FOR SURE Post Day 1 guys I am starting to really like at positions of need:
SAFETIES
Brandon Joseph S Notre Dame - I was much higher on him going into the season before his production fell significantly at Notre Dame after transferring for the 2022 season. I still see a STRONG STRONG prospect that is intelligent, smart and easily capable of handling the next level....that said zero chance he is a Day 1 guy nowadays and I project could be the 4th to 7th safety taken...meaning he could be there in the 3rd.
Jay Ward S LSU - Most rank him just a tick below Joseph still...but this dude is a guy I'd begin to look towards end of Day 2 or early in Day 3...if we get into the 5th, and he is there I couldn't ignore him even if we drafted say Branch in the first. He's played very solid at a school playing tons of NFL level guys weekly.
Jammie Robinson S FSU - personally I have him in my top 5 Safeties (behind only Branch, Johnson, Smith, Skinner). I prefer him over Joseph and over Battle which many will disagree with. His height is easily overcome with his tenacity and ability to read, diagnose and attack I swear in one single thought. He to me is a guy borderline enough that taking him in the 2nd isn't a big reach but one slightly...however risking him making it to you in the third may not happen.
JL Skinner S Boise State - LOVE his length, skillset and abilities. This 6'4' prospect is a early day 2 level guy IMO.
WRs
Quick note...guys that if they make it to 2nd round I'd be willing to do a Watson type trade for:
Hyatt, Rice, Downs.
Xavier Hutchinson WR Iowa State 6'3' 210lbs - A true X receiver on the field and on the name card (LOL). I am a BIG fan of Xavier...admit to it fully. This dude was on a BAD team. When it came to targets it was a Davante in GB 2021 almost level of "all him" style and yet he continued to deliver yards week in and week out. Not a single other weapon on offense on the ground or through the air ran for or received more than 600 yards and only one was over 500 (another WR). Hutchinson is used to be the alpha dog...shoot he's used to going into a game knowing the opposition knows if they shut him down they win honestly. I would LOVE to pair him with Doubs on the outside and allow Watson the true freedom in our system to be moved everywhere. Is 2nd round too early for him...maybe...but he SHOULD not last past Day 2 so a 2nd round selection would be a lot like Dillon's pick...early sure, worth it possibly...unlike Dillon I bet by the end of his rookie year we know if it was worth it or not (I predict it would be).
Andrei Iosivas 6'4' 200lbs Princeton - I've shared about him before...he truly is as close to a Watson clone build/skills wise you could get (even wear #9) if you tried designing one. His Senior Bowl and testing will push him into the limelight he deserves, because FAR too many have zero clue who he is...I have him as a clear target first round of Day 3...and if he proves he can win against the level of CBs at the Senior Bowl, I'm not even made if you grabbed him in the 3rd.
If asked Ty, name a slot WR that is borderline the one to circle for first pick Day 3...I'd be pressed to pick between these two prospects:
Parker Washington Penn State 5'10' 207lbs - Dude is UNIQUE. A moveable, slot, jet motion and returner in year one needs refinement in route running but man can this dude move the ball once it is in his hands. PERFECT guy to target in the 4th or 5th round....yes he is an Amari Rodgers type prospect, but again don't let what Amari became sway your opinion of the type of WR he projected to be or team's envisioned him as. Parker adds a style of WR we don't have presently in the room and could turn into a slick slot WR with time. He is NOT an outside WR type, but you're not drafting him to be that.
Nathaniel Dell Houston 5'10' 165lbs - Yes he is a lighter build, but his frame is strong and I think he'll actually add another ten pounds or so especially heading into second season in the pros. That said though this slot, shifty, juiced up WR is SPECIAL when the ball is being held by his hands. In the past two seasons this dude has produced 199 receptions / 2,727 yards / 29 TDs. A hilarious line was his back in 2018 (first year at college) he was not in a ton but get this produced a 30.3 yards per catch on 12 receptions for 364 yards LOL...I'm telling you his shiftiness can make space and if you give this guy space there are VERY VERY few humans on a field that can make up for that space given (there will be more in the NFL than he's been used to but still special!). Check out this highlight video linked...the first play illustrates his field vision
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EDGES
Andre Carter Army 6'7' 260lbs - No other edge prospect probably saw his projections drop more than Carter...his 15.5 sacks in 2021 had many thinking Day 1 type....2022 his stats dropped across the board...did other teams do better planning for him? Did he plateau as a prospect? I don't know the exact reason....well partially it is impossible to replicate an insanely good year usually like he had in 2021...BUT I still like this prospect especially Day 2...and VERY MUCH so if in the 3rd. He is the prime example of a guy that I could see fall into Day 3 or hang on to Day 2 due to what he has shown is there and his physical traits.
Mike Morris Michigan 6'6' 278lbs - 292lbs (have seen that range across sites) - This dude is "special" but no one knows precisely which way this goes, all everyone knows is this guy has a level of raw athleticism which is rare and his speed is why many envision a potent OLB if his NFL team need is there...or a downed DE if his NFL team needs that as his frame more than allows that too. His young too seeing as how this April 22nd he will just now turn 22. His RAS will be unique to interpret depending if you run him as an EDGE or a downed lineman...either way though I suspect it is going to be special. I feel he has the traits of a Day 2 guy personally...
Nick Hampton 6'3' 235lbs App State - While the first two are BIG built edges...here is a "new age" smaller pass rush specialist type I strongly like in the that 4th round level area most likely. 18 sacks last two seasons...TONS Of tackles as well to boot and multiple turnovers forced or recovered. Has the athletic profile to cover when asked or pin ears back and destroy Tackles with his speed rushes.
Will McDonald IV Iowa State 6'3' 236lbs - Another similar framed edge rusher that I actually like more than Hampton - Will has been IMO the best player on the Iowa State defense for three straight years now (that includes Uwazurike in 2021). In those three years he has produced 27 sacks / 105 tackles / 8 forced fumbles / 7 Passes Defensed. I see McDonald's rush packages being more abundant than Hampton but I feel his ceiling is much higher IMO looking three or four years down the road in comparing him to Hampton. His hand use in chops and swipes is special and at times in combination with a smart first step in his technique can be too much for a Tackle to get control of the situation and many times Will finds himself controlling the Tackle into the pocket even if he wasn't able to truly beat him.
