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Guys I Like (in the NFL Draft)
- Tim Brusveen
- Apr 21
- 7 min read
Former Gregory Middle School backup QB weighs in on the drafts potential gems.
People say when you have a job and kids your free time becomes non-existent. That’s true to an extent I suppose, my days of nine hour PS5 marathons and sleeping until the sun was setting are gone. Pour one out. But the other side is that once you understand how to do your job and that raising a kid mostly consists of making sure they are confined to one room while they cycle through a toy-per-minute, there’s lots of time to read NFL Draft scouting reports on your phone. Of the hundreds, yes that much time, draft prospects I have read about here are a few that I really like and think might be good in the NFL. Or they’ll suck. I don’t know.
I focused mostly on the Bears and their needs so that’s where the Guys I Like ™ come from. First round picks or likely first round picks are left out. The outcomes for these players also varies. A 7th round wide receiver may not turn into Puka Nacua but if they are a quality element of a good offense who earns a second contract? That plays. Admittedly, this is pretty heavy on my own opinion, a more objective, data-driven analysis of the draft itself will be posted later in the week.
Running Back
TreVeyon Henderson – Ohio State
PFF Big Board Rank: 58
He’s had some injury issues which is why he’s lumped into the non-Jeanty and non-Hampton tier of this draft class but he averaged 7.2 yards per touch his final year with a 91.8 rushing grade from PFF. His 33rd Team scouting report compares him to a “faster Kyren Williams.” OK, one of the most productive running backs in the NFL whose lack of speed holds him back from being truly elite. So, Henderson is that guy but without the lack of speed? That seems like it will work fine. He’ll probably be best suited for a committee like he worked out of in college but there are very few teams who don’t operate that way anymore. Seems like the kind of guy that explodes on the scene and a retrospective look at his college resume has a lot of people saying, “well duh.”
Other Guys: Damien Martinez, Ollie Gordon II, LeQuint Allen
Wide Receiver
PFF Big Board Rank: 101
There’s a decent chance that I like this guy so much because he boasts one of the best names in the draft right behind Robert Longerbeam. There’s also a chance that he is a player who causes dumb people like me to fall into the trap of thinking, “someone should use him like Deebo!” The reason so many people are able to point to Deebo Samuel as the pinnacle of diverse receiver usage is because he’s a very unique player. It reminds me of how baseball teams are always looking for “the next Ben Zobrist.” Maybe you’re able to namecheck that guy so easily because they are totally unique? With all that said, Savion Williams is the next Deebo. Or at least the next attempt at finding him. He had 60 catches and 53 carries last year at TCU. His contested catch rate ranks at the top of the nation at 89%. His actual receiver skills are the biggest question mark in his profile but a guy who can line up anywhere and provide returner value early in his career seems like a good bet.
Other Guys: Dont’e Thornton Jr., KeAndre Lambert-Smith, Nick Nash, Pat Bryant
Tight End
Harold Fannin Jr. – Bowling Green
PFF Big Board Rank: 102
The tight end class is awesome. Let’s start there. Tyler Warren, Colston Loveland, Elijah Arroyo and Mason Taylor could all be big time players in the NFL. Harold Fannin has also reached status of Ball Knower darling throughout the draft process so this isn’t some unique take but among all of those tight ends, it was Fannin who was PFF’s #1 tight end not just this year but last year as well. A versatile weapon who can line up at pretty much every eligible spot, he amassed 1,555 yards and ten touchdowns last year. He also led all tight ends in America in forced missed tackles. Is he a big fish in a small pond at Bowling Green? Maybe but his production is going to get someone to bet on him in the 2nd or 3rd round and maybe it should be Ben Johnson.
Other Guys: Elijah Arroyo, Mason Taylor, Bryson Nesbit
Offensive Line
PFF Big Board Rank: 142
Nothing sums up this draft class better than there being legitimately ten guys who could fit here. You could go injured guy who will slide in the first round but probably the best tackle in the draft, Josh Simmons. You could go solid starter found in the middle rounds like Ozzy Trapilo. You could go massive human being who could be molded by the right coach into a terrifying presence like Hollin Pierce. McLaughlin is kind of a blend of all of those elements. An Achilles injury cost him a large chunk of his season and has impacted his draft process. It cuts both ways in that there are legitimate questions about his ability to bounce back and contribute at all in 2025. Yet, if he had played a whole season he’s almost certainly the first center off the board in a weak class rather than one who probably hangs around until Day 3. He allowed one sack in three seasons while anchoring an always stout OSU line. If someone is willing to be patient, they might get the best lineman in the draft.
