stealing headlines during a 4-8 debut season for Deion Sanders. The Buffaloes have added 30 transfers and put together a top-10 transfer class with more likely to come.
Two returning players — cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter and quarterback Shedeur Sanders — ranked on CBS Sports’ list of the top four returning players in college football. Several of the top prospects in the post-spring transfer portal have chosen the Buffaloes, who expect a major turnaround in 2024.
Still, one glaring complication remains: offensive line.
It’s no secret to the program that offensive line production ranked among the most pressing issues facing Sanders’ tenure. Colorado ranked near the bottom in almost every offensive line category last season, from sacks allowed to rushing yards. After a game on Oct. 28 against UCLA, a fourth loss in five matchups, Sanders pointed the finger right at his previous line.
“The big picture, you go get new linemen,” Deion Sanders said. “That’s the picture and I’ma paint it perfectly.”
Sanders has stayed true to his word, hitting the portal hard to fill gaps and landing headlining No. 1 tackle recruit Jordan Seaton. Heading into Sanders’ second spring game on Saturday, the unit features more questions than answers.
Inconsistent first attempt When Sanders first got to campus, he bragged of the “Louis Vuitton” players he was bringing to campus, and delivered quickly. The Buffaloes added six offensive line transfers in the Class of 2023. The six players boasted a combined 5,924 career snaps, but results from that initial group were decidedly mixed.
Three of the transfers ultimately won starting jobs: Jack Bailey, Landon Bebee and Savion Washington. Those players had a combined 4,627 career snaps. Of course, those players were also the core of one of the most maligned offensive lines in college football last season. Returner Gerad Christian-Lichtenhan was the poorest-performing lineman of the group, allowing 42 pressures in 827 blocking snaps. However, Washington and Bailey were close behind. Seven different offensive linemen gave up at least 10 pressures.
Ultimately, Colorado ranked as the No. 67 pass blocking and 80 run blocking unit in the country. For comparison, the Buffaloes ranked No. 59 and 102 in those metrics one year earlier. Colorado was credited with 56 sacks allowed, a massive increase from the 23 a year before. Even adjusting for pass attempts, Colorado allowed nearly twice as many sacks per pass attempt compared to a year earlier.
Granted, quarterback Shedeur Sanders didn’t make things easier. Despite the struggling line, Sanders ranked top 25 nationally in time to throw, holding onto the ball and often getting his unit into trouble. Only five power conference quarterbacks had a worse sack rate than pressured, bringing into question whether the line alone deserves blame.
Adding another layer of complication was the Buffs improving from 4.0 to 4.3 in sack-adjusted yards per carry in Sanders’ first year, a marked improvement despite the poor overall rushing numbers caused by sacks. Still, all four Colorado running backs opted to transfer, including young standout Dylan Edwards, who was repeatedly mentioned and featured by the staff during the spring.
Ultimately, Sanders deemed the first shipment of Louis to be defective. All five of the offensive line transfers who were eligible last season are off the roster in 2024. Colorado also added four junior college transfers in the Class of 2023; three transferred.
Trying again? Instead of trying to develop the offensive line in any way, Sanders completely cleared the deck in 2024. Three returning starters — Van Wells, Washington and Christian-Lichtenhan — all entered the transfer portal. Additionally, offensive line coach Bill O’Boyle was not retained, one of five coaching changes along the 10-member staff. The new hire, Phil Loadholt, is a first-time offensive line coach.
Without question, Colorado is getting an infusion of talent along the offensive line in the Class of 2024. Five-star offensive lineman Jordan Seaton and Texas transfer Payton Kirkland give the Buffaloes more high-end talent than last season, though neither comes with a single collegiate snap. The 2024 group does come with 6,273 career snaps overall, a slight 6% increase over last season. In Kahlil Benson (Indiana) and Tyler Johnson (Houston), the group also boasts transfers with a combined 29 starts at the power conference level. Colorado also gets another gift in 2023 transfer Tyler Brown, who followed Sanders from Jackson State, but had to sit out the year due to eligibility issues.
But while the talent improves, there’s still simply no precedent for building a ready-made offensive line on the fly.
Sanders and Colorado are no strangers to breaking the rules of convention. The creativity and ingenuity made them one of the most-watched college football teams of 2023, with five of the top 15 most viewed games of the regular season despite a 4-8 record. Still, wiping the deck on the offensive line twice certainly flies in the face of conventional logic.
Why transfer overhauls at OL don’t work Out of nine offensive linemen picked in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, only one transferred at any point. That player, Oklahoma’s Tyler Guyton, still spent two years with the Sooners before prepping for the draft. The rest were homegrown high school recruits. Last season, four teams were named finalists for the Joe Moore Award, given to the best offensive line in football: Georgia, Oregon LSU and eventual winner Washington. Among those four teams, three of the four returned at least three starters. Out of the 20 starters between the four, 19 were on the roster during the previous season. Only two players ever transferred.
Terrifyingly, Colorado only has two total linemen on the entire roster who it recruited from high school – Seaton and sophomore Hank Zilinskas. Every other player came via transfer. Perhaps just as eye-popping, Colorado lists only 11 total offensive linemen on its spring roster. For comparison, Georgia boasts 19. More could be on the way, but any addition would not get the benefit of working in spring camp.
In many ways, offensive lines tell the story of a program. Consistently attracting high-level recruits out of high school proves attraction. Turning them into a winning unit, teaching them to communicate and sending them to the next level shows developmental track record. Hitting on a great quarterback or receiver can cover some holes, but historically there’s no cheating the process along the offensive line.
“Non-verbal communication is so important on the offensive line, so obviously the longer they work together, the better,” says 247Sports contributor Blake Brockermeyer, a former first-round NFL Draft selection at offensive tackle. “At least there’s still a lot of time between Saturday’s spring game, summer skills and drills and then fall camp to build that trust and camaraderie. This group will need to gel.”
Colorado enters the second-biggest spring game in program history on Saturday with five brand new starters on the offensive line. Maybe the clean slate could prove to be a positive. If history is any guide, the answer will be more complicated than that.
