I can't say that I'm as familiar with guys deep in the draft. There's a few local guys that I wouldn't mind seeing stay home.
Former Bearcat James Hudson is rated as a top ten Tackle in the draft. PFF grades him as a 3rd rounder. If we were to go Chase/Tackle/Tackle in draft, I wouldn't mind seeing Hudson come in for some depth. We probably need help at Guard a little more than taking Tackle/Tackle, but he'd be a nice guy to have.
From PFF
SUMMARY: A one-year starter at Cincinnati, Hudson lined up at left tackle in offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock’s scheme. After starting his college career as a
defensive lineman at Michigan, he made the switch to tackle and transferred to Cincinnati where he didn’t allow a sack in his one season (11 starts) for the Bearcats.
Hudson fires out of his stance and achieves a balanced position in pass pro to mirror with quick, controlled steps. With only 719 career snaps at tackle, he has some
bad habits, forgetting his feet or allowing his pads to rise, but he flashes power in his upper half to create torque on command. Overall, Hudson requires continued
technical refinement to match up in the NFL, but his light feet, strong hands and natural balance are an intriguing starter pack at left tackle. He would fit best in a
zone scheme where he can develop into an above-average starter.
Darrick Forrest, also out of Cincinnati is rated as the 15th best Safety in the draft. He was also big on Special Teams. We have great starters at Safety, but are severely lacking in depth. He's graded as a 5th or 6th rounder, which seems like the perfect place to grab this kind of player.
From PFF
SUMMARY: A three-year starter at Cincinnati, Forrest was the field safety in former defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman’s scheme, forming one of the top safety
tandems in college football with James Wiggins. After Luke Fickell was hired as the Bearcats head coach, one of his first recruiting targets was Forrest, who became a
four-year special-teamer and key contributor on defense the last two seasons, combining for 146 tackles, five interceptions and only one touchdown catch allowed.
While he has excellent play speed, he tends to play in overdrive, overshooting his pursuit angles or leaving him susceptible to route fakes. Overall, Forrest needs to
become a better man-coverage player, but he has the reaction quickness, compete skills and accountable attitude that will earn him a spot on an NFL roster.
I will also throw my support behind Peyton Ramsey, though he's being graded by PFF as a Free Agent.
Brandon Allen is serviceable but it wouldn't hurt to have somebody with some potential in training camp and perhaps on the Practice Squad.
He's a local boy. Went to Elder High School, which is less than five minutes from my house, though I didn't go there I certainly heard his name a lot around here. I watched him play a couple times in Indiana, though I don't think I caught any Northwestern games this year.
From PFF
SUMMARY: Peyton Ramsey grew up in a football family (named after Peyton Manning and his brothers were named after Joe Montana and Drew Bledsoe) and was
an All-State quarterback at Elder High School, where he set multiple passing records. A three-star recruit, he was the No. 49 pro-style quarterback in the class and
committed to Indiana. Ramsey was a three-year starter before graduating and transferring to Northwestern in June 2020, leading the Wildcats to a 7-2 record. He was
a team captain at both schools, and his coaches speak highly of his leadership skills. Ramsey is a good-sized athlete who can scramble and handle designed runs. As a
passer, he has adequate juice on his throws and understands where to attack, but his ball placement and decisions are spotty (threw too many interceptions).
Overall, Ramsey is this year’s Kevin Hogan – a flawed passer, who offers the mobility, toughness and character that gives him a chance to earn an NFL roster spot.
And I'm rooting for UC Running Back Gerrid Doaks. He'll probably be a free agent somewhere, but I'd like to see him get a chance.
Also from PFF
SUMMARY: Gerrid Doaks was a two-year starting running back at Indianapolis’ Lawrence Central, rushing for 1,705 yards as a senior and 2,953 yards in his career. A
three-star recruit, he shared Cincinnati’s backfield duties as a redshirt freshman and led the team in rushing but missed 2018 with a sports hernia injury. After
spending 2019 behind Mike Boone, Doaks regained the starting role as a senior and again led the team in rushing, drawing praise from the coaches for his positivity
and drive through adversity. He fills out his uniform well and runs stout through contact while also showing better quickness than most backs his size. Doaks has anydown
ability with his execution in the screen game (zero drops in 2020). He has tread left on his tires with only 331 career carries, but he missed time each of the last
three seasons due to injury. Overall, Doaks isn’t the most creative runner, but he is a pro-ready back with his body type, contact balance and pass blocking skills.
