Fantasy Sports

Robinson (6’5/285) arrived on campus as a mid three-star recruit from the 2019 class, gradually working his way up the depth chart while honing his craft while rotating between NT and three tech. He finally earned a starting DT role in 2022 and showed promise by recording 35 tackles with 19 pressures and 5.5 TFL for a solid 77.6 PFF defensive grade. Last year is when Robinson emerged as an NFL-caliber player, moving to edge full-time where he spent 499 of his 515 First Team All-SEC reps. He exploded for 42 pressures, 27 stops, 14.0 TFL and 8.5 sacks for a stout Missouri defense that only allowed 20.5 PPG (25th in FBS) in the ultra-competitive SEC. His testing revealed an elite vertical of 35” (98th%) and strong broad jump of 9’03 (85th%) to go with a 90th percentile 4.95s 40-yard dash. However, an uninspiring shuttle run and 21 bench press reps dragged down his overall RAS to a still commendable 7.78. His push/pull is vicious thanks to his vice grip like hands. Once he latches onto an opponent and applies leverage, the rep is over, it’s just a matter of how Robinson intends to control and discard them. The two-year captain has a filled-out frame with massive power and unusual agility running the loop despite his huge frame. He could eventually develop into an every-down contributor if he can hone his pass-rushing technique, but as a fifth-year breakout, his ceiling could be limited. Robinson will begin his career as a pass-rush specialist for an Arizona defense that ranked 30th in sacks per game last year.

Barton (6’5/313) was considered the 14th-best high school guard in the nation when he enrolled at Duke in August 2020. A former lacrosse player, Barton was awarded Duke’s Falcone Award for his commitment to strength and conditioning as a freshman when he played 430 snaps at C when their starter went down. He slid over to his permanent LT role in 2021, but struggled in pass protection allowing six sacks, 20 pressures and a 3.5% blown block rate in 747 snaps. 2022 is when it all came together for Barton, improving to 98.7% block efficiency with just two sacks and eight hurries to go with a sensational 88.2 PFF overall grade that ranked fourth among all FBS tackles that year. In fact he was one of only two tackles nationally that earned 85th percentile grades in both run blocking and pass protection that season, which codified his excellence in both phases of the game. Last year a nagging lower body injury cost Barton four games and compromised him in multiple others, especially against UNC when he allowed four of his 11 total pressures on the year. The first-team All-ACC LT still managed to blow just 1.2% of his blocks and graded out at a 79th percentile level despite being hobbled. He didn’t test at the Combine, but Barton’s 32.875” length arms are amongst the shortest in the class and will likely relegate him to a guard/center role in the NFL, but since he played tackle for the last three years in college he’s grouped with the OTs in the ranks. Tampa in 2023 had the league’s tenth best pass blocking unit, per PFF grades, and the third worst run blocking unit.

In a pick swap with the Cowboys, the Lions traded the No. 29 overall pick and the No. 73 overall pick to move up pick 24. Arnold (5’116/189) was considered a four-star safety prospect out of high school. He transitioned to cornerback shortly after arriving on campus in 2021 and didn’t play a snap his true freshman season as he acclimated to the pace of play at the SEC level. He started the 2022 season opener opposite Kool-Aid McKinstry and was targeted often downfield until he proved worthy of his CB2 role, leading the Tide with a 16.7 ADOT. While Arnold was overshadowed by McKinstry in 2022, he took a backseat to nobody this year by leading the SEC with 16 PBU and five interceptions with the third-highest PFF defensive grade in the Power Five. At the combine, his 1.52s 10-yard split was a strong 90th% time, but his 4.50s 40-yard dash is a less impressive 70th% mark. Arnold ran a magnificent 6.69s 3-Cone (96th%) at his pro day to go with a 10’09” broad jump (93rd%) for a rock solid 9.27 RAS that verifies the dynamism he displays on the field. His safety background is evident when it’s time to converge on a ball carrier and also in his savvy coverage instincts. Arnold is savvy enough in zone coverage to pick up his responsibility in phase but still keeps his eyes in the backfield reading before peeling off his man and making the play on the ball before the quarterback has released the ball. His oily hips and refined technique help him make up for his modest recovery speed. Arnold is one of the most projectable, scheme-versatile players from a strong 2024 cornerback group.

