Verse (6’4/254) worked his way up from the lower levels of college football, attending Albany for his first two seasons before transferring to Tallahassee to play for the Seminoles in 2022. He wasted little time making an impact at the FBS level, posting the eighth-highest PFF pass rush grade in the Power Five (88.6) with 17.0 TFL and 9.0 sacks, though he produced an elevated 27% missed tackle rate en route to being named First Team All-ACC. The Dayton, Ohio native would go on to exceed even those lofty standards this year, creating the second-most pressures in the nation (62) with a sterling 91st percentile pass rush grade that ranked fifth overall. An ACC quarterback’s worst nightmare, Verse was responsible for an 11.7% pressure rate (4th in P5) and 21.8% Win Rate (2nd in P5) in passing situations. Verse performed the full range of tests at the combine. He ran a 1.59s 10-yard split (95th%) and 4.58s 40-yard dash (9.78s) at 254 pounds, which are breathtaking times for his size. His 31 bench reps were five more than the next closest edge in the 2024 group, and second among all Combine defenders, for an extraordinary 9.60 Relative Athletic Score. He explodes into contact and unleashes a furious bull rush that can stagger even the most rooted OTs, which sets up a devastating push-pull move. Verse will sometimes lose sight of the ball carrier and over-pursue, leaving himself vulnerable to cutbacks. Still, he has a captivating power-edge profile with verified athleticism that bears a resemblance to Boye Mafe. After watching Aaron Donald retire this offseason, the Rams wasted no time retooling their pass rush by making Verse their first round-one pick since Jared Goff in 2016.

Murphy (6'1/297) wasted little time making an impact as a true freshman, splitting his 298 snaps evenly between the A and B gaps and earning Honorable Mention All-Big 12 Freshman Defensive Player of the Year notice. He rotated in behind NFL Draftees Moro Ojomo and Keondre Coburn recording an 83rd percentile PFF overall grade his sophomore year. Murphy finally assumed a starting role in 2023 and proceeded to run roughshod over the B12, racking up 45 pressures (3rd in FBS) and 21 stops while living in opposing backfields. When it’s time to pin his ears back on third downs the Texas three-tech generated a sensational 17.5% pressure rate, while his 91st percentile overall grade ranked second nationally among DTs behind only his linemate T’Vondre Sweat. The reigning Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year and Second Team All-American showed no fear at the Combine, performing every test and drill at the event. He wowed spectators with a 95th percentile 4.87s 40-yard dash, 33” vert (93rd%), and a 4.5s shuttle (87th%) for an exceptional 9.22 RAS. Murphy slashes his way through his chosen gap on a routine basis and is a constant agitator up the middle in both phases of the game. His biggest concern is his sub-optimal 6’004” height and 32.275” arms hinder his ability to be a three-down NFL contributor, but there’s no doubt he can be a valued rotational piece. His best-case scenario is to be used like Ed Oliver in Buffalo.

Speaking during NFL Network’s live draft coverage, Jeremiah mentioned that he reached out to Cousin’s agent, Mike McCartney, who said that neither he nor Cousins were given a heads-up by the Falcons that they were going to take Penix. Considering the Falcons just signed Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract, the fact that the Falcons would draft a quarterback in the first round and also not tell Cousins is doubly shocking. Penix is also one of the older quarterbacks in the class at 24 years old, so he’ll be 28 by the time Cousins’ contract is over. This certainly doesn’t seem like a situation where the Falcons plan to have both players on the roster for a long time, but what their exact plan is remains anybody’s guess.

Latu was a two-time National Champion on the rugby pitch in high school and was rated as the fourth-best defensive end from the 2019 recruiting class. He originally enrolled at Washington, where he sustained a neck injury that caused him to miss two seasons before getting medically cleared to play and transferring to UCLA prior to the 2022 campaign. Despite the extended time off, Latu wasted little time annihilating Pac-12 offensive lines for 65 pressures, 10.5 sacks and a 91st % pass rush grade (5th in P5) while winning the College Football Comeback Player of the Year award. Latu’s play ascended further last year, as he led the entire edge position with a 94.3 pass rush grade and 96th percentile overall grade with 13.0 sacks. His 26% win rate and 13.3% pressure rate were also tops nationally, as Latu solidified himself as the premier pure pass rusher from the 2024 class. Though he recorded 33 stops and an 82.1 run defense grade, his 24% missed tackle rate underscores Latu’s limitations in run support. Latu measured in at 6’5, 259 pounds and ran an impressive 4.64s 40-yard dash (94th%) with a 7.09s 3-Cone (85th%) and 4.34 shuttle run (83rd%). He didn’t bench and put up a pedestrian 32” vert (55th%), but Latu’s overall athletic profile adds up to a strong 9.37 RAS. Despite some limitations standing up to mammoth OTs in run support, he’s fast enough to consistently beat OL to the leverage point on run plays. His elite great testing at the combine was undoubtedly a draw for the Colts, who put a lot of stock in athleticism when constructing their draft board.

