle to Brock Bowers but he should be much more productive in the NFL. He appears to have good hands and is a load to bring down in open space. He will need to work on his route running but he’s already a great run blocker and should be an instant starter at the next level.

Dalton Kincaid is the media darling in this class and while he shows a lot of promise as a receiver, I’m concerned about how well he will stand up against NFL pass rushers and run stuffers. Still, he has that basketball background of high pointing passes, as well as great hands and athleticism to get open. Could he be the next Antonio Gates? Probably not but if you can get open and make catches over the middle like he can, he should have a solid career.

Luke Schoonmaker is a sleeper in this class. He’s a big, tough, prototypical TE who looks a lot like George Kittle at times. Even at his size, he can make defenders miss and is a good route runner. Him staying healthy was an issue at Michigan where he never played a full season but if he can stay healthy, he should be a solid day 2 pickup.

Zack Kuntz finished 5 in my rankings this year mostly on his size and athleticism alone. He played well at ODU but only made 15 starts and didn’t play against much NFL-caliber competition. However, you can still see flashes of that potential. I might have him a little higher than most but the NFL is a big mans league. Under the right coaching and strength program, Kuntz could become a stud.

OT:

1. Peter Skoronski, LT/LG Northwestern, 6’4” 313lbs – top 10*
2. Darnell Wright, RT Tennessee, 6’5” 333lbs – 1^st round*
3. Broderick Jones, LT UGA, 6’5” 311lbs – 1^st round*
4. Paris Johnson, LT, OSU, 6’6” 313lbs – 1^st round*
5. Dawand Jones, RT, OSU 6’8” 374lbs – 1^st round*

Skinny: The tackles in this class are another slept on position group. Skoronski is the consensus top OT on the board and I can’t help but agree. His tape is so good, it’s dull. He has perfect technique and footwork to eat up pass rushers and strength to road grade holes in the run game. There is some chatter that his short arms make him a better guard at the next level but regardless, he should be a solid starter at either position.

Darnell Wright is my #2 OT in the class even though he played primarily at RT during his time for the Volunteers. His tape isn’t flashy but like Skoronski, he dominated competition over his two years of starting, only allowing 1 sack in two years (none last year). While that could be a product of the quick read, gimmicky Tennessee offense, I liked what I saw from him vs Will Anderson and Jalen Carter. He has an excellent punch that proved effective during his time at UT and has excellent athleticism for a 330 pounder.  Some scouts like to say he’s a 2^nd round pick, I could very well see him coming off the board right around pick #16.

Broderick Jones was LT for back-to-back National Champion Bulldogs and is about as intimidating as LTs come. He has elite strength and athleticism for an OT. He’s an enforcer along that o-line – burying defenders in the run game and stonewalling bull rushes. The only concern I have is he only started one full year and his technique/ footwork aren’t quite ready for the next level. Still, give him a year of NFL coaching and he could very well be the gem of the whole class.

The two OSU tackles round out my top 5. Paris Johnson is the most athletic tackle in the class and is a force out in the screen game. My biggest concern with him is whether he can anchor against a proper NFL-caliber edge rushers bull rush. He seemed to have some issues there at OSU but luckily for him, Stroud’s running ability kept a lot of edge rushers at bay.

Dawand Jones is the biggest player in the entire draft class and is decently athletic for a guy who weighs 374lbs. He plays angry. I could see him getting ejected a few times in the NFL for burying guys after the whistle. He also has slow feet and can be clumsy at time with his footwork. But if he gets his paws on you, the play is over. He’s the biggest high risk, high reward player in the OT class and I wouldn’t be surprised if he was taken late in the 1^st.

IOL:

1. O’Cyrus Torrence, LG Florida, 6’5” 330lbs – 1-2^nd round**
2. Joe Tippman, C Wisconsin, 6’6” 313lbs – 2^nd round**
3. Cody Mauch, LT/LG NDSU, 6’5” 302lbs – 2-3^rd round**
4. Steve Avila, LG TCU, 6’3 332lbs – 2-3^rd round**
5. John Michael Schmitz, C Minnesota, 6’3” – 2-3^rd round**

Skinny: Torrence is the cream of the crop this year as far as interior o line goes. He was one of the few who stood up to Georgia’s Jalen Carter and was able to push him around. He should be the first guard selected and there are rumors he could come to the commanders at #16…

As for rest, IOL is a hard position to find tape on but I’ll do my best. Tippman started for the Badgers for two years and was a stud for them. He made all the line calls it is well documented how impressive his football IQ is. The Commanders could use his services at center especially as a 2^nd round pick. Mauch played at LT in North Dakota but projects as a guard in the NFL.  Avila played well against Georgia and stout in the run game. He was impressive in the combine and looks to be one of the stronger players in the class. Schmitz finished as a 2^nd team All-American at center for the Gophers and made all the calls for the line. He should be a solid day 2 pick for a center-needy team.