Ex-Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins had a huge advocate in his corner during the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Dabo Swinney, his now former head coach, worked hard to ensure that Wiggins wasn’t left on the board after the first 32 picks.
It certainly worked. The Baltimore Ravens selected Wiggins at No. 30 overall, turning down several trade offers in the process.
“We were getting texts from the head coach,” Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said during his post-draft press conference. “Dabo was texting us during the first round (saying), ‘Please take this guy.'”
In truth, the Ravens had their eyes on Wiggins well before Swinney could intercede. DeCosta called Wiggins the “best corner” in the draft, and Baltimore told Wiggins during the pre-draft process that they would select him if he was available at No. 30.
“Honestly, I didn’t think that Nate would be there for us,” DeCosta said. “We thought there might be a chance, and then you start to see the run on corners in the 20’s. You start to get antsy. The phone was ringing, we had a lot of different potential trade possibilities. But for us, it was always, ‘If Nate is there, we are going to pick.'”
It’s not hard to see why the Ravens would be excited about Wiggins’ potential. He measured in at 6-foot-1 and 173 pounds at the NFL Combine and then ran a blazing-fast 4.28-second 40-yard dash, the second-fastest mark among all players regardless of position.
At Clemson, Wiggins was consistently one of the most productive cornerbacks in the ACC. A first-team All-ACC selection in 2023, he finished the year with 29 total tackles, two forced fumbles, eight pass deflections and two interceptions despite starting only seven games due to injury. He has 25 total pass breakups from the last two years.
At some point this spring, billions of cicadas will emerge from the ground across the eastern half of the United States. Some will have been underground for 13 years, while others will have been waiting for 17 years. Regardless of the time each cicada spent in the cold, damp Earth, awaiting the moment to finally see the sun and be eaten by a bird, they will all ask the same question.
“What the hell happened to Nebraska football while I was down there?”
The last time Nebraska had to deal with cicadas was in 2007. The Cornhuskers went 5-7 and fired Bill Callahan for the audacity of missing a bowl game. It was the second time one of Callahan’s Nebraska teams had done so after the Cornhuskers went bowling every season from 1969 to 2003, with multiple national titles in between. In the 17 years since, Nebraska has been to nine bowl games, the last of which was in 2016.
It’s a program that’s been wandering aimlessly since leaving the Big 12 to join the Big Ten in 2011. Nebraska has time and again embarked on a new season with hopes of resolving its issues, only to be met with disappointment.
The biggest problem in solving Nebraska’s problems is knowing what the problem is. All sorts of things have gone wrong, whether on the field or off it. The Scott Frost tenure was an unmitigated disaster from start to finish, but one stat from Frost’s tenure has been cited repeatedly.
In Frost’s five seasons at Nebraska, the Cornhuskers struggled, going 7-25 in one-score games. The blame was squarely placed on the coaching staff. The reason Nebraska failed to win close games, or blew leads late, was a failure of leadership. The hope was that a new staff would rectify this. Enter Matt Rhule, who was seen as a promising program builder based on his previous work at Temple and Baylor, but had a disastrous run in the NFL with the Carolina Panthers.
The Huskers went 1-5 in one-score games under in 2023, Rhule’s first season, dropping their record to 8-30 in one-score games since 2018.
TEAM RECORD IN ONE-SCORE GAMES (SINCE 2018, MIN. 10 GAMES) WINNING PERCENTAGE
Nebraska
Of course, it’s important to note that a consistently poor performance over five years under Frost was a trend. The 1-5 record in one season under Rhule could prove an outlier. The question is, how does Nebraska go about fixing it? The answer isn’t simply to cross your fingers and hope more breaks go your way.
You make your own breaks, and if there’s anything Nebraska football has done consistently in recent years, it’s shooting itself in the foot. Here’s a laundry list of breaks the Huskers need to make.
Take care of the damn football Since that fabled 2018 season, Nebraska has a turnover margin of -38. That ranks 130th of 133 FBS teams. While it’s a bit simplistic, one could make a convincing argument that the best way to avoid losing one-score games would be to stop giving the ball away so damn often. Maybe then you’d be up multiple scores!
What’s somewhat odd, though, is that while the Huskers have turned the ball over far too often, their points off turnover margin in that span of -37 isn’t good, but it’s better than you’d expect. It ranks 93rd nationally and suggests that the defense has done a pretty solid job bailing out the offense.
Last season the Huskers had a turnover margin of -17 (132nd) and a points off turnovers margin of -28 (109th). While those numbers are bad, they could’ve been much worse. It lost 15 fumbles, but fumbled 31 times. It fumbled on 4.19% of its offensive snaps. Both of those numbers were the worst in the nation.
I care far more about a team’s number of fumbles than its number of lost fumbles. Once the ball is on the ground, it’s a coin flip. The only way to take luck out of the equation is to never fumble the ball in the first place.
Jeff Sims began the season as Nebraska’s starting QB but was quickly replaced when he had problems holding on to the ball, fumbling six times (to go with six interceptions). He was replaced by Heinrich Haarberg, who fumbled 13 times. It was a serious problem that derailed plenty of Nebraska drives and played a huge role in why the Huskers offense finished 124th nationally in points per possession (1.45) and 126th nationally in possessions ending with points (24.3%).
As a team, Nebraska turned the ball over on 20.1% of its possessions last season. Not only was that the highest rate in the country, but the next highest was Georgia Southern at 18.3%. The national average was 10.8%.
BIG TEN TEAM IN 2023 TURNOVER MARGIN POINTS OFF TURNOVER MARGIN TURNOVER RATE (DRIVES ENDING WITH TURNOVER) WHOOPSY DAISY RATE (FUMBLES & INTERCEPTIONS PER SNAP)
Michigan
The forward pass exists, so use it Nebraska has never been a haven for the pocket-passer prototype. The best QBs in program history, like Tommie Frazier and Eric Crouch, won Heismans thanks to their prowess as rushers in option offenses. The hope at Nebraska is that Dylan Raiola will change that.
