The Athletic - Draft Confidential (Mac, DeVonta, Waddle, Barmore, Moses, Surtain, Najee)

quote:

---

Over the past month, The Athletic has spoken to two dozen NFL coaches and scouts to get a sense of who and what is catching their eyes.

---

quote:

---

Are you on the Mac Jones bandwagon?

---

quote:

---

QB Coach 1: I am driving the bandwagon. I noticed something last year after Tua Tagovailoa got hurt and Mac went in and they stopped running RPOs and started calling dropback stuff, I was like, ‘Oh, they trust him.’ But he’s more than just that. I think he is the best thrower of the football by a lot. Zach Wilson is freaky; but he’s not hitting people in stride on time. Mac is processing. He’s accurate. He’s layering it. He has pinpoint accuracy and throws with anticipation. Those people who say all he did was throw to guys who were wide open and threw from a clean pocket, turn on the A&M, Georgia or the Michigan and Auburn games from last year where he got the shite beat out of him. He’s getting hit and he’s getting moved.

People say he’s not athletic, but what are we talking about? Just because he looks bad without a T-shirt doesn’t mean he’s a bad athlete because he has baby fat. I love him. He was substantially better in the interviews than all of the other quarterbacks.

QB Coach 2: In my mind, if I had to win right now, this year, he’s the most advanced quarterback of any of them. I think Trevor’s the best. I’m cosigning on him, but his system adjustment will be much bigger than Mac. Jones is gonna walk in Day One and just have to flip terminology because he’s gonna know pro football. He’s been coached by Sark (Steve Sarkisian). He understands run checks, understands moving protections — not that these others don’t, but he’s on a different level.

The question is, are Mac Jones’ physical tools worthy of being a top-5 pick or even first-round? I don’t know that his physical abilities warrant that, but if you tell me that I have to win now, I think his physicals are good enough. How many guys in the history of football in 12 games against top college competition threw for 4,500 yards, throw 41 touchdowns and only four picks and completed 77 percent in a pro system? Some guys at pro days don’t do 77 percent on air.

---

quote:

---

DeVonta Smith is 170 pounds: Do you see Marvin Harrison? How does Jaylen Waddle hold up with the top of the receiving corps?

---

quote:

---

WR Coach No. 1: DeVonta has unbelievable hand-eye coordination and body control with elite ball skills. It’s so natural. He’s instinctual as shite. He feels it and he knows where the spots are. He’s gonna be a good player and be solid and will play every position. He studies; he loves it. I am concerned about him only being 170 pounds, though. It’s the world we live in, man. Big guys beat up little guys. He’s tough as shite. He will bite your face off. He’s gonna try. He won’t back down, but is he gonna win the battle?

Waddle is a game-changer. He’s way rawer than DeVonta. He’s absolutely explosive and elite with the ball in his hands.

WR Coach No. 4: DeVonta’s faster than you think and he’s quicker than you think and he can really catch. With smaller guys you worry about how they’ll adjust to guys getting pushed off their spot and can they make a tough grab. If they do, then it lightens your concern about their size. He’s learned a lot of concepts because they’ve taught him a lot. He’s the best route runner in the draft. Sark had those guys running pro stuff.

Waddle has similar burst to Tyreek Hill. He has that same type of explosion and movement.

WR Coach No. 3: I love Smith, but he is so skinny — if you can get past the skinny, he’s a legit No. 1 receiver. This kid … whatever he wants to do, he does. They had him jump in at cornerback and they said he knew the defense as good as anybody on the team.

I think Waddle is a faster version of Peter Warrick. He is so dynamic with the ball in his hands and is such a dangerous returner. I think he could be Devin Hester as a return guy. But he’s a better receiver than Hester. He was awesome in his interview. He really has an infectious personality.

WR Coach No. 2: Waddle is different now. He’s like Tyreek Hill in a lot of ways. He’s so fast — he’s different fast. Henry Ruggs is really fast, but he was more of a straight-line guy. I think (Waddle) could play really any spot; he can play X, Z, slot, in the backfield.”

---

quote:

---

There has been a lot of talk about the defensive side of the ball for this draft and how it doesn’t measure up to the prospects on offense. Are those concerns warranted?

---

quote:

---

ALABAMA DEFENSIVE TACKLE CHRISTIAN BARMORE

Scout No. 1: He’s a little stiff. He’s not another Quinnen Williams, but he can be disruptive and he has some upside. He will get over-drafted because it’s such a bad year for interior linemen.

---

quote:

---

ALABAMA LINEBACKER DYLAN MOSES

Scout No. 1: He’s off the board for us medically. You worry that he’s pretty tapped out physically. I think he put so much pressure on himself because he was crowned so early. He got hurt (early in his career at Alabama) and he doesn’t play as fast or as physical. It’s kinda sad. He’s a good young man and he’s got some good traits.

---

quote:

---

ALABAMA DEFENSIVE BACK PATRICK SURTAIN

Scout No. 1: I love his intangibles. He’s wired as good as any DB. He’s a good technician. He has better ball skills than Marlon Humphrey but isn’t as good in press or as good a tackler.

---

quote:

---

Scout No. 1 on Alabama RB Najee Harris: He is a true three-down back. He has elite bend and elite hands. No running backs are great in protection, but he’s solid. He’s a smart kid but he overanalyzes things. He will train three times a day if you let him; he just needs to settle down.

---