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We've just released Episode 112 of the Thunder Down Under Chargers Podcast.
Our synopsis for Episode 112 is below:
The 2025 NFL Draft is officially in the books, and the Los Angeles Chargers have added 9 new rookies to the squad! In this episode, we break down the entire Chargers 2025 draft class, analyse each pick, and discuss how they fit into Jim Harbaugh’s vision for the team.
We’ll give out draft grades, spotlight our biggest steals and surprises, and dive into which teams won (and lost) the weekend across the NFL. Whether you're a die-hard #BoltFam member or just following your team’s rivals, you won’t want to miss this full recap of an action-packed draft! Don't miss it!
You can also listen on Spotify below (or download on audio wherever you like to listen to podcasts):
As always, you can support us by doing any or all of the following:
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Hope you enjoy the episode! Thanks so much for listening 
Alister (@TDU_Alister)
I've been a little quiet on Stormcloud this week friends and it's because I've spent 40+ hours watching All-22 of these 9 draft picks to share some takes with you all on today's show. One of our most robust discussions as a podcast yet.
I'll post my 9 individual scouting reports on the players later on this weekend.
Hope you enjoy the show 🙂
Watched the show today. Great show.
Generally agree with the discussion on Hampton. I wrote an assessment after the pick in this thread.
@tau837 Thanks Tau! I read your breakdown of Hampton on Draft Night, and whenever you post something I read your opinion and take it into account when forming my own opinion. It's always well-reasoned.
In listening to the Check the Mic podcast review of AFC West drafts, Sam Monson said he was once completely against drafting a RB in the first round, but he has come around to believing it is okay if you can answer yes to three questions:
1. Is the team prepared to immediately support an elite RB in a manner to make him successful?
The example given was the Giants taking Barkley when they weren't ready, and consequently, Barkley's years with the Giants were wasted in the sense that his play was unable to really elevate the offense and team.
2. Are you okay with the opportunity cost of leaving other availaable players on the board to draft RB?
3. Are you okay with paying the RB what drafting him here requires?
This gets at the "surplus value" argument. The Raiders drafting Jeanty makes him the 13th highest paid RB, whereas drafting another position would have meant that player would rank much lower in that position's salary ranking, arguably making that other player a better value. For the record, I don't really agree with this argument.
Monson said he thought it was very close, but he could understand answering yes to all 3 questions for Jeanty. But he said his answer to #2 for Hampton would have been no, so he did not think Hampton was a good pick.
He didn't say who he would have drafted instead but went on to say his reasoning amounted to believing waiting and drafting a RB later would have been better draft strategy, given that RB was so deep.
@tau837 Interesting that he landed on "No" for Hampton. Sam's had the take about RBs in the 1st for a while, and it's not a bad flow chart of 'yes/no' questions.
Why don't you like the surplus value argument again? I forget. I think Steve said earlier on the show that the Steelers will be paying Harmon as the 61st highest paid DT in the NFL. I've always found that argument superficially attractive, but if you think there are reasons why it's not such a good argument I'd be keen to hear them!
FYI, I posted my "rant" on Twitter about Hampton and I'm getting PILLORIED for it by certain people in the comments 😆 All part of what you can expect when you make your takes available for public consumption.
Why don't you like the surplus value argument again?
Because it is much more complicated IMO.
IMO it is misguided because it generally isolates cap hits from actual play on the field and the associated impact on performance. It assumes that market positional value accurately represents value to the team that drafts the player, applying equally and accurately to all players at a given position regardless of the context of their team (e.g., offensive/defensive scheme/philosophy).
If the Chargers draft a rookie at 22, they are going to pay what the rookie cap dictates. It doesn't truly matter if that means they pay Hampton or another player. That player will make that amount.
IMO the better way to look at it is player combinations. For example, what is better for the Chargers in 2025?
