Hello. Happy Friday to you! The weekend is here, at long last.
I’m back this week with another summer scouting review. Last week, you all had the pleasure of viewing my thoughts on the following potential 2023 NFL Draft prospects: Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, Texas running back Bijan Robinson, and Georgia defensive lineman Jalen Carter. Those three were a good bunch to watch and I look forward to the progress I hope to see them make this coming season.
This week, we have a couple of wide receivers and a pass rusher. Like last week, I enjoyed my viewings of these three prospects, one of whom I had the chance to see live in person for multiple games last season. Next week’s edition of Football Thoughts will also involve summer scouting with another defensive lineman, a linebacker, and a tight end next on the watchlist. I look forward to providing my thoughts on these guys next week!
And, without further ado, here are my thoughts on some of these top 2023 prospects.
Kayshon Boutte, WR, LSU
Do you know how LSU has produced guys like Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry, Justin Jefferson, and Ja’Marr Chase? Well, they might end up producing another incredibly talented wide receiver.
Having just turned 20 years old last month, Kayshon Boutte will be of that same age by the time the NFL Draft rolls around in late April, assuming Boutte declares. The former five-star recruit from New Iberia, Louisiana didn’t get a full workload until late his freshman year when he had three consecutive 100 yards games, including a 308-yard performance against Ole Miss in the season finale. Last season, Boutte was off to an incredible start to his sophomore campaign before a leg injury ended his year against Kentucky.
Boutte is an exciting player to watch in open space. He is a terror on in and out-breaking routes due to his excellent short-area quickness and being able to hit his landmarks. Boutte has shown the ability to win at the top of routes as well. His run-after-catch skills are superb, as he will make defenders miss in the open field due to dynamic lateral cuts and stop-start agility.
At 6’0”, 190 lbs., Boutte isn’t the biggest player and won’t dominate in contested situations. However, natural hands at the catch point with a very good catch radius, and is able to track the ball very well. Despite having natural ball skills, there were some drops that concerned me and will be something to monitor this season.
Boutte offers great athletic ability, good top speed, change of direction ability, and smooth movement skills that allow him to be a creative runner after the catch. I’ve seen him lineup from different alignments, whether that’s as an X, Z, or slot receiver. While he still needs to add more to his release repertoire, I like how he’s able to win at the line of scrimmage with a good speed release that allows him to gain separation in a hurry.
Boutte isn’t a perfect prospect by any means. He’s a very talented wide receiver who has yet to show his true potential to the fullest extent. With more growth, Boutte could be next in line to be the next great LSU wide receiver drafted into the NFL.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State
We all know about Ohio State’s wide receiver group from last season that featured Top 15 draft picks Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave. But what about the team’s leading receiver in yards? Oh, yeah…that was Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who could end up being the best of the three.
Smith-Njigba enters the 2022 season on fire. He broke the Buckeyes’ single-season record for receiving yards at 1,606. 347 of those yards came in the Rose Bowl during his spectacular performance against the Utah Utes. Some may think that Ohio State will fall off a bit in the wide receiver department with J.S.N. being the lone starter from last year’s group.
Not so fast! Joining Smith-Njigba will be a former five-star recruit, Julian Fleming, five-star WR Emeka Egbuka, and four-star WR Marvin Harrison Jr. (yes, that’s his son, folks).
Smith-Njigba is as talented as his production displays. He’s a phenomenal RAC receiver who offers great vision, quickness, power, and creativity in the open field. Smith-Njigba is also a terror on underneath routes such as slants, hitches, and drags. The only flaw here is that he doesn’t offer true top-end speed as you’d expect, but he has good play speed that allows him to play faster than he looks.
A concern that comes up with Smith-Njigba is whether or not he can win against press-man. The majority of his reps came from the slot, which means he had a lot of free real estate to work with. Smith-Njigba has the size, the physicality, and the quickness to win on the outside. Yet, time will only tell. For what it’s worth, Garrett Wilson came into his junior year with the same concerns and still went 10th overall in the NFL Draft.
Smith-Njigba offers good separation skills, showing the ability to win with short-area quickness at the top of routes. He uses quick feet and subtle head movements to create false steps at defenders to get them to commit their hips.
Smith-Njigba also has great ball skills. He tracks the ball well with natural hands, a good catch radius, and offers good hand-eye coordination when predicting the trajectory of passes.
The former five-star recruit showcased outstanding body control through the catch and on his route stems. Smith-Njigba’s play strength allows him to fight for extra yards after contact and to be a threat in contested environments. I like Smith-Njigba’s effort and technique as a blocker. His frame and base allow him to be a reliable blocker on the boundary on wide zones and stretch plays.
Like Boutte, I believe there is room for growth with Jaxon Smith-Njigba. His concerns pertaining to the next level remind me a lot of Garrett Wilson’s last summer. If J.S.N. can prove his worth as an X-receiver, he could have a similar path in next year’s draft to his former teammate.
Myles Murphy, EDGE, Clemson
It seems like every year, or at least every couple of years, there are a few Clemson defensive prospects that are highly touted throughout the draft process.
In the last couple of seasons, we’ve had Isaiah Simmons, A.J. Terrell, and Andrew Booth Jr., not to mention the 2019 NFL Draft that included Clemson’s top-ranked defensive line featuring Clelin Ferrell, Christian Wilkins, Dexter Lawrence, and Austin Bryant.
Well, Clemson may have another behemoth of a defensive line this coming season. One of those players along Clemson’s defensive line is a former five-star recruit and starting defensive end, Myles Murphy.
I genuinely enjoyed watching Murphy’s film and seeing his home games in person last season. He’s a high-motor player who puts in 110 percent effort on every rep. At 6’5”, 275 lbs., Murphy has the prototypical size and length that teams running a 4-3 base defense will look for in their defensive end. He also has plenty of experience at different alignments.
Murphy is a very well-rounded EDGE rusher with great football IQ and good technique. His pass-rush plan is plenty full of different varieties of rushes such as cross-chop, club-rip, and arm-overs. I think that he can expand his rush repertoire more once he’s able to land a final counter, and he has an issue with not being able to finish his reps. Murphy could’ve had close to 15 sacks this past season if he was able to finish some of his rushes.
As a run-defender, Murphy offers good hands and consistently wins with his first initial punch. He wins with good leverage and plenty of power in his hands. Murphy’s size and natural strength allow him to set a very firm edge and play physical on every rep. He has the length and explosiveness to reset opposing linemen and penetrate gaps with consistency. Murphy also shows really good power at the point of attack and almost always offers good pad level and leverage.
Murphy is a good, not great athlete who doesn’t exactly offer the jaw-dropping lateral agility or bend that we have seen from past prospects like Travon Walker and Kayvon Thibodeaux. Even so, he does offer plenty of explosiveness in his first few steps by building speed up the arc and creating plenty of bend by rushing from wide angles. Murphy also has good body control, above-average lateral mobility, and short-area burst that has shown to be effective.
Myles Murphy is someone I believe with another productive season and growth can be one of the first defensive prospects off the board in 2023, assuming he declares. He will no doubt be one of the best defensive ends heading into this coming season and will be a key contributor for the Tigers as they try to return to the College Football Playoff.