BiasedBearsFan

https://twitter.com/PFF_Bears/status/1724787113215037843?t=eV_U4FcaxUzZacfDmO1Hzg&s=19

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Down three points with 5:21 remaining in the fourth quarter, North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye stepped onto the field for what should be his last appearance at Kenan Stadium and a game to go win against rival Duke. And he did. Well, almost. The craziness was just beginning. On the second play of that Tar Heels possession, Maye threw a 43-yard bomb to receiver Tez Walker to reach Duke’s 35. After negative plays, penalties (including one that overturned a touchdown) and two key third-down conversions, Maye capped the drive by hitting tight end Bryson Nesbit with a laser in the end zone. Nesbit made a falling catch for the score. It was an impressive throw made in a crucial moment by one of the best players in the upcoming NFL Draft. But the game wasn’t over. Far from it.

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Maye would step onto the field three more times Saturday night with opportunities to win or tie the game — the kind of moments that define quarterbacks, young and old. Those that change NFL evaluations. And Maye delivered in the clutch. Again, again, again and again. It’s the type of stuff you want to write about Chicago Bears quarterbacks but rarely get to, if ever.

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At the very least, Maye’s performance felt like the type that general managers and coaches typically mention as noteworthy and as impactful in their drat evaluations after selecting him. Which team will get to say it, though? With the Bears potentially having the first pick because of the Carolina Panthers’ selection — and maybe two in the top five with their own — it was time to see another top quarterback in this year’s draft class. In mid-October, I went to see USC’s Caleb Williams at Notre Dame and he had his worst game this season. The Trojans have lost four of five games since then, too. The Drake Maye experience felt different in Chapel Hill because of the finish. Students and fans stormed the field after the Tar Heels defeated Duke 47-45 in double overtime. Tar Heels players rang the Victory Bell. And North Carolina coach Mack Brown called Maye the best college quarterback in the country twice afterward.

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The school, jersey color and number certainly invoke flashbacks of former Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky. But Maye isn’t Trubisky. The evaluation of him is significantly different. Before the season, NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah compared Maye to Carson Palmer, the No. 1 pick in 2003. ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky said that Maye has “Big Ben” in his game, referencing former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, on “The Dan Patrick Show” last month after calling some of Maye’s games. “I think he’s a superstar in the NFL,” Orlovsky said.

“I do.” Tim Hasselbeck, an analyst for ESPN and the ACC Network, said earlier this month that he would select Maye over Williams, calling him as “perfect of a prospect (as) I have ever seen in 15 years at ESPN.”

Dane Brugler, the draft analyst for The Athletic, rated Maye as the top player in his updated list of the top 50 prospects. Brugler compared him to Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert.

So, yes, Maye isn’t Trubisky. He’s a two-year starter for the Tar Heels. He was the ACC Player of the Year in 2022. Maye also committed to Alabama before switching to North Carolina, where his older brother, Luke, was part of their 2017 national championship basketball team.

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Scouts see Maye’s athletic family as a plus and an advantage. Competing is in his blood. “He has all the physical traits,” a scouting executive said. Listed at 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds, Maye fits the profile that teams look for in quarterbacks. He blamed himself for failing on two QB sneaks, including a tush push, on the goal line against Duke. “Quite honestly, that’s piss poor, ” Maye said. “I credit myself on being able to get a yard.”

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His arm talent is apparent. Every evaluator mentioned it. Maye showed it off during warmups and throughout the game. Some of his strongest throws looked effortless. Early in the second quarter, Maye escaped to his left and tossed a 31-yard pass to receiver J.J. Jones for a leaping catch.

“He has all the physical tools,” a scout for an AFC team said before the game. “He can make all the throws.”

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An AFC team executive, who wasn’t in attendance against Duke, said weeks ago that he had Maye rated better than Williams. Several reasons were later provided. It started with accuracy and ball placement. Another was being clutch.

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In double overtime, North Carolina’s play for the two-point conversion seemingly broke down. The Tar Heels had four players spread out wide to the right of Maye, including three bunched together. Before the snap, it looked like North Carolina had a numbers mismatch and potentially an easy score with a quick throw.

