March 23-29

We’re a month away from the 2024 NFL Draft, and while there’s still a lot of work taking place this weekend (more on that later), we’re almost into the quiet-but-eternal final month before everyone convenes in Detroit. That means it’s time for our penultimate sweep of seven top mock draft services. 

We posted the mock-by-mock grid today at Inside the League. Make sure to check it out. In the meantime, here’s what we thought was worth noting. 

The pack grows: As always happens closer to the draft, the seven services are growing in their agreement on who’s going in the first round. At present, there are 22 players who are on all seven boards, including Clemson DC Nate Wiggins, Washington OG Troy Fautanu and LSU WO Brian Thomas (six boards each last time), Texas WO Adonai Mitchell (five boards) and Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy (four boards), who are all new members of the “all seven” clique. There are three more (Oklahoma OT Tyler Guyton, Texas DT Byron Murphy and Duke OG Graham Barton) who are on six of seven. 

The Jay-Train: LSU’s Jayden Daniels is poised to become the latest QB to go from off every board in May/June to Day 1 on draft day (which has happened every year since 2018). The Tiger has risen to be the consensus No. 2 pick per four services (CBS’ Chris Trapasso, The Draft Scout, ESPN’s Matt Miller and The Athletic’s Dane Brugler) and No. 3 on the remaining three mocks. As for the players who preceded Daniels in moving straight to the top, the results have been mixed. Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow (No. 1, 2020) has been supreme; Tampa Bay’s Baker Mayfield (No. 1, 2018) and Arizona’s Kyler Murray (No. 1, 2019) have been solid if not spectacular; Pittsburgh’s Kenny Pickett (No. 20, 2022) has been mediocre; New York’s Zach Wilson (No. 2, 2021) has struggled; and Indianapolis’ Anthony Richardson (No. 4, 2023) looked good in very limited action last year.

A bolt from Big Blue: Daniels isn’t the only player on the rise. It’s hard to believe we were asking just a few weeks ago if Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy had made the right decision by leaving early. In our last three scans (Nov. 24, Dec. 29 and Feb. 23), McCarthy was rated as a Day 1 pick on four mocks, but never more than that. This time, not only is he on all seven boards, but he’s in the discussion to pass North Carolina’s Drake Maye as the chalk No. 3 QB. At present, his average draft slot is 4.71, just behind Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. (4.43).

Four? Five? Six?: Based on the draft experts, there’s a limited chance we’ll see five passers go on Day 1 and a probably even less of a chance we’ll see six. Right now, both Oregon’s Bo Nix and Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. are on two mocks each. 

No suspense: There’s an incredible amount of unanimity on picks 8 and 9. Notre Dame OT Joe Alt was the No. 7 pick on all seven boards, while Alabama DE Dallas Turner is No. 8 on six of seven mocks (The Athletic’s Dane Brugler slots him in at 9). Also of note: LSU WO Malik Nabers is the sixth pick on six boards, with two others (Brugler and Walter Football) listing him as the No. 5 pick. 

Safety in numbers: There were only three players who are on just one board. Minnesota FS Tyler Nubin is predicted at No. 30 per Pro Football Network, while Georgia DC Kamari Lassiter is 22 and Michigan DT Kris Jenkins is 27 per Walter Football. 

Obviously, mock drafts are a fun exercise but far from anything scientific. Still, we feel it’s at least a broad sketch of which players can expect to hear their names called on Day 1 next month. We hope you pick through the various mocks and draw your own conclusions. At the very least, you’ll get a sense of which 50-60 players the media see as the top prospects for 2024.

Here's a look at what else took place this week in the business of college and pro football.

Frisco update: Last week, we took a proactive, warts-and-all look at the first-ever Big 12 Pro Day at The Star in Frisco, Texas, which started Thursday and continues through Saturday. It’s safe to say we were not especially high on the idea of forcing all 14 Big 12 teams to have their draft-eligible players travel to North Texas to work out in one place. Among our criticisms were the lack of opportunities for some players (especially those at smaller schools), the extended waiting times and missed chance to talk to coaches on campus that is usually part of any pro day. 

