[dt_divider style=”thick” /]The Inside The Pylon team has released our 2018 Draft Guide, rating and stacking over 550 prospects to find our group of 185 top guys. Like parents, scouts aren’t supposed to have “favorites” – but let’s face it, in the course of all that tape work, we enjoy watching some guys more than others. Below are the likely day two players who struck a chord with our team along with brief notes on selected entries. We already posted day one and we’ll have day three favorites in the coming days. Number of votes in parentheses; list of scouts and their favorites at the end.
Ronald Jones, Running Back, USC (5)
Lead scout Paul Guaragna tabbed Jones as an ideal fit in an outside zone scheme, where his “Burst, acceleration, athletic ability and excellent speed in the open field allow him to be a threat to go the distance whenever he touches the ball.” That big play ability makes Jones one of the most exciting backs to watch – and our RB4.
Anthony Miller, Wide Receiver, Memphis (4)
Miller’s all-around game made him a favorite of our scouts. Lead scout James McClintock called him a “legitimate deep threat on every play” while also noting his change of direction and footwork to win separation on shorter routes, his above-the-rim contested catch ability (belying his 5’11” stature), and his ability to “consistently make the first defender miss” after the catch.
Dallas Goedert, Tight End, South Dakota State (2*)
*one vote as a Day 1; see Day One Favorites
DaeSean Hamilton, Wide Receiver, Penn State (2)
Hamilton may be “just a slot guy,” but his separation skills, hands, and competitive toughness won over our scouts. Lead scout Sam Cohen opined that Hamilton “can be a go-to guy on third down and in the red zone.”
Mike Gesicki, TE, Penn State (1)
Gesicki’s 9.97 Relative Athletic Score ties for third all-time in Kent Lee Platte’s RAS database. He didn’t always play to that, but lead scout Nicholas Maccarone noted Gesicki’s “explosive leaping ability to get up for the high ball,” potentially making him a red zone weapon.
Shaquem Griffin, LB, Central Florida (1)
Griffin’s inspiring story – he was two-time All-AAC First Team despite having a hand amputated at the age of four – would make him a worthy candidate on this list in and of itself. He backs up his inspiring story with blazing play speed (a 4.38 40 time) and “excellent physical toughness with a ‘want to’ attitude,” per lead scout Beau Bell.
Davontae Harris, CB, Illinois State (1)
Playing at Illinois State in the Missouri Valley Conference, Harris isn’t a household name, but his speed, size, mirroring ability, football intelligence, and toughness checked a lot of boxes for lead scout Kyle Morgan, who ranked him CB8 and projects him as “an immediate starter at nickel cornerback in Year 1.”
Ronnie Harrison, S, Alabama (1)
Our number 3 safety, Harrison is a box safety with good size, excellent run defense skills, and the mirroring ability strong safeties need in today’s NFL. Lead scout Ryan Dukarm described Harrison as a “high energy player and clear leader on defense,” while Jalun Morris sees him along the lines of enforcer safeties Kam Chancellor and Keanu Neal.
Sam Hubbard, Edge, Ohio State (1)
Hubbard ran a slow 40 at his Pro Day, but his 6.84 3-cone time is indicative of the “rare
change of direction / lateral agility” that lead scout Nick Falato saw on tape. That agility combined with Hubbard’s size, burst, and relentless motor made him our EDGE3.
Kyle Lauletta, QB, Richmond (1)
Lauletta won over our QB guru Mark Schofield at the Senior Bowl, where he demonstrated enough zip on the ball, paired with very good accuracy and anticipation. He also shined in interviews when discussing route concepts and his experience in a variety of systems.
Chukwuma Okorafor, OT, Western Michigan (1)
Okorafor has an unusual background, living in Africa until 2010 and only playing offensive line since his junior year of high school. Unsurprisingly, he struggles with the finer points of pad level, footwork, and hand technique, but the 20-year-old’s length, strength, and versatility will endear him to teams – as they did to our scouts.