Maye pumped, stepped up into the pocket and nearly took off into a hole that wasn’t there. But he saw tight end John Copenhaver streaking open in the back of the end zone. He released his pass right before he was hit a step away from the line of scrimmage. “I was trying to keep my head up,” Maye said. “I feel like that’s one of my best attributes. Never put my head down and just taking a sack, taking a tackle. I try to keep my head up and throw it if I’m getting tackled.

Maye showed off that attribute against Duke. In the third quarter, Maye pitched the ball to running back Omarion Hampton while getting tackled on a 1-yard run. Hampton took off for 15 more yards.

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On the same possession, Maye spun out of a would-be sack by linebacker Cam Dillon on fourth-and-4 from Duke’s 14 and threw a pass to receiver J.J. Jones for a 5-yard gain. Maye improvises. It’s part of his repertoire. He also has a left-handed flip of the ball into the end zone for a touchdown this season. Against Duke, Maye hurdled a defender along North Carolina’s sideline. He’s tough and creative.

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Maye finished 28-for-43 for 342 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception against Duke. He ran in North Carolina’s first touchdown and then another in the second overtime from 5 yards out. He nearly ended the game in the first overtime, but receiver Nate McCollum missed the touchdown catch. But the Tar Heels wouldn’t have reached overtime if Maye hadn’t completed passes of 6, 10, 7 and 14 yards in the final 41 seconds after Duke took a 36-33 lead with a 30-yard score from quarterback Grayson Loftis to receiver Jordan Moore.

Maye benefited from a penalty and two timeouts. But he did what you’d hope he’d do as a top QB prospect: he got the Tar Heels into field-goal range.

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Late in the second quarter against Duke, the receivers to Maye’s left went nuts. They waved and yelled to get Maye’s attention. On the far hash, Maye couldn’t hear the Tar Heels’ assistant coaches — three of them wearing different colored hoodies — on the sideline. A play apparently needed to change. In a matter of moments, you saw a concern in Maye’s evaluation after a highlight. All of that came two plays after Maye hit Walker for a 48-yard bomb down to Duke’s 11.

“These young QBs don’t have much time to prove their mettle once they’re in the NFL, ”said a scout for an AFC team, who wasn’t in attendance. “The more experience in college these guys have at huddling up, verbally calling a play, audibling at the line of scrimmage and ID’ing the Mike (linebacker), the better.”

The Tar Heels, who replaced offensive coordinator Phil Longo (now at Wisconsin) with Chip Lindsey, rarely huddled against Duke. And they’re so often in shotgun that reporters in the press box call out when they’re under center. “If you don’t have any experience doing any of those things, it doesn’t mean you can’t learn, but the learning curve is a lot steeper,” the scout said.

That’s college football nowadays, though.

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One major difference at North Carolina is that Maye is surrounded by NFL experience. Clyde Christensen is a volunteer assistant. He coached Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck. Christensen’s involvement is viewed as a positive by evaluators. He had a conversation with Maye on the sideline after halftime. Freddie Kitchens, the former Browns offensive coordinator and head coach, is North Carolina’s run game coordinator and tight ends coach.

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Some projection is required with college quarterbacks. It’s on NFL teams to learn and then debate what’s real and what translates. You’ll always get different opinions on it. Some scouts have concerns about how Maye processes the field. He threw an awful interception out of his own end zone in the first half.

“There’s so much that goes into being an NFL QB, ”the scout from the AFC team said.

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Despite the 48-yard strike to Walker, the aforementioned possession ended in another field goal for Maye and the Tar Heels. A lot of Maye’s possessions did against Duke, which entered the weekend with the 29th-best defense in the country, just behind Alabama (26th) and just ahead of Texas (33rd). Only nine teams had allowed fewer touchdowns than Duke before Saturday.