Coming out of Tacoma High School in 2020, Fuaga (6’6/324) was barely recruited by Power Five programs, as is evidenced by his 82 player rating from 247Sports, which is a low three-star caliber prospect grade. Solely a RT for the duration of his college tenure at OSU, he played only sparingly until 2022 when Fuaga earned an 80.4 PFF offensive grade over 810 snaps while allowing 11 pressure and zero sacks. The Second Team All-Pac-12 RT entered 2023 with confidence and it showed, as he solidified himself as an elite mauler by leading the nation with a 91st percentile run block grade to go with a microscopic 0.6% blown run block rate. While Fuaga is at his best when clearing a path for Beavers RB Damien Martinez, there is still work to be done with his pass sets. Despite him not allowing a single sack in his Oregon State career, his 80th percentile pass block grade ranked 37th nationally. While Fuaga is nearly impossible to defeat with power thanks to his noticeably wide frame and tree trunk lower half, he had difficulty staying in front of technically refined rushers like Washington’s Bralon Trice who could maneuver around the mammoth tackle. His 93rd percentile 32” vertical and 90th percentile 9’03 broad jump were both incredible marks, as was his 1.77s 10-yard split (83rd%) which illustrates the advanced movement skills he brings to the run game. He explodes off the ball and quickly climbs to the second-level hunting for prey and crushing anything in his wake. Toss in a pair of vice grip-like 10.125” hands to complete Fuaga’s 9.60 RAS, and you’ve got a powerful RT with balance, lateral agility and an enticing all-around NFL-ready profile. He’ll join a New Orleans offensive line graded by PFF as last year’s seventh worst pass blocking unit.

It’s an “on-board” pick for Vegas, but a highly questionable landing spot for Bowers. He will not only be competing with Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers for targets, but fellow TE Michael Mayer. A four-star recruit out of high school, Bowers (6’4/243) received offers as both a tight end and linebacker before ultimately settling on UGA. He burst onto the scene as a true freshman with 56 catches for 882 yards and 13 scores. He also brought home the first of his two National Championship rings. Bowers’ efficiency numbers took a hit in his second season, but he topped his catch and yardage totals with a 63/942/7 line and even added 109 yards and three scores on the ground. A high-ankle sprain limited Bowers to 10 games as a junior. He made the most of the limited reps with 714 yards and six more scores. For his career, Bowers averaged an absurd 2.6 yards per route run and an even more mind-bending 8.5 YAC per reception. Bowers is a force with the balls in his hands, blurring the line between receiver and tight end as a pass-catcher. That, conversely, is the only concern with his game. Bowers is a technically sound blocker but is undersized for his position. He also ran over half of his routes from the slot. Despite these nitpicks with his profile, any NFL coordinator worth his salt will make the most of Bowers’ elite skill set with a less-than-traditional role. We aren’t sure if Luke Getsy is that coordinator.

A pre-pandemic starter in 2019 for Auburn, 24-year-old Nix (6’2/214) enters the NFL having taken the field for an unfathomable 3,724 college plays. That’s more snaps than Joe Burrow has mustered in the NFL. Nix is amongst the most experienced collegiate players of all time, which means he’s likely already at or near his ceiling. The good news is, he played near a Burrow/LSU-type peak for the Ducks in 2023, posting a positively bonkers 45:3 TD:INT total in addition to rushing for six scores. Otherworldly efficient, Nix completed 77.4 percent of his throws while averaging 9.6 yards per attempt. To say he was playing in a quarterback-friendly system would be putting it mildly, but plenty of signal callers operate in these setups without posting numbers half as good. Nix dominates under pressure because of his single-minded obsession with getting the ball out quickly. He is also as accurate as his numbers would suggest and is an opportunistic rusher. He has NFL-level arm strength. If Nix can even split the difference between his absurd 2023 and middling 2019-21 at Auburn, he will be a plus NFL starter. The million-dollar question is how he fares outside his Eugene cocoon. Nix isn’t facing stiff competition for the starting gig, and should have a good shot at getting the Week 1 nod if he impresses in camp.

