nfl players who didn't play until high school

Which leads me to Darren McFadden, who was probably the best running back I've covered at the college level, and I was absolutely certain he was going to be a superstar. Conclusion: Phillips size will have some teams dropping him on their boards or taking him off altogether, but for teams who have a more open-minded approach could be rewarded with a technician in the slot, and especially outside. Vertical Jump: 31 (26th) Reach Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on Twitter @MikeOrganWriter. LaPorta had six drops last season and 14 during his time at Iowa, which is less than optimal. NFL Comparison: DeSean Jackson. Please logout and login again. Height: 65 (30th) Weight: 302 (12th) Sanders profiles pretty well in that same way. Another first-rounder, Jack Campbell, ranked as the nations No. Over two seasons with primary cornerback experience in college, Turner had no sacks, three pressures, 65 tackles, 13 stops, and he allowed 59 catches on 130 targets for 675 yards, 215 yards after the catch, four touchdowns, three interceptions, 15 pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 62.2. Misdirection and play-action will be an issue at the NFL level at times, and in a league where quarterbacks are performing sleight-of-hand at the highest levels, thats not great. The dude is just comically strong. Stat to Know: Hyatts 13.9 yards per target leads all receivers on this list by a large margin; TCUs Quentin Johnston ranked second at 10.9. When they both went in the first round of the 1997 draft -- Ike to the Giants, Reidel to the Bucs -- it seemed as if they were destined for greatness. Ex-NFL greats: No tackle football before kids turn 14 - UPI Broad Jump: 118 (68th) Bryce Youngs frame and size would have deterred me for durability concerns. Bench Press: 30 reps (71st) Particulars: Attended Memphis. Like Sanders, Mims projects well as a highly-regarded WR2 in any offense where theres a vertical element in need of reinforcement. But in any NFL offense where such a player is valued, Downs could make immediate contributions with not only his speed and movement abilities, but also his route versatility. The story of the first day of the draft was what happened with Kentucky QB Will Levis, who prior to the draft emerged as the betting favorite to go second overall. 20-Yard Shuttle: 5.00 (4th), Wingspan: N/A Conclusion: Teams want big aggressors at the safety positions, especially when you get closer to the line of scrimmage, and Johnson should be able to walk into his NFL facility from Day 1 with that palette ready to go. 10. Over four years with South Carolina, Smith had no sacks, four pressures, 71 tackles, 20 stops, and he allowed 48 catches on 94 targets for 701 yards, 184 yards after the catch, seven touchdowns, six interceptions, six pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 73.9. When hes on, Ika is a Destroyer of Worlds, capable of taking half an offensive line and whoevers unfortunate enough to have the ball right to the woodshed. Instead, he played basketball at Kent State. Bio: Williams was a two- to three-star prospect out of Indian Land High School in South Carolina, and the major school offers were not forthcoming he chose Tulane over Coastal Carolina and Troy. NFL Comparison: Amani Hooker. Last season, he allowed one sack, two quarterback hits, and six quarterback hurries on 304 pass-blocking snaps in North Dakota States run-heavy offense. Each story from each five-star recruit to players Hes good at engaging defenders with his hands, and hes got the power and leverage to bull people back. He helped Justin Herbert excel as a rookie with the Chargers, and he most recently aided Jalen Hurts rise from a 2-5 start to leading the Eagles to the Super Bowl. 2 lurkedlongtime Steelers 8 yr. ago 3-Cone Drill: N/A He struggles to pick up keys and will be left flat-footed more often than youd like, even against short, easy stuff. That said, we should not downplay Simpsons power in the run game whether from the edge or off-ball, hell sift through blocks and zoom into the backfield for some major stops. These attributes, as well as Sanders ability to take on blockers (running backs dont like him very much at all in this regard), make him a plus run defender. A few years from now, it wouldn't be surprising if Cody Mauch is the best center from this draft class. The cornerback didn't play the sport for the first time until his junior year in high school, which means he only has six years of organized football under his belt. This means a player who graduates in 2009 cannot be drafted until 2012 so it is usually only juniors and seniors who are drafted. 