- Option 1 (what they did):
- Draft Hampton
- Reduce snaps for Harris in 2025
- Get assumed lesser play at the position they did not draft (i.e., whoever their alternative choice would have been at 22)
- Plus addiiional ripple effects on draft and post-draft free agency resulting from different picks
- Option 2:
- Draft another position in first round and presumably upgrade play at that position
- Use Harris as more of a lead RB in 2025
- Draft complementary RB later in the draft (and don't get whatever player they actually drafted there)
- Plus addiiional ripple effects on draft and post-draft free agency resulting from different picks
Now extend the question beyond 2025 to the next 4-5 years, since every roster consists of players from several draft classes.
It obviously gets very subjective, and IMO defies trying to put the answer into a neat analytical box.
I thought your discussion about Harris was thoughtful and well presented.
I don't love the pick. I am skeptical he will ever become a true NFL #1 WR. That is okay, because the Chargers have a #1 WR in McConkey. But I would rather draft more of a sure thing at 55 than I see in Harris.
Here is PFF's bottom line on him:
Harris projects as an alluring WR3 type for an offense that likes to push the ball down the field. His route tree and separation rates leave something to be desired, but he can keep a defense honest with his field-stretching ability.
WR3 type...
Lance Zeuerlein projected him as a 3rd round pick and identified Alec Pierce as his NFL comparison. His overview:
Size/speed wideout who returned to school in 2024 and improved his game heading into this year’s draft. He’s primarily a first- and third-level target, mixing a barrage of hitches and slants with go routes and posts. He’s fast enough to win over the top and talented with the ball in his hands to stretch short throws into longer yardage. His route-running and contested-catch success both took an upturn but they still need work at the pro level. Of greater concern might be a second consecutive season of time missed due to injury. Harris might be capable of expanding his route tree a bit, but he looks locked in as an “X” receiver with big-game potential and a future home as a WR2.
Alec Pierce...
Dane Brugler had him projected as a round 2-3 player. From his overview:
Overall, Harris doesn’t have the explosive speed or separation skills that teams covet in a No. 1 receiver, but he is a controlled athlete with the play strength and ball skills to be a dependable possession target. He projects as an NFL starter and a team’s No. 2 target — if he can stay healthy.
#2 target...
Matt Harmon wrote these things in his prospect profile:
Harris doesn’t have a well-rounded route tree. It leans heavily into the vertical areas. A whopping 56% of his sampled routes were screens, curls or nines. This isn’t totally out of the ordinary for collegiate receivers coming from offenses like the one Lane Kiffin operates at Ole Miss but it could be something that limits his early-career contributions...
If we’re looking for comparisons, you could argue Brian Thomas is the peak of this archetype we’re highlighting for Tre Harris. Thomas is developing beyond this, in my opinion, and offers such a rare skill set that doesn’t align with this vertical X-receiver group. Fellow Ole Miss alum DK Metcalf is probably the better example of the peak, and he and Harris have some similarities. Metcalf is just a more impressive specimen.
Colts receiver Alec Pierce was mentioned earlier and he’s probably one of the better sacrificial X-receivers around. Harris’ team will hope he can offer more consistent impact and there are some signs he can do it. If you’re looking for a cautionary comparison, there are some disturbing similarities between the Reception Perception profiles of Harris and former LSU prospect Terrace Marshall. Both guys boasted strong man coverage success rates, didn’t win at a satisfactory level against zone and boasted excellent scores on a limited handful of routes.
What a wide range we just went through! But this is a helpful exercise when investigating players along this branch of the X-receiver spectrum.
Spectrum from Thomas to Metcalf to Pierce to Marshall... quite a broad range of outcomes there.
I heard Sam Monson comment on the pick on the Check the Mic podcast. He noted how difficult it is to project WRs from offenses like the Ole Miss offense. He concluded his take by saying Harris has first round upside but with considerable risk.
Overall, I would have preferred Bech if the team wanted WR. But I really would have preferred another position, like Edge (Mike Green, Landon Jackson) or IDL (Omarr Norman-Lott, Darius Alexander).
But he is now presumably at least a 4 year player for the Chargers, so I will root for him to hit his ceiling in 2026 or beyond.
@tau837 Agree with all of this. In our private thread on Messenger, Jack/Andy/Kyle/Ryan and I were all on the Bech train at 55 when we were on the clock. I had Bech as my WR8 in the class and Tre Harris as my WR9.