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Maye struggled in the red zone through the first three quarters. It looked like North Carolina was due another loss, much like the leads the Tar Heels blew in recent losses to Virginia and Georgia Tech. Kicker Noah Burnette made six field goals, including a game-tying one as regulation time expired.

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Every scout asked about Maye gave a thumbs-up on his character. But personality preferences always will vary by team. If you’re looking for a stoic, even-keeled quarterback, then Maye is your pick. But if you want a passionate leader — one with more outgoing intangibles — then it might be best to look at others. Teams examine everything about quarterbacks.

After the game, Maye appeared more than comfortable speaking to the media. He critiqued his throws, including his 15-yarder to Nesbit on third-and-14 in the fourth quarter that was nearly wrestled away by cornerback Chandler Rivers. He thought his placement could have been better. Maye also joked around with reporters before his news conference began, and he made jokes during it

During the game, Maye often engaged with his teammates and Tar Heels assistant coaches. He celebrated touchdowns with everyone. But he’s not a rah-rah leader. You didn’t see that before or during the game. But that doesn’t appear to be a negative for the Tar Heels

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“Drake means a lot to this team,” defensive end Kaimon Rucker said. “Drake, he’s not that vocal but vocal when he needs to be. And he has full confidence in himself whether he has a good game or to a standard that he feels like he hasn’t reached. And I feel like that’s one of his best traits, is that he has unwavering confidence no matter what the game is looking like, no matter what the stats look like, no matter what the performance is looking like.

The Tar Heels have a playmaker. “It’s almost natural for Drake to make big plays, ”Nesbit said. “And when you have that, that rubs off on all of us as well.”

From Dan's top-50, I only included the top QBs, WRs, OL, EDGE, and CBs. I left the number they were ranked, but it is organized by their position. Let me now if there was anyone from Dan's list that I excluded that you wanted the description on.

QBs -

1. Drake Maye 6'4 230 - Cut from the same cloth as Justin Herbert, Maye (2,559 yards passing, 22 total TDs) continues to impress with his on-field command despite inconsistent help around him. A tall, well-put-together athlete, he has an explosive release with the touch to threaten every level of the field. He still makes a few more reckless decisions than you’d want, but his timing has improved, and his aggressive decision-making is more of a strength than a weakness.

3. Caleb Williams 6-1 220 - I’m all for a ban of the word “generational” when talking about college prospects, because it sets near-unattainable expectations and makes a player like Williams an easy target for criticism. That said, Williams (2,646 yards passing, 34 total TDs) remains an extremely impressive prospect. He has an above-average arm and a natural feel for accuracy, and his ability to weaponize his creativity remains a differentiating factor between him and most quarterbacks. Williams is fantastic at navigating chaos, but he does hold the ball too long at times. Often he has no choice, either because a defense gets immediate pressure with its front four or his receivers haven’t created separation. And when that happens, Williams feels forced to put on the superhero cape, which can lead to negative plays. With the bar set so high, it can be easy to call Williams “overrated” after a mistake, but let’s not lose sight of his tremendous strengths as a player.

16. J.J. McCarthy 6-3 196 - Two months after entering the season as my QB3, McCarthy (1,799 yards passing, 21 total TDs) hasn’t done anything to surrender that spot. He is completing 78.1 percent of his passes with an 18- to-3 touchdown-to-interception ratio, while doing some of his best work on the move. Considering Michigan’s schedule, NFL scouts are taking a wait-and-see approach with McCarthy — the month of November (featuring games at Penn State and versus Ohio State) will determine a lot.

24. Shedeur Sanders 6-2 215 - As my preseason QB6, Sanders just missed the initial top 50 in August. He absolutely earned his way onto the list this time with his play over the season’s first two months. Sanders (2,637 yards passing, 25 total TDs) is guilty of holding the ball for too long when big-play hunting, but his ability to keep plays alive is an asset. Though he could use another year of seasoning, Sanders has the poise and physical talent to warrant a first-round pick if he declares for the 2024 draft.