40-Yard Dash: 5.08 (51st) He may never gain 1,000 yards in a season on the ground, but he could be a real weapon in a yards from scrimmage sense, and the extent to which Spears NFL team focuses on what he is, as supposed to what his size prevents him from doing, is how much his NFL team will be rewarded with the potential of a unique player. 40-Yard Dash: 4.53 (60th) Arm Length: 31 (40th) Georgias Jalen Carter, the best defensive lineman (and perhaps the best overall player) in this class found it out on this rep, when Jones got his hands out, and Carter just couldnt get anywhere near C.J. Hand Size: 9 (20th). Strengths: As an interior defender, Whites ability to displace far bigger blockers is just fun to watch. Porter played 1,387 snaps at outside cornerback, 230 in the box, 44 along the defensive line, 30 in the slot, and 13 at free safety. Vertical Jump: 38 (79th) Hand Size: 9 (47th). Vertical Jump: 37 (80th) Musgrave missed all but two games in the 2022 season due to a knee injury. adding 22 receptions for 256 yards and two touchdowns. When he ended his NFL career in 2007, he had played 76 games. He played on some bad teams in Cincinnati and was out of the NFL after just six seasons. He was drafted in the first round by the Patriots in 2005. Broad Jump: N/A Broad Jump: 138 (99th) That led to his trade to the Chiefs, in which Brown became a starting left tackle at a size you wouldnt normally expect. Vertical Jump: 34 (79th) Majors: The Players Who Skipped The Minors 10 NFL players who didn't play college football. 10 NFL players who didn't play in college - Sportskeeda Often, the results turned out the same with that more cautious approach. His cousins are former USC (2018-20) safety Talanoa Hufanga, the 2020 Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year now with the San Francisco 49ers, and former USC (2005-08) defensive tackle Fili Moala, who played in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts (2009-14). Bench Press: N/A Weaknesses: Schmitz will let defenders cross his face too often to get to the ball this might be a function of his average arm length, but its something his NFL coaches will want to address. Strengths: Mauch is quick and agile on the move, whether its at the line of scrimmage or to the second level, and through his play strength is nothing to write home about, hes efficient and enthusiastic when its time to show the power hes got. Height: 6 0 (70th percentile) Weight: 180 (8th) And none of them were ranked higher than a three-star coming out of high school. Its been 50 years since the Cyclones had a first-round NFL Draft pick. Not a great thing for the games most important position. At 6-6, 306, Duncan has really impressive athleticism, but hes very inconsistent and gave up a bunch of big plays last season. Hand Size: 9 (28th). According to Forbes, Banks got some snaps in a preseason game before being cut. It went well for the Sooners, as Mims became the first Freshman All-American in school history in 2020. Sixth-rounder Jaelyn Duncan, a left tackle from Maryland, has a lot of potential. Hes better as a straight-ahead hunt and kill disruptor. 10-Yard Split: 1.47 (96th) National Signing Day: Notable NFL players who were college walk 3-Cone Drill: N/A Broad Jump: 131 (92nd) 20-Yard Shuttle: 4.05 (80th), Wingspan: 82 (99th) Hand Size: 10 (62nd). Love his mentality, the coach said. 20-Yard Shuttle: N/A, Wingspan: 75 (69th) That earned him a try-out with the Green Bay Packers, but he went undrafted. Achane can also bang it inside on zone or gap concepts, and hes eager to exploit any opening. Van Ness, Campbell and Moss made up the backbone of one of the top defenses in the country the past couple of years, and no doubt the NFL took notice. 