Mario Craver

[Twopointtry]

Myles to go before we sleep

Before we get to Craver, wanted to mention that Sam Teets has finished most of his QB individual draft profiles and just dropped one on a WR, Junior Sherrill. Teets gave Sherrill an early 2nd round grade. The only 2 WRs who got 1st round grades from Teets on his preliminary board were Jeremiah Smith and Cam Coleman. Nick Marsh, the WR who I think is a fantastic prospect, was the 3rd ranked WR. So, at the moment, Sherrill presumably ranks very high on Teets's board.

On other boards, Sherrill is only a Day 3 prospect. DraftBuzz gave him a 6th round projection. In the NFLMDD simulator, he's about a 4th rd pick. There are a couple of WRs that Teets likes more than most experts, so I intend to take a closer look at them at some point. Still plenty more WRs left in the draft that we could study.

About a month prior to the Myles Garrett trade, PFF's mock draft had the Rams selecting Mario Craver, a slot WR from Texas A&M. Even though we no longer hold that draft pick, I don't think it is a moot question to ask whether the Rams will have the chance to draft Craver. Teams might get scared off by Craver's small size or not like his off-field character red flags. In Ian Cummings's July mock draft, Craver almost makes it down to the Rams.

Craver was a very challenging player for me to grade. He is a boom or bust player with a very wide range of pro career outcomes. My NFL comp for him is Tyreek Hill. Craver has the athletic ability to someday be one of the best WRs in the NFL. On the other hand, there are warning signs about his football character that could cause him to become a big draft bust and someday get waived by his team.

To state it another way, if the Niners, Seahawks or Cardinals drafted him, this would make me worried. You don't want to play against this guy; he's dangerous. If the Rams drafted him, I'd be even more worried. Do you really want this guy on your team? Would you buy an unreliable car that might suddenly break down in the middle of a Mario Kart race?

The Chiefs drafted Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill even though both of them had considerable off-field baggage. Hill was drafted so late in the 5th round that he was only 2 slots ahead of former Rams DB, Marqui Christian. The Chiefs effectively converted that late 5th rounder into multiple 1st round picks.

Still, the NFL wasn't wrong about Hill's off-field issues. He's had a litany of disturbing off-field incidents and for fans who support a zero-tolerance stance on domestic violence, there is a valid argument that he never should have been allowed to play in the NFL in the first place. Character can matter in the draft. The Detroit Lions just blew a 1st round pick when they released Terrion Arnold after his felony arrest for kidnapping and robbery.

Another consideration is whether there is a cheaper alternative in the draft pool. I just did a profile about Isaiah Sategna III, who is a lightly regarded prospect. Craver is by far the better regarded WR per all the draft experts but if we compare the 2 WRs head-to-head, I think that Sategna is the better player. So, why draft Craver in the 2nd round if Sategna might still be available in the late rounds?

 

[PARAM]

Interesting thread. Just the other day I was looking at NCAA WRs and where they were ranked by DraftBuzz and Phil Steele. The WR you referenced, Craver was ranked #10 by DB but Steele had him ranked #3. Phil Steele's top 10 were all ranked top 13 by DB except for Evan Stewart, #6 on Steele's list #35 on DB. That was a huge disparity. Another one, Wyatt Young, was ranked #25 by Steele while DB had him ranked #7.

The reason I was looking at WRs was because that seems to be the position most believe the Rams will be drafting early in 2027, with Adams probably being in his last year with the Rams(?????). If we're looking at the "type" of WRs the Rams have been drafting recently, there is a certain physical profile.

Daniels 6'2" 205
Mumpfield 6'1" 188
Whittington 6'1" 202
Puka 6'2" 216

All can block. All have good hands.

The Rams should be drafting late in the 2nd round with their first pick and late in the 3rd round with their second pick. If Scheelhaase gets a HC gig, they'll have another late 3rd rounder in their pocket. With that in mind, I looked at how many WRs went in the first 3 rounds the last 5 years. 17 in 2026, 14, 16, 14, 17. That's an average of 15-16. And the averages by round are 1st: 5, 2nd: between 4 and 5 and 3rd: 6. So, that would mean the Rams have a good chance IMO, to get a really good WR late in the second (9th or 10th best) or late in the third (14th - 16th). And since they like a certain physical size and style, there are a number to choose from.