Tha said - I think Bech has a lower ceiling than Harris. If Bech fails I expect it will be due to some athletic deficiencies that Harris doesn't have. Bech has a higher floor though IMO.
Ultimately, I don't mind taking a bit of a gamble at 55 on Harris with Sanjay Lal as our WR coach, given the high upside comp to DK Metcalf (who Lal obviously coached). It made sense on a that level, plus structurally for our Offense where Harris can play "X", and where Bech probably can't.
Let's hope he hits that ceiling!
Great pod Alister. Love the comedy (intended or otherwise) between you, Jack and Andy. But I thought you graded the class too harshly, even if I share my misgivings about drafting Hampton at 22.
@unclejammsarmy Thanks Jamms. We shared some good laughs yday!
Totally understand why some will find my B- Grade harsh.
"B" is a Good draft IMO, and the process with Hampton left me concluding that whole thing falls just a smidgeon below Good.
Ravens GM Eric DaCosta spoke on a podcast yday about the only way to draft well reliably being to secure more 'at bats'. I wish Hortiz followed the Ravens method a little more closely on Draft Night.
I still expect Hampton to be a great player though, so it would've been worse had we not traded down and drafted a player I think will be a bum.
Ravens GM Eric DaCosta spoke on a podcast yday about the only way to draft well reliably being to secure more 'at bats'. I wish Hortiz followed the Ravens method a little more closely on Draft Night.
In fairness, Hortiz has made 18 picks in 2 drafts, an average of 9 per draft. Telesco made 76 picks in 11 drafts, so just a bit under 7 picks per draft. He only made 9 picks in a draft one time.
I was thinking about this point the other day. If you have a 53 man roster and 16 player practice squad, you need a minimum of 69 players. Let's say you need another 11 for in-season injuries (to help Kevin with math): That's 80 players.
If you draft 7 players per year:
- You will have a MAXIMUM of 29 drafted players on your roster on their rookie contracts
- Through either FA, UDFA or giving second contracts to players, you will need to sign a minimum of 51 players per year, including 14 on the active roster
- Cutting players before they finish their rookie contracts add more need for FA contracts
If you draft 10 players per year:
- You will have a MAXIMUM of 41 drafted players on your roster under their rookie contracts
- Through FA, UDFA or giving second contracts to drafted players, you will need to sign 39 more players per year, 12 to the active roster.
It's clearly better to have more picks. The art in this endeavor is having the right mix of vet FAs and upcoming talent.
@alisterlloyd I actually had Henderson as my RB2 and I know he would have been there at 32. I’m not high on Hampton for many reasons Jack (I think) mentioned. But I’m still on the B+ side of things on the grade, assuming Hampton pans out. Loved the Harris, Caldwell, KLS, Gadsden, and Mickey’s picks, but thought the team waited too long to draft OL.
Enjoyed the discussion on Caldwell and Kennard. Again, very thoughtful and well informed.
You guys speculated that Kennard would only play 8-10 snaps per game. That would be fairly disappointing if true, and could be an actual problem.
First off, in a year, both Mack and Dupree could be gone, and the team might need Kennard to play a lot more snaps than that, and I would hope for him to get more snaps in 2025 to prepare for that.
As for 2025, this was the breakdown of Edge defensive snaps last season:
- Tuli: 774 in 18 games = 43.0 per game
- Mack: 668 in 17 games = 39.3 per game
- Bosa: 503 in 15 games = 33.5 per game
- Dupree: 570 in 18 games = 31.7 per game
- Total: 2,515 in 18 games = 139.7 per game
That is a lot of Bosa snaps to replace. 8-10 snaps per game for Kennard would be well under 200 snaps. Who in the Edge group would get the other 325+ snaps?
I would not expect Mack to play more snaps, and he could play fewer than last year. I suppose Tuli could play more, but how many more? He already led the group. I'm also not confident that the trio of Tuli, Mack, and Dupree will combine to miss just one game in 2025.
I think they will need a lot more than 8-10 snaps from Kennard. If he isn't good enough to play 20+, then this wasn't a great pick.
