One of the most important parts of an NFL ccouting combine is the team interview sessions. WalterFootball.com spoke with multiple team sources, and here is some of their feedback on some of the prospects.
Team sources said they were expecting Oregon State right tackle Taliese Fuaga to not impress on the board, but they said Fuaga was very smart. They were extremely impressed with his football I.Q. and recall. While teams don’t see Fuaga as a tackle who can move to the left side, they think he is a safe pick to be a good starting right tackle in the NFL.
Georgia has had a lot of bad character players enter the NFL in recent years, with some scandals involving players like Jalen Carter, Devante Wyatt and Adam Anderson. It sounds like this year’s group is much better. Bulldogs offensive tackle Amarius Mims is said to be a solid kid. He developed a close relationship with the strength staff at Georgia, signaling he was working hard in the weight room and training. Mims has done well in the interviews with teams.
Illinois defensie tackle Johnny Newton is said to be a unique individual. Newton is said to be a good worker who loves football. While he isn’t a bad teammate, Newton supposedly is hard on his teammates. He will chew them out over missed assignments and mistakes. Newton gets frustrated when teammates aren’t doing what they are supposed to be doing. Team sources think Newton might need some help from his pro coaches in dialing that back in the NFL.
Oregon cornerback Khyree Jackson has major character concerns. Teams feel he has a good skill set with the potential to be something in the pros, but team sources said Jackson earned a reputation for being a bad dude. That played into him getting kicked out of Alabama. Jackson is talented, but some franchises might remove him from their draft boards.
Michigan defensive tackle Kris Jenkins was expected to interview well, and he followed through on that. He impressed teams with his intelligence, leadership, and football character. Jenkins has not gotten as much media hype compared to how highly he is regarded with NFL teams. He could go late in the first round, and he won’t get out of the second round during the 2024 NFL Draft.