Just to name a few ranked in the top 25 by Steele or Draft Buzz

Ryan Wingo, Texas 6'2" 214
Bryant Westco, Clemson 6'2' 190
Mike Mathews, Tennessee 6'1" 200
Jaden Greathouse, ND 6'1" 215
Omarion Miller, AZ St 6'2" 210
Cooper Barkate, Miami 6'1" 195
Nyziah Hunter, Nebraska 6'1" 205

Since I know very little about those guys, other than their size, I'm going to try to watch as many of their games as I can.

 

[Twopointtry]

Part 1: Background

Name, Age: Mario Craver. Nickname on his team is "Rio". Turns 21 in January of 2027. Agricultural leadership and development major.

Size, estimated speed: Listed as 5'9'' tall and 180 pounds for 2026. Was listed at 165 pounds in 2025. [Listed size in 2025 about the same as Tank Dell of the Houston Texans.] DraftBuzz 4.25 seconds in 40. [The all-time record for the fastest Combine 40 is by Xavier Worthy at 4.21 seconds.] Draftscout 5'9 1/4'' tall, 165 pounds, 4.34 seconds in 40. Brian Bosarge 4.34 to 4.42 seconds, 3.98 to 4.08 shuttle, 37.5 to 40'' vertical jump, 6.60 to 6.75 second 3-cone. [I listed all these other projected Combine testing numbers from BB to illustrate his crazy athleticism. If Craver tests as well as BB estimates, he'd be very similar to a Rams WR taken in the 1st round. See the "Strengths" section for the name of that Rams WR.] Listed as 150 pounds in his HS recruiting profile. Listed at 160 pounds as SO in HS.

4-star recruit from Birmingham, AL. Personal best of 10.74 seconds in 100 meters, though most of his meet times were above 11 seconds. Had KR TD as SR in HS, 7-117 on KRs, 19-163 punt returns as SR. Says that he likes to play video games in his free time.

Part of a very talented TXAM offense with KC Conception (24th overall pick 2026), Le'Veon Moss (2026 UDFA), Marcel Reed (a polarizing QB prospect that some experts see as a potential 1st round pick in 2027 and others consider to be a Day 3 candidate), Ashton Bethel Roman (the son of former Packer DB, Mark Roman), Theo Melin Ohrstrom, Nate Boerkircher (2nd round 2026), Trey Zuhn III (3rd round 2026) and Chase Bisontis (2nd round 2026).

Conception had 61-919-9 in 2025. Craver had almost identical stats.

Leg injury in middle of 2024 season. Lower body injury in 9th game of 2025 season, was limited in the following game, then missed the game after that.

2024 (9 games): 17-368-3 receiving, 3-7 rushing
2025 (12 games): 59-917-4 receiving, 11-81-1 rushing

Zero career fumbles.

Craver's PFSN WR impact score was among the best in the country in 2025. His 10.1 YAC per catch ranked 5th best in the nation and he was 5th best in yards per route. Some select impact scores in 2025 for big-name WRs:
Malachi Toney 86.0 (2nd in nation)
Makai Lemon 85.1 (4th)
Jeremiah Smith 85.1 (5th)
Mario Craver 84.7 (7th)
Carnell Tate 84.5 (8th)

In April of 2024, he was arrested for beer and marijuana possession. Suspended for a game late in 2024 season for undisclosed rule violation, coach said that he didn't meet team expectations. In March of 2025, was a passenger in vehicle arrested at traffic stop on a Sunday afternoon, arrested for controlled substance possession. The police found 3 vape pens in the car, one of them was between Craver's legs and it tested positive for THC. When Craver transferred to TXAM, the HC for Mississippi State made comments that could be interpreted as hinting at Craver having off-field issues, making you wonder if his 2 arrests, which on the surface are relatively minor, are just the tip of the iceberg.

