My quick impressions:
Too low:
Simmons, Stone, Bolden, Moten, Pieper
Too high:
Sellers, Green, Miller, Lutmer, Lindsey
Some omissions as well but I’d have to give it more thought.
Any one else have thoughts?
I still will maintain that I don’t see it with Arch Manning, so I’ll go too high there. Texas played UTEP, and Arch wasn’t even the best QB on the field in that game. UTEP… With the amount of firepower Texas has, completing 61% of throws in college isn’t good.
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He had some absolute stinkers, but he improved pretty dramatically late in the year (after a lot of people had stopped paying attention), and it was only his first year as a starter. I remain open-minded about him, but he has to keep improving.
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He’s the conductor of the Siani hype train, sheesh. I need to get a good look at him.
Agreed too high on Sellers, C. Green (that’s the one you meant right?). For me that’s too high on Becker, Lacy, as well as Mestemaker right now, though I’m sad to say it. All the potential in the world but still has some big questions to answer.
Waaaay too low on Pieper, maybe a touch low on Moten and Stone too, but those are close enough.
Yes. But both come to think of it. I think the utility of super long receiving options is perpetually overstated.
Siani seems high especially since someone like Peak isn’t even listed. I think he’s probably a bit high on the OT class in general. I know Ryan Roberts hates the tackle class. I think he’s a bit too harsh and as I state every year supply and demand will always dictate that big, athletic tackles go higher than their play dictates.
Scott over Moten is odd to me and I todo acknowledge that Scott is a total freak show. But Moten has plenty of juice and was so much better of a football player last year. I think he’s probably had a shot to go top twenty in this draft had he declared.
Agree on the first two. I actually think Mestemaker might end up being low. Though I do think he’s going to end up being an incredibly divisive player bc I fully expect high highs with some WTFs mixed in. I don’t think he’ll be in the 2027 draft anyways. He seems like a kid with a good head on his shoulders that understands how much development he still needs due to his background.
As of right now Smith, Moore and Simmons are a pretty clear top three in that order. But that isn’t taken into account positional importance, etc. Not sure if Nate is baking that in. My guess is that he is.
Let me say this about Arch.
I have no idea of what they project makes sense or not.
But Hutch was not the most dominate player on his HS team. He was not the most dominate player on his college team.
But he now the best and most dominate player on the Lions team in the NFL.
Sooooo
Many guys go in reverse and by the time they get to the NFL they are average at best. So projecting players is a black art for the most part.
I have Stewart where you have Simmons, and I also have Coleman next, but I know I’m quite high on him (like Nate, it seems). And he does need to show out a little more now that he’s in a vastly improved environment. I would have Simmons next and that’s not really a knock, this is just a stupendous class at the top.
The tackle class to me is all about potential. No clear returning studs like 2024 other than maaaaybe Goosby, honestly it feels like a slightly upjumped version of last year’s class.
I think the DTs are going to be a flavor thing, so I won’t be overly bothered by how the separate by analyst. Personally I think I might be highest on Washington, though I do need to watch a little more of the Echoles kid.
Simmons is better at football than Stewart and IMO it’s not all that close. But I do get the upside scouting to traits argument there. I was just quite disappointed with Stewart’s Sophomore year. Simmons is consistently a force. Has been his whole football life.
I think Simmons is a touch more impactful (though he had his struggles against the draft eligible guys like Miller and somehow, Austin Barber), but then I’m throwing out the last half of Stewart’s 2025. He clearly wasn’t the same guy after the injury. So yeah, he DOES need to show that he’s back, but I think he will.
I think some are underrating Arch going into this season as much as they overrated him going into last season. I thought he improved dramatically as the season wore on, you could see how much more confident he was late in the season (that A&M game in particular) than he was early in the season. He still has a ways to go be considered a top QB prospect but I really like the trajectory he was on last season.
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I’d like to know who had Mendoza as a top 5 pick at this time LY.
Looking forward to a few surprises TY.
Actually, Nate did. I think he had him as his 1st pick. I know he had him as his top QB
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On one hand I think you and quite frankly most of the draft media want Stewart to be something he hasn’t been yet. On the other hand I can see a scenario in which Stewart balls out and goes 1OA and I can’t get there with Simmons. But I disagree that Simmons has been “a touch more impactful”. As a college football defender he’s been a good bit more impactful. I do think he’s probably benefitted from significantly better defensive coaching. I also think Simmons benefits from having played high level HS football in Texas as opposed to DC. But until Stewart plays more consistently to his peaks I will continue to put Simmons higher. I’d still have Stewart at 5 or 6 or something like that so I’m not low on the guy. He’s just way more up and down than he should be given his talent level.
I also find it weird that Tice takes these upside shots with guys like Justin Scott who hasn’t yet proved very much and then totally leaves off Jordan Ross. Many had him ranked higher than either Simmons or Stewart coming out of HS. LSU is supposedly paying him seven figures. I’m also surprised not to see Damon Wilson. Miami seems to be expecting a massive season out of him. If that happens, a former five star with a ton of juice and back to back double digit sack seasons seems destined to go very high even if the run game stuff isn’t ideal.
@Spartansd respectfully disagree. I love Hutch but he’s the third most dominant player on this team. Arguably 4th. No way that he is better than Sewell, and I think Gibbs brings a skill level that maybe 1 or 2 RBs in the league have. Again I love Hutch, but I don’t find him significantly more dominant than Garrett, Anderson, Crosby, or even Hendrickson. Replace Hutch with any of those guys, we don’t miss a beat.
Two Spartans arguing about Hutch being the most dominant player on the team. How about that?!
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It’s Sewell. Number 2 I’m open to all sorts of arguments.
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I get it, and frankly we’re sort of seeing it the same way, we’re just weighting it a little differently. I have some ceiling concerns with Simmons (mostly size) that doesn’t allow me to rank him as high as I do Stewart, who has everything you want plus the room to get bigger (imo of course). Simmons is more advanced right now, I agree, but there are some… not alarming reps on his tapes, but reps where my concerns show, as aforementioned.
Stewart definitely has more of a bull in a China shop feel, but then a lot more plays where you say to yourself “that’s not natural.” Like I said, I’m also not overly concerned by his performance the last half of the year, he clearly wasn’t the same guy. Went from having the best get-off to middling, and lost all of his (admittedly average-ish) power.
We’re basically flip-flopped on them but both top 6/7 players, so the difference is really miniscule.
I don’t know why he’s not as high on Ross or Wilson, though he’s certainly not alone. I doubt he plays much attention to recruiting, though given his circles he has likely heard who the traitsy guys are, and those are almost always the guys with the most stars. And Wilson, at least, has had some production.
Right. The discussion starts at second-best player.
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One thing I’m not taking into account is Simmons needs to go to a certain situation to be a superstar. Like if he ends up in Pittsburgh, assuming the continue to play the same style of defense, look out. But if someone just likes the talent and takes him without a proper plan he’s probably just a nice useful player. I do not see him busting.
With Stewart he’ll fit in any scheme. And I don’t see Stewart busting either but I have these lingering football character concerns based off of nothing either than why isn’t this guy more dominant. He dominates and those will be out to rest and then he’ll be in my top three for sure.
Stewart was fairly dominant as a frosh, against some really good tackles too. And a couple of games early last year. I just thought all of his current concerns cropped up after the injury. I mean he didn’t always put up huge stats when he was healthy, but he was almost always impactful. And I don’t know much about his character either, but at the very least there don’t seem to be any effort concerns. The guy plays hard. And I’m giving a check in the pros column for playing through that injury as well, he must have known how much it limited him.