Gonzo - top 20 pick with oodles of athleticism, size and instincts. Aaron Rodgers does not throw to the MOF so it's important to have strong boundary corners. My CB1, top 10-12 prospect in the class, one of the better CB I've seen lately. I'm as pumped for Gonzo as it gets. This team needed blue chip talent and we add one of the few pieces missing on D. Kid is a baby with an incredible amount of potential.
Barmore - If we're ever going to take the step from "very good" to "scary" We'll need a real inside pass rushing presence to move QB's off their spot. We really need him to take that jump. The IDL tiers are changing with Donald on his way out and Chris Jones peaking. Hopefully CB is that next guy for that position. Like Thornton there's no one in front of Barmore impeding his climb. I'm as excited to see what Barmore can do as anyone on the team.
Rham - unbelievable how he's taken over but you saw it coming from day 1. He can create, catch and is a work horse. I'm looking forward to a year where everything is geared towards him. I'm probably one of D Harris biggest fans and want to see him do well even though he's in Buffalo but we still have a loaded RB room imo
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Strong is legit and will absolutely turn heads imo. I think he's going to be a player and actually is a great complement to Rham.
Remember this dude averaged 7 + per clip in college and was like tied for most
Most explosive runs/attempts over 10 + yards
Antonio Gibson-.33
Lynn Bowden-.23
Javonte Williams-.23
Rhamondre Stevenson-.23
Anthony McFarland-.21
Zach Evans-.21
Najee Harris-.21
Kennedy Brooks-.21
Keaton Mitchell-.21
Pierre Strong-.20
D’Andre Swift-.20
Devon Achane-.20
Michael Carter-.20
Jonathan Taylor-.20
DeWayne Mcbride-.20
Travis Etienne-.20
I really wanted Bowden to stick. Kentucky ran a unique rushing attack and he was incredibly versatile coming out having played a ton of WR/QB/RB. I really hope we utilize his rec skills bc the guy can fly
He's got very nice vision, patience ability to set up his blocks before bolting but I love his lateral movements. Ability to slide without stopping his momentum. He can block and is very willing. I hope he takes over as our "rec back" even though RS will have 35 + rec.
Idk if pumped is the right word but I'm intrigued to see what Mac can do. There's not a lot missing for him to have success and we shouldn't be sitting through any major growing pains. I thought 23 was the year we would load up and go "all in" as Bill's time is ticking and so is the decision on Mac. A Hopkins move would definitely make that more true. Hop isn't a top 5 WR anymore but only bc of freaks like Hill, Jefferson, Chase etc hes still firmly a top 15 WR and in our situation. We shouldn't be passing that up. It's not like we're signing him long term and Mac needs the talent around him. I'm all for this. Hop, Bourne, JuJu is actually a pretty sweet trio. And as good as we've seen in 5 years. I'm excited to see if Mac is a the real deal or not though. We saw an average NFL QB his rookie year which was hopeful but he was absolutely lost last year and showed nothing through the mess. We have a proven OC he's familiar with and have to assume he was OK with. Slight upgraded in JuJu and a bigger one in Gesicki. Have to think the OL is the focus on everyone's mind on offense so I'm hoping things are set up for him to roll.
Same for Strange. Not sure pumped or amped is the right word but he was a 1st RD pick and in an obvious position of importance given the state of the team. Inconsistent to good last year but we need a lot more from him than that to justify a top 32 grade. One of the more athletic prospects at any position to come out recently. He's got the talent and athleticism. I'm hoping we're talking about Strange in the same way we talk about Onwenu after this year - top 5-10 at his position. You draft a IOL that early he has to hit.
I'm pumped and hope Bourne picks up where he left off before last year. He was a 1100+ guy if given the targets. Crafty rr that can play a little bit of everywhere. Has confidence and experience in the league, seen a lot. I think and hope he's our WR1 if Hop isn't signed.
Marcus and Jack Jones - I was a huge Marcus fan coming out bc of his versatility. I really hope he's our future slot with Jack opposite Gonzo going forward into 2024. That trio has a ton of confidence, versatility and IQ/instincts. That's something I can't help but think of looking at them. All have great football IQ and instincts. Whether it's turning and locating, route anticipation, playing a WR's body language, down/distance etc we could an amazing secondary going forward. I had a 3rd RD grade on Jon Jones, a binky of mine coming out. Honestly with Dugger, Phillips, Jalen and Peppers behind them this group could be truly elite by years end or going into next year.
Also pumped for Judon and Uche. I'm so glad we finally unleashed Uche and hope he's a 12 sack guy this year. I think everyone is pumped to see White bully some people.
We definitely have elite potential on defense which is crazy in 23/24. If Mac is really the guy we should fighting for a playoff spot in a loaded division.