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First Round: Josh Conerly
Second Round
CB Trey Amos
Jaylin Lane
POSITIVES
— Great athlete who earned a 9.83 RAS at the NFL combine. Solid length, too.
— Decent at reading the quarterback's eyes when playing zone coverage and has the movement skills to tighten throwing windows and take away reads from the quarterback.
— Has the athleticism to cover tight ends in man coverage.
— Plenty of speed to carry running backs and tight ends in man or take away the middle of the field when playing Tampa 2.
— Flashed decent instincts when on the playside of outside runs.
NEGATIVES
— Wiry build. Could afford to add some size and strength to avoid getting pushed around against the run.
— Subpar instincts versus inside runs. Hasn't shown the ability to crash downhill and attack gaps.
— Gets stuck on blocks, lacks the strength to stack and shed.
— Poor tackler, missed a lot of tackles last season because he lunges and doesn't bring his feet. Gives up extra yards after contact, as he doesn't have much force behind his pads.
7th Round Pick
Jacory Croskey Merritt
Overview
Two-year starter whose in-season improvement and performance against Penn State’s Abdul Carter make it easier to project his future. Conerly is proportionally built but lacks ideal play strength. He strains at the point of attack but needs to get his hips and hands synced to improve as a finisher. He moves easily in space and gets to his angles to help spring the run. Conerly sets with smooth slides and ready hands but gets caught over-setting. He has anchor troubles against power that might be challenging to correct. He sees twists and blitzes developing and recovers with athleticism when beaten. Conerly is young and needs more development, but he should become a good starter at tackle or guard.Strengths
- Showed vast improvement as the season progressed.
- Movements are composed and relatively athletic.
- Accelerates hard into down blocks.
- Works with strain at the point of attack and is rarely on the ground.
- Consistent, well-balanced slides both diagonally and back inside.
- Throws a sudden punch with good pop.
- Squeezes B-gap and scans for incoming when rusher voids.
Weaknesses
- Lacks pace to collect linebacker on work-up blocks.
- Needs to improve his play strength and play bigger.
- Oversets open up the inside door in pass protection.
- Average bender who relies on forward lean to brace up.
- Has trouble anchoring against speed-to-power rushers.
Second Round
CB Trey Amos
Overview
Long press cornerback who proved he could make the jump from the Sun Belt to the SEC without a hitch. Amos can disrupt the release and plays with good short-area movement in man coverage. He can get a little lost at the top of the route and needs occasional safety nets over the top. He has twitchy feet to close and sees the action clearly from zone but can be hampered by indecisiveness, despite favorable instincts. Amos uses physicality and length to shrink the 50/50 odds in his favor. He can play in multiple coverage but is most consistent in zone. Amos needs to ramp up his run support and trust his eyes in space, but he has the goods to become a solid starting outside corner.Strengths
- Possesses foot quickness and size to be a problem in press.
- Plays with pro coverage agility and transition quickness.
- Has body control and footwork needed to stay in phase versus NFL routes.
- Twitchy burst and long arms help with catch disruption.
- Plant-and-drive is sudden and without stall at the top.
- Desired pacing, positioning and vision in Cover 3 looks.
- Allowed sub-19 percent completion rate on throws of 20-plus air yards for his career, per PFF.
Weaknesses
- Can be a little too quick to open hips to route movement.
- Allows unnecessary separation from off-man coverage.
- Needs better eye balance and decisiveness from off coverage.
- Loses some ground when it turns into a flat-out foot race.
- Plays receiver’s hands instead of the ball with back to the action.
- Arm tackler and slow to get rid of perimeter blockers.
Jaylin Lane
Overview
Semi-versatile slot option with legitimate long speed and talent to add yardage with the ball in his hands. Lane can stretch defenses from the slot with his build-up speed and is a viable option in catch-and-run packages near the line of scrimmage. He gives too many clues as a route runner and needs to work on running repeatable, fluid routes as a pro. While he’s tough as a runner, he can’t muster the play strength or ball skills to win the contested-catch game. Lane’s best qualities give him a chance to stick on a roster, but he might need to earn his keep as a return man early on.Strengths
- Build-up speed allows him to gain and maintain vertically.
- Puts safeties on their heels with deep speed from the slot.
- Capable of opening hips and reaching to make a catch on an off-target pass.
- Good run-after-catch option on receiver screens and hitches.
- Determined runner who breaks through arm tackles.
- Fearless north-south mindset as a punt returner.
Weaknesses
- Below-average short-area footwork and suddenness.
- Needs to work on salesmanship and efficiency of his routes.
- Short, choppy strides hinder separation at the top of the route.
- Allows defenders to play through him at the catch point.
- Needs better feel for angles and working back to the throw.
POSITIVES
— Great athlete who earned a 9.83 RAS at the NFL combine. Solid length, too.
— Decent at reading the quarterback's eyes when playing zone coverage and has the movement skills to tighten throwing windows and take away reads from the quarterback.
— Has the athleticism to cover tight ends in man coverage.
— Plenty of speed to carry running backs and tight ends in man or take away the middle of the field when playing Tampa 2.
— Flashed decent instincts when on the playside of outside runs.
NEGATIVES
— Wiry build. Could afford to add some size and strength to avoid getting pushed around against the run.
— Subpar instincts versus inside runs. Hasn't shown the ability to crash downhill and attack gaps.
— Gets stuck on blocks, lacks the strength to stack and shed.
— Poor tackler, missed a lot of tackles last season because he lunges and doesn't bring his feet. Gives up extra yards after contact, as he doesn't have much force behind his pads.
7th Round Pick
Jacory Croskey Merritt
Overview
Eligibility issues sidelined Croskey-Merritt for all but one game in 2024, but his skills were on full display at the East-West Shrine Bowl in January. He’s a quick processor with adequate size and impressive cut quickness to find yards in a crowded workspace. He has one-cut talent and the ability to break runs sharply across the grain when necessary. He finishes runs with purpose, too. He’ll be a 24-year-old rookie with below-average third-down value, but his talent and creativity pop quickly on tape and give him a chance to become a good RB2 at the next level.Strengths
- Reads defenses to second level and quickly processes/responds.
- Outstanding stop, cut and accelerate mechanism to elude in tight spaces.
- Runs with block anticipation and a feel for cutting off of the blocker’s hip.
- Able to snap off one-cut runs at crisp angles.
- Delivers force into contact without losing base balance.
- Highly competitive finishes squeeze every yard from the run.
Weaknesses
- Nearly a non-factor in the passing game during college career.
- Finds heavy collisions more frequently than teams might desire.
- Missed all but one game last season due to eligibility issues.
- Will be a 24-year-old rookie at running back.
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