Raiola is a five-star freshman carrying the hopes of a large fanbase on his shoulders. While it’s a lot to ask a freshman to carry the load like that, if Raiola can provide a glimmer of a passing attack in 2024, it’d go a long way toward ending the bowl drought.
The Big Ten had no shortage of bad passing attacks last season, but while Iowa’s offense, which was a raging dumpster fire, grabbed most of the attention, it’s not as if the Huskers were tearing it up.
Those sack rate and pressure rate numbers stand out, but they aren’t necessarily damning statements about the offensive line. What my eyes tell me when watching Nebraska’s offense is that the responsibility falls more on Sims and Haarberg. Not only did both tend to hold onto the ball for too long, but they were constantly on the move. Blocking defenders without being able to grab and tackle them is a difficult job. It becomes far more difficult when you can never be sure where the QB you’re assigned to protect is at any given moment.
Imagine being a member of the Secret Service, but you don’t know where the President is.
It will be easier to know where Raiola is. While he’s a good athlete for somebody his size, Raiola prefers to do his damage from the pocket. While he’ll no doubt take his lumps in processing and getting the ball out on time as a freshman, his presence alone should alleviate those sack numbers.
Raiola is also much better equipped to push the ball vertically in the passing game. That threat hasn’t been there much in recent years, so opposing defenses haven’t had to respect it and could worry about defending a smaller portion of the field. Force defenses to keep safeties back, and everything opens up, whether that’s underneath routes or room in the running game. All of which should lead to a more efficient and effective Nebraska offense.
Make some field goals Special teams are always overlooked but can make a big difference in close games. While turnovers and QB play are the biggest culprits in Nebraska’s struggle to win one-score games, making a damn field goal once in a while wouldn’t hurt.
Since 2018, Nebraska kickers have converted 67% of their field-goal attempts. That number ranks 120th nationally. The success rate drops to 44% on attempts over 40 yards, which ranks 124th.
Not every drive will end with a touchdown, but if you hold onto the ball, get into field-goal range, and actually make the field goal, it helps a lot!
Keep the defensive momentum The one thing Nebraska has gotten correct lately is its defense. The Huskers were a very good defense last season, ranking in the top 20 and top 10 of some of the metrics that matter the most.
NEBRASKA DEFENSE POINTS PER POSSESSION SUCCESS RATE EXPLOSIVE PLAY RATE PRESSURE RATE NEGATIVE PLAY RATE TURNOVER RATE National Rank
There are areas the unit can improve upon. Ideally, it would be more disruptive and force more turnovers (it ranked 94th in defensive turnover rate last year, the one true weak spot), but overall, this unit did its job. Maintaining the overall level while improving around the margins could help get this team back to a bowl game. Combine it with significant improvement in the areas outlined above, and Nebraska could emerge as one of the better teams in the Big Ten this season.
Too bad the cicadas won’t be around long enough to see it.
North Carolina State’s DJ Burns Jr. has been one of the breakout stars of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. The 23-year-old forward has helped lead the Wolfpack to their first Final Four since the 1982-83 season.
But Burns’ story has gone beyond the basketball court as multiple NFL teams have expressed interest in the NC State big man amid his NCAA Tournament run. During an interview on “The Dan Patrick Show,” Burns stated that he isn’t surprised that he’s being talked about when it comes to having a potential football career.
“I’d probably pursue some other options with basketball first before all of that but I’m not a closed minded person.”
-DJ Burns Jr. on the possibility of playing in the #NFL if things don’t work out with the #NBA pic.twitter.com/bywEG1pu8i
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) April 2, 2024 Burns remains committed to a professional career in the NBA when he wraps up his collegiate career with the Wolfpack. But he admits he isn’t completely closing the door on appearing on the gridiron.
“I’d probably explore some other options with basketball first before all of that. But I’m not a closed-minded person,” Burns said.
Burns, who is in his senior season, certainly could have an extremely bright future when it comes to basketball. He has averaged 18.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists while shooting 67.4% from the field during the NCAA Tournament. Burns was also named the South Region’s most outstanding player after helping NC State defeat No. 4 seed Duke on Sunday.
While playing in the NBA is Burns’ top goal, a pro basketball career overseas is an option as well. If all of those avenues don’t work out, perhaps Burns could turn to football.
Burns will have arguably the toughest test of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday when he faces another star big man in Purdue’s Zach Edey in the Final Four.
The Buffalo Bills shocked the NFL world Wednesday when they shipped star wideout Stefon Diggs, plus a 2024 sixth-rounder and 2025 fifth-rounder to the Houston Texans, in exchange for a 2025 second-round pick. Diggs cleared 1,180 receiving yards in all four of his seasons with Buffalo, including a remarkable 1,535-yard campaign in his first season with the Bills back in 2020. But at 30 years old, the Bills have decided to cut ties with their No. 1 wideout.
Not only was Diggs the Bills’ best wideout, but he was one of their best players regardless of position. With the four-time Pro Bowler gone, Buffalo’s receiver room now features Mack Hollins, Curtis Samuel, Khalil Shakir, Justin Shorter, KJ Hamler, Andy Isabella, Tyrell Shavers and Bryan Thompson.
Buffalo still has the 2024 NFL Draft to improve its roster, and that starts with the No. 28 overall pick. With Diggs gone, could the Bills use that first pick on a receiver? Who would be available? Let’s take a look and rank the receivers the Bills could take in the opening round later this month.
Xavier Worthy, Texas CBS Sports overall prospect rank: 32 | CBS Sports positional rank: 7
Worthy should be available late in the first round. In fact, it’s not even guaranteed he’s picked on opening night. Yes, Worthy set the combine record for fastest 40-yard dash time ever with a 4.21, but he measured in at under 6-foot and just 165 pounds. He could be a burner at the next level, and effective returner as well. Worthy led the FBS in punt return yards last season with 371, and led the Big 12 in receiving yards (2,755) and receiving touchdowns (26) during his three collegiate seasons. It would be fun to see Allen throw 70-yard bombs to the fastest guy on the field.