And this brings me back to my point on Tre Harris. For months leading up to the draft, I was saying I felt the team needed to get an Edge and IDL within the first 3 rounds of the draft. I was also saying I did not see WR as a prominent need.
@tau837 Great contextual data, Tau.
I can't remember now if I agreed with Jack saying 8-10 snaps per game. I probably didn't give it careful thought if I did, but I recall saying I disagreed that it would be anything approximating a redshit year.
Kennard needs to see the field frequently in 2025 (bottom-line). I expect him to start the season seeing slightly fewer snaps than Dupree before overtaking him in the depth chart. He'll be an important piece.
Although all of the above needs to be read subject to the disclaimer that the team could add a starting Edge between now and September (eg, Trey Hendrickson via trade, or a post-June cut). The way they approached Edge in the Draft leads me to think that at least another veteran Edge will be added to the roster. I expect that player to be someone they view internally as being a better football player than Tuli but worse than Joey Bosa.
Although all of the above needs to be read subject to the disclaimer that the team could add a starting Edge between now and September (eg, Trey Hendrickson via trade, or a post-June cut). The way they approached Edge in the Draft leads me to think that at least another veteran Edge will be added to the roster. I expect that player to be someone they view internally as being a better football player than Tuli but worse than Joey Bosa.
This is a very interesting thought. I have posted in multiple threads recently about the roster position decision pressure the Chargers will face. I cannot see them keeping 5 Edge players.
If they acquire a veteran Edge who is better than Tuli, the implication is that player will make the final roster. Well, Mack and Tuli are obviously going to make it. So adding a player of the caliber you suggest here implies they keep 5 Edge players or they do not keep either Kennard or Dupree... I assume Dupree in that scenario.
This seems fairly unlikely to me. Do you have any players in mind?
@tau837 Not really. I just won't allow myself to believe that the team has decided that, armed with the 2nd most salary space in the NFL heading into the offseason, it's acceptable to go from an Edge group of Mack/Bosa/Tuli/Dupree to Mack/Tuli/Dupree/Kennard.
That can't be the grand plan at Edge coming off an 11 win, Wild Card round season......surely!!!!!
I think Kennard will play more snaps than the projection. Minter had to have some saying in the selection of Kennard despite his struggle against the run and his inability to set the edge. But Minter likes to use three pass rushers with Tuli to kick inside. Now that Morgan Fox (DE) is no longer with the team and there is no starting DE on the roster, I tend to believe Tuli will play more inside as DE rusher while Kennard gets more snaps on the edge on passing downs.
“The way they approached Edge in the Draft leads me to think that at least another veteran Edge will be added to the roster. I expect that player to be someone they view internally as being a better football player than Tuli but worse than Joey Bosa.”
An interesting take by Allister. Number one, Tuli is being grossly undervalued by this comment, if you it considers Bosa’s recent level of performance. Bosa at his prime was top 5 Edge in the league but he was not nearly the player he was three seasons ago. I just don’t see a veteran out there that fits Allister’s scenario, unless the team goes after Hendrickson (better than Bosa and everyone else at Edge on the current roster), but I’m doubtful the team would go after him unless he is released which is highly unlikely since the Bengals cannot afford to lose him.
We haven’t mentioned about Tuli’s special team snaps at 363, the second-leading special teamer behind only Troy Dye at 391 snaps. It’s quite astounding for player, a power rusher especially who plays starter level number of snaps to play that much of special team plays. It has to be very exhausting and to affect your energy level of play. Yet, Tuli in 9 starts, he recorded 42 tackles, 8.5 sacks (team most), and 11 tackles for loss. Give this kid rest and 17 starts, I’m confident he will be at pro-bowl level next season.
I didn't like the Lambert-Smith pick at the time. I was hoping for G Frazier there. When they traded up for Gadsden, I was sure they were trading up for Frazier.
Anyway, good discussion on Lambert-Smith. I found a short profile at Reception Perception, and it is encouraging overall. First, it identified this concern:
He is a skewed alignment receiver, as he took 77.4% of his snaps from the right outside spot. There’s usually a developmental curve for these players, if they even become contributors at all.