Other Guys: Charles Grant, Cameron Williams, Hollin Pierce, Jalen Rivers, Logan Brown
Interior Defensive Line
PFF Big Board Rank: 49
Bruce Feldman published his Draft Day Confidential in The Athletic this week and quoted two coaches who speculated that there are a dozen first round talents on the defensive line this year. Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant and Walter Nolen could all be Pro Bowl caliber guys. Darius Alexander could very easily slip into the backend of the first round if a team believes in their ability to mold him. PFF’s 3rd ranked interior defender last year, a 13% pass rush win rate and a combined 55 hurries from the middle over the last two seasons, Alexander has dominated lesser competition at Toledo and will make his NFL debut at 25 years old but his size and production could make his name very well known very soon.
Other Guys: TJ Sanders, Alfred Collins, Joshua Farmer, Vernon Broughton, Jordan Phillips
Defensive Edge
PFF Big Board Rank: 75
When I first started doing this, Oladejo’s name popped up at the bottom of the Big Board and I had to find his scouting report on one of those sites that kept trying to get me to click on those popups about FIVE SKIN TRICKS DERMATOLOGISTS DON’T WANT YOU TO KNOW! What a difference a few months makes. He’s risen to 75 on the Big Board and was a guest of at least half a dozen teams for a Top 30 visit. He converted from interior linebacker to edge last season to accommodate Carson Schwesinger at UCLA and in his one year on the edge produced seven sacks and 19 hurries. It’s no wonder that teams see a guy just scratching the surface of what could be. The edge class is deep in the sense that there might be fifteen guys drafted who play a part in a pass rush rotation for quite a while but outside of Abdul Carter there might not be a Pro Bowl caliber player in there. A team may bet on Oladejo earlier than expected.
Other Guys: Landon Jackson, Nic Scourton, Tyler Baron, David Walker
Interior Linebacker
PFF Big Board Rank: 110
This was going to be a spot for Carson Schwesinger but he’s gotten enough helium that he could come off the board in the top 40 and will challenge Jihaad Campbell for best linebacker out there. Stutsman is not the same player but given that he will come off the board 2-3 rounds after Schwesinger, there is still a lot to like. He ranked 7th in the nation in run stops and logged a run defense grade of 90.9 on PFF, a guy who can bring the lumber like he can will find a spot somewhere. Let’s just ignore the other side of playing linebacker in which he posted a pass coverage grade of 46.3 and allowed a QB Rating of 114.7 when targeted. Um, make sure he’s only playing on run downs!
Other Guys: Demetrius Knight Jr., Kobe King, Cody Simon, Shemar James
Cornerback
PFF Big Board Rank: 114
This is my favorite position group in the whole draft and could produce some really high-quality players starting with Travis Hunter, Will Johnson, Jahdae Barron and Trey Amos. I had to resist putting East Carolina’s Shavon Revel here because it started to feel like my formula of small school and/or coming off an injury was played out but don’t be surprised if Revel and his massive frame (and sweet name) find their way into the first round. Nohl Williams is a perfectly good replacement; 73rd among over 800 CBs on PFF with his most striking stat being a 40.7 passer rating when targeted. He has 15 career interceptions including seven last year. That’s what a shutdown corner looks like.
Other Guys: Shavon Revel, Darien Porter, Marcus Harris, Caleb Ransaw
Safety
PFF Big Board Rank: 8
I know, I’m cheating but let me explain. Starks might be right behind Abdul Carter as the best player in the draft and his situation reminds me of now Ravens, then Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton when Hamilton was coming out in 2022. That was the Travon Walker/Hutchinson draft where there were no QBs in sight. Same sort of vibes as this one depending on your feelings on Cam Ward. Anyway, it was pretty much an accepted fact that Hamilton was one of the three best players in the draft, maybe the best. However, NFL teams are very committed to positional value and because of that Hamilton fell to 14th. Two All-Pro selections later and here we are. Point being, Malaki Starks may get dinged for being a safety but he can line up anywhere in the secondary and make plays. He logged over 200 snaps at slot corner, deep safety and box safety. The Georgia defense will send its usual 4-8 defenders into the NFL this year and it was Starks who led that always dangerous unit in tackles. In this draft he will almost certainly be drafted after lesser players but don’t be surprised if he follows Hamilton’s path.
Other Guys: Kevin Winston Jr., Maxen Hook
