December 03, 2022
Jerome Miron/USA TODAY Sports
Jay Ward is a really good safety prospect who is flying under the radar (but not for long).
During the college football season each year, as long as you're watching the games, we point out five players each week to keep an eye on who make logical sense for the Eagles in the following year's draft.
Beebe has played LT, RT, and LG at KSU, but his home will be at guard in the NFL, with maybe some cross-training at center. He has a squatty body type at 6'4, 322, and he is able to effectively anchor against bull rushes, but his lack of length is always going to be prohibitive on the edge at the NFL level.
Beebe can move defenders with his pure strength and the line of scrimmage, but I was surprised by his ability to get on the move. He doesn't give off "athlete" vibes just to look at him, but this dude is fun to watch getting to the second level and burying linebackers and defensive backs.
My top interior OL in the 2023 draft is someone who’s played predominantly at tackle.
— Jacob Infante (@jacobinfante24) July 17, 2022
Kansas State LT Cooper Beebe (50) is a versatile lineman with great pad level, a nasty edge & good play strength. Think he’s a high-floor starter in the pros. #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/ntU7K1Zf3n
The Eagles love them some versatile offensive linemen, and and they may have an immediate need at guard if they lose Isaac Seumalo in free agency.
Beebe is an under the radar guy at the moment, but I expect his value to rise. He could end up being a late Day 2 guy.
Ward is a converted cornerback to safety, who hasn't yet seemed to have gotten the attention of the draft community, but who is a really good player.
Below is Ward's game against Texas A&M earlier this season, and he is all over the field. You'll see him attack WR screens on the other side of the line of scrimmage, he can knife through the line and make negative plays in the run game, and he's a good cover guy both from the slot and on the back end.
Ward has 150 tackles, 6 INTs, 14 PBUs 2 FFs in 30 games the last three seasons. He reminds me a bit of Chauncey Gardner-Johnson.
B.J. Ojulari is the brother of Azeez Ojulari, who was taken 50th overall by the Giants in the 2021 NFL Draft. He has 124 tackles, 16.5 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles in 30 career games. As you can see in the highlight reel below, he has a good first step, he has an assortment of effective pass rush moves, and he can win with quickness.
What the highlight reel doesn't show is his struggles against the run, which makes his projection as a defensive end at the next level a difficult one.
Ojulari would make sense for the Eagles in a pass rushing role, but can he also drop into coverage on occasion perhaps as a SAM linebacker? That's probably his best bet in the NFL.
Williams is a speedy linebacker who has racked up 105 tackles, 4 sacks, 2 FFs, 2 INTs, and 6 pass breakups in 2022. He is athletic but undersized, and can make plays in the passing game. He also plays with great energy.
Dorian Williams, combination burpee rep/sack. On a short game week, you might be hard pressed to find time for a workout, so I get it. How else are you gonna maintain the boulders for shoulders look?#RollWave pic.twitter.com/oyGWB80shP
— #WaveAnon (@MrCatsPatrick) October 6, 2022
Williams is listed at 6'2, 230, but he's probably not that big. He's also a bit of a drag-down tackler, but he should be an immediate contributor on special teams, and potentially as a passing down linebacker. Day 3 guy.
Durham's biggest appeal is as a blocker, where he is effective both inline against defensive ends in the run game, as well as on the perimeter out in front of receivers on screens. Lots of pancakes in this game against Syracuse:
As a receiver, Payne won't remind anyone of Tony Gonzalez or Antonio Gates, but he has good receiving numbers and is a legitimate threat in the red zone because of his size. He has 21 career TD receptions in 35 games. He also doesn't go down very willingly after the catch:
OH MY GOODNESS, PAYNE DURHAM!!!! #BULLYBALL pic.twitter.com/E0uikwQoEl
— 𝗙𝗢𝗟𝗟𝗢𝗪 @𝗙𝗧𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗱𝟳 (@FTBeard7) October 8, 2022
He is a Day 3 guy with limited upside, but could last in the league for a long time as a steady blocking tight end who will make the plays as a receiver that come to him.
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