10-Yard Split: N/A According to the Associated Press, the giant Lithuanian bench pressed 225 pounds a total of 24 times, and then followed that up with a 35-inch jump in the vertical. Hes not always quick to the draw for his own assignments, and this can have him struggling to catch up when receptions are made. 365. His 2021 season, in which he caught four deep passes on 10 targets for 117 yards, should be more indicative of his explosive play opportunity rate, with a serious bump in efficiency based on his 2022 tape. 10-Yard Split: 1.61 (73rd) Broad Jump: 122 (75th) Broad Jump: 128 (86th) 40-Yard Dash: 5.21 (69th) Strengths: When youre evaluating Hooker as an NFL prospect, you absolutely have to take his college offense into account. "But with football, I love challenges, and this was the biggest one I've ever had in my life. 40-Yard Dash: 4.54 (37th) Of course, you really want Downs as a slot weapon in your offense, and he brings the attributes above, as well as an ability to play bigger and taller than he is at the catch point, to the inside. Over time, he had 39 starts for the Bison 37 at left tackle, and two at right tackle. Ike Taylor had played football all his life but was forced to start his college career late because he was academically ineligible. It goes like this: I'm an idiot, but if it's obvious even to me that a guy is great, well then, he must be pretty darned great. He racked up 236 appearances, over 11000 career yards, 116 touchdowns, and 955 catches. Conclusion: Former Giants executive George Youngs Planet Theory, which is often mis-attributed to Bill Parcells, postulates that there are only so many people on the planet big enough and athletic enough to excel on the line of scrimmage in the National Football League. Andrea Adelson: Ike Hilliard and Reidel Anthony Even the few guys who did press him did so with some trepidation. Bio: Turner helped North Gwinnett High School in Suwanee, Georgia to the 2017 GHSA Class AAAAAAA State Championship, and then transferred to the IMG Academy for his senior year. Sorsdal has really good initial quickness, and even though, he played at the FCS level, he has the talent to have played in the SEC or Big Ten if he had entered the transfer portal. Earlier this summer, Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive tackle Warren Sapp became one of the most high-profile advocates for it. Broad Jump: 125 (88th) That off-ball inexperience also makes itself clear when Sanders tries to take on blocks in the run game, as opposed to just shooting gaps as a blitzer would. My objective is as a running back, as a ballcarrier, to just make the first guy miss. That may sound boring to some, but there are times when boring is preferable to zany spikes in production. Round 2 and 3 grades:Rating every pick Levis will need to be with NFL coaches who define things for him on every down. Hand Size: 10 (95th). Browns sixth-percentile height shows up when hes charged to defend tight ends and bigger receivers hell do his level best to deal with targets of this size, but there are times when the math just isnt optimal. Washingtons NFL team should love him as an inline blocker, and as an H-back on sweeps and pulls. While there is constant speculation about when the ageless Brady, the greatest quarterback of all time, will stop playing football, when he started playing it is Now, its time to look at the nature of those throws in Hookers case. He redshirted that season, then didn't play a down in 2004. Roy can play outside to five-tech roles in various fronts, but I like him best as an inside prospect with a team playing a lot of those five-man alignments in which he can eat up single-teams, and work to the ball. Darnell Washington, 93rd, Steelers; 4. Youre going to want safety help more often than not when youre on him especially if hes dusting your cornerbacks with any kinds of switch releases. Neither ever had a 1,000-yard NFL season. We talked about the importance of the Y-iso position in the Dalton Kincaid discussion, and LaPorta is another prospect with the athleticism to be that guy. Hand Size: 10 (87th). 6'3", 210ish, ran a 9.9 100m in college, around a 4.3 40. With the first round not decided, heres my best remaining prospects for the 2023 NFL draft, with full and detailed scouting reports for each player. because hell close with confidence and intelligence. Vertical Jump: 34 (62nd) We had been working on that play Hug the playside leg, and it just popped right out the front door. He can learn from Tannehill and develop in the Titans system. Is it possible to give a group award? Over four collegiate seasons, Porter had one sack, five pressures, 101 tackles, 24 stops, and allowed 72 catches on 120 targets for 783 yards, seven touchdowns, one interception, 15 pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 95.2. Broad Jump: 111 (81st) His focus was on basketball and he played on the same traveling team as 2022 NBA Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes. Hell hit in the NFL because he brings a serious load at first contact, and he had some compelling answers for what to do after it. Stat to Know: Sports Info Solutions defined its Unique Routes Run metrics as the number of distinct routes that a receiver ran at least once in a season. 