A truly special deep threat for the Tigers, Thomas (6’3/209) averaged 17.3 yards per reception in 2023 and scored on 17 of his 68 catches. Yes, Thomas quite literally scored one out of every four grabs. Bonkers stuff borne out by the advanced stats, which include Thomas catching 14-of-18 deep looks and earning a 99.9 “deep grade” from PFF. Thomas also corralled 7-of-12 contested targets. The problems set in elsewhere, where Thomas understandably was not featured on manufactured looks. Capable of being bumped off his routes, Thomas enters the league with less “play strength” than the big three of Marvin Harrison, Malik Nabers, and Rome Odunze despite his 6-foot-3 frame. Thomas doesn’t so much “play big” as he does burn deep. And burn he does, with a truly absurd-for-his-size 4.33 40 time. On the whole, Thomas needs to add (a lot) more polish to his route-running and underneath game, but his athleticism and deep prowess are both NFL-ready. Just 21 years old, Thomas has ample ceiling to grow into. Thomas could take over Calvin Ridley’s role in the offense now that Ridley is in Tenneesee. Ridley made his money by earning targets while pinned to the sideline. Thomas has the speed to blow by defenders, turning those 50/50 balls into easy grabs for Trevor Lawrence.

The Eagles, sporting one of the NFL’s worst coverage units in 2023, address an area of need in the first round. A late rising three-star in the recruiting process, Mitchell eschewed several higher profile offers out of loyalty to Toledo whom he initially committed to. He was forced to sit freshman year due to academic restrictions, enrolling in 2020 and playing in six games before assuming a starting role in 2021 when he recorded an 80th percentile PFF defensive grade. Mitchell’s standout play hit the stratosphere in 2022 allowing just 27 receptions on 70 targets (39%) for 270 yards, 25 PBU (#1 in FBS), five interceptions and an absurd 5.7 raw QBR. He returned this year and proceeded to establish himself as a Second Team All-American performer for the second consecutive season, earning a well-deserved Senior Bowl invite.He solidified his status as a top flight corner at the Senior Bowl by shutting down the best receivers the 2024 class has to offer. Answered questions about his ability to stay with upper-echelon wideouts in man coverage by making numerous plays on Power Five standouts in Senior Bowl practice sessions. His athletic bonafides were confirmed at the Combine when he ran a smoking 4.33s 40-yard dash (99th%), jumped 38” (85th%) and 20 bench reps for a remarkable 9.79 RAS. Mitchell has a rocked up, square frame but proved he could mirror even the most agile slot wideouts when called upon. He played relatively little press-man at Toledo, but was comfortable enough in off zone coverage to rack up a robust 44 PBU over the last two seasons with 82 tackles and 6 INT.

A 2022 Maryland transfer and Happy Valley breakout star, Robinson (6'3/254) was happy to further ascend for the Nittany Lions this year, recording his second consecutive season with 90th percentile pass rushing and overall grades. He led PSU with 12 stops despite ranking 11th on the team with 294 snaps due to injury. His 18% pressure rate was elite, bolstered by his blistering 2.28-seconds average time to first pressure. Robinson also made huge strides by slashing his 2022 missed tackle rate of 26.7% (9th-highest MTF rate among 2022 Edges) to an excellent 7.1% that was the eighth-lowest nationally amongst his edge rusher contemporaries. Robinson put on a show on the Indianapolis track, running an astounding 4.48s 40-yard dash (99.5th%) with a 1.53s 10-yard split (99.5th%). He followed that up with a 4.25s shuttle run (92nd%) and 10’08” broad (99th%) for a sparkling 9.72 Relative Athletic Score. As is indicated from his supernatural track speed, Chop is a demon running the loop and displays an array of counters to free himself up so he can make a run at the quarterback. He likes to line up wide when possible to give him a sharper angle to setup a crossface counter. Robinson does a great job getting low when engaging blockers on run downs, but has a tendency to almost get “too low” when bending the edge, causing him to lose footing and get sprawled on by opposing tackles. Robinson profiles as a potential cornerstone speed-edge prospect whose physical profile reminds of Nik Bonitto.

