2018 Recruiting Recap: Offensive Linemen

Nicholas Petit-Frere was drafted in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans
Petit-Frere, a former top recruit in the Class of 2018, started 16 games as a rookie for the Tennessee Titans in 2022.

Pittsburgh Steelers 2023 NFL Draft recap

Nick Herbig OLB-Pittsburgh Steelers
Wisconsin OLB Nick Herbig was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 132nd overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
March 28, 2024

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Atwell led the ACC in receiving yards (1,276) in 2019 with a style of his own.

The 2021 NFL Draft Recap: NFC West edition featured more than a few diminutive but exciting all purpose receiver selections. The Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams had limited picks in this year’s draft but opted to select smaller receivers in D’Wayne Eskridge and Tutu Atwell. San Francisco had to figure out the quarterback position after years of injuries to their signal callers, with that said, they traded up for Trey Lance. However, as Arizona showed, defensive picks can still be worthy of a first round selection (Zaven Collins- 16th overall). But as the trend seems to be, the Cardinals like LA and Seattle, drafted a short receiver in Rondale Moore (pictured above).

San Francisco 49ers
SelectionTeamPlayer SelectionPosition- SchoolDN Big Board Rank/ GradeNotes
1st round, 3rd overallSan Francisco 49ersTrey Lance6’4 226/QB-North Dakota State34/2nd RoundLance goes to an offense that should spotlight his ability to operate on the edges or from inside the pocket.
2nd round, 48th overallSan Francisco 49ers (from Las Vegas Raiders)Aaron Banks6’5 338/OG-Notre Dame177/3rd RoundInside, he can move bodies with thump at the point of attack. His base will get too wide in pass protection and the challenge for him surrounds improving hand placement. Pass rushers have a tough time moving him if he can form a lockout and sit down in the chair.
3rd round, 88th overallSan Francisco 49ers (from Los Angeles Rams)Trey Sermon6'0 216/RB-Ohio State, Oklahoma57/2nd RoundHis strength is very good, as is his ability to pick his feet up through trash around his ankles and feet. We expect him to improve in pass protection due to his natural lower body explosiveness. He has upside as a receiver out of the backfield because he can make the first tackler miss in space. Durability issues aside, Sermon has starting potential in the NFL as a Melvin Gordon III-type (Denver Broncos).
3rd round, 102nd overallSan Francisco 49ersAmbry Thomas6’0 187/CB-Michigan53/2nd RoundOn the outside, he needs to be technique-sound because he is not necessarily a long corner. Thomas has lost quite a bit of practice time over the past two seasons and the fact that he has been able to still perform at a high level bodes well for his future prospects.
5th round, 155th overallSan Francisco 49ersJaylon Moore6’4 311/OT-Western Michigan164/3rd RoundMoore is durable and strong. This is where you have to begin with him because he has the ability to sit in the chair and grapple with opponents. Overall, he provides the ability to potentially backup three-to-four line positions.
5th round, 172nd overallSan Francisco 49ers (from New Orleans Saints)Deommodore Lenoir5’10 199/CB-Oregon137/3rd RoundFinished his career with 34 straight starts.
Lenoir wore three different numbers during his career and the results were largely the same in each year.
We think he is physical enough as a tackler that he could possibly move inside to safety.
5th round, 180th overallSan Francisco 49ers (compensatory selection)Talanoa Hufanga6’1 215/S-USC182/3rd RoundHufanga is an intense junior-entry who flies all over the field and brings quite a bit of juice when he unloads on contact. It is a big reason he was able to force four fumbles in school. We think his best attribute is an ability to blitz off the edge, either by disguise or when coming down late off of movement by the offense
6th round, 194th overallSan Francisco 49ersElijah Mitchell5’10 215/RB-Louisiana-Lafayette143/3rd RoundHe runs with power, contains a vertical style and rarely is caught moving side-to-side if unnecessary. Every three-to-four carries, he will bust a long carry (see Georgia State ‘20) due to his churning style. He does not mind taking the three-or-four-yard runs to set up the bigger carries.
Arizona Cardinals
SelectionTeamPlayer SelectionPosition- SchoolDN Big Board Rank/ GradeNotes
1st round, 16th overallArizona CardinalsZaven Collins6’4 260 LB-Tulsa13/1st RoundCollins’ skills can now pair with Simmons to give the Cardinals defensive flexibility in spades. The team adds a player who creates difficult one-on-one matchups for teams on third down.
2nd round, 49th overallArizona CardinalsRondale Moore5’7 180/WR-Purdue40/2nd RoundStrong in the lower body. Squats over 600 pounds. His ability to track the football overcomes a somewhat limited catch radius. Overall, he is a first-round talent with enough durability question marks to last until Day 2.
4th round, 136th overallArizona Cardinals (from Baltimore Ravens via Kansas City Chiefs)Marco Wilson6'0 187 Nickel/Florida131/3rd RoundThe former Freshman All-SEC defender can cover multiple spots, play as a big nickel and even contribute outside at
corner. Injuries were an issue in school. 4.38 speed. 43 1/2” VJ.
6th round, 210th overallArizona Cardinals (from Baltimore Ravens)Victor Dimukeje6'2 262/DE-OLB-Duke259/4th RoundDimukeje is a leverage-based pass rusher with experience both standing up and playing with his hand in the dirt. His bend will be questioned by NFL teams, but he overcomes that by attempting to lean on the offensive tackle's upfield shoulder.
6th round, 223rd overallArizona Cardinals (from Minnesota Vikings; compensatory selection)Tay Gowan6’1 186 CB/UCF341/5th RoundGowan is a tall, angular cornerback with positive football instincts and very good length for the outside cornerback spot. We were impressed with his balance and footwork when using a bail-and-run technique.