Brian Bosarge: (+) Elite speed, immediate separation on verticals, turns routine catches into explosive gains. 16.9 career YPC, exceptional COD, nightmare to cover in man, running threat. (-) Size vs physical CBs, play strength, hand fighting vs press.
PFSN sim 22
Curt Popejoy mock 22, 1st round. In Poejoy's most recent mock, 28
PFSN board 25. Potential 1st round WR. 84.7 Impact score was 7th in nation. (+) Dynamic separation, YAC creator, RAC monster with 5.22 yards of RAC over expectation nearly 99th percentile ranking 2nd among WRs with at least 70 targets, elite explosiveness, twitch, spatial IQ, contact balance, keen route IQ, tempo control, flexibility.
PFF mock draft 32 (to Rams). 575 YAC yards was 3rd in nation, 22 forced missed tackles ranked 5th in nation.
NFLMDD sim 41
Shane Hallam mock 2nd round, 42
Chris Farbolin. 2nd round projection with potential to climb higher, Xavier Worthy comp. (+) Elite speed, deep threat, dynamic YAC, only 4 drops in his 2-year career, skilled route runner, ST potential as a returner, played mostly boundary WR for Mississippi State and mostly slot WR for TXAM. (-) Size, small frame, inconsistent production after the first 3 games of 2025.
Drafttek 43
Tankathon 43
SticktotheModel 44, Tyreek Hill, Kalik Shakir and Xavier Worthy comps, 4.34 seconds in 40. (+) One of the fastest players in the draft, burner, vertical and YAC weapon. Sells stems and snaps off routes with urgency, tracks deep balls without losing stride, runs angry after catch. Fits Miami or SF style scheme with manufactured touches in space.(-) Size, contested catches, nonexistent run blocking, a few concentration drops.
NFLMDD consensus board 54
Draftbuzz late 2nd round projection, 54, 10th WR. Tutu Atwell is one of his comps. (+) Rare timed speed, 575 yards of YAC, twitchy release, only 4 drops, wins at every level of the field. (-) Tiny 165 pound frame, rerouted and bullied, only 3 out of 6 contested catches, a slot WR.
Ian Cummings mock 56, 2nd round
PFF 59
Travis May mock 3rd round, 73
NFLdraftHQ mock 3rd round, 75
FirstandTen 91. Divisive prospect. Some love him, some not so much. (+) Unbelievably explosive. (-) Blocking, physicality, undersized, started off strong but slowed down towards end of 2025 season.
Courtlandt Griffin: (+) One of the top WR prospects and one of the most explosive WRs in the draft, elite speed, polished route running, separation all 3 levels, insane release package, wins in phone booth, savvy route runner, impressive contact balance, tracks ball well downfield. (-) Consistency at catch point, concentration drops, durability, bullied by physical CBs.

 

[Twopointtry]

except for Evan Stewart, #6 on Steele's list #35 on DB. That was a huge disparity. Another one, Wyatt Young, was ranked #25 by Steele while DB had him ranked #7.

The reason I was looking at WRs was because that seems to be the position most believe the Rams will be drafting early in 2027, with Adams probably being in his last year with the Rams(?????). If we're looking at the "type" of WRs the Rams have been drafting recently, there is a certain physical profile.

Daniels 6'2" 205
Mumpfield 6'1" 188
Whittington 6'1" 202
Puka 6'2" 216

All can block. All have good hands.

Stewart suffered a serious injury, which is the main reason experts don't know how to rank him. Young is tough to project because he's very inexperienced. He might be much better a year from now, so trying to project a full season ahead of the actual draft is tricky.

I agree with you that the Rams look for a very specific skillset. This is particularly true for backup WRs. An ideal backup should be able to play all of the WR spots, not just one and for the Rams this means they need to be able to run block from a tight split/wingback position. We need tough guys, not gimmicky gadget guys.

Our starting X could be a bigger WR and we could have a starting slot WR who is very small, but other than those 2 guys, all the other WRs ideally would be exactly how you described. They need to have good size and strength, can catch the ball and enough COD agility to run routes. CJ Daniels is a very good fit for our offense. I can see why Snead drafted him.

The question is whether any of the other WRs besides Puka can be starters. If Puka is our only legit starter once Adams leaves, we could have a huge problem at WR. Even more so if Puka has some type of off-field issue and his career implodes or he gets hurt. All of a sudden, we might have literally zero legitimate NFL starters at WR, which has the potential to destroy Ty Simpson's career before he gets a fair chance to prove himself. Are we going to use 4TE formations?

I don't think the Rams have an urgent need where we absolutely have to draft a WR in the 2nd round next year, but unless one of the "other" WRs has a breakout 2026 season, we likely will have a clear need. It is why I decided to make WR the position group I've studied the most in all of these profiles.

 

[Twopointtry]

Part 2 Strengths

KC Concepcion is a good prospect and was the 24th overall pick in the most recent draft. He's bigger, stronger and more versatile than Craver. That said, if Craver hadn't gotten injured, he would have led TXAM in receiving production, ahead of Concepcion. Playing on the same team, with the same QB against the same opponents, Concepcion provides a data reference point we could use to make Craver a solid 1st round prospect.