What we’ve found is that despite some pointed blowback from the agent community (“If I have a top guy at one of those schools next year, I’m not sending them to that unless they seriously fix it,” said one top contract advisor), scouts have made things work.

With regard to college coaches, many more than expected have shown up (“Texas Tech, Kansas, TCU and Oklahoma State had a nice contingent here to speak to,” said one area scout), while travel has been cut in half (“At least it cuts down on the BS travel,” said one longtime evaluator). 

On the other hand, predictably, the talent has not been at a premium (“My guys say not many draftable players working out,” said one college director); there has been some disorganization with weigh-ins (“They’re just doing them as the kids check in,” one scout said); and there have been the usual first-time hiccups (“The timing of it is probably not great,” said another evaluator).

Still, all in all, outrage has been minimal and the usual professionalism of the scouting community has made things go smoothly once a rhythm was established. We’ll know soon enough if the weekend moved well enough to see it replicated with other major conferences. 

Catching Up: Marcus Hendrickson, 37, spent six years in scouting with the Browns and Dolphins, but today he’s as close to the game as he ever was. We caught up with him this week.

• Where are you living and what are you doing now?: “I live in the Twin Cities and I’m the Director of Player Personnel for the University of Minnesota football team. I’m in my eighth season and the role has changed as college football has changed, but it’s the same title.”

• Do you miss the job? What do you miss most?: "Yes and no. I would say still being in football at a high level still scratches that itch. As the pro liaison I still get to see a lot of the guys that I knew on the road, and the camaraderie and relationships of still being involved in football makes it a lot easier. I miss being on the road and seeing new people, but it’s that old in-house (vs.) road scout state of mind. Being here, you get the pulse of the team and have more control of the roster. There’s a lot more ownership, from that standpoint, for me now. But (the NFL) is still the highest level of football, the Lombardi Trophy, and those goals are still there.” 

• Do you keep in touch with any of your former colleagues?: “I would say, because of my role, there are a number of guys I am able to, at least in a working relationship, still have contact with. There’s a lot of guys I communicate with, whether they come through or not, who reach out about our guys. I would say there are 30-40 guys that I still have a relationship with after my tenure in the NFL.”

• Do you go to any live games (HS/college/pro)?: “So high school games I am restricted from being able to attend based on NCAA rules. I get a chance to see a Vikings game a year with our team, and I’ve been fortunate enough with my brother in Green Bay (Packers Director of Football Operations Milt Hendrickson) to be able to go to a late-season games depending on how our bowl calendar works out. I would say a game a year (for pros), but college wise, it’s been a game a week across the country every week.”

• Are there any players you love to watch and/or feel close to due to your work in the game?:  “I grew up in Wisconsin a Packers fan, and my brother works for the Packers, so that’s where my biggest fandom is, but we’ve got a number of guys we’ve put in the league from MInnesota. Our (2023) second-round pick (by the Giants), John Michael Schmitz, was here at practice last week, so you’re kinda always pulling for our guys to do well. So mainly guys I have prior relationships with, but when the playoffs start, I’m always texting the scouts I know well and saying good luck. Other than Green Bay, it’s about the relationships and the guys I care about.”

Review the latest from other former NFL scouts and executives by accessing our Catching Up archive here. Want to hear from a former scout, or know someone who may be interested in being interviewed? Let us know.

The April transfer window awaits: That’s why, this week, Right Step Advising’s Rodrik David and ITL’s Neil Stratton welcomed Dave Shumate, a veteran of college personnel staffs who could speak of player movement with experience. Dave has served as Director of Player Personnel at Central Florida and Kansas, Assistant Director at Texas A&M, and personnel coordinator at Auburn, Georgia and Miami. He gave his thoughts on how to restore order in the portal; Nick Saban’s remarks on the state of college football; which positions are usually the highest-valued ones when the window opens; how accurate staffs generally are when it comes to predicting who will enter the portal, and how well they do predicting how well a player will perform in his new environment; the success rate of players who transfer; which coach on staff seems to be most generous with subordinates; the player whose transfer surprised him (and maybe hurt him) the most; how to figure out which of your own players are considering the portal; how donor pressure factors into which players get offered; how to sniff out character risks before getting a player on campus; and plenty more. If college football interests you, and you value deep insights on the hottest topic in the game, we encourage you to check out this week’s episode here. To review all of the Scouting the League podcasts, click here.