7th round, 243rd overallArizona CardinalsJames Wiggins5’11 20926/2nd RoundHe has everything NFL teams desire in flex-safeties with his combination of foot speed, short-area quickness and explosiveness on contact. In addition, he has extensive experience covering slot receivers in school. If there is a question on Wiggins, it revolves around some tightness in the lower half. Despite first-round talent, can Wiggins stay healthy?
7th round, 247th overallArizona Cardinals (from Chicago Bears through Las Vegas Raiders)Michal Menet6’4 312/OC-Penn State207-4th RoundMenet is one of the more balanced centers in this year’s draft class. Rarely out of control, Menet’s overall football awareness for blitzes, stunts and line games is very sound.
Los Angeles Rams
SelectionTeamPlayer SelectionPosition- SchoolDN Big Board Rank/ GradeNotes
2nd round, 57th overallLos Angeles RamsTutu Atwell5’9 155/WR-Louisville141/3rd RoundIf there is a more electric, elusive, fully-charged offensive player in the draft we haven’t found him. NFL teams just have to know what they’re purchasing.
Is it former Louisville wide receiver and two-time Pro Bowler Ernest Givens (Houston Oilers) or former West Virginia star Tavon Austin?
3rd round, 103rd overallLos Angeles RamsErnest Jones6'2 230/LB-South Carolina258/4th RoundJones, a junior-entry in the 2021 NFL Draft, has many tools worth taking a long look at for NFL teams. One of the things he has to improve at is getting offensive linemen off of his defensive linemen.
We think he would fit best as a run-and-chase Will linebacker at the next level because he still has to room to grow reading the triangle.
4th round, 117th overallLos Angeles Rams (from San Francisco 49ers)Bobby Brown III6'5 323/DT-Texas A&M96/3rd RoundThe first-team All-SEC defender contains lateral quickness, upper body strength and ankle flexibility. His inconsistent hand usage and up-and-down intensity are two drawbacks for teams looking for a consistent disruptor.
4th round, 130th overallLos Angeles RamsRobert Rochell6’0 195/CB-Central Arkansas129/3rd Round4.4 speed. 43 VJ. He tackles well enough and has thrown his body around with force and intent to clip the legs or wrap up ballcarriers. Rochell has all of the tools, but his technique simply has to get better for him to have a chance on Sunday afternoons.
4th round, 141st overallLos Angeles Rams (compensatory selection)Jacob Harris6'5 219/WR-UCF230/4th RoundIn watching and studying fellow receiver Gabriel Davis (Buffalo Bills) a season ago (2019), Harris kept showing up. The former soccer player’s stride sneaks up on unsuspecting cornerbacks and UCF quarterback Dillon Gabriel often had problems keeping up with it.
5th round, 174th overallLos Angeles Rams (from Buffalo Bills)Earnest Brown IV6’4 1/2” 270/DL-Northwestern217/4th RoundBlessed with an 82 1/4-inch wingspan and 34 1/2" arms, Brown IV can keep blockers away from him. We were impressed that he was able to drop into zones effectively and consistently affected the three-step passing game.
7th round, 233rd overallLos Angeles Rams (via Houston Texans (rom Cincinnati Bengals)Jake Funk5’10 204/All-Purpose-Maryland301/4th RoundSince Funk came out of high school, he has gotten bigger, stronger and faster in school. All of this occurred while enduring two torn ACLs to the same knee in consecutive seasons. This speaks to his work ethic and overall football character. Despite playing RB and averaging 8-plus yards per carry, Funk had 28 tackles in school on special teams.
7th round, 249th overallLA Rams (via Jacksonville Jaguars from Tennessee Titans)Ben Skowronek6'2 211/WR-Notre Dame276-4th RoundSkowronek’s wasted movement has improved dramatically since his freshman year at Northwestern. He closes the cushion of defenders with an underrated stride off the ball.
Most Northwestern fans will remember his game-winning diving touchdown grab that put the Wildcats in the 2018 Big Ten title game. He beat Denver Broncos starting cornerback Michael Ojemudia on the play.
Seattle Seahawks
SelectionTeamPlayer SelectionPosition- SchoolDN Big Board Rank/ GradeNotes
2nd round, 56th overallSeattle SeahawksD’Wayne Eskridge5’9 184/All-Purpose-Western Michigan115/3rd RoundDespite standing just 5-foot-9, he packs a solid 188 pounds on his frame. He breaks arm tackles and excels when he runs through the reception point, particularly on quick slants. His toughness is also exemplary, especially considering that he has played the cornerback position respectably and stood out crack blocking safeties. The 2020 MAC Special Teams Player of the Year fits the definition of an all-purpose prospect.
4th round, 137th overallSeattle SeahawksTre Brown5'9 184/CB-Oklahoma179/3rd RoundBrown is an ultra-quick cornerback with good transition ability to drop his weight on intermediate routes. Physically, he may have to deal with the physical rigors of a nickel position to secure a spot in a Seattle’s defensive back rotation.
6th round, 208th overallSeattle Seahawks (from Chicago Bears)Stone Forsythe6’8 307/OT-Florida452/6th RoundNFL bloodlines. Has started at RT and LT. Also has seen time at OG. Looks the part.
During the postseason, it was important for the former Gator to prove that his ability to hold down a starting spot on the blindside in the SEC had as much to do with his movement as it did his size. Mission accomplished.

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Heston Kjerstad OF/1B-Bowie Baysox (Baltimore AA affiliate)

Heston Kjerstad throwing in the outfield during the 2019 SEC Tournament
2020 Baltimore Orioles second overall pick Heston Kjerstad is currently batting .298 with eight home runs for the Bowie Baysox (Baltimore AA affiliate) in the Eastern League.

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