McGinn's Top 55: Marvin Harrison Jr. draws 'Calvin Johnson' comp in WR-rich class
Hall of Famer Bob McGinn once again brings his exceptional draft coverage to Go Long. First up? A three-parter on the 55 best prospects. Scouts across the NFL offer their unvarnished analysis.
By Bob McGinn
The objective of Go Long was set forth clearly by founder Tyler Dunne upon its birth in November 2020.
“This company will forever be 100-percent fueled by readers because the goal – always – is to deliver unvarnished coverage of the support you love,” wrote Tyler. “Authentic stories that lift up the curtain will always be the No. 1 goal.”
Which brings us to my spring contribution to the site, namely the NFL draft.
In my four decades covering the draft, every year without fail there have been comments from readers about the comments made by executives in personnel regarding the prospects. Some readers always find it uncomfortable discovering that scouts can be so honest and unapologetically negative if the situation is warranted.
“Scouts don’t like anyone, do they?” has been a typical response.
Readers also often react to the sharply divergent opinions among evaluators.
Yes, scouts do like players. It’s why far more than half of their comments to me over the years would be categorized as positive.
That, however, is only part of the story. Scouts are hired and fired depending on the honesty and accuracy of their reports. With more than 50 percent of first-round players headed for disappointing careers, and with success rates descending each round after that, the failure-bust rate is uppermost in the minds of NFL decision-makers and owners. Teams want the truth, and nothing but the truth, from its scouts. With millions of dollars at stake, decision-makers go to great lengths to examine not only the strengths but also the weaknesses of players.
My goal, which on face is impossible, has been to take readers inside those draft rooms to the best of my ability. Inform them of what they can’t access. Good, bad or indifferent, tell them what a cross-section of evaluators are saying about players.
Scouting is an inexact science because it deals with the human element. It’s why two scouts can see a player from almost diametrically opposed perspectives. The stories of scouts almost coming to blows during draft-meeting disagreements over a player are legendary and true.
The “unvarnished coverage,” as Tyler put it. Let the professional evaluators speak and allow you, the reader, to filter the information and their opinions to make informed judgments of your own.
One major reason why my draft coverage is different stems from the inherent restrictions evident in the coverage of so many others. Media people employed by NFL Media (NFL Network, NFL.com, various platforms), the 32 NFL team websites and the media companies serving as NFL broadcast partners (ESPN, FOX, CBS, NBC, ABC, Amazon Prime Video) are expected to promote the game, which means by definition building up players about to enter the league and fostering hope in every fan base.
As complete as you think that coverage might be, know that the majority of these organizations will only tip-toe into the realm of weaknesses and the chances that players might fail. Players sometimes are said to “struggle a little bit” or “wish they had that one back,” but sometimes that’s about as deep as the critiques run.
And that’s OK. One can learn football from former players turned media. Just keep in mind that they’re only going to go so far and, as a result, will only provide half the story.
Our draft coverage at Go Long isn’t sanitized. The goal is to provide accurate, honest appraisals of players from those who have made scouting their career.
In this initial three-part series, the projected top 55 players in the 2024 NFL draft will be examined. Personnel people offered their assessments of players last month before the start of workouts at the combine. Their comments were based almost exclusively on their exposure to players both in live looks and tape study. My rankings, arranged in order within each position, were influenced to an extent by results from the combine. For example, 40-yard dash times will play a critical role in stacking prospects at cornerback and wide receiver, among other positions. But remember, when these scouts were interviewed, they had almost no verified 40 times in addition to no verified heights and weights on underclassmen.
This projected Top 55 will lead to my NFL Draft Series, which I’ve been assembling annually since 1985.
That nine-part series is accessible only to paid subscribers at Go Long and will begin about 10 days before the draft, which is scheduled April 25-27.
These rankings can and will change significantly over the next seven weeks as teams attend and monitor developments at pro days and obtain missing 40 times, testing results, medical information and character evaluation. Heights were rounded to the nearest half-inch; quarter measurements were rounded down (6-2 ¼ to 6-2, 6-2 ¾ to 6-2 ½).
OFFENSE (32)
Wide receivers (9)
Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State (6-3, 209): Fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting. “He’s the real deal,” one scout said. “He’s legit. He’s everything they say. He’s huge, he’s quick, he’s got sneaky speed and he catches everything.”