6-keys: media/spln/nfl/reg/free/stories, at Johnson played 262 snaps in the box, 123 at free safety, 1,029 in the slot, 33 at cornerback, and 92 along the defensive line. Arm Length: 33 (74th) Selected in the sixth round of the 2015 draft by the Ravens out of Georgia Tech, Waller overcame personal issues to become one of the NFLs most explosive pass-catching tight ends. Particulars: Attended Wisconsin. Bio: Brents was ranked the 28th-best cornerback in the Class of 2018 by 247Sports out of Warren High School in Indianapolis, so there was nowhere to go but up. Its two yards outside the hash. Stat to Know: Last season, White allowed six catches on eight targets for 179 yards, 135 yards after the catch, two touchdowns, no interceptions, no pass breakups, three penalties, and an opponent passer rating of 156.3. Vertical Jump: 29 (52nd) 4 by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2000 NFL draft. That unprecedented circumstance doesnt reflect the caliber of players Bedenbaugh keeps producing. 10-Yard Split: 1.79 (29th) Apparently, you don't need football experience to play for the Kansas City Chiefs. the whole contested catch idea is relative with him, because hes generally the one doing the contesting. 1. He admired Williams' athleticism and believes that he has also developed that trait. Putting him more in the slot, as Illinois did a lot (Martin led all 2023 draft prospect safeties with 64% of his snaps in the slot) should promote his attributes and minimize his deficiencies in the short term. 10-Yard Split: 1.53 (68th) Spears is also able to make things happen as a receiver beyond the basic routes, as he showed on this 29-yard catch against Southern Miss. NFL Comparison: Orlando Brown Jr. Brown played 1,340 snaps in the box, 747 at free safety, 768 in the slot, 101 at cornerback, and 191 on the defensive line. Ex-NFL players who played tackle football in youth more There is still a place for those big earthmovers in todays NFL (Iupati made four Pro Bowls and had one All-Pro nod) as long as they have enough athleticism to get past the obvious transitive issues with this kind of size and strength. Arm Length: 32 (38th) It wasn't at Baylor, nor was it on the football field. The extent to which NFL teams are scared off by his relative lack of physical dominance could complicate that equation. He was Detroit's first-round pick in the 2013 NFL Draft. Pierre-Paul grew up playing basketball. Im also a fan of third-round receiver Tank Dell. Phillips profiles very much the same way. 40-Yard Dash: 4.61 (88th) The Colts took Blackmon in the 2020 draft out of Utah, and over time, Blackmon has become more of a slot defender to add to his reps at free safety. Over four seasons, he totaled 2,190 yards and 23 touchdowns on 392 carries, with 56 catches for 420 yards and three touchdowns. The college football stars we can't believe didn't make it in the That limited his utility and in turn his draft stock which drove him down the bog boards in league war rooms. Torrence is going to have to work on his ability to pick anything up to either side its a problem with single-blockers, as well. He didn't see the field in 1996 but played 14 games for the Carolina Panthers before retiring at 32 years old. Hand Size: 10 (90th). But he added: When he wants to be, he is unblockable. Here, it was Texas Techs Tyree Wilson (our second-ranked edge defender) working him to the outside shoulder that created the issue. He allowed just two quarterback hurries in 152 True Pass Set snaps. Conclusion: Given Brents size, willingness to face up in the run game, and his displayed ability to cover tight ends in the box (theres not a lot, but its there). In three seasons with the Jackrabbits, Kraft caught 99 passes on 132 targets for 1,208 yards and nine touchdowns. That team will also have to acclimate to his blocking issues, drops, and the fact that his height precludes him from being a post-up weapon downfield. Conclusion: Of all the multi-gap defensive linemen in