FIRST ROUND MOCK

“He's a STEELER…” “Physical. Competitive. Tough. Knows how to run routes.” @GregCosell on WR Germie Bernard:

As a former NFL Scout I don’t think Micah Parsons is a good investment for the Cowboys or any team at this point. Not for that kind of money and/or draft capital that’s being rumored. I respect his regular season sack total, but when I look at the big picture, I don’t see the value considering the ask. Parsons has 1 sack in 4 playoff games when his team needed him the most. The injury bug started to creep in last season. He’s mentioned or hinted at other teams he would like to play for while still being under contract with the Cowboys. His podcast is a distraction. And then there’s this unprofessionalism that was photographed and posted by ESPN. Parsons is a “Me” player in a team sport. Parsons has not proven to be a championship piece to Dallas’ puzzle and I don’t believe further building around him is a move that will win a a Super Bowl for Dallas or for any team. For everything he adds, there is a subtraction that is part of the equation and must be considered. I also believe his best playing days are behind him. I had a first round grade on Parsons pre-draft in 2021 and labeled him as an “explosive underachiever.” I valued him between picks 15-32 and he went at pick No. 12. Pre-Draft Scouting Report: nfldraftdiamonds.com/2021/04/micah-…

As a former NFL Scout, Jayden Daniels is an ideal backup quarterback prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft —He can come into a game and provide a much needed spark. I’m sorry but his frame is too frail to be anything more. They are going to break him in half in the NFL running the football the way he ran it in college. He’s RGIII waiting to happen all over again and that makes me sad to say because I don’t wish injury on anybody and I loved RGIII. I had huge hopes for him in Washington. But let’s get real —this slender —thin —skinny frame Daniels has isn’t going to make as a full time starter. The NFL isn’t kind to running quarterbacks. That’s a fact. If I was sitting in a pre-draft meeting as a scout on a team I could not recommend Daniels in good conscious in the 1st or 2nd round. It would be irresponsible of me to the team and to Daniels. The projection has to be made based on what Daniels put on game film and how that relates to the NFL. The problem isn’t that Daniels runs. He’s an elite runner—best in this draft class. The problem is Daniels has an insatiable appetite for contact spray painted all over his college game film. Running isn’t a hobby either. It’s a way of life for Daniels. It’s who he is —617 college rushing attempts. He doesn’t like to slide or duck out of bounds either. He likes to run into defenders face first. Good luck. Take a look at this if you don’t believe me. x.com/firstroundmock… NFL defenses aren’t as easy to manipulate as college defenses were either. I mean I understand holding the ball for 2.91 seconds (PFF) in college cleared things out so he could run wild, but that’s not how the NFL works. Speaking of that slower time to throw —with one of the better offensive lines in college football at LSU —with Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. at receiver —and with Daniels’ elite athleticism and running ability —why couldn’t he get the ball out of his hand faster? Why was Daniels sacked 65 times the past two seasons? What sense does that make? I’m really concerned how uncomfortable he looks in the pocket. That’s his domain. That’s a really bad sign. Daniels gets jumpy —tends to have a hard time settling his feet in the pocket —he tenses up and starts bouncing around —and now he’s going into a league that’s all about timing routes and ball placement that depend on a quarterbacks footwork. He has what we call in scouting “happy feet.” Daniels plays scared from the pocket —looks to me like he is filled with anxiety—and he loses downfield focus way too easily and becomes preoccupied with the pass rush. That’s a really bad sign. The other big problem —he leads with an inconsistent rhythm and tempo. Quarterbacks are like drummers in a band —the offense depends on them to set the tempo for timing. That’s another bad sign. Best deep ball thrower in this draft class —but circling back to those happy feet —it’s his resulting average accuracy in the short to intermediate route levels (0-19 yards) that’s going to send him to the bench if injury doesn’t. It’s all here in my full scouting report on Daniels that backlinks to his days at ASU —I’ve evaluated him in 21 documented games — probably more than any analyst that’s doing this. He’s a 3rd round valuation. ⬇️ firstroundmock.com/2023/12/nfl-hi… It’s too bad the way things have become with draft media and teams over-grading quarterbacks. It’s not helping him. It’s setting him up to fail. Framing expectations around what Daniels is not on game film is a recipe for disappointment. All it took for RGIII was one catastrophic injury—once he lost his wheels, he lost his game. In the words of Winston Churchill, “Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” I tried warning everyone last year when I labeled Anthony Richardson as a ‘high injury risk’ pre-draft but nobody listened. He was injured in 3 out of 4 starts and needed throwing shoulder surgery. firstroundmock.com/2023/04/anthon… Will anybody listen to me this year about Daniels? 2024 #NFL Draft

This is one of the main issues with Jayden Daniels: He’s built like a piece of paper, and he has an insatiable appetite for contact. He was the EXACT SAME WAY at LSU. It was one of my biggest pre-draft concerns about him: x.com/firstroundmock…

We have signed CB Tacario Davis, our third-round selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.   🔗: go.bengals.com/4uawQAg