2023 NFL Draft Stock Report: Week 3
Not the biggest slate of games for Week 3 of the 2022 college football season… but that’s okay. We will take all of the information we can get as we continue to build towards the 2023 NFL Draft. On tap this week includes notes from Georgia vs. South Carolina, Oklahoma vs. Nebraska, Ole Miss vs. Georgia Tech, Penn State vs. Auburn, Miami vs. Texas A&M, and Fresno State vs. USC.
Sorry, but you’re only getting notes from the games I watch. If you want to be lied to and have other analysts mansplain notes from games they didn’t see, go read someone else. Trey only does Big J journalism. It’s why Smart News ranks me first every week. Anyway… let’s get to the action.
* I just want to do a second warning for this 2023 NFL Draft stock report post. This post will be shorter than the previous two. I know Scott’s going to hate it cause it will feature multiple running backs. Sometimes that’s just the way the cookie crumbles. Lot of blowouts. Did a lot of flipping around. The Syracuse winner was crazy. The UFC card disappointed. If your girlfriend dragged you to apple picking instead, you didn’t miss much and picked a great day to cross that one off the list for the year.
Georgia
Blowout city. Turned the game off in the second quarter. I tried to warn you years ago (this post is one of many reasons why editor Zucker got his ass let go. Don’t try to edit my posts. When I tried to tell you that Georgia is the most loaded team in college football, maybe take it as a lesson instead of trying to act like you know more than me. You will always lose. Did Jordan Love turn into a franchise quarterback yet?)
This is also a little bit of a side rant but if you clicked that post, you notice I was technically wrong. Stetson Bennett was good enough to win the National Title (even though I believe there is an alternate universe out there where if Jameson Williams and John Metchie don’t both go down Bama probably wins but that’s another story for another day). The whole point of that point was to declare Georgia the most talented team in college football.
They just are. I don’t know what you want me to say. Their fourth stringers are better than your first stringers. It just is what it is. Get with the program and start paying attention. Let me just do some quick hitters and we call it a day for this section? What do you say?
Is Stetson Bennett actually good? Hey, can we at least talk about it? It wouldn’t have mattered who was the quarterback in this game but how about we give credit where credit is due? Bennett is a hell of an underrated athlete.
Still short at 5-foot-11. Still doesn’t have a world class arm. But this? We’re pulling these jukes out? Oh????
I don’t want to get too carried away but is it impossible some team takes a flier on Bennett and tries to turn them into their version of Taysom Hill? Before, I saw no pathway. Now? I just don’t know man. He keeps doing it so why not?
Kendall Milton was a touch better than he was in Week 1. Nothing crazy on the ground but did some damage in the passing game which is important for him. Honestly, Daijun Edwards might be better but that’s unconfirmed right now. Edwards outrushed Milton by one yard (34) but did so on six fewer carries averaging 8.3 yards per carry. Too small of a sample size but I’m just going to tell you as I do with all these guys. Give me the third stringer on Georgia (Edwards) over the first stringer on South Carolina (Marshawn Lloyd). I’m sure most will disagree but as we learn all the time, most are wrong.
Other notes: Brock Bowers is a god. Not draft eligible. Just thought you should just keep it in that memory bank. How’s 121 receiving yards and three total touchdowns?
Spencer Rattler just blows. It’s time to just totally cross him off the list. Not sure he’s even draftable at this point despite the good arm. He just looks clueless out there. Yes, his team was outmanned and outgunned but you have to do better than whatever the hell this was. Two picks in this one and he honestly played worse than even the poor box score indicates. South Carolina was never on the verge of scoring with him. I mean never. You want to know how bad it’s gotten for Rattler? The punter had the best throw of the day and that’s seriously not a joke.
Oklahoma
Betting Oklahoma -11 was the easiest bet on the board during the entire weekend including NFL. Losing Scott Frost may or may not be a good thing but it shouldn’t have mattered because Oklahoma is still very good without Lincoln Riley. I also turned this off at the half so let’s just do some quick hitters again here.
I like Dillon Gabriel the more I see him. Actually can make big throws. Short but can definitely move better than he gets credit for. Can just make throws. Easy day at the office. 16/27 for 230 yards and two touchdowns.
Stop me if you heard this before but I’m still in on Eric Gray. I just don’t understand why there is zero hype around him. I mean there’s just no hype and all the guy does is stuff like this. 11 carries for 113 yards and a touchdown. His cuts are just sick. Good measurables. Has the speed. What am I missing? Why does nobody else like him and why are they wrong? All valid questions.
