DRAFT TRACKER 2024

Nabers is the next big thing coming out of LSU’s receiver room, with the pure explosiveness and talent to be mentioned in the same breath as former LSU stars starring in the league today. Despite a lack of polish and precision as a route-runner, Nabers’ gliding movements and speed alterations seem to disguise the top-end speed and separation potential that await opposing coverages. He’s a bouncy leaper with the athletic ability to make the impossible catches possible. He tucks away accurate throws and displays the toughness and play strength to fight for tight-window victories over the middle. Nabers will need to address his tendency to track and play deep throws with finesse, or his early advantages will turn into 50/50 battles. He can play all three receiver spots and has the profile to become a productive, high-volume target over all three levels as a potential WR1.

With five seasons of starting experience under his belt, Daniels possesses a rare blend of playmaking talent and command from the pocket. He’s tall but slender, so there will be concerns about durability, considering how often he ran in college. However, teams must also recognize that he has no issues sitting in the pocket and working through progressions as a platform thrower with good mechanics and footwork. Daniels possesses the football intelligence to get himself protected and take care of the football with quality decision-making. He’s an accurate passer over the first two levels and throws with anticipation to slice and dice zone coverages. He had noticeable issues putting deep throws on faster receivers in stride, though. He lacks ideal size and arm talent, but he’s much more capable as a runner and passer than most of the quarterbacks who have moved on to the next level lately. Daniels is positioned to become a very good NFL starter in a spread-based passing attack.

Presents an appealing combination of size, length and speed with experience working inside and outside. Thomas will occasionally go through the motions as a route-runner, but the bend, athleticism and speed needed to get better are all in the toolbox. He’s elusive against press and can uncover quickly underneath, but he still needs to improve intermediate routes and play a little more physically when crowded to become well-rounded. Thomas rarely has issues generating separation deep and could be counted on as an NFL team’s designated deep guy early in his career. Thomas is unpolished but has projectable talent to become a WR1/2 in time.

Wingo is a shade undersized, but his tape is fun to watch. He is compact and powerful, with the ability to separate and play off of lateral blocks quickly. He can be overcome by length or mass at times but is rarely dominated. He has first-step quickness and processing to beat blockers to erase their landmarks and is tremendously agile as a short-space tackler. Wingo has a hop-and-chop rush move typically seen from defensive ends and will be too athletic for some guards to handle as a pass rusher. Wingo could become an early backup as an even-front 3-technique but he has three down-potential and could eventually become a starter.

Jefferson has a proportional frame with good upper-body thickness. His game against Alabama was discouraging, as he was often overwhelmed at the point of attack by the size and power of the Crimson Tide. However, it is hard to ignore his first-step quickness and ability to shoot into the backfield as a run-play disruptor. Teams will need to invest the time to get him stronger and to improve his take-on technique. He might be worth a draft and stash for one-gapping teams willing to put developmental work into him.

Traits-based prospect with an exciting ceiling but a concerning lack of experience and consistency. Smith plays tall and lacks the anchor and hand usage to keep from being mashed out of gaps by double-teams. The measurables and playing style have him best suited to play as a 3-4 defensive end, where he will have an opportunity to better utilize his length at the point of attack. Smith flashes as a pass rusher with a healthy blend of footwork and victories to the edge, which should keep improving with additional skill work. He has early round traits but middle-round tape. Smith requires scheme fit and patience if he’s to reach his potential, but he should be no worse than a viable backup.

Turner is an undersized center-only prospect who relies on his tenacity to overcome his limitations. The LSU offensive line was a physical unit and Turner fit right in. While he held his own for the most part, the step up in competition could strain his ability to keep up as both a run blocker and pass protector. He has good length and is a decent athlete but will need to improve his technique and show that he can play with enough contact balance to grind out reps on the NFL level.

Unique journey to the draft with 53 career starts over seven years with three different teams. Sam has added substantial weight to his frame since coming into college but is still built more like a cornerback than a safety. He plays with a smooth pedal and solid response time to the quarterback’s eyes and operation from his safety perch. He is more consistent lining up over the slot or playing from split safety alignments, where his attention is much more focused than when he’s digesting the field from single-high. He improved as a tackler as the season wore on, but angles of pursuit might still be an issue. Sam has late-round potential.

With average size and instincts, Speights appeared to be more comfortable in the comfort of the Oregon State defense than he was at LSU in 2023. He can be hit or miss in reading play design and finding his best positioning to make plays and he tends to sit back and wait a hair too long. He plays with active feet and good lateral slide quickness and rarely drifts into traffic unnecessarily. He sees what he hits in the box but lacks agility as an open-field tackler and can be exploited in coverage. The pre-2023 tape is better, but he might not be enough of a downhill alpha and playmaker to garner draft attention.

Sixth-year senior with stops at Notre Dame, Texas and LSU. Oghoufo possesses a tapered frame with long arms and a leaner lower body. While he lacks anchor in his base, he avoids being centered and driven off the ball thanks to well-timed punches and an ability to play around blockers. However, he doesn’t have the burst to restrict outside runs or threaten the edge as a rusher. While he’s a try-hard player, he’s not skilled enough as a rusher and might lack the dynamic athleticism needed to create advantages against NFL opposition.