What the preliminary scouting reports say

Dane Brugler, the athletic:

Position rank: 16

Round projection: 6th-7th

SUMMARY: Johnson, a one-year starter at Washington, emerged as the Huskies’ top prospect in former offensive coordinator Ryan Grubbs’ spread plan. After three years in Mike Leach’s Mississippi State Air Raid offense, he was a key part of Washington’s run to the 2023 National Championship Game – all four of his 100-yard rushing games came against ranked opponents (Utah, USC and twice against Oregon). With his vision to press the line and set up his blocks, Johnson has the footwork and quick reaction moves (thanks to time spent playing football and basketball) that made him a great fit for Washington’s zone-run concepts . He runs a bit high and stiff, especially when forced to still his feet, but he doesn’t doubt himself once he chooses a running path. NFL running back coaches will also love its toughness. Overall, Johnson is best suited for a complementary role at the next level that will showcase his decision-making, traffic flow and passing diversity. While teams are understandably concerned about his body holding up, he has plenty to offer an NFL offense.

Brugler:

SUMMARY: Jabari Small was born and raised in Memphis, and his father (Eddie) and two uncles (Eddie, Tony) were all SEC wide receivers. Small earned AllState honors twice at Briarcrest Christian – posting 1,538 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns as a senior. A three-star recruit, he committed to Tennessee via several other SEC offers and became the Volunteers’ starter in 2021 as a sophomore. However, he took a backseat to Jaylen Wright the past two seasons. Small has a compact build and transfers his weight well through his cuts, allowing him to bounce away from defenders. He runs with energy and poise in short areas, although his feet return to full speed after the cut. He will run with blinders at times and needs to set up his blocks better. He only fumbled once, but had too many drops on the tape. Overall, Small doesn’t provide proven value on passing downs or special teams, but he runs low to the ground with smart feet and could potentially earn a spot in a rotation.

Lance Zierlein, NFL.com:

Productive three-year starter with good size but below-average athleticism. Oliver moved the ball impressively at Youngstown State, but he’s not the voracious ball winner you’d expect him to be. He will struggle to escape coverage at any of the three levels due to a lack of foot speed, burst and top speed, but his ball skills work in his favor at times. Based on his performance against Ohio State in 2023, it’s clear he’ll be forced to make a living winning contested catches, and that would be a tough sell in the NFL.

Zierlein:

The size, length and toughness are all hallmarks of Dooley, but he may not have enough functional athleticism to make him work at the next level. He is sloppy and finishes blocks with attitude when given the chance. He needs the action in front of him and won’t provide much help if asked to climb up or into space due to his lack of speed and agility. His footwork is often far too sloppy to survive against an edge-to-edge attack in the pros, but he does a good job of playing with independent hands to help him reset and keep rushers busy. Ultimately, Dooley falls short when projecting his prospects in the NFL.

Christian Dunn, NFL Draft Lounge:

Strengths:

• Impressive tape from 2021
• Strong hands, if he gets attached he tends to stay connected
• Solid play IQ, always looking for work in the passing game and handles combo blocks well in the run game
• Very solid performance at the Big 12 Pro Day, earning an 8.57 on the RAS (Relative Athletic Score)

Areas for development:

• Too much lean, bends the hips and not the knees
• Sometimes loses at the point of contact, doesn’t produce great “pop” when pulling plays
• Feet are not fast, twitching in short areas can be improved
• Will be 25 years old during rookie season, long injury history

Zierlein:

Players who have logged more than 1,000 snaps at three different positions are rare, but ironically, Gadlin could be targeted at center, where he has played just 110 career snaps. He has an unimposing frame, but can surprise interior linemen with his driving power. He plays with good footwork and technique as a run blocker, but lacks the body control to connect and stay against active fronts. He is a leaner upper body in pass pro and could struggle to close both A gaps with sliding speed and reactive agility. Gadlin could compete for a roster spot, but his chances may be limited if teams view him as a player who can only play center.

Zierlein:

Long-limbed edge defender who must learn to play standing up as a 3-4 outside linebacker. Duke will need to add bulk and playing strength to hold its own as an NFL edge-setter. He isn’t able to neutralize and throw away blocks regularly enough, but that can happen over time. Duke plays with an often unorthodox degree of recovery agility to stay on his feet and stay in the game, and he possesses a plus-ish finish for the football. It’s easy to like the burst down the field and occasional elusiveness as a rusher, but Duke can’t build on that unless he develops more moves and counters at the top of the rush.

Zierlein:

Gattison doesn’t have the speed or coverage talent to stay in the NFL as a cornerback, but he may have the strength to play at safety. Quickness and short-yardage quickness will still be an issue for him against NFL opponents, even at the safety position. He has decent instincts and ball skills, giving him a fighting chance in camp. He is both willing and successful as a tackler and is great at moving around or playing off blocks when it’s time to assist in the run. He’s unlikely to be drafted, but his size, toughness and skill on special teams could earn him a spot in camp.

James Fragoza, Pro Football Network:

Strengths: Dominated his competition, with six interceptions and 20 PBUs since 2022. Smooth in his backpedal and maintains his leverage – doesn’t allow WRs to consistently stack him. Demonstrated his ability to play against Maryland in Week 1 of the regular season last season.

Weak points: Only two years of starting experience. Poor tackler – comes in too aggressively and doesn’t break down. The NFL’s long speed and size could give him problems on the outside early.

General: Robert Javier is a sturdy 6’0″ and 193 pounds with 32″ arms and has the size, athleticism and film to rely on.

Fragoza:

Strengths: Used to being underestimated (advance to full first-team conference in 2023). Soft hands under and over the middle, coming down with hard grips through contact. RB background is evident in movement ability in the open field.

Weak points: Only within WR; small capacity from outside. Small casting frame (5’10” with 29″ arms). Rounds out routes and didn’t need to be as accurate against the competition level.

General: With the need for slot WRs increasing, Sam Schnee should have no trouble receiving camp invites.

Zierlein:

Undersized collegiate safety who will have to make a move to slot corner to give himself a chance. Ellis has good speed and is an explosive athlete, but those traits don’t make enough of a difference in Ellis’ coverage. He is a willing tackler, but lacks ideal stopping power. Ellis lacks the expectation of being a playmaker and will need to continue to improve in that area to give himself a chance to make a team.