A four-star OG from the 2019 prep cycle, Fautanu (6’4/317) effectively took redshirts in his first two seasons, logging just 12 offensive snaps in that span before being called upon to start three of the seven games he played in 2021. There was a “bend, but don’t break” element to Fautanu’s final season at Washington, as he struggled with UCLA’s Laiatu Latu and the “Pass-Rushing Murphy Brothers,” allowing four pressures to a rugged Bruins edge group. While Fautanu allowed 23 pressures and a somewhat elevated 2.7% pressure rate, he still allowed only three hits on star QB Michael Penix Jr. in 584 pass reps. The third-team AP All-American was remarkably consistent this year, recording a 71st-percentile pass block grade in every game on the schedule while never allowing more than two pressures in any contest for the Pac-12 Champs. His combine testing confirmed his freakish speed/power capabilities, testing in the 94th percentile on both the broad (9’05”) and vertical jump (32.5) along with a blazing 5.01s 40-yard dash (96th%) combined for a 9.45 RAS score. He utilizes balance, flexibility, and active hands to stay between his man and the quarterback in pass pro, which helps offset a tendency to get dislodged by stiff bull rushes. Could stand to be more precise when seeking out second-level blocks and is older than most of his OT prospect contemporaries, as he turns 24 in October. Fautanu has tweener dimensions, which could eventually kick him inside. He has the talent to be a staple in the lineup at either tackle or guard for whichever team selects him.

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.

A five-star, top-10 recruit from the 2021 prep class who arrived on campus with high expectations, Mims logged 121 snaps as UGA’s second-team RT during their initial national championship run. He saw consistent part-time action during the 2022 regular season and was ready to step in and play major snaps in Georgia’s three postseason contests, with 154 of his 385 total snaps occurring in those high-leverage playoff games. He didn’t allow a single pressure versus LSU and Ohio State while recording a 98.9% blocking efficiency rating with four hurries and an 80th percentile pass block grade in his sophomore campaign. Mims won the starting RT job this year and was on his way to a standout season, earning 83rd percentile pass block grades in each of his first three games of the year before going down with a high-ankle injury that required tightrope surgery. He wouldn’t return until Week 11 when he rotated in for 35 snaps against Ole Miss and started two more games before exiting the SEC Championship game against Alabama after just 11 reps. On a per-play basis Mims was almost impenetrable, allowing just one QB hurry on the season with zero hits, penalties or sacks in 297 snaps. His 99.7% blocking efficiency mark led the entire Power Five last season as the brick-shaped RT finally was able to unleash his tantalizing physical gifts, albeit in a restricted fashion due to injury. Mims will join a Bengals offensive line graded by PFF as 2023’s tenth worst pass blocking unit.

A blue-chip five-star recruit who was rated as the top edge defender from the 2021 prep cycle, Turner fulfilled his immense potential last season by accumulating 10.0 sacks with a 15.4% pressure rate (3rd) and 89.3 pass rush grade (8th in P5). The consensus First Team All-American was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Year by the coaches and a finalist for Bednarik Award. Turner verified his elite pedigree by running a sensational 4.48 40-yard dash (99.7th%) in addition to vertical jumping 40.5” (99.3rd%) and broad jumping 10’07” (97th%). His 20 bench reps was a middling 43rd% number, but his arms come in at a promising length of 34.375”. The Alabama captain is smart enough to differentiate between run/pass with precise hand placement on the rush. He explodes off the ball while attacking OTs with zero apprehension and expecting to win every engagement. He is a fluid mover with relentless effort who rips and tears at opponents to get free. Turner’s 22 percent missed tackle rate illustrates how there is room to grow in converting the natural havoc he creates. He has the vital traits needed to become a difference-making player and potential Danielle Hunter replacement for the Vikings.