2024 NFL Draft risers and fallers: Shedeur Sanders tops list of prospects who’ve impressed early in ’23 season

Every Tuesday, Rick Spielman and I do a phase referred to as “Pop or Drop” at the “With the First Pick Podcast.” In its most simple shape: Draft-eligible avid gamers that ball out from the former weekend’s video games normally in finding their means onto our “Pop” list, whilst avid gamers who do not are living as much as the hype in finding their means onto the “Drop” list. 

To be transparent, listening to your identify referred to as is neither a season-long endorsement nor an indictment; it is only a shortcut to grade their efforts, make an observation and then reevaluate them all over the season and, of direction, in the months main as much as the 2024 NFL Draft. 

With that in intellect, and with Week 4 upon us, I assumed it made sense to do a Pop or Drop, having a look again over the 1st month of the varsity soccer season. Who impressed? Who has some paintings to are living as much as the preseason hype? 

Let’s have a look.

Poppin’ 

Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado 

This is the very best resolution I’ll make all week. What Sanders and his dad have finished to revitalize that Colorado program is past comprehension — and it is been extremely a laugh to look at. I watched Sanders’ Jackson State tape over the summer time and whilst I appreciated what I noticed, infrequently it is difficult to gauge simply how just right a participant is when he is section of a dominant workforce automatically beating up at the not-nearly-as-athletic pageant.

Sanders replied any questions in regards to the point of pageant in the Buffs’ season opener at the highway towards TCU. He did it once more the following week towards Nebraska and once more remaining Saturday evening in the double-overtime win over Colorado State. 

Rick and I mentioned Sanders’ newest efficiency at the podcast:

The greatest takeaway for me is that this: The larger the instant, the easier Sanders performs. In the span of 3 weeks, he is long gone from a Day 3 prospect to QB3 in a deep draft elegance that comes with USC’s Caleb Williams and UNC’s Drake Maye. And I’ll take it a step additional: Not most effective is Sanders firmly in the first-round dialog, if Maye continues to battle with consistency (and I’ll communicate extra about that beneath), Sanders (and others) may just in finding their means into the QB2 slot. We’ll in finding out in combination how Colorado responds towards Oregon on Saturday and then a matchup with Williams and USC subsequent week, however for now nobody has had a greater begin to their 2023 season.

Spencer Rattler, QB, South Carolina

It wasn’t that way back that Rattler was once so much of people’ (me integrated) QB1 heading into the season. He was once at Oklahoma on the time, struggled so much early in the season and was once ultimately benched for Caleb Williams. Rattler made his technique to South Carolina earlier than the 2022 season. And now and then he flashed that first-round attainable. But he additionally performed out of construction too ceaselessly, made questionable choices with the ball and nonetheless seemed like he was once rising into his recreation.

And he was once. But up to now in 2023, Rattler has made higher choices, and put his offense in positions to have luck towards difficult warring parties like North Carolina and Georgia. The very first thing that you simply realize about Rattler is not his arm power or his willingness to position balls into tight home windows as a result of he trusts his receivers (and his arm), it is his toughness. He’ll stand in the pocket, stay his eyes downfield, get blasted, however no longer earlier than ripping a laser to a slightly open teammate.

In the 1st part towards Georgia, Rattler was once 16 of 18 for 152 yards and a landing, and the Gamecocks led 14-3 on the wreck. 

Rattler was once a Day 3 prospect entering the season however he is a Day 2 select at this time and, who is aware of, if he continues dealing at this tempo possibly he threatens Round 1. 

Malik Nabers, WR, LSU

Nabers was once the most productive extensive receiver at the Tigers’ roster remaining season when I used to be looking ahead to Kayshon Boutte to around into first-round shape. It by no means came about for Boutte, who’s now in New England, however Nabers is each bit the first-round skill and that was once on complete show remaining weekend towards Mississippi State. 

If you wish to have him to stack cornerbacks and make a deep throw into the top zone seem like a protracted handoff, neatly, you are in success as a result of the ones abilities had been on complete show:

Exhibit A:

And a couple of mins later, Exhibit B:

Nabers pulled a Puka Nacua (consider someone writing that season even a month in the past) and completed with 13 catches for 239 yards and the ones two touchdowns towards the Bulldogs. And whilst all of us witnessed his skill to win downfield, if you wish to have a ownership receiver, he can put on out defenses working hitches and shallows all day lengthy. But do not get it puzzled, he is twitched up, constantly keeping apart on the height of the path. Marvin Harrison Jr. is WR1 and that ain’t converting, however the race for WR2 is extensive open and Nabers is firmly in the combo.

Jer’Zhan Newton, DT, Illinois

In the spring, the 3 defenders off the Illini protection had been a number of the first 66 choices in the NFL Draft. Cornerback Devon Witherspoon went No. 5 general to the Seahawks. Nickelback Quan Martin was once the No. 47 select of the Commanders and then, 19 picks later, the Eagles took protection Sydney Brown.