this class who will primarily ply their trade as edge defenders in the NFL, Tuipulotu could well have the most upside as a pure edge guy with his quickness, flexibility, and suddenness to the quarterback. Height: 6 2 (96th percentile) Weight: 193 (52nd) I cant think of a guy coming out that had his ability since Ndamukong Suh, an NFL defensive coordinator told me last week. Over five collegiate seasons, Brown had two sacks, nine pressures, 259 tackles, 78 stops, and allowed 91 catches on 150 targets for 1,296 yards, 497 yards after the catch, 12 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, 13 pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 87.5. 4. Broad Jump: 129 (87th) Disney made a movie about Papale's story called "Invincible" and stars Mark Wahlberg. The college football stars we can't believe didn't make it in the NFL, College football Future Power Rankings: Defenses, Ranking college football's 10 best running backs for 2023, Deion 'ashamed' after only 1 HBCU player drafted, Spartans QB Thorne, WR Coleman enter portal, Philly Dawgs: Eagles add Ringo to UGA draft haul, Biden salutes Air Force for fall success over rivals, New Big Ten boss Petitti ready to lead 'new era', Huskers QB Thompson again in transfer portal, UVA players killed last fall honored at NFL draft. The 49ers stole Greenlaw out of Arkansas in the fifth round of the 2019 draft, and while coverage has never been his thing, Greenlaw has become one half of the NFLs best linebacker duo alongside Fred Warner. Conclusion: White comes into an NFL that seems tailored for his skill set in some ways. Broad Jump: 124 (95th) An undrafted free agent out of Mississippi State by way of East Mississippi Community College, Autry first got on with the Raiders in 2017, became a real force multiplier with the Colts in 2019 and 2020, and has continued that with the Titans over the last two seasons. And its too easy for opposing defenders to get in Freelands kitchen and just push him back. In the middle of the second round, the Colts addressed another big need by grabbing Kansas States Julius Brents, an extremely long corner who improved dramatically in 2022 by technique wise by also in his approach to the game. 5. 10-Yard Split: N/A 40-Yard Dash: 4.26 (99th) 3-Cone Drill: N/A Selected by the Steelers in the third round of the 2010 draft out of SMU, Sanders has been a smaller (5-foot-11, 180-pound) but estimable target both in the slot and out wide because of his increasing route understanding, smooth speed from the line of scrimmage and out of his breaks, and toughness when it needed to be there. 20-Yard Shuttle: N/A, Wingspan: N/A With his good reps in smaller spaces, clear intelligence, and adaptive techniques, Mauch might turn out to be an amazing center. The good news is that when you have a player with 92nd percentile height and 12th percentile weight for his position, the primary fix is obvious, and I dont think Freelands movement abilities will be negatively affected by an additional 15-20 pounds. He chose Louisiana, making Freshman All-American in 2019, and First Team All-Sun Belt in 2021. Height: 5 11 (42nd) Weight: 194 (56th) Mauch is also an immediate lock as a guy you want working pulls, sweeps, and slides due to his lateral agility and target surety. One thing Levis will absolutely have to fix if hes ever to become a top-tier NFL quarterback is a first-read fixation that got him in trouble too often at the NCAA level. Probably created more missed tackles in one on ones than anybody. Sure. Schnitz played 57 games for the Golden Gophers, starting 35, and all at center. Musgraves comfortable speed has also allowed him to develop subtle (and at times not-do-subtle) moves to create separation, thwarting tight coverage. I covered Quinn's entire career, especially the 2005 and 2006 seasons, when he passed for 7,345 yards and 69 touchdowns for the Irish. Conclusion: As 2022 was Avilas first season playing left guard, youre inclined to forgive the technical missteps and bank on the ridiculous play strength that could have him blowing NFL defensive tackles sooner than later. In three seasons with North Carolina, Downs caught 202 passes on 272 targets for 2,483 yards and 22 touchdowns. Height: 6 0 (76th percentile) Weight: 219 (67th) NFL draft: Where every 2023 first-round pick ranked as a high 20-Yard Shuttle: 4.29 seconds (69th), Wingspan: N/A This 62-yard run in the Cotton Bowl against USC is the one youd think hed want NFL evaluators to watch the most, though this wasnt even one of his four touchdown runs. Editors note: Bruce Feldman builds a rapport with many eventual NFL Draft prospects, and their coaches, over a period of years prior to each NFL Draft. Downs isnt going to bully anybody out there, but hes not afraid of contact. 