Others Receiving Votes:
Duke Dawson, CB, Florida; Josh Sweat, Edge, Florida State; Nathan Shepherd, Edge, Fort Hays State; Rashaad Penny, RB, San Diego State; Jessie Bates III, S, Wake Forest; Royce Freeman, RB, Oregon; Ian Thomas, TE, Indiana; Isaiah Oliver, CB, Colorado; Equanimeous St. Brown, WR, Notre Dame; DeShon Elliott, S, Texas; Frank Ragnow, C/G, Arkansas; James Washington, WR, Oklahoma State
Full List (and Chatter):
Dan Hatman – Chukwuma Okorafor
Mike Bey – Duke Dawson
Allan Uy – Josh Sweat
Michael Kist – Nathan Shepherd
Jimmy Lunt – Ronald Jones
Jeff Feyerer – Anthony Miller (even if he could go Day 1)
Mark Schofield – Kyle Lauletta
Kyle Morgan – Davontae Harris
Joe Molta – Rashaad Penny
Dante Fargnoli – DaeSean Hamilton
Ryan Dukarm – Ronnie Harrison
Deuce Windham – Jessie Bates III
Tom Mead – Royce Freeman / Ian Thomas
Sean Nazar – Ronald Jones
Jalun Morris – Isaiah Oliver
Kent Lee Platte – Ronald Jones
Zach Gold – Mike Gesicki
James McClintock – Anthony Miller
Joseph Ferraiola – Equanimeous St. Brown
Dan Hatman: I hope I find a player to love as much as Joe loves ESB :heart_eyes:
Marcus Johnson: I think I like ESB more than him lol
Joseph Ferraiola: And to think I didn’t really like him at first. Yeah, he’s Marcus’s WR1.
Dan Hatman: Oh
Marcus Johnson: It’s a hot take I know
Nicholas Maccarone – Anthony Miller
Nicholas Maccarone:
Day 1: Anthony Miller
Day 2: Anthony Miller
Day 3: Anthony Miller
Mike Bey: Wouldn’t be totally surprised if someone drafted Miller at the end of rd 1. Great playmaker. As I’ve said before, I think he’s a more athletic Randall Cobb.
Joey Hatzipanagiotis: Love Anthony Miller, he’s getting severely underrated because he couldn’t take part in the Senior Bowl/Combine but if he had I wouldn’t be surprised if he snuck into the late 1st. As it is I think someone gets a steal in the 2nd, barring injury issues which I’m obviously not privy to
Nicholas Maccarone: He jumped 39 inches and ran 4.48 at his pro day. Man is a dawg, dude, his tape is silly
Mike Bey: Miller’s game against UCF was unreal
Joey Hatzipanagiotis: His 2nd game vs. UCF was ridiculous, probably one of the most impressive individual performances out of any prospect all year, his first game vs. UCF was a struggle though but that game got out of hand quickly
Mike Bey: That’s the one I’m talking about when he had 3 TD. I think he’d be the best fit for a west coast offense as he can take a short pass for a long gain.
Joey Hatzipanagiotis: Yea, I think he can play either the slot or outside, but preferably as a Z so that he can be moved around and get easier releases off Press. He was also insane vs UConn and UCLA
Mike Bey: Definitely. Yea 4 TD against UConn. Unbelievable. He’d also be great on kick and punt returns
Logan Pullen – Anthony Miller
Nick Falato – Sam Hubbard
Javier Solis – Ronald Jones
Derek Benson – Ronald Jones / DeShon Elliott
Joe Molta: I see a lot of you guys are saying RoJo. I never really saw it with him and couldn’t get Jeremy Langford out of my head watching him. What’s the “pound the table” trait on him other than long speed?
Nicholas Maccarone: Rojo has very good vision and burst. He was born for a Zone scheme
Mike Bey: Rojo plays bigger than his size. He does struggle at times to use his hands effectively in pass pro but I think he’s the 3rd best RB in the draft after Saquon and Guice.
Kyle Morgan – I like how hard he attack’s the LOS as a runner. Even if stopped he’s going to gain yards after contact
Patrick Riordan – Frank Ragnow / James Washington
Sam Cohen – DaeSean Hamilton
Joey Hatzipanagiotis – Dallas Goedert
Dave Archibald – Shaquem Griffin