The Jets moved back one pick in a trade with Minnesota before landing Fashanu. A Washington D.C. native, Fashanu (6’6/312) was rated as a high three-star recruit from the 2020 prep class and took a redshirt his freshman season before earning a modest 85 snaps in his second year. He earned the starting LT spot in 2022 and immediately thrived as a blind side protector, allowing just one hit with zero sacks before going down for the year after eight games. Despite the early exit, Fashanu’s easy athleticism and foot speed made him very tough to beat on the loop despite facing off against a slew of very talented Big Ten Edge rushers. Though he flashed enough in his redshirt sophomore season to draw first-round buzz, 2023 was the year that solidified Fashanu’s place among the elite OT prospects. He earned the fourth-highest PFF pass blocking grade in FBS with a minuscule 1.9% pressure rate last year while allowing zero sacks in his entire collegiate career. While the PSU sentry’s pass pro acumen was B10 caliber right out of the box, his run blocking prowess took a little more time to develop. His 59th percentile run block grade in 2022 was a disappointing mark, and all five penalties he committed during his Penn State tenure were on run plays. What stands out is the leap he made in that department this year, pacing the Nittany Lions’ OL with a pristine .3% blown run block rate on 338 run snaps. His lightning-quick burst off the snap allows him to cut off edge defenders on outside runs and race to beat defenders to his spot on the move. While Fashanu’s 9.44 RAS checks most of the testing boxes we were hoping to confirm, his diminutive 8.5” hand size jumps off the screen when compared to his fellow hulking contemporaries. Despite that potential flaw, Fashanu projects as a solid NFL tackle. He will also get the benefit of learning from Morgan Moses and Tyron Smith, two veterans guards with great resumes, as a rookie.

A meteoric draft season “riser,” former five-star recruit and 2023 national champion McCarthy (6’3/219) was infamously treated like a game manager by the Wolverines. When he got the opportunity to actually showcase his skills, however, he played efficient, mistake-free football. That includes under pressure, where McCarthy was both extremely accurate as well as aggressive, rocking Pro Football Focus’ “big time throw rate” metric. Although his passing motion contains a slight hitch, McCarthy throws a clean, straight ball. He does not loft his passes, but rather cuts them through the air. That being said, he will never be accused of having elite arm strength. It is simply adequate. That is the case for most of McCarthy’s game, but (insert team) are obviously hoping he will be the ultimate “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts” quarterback prospect. That includes as an athlete, where McCarthy tested well but was never a true dual-threat at Michigan. The floor is high. The ceiling is totally unknown. McCarthy has an elite pass-catching group in Minnesota, highlighted by the dominant Justin Jefferson, speedster Jordan Addison, and the ever-reliable T.J. Hockenson. In a pass-first Vikings offense, McCarthy could have immediate fantasy relevance if he takes the Week 1 starting job from veteran Sam Darnold.

Although the Bears were supposedly “very open for business” with their second first-rounder, they decided to stay put and continue to build out what is looking like an extremely impressive supporting cast for No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams. A deep dominator who turned into a prolific touchdown scorer for 2023 national title game participant Washington, Odunze (6’3/212) would have a claim to top-dog status in some receiver classes. Since Marvin Harrison Jr. and Malik Nabers exist, he had to settle for “consensus No. 3” in this year’s group. Simply the most prolific deep wideout in the country, Odunze has vise-grip hands despite the sometimes volatile nature of that down-field role. Elite in contested-catch situations, Odunze also consistently adds extra yards after the catch. Odunze might have even better ball skills than Harrison. It’s Odunze’s hands and positioning that make him more — much more — than just a deep threat. He has the finer points of receiving down cold. That, combined with a size/speed game that is growing rare at the NFL level give Odunze “No. 1 overall receiver for the class” upside despite his stiff competition.