One of the most fun aspects of every NFL Draft as a writer is scouting prospects and trying to identify those hidden gems….the diamonds in the rough, if you will…guys who might not be Day 1 or Day 2 picks, but sure as hell seem to have what it takes to make it in the NFL. Today, I’m wrapping up my ‘hidden gems’ class for 2023 with a look at my ‘best of the rest,’ or guys that I haven’t written full reports on. We’re talkin’ Shepherd’s Joey Fisher, UCLA’s Jon Gaines II, Sacramento State’s Marte Mapu, and Eastern Michigan’s Sidy Sow.
Joey Fisher, Shepherd – Fisher has absolutely earned the right to get a crack at the NFL. He was downright DOMINANT at his level of competition, and he has the size and mobility to compete at the NFL level. Fisher is a physical player who doesn’t just dominate because of his size and strength, but he dominates because of his will to simply overpower anyone standing in front of him. It’s a blast to watch. You certainly worry about how dominant he’ll look with a dramatic up tic in competition, but like I said, he’s shown throughout the draft process that he belongs, and his tape shows that he’s EARNED the opportunity.
Jon Gaines II, UCLA – I love the way Jon Gaines II is built, and I love the way that he pass protects. He’s a fighter – a feisty dude that gets his hands up and sticks to his man. He’s got a great first step and a firm base that he uses to anchor at the point of his block. He keeps his head on a swivel, actively looking for rushers to pick up. He’s not the fastest guy, but he’s quick in pursuit of the block and packs a punch when he gets to his man. He’s an option to pull because of how well he moves and his lateral quickness, but I didn’t see UCLA do it too often. As for critiques, he offers little in the way of run blocking, at times, I noticed him prematurely turn his hips to reach for a block instead of side-stepping and maintaining his base.
Marte Mapu, Sacramento State – Mapu is just an outright baller with a natural feel for the game. He seems at home on the football field. I have no idea where you play him in the NFL, but there is definitely a role for him on the team. He’s played half a dozen different positions since high school! I noticed him as a thumper in his only day of practice at the Senior Bowl. He has great tracking skills when covering running backs, and has the athleticism to jump routes and bat balls down. He’s a tough, willing tackler, with the range to cover a lot of ground. At 6’2” 217 pounds, he’s kind of a tweener, and that makes me at least a little concerned about how he’ll fit in at the NFL level. Is he too big to play safety? Is he too lean to play linebacker? He plays with a lot of want, so I think I’m rolling the dice in the later rounds of the draft and sorting it all out. He is one of the very few truly hybrid position-less players in this class, and I absolutely love it.
Sidy Sow, Eastern Michigan – Sow is also a downright blast to watch, and his performance at the Scouting Combine just might get him drafted as he shows he does have a bit more athleticism than his tape, frankly, would indicate. I dug up some of the OL drills from the Collegiate Bowl, and thought he did a good job of squaring up, getting his hands on the shoulders of the rusher, getting in a wide stance, and stone-walling. He shows good mirroring ability in pass pro when working average athletes, but man…speed kills, and that’s no different for Sow, who does appear to struggle against the quicker rushers. I watched the Arizona State and San Jose State games, and the overarching themes of his game – he’s a dude mover that doesn’t have the burst necessary to mirror elite athletes. That’s going to cap his ceiling a bit, but holy shit, this dude is one of the best run-blockers I’ve watched yet. He plays with an elite level “squat” – just getting low and moving his guy. He initiates contact like a magnet, shows good drive (though I’d like to see better foot speed), and actively seeks out guys to block when he gets to the second level. There were times in the San Jose State game when stunts appeared to confuse him and he gave up pressures, but all in all, I think he’s a better tracker in pass pro than he’s being given credit for. EMU was content to just line up and impose their will on Arizona State – they ran for 305 yards in that game, and Sow was a big reason as to why, blowing holes open consistently.
2023 NFL DRAFT HIDDEN GEMS
- Jake Andrews
- Malik Cunningham
- Grant DuBose
- Payne Durham
- Cam Jones
- Puka Nacua
- Camerun Peoples
- Tre Tucker
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley.
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