This one has more so been kept off the draft blogs but I feel pretty strongly about this one too. I love Marvin Mims. Love him. Yes, I know he’s tiny. I’ve seen enough to where I don’t care. Hell of a football player. Has rocket fuel somewhere built inside. Runs real routes. I have no idea where he’s projected to go in drafts but the size concern should be less of a concern here. Love.
Side Note: Casey Thompson is better than Sam Ehlinger. That’s not really a compliment but it’s also true. It also won’t be surprising if no one picks him on draft day. Just is what it is.
Ole Miss
I have a little secret I want to share with everyone. I want rank Zach Evans as my first overall running back so bad. Everything in my inner self wants to do it but I just can’t right now. It’s always the dumb stuff with Evans. Drops a screen pass. Fumbles on the goal line. You sit there pissed and it overshadows a day that ended with 18 carries for 134 yards and two touchdowns.
The talent is off the charts. The dude is just sick. 6-foot, 215, and can roll out of bed and average seven yards a carry. It’s Georgia Tech so whatever but I’m just telling you, Evans is going to hammer a prominent SEC school. Can we just get rid of the unnecessary garbage mistakes?
Penn State
The front seven here is sick. You want to talk about a beat down? Penn State was the better and more physical team and it wasn’t close. Abdul Carter looks like the best guy but he’s only a freshman. More work to do here but I’m just telling you. Penn State has some bodies now on that defense.
Hey, how about another good game by Brenton Strange the tight end? Easy mover and that’s the thing. Movement skills are there. Led Penn State in this one with six receptions for 80 yards. Keep in mind Penn State only completing 17 balls the whole day. I really want to know what this dude runs cause I’m telling you it could wind up being a pleasant surprise.
Auburn
What do you want me to say? TJ Finley looked skinny? That’s probably where the compliments end. I’m referring to the entire team. The offensive line gave up six sacks. Things got so bad that Auburn went to Robby Ashford (AKA poor man’s Nick Marshall). Bryan Harsin needs to be fired.
I will talk about Tank Bigsby first (even though he wasn’t the best running back on the field. That goes to the new monster at Penn State). Nine carries for 39 yards with his team trailing practically the whole game. Running holes weren’t there. Neither was the game script.
Let’s just explain it like this. His name is Tank. He’s way shiftier than a tank. Way faster than a tank. Definitely less powerful and not a brick wall in pass protection. Still very good. Still very in.
Miami
The Mario Cristobal offense might be broken but I’m out on Tyler Van Dyke. He just doesn’t fit the necessary requirements for a modern NFL quarterback. Need big throws down the field and an athlete at the quarterback position. Van Dyke is well… neither.
Van Dyke’s mobility isn’t terrible but he simply can’t make any plays outside of structure. I mean zero. It’s a real Texas A&M defense and Van Dyke simply couldn’t pick up first downs. 21/41 for 217 yards and no scores says everything you need to know. 5.3 yards per attempt tells you everything you need to know. The arm is fine. The juice is not.
Texas A&M
Max Johnson is such a weirdo. Lefty and looks like he can’t move but he surprises you. Surprise in a good way. Just a gamer. Not that talented but gets it. I don’t hate the idea that he can turn into a backup for someone. Every time Max Johnson is on a roster, he beats out the starter and finds a way to play. Usually in a winning effort. We saw all of that on display.
Two quick notes on the Aggies weapons:
I love Devone Achane. Was on the RB list prior to the season. Then did an individual post on him. It’s just the speed. It’s on a different gear that nobody really has. It’s a special gear. 18 carries for 88 yards in this one but also added four receptions for 42 yards and a score.
Big enough to bust tackles. Has return skills if you care about those things. Juice for days. I love him.
What I’m about to say is normally something I scoff at but I actually believe it this time. Remember once upon a time I told you Laviska Shenault was not a version of Deebo. It was just never in the cards. Well, we may have something here with Ainais Smith.
I’m not going to sit here and tell you he’s Deebo but I will say this guy can play and by play I mean fill multiple roles and exceed at both. I think the speed should come in at a really good time (unlike Shenault). Can actually thrive at running back and receiver. On the small side and not thick like Deebo but can really move.
Fresno State
As I told you, it wasn’t a great slate for the 2023 NFL Draft. This section sums up how the weekend went. I’m telling you, if your girlfriend got you out of the house, be lucky she didn’t pick a different weekend.
I came to see Jake Haener and Evan Williams. Both left the game in crutches. What more can you say?
USC
Let’s wrap up with more hype for Jordan Addison. I think he might be now referred to as the wiggle monster. It’s the sudden stuff that gets you. Touch slower than Ridley. Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, score. Easy day. Six catches for 69 yards and a score. Just watch this man work. He moves up the more I see.
