NFL Draft: Players I like more than the consensus

By Scooter_McG

As we get closer to the draft, I am starting to identify some players that really jump out at me as players I like just a little bit (or a lot) more than what general consensus among draft experts seems to be. I thought I would share a player from each position group I feel I like more than most. I have left off DT and LB from this list, as I haven’t yet seen anyone that I like considerably more than where they are generally expected to be taken. And because the 49ers will be drafting a QB round 1, I have provided more than one QB I feel I like more than most.

QB: Trey Lance and Mac Jones. Ok, this is a bit of a cop out – these are two of the top 5 QBs in the draft and pretty much everyone agrees are first round calibre players at this point in time. However, I’m still including them as I think they are still, by and large, both underrated.

Trey Lance gets a lot of knocks against him for being “raw” which I think are largely overblown, and in a normal QB draft class I think he would be a consensus top 5 pick and likely expected to go top 3. Instead, he tends to be considered the fourth best QB prospect by most. Personally I think he’s a better prospect than Fields and the more I dig into these guys the more I think I would strongly consider him over Wilson.

Mac Jones is another I like more than most. I have no problem taking him at #3, albeit it is higher than I think he should be taken this year, but I do see him as a top 10 pick. In my opinion athletic traits are now being overvalued for a QB, and pocket skills are still by far the most important aspect of QB play. And Jones’ play from the pocket in college was excellent.

For a QB outside the of top 5 guys, the guy I like is Kellen Mond, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he sneaks into the back end of round 1.

WR: This is such a good WR class and there are actually a few options I could go with here, but I have gone with Elijah Moore. He’s widely expected to be a late round 1 to mid round 2 pick, but I honestly believe he should be a top 20 pick. If he was a couple of inches taller he would be talked about in the same space as DeVonta Smith, but because of his height he is largely considered a slot only WR. Someone is going to get a steal selecting him.

TE: The TE class has a couple of standouts, but isn’t considered very deep this year. The TE I really like, and admittedly I am not alone here, is Tommy Tremble. Maybe this isn’t one where I am liking him more than the consensus per se, but Tremble is a player I would ”bang the table” for. I just love the physicality he plays with.

RB: I’ve not paid a tonne of attention to the RBs in the class. But one guy that has caught my eye but is expected to go late in the draft is Khalil Herbert. He’s a one-cut runner with good vision, suddenness, power and speed once he finds the hole. I get Terrell Davis vibes as a fit for the Shanahan ZBS.

OL: There are a lot of good looking OL this year, and they are for the most part highly rated. But one guy I really think is going under the radar is Drew Dalman. In my opinion he should be a mid round pick as he has good athleticism, is smart and plays very sound technically. Not sure why he is considered a late round pick by most.

EDGE: I really like Jaelan Phillips and think if it wasn’t for injury concerns he should be a top 10 pick. But I think a lot of people feel the same way, so that isn’t really someone I like more than the consensus. A day 2 guy I really like that I think is underrated is Quincy Roche. He’s a good but not great athlete, and is a bit undersized, so he goes under the radar a bit. But he is ultra productive and has very good technique.

CB: Antonio Phillips doesn’t get a lot of attention having played in the MAC for Ball State. But he’s been a consistently excellent performer in college. He has good size and shows very good instincts and understanding of where to be. He’s expected to be a late round pick/ priority free agent, but looks like the kind of player that could play well beyond his draft position.

SAF: Tyree Gillespie. The lack of ball production knocks Gillespie down for a lot of people. However he is super athletic with very good range and instincts. Very impressive and consistent against the best opposition in the SEC.

So that's my list. Who have I missed, and who am I wrong about? Let me know which players you think are hidden gems this year, or are going under the radar.