Ladd McConkey, Georgia CBS Sports overall prospect rank: 28 | CBS Sports positional rank: 6
McConkey is one of the prospects who has helped his stock the most during the pre-draft process. He was dominant in one-on-ones at the Senior Bowl, and turned in an impressive combine as well. The two-time College Football Playoff national champion is one of the best route-runners in this class, and that’s something that will translate to the next level. He figures to be a slot technician who will quickly become a quarterback’s best friend.
McConkey would make the Bills offense better, but Buffalo added a slot guy in Samuel this offseason. Shakir has worked from the slot and Hamler and Isabella are both 5-foot-9. These facts don’t automatically rule McConkey out, but it’s just something worth noting.
Adonai Mitchell, Texas CBS Sports overall prospect rank: 24 | CBS Sports positional rank: 5
Mitchell has good size for an outside receiver at 6-foot-2, 205 pounds, and the Georgia transfer was named the 2023 Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year after leading his new conference in receiving touchdowns with 11. Mitchell also recorded career highs in receptions (55) and receiving yards (845) with the Longhorns in 2023. Out of all the players on this list, Mitchell may be the most realistic target for Buffalo.
Brian Thomas Jr., LSU CBS Sports overall prospect rank: 18 | CBS Sports positional rank: 4
No FBS player caught more touchdowns than Thomas in 2023, as he reeled in a whopping 17 scores. That’s tied for the fifth-most caught in a single season in SEC history. Thomas is another wideout with the size necessary to be an outside receiving threat at the NFL level, and having a nose for the end zone is a legitimate quality NFL execs/coaches look for.
He’s got good size and he’s fast (4.33 40-yard dash time); the only problem is will Buffalo need to trade up to acquire him?
Rome Odunze, Washington (trade up) CBS Sports overall prospect rank: 10 | CBS Sports positional rank: 3
Let’s talk about a player the Bills will absolutely have to trade up for in Odunze. According to SportsLine NFL expert R.J. White’s draft pick value chart, the Bills could go from No. 28 overall to No. 11 overall by trading their 2025 first-round pick. Then again, maybe Odunze isn’t even available at No. 11.
The Washington star was a consensus 2023 All-American, and led the FBS in receiving yards with 1,640. He and Michael Penix Jr. scorched secondaries, as Odunze led the FBS with 23 receptions of 20+ air yards last season. Going from Penix to Allen would be a gift for Odunze, since the Bills quarterback is also a big-armed weapon who likes to stretch the field. If Buffalo wants to add a pass catcher with star potential who may not go in the top five or six picks, it’s Odunze.
Many NFL teams don’t just look at draft prospects in order of who is better individually, but rather in tiers or clusters because that allows front offices to figure out where and when to draft a player at a certain position.
It’s time for us to do that here at CBS Sports with the help of our CBS Sports HQ NFL analyst Rick Spielman, who spent 16 seasons (2006-2021) as the general manager of the Minnesota Vikings. First position group up in this series that will go through all the various position groups prior to the 2024 NFL Draft is wide receivers.
Spielman has been able to find elite receiving talent in the later rounds of the draft; he selected four-time Pro Bowler Stefon Diggs in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He’s also hit in the first round, selecting 2022 NFL Offensive Player of the Year Justin Jefferson with the 22nd overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Below you will see the top four tiers of receivers in the upcoming draft along with where they could fly off the board and some of their best team fits. Spielman’s remarks are compiled from the “With The First Pick” podcast episode that aired on March 18. Each prospect will also have additional analysis provided by yours truly.
A couple receivers below have been identified as top fits for the Buffalo Bills, a team that will certainly be looking to take a receiver high after trading away Diggs to the Houston Texans on Wednesday.
Tier 4 Ricky Pearsall (Florida) Height: 6-1 | Weight: 189 pounds Accolades/notable statistics: 65 receptions, 965 receiving yards in 2023 (both led team and ranked sixth in SEC) Pro comp: Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba
“I think he’s a good route runner,” Spielman said. “I just love this kid’s competitiveness. I think he had the highlight catch of the year with the one-hander between everybody. I just think this guy is a good football player. He tested well. I think that really helped his draft stock. The Senior Bowl helped him. This guy has a chance to be a really good player and a starter in this league.”
Highest he could get drafted: First 15 picks of second round Lowest he could get drafted: Top of third round Best team fit: Cincinnati Bengals Final Thoughts: Ricky Pearsall possesses a slender frame, but he controls it with high-level body control (as evidenced by the catch below) plus decisive footwork and cuts with his route-running. He is adept at utilizing shoulder shimmies and head fakes to throw defenders off of his trail. Pearsall is at his best on in-breaking routes where he can catch the ball and continue to accelerate up the field without breaking his stride. He can line up all over the formation, and is a decent blocker. The knocks on him are he isn’t incredibly strong at burning people deep since he doesn’t have game-breaking speed, and he will be 24 years old as a rookie.
excuse me for being months late to this Ricky Pearsall catch
ridiculous concentration and grip pic.twitter.com/USKCVODW4g
— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) March 31, 2024 Xavier Legette (South Carolina) Height: 6-1 | Weight: 221 pounds Accolades/notable statistics: 2023 Second Team All-SEC, 1,255 receiving yards in 2023 (second most in a season in school history), led team in catches (71), receiving yards (1,255) and receiving touchdowns (7) in 2023 Pro comp: Retired nine-year NFL WR Kenny Britt
“The one thing that he has to prove is you know he can go down the field. You know he can go get the ball. He has to become more polished as a route-runner and more polished as a receiver,” Spielman said. “A little bit of a one-year wonder … This guy can get the ball downfield and can really run, but he needs more polish in the nuances of playing receiver at the next level.”
Highest he could get drafted: Middle of second round Lowest he could get drafted: Middle of third round Best team fit: Tampa Bay Buccaneers Final Thoughts: Legette totaled 423 receiving yards through his first four seasons of college football, and then he exploded for 1,255 in 2023, the second most in the entire SEC behind only LSU’s Malik Nabers, who appears a little further down on this list. His acceleration, which is powered by some long strides, is a strength as is his ability to utilize his frame to box out defenders at the first down line to gain. Betting on a player’s route-running to take tremendous strides as a pro isn’t a guarantee, but Legette likely hasn’t put his best ball on tape yet.