If Craver is a Combine hero the way Brian Bosarge projects, his athletic profile would be very similar to a former Rams WR. He'd be Brandin Cooks. The 2014 draft was phenomenally stacked at WR, one of the best WR drafts of all time, with players such as Sammy Watkins and OBJ. Cooks was drafted 20th overall. If there hadn't been so many other great WRs available, Cooks might have been a top 10 pick.

Xavier Worthy was a 1st round pick in 2024, 28th overall. IMO, Craver is a better prospect than Worthy.

Has abnormally good contact balance and lower body strength for his size. Long, powerful, efficient strides but runs with ideal posture behind his pads with low COG, making him more agile at high speed than most other speed merchants. There was a player named Jeremy Bloom who played for Colorado and was a 5th round pick in 2006. Bloom didn't have Craver's searing long speed but he was an Olympic mogul skier. Bloom had strong, driving piston strides and fluid lateral hips. That's the only other similarly sized WR who comes to mind who had this trait. Craver has an ideal blend of powerful thighs and a strong base, but still super flexible and nimble on his feet. Even just on pre-snap motion, powerful strides eat up distance with ease, effortless speed.

The Mikhail Baryshnikov of WRs. Rare body control and balance.

His most famous play is an 86-yard TD vs Notre Dame where he gets spun out of a tackle, stays on his feet and races all the way to the end zone. The TV announcer said it was bad tackling by the defense. You might also think it was just a fluke. It wasn't a fluke; he nearly did exactly the same thing in a different game. Even if the defender grabs him and flings him violently, Craver has a unique ability to stay on his feet and regain his balance.

You can't beat him in a game of tag; even if you got close you'd miss him. Can contort his body at extreme angles to avoid jams at LOS vs press-man or at the catch point to evade tackles. Dips under jams like an athletic EDGE rusher dipping under the LT's pass block. Sudden, lightning-quick movement in the release, a human blur.

Smooth and easy acceleration. Greased lightning, crazy explosive. His speed is like a kid spamming the turbo boost button on a video game controller or arcade game. Immediate burst on jet sweep.

Twitchy head and shoulder fakes in stem to set up CBs. Fluid COD on vertical routes hint at potential to craft complex routes at every level of field. Can stop on a dime, no extra steps on comebacks. Capable of layering violent cuts in route with hyper-dynamic route tempo. Can use hesitation and tempo changes to set up COD moves on short routes.

Can be exhausting for the CB to work hard to stay with him, like having to constantly chase Reggie Miller around screens in a basketball game.

Very impressive hand eye coordination catching the ball. Natural, confident hands even if pass gets on him fast, good reflexes. Snatches the ball out of the air. Loose athlete who easily turns his body and adjusts to the ball. Capable hands to dig out low passes. Very good ball tracking.

Slippery after catch on medium 3rd down to get to the marker. Dangerous on basic WR screens, jet sweeps and manufactured touches underneath.

Sometimes gives excellent effort and hustle on downfield blocks. On an INT return, Craver started out 10 yards behind the defender but gives excellent effort to run nearly the full length of the field and makes tackle inside his own 5-yard line to prevent TD.

Had KR and PR experience in HS. Has the necessary athletic traits to be a gunner on punting unit for special teams. KC Conception was the punt returner for TXAM, so I wouldn't assume that Craver is incapable of serving as a PR in the NFL.

Held back by some QB accuracy issues.

No fumbles on his stats. Has a low career drop rate of 5.0%. Per PFR stats, Puka Nacua has a career drop rate in the NFL of 5.4% and Cooper Kupp since 2018 has a drop rate of 4.5%. Over the same period, Brandin Cooks has a drop rate of 4.8%.

Would be an early entrant a year younger than an average prospect.

Huge developmental upside, because I think he's only scratching the surface of his full potential. He relies too much on his speed and isn't a polished technician. If he applied himself and worked on his craft like a true profession, the sky is the limit. In theory, he's one of the select few players in the 2027 class with HOF potential.

I'm about to completely eviscerate Craver in the "weaknesses" section for being lazy and not playing hard. Consider, however, that 75% of Mario Craver is better than 150% of many other WRs. In the big picture, his flaws might not matter. IMO, DeAndre Hopkins didn't work as hard as he could have to get 100% out of his abilities. Does it really matter? He still had a fantastic NFL career. He had football character flags when he was in the draft. Questions about his leadership likely played a role in the Texans making a stunning decision to trade him to Arizona in the prime of his career.

