What type of player have you fallen in love with during this draft cycle? Is it the same as usual, or did a different prospect catch your eye? We go through each offensive position to come up with a draft crush
Developing biases in sports is inevitable, and there’s nothing wrong with it. When you watch ten players in a row at a specific position, the big-armed quarterback, speedy running back, or flashy wide receiver might be what you gravitate toward, so you’ll naturally think that type of player will make a difference.
Scouts and NFL personnel members fall into that “trap” every year. It’s why football players who didn’t produce for three years are still projected to go early in the draft. It’s also why there are gems in every round who outproduce those selected ahead of them.
Today we’ll talk about draft crushes. For you, maybe it’s one of those workout warriors from the NFL Combine. Perhaps it’s a running back from your favorite collegiate team, and you think they’d be the perfect complement to Christian McCaffrey, or the wide receiver you remember that your team couldn’t stop.
We’ll stick to offense, but here’s my NFL Draft crush at each position. Most of them are fits for the San Francisco 49ers.
Quarterback – Kyle McCord – Syracuse
Once the Niners signed Mac Jones, it took them out of the running for a backup quarterback. I’m a McCord fan and think he could wind up being a starter sooner rather than later. His eyes don’t drop under pressure, and he shares a trait with Brock Purdy as they both hunt the big play when defenders are barreling down on them.
McCord knows where to go with the football. His 65 percent completion percentage will lead you to believe he’s inaccurate, but that number jumps to 75 percent when you adjust for drops. McCord is a high-variance quarterback, but I’d bet on his playmaking in the NFL.
Running back – Kaleb Johnson – Iowa
Iowa was a predominant zone team. Johnson had 240 carries in 2024, and 191 were of the zone variety. So, it’s tough to watch the Hawkeyes without projecting Johnson as a fit.
Johnson would win the Offensive Rookie of the Year if drafted by the 49ers.
Johnson’s 10-yard split puts him in the 24th percentile among running backs. Johnson doesn’t have a second gear. He’s more of a glider, but you don’t have to run a 4.3 40 to have a long run.
Johnson was the center of attention for every opposing defense. Iowa did not have a vertical threat in the passing game. Yet, 56 percent of Johnson’s carries last season went for at least 15 yards. Johnson knows how to maximize the yardage on every carry, as evidenced by his 4.42 average yards after contact. He’s also a touchdown merchant with a nose for the end zone.
He’s the kind of back that can turn a missed tackle into an explosive run, but on a down-to-down basis, a three-yard gain into a seven-yarder. I’ll take consistency with the threat of a home run every day of the week. A 224-pound human running a 4.57 40-yard dash is not slow by any means. He’ll likely go before the 49ers feel comfortable taking a running back, but I have a hard time finding a better scheme fit for Kyle Shanahan’s offense.
Wide receiver – Jayden Higgins – Iowa State
The same way that Nico Collins fell to the third round. In a similar vein to A.J. Brown falling to the latter part of the second round. Players who are this big, fast, athletic, and sure-handed are the types that tend to do well as pros.
Higgins is over 6’4” and 214 pounds and ran a 4.47 40-yard dash, with jumps in the 85th percentile. He’s more of a “Z” than an “X” in my opinion, as Higgins is better when he’s on the move or doesn’t have to see press coverage.
He moves like a player, 5’10” and 185 pounds. Higgins had 119 targets last season, and only 12 of those were contested. That’s a good indication of a player getting separation. As you’d imagine, his frame and athleticism allow him to flourish in contested situations. Higgins caught eight of those opportunities.
I was most impressed with Higgins’ initial burst and how easily he made it look against cornerbacks when it came to getting open underneath. Again, changing directions at that size is not easy. Better quarterback play and a concentrated route tree should lead to Higgins as a potential WR1 at the next level.
Tight end – Mason Taylor – LSU
If Taylor is available in the third round, it would be tough for me, if I were John Lynch, to pass him up. The bloodlines are there, but more importantly, you saw Taylor play in a wide-open offense where he split his time as an in-line tight end and in the slot.
Taylor is 6’5, 251 pounds, and could stand to fill out a bit more and get stronger. But he wasn’t used much as a blocker, so if that’s your plan in the pros, you didn’t watch him much in college.
At his height, those long strides led to him sneaking up on defenders, and by then, it’s too late, and he’s already won. Taylor tracks the ball well down the field, knows how to use his body to get open, and will win in the NFL against linebackers and safeties because he understands how to get open. I think Taylor has a chance to kill it on third downs and in the red zone in the pros—big fan of his game.
Interior offensive line – Luke Newman – Michigan State
I was watching Michigan’s defensive tackles, and Sparty’s left guard had a string of plays against Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant that had me focusing on No. 70 rather than the two projected first-round picks.
I have no idea if Newman is going to get drafted. But when a player not just holds his own but wins against the Wolverines, Ducks, and Buckeyes — all teams with NFL defensive tackles — the alarm bells sound.
Newman is a competitor who is always looking for work. You see the nasty streak in his game. Of course, there are flaws. He gets out over his skis a few times a game, which causes him to either whiff or end up on the ground.
Still, seeing him put his hands on some of the top interior defenders and shock them with his strength made me fall for Newman. Then, you look up his athletic testing numbers, and Newman had an elite bench press, vertical and broad jump, and 10, 20, and 40-yard dash. So, a high-end athlete who participated in the Shrine Bowl and stood out against top competition. Yeah, sign me up for this under-the-radar gem.
Offensive tackle – Josh Simmons – Ohio State
Simmons looks like a tight end. His athleticism when it comes to getting depth in his pass sets is second to none in this class. It’s rare for him not to be the first at getting to his spot. Simmons is coming off a torn ACL injury, so he’ll fall in the draft.
But he looked bored against the competition I saw him go against this season. Simmons allowed one sack on roughly 600 snaps in the previous two seasons. It makes sense, as Simmons times his punch perfectly and doesn’t have many, if any, reps where he’s not the best athlete in a 1-on-1 battle.
He’s on the smaller side, at 6’4 7/8, which puts him in the 46th percentile. He has 33” arms, so he’s right at the demarcation line for most offensive line coaches. You see his measurables show up when it comes to latching on and sustaining blocks.
Before Ohio State, Simmons started at right tackle for San Diego State. If he’s available, I’d put him back on the right side and feel good about taking him in the second round. What he lacks in displacement strength is made up for in superb footwork, balance, and pad level.
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