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WR

2. WR Marvin Harrison Jr. 6-4 205 - The best wide receiver prospect that I have evaluated over the last decade, Harrison (48 catches for 889 yards and eight TDs) offers a rare package of physical traits and savvy, and it has made him nearly uncoverable at the college level. His athletic dexterity and instincts, both as a route runner and at the catch point, are what really separate him — especially for a 6-foot-4 receiver. Although he isn’t as physically imposing as Julio Jones, there are several similarities between the two, including the way they play strong to the football.

8. WR Keon Coleman 6-4 215 - Because Coleman wasn’t yet a well-known name, I received some pushback when he debuted as WR4 in my initial positional rankings in July. Fast forward to the present, and the Michigan State transfer isn’t a secret any longer. With his size/speed athleticism and acrobatic ball skills, Coleman (38 catches for 538 yards and nine TDs) is a freakish talent with the chance to be a dominant player. His flashes remind me of how Demaryius Thomas played when he was at Georgia Tech.

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OL

5. LT Olu Fashanu 6-6 321 - At 6 feet 6 and 321 pounds with 34 3/8-inch arms, Fashanu is one of the best pass-protecting tackle prospects in recent years. He shows an outstanding blend of size, movement skills and body control to easily access his anchor. His intelligence and character are also strong selling points. Scouts want to see a more aggressive approach from him, especially in the run game.

6. LT Joe Alt 6-7 322 - Alt already was clearly a first-round prospect based on his sophomore film, but he looks even better as a junior — it won’t be a surprise if he finishes as OT1 for some NFL teams. For a tall blocker (nearly 6 feet 8), he does a terrific job with his redirect and recovery, and you’ll rarely see him stressed. Even though he didn’t become a full-time offensive lineman until college, Alt plays with impressive technique and pad level.

10. RT JC Latham 6-6 335 - A massive blocker, Latham carries his weight well in pass protection and plays with exceptional strength from head to toe. In the run game, he creates movement at contact and specializes in dumping linebackers at the second level. He needs to be more consistent with his strike placement and protecting versus inside moves, but Latham has quickly and consistently improved since he arrived in Tuscaloosa. He has the goods to be a starting NFL right tackle next year.

19. RT Amarius Mims 6-7 330 - The No. 5 player in my preseason top 50, Mims looked primed for a breakout season, but he has been sidelined with an ankle injury. Nonetheless, I’m still captivated by his flashes and traits. He moves tremendously well for a 330-pounder and packs a punch behind his powerful hands. With just five career starts to his name, Mims needs to establish his body of work, but I’ll bet on his baseline talent.

22. LT Tyler Guyton 6-6 319 - Similar to Amarius Mims, Guyton’s draft projection is based more on traits and upside than body of work, which can make it challenging to accurately rank him at this point. But he offers the big-man athleticism and movement skills that make it easy to be optimistic for his future. Several NFL scouts believe his potential is greater than that of Anton Harrison, a 2023 first-rounder from Oklahoma.

29. LT Jordan Morgan 6-5 306 - If not for a late-season injury, Morgan could have been a top-50 pick in the 2023 draft. Instead, the left tackle returned to Arizona for his fifth season and is now playing his best football. Morgan stays balanced in his pass sets and leverages his body and massive hands to answer pass rushers. Some NFL teams want to keep him outside; others are grading him as a guard.

33. iOL Troy Fautanu 6-4 319 - A college left tackle, Fautanu has the talent and length to stay outside, but his body and play style suggest that an NFL move to guard could be what is best long-term. Fautanu has NFL-level feet and movements, and he is playing with better composure and committing fewer penalties than last season.

49. iOL Graham Barton 6-5 311 - A college left tackle, Barton most likely will move inside to guard or center in the NFL. Either way, he projects as a long-term starter. He is athletic, keeps his blocks centered and finishes with a stubborn grip. Regardless of the position he plays, there are a lot of NFL teams that could use his skill set right now.

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EDGE

7. Dallas Turner 6-4 242 - When it comes to rushing the passer, Turner checks the boxes for both traits and production. He is explosive off the ball and into contact, and he plays with exceptional pursuit speed to chase down the football. Turner is currently the only FBS player ranked top five nationally in sacks (7.0), pressures, pass-rush win rate and pass-rush win percentage.