Nobody is Deebo, and Xavier Legette is too … leggy … to have his agility. But he’s the best version of that type of WR in the class. Much better than Corley imo. pic.twitter.com/NAocij2ncL
— Hayden Winks (@HaydenWinks) March 29, 2024 Xavier Worthy (Texas) Height: 5-11 | Weight: 165 pounds Accolades/notable statistics: Two-time First Team All-Big 12 (2021, 2023), 2023 AP Third Team All-American (all-purpose), led Big 12 in receiving yards (2,755) and receiving touchdowns (26) during career (2021-23), led FBS in punt return yards (371) last season, 4.21 40-yard dash (NFL Scouting Combine record) Pro comp: Detroit Lions WR Jameson Williams
“Some of the drops come in contested catches situations, but if he is by you, there is no question,” Spielman said. “I think he goes down too easy on contact after the catch.”
Highest he could get drafted: 28th overall (Bills) Lowest he could get drafted: Top five picks of second round Best team fit: Jacksonville Jaguars Final Thoughts: SPEED. That’s what comes to mind when watching Worthy’s tape. Texas certainly went out of its way to get him the ball in space on screens and underneath routes. Anything horizontal to get Worthy the ball while his legs are already firing resulted in success. His 571 yards after catch were the 14th most in college football in 2023. Worthy can also burn secondaries to the ground going deep as evidenced by his 44-yard touchdown catch at Alabama last season. However, up-and-down play at quarterback from Quinn Ewers played a role in limiting Worthy’s success downfield. He may not end up adding much more to his frame in the NFL, but he can fly.
TD TEXAS ! 🤟
Quinn Ewers trouve Xavier Worthy (44 yards).
Texas 10 – 3 Alabama pic.twitter.com/MMnKmYZiKn
— The Trick Play – NCAA/CFB (@TheTrickPlayFR) September 10, 2023 Ladd McConkey (Georgia) Height: 6-0 | Weight: 186 pounds Accolades/notable statistics: 2022 Second Team All-SEC, Two-time College Football Playoff National Champion (2021-2022) Pro comp: Carolina Panthers WR Diontae Johnson/faster version of Detroit Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown
“Great route-running ability,” Spielman said.
Highest he could get drafted: 32nd overall (Chiefs) Lowest he could get drafted: Top 10 picks of second round Best team fit: Kansas City Chiefs Final Thoughts: McConkey is incredibly agile off the line of scrimmage. His footwork is that of a basketball player, jabbing and shaking past defenders at the beginning of his routes. The out route might be McConkey’s best because of his ability to come to a stop and then accelerate out of the breaks in his routes. His usage of various speeds and hesitation before accelerating to an opening is reminiscent of how Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic lulls defenders to sleep before scoring at the rim. McConkey also has strong hands, evidenced by hauling 30 of his 37 targets with only two dropped passes.
Despite being an outside receiver at Georgia, McConkey’s role in the NFL will likely become that of a slot receiver because of his frame.
ladd mcconkey pic.twitter.com/UKtKxH0pOb
— Austin Gayle (@austingayle_) April 2, 2024 For more draft coverage, you can hear in-depth analysis twice a week on “With the First Pick” — our year-round NFL Draft podcast with NFL Draft analyst Ryan Wilson and former Vikings general manager Rick Spielman. You can find “With the First Pick” wherever you get your podcasts: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, etc.
Tier 3 Adonai Mitchell (Texas) Height: 6-2 | Weight: 205 pounds Accolades/notable statistics: 2023 Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year, led Big 12 in receiving touchdowns (11) in 2023, career highs in receptions (55), receiving yards (845) and receiving touchdowns (11) last season, two-time College Football Playoff National Champion (2021-2022) with Georgia Pro comp: Denver Broncos WR Josh Reynolds
“Really good route-runner,” Spielman said. “Big size, not blazing speed but fast enough. I think he got better. I didn’t think Mitchell was going to run as fast as he did at the combine [4.34 40-yard dash]. I think he is more build-up speed. I think he still needs some route refinement. Still would like him a little more explosive after the catch, but I think that this guy has tremendous upside.”
Highest he could get drafted: 28th overall (Bills) Lowest he could get drafted: Top 10 picks of second round Best team fit: Kansas City Chiefs Final Thoughts: Mitchell has the prototypical build for an NFL wide receiver. He is an elite athlete who brings a smoothness to his route running. Mitchell’s footwork off the line and lateral quickness allows him to get open quickly. Mitchell’s ability to get open downfield off of double moves resulted in numerous big plays for Texas last season, particularly in its nail-biter of a win at TCU. He is also clutch, icing that game against the Horned Frogs with a 35-yard catch on third down. He also caught the go-ahead score in the 2021 CFP title game against Alabama, the game winner against Ohio State in the 2022 CFP and a clutch touchdown late in the loss against Washington in the 2023 CFP semis. Mitchell’s hands are strong as he had just one drop on 86 targets in 2023.
His timing with his route running could improve, but some of that could be because of playing with an inconsistent quarterback. Mitchell can develop into a strong wideout in the right situation in the NFL.
Texas WR Adonai Mitchell was so good this past season.
55 catches, 845 yards, 11 TD (plus a rushing TD) and then runs a 4.34 at the #NFLCombine.
Here’s three mins of him showing out for the #Longhorns. pic.twitter.com/4mLiQSokC5
— Blake Munroe (@BlakeMunroeOTF) March 18, 2024 Keon Coleman (Florida State) Height: 6-3 | Weight: 213 pounds Accolades/notable statistics: 2023 First Team All-ACC (WR, all-purpose and specialist), led ACC in receiving touchdowns (11) and punt return yards (300) in 2023 Pro comp: Cleveland Browns WR Cedric Tillman (a healthy version)
“He plays faster than his timed speed [4.61 40-yard dash],” Spielman said. “Remember what you see on tape and go off of that … Guys sometimes play faster from a football standpoint than they do running a straight 40. The 40 is important, but how they play and how fast they are when they are playing is like [Los Angeles Rams wide receiver] Puka [Nacua]. He didn’t run fast at the combine, but he plays faster than he runs. He is a big, physical receiver. He is a little tight. He can win a contested ball. He can make all those jump balls and contested catches downfield, but I think he has some tightness getting in and out of his cuts.”
