Hogs Haven NFL Draft Profile Wrap-Up

Hogs Haven takes a look at 2024 NFL Draft prospects that could contribute to the Commanders

Draft Day is here. For some people – me included – draft season never ends. For others, and understandably so, the NFL draft cannot come soon enough after all of the speculation and debate about what the Washington Commanders should do mostly with just its first pick. I accidently added an “e” to the next month on a document because of the constant debate over which QB to draft.

Despite the draft process being months long, there just isn’t enough time to do a draft profile for every player out there that might make the Commanders better. Here is my last ditch effort to talk about a few more prospects ranging from Day 2 prospects to small school standouts that are longshots to make it to the NFL.

More importantly, I encourage you to comment with players that you’d pound the table for the Commanders to draft. It could be players that have been talked about, players that have been profiled on Hogs Haven, or players who no one is talking about but should be.

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Running back

Blake Corum, Michigan

If you’ve ever heard Warrenton, Virginia native Blake Corum give an interview, you probably came away impressed. Chosen team captain by his teammates, he’s a team-first guy that returned to school for one final shot at a championship. Corum doesn’t have elite athletic traits, but he might be the best pure running back in the draft. His vision and burst allow him to eek out tough yards. He can breakoff longer runs and has the agility and quick feet to make players miss in space. The player is really good, but the leader and person off the field is even better.

Frank Gore, Jr. Southern Miss

I’m going to be completely honest with you. I’m not entirely sure Frank Gore is retired. He could still be on someone’s roster, just waiting to break out another 1,000 yard season on the same team as his son. Take that, LeBron! Sorry for the tangent, but Frank Gore, Jr. is a talented running back who, at 5’8” and 201 lbs, is built like his dad, runs hard, breaks tackles, and makes defenders miss.

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Wide Receiver

Anthony Gould, Oregon State

Y’all remember Aldrick Robinson? I remember him coming into games and just running deep routes. Nothing but deep routes. Well, that can be Anthony Gould…but hopefully better. Gould is small, but he’s a speedster who has flashed the ability to win in other areas of the field. The real value of Gould to the Commanders is at punt returner. In 2022, Gould averaged a little over 18 yards per return and had two TDs.

Jadon Janke, South Dakota State

A Shrine Bowl participant, Jadon Janke might fit the bill for a big wide receiver at 6’2” and 212 lbs. For his size, he has good build-up speed and a little suddenness. He shows the ability to make adjustments to the ball in the air with good body control. Best of all, if we can’t get him, we can just draft his twin brother, Jaxon.

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Tight End

Tip Reiman, Illinois

Tip Reiman may not have won many games this year at Illinois, but he won the Combine. His athletic testing was almost off the charts. On tape, you see some flashes of it when he comes off the line, navigates defenders, and skies to make a catch. With his blocking ability, he can play inline, but he’ll have to improve his route running to be a starting tight end.

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Offensive Tackle

Nathan Thomas, OT, Louisiana-Lafayette

I was surprised to see Lance Zierlein so high on Nathan Thomas, but then I turned on the tape and understood. For a man that is 6’5” and 332 lbs, Thomas carries that weight well and has enough athleticism to be effective in a zone blocking scheme. There’s some nasty in his game and he was the highest-graded OT by PFF at gap-scheme run blocks. Now, with slower, heavier feet and a lack of lateral agility in pass protection, he might have to move to guard, but it should enhance his strengths.

Michael Jerrell, OT, Findlay

The adage is if you are a small school prospect that plays against lesser competition, you have to dominate them. Jerrell definitely did that to the tune of being named the Great Midwest Athletic Conference’s Offensive Lineman of the Year for 2023. Jerrell is raw, but he has good athletic traits to go with the type of tape you like to see from a Division II player.

Josiah Ezirim, Eastern Kentucky

Josiah Ezirim is raw. A convert to right tackle from the defensive line, he’s only played the position for a few years. When he wins, its because he’s a good athlete that moves his feet on contact, maintains a good base, and has good flexibility. With patience and coaching, Ezirim might develop into a swing tackle.

