NFL Draft mailbag: USC-Michigan prospects to watch, Cam Ward's rise, Iowa State's star WRs

I asked for NFL Draft questions, and y’all delivered — more than I can answer for this mailbag. But there were a lot of interesting questions, so I’ll save some for another mailbag in a week or two.

Let’s get to your questions …

Note: Submitted questions have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

What NFL prospects should I be watching in the USC-Michigan game? — @Smith32Frank

Michigan is making a change at quarterback, but it should think about a switch at running back, too. Starter Donovan Edwards, who entered the season with a fourth-round grade, is a frustrating study because of his uneven results. One snap you see the controlled, elusive feet and vision; the next, he is running into his own blockers or lacking the contact balance to break through an arm tackle.

Backup Kalel Mullings has been more impressive this season. Well-built at 6-foot-1 and 227 pounds, he quickly finds his blocks and maneuvers downhill with physicality. There might not be anything special with Mullings, but he’s the more consistent option and is putting himself in draftable territory.

Beyond that position battle, there were two Wolverines in the top five of my preseason board, and I don’t think either has necessarily lived up to the high billing. Cornerback Will Johnson has been solid defending the run and in coverage, including a pick six in Michigan’s opener. Considering he started as my preseason No. 1 overall, though, the expectations are high, and Johnson already has allowed 12 completions in three games — he didn’t give up his 12th completion last season until the Ohio State game in late November.

Similarly, defensive tackle Mason Graham has been disruptive but not consistently dominant. I’m excited to see Michigan’s defensive tackles battle USC’s interior line. Trojans left guard Emmanuel Pregnon is a potential NFL starter and Jonah Monheim is looking to become draftable — he was a free agent prospect at left tackle last season but moved to center this season and has played well.

Two other USC prospects I’ll be watching closely: Quarterback Miller Moss and safety Kamari Ramsey. Both are still young, but their draft arrows are pointing north.

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Big Ten quarterback rankings: Where do Miller Moss, Dillon Gabriel and Will Howard fall?

Interested in your thoughts on Miami’s Cam Ward. I’ve seen a lot of mocks lately with him going in the first round. — @mlc1994

That’s certainly a lofty projection at this point. NFL scouts thought Ward would be drafted somewhere in the third- to fifth-round range had he kept his name in the 2024 NFL Draft, so I doubt one positive outing against a Florida defense that ranks 106th in the country gave him that much of a bump.

If Ward plays at a high level for the full season, the math would change. But NFL teams need to see it. Last season at Washington State, Ward looked like a Heisman frontrunner in September (16 touchdowns, zero interceptions), but the wheels came off in October as better competition shined a bright light on his streaky decision-making and inconsistent feel versus pressure. But quarterbacks often get better, and there also is no question Ward is playing with a more talented supporting cast than he had last season.

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Stewart Mandel’s 12-team Playoff projections after Week 3

So, my feelings right now about Ward are this: He is great in the RPO game with his athleticism and quick load-and-fire throws; he is a dynamic athlete, which allows him to buy time; he can threaten every inch of the field with his arm. But he also tends to make things more difficult than they should be, escaping clean pockets or drifting and altering his arm angles without reason.

If his decision-making and ball placement stay consistent, Ward will undoubtedly boost his draft grade, but scouts are taking a wait-and-see approach.

Who is getting more NFL attention: Jaylin Noel or Jayden Higgins? — @smartest1here

I mentioned in last week’s film room that Noel and Higgins might be the two best wide receiver prospects Iowa State has ever produced. I’m a big fan of Noel’s ball skills and speed, but Higgins has the skill set of an X receiver and those guys are harder to find.

Higgins looks the part at 6-3 3/4 and 212 pounds with 33 1/2-inch arms and speed that might get into the 4.4s. His athletic movements and coordination at that size allow him to easily adjust and pull in errant throws. Both of these guys are quarterback-friendly. Noel is viewed as more of an early Day 3 prospect trying to get into the top-100 conversation, while Higgins is a Day 2 prospect who can finish as a top-60 pick with a strong senior season and pre-draft process.

Ashton Jeanty or Ollie Gordon II? — @elbon777

You know I’m an “Ashton Jeanty RB1” guy. I watched more than 1,000 players this summer, and Jeanty easily was among my handful of favorites. His contact balance, play strength, vision and cutting skills leave broken tackles all over the field. He is a great runner, yet his receiving ability might be what he does best. And people at Boise State talk about him like he wears a halo underneath his helmet.

Right now, Jeanty is the only running back I feel comfortable saying is a first-round pick. I’m not giving up on Gordon by any means, but my concerns with him over the summer — mainly, his lack of physicality — remain key issues. They’re partly why he is averaging only 3.5 yards per carry in 2024.

There is a clear gap between the two backs as prospects.

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As of now, who’s the best FCS/non-FBS player that you could see getting drafted this year? — @lgbtqsyd

Right now, my vote would go to William & Mary left tackle Charles Grant. He has functional size at 6-4 3/8, 290, but his length (35 5/8-inch arms) and foot quickness really stand out.

Each of the past three years, the first non-FBS player drafted has been an offensive lineman: Yale’s Kiran Amegadjie (No. 75 overall) last year, North Dakota State’s Cody Mauch (No. 48) in 2023 and Northern Iowa’s Trevor Penning (No. 19) in 2022. There is a good chance that streak continues.

If it’s not Grant, keep an eye on offensive linemen Grey Zabel (North Dakota State) and Hunter Zambrano (Illinois State). Both are expected to be mid-round picks in April.

