2024 NFL Draft Stock Up
Tyler Guyton, OT, Oklahoma
As we reported in Hot Press, multiple team sources say they believe Guyton has first-round potential for the 2024 NFL Draft. The 6-foot-7, 328-pounder is said to be an athletic freak with a special combination of size, speed, length, and athleticism. Guyton started five games in 2022 for the Sooners after starting out his career at TCU. In 2021, he played offensive tackle and h-back with the Horned Frogs.
Team sources noted they feel Guyton has all the ability but needs to get more consistent. Considering he has not started a full season yet, Guyton has a lot of upside to grow as he gains experience.
Xavier Legette, WR, South Carolina
Team sources told WalterFootball.com that they have been impressed with Legette this season and he is rising with area scouts. Legette played well against North Carolina (9-178), Furman (6-118-1) and Georgia (7-71). After those three games, Legette already established career highs. In 2023, he has 27 receptions for 556 yards and three touchdowns. The 6-foot-3, 227-pounder has mismatch size and has showed that he has good speed for a big wideout. Legette could end up being a first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Malik Nabers, WR, LSU
Sources who have watched Nabers in person this season say he is an impressive athlete and definitely looks the part of a starting NFL receiver. After decent performances against Florida State and Grambling, Nabers had a game for the ages versus Mississippi State, putting up 13 catches for 239 yards and two touchdowns. He followed that up with another strong performance taking on Arkansas (8-130-2). Nabers (6-0, 200) has a pro build and is a smooth receiver who is helping his draft stock with how he is performing in 2023.
Matt Goncalves, OT, Pittsburgh
At 6-foot-6, 330 pounds, Goncalves is a big edge blocker for the next level who has experience starting at left and right tackle for Pittsburgh. The Panthers bounced Goncalves back and forth between right and left tackle over 2020-2022, and as a senior, he is starting at left tackle. Goncalves is big, strong, and has good enough movement to stay on the edge in the NFL. He also has the body type to be a candidate to play guard as a pro.
Ty Robinson, DT, Nebraska
WalterFootball.com was told by NFL team sources that Robinson has mid-round potential for the 2024 NFL Draft. So far this season, he has seven tackles and .5 sacks. Robinson was a solid defender for the Cornhuskers over the previous two seasons, including 24 tackles and two sacks in 2022 and 27 tackles and two sacks in 2021. Robinson has good height and length.
Chop Robinson, DE, Penn State
All night versus the Hawkeyes, Robinson fired past their blockers and causing havoc in the backfield. In the second quarter, Robinson used his speed to fly past guard and force Iowa quarterback Cade McNamara into a third-down completion. Shortly later, Robinson had another speed rush into the pocket, leaping high into the air and knocking his blocker into McNamara. In the third quarter, Robinson showed his explosion and ability to bend flying off the corner to blow by the left tackle and get a hit on McNamara. Late in the game, Robinson roasted the left tackle with a hand slap before exploding into Iowa’s backup quarterback to create a strip-sack that Penn State recovered.
Robinson’s performance against the Hawkeyes illustrated his potential to be a dangerous speed rusher in the NFL. He has a lightning-fast first-step with the athletic ability to get low and bend around the edge. Robinson shows speed to power and is a hard-charging edge rusher who really challenges offensive linemen. The 6-foot-3, 250-pounder is undersized for run defense at the next level. The modern NFL game, however, is driven by passing, so Robinson’s quarterback-hunting ability could allow him to end up as a first-round pick for the 2024 NFL Draft.
2024 NFL Draft Stock Down
Luke Lachey, TE, Iowa
Lachey had a strong start to the season, but unfortunately he suffered a big blow to his draft stock when we went out for the season with a broken ankle or leg. Iowa refused to disclose the exact location of the break, but not playing will hurt Lachey. He was in the running to be one of the top tight end prospects for the 2024 NFL Draft behind Georgia’s Brock Bowers, but missing time and adding a medical red flag will push him lower.
Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau, DEs, Ohio State
Tuimoloau and Sawyer were completion non-factors against Notre Dame. Over the past few seasons, Tuimoloau and Sawyer have not played up to their billings. They were reputedly Ohio State’s next high first-rounders like Joey Bosa, Nick Bosa, and Chase Young, but Tuimoloau and Sawyer were non-factors against Notre Dame, and they also did not impress in Week 1 against Indiana. If either of them were to enter the 2024 NFL Draft, it looks like they would end up as mid-rounders who teams would hope could turn into a late-bloomer. Right now, Tuimoloau and Sawyer are not dangerous edge rushers or impactful run defenders. Both of them should go back to school rather than enter the 2024 NFL Draft.
