DRAFT TRACKER 2024

Reviewing Barton’s tape is a pleasurable experience in offensive line evaluation, as his tenacity and know-how are on full display throughout. Though he played at a high level at left tackle, center will likely be his NFL home. Barton is an explosive drive blocker with the body control and leg drive to keep opponents centered and finish the job. His hands are sudden, accurate and strong in both phases, but a lack of length will create occasional challenges on the next level. His fluidity creates an advantage as a second-level climber, and he’s highly capable in the screen game. Barton’s technique, toughness and athleticism are exactly what teams will be looking for from an early starter with Pro Bowl potential.

Edge defender with good size and length but limited playing time over his four years at Alabama. Braswell chose to stick it out at Alabama rather than transferring and was rewarded with a productive final campaign. He doesn’t play with great technique or anchor as an edge-setter and is average in taking on in-line tight ends at the point of attack. As a pass rusher, he gets off the ball with good burst and uses a variety of moves, speeds and angles to create opportunities but needs to add counters to his approach. Braswell might have a ceiling as a good 3-4 backup or average designated pass rusher with core special teams value.

It doesn’t take long to see why Kirby Smart and Georgia welcomed Smith over from West Virginia when he was in the transfer portal. Smith plays the “Star” position and is like an additional linebacker in a much smaller frame. He’s at his best playing forward and has the strength to take on blockers and disrupt pass catchers underneath. Smith is compact and strong but lacks the functional height and length for downfield coverage. He plays with an NFL demeanor but will likely be typecast in a very narrow role as a sub-package safety with coverage limitations.

Slot target with good size and production over the last two seasons. McMillan is a long-striding field-stretcher who is at his best with momentum routes in a West Coast passing scheme. He lacks aggression and play strength and could labor against press or when faced with contested catches. McMillan has adequate build-up speed to create opportunities down the field but needs the ball on target. Teams will need to determine if McMillan was a product of the impressive Washington passing scheme, or if he's a stand-alone talent outside of UW. 

Compact and willful, Irving is deeply committed to each run his play-caller trusts him with. He punches above his weight class with excellent contact balance and leg drive to fight through tackles and squeeze every yard out of the run. However, Irving showed a concerning lack of explosiveness at the NFL Scouting Combine. He is frequently in a rush and would rather run through a wall than around it but he does have the agility to make tacklers miss with wide, lateral cuts when he runs with better patience. Irving isn’t ready for NFL protection duties and is a little tight as a route runner, but he catches the ball cleanly. Irving is missing ideal size and explosiveness, which could land him somewhere in the middle rounds of the draft as an average backup.

Well-built guard prospect with NFL length, power and a whopping 55 collegiate starts. Klein is an average athlete but is diligent with landmarks as a move blocker. He plays with a higher pad level at times, but his size and strength help mitigate those issues. He works fluidly from his first block to his second one. He has enough reactive athleticism to open his hips and make tough redirects when needed. The pass protection was pretty bumpy in 2022, but his technique has improved and the results showed up in 2023. He could struggle with bull rushers and plus athletes along the interior, but Klein has the ability to become an NFL backup with guard/center flexibility.

Culp's tape features below-average blocking combined with bad drops and unbelievably acrobatic grabs. He doesn't have the size or aggression to help much as a run blocker and will project as an F tight end. He has decent vertical speed but spent much of his time running routes underneath due to the receiving talent around him. Fastballs get on top of his hands and turn into drops, but he's able to flash with circus grabs and contested catches downfield. Culp has played a decent amount of football, so teams will need to determine whether they can project enough improvement to make him a pro.