 

[PARAM]

I agree with you that the Rams look for a very specific skillset. This is particularly true for backup WRs. An ideal backup should be able to play all of the WR spots, not just one and for the Rams this means they need to be able to run block from a tight split/wingback position. We need tough guys, not gimmicky gadget guys.

It looks like the Rams prefer WRs who have at least 4 qualities. Size, brains, hands and blocking ability. They don't need 4.3 speed. Or 6'5" height. 6'1 to 6'2" 190 to 210 lbs. Or Kupp/Puka/Daniels

Q???
What do you think of TJ Moore (Clemson) and Omarian Miller (Ariz. St.)?

 

[Twopointtry]

Part 3: Weaknesses

In an interview this spring, a reporter covering the team asked him what type of extra work he does outside of practice to improve his game. Pretty standard, softball question from a friendly source just looking to write something encouraging for TXAM fans. Craver answered by saying that he doesn't do any extra work outside of practice. Seriously?! Can't you at least lie and tell the reporter that you like to watch film even if by film you really meant you like to watch movies instead of football film? In other interviews, his answers similarly gave me pause, making me think that he isn't very serious about his preparation or knows how to break down tape. Not a cerebral player, gives very simplistic answers to questions.

Made what possibly is the dumbest mistake on any play I've watched on any prospect this year. The RB is about to walk into the end zone for an easy medium distance TD. Craver's block doesn't matter; the RB is effectively past the defender by that point. WR's technique is lazy, his hand placement sloppy, his stance is wrong, he shows no awareness of the play development or the RB's situation, so for unknown reasons like he has a personal tiff with the CB he decides to grab and wrestle with the CB instead of just letting go, drawing a holding penalty. Ridiculous and selfish.

Long list of mental blunders. Appeared to run wrong route, colliding with KC Concepcion on deep pass. Failure to sit or slow down vs zone converge contributed to an INT. Miscommunication with QB where WR appears to break in wrong direction nearly resulted in INT. Very strange mental error where Craver appears to run the wrong route, dragging his CB directly into the 2nd WR making catch on curl route, creating a contested catch instead of the 2nd WR being wide open.

Defense is playing zone, there is no S in the middle of the field. Craver is the slot WR and is supposed to run an intermediate dig while the outside WR is going to run a deep curl and settle into the zone void. As Craver comes off the LOS, he tries to juke the slot CB in the stem. This is pointless, the slot CB is in zone, he's not even paying attention to Craver, he's just making his zone drop. All this does is slow WR down and get him off schedule for the timing of the route combination in the progression. What Craver should be doing is driving hard to make it look like a vertical route so that the outside CB will get scared, then break hard inside so that the ILB will be threatened. By not running his route properly, Craver shrinks the available space in the zone for the outside WR and QB doesn't attempt the pass.

Craver is the inside WR and a different WR outside of him is supposed to run a whip route. The idea is to make it look like a rub but have the 2nd WR reverse field and gain leverage back towards the sideline. Craver makes a hesitation move in his release, messing up the timing so he's not in proper relationship with the other WR at the break point, making it too easy for the 2nd CB to identify that it is a whip route, so there isn't any separation for the 2nd WR.

Shallow crosser. Craver is supposed to provide a rub so that the 2nd WR going in the opposite direction gets open exiting the mesh point. Craver doesn't run his route at the correct depth, forcing the 2nd WR to adjust his angle, slowing him down.

Double slant on short 3rd down. Craver's release is too slow, messing up the spacing and timing, so he's not in proper relationship with the outside WR.

Mental blunder on run play in close game, 4th quarter, not blocking the slot CB, then not hustling to block the S.

Mental error on run, ending up in space, not blocking anyone.

Seems to think that football is an individual sport and not a team sport. Gets complacent and lazy doing menial tasks, show little interest in trying to help his team win the game. A different WR is running the ball on a reverse, Craver doesn't block the LB or the S, he's just aimlessly jogging downfield. Swing pass to different WR, Craver is supposed to run his CB off the LOS to clear the space behind him, but he's not running hard, just dogging it. If Craver is a decoy, he never gives 100%. Yapped at CB after run play for no reason, not staying focused on task at hand. On some run blocks, I'd estimate that he's only giving 50% effort. Tries to get by with bare minimum effort on blocks. Takes foot off gas and coasts if he's a decoy. Mental focus and effort level drifts in and out of games. Not an energetic competitor who rises to the moment in close games.

Close game, late in the game. On run play, before RB is tackled, Craver stops playing, not trying to block and not going towards the pile, just leisurely walking and watching, like he doesn't care which team wins the game.