However, his overall assessment is positive:
Overall, KeAndre Lambert-Smith is far from a complete prospect but is someone I would love to get in my receiver room and see what happens. Anyone who shows the ability to win against man coverage, get open downfield and make difficult catches is worth exploring.
There was also an article at the Athletic that contained anonymous comments from NFL execs on other teams' draft picks. Here is a very interesting excerpt:
Another exec liked the receiver the Chargers drafted in the fifth round (KeAndre Lambert-Smith) better than the receiver they took in the second round (Tre Harris).
“Quicker, faster, can close cushion on a DB and make him wet his pants,” this exec said. “He will turn into your starting Z and run by people.”
Overall, I have warmed up to the pick quite a bit.
@tau837 Interesting data on his skewed alignment!
You'll see below that I posted my notes on KLS after watching a few games of him on All-22.
I see the upside - it's very clear. But I also see the type of deficiencies that could make him a non-factor at the next level (play strength, limited agility, some effort issues). I get why he lasted until the 5th round.
But the whole Chargers war room seemed very excited to bring him in, so I trust their evaluation over my own!
@alisterlloyd With regard to the skewed alignment, it is something Harmon refers to often over multiple years now. He clearly believes it is an impactful factor.
As for the closing Alister rant, I agree 100%. As much as I like Alt, I think they should have traded down last year if they could have. I think they should have traded down this year if they could have. And I'll probably think the same thing next year and nearly every year.
Assuming the team gets at least the appropriate value based on draft charts, and further assuming the team drafts well, I think it is almost always going to be greater value to trade down.
That said, I think the biggest problem in this draft for me was taking Tre Harris over Mike Green. If Green is good enough for John Harbaugh and Hortiz's former front office, I'm not sure why he isn't good enough for Jim Harbaugh and Hortiz.
Meanwhile, it was obvious at the time that there would be good WR prospects available later. We know this from Lambert-Smith but also Royals, Horton, and others. That is a bigger process failure to me than taking Hampton.
Another minor negative for me was that they could have drafted C Majors, and I thought he was a nobrainer starting in the 6th round. I was disappointed they didn't draft him.
@tau837 I don’t think there’s any doubt that, based purely on talent, Mike Green should have been drafted at 22, and certainly 55. But his off-field issues clearly made him undraftable to the team.
@tau837 Thanks Tau.
Trust me, I get the Mike Green love. He was my 8th overall ranked player in the class.
But I also listened to a podcast from The Ringer (Sheil Kapadia, etc) and they said their intel was that many NFL teams had Green off their board entirely because they found his explanation during interview about the multiple sexual assault allegations in his past to be 'unsatisfactory'.
This is a difficult topic for me now that I have a young daughter. I believe strongly in the maximum that you are 'innocent until proven guilty', but I can also understand a team deciding that if a player has multiple sexual assault allegations in their past, whether proven or otherwise, they would rather not draft that player. Hard to be too critical IMO even if he was viewed by the Ravens as worth the gamble.
@alisterlloyd I get this. I just find it incredibly interesting that the Ravens drafted him. Hortiz came from that front office, and Jim is the brother of Ravens HC John Harbaugh. So it seems odd to me that one of those groups would be fine with Green and the other would not.
Having said that, I know nothing about the merits of the allegations and I am completely on board with passing on him if there is merit there.
@tau837 John Harbaugh said that the Ravens would have 'zero tolerance' for players who had even the whiff of violence against women about them after the Ray Rice incident. Meanwhile, Justin Tucker remains on the roster as investigations into his conduct continue, and they draft Mike Green. Go figure!
@tau837 I believe it's a Spanos' policy. This team has a history of avoiding players with questionable characters. I agree with Alister, and credit the Spanos for sticking their own gun when it come to decision over trouble players. For what he's accused of is very grievous, but there teams such as Ravens, Chiefs, to name a few, like to take such players until they're proven guilty. I'm glad I'm a Chargers fan.
My daughters are 15 & 11, so I have a very low tolerance for serial sexual assaulters. I do think there's a difference between a player like Matt Azera, who was accused once, denied everything from the beginning, was cleared by authorities, never charged, but still punish and Deshawn Watson, who has dozens of accusers and seems to be continuing to assault women (while still getting paid by the NFL).
