Qwan’tez Stiggers, CB, Toronto Argonauts
In latest drafts, we’ve seen gamers chosen from Australia. We’ve had a decent finish with no expertise picked out of Germany within the sixth-round, due to Mike Mayock demanding it on the draft broadcast – that actually occurred! What we haven’t seen is an American-born participant chosen out of Canada. And we haven’t seen an American-born participant drafted who performed no faculty soccer.
That may change this 12 months. Stiggers was the highest rookie within the CFL final season, ending with 5 interceptions and 53 tackles in 16 video games. He had initially signed to play faculty soccer at Division II Lane Faculty, earlier than dropping out after the demise of his father. He then signed with the Toronto Argonauts in 2023 after a cease in Fan Managed Soccer, a league the place viewers make the play calls by means of an app. Now Stiggers is on his strategy to being a top-100 decide.
However he’s greater than a enjoyable story. The 22-year-old is a dynamic athlete with the perfect construct for a contemporary nook. He’s lengthy, has slick ft and is a pure playmaker as soon as the ball is within the air.
Not many gamers have been drafted with out taking part in in faculty. Usually, they go within the later rounds, and are seen as long-term tasks with athletic upside. Stiggers is completely different. He has been wined and dined by 13 groups throughout the pre-draft course of, regardless of not being invited to the NFL mix. Groups will journey to Mars in the event that they assume they’ll unearth a cornerback who is usually a difference-maker as a rookie. In Canada, they’ve discovered a top-100 participant who could make an affect immediately.
JJ McCarthy, QB, Michigan
No participant has been extra polarizing this cycle than McCarthy. His advocates see a quarterback of untapped potential, with an enormous arm, wheels and a fearless streak. His detractors level to McCarthy’s time at Michigan and say, with these abilities, he ought to have produced extra.
McCarthy guided Michigan to the nationwide championship with a roster loaded with future NFL expertise – by the point the draft concludes, the 2023 Wolverines roster will most likely have extra gamers drafted than any crew in historical past. Given the excess of expertise, McCarthy was requested to thoughts the store, to play throughout the offense, handy the ball off to operating backs (rather a lot) and play good, mistake-free soccer. He hardly ever threw on third down, largely as a result of Michigan had been comfortably forward in video games – or they had been so overwhelming that they didn’t want third downs.
For some decision-makers, McCarthy is the platonic best of a quarterback prospect: A gifted passer with the athletic traits and intangibles that make scouts and GMs purr. He’s a confirmed winner and chief, who has been drawing up performs since he was 5 years outdated. He instructed fellow recruits taking a look at becoming a member of Michigan that “in the event that they needed to celebration and chase ladies, go someplace else”, in keeping with draft analyst Dane Brugler.
It’s telling, nonetheless, that leaks from the scouting world reference all the things besides McCarthy’s means to finish passes. Name it the Daniel Jones Zone. There are flashes from his faculty resume, however the quarterback that groups need him to be within the professionals is completely different from the one he was requested to be at Michigan.
McCarthy might wind up being the second participant off the board. He might go third. He might equally grow to be the centerpiece of a commerce bundle that sees a crew – the Giants, the Vikings – mortgaging their future to commerce as much as choose him.
Kiran Amegadjie, OL, Yale
The Ivy League is poised to have its highest draft choice this century. With the likes of Kyle Juszczyk, Foyesade Oluokun and Michael Hoecht already within the NFL, the Ivy League is nicely represented – an all-time Ivy League crew is as robust as they arrive, with some respectable teaching choices. However Amegadjie is the primary prospect from the convention with a shot at being chosen within the high 50 picks since 1972.
With arms so lengthy they appear like they’ve been CGI’d on to his physique, Amegadjie was a bulldozer at left deal with for Yale. He pummelled lower-level competitors within the run recreation, though he’s unrefined in move safety. Within the NFL, he’s prone to kick inside to protect, however he has the form of wingspan and tippy-tappy footwork that may afford him an opportunity to compete for a deal with spot.
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Laiatu Latu, Edge, UCLA
Groups have entry to extra statistics than ever, however on the subject of the ultimate analysis, GMs fall again on the oldest methodology of all: watching precise video games. And for those who watch these video games, it’s clear Latu is as gifted as any participant on this class.
However there are medical issues. Latu suffered a neck harm at Washington in 2020 and was pressured to retire from the game. Throughout his hiatus, he had a number of operations on his neck and took up rugby in Seattle. In 2022, he was cleared to return to soccer and transferred to UCLA, the place he spent the following 24 months clowning all earlier than him.
It’s the type that grabs you with Latu. He’s essentially the most distinctive pass-rushing prospect lately. It’s tempting to say Latu performs at his personal tempo, however that phrase is usually hooked up to slower guys. The 23-year-old is explosive in tight areas. He’s good gradual and quick. He performs at no matter tempo serves him. There are occasions when he isn’t even actually dashing the passer, not less than not within the conventional sense. It’s as if he’s taking part in his personal sport, some fusion of MMA and interpretive dance; he’s all limbs and head fakes and unorthodox approaches to knifing into the backfield.
Latu is stylistically mesmerizing, however that type has substance. He completed with 27 sacks and 107 complete pressures in his two years at UCLA, the best fee in faculty soccer. His 26.2% move rush win fee in his closing 12 months is tied for the best determine on file. If the surgical procedures affected his recreation, it didn’t present up at UCLA. In two seasons with the crew he didn’t miss a recreation because of harm.
Projections at the moment peg Latu as a mid-to-late first-round decide. Grabbing him in the midst of the primary spherical could be like getting in on daylight on the second day.
Worldwide pathway gamers
Some gamers within the league’s IPP program, like Louis Rees-Zammit, will enter the league as free-agents. However others are eligible for this 12 months’s draft as a result of they’re of their fourth 12 months out of highschool. Travis Clayton (England), Jotham Russell (Australia) and Bayron Matos (Dominican Republic) will all be eligible for choice from this 12 months’s program.
Clayton is the form of tantalizing bundle-of-tools expertise that may get offensive line coaches weak on the knees. At 6ft 7in and greater than 300lbs, Clayton is a former rugby participant and boxer who, for those who squint arduous sufficient, has the look of an NFL deal with.
Given the success of Jordan Mailata, who just lately signed a three-year $66m contract extension with the Eagles, it wouldn’t be shocking to see a number of groups flip their closing picks over to IPP graduates. Mailata’s story is a one-of-a-kind: the uncommon assembly of an undiscovered gem with a relentless work ethic winding up with the best place coach within the sport. However Mailata blazing the path has opened the door for Clayton to be a late draft alternative. The Eagles wager on Jeff Stoutland to develop Mailata’s uncooked instruments after they chosen the Australian within the seventh spherical of the 2018 draft – Mailata introduces himself as a graduate of “Stoutland U”. Different groups will hope their workers can do the identical, grabbing a developmental prospect at a premium place on an affordable rookie contract.
However essentially the most intriguing prospect of the bunch is Matos. He was recruited to play faculty basketball at New Mexico, the place he performed 20 video games in his freshman 12 months, earlier than transferring to USF and strolling on to the soccer crew. Earlier than transferring to Florida, he had by no means worn pads or a helmet. Matos practiced as a defensive finish at USF however switched to the offensive line when he rocked up on the IPP program. Like Clayton, Matos is a big – 6ft 8in – however one with unteachable hops who might play on both aspect of the ball.