Where do you project UCF RB RJ Harvey? — @UCFSportsInfo

Harvey was one of my favorite potential Day 3 backs in last year’s class before he surprised scouts by returning to UCF for his sixth season.

He has picked up right where he left off. Over his last 11 games (the final eight of 2023 and first three of 2024), Harvey has rushed for a combined 1,486 yards and 19 touchdowns, averaging 7.0 yards per carry. The Orlando native, who originally started his college career at Virginia, has flourished in Gus Malzahn’s offense. I love his patience to allow blockers to do their job before making abrupt lateral cuts and using his loose lower body to hop from one gap to another. He doesn’t have the body or run style to grind through first-level contact, but his elusive burst consistently creates more yardage than expected.

Harvey might be this year’s version of Ray Davis — an older yet productive runner who probably won’t be considered in the top 100. But Harvey shouldn’t have to wait long once the draft turns to Day 3.

What are the draft ranges for Wisconsin’s Ricardo Hallman and Hunter Wohler? — @McSwagg20

Based on the Alabama tape alone, I don’t think either would be drafted — that’s how rough it was.

Hallman tied for the FBS-lead last season with seven interceptions, so I understand why he comes up so much in terms of draft talk. But he is undersized (listed at 5-10, 185) and has only average speed by NFL standards. He had a lot of trouble keeping up with Alabama’s wide receivers on the perimeter, and I have concerns about him moving inside to a nickel role because his tackling has never been a strong suit (four missed tackles on the Alabama tape alone). I gave Hallman a mid-round grade coming into the season, but that might be the more optimistic view.

Wohler also was exposed a little by the Crimson Tide’s athletes, specifically when he tried to mirror QB Jalen Milroe. Though he is a good-sized safety (6-1, 214) and sound tackler, his speed is probably closer to the 4.7 range than 4.5, and he looked outmatched at times last Saturday. Scouts like Wohler, but he will need a strong remainder of the season to prove he should be drafted in the top four rounds.

Gunnar Helm has already matched his career high in yards. What are we thinking (on him as a prospect)? — @JakeElsner

Texas is loaded with young, talented wide receivers, but Helm has been the most reliable pass catcher for the offense so far. He entered this season with 19 career catches and is already halfway to matching that mark (10 grabs over the first three games).

Helm might not be exceptional in any one category by NFL tight end standards, but he is solid across the board. He works to open zones and has terrific ball skills, plus he shows better-than-expected run-after-catch ability. As a blocker, Helm won’t overpower anyone, but he loses slowly and can do just enough.

Helm was viewed as a borderline draft pick coming into the season, but he is quickly cementing his name on Day 3. There are some parallels to former Ohio State tight end Cade Stover, whom the Texans nabbed in Round 4.

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Which 0-2 NFL teams should panic? Model projects playoff chances for Ravens, Bengals and more

Why was Caleb Williams rated so highly? He’s not it. — @pricey1718

Adjusting to NFL speed takes time. And making sweeping conclusions about any rookie with a two-game sample doesn’t make sense. Lamar Jackson, for example, had more interceptions than touchdowns in his first two career starts. And did you see Josh Allen’s first year in the league? He barely completed 50 percent of his passes. Patrick Mahomes threw 25 interceptions over his final two years at Texas Tech, so who knows what he would have looked like if he’d been thrown into the deep end right away.

A learning curve should be expected for rookie quarterbacks, especially those who were three-and-out in college and are asked to start right away in the NFL.

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Bears’ O-line fails to protect Caleb Williams in loss to Texans. Now what?

Quarterbacks drafted No. 1 — especially those like Williams, who was labeled as being a “generational talent” by some — face unrealistic expectations (we can save the Bryce Young talk for another time). Williams has all the talent necessary to develop into a top-seven NFL quarterback, and some of the improvements he made in Week 2 were encouraging. But it takes time. It also won’t be easy for Williams if his offensive line allows 20-plus pressures per game, like it did against the Texans, or if the run game constantly generates negative carries that put the offense behind the sticks.

When a rookie quarterback like C.J. Stroud comes along and almost immediately shows that he “belongs,” the expectations become impractical. But Stroud is more of the exception than the rule. The only expectations for rookie QBs should be gradual improvements. Let’s revisit this after Thanksgiving.

I need offensive line help on the Bears. Who are we taking? — @JoshLilesPFP

Right now, it looks like the main needs are on the interior, specifically right guard and center. Based on summer scouting, it is hard to get overly excited about this center class. Last year, we had three centers (Graham Barton, Jackson Powers-Johnson and Zach Frazier) drafted in the first 51 picks, but I have yet to see a 2025 draft-eligible center deserving of a grade in that range.

Guard is a stronger position, especially if you consider the number of tackles viewed as better interior players by scouts. Whenever I mention LSU’s Will Campbell or Texas’ Kelvin Banks Jr. to scouts, the idea of those players moving to the interior in the NFL comes up quickly. Arizona’s Jonah Savaiinaea, who has played both left tackle and right tackle this season for the Wildcats, is another tackle-to-guard prospect with first-round ability.

Alabama left guard Tyler Booker has taken a nice step in his development after he appeared lost, at times, on last year’s Michigan tape. He always had the size and strength, but he’s playing with better confidence and consistency in 2024, which would earn him Day 2 grades if he maintains this level of performance. Georgia right guard Tate Ratledge was injured against Kentucky, but he is another potential NFL starter deserving of top-100 consideration.

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(Top photo of Kalel Mullings and Cam Ward: Steven King, Peter Joneleit / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)



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