Doesn't use his explosiveness properly coming off the line. Sometimes his first step is too short, lackluster tempo instead of driving hard off the line, so his intermediate route becomes mediocre for unknown reasons. It is like he wants to take plays off and give the defense a break, make it easier for them.

His hips are not deceptive coming off the line, so what can happen is all of the crazy movements he makes get wasted. A smart and patient CB will ignore his body movements and fakes, watch his waist, mirror his release, stay in his hip pocket and completely smother his intermediate route. Even more, they can knock him off balance in the stem with even slight contact, so once they win at the LOS and bump him, he's done, he can't get open.

I absolutely hate how frequently he uses a hesitation hop/skip step coming off the line. If he wants to do it as a change of pace move, that's fine, but he does it way too often and all it does is slow him down, making the release too slow so he doesn't get to the break point on schedule. If Craver were a basketball player, he'd be the guy who thinks he's James Hardin and keeps doing a bunch of 1 vs 1 dribble moves instead of keeping the ball moving.

Surprisingly inconsistent and ineffective on shorter routes relative to his tremendous agility and COD ability. I have difficulty understanding why he can't win more regularly on underneath routes. Only an average feel for route leverage. While he shows good ability to attack the toes of the CB to create leverage, he's not really a route crafter because he only has a basic understanding of route running and doesn't adjust the plan to fit the defensive coverage, down and distance situation and CB's technique. He has a freelance style of play that isn't going to work well in a system where the WR has to be very precise with being at a specific spot at exactly the right time.

Critical 3rd down late in 4th quarter. Doesn't formulate plan for his route that fits the pre-snap read of the defensive coverage. Craver slow plays his release move when he should be attacking upfield quickly so that he can get to the middle of the field faster, showing questionable football IQ.

Routes feel rushed, not precise or properly crafted. Drifts into some breaks. Undisciplined technique at the top of the route contributes to the CB grabbing and impeding him on route. One time it resulted in him being too close to a different WR, messing up the spacing on the route combo.

Really struggles vs physical CBs, poor play strength. Gets knocked off balance at the top of his route by basic jams and even slight contact. Bothered by grabs.

Poor and ineffective blocker. Very limited blocking duties. Often used on bubble screen or orbit motion action on run plays, so didn't have to block. Taken off the field when TXAM wanted to go heavy, using bigger WRs to run block. Not physical as a blocker. Poor technique, angle, hand placements, stance, imprecise with details and easily beaten.

Inconsistent catching off-target passes when his arms are fully extended.

Kind of had a fumble on a catch, but ball was knocked out of bounds, so I don't know how it was officially scored.

Games against UTSA and Utah State helped to inflate his 2025 stats. Experts possibly overly influenced by a single game, his monster performance against Notre Dame in 2025.

Off-field character red flags.

Got injured each of last 2 seasons. Durability questions.

 

[Twopointtry]

Q???
What do you think of TJ Moore (Clemson) and Omarian Miller (Ariz. St.)?

I wrote profiles about both of those WRs. TJ Moore is one of the most talented WRs in the draft. He has the potential to be a top 10 overall pick based on pure talent. The problem is I think he had some type of undisclosed injury that limited him for the entire 2025 season. Pure speculation on my part, but that's what the tape looks like to me. I have no idea what's going to happen to him. I honestly think he could be a high 1st rounder or a late round pick next year, that's how crazy wide his draft range could be. Your guess is as good (or better) than mine. Definitely a WR to watch.

I get why people like Miller, because he's a big WR and too many of the other WRs in the draft are very small. I don't like him very much. But, with all these guys, they have an entire season to change things. A ton can change in one year. Wyatt Young was a nobody prior to 2025. Charlie Becker was a nobody before the last part of 2025. Sategna, a WR I really like, wasn't particularly good in 2024. A bunch of players I have with low grades right now, they could play way better in 2026 and change my mind. In addition, there could be WRs who are completely off the radar and we don't know their names who could emerge and suddenly become attractive prospects.

 

[Memento]

Players like Craver are undraftable to me. I don't care how talented, fast, athletic, or exceptional a receiver you (not saying you in the future sentences as in people here, for clarification; just players like Craver) are: if you don't know that football is a team game, if you refuse to help your team by doing the little things, if you're as lazy as he seems to be (the "not doing anything special" is a fucking horrible answer and especially galling when it's an easy question to answer, even if you don't give a shit about the stuff outside of practice - or even in practice - necessary for college/professional football), there's no FUCKING way I take a chance on someone like you.

