This is going to be a fairly long post.
TE
I wouldn’t mind resigning
Dalton Schultz for the right price, but I can also see us letting him walk.
Hunter Henry could be signed a little cheaper because of his down year.
There are actually several TEs in the draft that I’m keeping an eye on:
Ben Sinnott- late day 2/early day 3 “Able to line up at fullback, H-back, Y, or F, Sinnott can do your taxes and wash your car for you too if you need it. A move piece for an offense, he’s a tough runner with smooth hands and the toughness to plow through arm tackles. Sinnott does a nice job as a pure hands-catcher, as well.”
Link
Jared Wiley- early day 3 “Wiley uses his 6-foot-7 frame to overpower smaller defenders in both the run and pass. He has experience with his hand in the dirt, flexed out in space, and has a sneaky amount of athleticism at his size that I expect to surprise defenders tasked with covering him next week.”
Link
Cade Stover- early day 3 “Stover checks all the cosmetic boxes to win over old-school football minds, but he’s also a high-utility and productive TE in the modern age.”
Link
There are a few day 3 TE prospects that might produce in the Shrine and Senior Bowls that I want to read the practice reports on (
Zach Heins SDSU,
AJ Barner Michigan,
Isaac Rex BYU,
Dallin Holker CSU).
WR
I want to add to the WR room.
Robert Woods has been a great veteran, but I would cut him and save 5 mil. While I wouldn’t be opposed to adding a high end FA like
Tee Higgins or
Mike Evans, my preference would be to take advantage of this deep WR class.
There are multiple receivers that I think would be great additions to our room, but I’ll list a few and a sleeper pick
Brian Thomas Jr- day 1 “Thomas also shows awesome ball-tracking ability over his shoulder to find the ball downfield smoothly.
In addition to vertical routes, LSU also spammed short crossing routes with Thomas. His burst and speed in the open field are devastating, and he has a natural feel for space and when to make himself friendly to the quarterback.”
Link
Xavier Legette- late day 1/day 2 “
While Legette lacks quickness and refinement at the line of scrimmage, he makes up for it with his long speed. He has enough juice to consistently threaten down the field on go routes, posts and deep crossing routes once he starts striding out. He is also a bully-style yards-after-the-catch player thanks to his ample speed and strong build.
More importantly, Legette is a devastating contested-catch player. His massive frame and excellent hand-eye coordination make it easy for him to high-point the ball. Legette is also an effortless and flexible mover in the air, which allows him to contort his body as needed to get the ball.”
Link
Ladd McConkey- day 2 “
McConkey is one of the better route-runners in the 2024 draft class. His quick feet, smooth hips and instant acceleration allow him to run any route effectively. McConkey particularly excelled running digs, posts and comebacks at Georgia thanks to his acceleration, which helped him put defensive backs on their back foot immediately. The detail in many of his routes is advanced for a player his age.
On top of that, McConkey shows solid hands. He has the concentration ability to find the ball and hang onto it through traffic, which will be of great value for someone who does most of their work to the intermediate range.”
Link
Jalen Coker- late day 2 “He has underestimated agility and cut ability, which he combines with good FBI and quick turns to identify and sit in zone uncovers. His solid stem and route running skills often aid in stacking slower DBs and breaking on intermediate routes, generating some initial space, and sufficient deep speed.”
Link (Coker is a sleeper pick that I expect his stock to rise after his Shrine week. I’ve seen or listened to multiple draft analysts talk very highly of him.)
RB
I’d actually prefer to address this in FA with a possibility of adding another in the draft. As much as I like
Dameon Pierce, I think trading him to a team where his skill set might be utilized better should at least be considered. I wouldn’t mind resigning
Devin “Motor” Singletary plus drafting a guy, but we do need a change. Other free agents that I’d want to be considered depending on price would be:
Josh Jacobs, Saquon Barkley, or
Derrick Henry. Yes Henry is getting up there, but he still had over 1k yards with the worst OL in the league. For all of the free agent options, want to have a lot of incentives in the contract based on play percentage and performance.
This isn’t a loaded draft class, but there are a few options I’d look into.
Trey Benson- day 2 “
Benson is a 6’1″, 220-pound runner who has a tendency to run upright at times. However, he is very skilled at quickly navigating through seams as a north/south runner, and he can explode downfield with his vertical speed. Benson’s foot speed and micro-mobility impress within his long-strider mold, and in a limited sample, he’s shown off exciting receiving upside. Of the backs in the 2024 NFL Draft, Benson has the best chance to be a true three-down workhorse.”
Link
Bucky Irving- late day 2 “At 5’10”, 194 pounds, Irving isn’t the most imposing back upon initial viewing, but he catches defenders off guard repeatedly with his spry short-area burst and dangerous elusiveness in space, and he’s surprisingly physical for his size, with the contact balance to bounce off solo tackles.”
Link
Audric Estime- late day 2 “At 5’11”, 227 pounds, Estime is an absolute bowling ball in open space whose hyper-elite contact balance allows him to churn through crowds with ease. But he quietly has good vision, patience, and tempo control, and in a limited sample, he’s flashed receiving upside.”
Link
Isaiah Davis- early day 3 “Davis looks like your classic physical, downhill runner at 6’1″, 220 pounds. He’s a forward-churning runner with great finishing ability, and that’ll win over NFL scouts. But peel back the surface layers, and you’ll also see an impressively creative runner with energetic feet, adaptability, and sharp vision.”
Link
OL
Yes we addressed OL last offseason, but we still need more depth. Plus with the unknown timeframe when Howard will be healthy I think it’s pertinent to add more.
George Fant performed decently when injuries started piling up. Yes it could have been better, but if we could resign him it’d be great that he already knows the system. I would hesitate spending more of our cap space on OL unless it is a deal.
Fortunately, this is an excellent OL class where we could add depth and possibly develop a guy into a quality starter.
While I’ve seen us mocked OL on day 1 or 2, I’m not opposed to spending a top 100 pick on another OL I want other positions addressed. I’m always on the lookout for prospects, but these are the guys I’m watching in draft season so far:
Matt Conclaves- early day 3 “Goncalves maintains a wide base and low pad level in pass protection. His footwork is smooth and consistent, only breaking when he’s stressed vertically by a speedy or explosive edge defender. Goncalves’ feet stay active but avoid getting undisciplined.”
Link He’s a possible option as a swing tackle. He accepted a Shrine Bowl, so I’ll be watching practice reports.
Garrett Greenfield- day 3 “What scouts will love about Greenfield is his ability as a run blocker. In this area he shows impressive strength deleiving a fierce first jolt off the ball and controlling his man with his vicegrip strength. In addition to displaying impressive power he also has the nastiness offensive line coaches love, consistently playing through the echo of the whistle.”
Link Another Shrine Bowl guy that could see his stock rise with a good performance.