Alright posting my 9 player breakdowns based off the tape I watched. I'll respond to comments above after that /p>
- Round 1.22 (Pick 22) – Omarion Hampton, RB (North Carolina)
- Background:
- 22.0 yo, 6’0”, 221 pounds, 30½” arms
- Born in Clayton, North Carolina. Stayed local his whole career.
- Set high school weightlifting records and lettered in basketball and track.
- Ran the 100m in 10.71.
- Four-star recruit (11th ranked RB in 2022 class). Offers frosm everywhere but chose to stay in North Carolina > going to Florida or Penn State.
- Three college seasons (two as a starter).
- 38 games, 624 carries, 3,563 yds (5.7 ypc), 37 TDs, 6 Fumbles, 72 catches, 631 receiving yds, 3 TDs.
- 2024: 281 carries, 1,660 yds (5.9 ypc), 15 TDs
- 2023: 254 carries, 1,500 yds (5.9 ypc), 15 TDs
- 15 TDs in 2023 and 2024.
- Quiet, nice, humble kid in interviews. Not especially talkative.
- Coached by Natrone Means (5’10”, 245 pounds) who was an Offensive Analyst at North Carolina (Former Charger 2nd round pick and Pro Bowl RB who played with the Chargers from 1993-1995 and again from 1998-1999)
- 2024 Stats:
- 12 games, 281 carries, 1,660 yds (5.9 ypc), 15 TDs, 38 catches, 373 receiving yds, 2 TDs
- 90.5 Rushing Grade (T-6th behind Jeanty, Skattebo, Jordan James, Dylan Sampson, Makhi Hughes (Tulane) and Devin Neal)
- Would’ve been 7th in 2023.
- Hampton’s Rushing Grade ranked 14th in 2023.
- 78.9 Gap Grade
- 88.6 Zone Grade
- 54.8 Pass Blocking Grade
- 4.35 yards after contact/attempt (6th in the FBS)
- 1.54 yards before contact/attempt (ranked 99th in 2024 class). So let’s see him with better blocking!
- 73 Missed Tackles Forced (10th)
- 26 Carries of 15+ Yards (T-4th)
- 10 of 12 games had 100+ rushing yards (2 > 200). Averaged 20 carries per game.
- 2025 Combine:
- 4.46s 40-Yard Dash (T-12th of 24)
- 1.54s 10-Yard Split (T-8th of 24)
- 38” Vertical Jump (T-7th of 21)
- 10’10” Broad Jump (T-2nd of 23)
- 4.4s 20-Yd Shuttle (7th of 8)
- 18 Bench Press Reps (T-4th of 9)
- Chose not to do 3-Cone (strategic)
- 9.70 RAS (ranked 64 of 2,106 RBs from 1987 to 2025). Short shuttle was his only testing that was below 50th percentile.
- Tape:
- Watched games v Clemson (2023), Duke (2023), Georgia Tech (2023), Virginia (2024), NC State (2024) and Wake Forest (2024)
- Summary:
- Hampton is a three-down back who should have a long and productive NFL career as a bell-cow. Hampton’s calling card is his great contact balance and ability to break through arm tackles with his thick lower half and impressive burst/power. He has plus long speed for his size, and his frame should easily be able to withstand a heavy workload. He has also shown that he will be able to contribute effectively in the passing game either as an outlet receiver or by helping with pass protection which he does well. Without any major weaknesses, Hampton has the potential to become a Top 10 RB in the NFL by the second year of his rookie contract and should go late on Day 1, or early on Day 2.
- Strengths:
- Great burst and acceleration with big thighs.
- Bounces off tacklers with his strong lower half and often makes the first defender miss. Contact balance is first-rate.
- Gets skinny through the hole impressively well for a bigger back and can beeline hard diagonally when he’s into the second level with breakaway speed.
- Displays good patience and presses the hips of his blockers.
- Durable and can handle a heavy workload.
- Long speed is good. High number of explosive runs on tape.
- Perfect back to hammer it home in the RZ.
- Enough receiving talent to feature on third downs. Can run angle routes, swings and screens. Although route tree is limited, he has natural and reliable hands.