 

[Twopointtry]

Part 4: Draft Grade and Pro Comp

3rd round grade. Tyreek Hill (5th round 2016, Kansas City Chiefs, West Alabama).

Like I said before, I had to think long and hard about how to grade Mario Craver. I have serious reservations about his football character and whether he can stay healthy in the pros. When CBs bump or push him, he falls down or gets knocked off balance too easily. Still, he is a rare athlete, is very fast and he catches the ball better than most small WRs.

With players with character flags, I almost always give them a lower grade than the draft media experts, so it shouldn't be a surprise that I don't have Craver as a 1st round prospect. I still have him in Day 2. A bunch of 3rd round picks normally turn out to be whiffs anyway, so it isn't a complete disaster if Craver doesn't pan out. Tank Dell was drafted early in the 3rd round in 2023 by the Texans. I think that Craver is a better prospect than Dell.

Would Snead go for a player like Craver? Snead has always been a riverboat gambler, not afraid of risks. We took Todd Gurley despite his knee injury. We took Terrell Lewis in the 3rd round. The Tutu Atwell pick shows that Snead and McVay aren't scared of drafting a very small WR. Craver potentially could add an explosive element to our offense that is different from our other WRs. He might also be an impact player as a punt and kick returner.

Mario Craver presents a classic debate, something that makes the NFL draft so intriguing. The guy could be the next DeSean Jackson or he could be worse than Tavon Austin. DJax was a 2nd round selection, 49th overall. I think that Roman Wilson was a better prospect than Craver and he wasn't taken until the 3rd round, slot 84. So, I don't think it is a stretch to imagine Craver still being available near the very bottom of the 2nd round, the same area where Atwell was selected.

Remember, DJax played for McVay both in Washington and with the Rams. McVay's memory of those years could make him very interested in acquiring Craver. Also, early in Snead's career, part of his job involved baby-sitting Andre Rison, who sometimes wouldn't show up for practice with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Snead knows how it goes in the pros sometimes with mercurial players where the work ethic and accountability doesn't always match the athletic talent. Not running the routes properly was one of the things that got Rison cut from the Jags. That might sound bad, but Rison had nearly 1,100 yards and made the Pro Bowl the very next year with the Chiefs as their featured WR. The next WR on that team had less than 300 yards. Some players who are head cases still have outstanding NFL careers.

If Craver is available, should the Rams draft him? We might have at least half a year to debate that question.

 

[Twopointtry]

That was a huge disparity. Another one, Wyatt Young, was ranked #25 by Steele while DB had him ranked #7.

Here is another example of an interesting disparity. FirstandTen has a large draft board with nearly 400 total players. The way they do their rankings is interesting, because they give their own rankings but they also do a "draft projection" which I interpret to be their prediction about where the player will actually get picked. Sometimes the 2 numbers don't match.

They really don't like Duce Robinson, they have him ranked low enough to be a 7th round pick. On the other hand, they think he'll get picked pretty early, projecting him to be a 3rd round selection. That's a big gap.

Someone posted a video on ROD where Snead talks about how the Rams do their draft board and he mentioned something like that, where the Rams try to guess where players might get picked. Obviously, it impacts your strategy, but you can also get burned if you guess wrong. Snead also mentioned how it doesn't really matter if you reach early a round or 2 once you get to the middle part of the draft, because there isn't much difference by that point anyway.

So, the way Snead thinks about the draft is probably different from how most fans look at the draft process. The "precise" board ranking doesn't really matter to the Rams. There are certain players they want and they just go get them.

That's pretty consistent with how I normally approach a draft simulator. Let's say you have 7 picks, one in each round. Realistically, you only need to rank about 3 players for each pick, so your working board only has to have about 20 total players.

 

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Here is another example of an interesting disparity. FirstandTen has a large draft board with nearly 400 total players. The way they do their rankings is interesting, because they give their own rankings but they also do a "draft projection" which I interpret to be their prediction about where the player will actually get picked. Sometimes the 2 numbers don't match.

They really don't like Duce Robinson, they have him ranked low enough to be a 7th round pick. On the other hand, they think he'll get picked pretty early, projecting him to be a 3rd round selection. That's a big gap.

Someone posted a video on ROD where Snead talks about how the Rams do their draft board and he mentioned something like that, where the Rams try to guess where players might get picked. Obviously, it impacts your strategy, but you can also get burned if you guess wrong. Snead also mentioned how it doesn't really matter if you reach early a round or 2 once you get to the middle part of the draft, because there isn't much difference by that point anyway.