More transfer talk: In this week’s post at Succeed in Football, ITL’s Neil Stratton passed along highlights from his visit to one of the better mid-major programs in the country this week. He makes eight points about his conversation with the school’s staffers and addresses the most in-demand position in the portal; why facilities are declining in importance; the importance of robust training tables; the tenor of today’s NIL reps helping players move from school to school; and much more. Make sure to get up to date on the cutting edge of college football in this week’s post.

Agents by Total Clients: March is always a down month for this regular feature as the new league year opens and free agency alters the numbers. Wednesday, we counted 98 contract advisors with at least 10 active NFL clients as of this month. That contrasts with 116 last month. Things should get back to normal, for the most part, next month. 

Agent Changes: At long last, we turned in this month’s report on the NFL veterans who shifted from one agency to another over the last 30 days, per NFLPA rolls. We identified 15 players who went in a new direction, representation-wise, and they’re all in Thursday’s report. It probably comes as no surprise that a third of them (five) are cornerbacks, with three offensive linemen, three linebackers, two running backs and a smattering of players at other positions. Want to take a longer view of changes in representation? Review all the moves going back 10-plus years here.

Welcome back!: Spring football returns Saturday as the United Football League kicks off with two games (Birmingham at Arlington at 1 p.m. ET on Fox, followed by St. Louis at Michigan at 4 p.m. ET, also on Fox), followed by two more games Sunday (DC at San Antonio Sunday at noon ET, then Memphis at Houston at 3, both on ESPN). It’s the first of 10 weeks of regular season play, which concludes in early June with the playoffs, followed by the championship in mid-June. Check out all the channels, venues and times here. 

GRID Camps ahead: The next two dates for pro football hopefuls are Sunday, May 19, in San Diego, Calif. (Helix Charter HS) and Saturday, June 8, in Salt Lake City, Utah (Juan Diego HS). For more information, contact Tom Goodhines at tgoodhines@gridcamps.com or (213) 220-1871.

Next week: After Wednesday, when Montana State and Yale wrap up workouts, pro days for the 2024 draft will wrap up, per our pro day calendar. That means, except for Top 30 visits, most of the hay is in the barn when it comes to preparation for the draft at the end of the month. Still, there’s plenty to discuss. Here’s what we’re working on.

• Normally, April means the launch of our Profile Reports. We’re running a little behind, though, so we’ll postpone it for a week, for now. Here’s last year’s series.
• The Scouting the League podcast returns next week with two editions. Our early-week broadcast will be focused on scouting and evaluation north of the border, while our mid-week edition will center on speed training with one of the foremost experts in the industry. We’re excited. We hope you are, too.
• With the April portal window just two weeks away, will we focus on transfers in next week’s edition of the Succeed in Football blog? It just might. 
• For our Catching Up interview as part of next week’s Friday Wrap, we’ll check in with former Ravens area scout Patrick Williams, who’s helping save lives in North Texas these days.
• We’re now less than four months away from the 2024 NFLPA Exam. Not just around the corner, but not an eternity away, either. Our next Pre-Agent Exam Zoom session with Ian Greengross will be Thursday, April 18, at 9:30 p.m. ET. In the meantime, if you’re ready to start preparing for the exam, we recommend our popular study guide, and if you want to test yourself, start with our practice exam. Also, don’t forget that we have the recordings of two Zoom sessions already in the can and available for purchase ($35 plus tax each). 
• We’ll have several Rep Rumblings reports next week. We’ll be tracking scouting changes, notes on agent recruiting for 2025, UFL and CFL notes and more. 

Just four weeks till the draft! Just 24 hours till spring football! Just two weeks till the portal window reopens. If you work in football, and you aren’t busy, you’re in the minority. Make sure you’re up to date on everything that’s happening by joining us.