Highest he could get drafted: 17th overall (Jaguars) Lowest he could get drafted: Second round Best team fit: Buffalo Bills Final Thoughts: Keon Coleman played both football and basketball at Michigan State before transferring to Florida State, and that background is crystal clear on the football field. Coleman is adept with his body control, which allows him to box out defenders before jumping to haul in a contested catch like a rebound. His hands are steady; he only dropped two of his 87 targets in 2023. While his 40-yard dash time isn’t elite, Coleman has shown that when the lights come on and football games are being played he can blow by defenders to get open vertically down the field. His development could be comparable to that of another massive wideout: DK Metcalf. Both have great size and hands and have had room to grow on shorter and intermediate routes.
My favorite plays from watching Keon Coleman pic.twitter.com/FizOwu24yC
— Theo Ash (@TheoAshNFL) January 5, 2024 Brian Thomas Jr. (LSU) Height: 6-3 | Weight: 209 pounds Accolades/notable statistics: 2023 AP Third Team All-American, 2023 Second Team All-SEC, led FBS with 17 receiving touchdowns last season (Tied for fifth most in SEC history) Pro comp: Pittsburgh Steelers WR George Pickens
“Big, long physical, can run,” Spielman said. “Ran fast at the combine [4.33 40-yard dash]. Has some route refinement that he needs, but if you watch him in the Florida game, watch him in the Ole Miss game, those are the games where he really popped. Compared to where he started the season to where he ended up, he’s another one that really improved through the process. This guy was my fourth receiver on the board.”
Highest he could get drafted: 12th overall (Broncos) Lowest he could get drafted: 28th overall (Bills) Best team fits: Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills Final Thoughts: Brian Thomas Jr. is one of the best in this entire class at making plays going deep (17.3 yards per catch in 2023). He utilizes an electric explosion off the line of scrimmage as well as his long frame to accelerate upfield in a hurry. Crossing routes were where Thomas shined brightly as he cuts sharp angles after the catch before making the turn to break away for huge gains down the field. Running alongside Malik Nabers, Thomas wasn’t required to be much more than the big play, vertical guy. He’ll have the opportunity to expand his game in the NFL.
Josh Allen to Brian Thomas Jr ⏩ pic.twitter.com/i3Bysd8RC1
— Boppa 🧟♂️ (@ihatebbls) April 3, 2024
With The First Pick Newsletter Prepare for the upcoming NFL Draft with the day’s big stories + mock drafts, big board updates and more.
I agree to receive the “With The First Pick Newsletter” and marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers), and other information from CBS Sports and the Paramount family of companies. By pressing sign up, I confirm that I have read and agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge Paramount’s Privacy Policy. Email Address Tier 2 Rome Odunze (Washington) Height: 6-3 | Weight: 212 pounds Accolades/notable statistics: 2023 Consensus All-American, two-time First Team All Pac-12, led FBS in receiving yards (1,640) in 2023 (Washington single-season record), led FBS in catches of 20+ air yards (23) Pro comp: Denver Broncos WR Courtland Sutton
“I think he made a significant jump this year,” Spielman said. “Give Michael Penix Jr. credit for throwing the ball, but this dude took over games when the games were on the line.”
Highest he could get drafted: 6th overall (Giants) Lowest he could get drafted: 9th overall (Bears) Best team fits: Chicago Bears Final Thoughts: Rome Odunze has a body built for the NFL, and he put that frame to use effectively, leading the nation in receiving yards (1,640) and catches of 20+ air yards (23). He can also stop and start with the best of them. Odunze is elite at tracking the football and catching the ball at its highest point. He is as reliable as it gets with only three drops on 140 targets. It would be surprising if he fell out of the first 10 picks of this draft.
I have strong feelings about Rome Odunze. pic.twitter.com/WyE7qUGGL6
— Mike Giardi (@MikeGiardi) April 2, 2024 Malik Nabers (LSU) Height: 6-0 | Weight: 200 pounds Accolades/notable statistics: 2023 Unanimous All-American, second-most receiving yards (1,569), tied for third-most receiving touchdowns (14) in FBS lin 2023, 1,569 receiving yards last season (sixth most in SEC history), most career catches (189) and receiving yards (3,003) in LSU history Pro comp: New Orleans Saints WR Chris Olave
Highest he could get drafted: 5th overall (Chargers) Lowest he could get drafted: 9th overall (Bears) Best team fits: New York Giants Final Thoughts: While Brian Thomas Jr. led the country in receiving touchdowns, teammate Malik Nabers was slightly more explosive (17.6 yards per catch). He was the clear-cut most dangerous wide receiver at LSU and as some would argue, the top receiving prospect in this draft. Nabers’ 4.35 unofficial 40 time from LSU’s Pro Day shows up on tape as his video game-like agility combined with that raw speed allows him to accelerate and decelerate like a best Bugatti.
When he hits the brakes on intermediate routes, Nabers not only gets wide open, but he leaves defensive backs’ ankles on the turf. He also has a great feel for the game, as evidenced by the scramble-drill music he made with Jayden Daniels last season. Nabers will be just 21 years old as rookie, so there’s a lot of room for him to develop much further at the next level.