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Interior Offensive Line

Sedrick Van Pran, Georgia

With so much attention focused on Graham Barton, Jackson Powers-Johnson, and Zach Frazier, Sedrick Van Pran seems to be a bit forgotten. I’m sure teams didn’t forget how good he is blocking in space and making key blocks to spring long runs. He is small, so pure power is a concern. That might be mitigated if the team deploys primarily a zone-blocking scheme.

Christian Mahogany, Boston College

Nasty. That’s one word I’d use to describe Christian Mahogany’s play. He isn’t the biggest but he plays with a lot of power in the run game. He moves defenders off the line with ease. The athleticism is evident when you see him pull or work in space. It looks like he enjoys obliterating defenders on the move. He’ll probably go before Washington considers a guard, but he’d solve the team’s problems at left guard.

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Defensive Tackle

Pheldarius Payne, DT, Virginia Tech

Could the Commanders replace Phidarian with Pheldarius? Payne is a smaller defensive tackle, so he’ll have to work on how he plays the run. Where he shines is with his quickness to beat blockers in the pass game. He’ll definitely need time to improve, but he has traits that Dan Quinn might like in the middle of the defense. I’m always down for the team to bring more Payne.

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Defensive End

Sundiata Anderson, Grambling State

I looked at Sundiata Anderson ahead of the Shrine Bowl and liked his quickness and his ability to squeeze through gaps and get to the quarterback. Sadly, when I saw he weighed 239 lbs, I figured he wouldn’t be on the Commanders’ radar. After taking a look a several DEs around this size, maybe the team would consider adding Anderson to the fold.

Justin Blazek, Wisconsin-Platteville

Another small school standout, Blazek looks like a man among boys. He shoots around the edge and flattens to the QB, makes plays in the run game, and uses his smarts to diagnose plays. If he is going to play a role at the next level, he’ll definitely have to get stronger. It’s a longshot, but bring him into camp and see what he can do.

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Linebackers

Jordan McGee, Temple

Temple Tough linebacker Jordan McGee is athletic and productive. While he lacks ideal size, he triggers quickly downfield and finds a way to make plays in the backfield. To do that, he will disregard his responsibility on a play. If you can get him to play with more discipline, he has a shot to start down the line.

James Williams, Miami

I’m cheating a little here because James Williams played safety for the U. He’s already bigger than a lot of linebackers in this draft. What makes him valuable is his ability to cover linebackers with his long frame. Pair that with his ability to play soundly around the line of scrimmage and he could be a quality player in Joe Whitt, Jr.’s defense.

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Cornerback

Caelen Carson, Wake Forest

I wish I had more time to dig into Caelen Carson. A product of Waldorf, Maryland, Carson is a solidly built corner that is aggressive, maybe too much so with how handsy he gets downfield. He loves to lay big hits on opponents, maybe too much so since he’s had two season-ending injuries. If the Commanders run a lot of press man coverages with safety help, Carson might be a good fit.

Myles Harden, South Dakota

Harden’s Combine performance made me take notice. Watching his tape, he is an annoyance in coverage and is much more physical than his size would suggest. Harden will kick inside and play nickel at the next level, probably for a team in the AFC North.

Mike Sainristil, Michigan

Sainristil is small and not the most athletic, but he is one of my favorite players in this draft. He played wide receiver for three years at Michigan before they flipped him to defensive back. Watching the games, you wouldn’t know it. His instincts and football IQ allow him to speed up his play and he has a knack for making big plays at the line of scrimmage or in coverage. Players like Sainristil just make your team better.

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Safety

Omar Brown, Nebraska

Omar Brown reminds me of Kam Curl: smaller safety that can be a versatile piece of the defense. He is listed as free safety, but I wouldn’t ask him to play single high. He can handle split safety assignments, drop into the slot, and even play a little around the line of scrimmage. He’d be solid depth and possibly Darrick Forrest insurance if he leaves in free agency.

Derek Slywka, Ithaca

Another small school guy that jumps off the tape against his level of competition. The athletic testing backs up the play on the field. Was he productive? He had a stretch of five games with at least one interception and he blocked two kicks during the season. He’s another guy to bring into camp and let him compete.