So, the way Snead thinks about the draft is probably different from how most fans look at the draft process. The "precise" board ranking doesn't really matter to the Rams. There are certain players they want and they just go get them.

That's pretty consistent with how I normally approach a draft simulator. Let's say you have 7 picks, one in each round. Realistically, you only need to rank about 3 players for each pick, so your working board only has to have about 20 total players.

I've always believed if you like a guy, take him. If it's early, it's early. To pass on him then have somebody else pick him before you get another shot and put you in a position to take another player, lower is dumb. And my belief is amateur draftniks, though very intelligent and media types like McShay and Kiper, opinions don't have exclusivity as the final word. So when I hear somebody say, "whoa, they picked him early", while that may be true when it's all said and done, it isn't in the moment. Take Puka for instance. If the Rams took him with their first pick #36 overall, 4th in the 2nd round, fans would have been up in arms about such a reach. Now though, hell, if he went in the first it wouldn't be a reach. Does that make any sense?

You like a guy, take him (Simpson). It's your job as much as his to prove it wasn't a reach.

 

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The Rams should be drafting late in the 2nd round with their first pick and late in the 3rd round with their second pick. If Scheelhaase gets a HC gig, they'll have another late 3rd rounder in their pocket. With that in mind, I looked at how many WRs went in the first 3 rounds the last 5 years. 17 in 2026, 14, 16, 14, 17. That's an average of 15-16. And the averages by round are 1st: 5, 2nd: between 4 and 5 and 3rd: 6. So, that would mean the Rams have a good chance IMO, to get a really good WR late in the second (9th or 10th best) or late in the third (14th - 16th). And since they like a certain physical size and style, there are a number to choose from.

If we go with DraftBuzz's rankings, the WR I absolutely love is Nick Marsh, who is only ranked 78th with a 3rd round projection. On some boards and mocks, Marsh is a top 15 overall pick, early 1st round. I think he's really good and has all the qualities to fit our offense.

Whether we can get an impact WR late in the 2nd is questionable. Back in the 2023 draft (Puka Nacua's draft class), these were 3 of the WRs that I really liked and had graded high enough to go in that range:
1. Michael Wilson. Late 3rd rd in the actual draft. Had a 1,000 yard season in 2025.
2. Cedric Tillman, pick 74 in actual draft, only 3 slots ahead of Byron Young. He's never had at least 350 yards in any season of his career.
3. Marvin Mims, end of 2nd round, pick 63. He's a good returner, but has never had more than about 500 yards in any season.

In addition, Jalin Hyatt was taken one slot ahead of Tillman. He was super fast and some experts had him as a high 1st round pick. He was benched by the Giants and has under 500 yards for his entire career so far. To this point, he might as well have been a late round to UDFA.

 

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If we go with DraftBuzz's rankings, the WR I absolutely love is Nick Marsh, who is only ranked 78th with a 3rd round projection. On some boards and mocks, Marsh is a top 15 overall pick, early 1st round. I think he's really good and has all the qualities to fit our offense.

Whether we can get an impact WR late in the 2nd is questionable. Back in the 2023 draft (Puka Nacua's draft class), these were 3 of the WRs that I really liked and had graded high enough to go in that range:
1. Michael Wilson. Late 3rd rd in the actual draft. Had a 1,000 yard season in 2025.
2. Cedric Tillman, pick 74 in actual draft, only 3 slots ahead of Byron Young. He's never had at least 350 yards in any season of his career.
3. Marvin Mims, end of 2nd round, pick 63. He's a good returner, but has never had more than about 500 yards in any season.

In addition, Jalin Hyatt was taken one slot ahead of Tillman. He was super fast and some experts had him as a high 1st round pick. He was benched by the Giants and has under 500 yards for his entire career so far. To this point, he might as well have been a late round to UDFA.

78th???? Steele has Marsh rated #7. Draft Buzz has him listed #13. CBS #11. I like his size 6'3" 213

 

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78th???? Steele has Marsh rated #7. Draft Buzz has him listed #13. CBS #11. I like his size 6'3" 213

PFF doesn't include Marsh at all on their top 75 board. Luke Eastling has him 46th. On the NFLMDD consensus board, which aggregates a bunch of different sources, he's 42nd. I have a 1st round grade on Marsh. If we still had our 1st rounder, I'd take him there.