9. Laiatu Latu 6-5 265 - Similar to 2021 first-round pick Jaelen Phillips (both in terms of skill level and personal journey), Latu is an interesting prospect. He plays with only average bend, his arms aren’t very long and his medical history is a potential concern. But his motor runs hot, and he has a graduate degree in rush technique — specializing in cross-chops, arm-overs and lightning-fast hands. Latu has accounted for a ridiculous 106 pressures in 21 games since he transferred to UCLA prior to last season.

12. Chop Robinson 6-3 250 - For Robinson (5.0 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks) to be ranked this highly, it’d be great if he was more consistently dominant. But he’ll go on heaters (see: the Iowa tape), where he’ll just take over games for stretches with his instant speed and aggressive hands. He is a better prospect than Will McDonald IV, who was drafted No. 15 this past April. Robinson exited the Ohio State game last Saturday with an injury and had to be carted to the locker room, but Penn State hopes to get him back soon.

15. Jared Verse 6-4 260 - A fast and physical edge defender, Verse passed up a potential spot in last year’s first round for one more year in college, and he has helped the Seminoles jump out to an 8-0 start. Verse (6.5 TFL, 4.5 sacks) hasn’t had the splashy impact most expected — he’s failed to record a sack in five of eight games so far — but he still looks like the same player from the 2022 tape, which isn’t a bad thing.

23. J.T. Tuimoloau 6-4 270 - A physical presence for all four quarters, Tuimoloau (5.0 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks) wins the point of attack with aggressive hands and by using body leverage to pry open pass-rush lanes. He needs to work on becoming more deceptive (like he was on his fake stunt against Olu Fashanu) to consistently beat NFL tackles, but his baseline traits make him a next-level starter.

36. Jack Sawyer 6-4 265 - While J.T. Tuimoloau receives most of the attention on the Ohio State defensive line, Sawyer’s impact has been instrumental to the Buckeyes’ success. Built the right way at 6 feet 4 and 265 pounds, Sawyer (26 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks) is more good than great in several categories. He is well-rounded, though, and could be a valuable piece to an NFL defensive line with his aggressive and always-alert play style versus both run and pass.

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CB

14. CB Nate Wiggins 6-2 185 - Wiggins is long and fast with the sudden feet to easily redirect and stay attached to routes. There are a few concerning areas of his game, most notably his marginal play strength, but Wiggins (one INT, four passes defended) shows a knack for playing through the hands of receivers. Though he gave up a touchdown in his return from injury against Miami on Oct. 21, he also had a pair of pass breakups and an impressive chase-down forced fumble.

17. CB Cooper DeJean 6-1 207 - With his athletic traits, toughness and versatility, DeJean (two INTs, three passes defended, one punt-return TD) checks a lot of boxes, regardless of scheme. He is arguably the best run-defending defensive back in college football and plays sticky in coverage. DeJean also offers value on special teams — his dramatic punt return against Minnesota may have been nullified, but it’s still on tape and added to his collection of splash plays as a returner and gunner.

18. CB Kool-Aid McKinstry 6-1 195 - With his body control and balance, McKinstry (21 career passes defended) stays controlled in his transitions and takes advantage of his length to obstruct passing windows. Though he doesn’t play panicked, he tends to hit cruise control at times and gets too conservative, which can lead to missed tackles or plays downfield. But there are still more positives than negatives to his game, and he projects as an immediate NFL starter.

26. CB Kalen King 5-11 191 - There’s no way around it: King had a disappointing performance versus Ohio State, his most important tape of the season. Whether in the slot or outside, Marvin Harrison Jr. had little trouble creating separation against him, and King also committed two costly penalties (one took points off the board for Penn State; another set up Ohio State near the goal line). King (25 career passes defended) is a talented and aggressive competitor and still belongs in the first-round discussion, but he must finish the season strong — including an important matchup against Michigan on Nov. 11.