Fab Five?

By: Josh Frey-Sam

There are always a few shockers.

Those who were thought to be in store for a long wait in the first round, only to be one of the first names off the board, and those who were thought to be sure-fire bets to go on the opening night of the draft, only to be left wondering what went wrong.

There’s another small group of draftees that forms during the madness of the first round — the ones that leave mock-drafters screaming, “Reach!” and most fans saying, “Who the f—k is that guy?”

That collective is the topic of today’s newsletter.

Let’s outline five players who could surprise draft experts on Day 1.

Side note: This exercise is especially important in this year’s class, where there is little consensus on how players are ranked. You can bet there will be several shockers next Thursday.

QB Tyler Shough, Louisville

If you’ve paid any attention to this newsletter, you know how I feel about Shough. I think he has the potential to be the best quarterback in this class when it’s all said and done. I previously pegged him as an early-mid second-round prospect, but there seems to be a bit of momentum favouring him the closer we get to draft day — Shough and fellow QB Jalen Milore, for that matter. Two months ago, the consensus had two quarterbacks going in the first round. Now? I think there’s an outside shot we see five, including Shough.

IDL Darius Alexander, Toledo

Another player who appears destined to hear his name called early on Friday. I put Alexander here for two reasons, though: he’s a damn-good player, and the depth of this interior defensive lineman group leaves it anybody’s guess as to who teams will prefer. Alexander has a bit of rawness to him, but there’s no denying the physical traits. At 6-4, 310 pounds with 34” arms, he’s a big man with a knack for playing violently. His rise up boards came in large part to a strong showing at the Senior Bowl.

CB Shavon Revel, East Carolina

If you paid attention to some of the earliest mock drafts, Revel was a name you probably saw in the back half of the first round. However, he’s slowly fallen out of the conversation as other cornerback prospects have risen up boards while he nurses an ACL injury. Revel has plus measurements at his position, checking in at 6-3, 193 pounds. He’s your prototypical press-man corner who wants to get physical and handsy at the snap. I have questions about his speed and whether he’ll be prone to giving up deep plays if he’s beat off the line of scrimmage, but he has traits that could entice a team to strike in round one. His biggest question mark is whether he will be able to transition from the so-so competition of the AAC to the NFL.

WR Jayden Higgins, Iowa State

Higgins is my favourite receiver in the draft, so perhaps there is a bit of bias with this pick. I just find it tough to ignore the athleticism. He’s 6-4, 215 pounds, but moves like he’s three inches shorter and 20 pounds lighter. Higgins tested off the charts at the Combine, but the part NFL teams will love the most is his willingness to block in the run game. I think he has the potential to be one of the more complete receivers at the next level, and I could see other teams feeling the same way. He should hear his name called somewhere in the 30s.

CB Azareye’h Thomas, Florida State

Thomas popped onto my radar in Daniel Jeremiah’s latest mock draft, where he had the corner going to the Washington Commanders at 29. Even with an influential voice like DJ projecting him there, I think it would still be a shock if he, in fact, went on opening night. Part of Thomas’s allure is his size. Like Revel, he’s a long corner at 6-2, 198 pounds who isn’t afraid to get physical. Rangy corners like this always draw extra attention from talent evaluators, which is why a team could take a chance on Thomas, despite his rawness. However, he doesn’t project as a guy who will come in and make an immediate impact — a team and its fans will need to be patient.

Five sleeps until the NFL Draft.

Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.

Josh