20-Yard Shuttle: N/A, Wingspan: 76 (58th) He caught 13 of 33 such passes for 602 yards. Achane was mocked anywhere from 68th to 110th and ended up going 84th overall to the Dolphins which was considered by A&M fans to be too low. Conclusion: Brown should be an ideal fit for single-high dominant teams in need of a deep-third and slot defender who wants to mix it up in the box, but doesnt always have the wherewithal to do so. NFL Comparison: Jason Witten. Hand Size: 10 (45th). Selected in the third round of the 2019 draft out of Mississippi, Knox has become a staple in the Bills offense with his ability to move to the second and third levels, while providing reliable blocking, Hes not the best route-running tight end, and goodness knows that drops have been an issue, but Knox present a good illustrative example of how Kraft could bring immediate value to an NFL offense even when hes rounding out his football palette. Hes a really good player, and the fact that hes with arguably the best O-line coach in the NFL in Jeff Stoutland who has worked with Nick Saban and knows him well bodes well. 10-Yard Split: 1.62 (69th) Jaelyn Duncan picked up football in high school. The Vikings took ONeill out of Pitt with the 62nd overall pick in the 2018 draft knowing what he had on the ball in an athletic and technical sense, and hoping that the power would come together. NFL footage NFL Productions LLC. After two years playing football at two different community colleges, he finally transferred to the University of South Florida where he began to get noticed. Vertical Jump: 37 (70th) If you want a Hall of Fame player on your roster, you can do that in the second and third rounds of the NFL draft. Were drafting the All-Fun Team & 11 fans will win a cruise. Bench Press: 17 reps (73rd) Bio: Born in London, Ontario, Canada, and the twin brother of Illinois running back Chase Brown, Sydney Brown was a football and track star in high school, and had 585 snaps as a true freshman for the Fighting Illini in 2018. Top NFL players that were former walk-ons Strengths: Jones movement skills for a man his size are rare. Witten was nobodys idea of a speed demon, and he wouldnt necessarily fit the modern prototype of the detached big receiver masquerading positionally as a tight end, but he made 11 Pro Bowls and had two All-Pro nods because he was consistent, tough, and fearless on the field. 3-Cone Drill: N/A Weaknesses: When White does get stalemated at the line of scrimmage, youd like to see him develop more second-reaction moves and counters to get out of it. Torrence has snaps in which this seems possible, but it might not happen overnight. There was also this 55-yard run against Tulsa, in which Spears put moves on that defense that just werent fair. Stat to Know: Sanders lined up along the edge on 20% of his snaps last season, amassing five sacks and 17 total pressures when he did so. John Michael Schmitz rolls out of bed reaching frontside DTs. G Logan Mankins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 9. 40-Yard Dash: N/A Now he's in the NFL. He was a walk-on at USC and didnt earn a scholarship for two years in college. Brown is also excellent when it comes to matching receivers on crossing routes and any other route requiring a defender to catch up at the top of the route. After that, Clay made the most of his limited opportunity to prove himself and impressed the NFL scouts. On this deep deflection against Minnesota in Week 8, Porter took receiver Daniel Jackson all the way up the rail on the right boundary in Cover-3, and there was no way Jackson was moving Porter away from his outside position through the vertical route. If we want to label Levis a winner or a finisher as opposed to a gritty, tough guy, it might behoove us to look at his red zone performance in the 2022 season. pic.twitter.com/IVk7ksfahE. Selected by the Cowboys in the seventh round of the 2005 draft out of Auburn, Ratliff put together his best seasons as a fast one-gap nose tackle in Wade Phillips 5-2 fronts.

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