- Willing and capable in pass protection. Has the mass to survive and decent technique. One of the best in the class at it.
- Question Marks:
- For an “elite prospect” his vision and feel for the open hole is a tick below expectation, especially on zone runs. Some runs on film that go nowhere or miss cut-back lanes. He doesn’t take cutbacks as sharply as comfortable zone runners.
- Misses some opportunities to bounce gap runs outside for more yardage. He isn’t a ‘creative’ back. He’s a linear runner who runs the play how it’s designed to be run. This is a good trait overall, but he seems almost too happy to run it 2 yds into his OL and a cloud of dust.
- Not “elusive” in a phone booth. He’ll push the pile but doesn’t have a standout jump cut, spin move, etc
- Not much lateral agility or wiggle at the second level. It’s all about that hard diagonal/vertical speed and sometimes he loses some balance attempting it.
- Minimal experience running from under Center (31 total career carries – although not unusual for college prospects).
- Averaged 24 carries per game across 2023-2024. Will he be efficient in a time share role, or does he need big carry numbers to be effective?
- Punishing running style and carried a heavy college workload from 2022-2023. Longevity could become an issue given his playing style. That said, he’s a bigger back and he delivers punishment more than he receives it. Suffered broken left ankle in high school and missed most of his junior season (otherwise, no injuries).
- Background:
- Round 2.23 (Pick 55) – Tre Harris, WR (Ole Miss)
- Background:
- 23.1, 6’2”, 205 pounds
- Born Cleveland “Tre” Harris III in Cleveland, Louisiana.
- Teammates with Malik Nabers at Ovey Comeaux High in Lafayette. Harris was ‘like a brother’ and ‘mentor’ to Nabers.
- Played high school QB and was a standout basketball player. Him and Nabers connected 58 times for 1,233 yds and 21 TDs in high school.
- Three-star recruit. Instead of being a dual-threat QB he chose to specialise as a WR.
- Five seasons
- Louisiana Tech 2020-2022; Ole Miss 2023-2024.
- 51 games, 220 catches, 3,545 yds, 29 TDs.
- 900+ yds and 7+ TDs from 2022-2024 (3 seasons)
- Missed 1 game in 2023 with a left knee injury and 5 games in 2024 with a groin/sports hernia.
- Lane Kiffin: “He truly prepared like a 10-year NFL vet. This guy is all about being a great player and doing whatever it takes. It’s very refreshing”.
- 100+ receiving yards in 10/20 games for Ole Miss.
- Confident, engaging personality. Dad worked for 30 years in the oil fields. Salt of the earth. Seems like it’s important to him first and foremost to be a good person.
- 2024 Stats:
- 8 games, 76 targets, 60 catches, 1,030 yds, 7 TDs
- 89.4 Receiving Grade
- 76.1 Run Blocking Grade
- 7.7% Drop Rate (6 Drops) (6.4% Career)
- 61.5% Contested Catch Rate (48.4% for Career)
- 95.0 Grade v Man Coverage (1st)
- 11 Missed Tackles Forced (T-117th)
- 5.12 Yards Per Route Run (#1 in College; 2nd most since PFF began to Chart WRs; only DeVonta Smith better)
- 100+ receiving yards in 5 of 8 games (including 225 yds v GA Southern).
- 2025 Combine:
- 4.54s 40-Yard Dash (30th of 39)
- 1.56s 10-Yard Split (T-38th of 39)
- 38.5” Vertical (T-7th of 36)
- 10’5” Broad (T-13th of 33)
- Testing times potentially impacted by sports hernia operation from 2024 season. Wanted to test anyway.
- 9.23 RAS (ranked 293 of 3,816 WRs from 1987 to 2025).
- Tape:
- Watched games v Auburn (2023), Kentucky (2024), LSU (2024) and Wake Forest (2024).
- Summary:
- Harris is a taller, muscular WR with true “X” potential given he plays even bigger than his size and can win vertically and often. His hands are generally dependable, especially in contested catch situations, and he has the frame to box out defenders in the RZ. Although Harris’ projection to the NFL is murky due to the limited route tree in the Air Raid Offense he worked in at Ole Miss, some team is likely to take a chance on his upside in Round 2.
