I promise I’ve turned over a new leaf. I’m trying to be more positive. No more Negative Nate as a content producer, but some things still need to be said. I give you my do NOT draft list. This is strictly my own opinion and not to be confused with C2C as a company. I am going to provide you with a handful of guys that I am avoiding, especially at cost. Be prepared to disagree.
Jeremiyah Love – Running Back, Notre Dame
Draft Cost: Late 1st Round to Early 2nd Round
Love is incredible. No doubt about it. All the advanced metrics and NFL scouts agree with that statement. However, when it comes to CFF, volume is so much more predictable than efficiency and talent. Love didn’t have a single game with more than 16 rushing attempts, and only 4 of his 16 games did he have more than 12 rushing attempts. Part of what makes Love great is his explosiveness, but 7 TDs of 34 yards or more aren’t often duplicated. Low volume, TD-dependent RBs just aren’t the archetype I prefer to invest first-round draft capital in.
Love and Price have mentioned the appeal of splitting reps and the staff keeping tread off their tires. I don’t expect that to change in 2025. The Irish staff is going to do everything in their power to keep Love fresh for a playoff push.
Tre Wisner – Running Back, Texas
Draft Cost: Round 3 to Round 4
Wisner has seen quite the bump in ADP recently. He went 2.07 and 3.01 in the last two bestball drafts I’ve been in. Texas only vacates 134 RB carries (Jaydon Blue) despite playing 16 games last year. Yes, I think Wisner will be the lead back to start 2025, but I don’t believe those carries are going to him. It is far more likely that the two RBs coming off injury, CJ Baxter and Christian Clark, get the bulk of them and some of Wisner’s share as well.
Arch, a far more athletic QB than Ewers, will also command some of the rushing attempts or choose to scramble instead of checking down to a back. Like Notre Dame, Texas is preparing for a grueling playoff run. The depth at this position screams RBBC in order to keep everyone fresh. Wisner could offset the decreased opportunity with improved efficiency, but don’t sleep on Clark. Multiple Horns insiders are skeptical that he will be the top option by season’s end.
Eugene “Tre” Wilson – Wide Receiver, Florida
Draft Cost: Round 4 to Round 5
Injury history aside, which is a rather large omission for Wilson, there are enough red flags to land him on this list. Outside of N’Keal Harry, Napier doesn’t have a great WR track record. Not to mention the fact that the Gator pass game hinges on the very suspect health status of DJ Lagway’s shoulder. We heard all off-season last year that Wilson was going to be hyper-targeted downfield after a freshman season ADOT of 2.8 yards. Well, in his three full games of health in 2024, his ADOT was 4.5 yards. So…sure. I guess. In his two full games vs. FBS opponents, he had 12 catches for 85 yards and no TDs. Yes, he is a post-hype sleeper candidate, but I will continue to sleep on him.
Emmett Mosley V – Wide Receiver, Texas
Draft Cost: Round 6 to Round 8
Mosley’s ADP has been all over the place the last few months. He initially went as high as Round 3 at Stanford. Fantrax has had him in and out of their system after his transfer to Texas. They have his ADP at 38.1, but that can’t be right. Either way, he’s a hard pass for me, even at the Round 6 to 8 range.
Texas insiders expect him to start on the boundary opposite Wingo with Moore in the slot, but they haven’t conceded this starting role to him yet. Parker Livingston has received a ton of praise from the staff and is expected to get plenty of reps, along with some stud freshmen. As mentioned by Wisner, Texas is likely to spread the ball around, sub starters early, and be cautious with key players when needed, in order to prepare for the playoffs. This is the world we live in now with a 12-team playoff.
Zevi Eckhaus – Quarterback, Washington State
Draft Cost: Round 9 to Round 11
Eckhaus is currently going as QB17 based on Fantrax ADP, and aside from a favorable schedule, I can’t figure out why for the life of me. That would make him QB11 for Underdog and Tadpole Bowl formats. Ben Arbuckle is no longer the OC, and Kyle Williams is no longer the Wazzu WR1. Jimmy Rogers and his new staff have been very open about the Cougs becoming a more run-centric program. They really want to establish the ground game each week.
They have also been open about bringing Ajani Sheppard in to compete for the starting QB job. Barring something wild, Eckhaus will still win the job, but the staff brought in two very athletic QBs, Sheppard and Julian Dugger, who are expected to have QB run packages throughout the game and near the goal line. Drafting Eckhaus at his current cost appears to be drafting him above his ceiling.