Malik Nabers is an explosive three-level threat who could be an option if the #Patriots trade down
Thrived on slot fades, double-moves, and mismatches vs safeties, showing great ball-tracking and sideline awareness downfield
Nabers is a smooth route-runner who immediately… https://t.co/BIB04XkX6c pic.twitter.com/6d5ZNDiEAg
— Taylor Kyles (@tkyles39) March 27, 2024 Tier 1 Marvin Harrison Jr. (Ohio State) Height: 6-3 | Weight: 209 pounds Accolades/notable statistics: Two-time Unanimous All-American (2022, 2023), fifth WR in CFB history to be named two-time Unanimous All-American (first since Justin Blackmon), fifth player in OSU history to be named two-time Unanimous All-American (first since Orlando Pace), most receiving yards (2,474) and receiving touchdowns (28) in two-year span in Ohio State history, only player in Big Ten history with 14+ receiving touchdowns in multiple seasons, most receiving touchdowns (28) in FBS in past two seasons, third-most receiving yards (2,474) in FBS in past two seasons Pro comp: A.J. Green, Larry Fitzgerald
“He is in a tier by himself,” Spielman said. “Marvin Harrison Jr. is a future Hall of Famer. He needs to get his arms moving a little bit, had a couple drops and needs to have a sense of urgency, and he did that. He finished out the season as one of the best receiver prospects coming out [of college football].”
Highest he could get drafted: Fourth overall (Cardinals) Lowest he could get drafted: 6th overall (Giants) Best team fits: All 32 NFL teams Final Thoughts: The discussion with Marvin Harrison Jr. is not whether or not he is the best receiving prospect in this draft, but where he stands as one of the best wide receiver talents coming out of college in the last couple decades. The footwork, the lateral agility and the way he corrals the football with ease. Everything he does just looks so natural. For someone of his size, the way he can drop his hips and explode off his cuts when route running to create throwing windows is phenomenal. Harrison isn’t a tackle-breaking machine, and he dropped six passes in 2023, but that can be more attributed to the erratic quarterback play of Kyle McCord than a dip in Harrison’s focus or abilities.
Marvin Harrison Jr. is what you get when you combine football royalty and a relentless work ethic. He’s a Top 12 NFL WR the moment the Commish calls his name. #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/rZpInQ4ctM
— Kyle Lindemann (@LuckIsMadeFF) April 2, 2024 It will be shocking if he is selected outside of the first five picks since a case can be made that Harrison is the best overall prospect in the entire 2024 NFL Draft.
Cam Heyward is running out of time. That fact is surely what drove Pittsburgh’s veteran defensive tackle to recently lobby for the Steelers to sign Russell Wilson, who 11 years ago in Seattle won the prize that Heyward is hoping to win before he hangs up his cleats for good.
Heyward continues to be motivated to win his first Super Bowl. He feels that Wilson is just as motivated to win in Pittsburgh after what he endured during his two seasons in Denver.
“You just look for the leadership for a guy that has been in Seattle and won games,” Heyward said on The Rich Eisen Show. “Won a Super Bowl already. Didn’t have the best time in Denver, but I think he’s a hungry guy that is ready to prove people wrong.
“We have so many great weapons. Some of them are younger. Having a more established guy who has been through it is going to benefit the group.”
Like Heyward, Wilson is a 35-year-old veteran with over a decade of pro football under his belt. Wilson enjoyed a borderline Hall of Fame career in Seattle that included a Super Bowl win and two NFC titles.
Wilson did not have the same success in Denver, however. He endured the worst season of his career during his first season with the Broncos in 2022. Wilson rebounded with a solid 2023 season but was benched with two games to go.
Wilson’s time in Denver has created confusion as to what kind of player Wilson is at this stage in his career. Is he still capable of leading prolific offenses, or is he more of a game manager?
“I think it can be a blend of both,” Heyward said when asked what should be the expectation of Wilson in Pittsburgh. “I think he can have a balance, game to game, and excel. Not many people beat Patrick Mahomes last year, but Russell Wilson and the Denver Broncos did. I know it’s not one guy that gets it done, but Russ has done it in this game and knows how to beat top competition.”
Heyward’s right. Sans the 2022 season, Wilson’s career has been mostly exceptional, which is probably part of what led to Pittsburgh signing him. Mike Tomlin and Co. are banking on Wilson returning to the form that made him a nine-time Pro Bowler in Seattle. Furthermore, as Heyward alluded to, Wilson brings a level of experience that should also benefit what is a young Steelers offense.
Adding to the benefits of this signing is the fact that Wilson is undoubtedly motivated to prove that he still has a lot of quality football left in him.
“I want to be a part of the Pittsburgh community for a really long time, and I’m really excited about that,” Wilson said shortly after signing with the Steelers. “Hopefully, we can add more championships here.”
Marcus Mariota is about to make history. This season, the Washington Commanders’ veteran will become the first quarterback to wear the No. 0.
Last season, 22 players started the year wearing No. 0, but no quarterbacks. The NFL brought back the number last season after a 50-year hiatus. Entering 2023, only 41 players had ever worn either 0 or 00. The most famous 0, Hall of Fame center Jim Otto, wore 00 during his illustrious career with the Raiders.
Given how unique his career has been, it’s fitting that Mariota will become the first quarterback to wear 0. A former Heisman Trophy winner, Mariota enjoyed early success in the NFL with the Tennessee Titans that included his first career playoff win at the end of the 2017 season. But things started going south a year later, and by 2020, he was backing up Derek Carr in Las Vegas.
Mariota was given another chance to start with the Atlanta Falcons in 2022. He enjoyed moderate success but was released after going 5-8 as the team’s starter that season. Mariota went back to being a backup last season as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles.
While his career probably hasn’t gone according to plan, Mariota has managed to play nine seasons, which is nearly three times as long as the average career life span of an NFL player. In Washington, he will possibly get a chance to compete for a starting spot with whomever the Commanders select with the No. 2 overall pick in the upcoming draft.
No matter what happens on the field, though, Mariota will make history simply by wearing his new number.
The Dallas Cowboys have long been known as “America’s Team” and certainly Texas’ preferred team, thanks to their status as the NFL and the world’s most valuable sports franchise plus the five Super Bowl titles.
However, all five of those championships occurred nearly 30 years ago with only one being won since the NFL instituted a salary cap in 1994 when the Cowboys won it all in 1995. That title cemented Dallas as the first team in league history to win three Super Bowls in a four-season span (1992, 1993 and 1995). Since then, the Cowboys have made more history with 13 consecutive playoff trips ending without an appearance in the conference championship round, the longest-such streak in NFL history.