- Strengths:
- True “X” receiver potential.
- Generally catches the ball cleanly with outstretched arms (some occasional focus drops).
- Good RZ option on jump ball fades (eg, “Moss” TD v LSU (2024)).
- Takes long, loping strides with an easy ability to stack CBs and win vertically.
- One of the few WRs who can consistently beat press man coverage in the class.
- Throw to him deep one-on-one and he’ll come down with it at a high rate. Strong ball tracking, body control and catching skills.
- On limited opportunities, showed that he’s fluid enough to run digs and blaze outs when asked.
- Some YAC potential on seam routes from the slot. He’s not agile but he has enough mass and acceleration to break through an initial tackle to gain extra yardage once he has a head of steam.
- Question Marks:
- Difficult projection from Air Raid to the NFL.
- Effectively ran two routes at Ole Miss most of the time (47 of 79 targets were either Go or Hitch routes in 2024).
- Acceleration and deceleration are average.
- Doesn’t always keep consistent route pacing and can get redirected by traffic on crossers. A few occasions where Dart was expecting him to be somewhere but his route pacing had thrown off the timing of the play.
- Nuances of the position are only average right now (route savvy, footwork at the line, clean breaks etc.).
- Limited YAC potential on bubble screens or comebacks. Not agile enough to make the corner miss.
- Could work harder on scramble drills.
- Inconsistent run blocking effort for a larger receiver.
- Difficult projection from Air Raid to the NFL.
- Background:
@alisterlloyd unfortunately the formatting of this (at least for me and I'm sure it's site-driven) makes nearly all of this post unreadable. 🙁
I can imagine it is! Lotta effort put into something that is nearly indecipherable through no fault of your own.
As an aside, I watched and enjoyed the latest TDU podcast. Agree with most of the takes. Based on a combination of the player and the draft value, I think I'm most excited about the potential of Kenard and Gadsden. That's not to say I think they'll be our most impactful picks overall. It's more a gauge of my excitement to see what they may become.
I'm coming around on the Hampton pick. Wouldn't have been my first choice but I get it based on fit and how the board fell. We may never know exactly what transpired regarding a trade down and I'm not big on what it's. It's show me time. And I must admit that I have some bias against UNC.
At least it wasn't Green....lol.
@alisterlloyd Alister, it reads fine for me. Formatting is fine.
I have found on this site, formatting is completely different in the forum than in the website where articles are posted. Formatting that is fine in the forum is completely different if you view it as a comment to an article. That's why I view everything in the forum. I bet this is the problem Buck is having.
@tau837 that's absolutely it.
So I'll often get 2 email notifications about a reply. One is generated by the forum, the other by the site.
Which link I follow apparently can affect formatting; i.e. site vs. forum.
I can read everything as well.
A great wealth of information. Chewed up way to much of my time.
Effectively ran two routes at Ole Miss most of the time (47 of 79 targets were either Go or Hitch routes in 2024)
FWIW, here is the route percentage Matt Harmon showed for Harris (note that Harmon does not specify which games or how many games are in his sample):
- Curl: 29.4%
- Nine: 20.6%
- Slant: 13.5%
- Post: 11.5%
- Dig: 10.7%
- Screen: 8.0%
- Corner: 3.6%
- Out: 3.2%
- Flat: 0.8%
- Other: 0.8%
- Comeback: 0.0%
Here was Harmon's charted success rate by route:
- Curl: 87.8%
- Nine: 61.5%
- Slant: 85.3%
- Post: 55.2%
- Dig: 66.7%
- Screen: 100.0%
- Corner: 44.4%
- Out: 62.5%
- Flat: 100.0%
- Other: 50.0%
- Comeback: N/A
Other data from his prospect profile:
- He took 78.8% of his sampled snaps outside and was on the line of scrimmage for 54.9%.
- Success rate vs. man coverage was 73.2%, which was 74th percentile
- Success rate vs. zone coverage was 75.2%, which was only 24th percentile
- Success rate vs. press coverage was 72.2%, which was 78th percentile
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