Even at 300 kilos, Newton were given misplaced in the combo remaining season. But no longer in 2023 as a result of he has been dominant, and now and then unstoppable. And he isn’t lining up towards a host of early season creampuffs both; he was once an issue for a just right Kansas workforce previous this month and Penn State had few solutions for him remaining Saturday.

Newton is a first-rounder all day lengthy. The most effective query is how excessive does he finally end up going. His motor is in the course of the roof and in contrast to so much of defensive linemen, he does not appear to tire as the sport wears on. He performs with heavy fingers, frequently stands up the offensive lineman throughout from him (see above) and spends so much of the sport in the opponent’s backfield. 

Droppin’

Joe Milton, QB, Tennessee

Milton has drawn comparisons to Anthony Richardson, and a lot of that has to do together with his arm power. In reality, Milton most certainly has a greater arm than Richardson, however that is the place the similarities finish. Richardson made simply 13 profession begins in school whilst Milton is in his 6th 12 months of school. Milton started his profession at Michigan and transferred to Tennessee earlier than the 2021 season. And whilst he hasn’t performed a ton, both, he has been round two-high profile methods competing for enjoying time going again to 2018. Milton additionally is not the athlete that Richardson is (and there is no disgrace in that — nobody is), however the greatest factor in the course of the early season agenda is that Milton has struggled with accuracy, decision-making and seeing all of the box.

Against Florida, Milton was once a combined bag — he’d make contact throws into the top zone like this:

And he’d then inexplicably brief hop a vital third-down slant that he may just most certainly throw in his sleep. Milton additionally does not throw with anticipation, one thing that might turn out to be an issue on the subsequent point. And whilst he is just right in the fast recreation — he will constantly put the ball on his receiver’s face — when the chips are down and he must push the ball downfield, he does not appear to play with a ton of self belief. 

There’s time to proper the send, of direction. And despite the fact that Milton has been in school since ’18, heading into Week 4 he is tried precisely 18 extra passes in his profession (233) than Richardson did in 3 years at Florida. 

Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina

A 12 months in the past, when comparing Will Levis popping out of Kentucky, it felt such as you needed to squint now and then to look the skill that was once beneath all of the inconsistencies. Maye has without a doubt been extra constant than Levis, who was once the thirty third general select again in the spring, however he hasn’t lived as much as the “definitely a top-five pick” hype, a minimum of in the course of the early section of the agenda. 

There has been masses of just right, evidently — he began 10 of 10 towards South Carolina in the opener — however there were too many reckless performs, deficient choices that ended in useless turnovers. There had been two towards Minnesota remaining week and there is no means to provide an explanation for this one as opposed to simply forcing the problem as an alternative of taking the sack and residing to battle any other down. 

Again, there is a lot to like about his recreation, and he makes performs — together with his arm and his legs — that few others can. But the NFL is complete of playmaking quarterbacks who now and then cannot get out of their very own means and their groups are, or quickly shall be, in the marketplace for their subsequent franchise QB. Put otherwise: In Maye’s remaining 8 video games relationship again to Georgia Tech remaining season, he is thrown as many interceptions (8) as touchdowns.  

If Maye can tidy up the errors, he is a top-five select all day lengthy. If he cannot, then a company is banking on attainable, which is a perilous place to seek out your self if you are a trainer or basic supervisor in win-now mode.

JJ McCarthy, QB, Michigan

There’s been so much of discuss Caleb Williams’ athleticism, and the comparisons to Patrick Mahomes — and each are warranted. He’s the clearcut No. 1 general select. But McCarthy is most certainly a greater athlete and that athleticism will get him out of scenarios that may doom different quarterbacks. Unfortunately — and it is a routine theme with virtually each school quarterback — the dearth of consistency may also be problematic, a minimum of when projecting McCarthy as one of the highest passers in the 2024 elegance. 

The Wolverines have not had an actual take a look at but via 3 weeks, making fast paintings of ECU and UNLV. In the ones first two video games, McCarthy finished a mind-blowing 87.3 % of his passes for 573 yards, with 5 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Last Saturday, McCarthy threw two extra TDs towards Bowling Green, but in addition tossed 3 interceptions. And whilst no longer each select is similar, it is arduous to argue that McCarthy was once accountable in all 3 circumstances. The first got here on a throw to the top zone, the second got here on a downfield throw the place both the ball was once underthrown or the QB and the WR were not at the identical web page. And the 1/3 was once a ball that you simply completely, unequivocally need to throw away except it is the remaining play of the sport and you wish to have a landing. 

That stated, there is a lot to understand about McCarthy’s recreation. In addition to the athleticism, he is proven the power to layer balls over second-level defenders and hit his receivers in stride. And regardless of INT No. 3 above, McCarthy can win out of construction and will make off-platform throws that different QBs cannot. He’s additionally extremely difficult — he will take successful and pop proper again up. It’s additionally vital to notice that he has only one complete 12 months as a starter; he will keep growing as a passer and mature as a decision-maker. It’s why NFL groups are excessive on him and why he is a Day 2 select at this time — and he will have a possibility to paintings his means into Day 1 earlier than it is all stated and finished.