The latest run of regular-season success — three consecutive 12-win seasons (2021-23) for the first time since the 1990’s glory years — ending short of the league’s final four may be their most disappointing stretch yet. These Cowboys, under head coach Mike McCarthy, became the first team in NFL history to have three 12-win seasons in a row and not make it out of the divisional round in each of those years.
The latest sour note, a 48-32 home loss in the wild-card round as the NFC’s No. 2 seed against the seventh-seeded Green Bay Packers, was a defeat Dallas owner and general manager Jerry Jones labeled “the most painful” in his 35 years owning the team with all the “great expectation and hope” he had for the 2023 Cowboys.
So, of course, Jones — always the showman and entertainer — declared the 2024 offseason would be different and that he would ” be all in” and throw caution to the wind to “push the hell out of” the 2024 season.
One problem. In order for the Cowboys to have had the salary cap room to execute being “all in,” they needed to extend 2023 NFL MVP runner-up quarterback Dak Prescott ($59.5 million cap hit in final year of contract in 2024, second highest in NFL behind only Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson’s $64 million) and 2023 receptions leader wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (fully guaranteed $17.991 million fifth-year option in 2024) prior to the start of free agency. That way, Dallas would have been able to lock in its top players to rates before their positional markets jump again and spread its money out across future seasons.
Instead, no big-money deals have been handed out, and Dallas’ only external free agency signing thus far is 32-year-old linebacker Eric Kendricks. They have also re-signed cornerback Jourdan Lewis, running back Rico Dowdle, special teams ace C.J. Goodwin, long snapper Trent Sieg and backup offensive lineman Chuma Edoga to one-year deals.
Jones has since clarified that his mantra for the offseason is to “get it done with less.” Dallas will certainly have less veteran talent in 2024 as numerous starters and/or rotational contributors in 2023 have walked, signing with new teams.
RB Tony Pollard (Signed three-year, $21.75 million deal with $10.49 million guaranteed with Tennessee Titans) C Tyler Biadasz (Signed four-year, $29.25 million deal — $4.2 million guaranteed — with Washington Commanders) DE Dorance Armstrong (Signed three-year, $33 million deal — $16.125 million fully guaranteed — with Washington Commanders) LT Tyron Smith (Signed one-year, $6.5 million contract with an additional $13.5 million possible through incentives with New York Jets) DE Dante Fowler Jr. (Signed one-year, $3.25 million deal with $1.43 million guaranteed with Washington Commanders) DT Johnathan Hankins (Signed with Seattle Seahawks on a one-year, $2.05 million contract) DT Neville Gallimore (Signed one-year, $1.79 million deal with Miami Dolphins) Trading places? The Cowboys’ 2024 offseason activity pales in comparison to their NFL little brother to the south — the New York Mets to their New York Yankees — the Houston Texans. The Texans were created as an expansion franchise in 2002 in the wake of the Oilers moving to Nashville and becoming the Tennessee Titans, and like Dallas, they haven’t reached a conference championship game in the 21st century.
Although that may change since the Texans have actually executed an “all in” offseason. General manager Nick Caserio drafted both of the league’s offensive (second overall pick quarterback C.J. Stroud) and defensive (third overall pick defensive end Will Anderson Jr.) Rookies of the Year in 2023, and he decided it was time to do whatever it took to surround their young, foundational pieces with talent while they are both still on their rookie deals. Makes sense considering the Texans became the first team in NFL history to win a division with a rookie quarterback and rookie head coach (DeMeco Ryans) as well as just the third team since at least 1950 to win a playoff game with a rookie head coach and quarterback combination.
Houston’s 2024 offseason is historic: The Texans are the first team in NFL history to add a player coming off a season with 100 or more catches (traded for four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Stefon Diggs on Wednesday), 1,000 or more rushing yards (traded for Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon) and 10 or more sacks (defensive ends Danielle Hunter and Denico Autry) in the same offseason, per CBS Sports Research.
First team in NFL history to add a player coming off a season with 100+ catches (Stefon Diggs), 1,000+ rush yards (Joe Mixon) and 10+ sacks (Danielle Hunter/Denico Autry) in the same offseason
Even more remarkable about the contrast in offseason moves between the Cowboys and Texans is their similar amounts of dead money on their salary caps. Dallas has $24.7 million in dead cap across the next two seasons, but Houston has a similar number: $23.8 million with all of it on its cap in 2024, per OverTheCap.com
The other notable juxtaposition is their quarterback contract situations with Prescott commanding a top-of-the-market deal while Stroud enters Year 2 of his NFL career. Plus, if the Cowboys do let Dak walk as a free agent in 2025, they would absorb a $40.4 million dead cap hit. However, Jones and the Cowboys never did for Prescott on his rookie deal what the Texans are doing for Stroud now: spending big on external talent to maximize their salary cap space and contention window.
Sure, Dallas traded a first-round pick to acquire Pro Bowl wide receiver Amari Cooper from the Raiders back in 2018, but shortly after re-signing him to a five-year, $100 million contract in the 2020 offseason, the Cowboys decided to pinch pennies. They flipped him, right as he turned 28 years old, and a 2022 sixth-round pick to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for a fifth- and a sixth-round pick in the 2022 offseason.
Prescott, Lamb and Cooper played together for just two seasons as Jones decided it was better to re-sign his own 2018 third-round pick receiver Michael Gallup coming off a torn ACL to a five-year, $57.5 million deal and franchise-tag his own 2018 fourth-round pick tight end Dalton Schultz. Dallas designated Gallup as a post-June 1 release this offseason after he failed to live up to the contract, and the Cowboys let Schultz walk in free agency the previous offseason to, you guessed it, the Texans. He re-signed with Houston on a three-year, $36 million extension this offseason.
That’s the difference between Houston and Dallas right now: The Texans are truly “all in” on being a contender with their young quarterback while the Cowboys opted to lean exclusively into their draft-and-develop school of thought to their own detriment. It certainly wouldn’t be surprising to see Houston beat its in-state big brother to be the first Texas NFL team to reach a conference championship game and/or a Super Bowl in the 21st century after observing both organization’s team-building approaches the last couple of years.
Just two or three years ago, that statement would have been jaw-dropping. Today, it’s logical.
