Heading into Day 3, there are always a few big names that fell into Saturday. There are also some sleepers that should get some attention later in the afternoon. Here are a few to watch on Saturday.
C Kody Russey, Houston
My scouting report and thoughts on Russey:
"Russey transferred to Houston after a decorated career at La. Tech. While at La. Tech, he started for four years, but stepped up a bit in competition transferring to Houston for 2021. He started every game at center and became a beloved captain on the 2021 squad. I could tell at Pro Day how much respect he'd garnered in a short time in his career. Players went nuts seeing him have one of the best Pro Days I've seen for an interior offensive lineman. He first posted a 30-inch vertical leap, then threw up a whopping 38 reps on the bench. His position drills were solid and, of course, intense. I fell in love with Russey, which sent me back to the film room, if you will, to see if the traits match the play. It did to a T. He's strong as an ox and if he gets hands on, he's going to win. He has to latch strong and play with more knee bend because he is still a shade under 300 lb. He can displace big men at the line of scrimmage due to his strength, but continued work with his technique and footwork and he'll be able to do that with regularity. A team looking for an interior keeper should absolutely draft/sign Russey and let him get comfortable because he'll make it pay off."
S Tristin McCollum, Sam Houston State
My scouting report and thoughts on McCollum:
"The twin brother of one of the best athletes in this draft, Tristin was a bit overshadowed in his career. Well, overshadowed by the people outside the Sam Houston program. Twin brother of Zyon McCollum who crushed the testing at the Combine and had an incredible career got the attention while his brother quietly put together a fantastic career as a safety at Sam. He ran in the low 4.5 range at his Pro Day and played even faster during his career. When he was healthy, he was the full package in the back. He has excellent range and a high football IQ. He could fit in a number of different schemes and, at worst, he'll thrive on teams. I love these twins - great kids, great family and tremendous futures, perhaps apart from one another for the first time."
RB Pierre Strong, South Dakota State
My scouting report and thoughts on Strong:
"Strong has been a highly productive back in his career, but in the spring 2021 season, he was forced to share the spotlight, so to speak, with a stud true freshman runner. Both Isaiah Davis and Strong have NFL futures, but Davis is on a different level. That said, Strong has plenty of traits that'll have NFL draft rooms debating his worth in the future. Strong has some excellent receiving skills and that's a definite bonus heading into the NFL. He can be a threat in the passing game wherever he's asked. Soft hands. Clean receiving skills. He also has some serious burst too and through holes. He had a 53-yard touchdown run against NDSU in the spring that showed the whole package. One cut. Outstanding vision to read the blocks against the Bison run blitz. Contact balance to stay upright after a hit from the safety. Recovery speed after the hit. Juice to then outrace everyone to the end zone. Now, he's in a unique situation in that he played ten games from February through May and will play a full season in the fall. As a running back, it'll be interesting to see how much that impacts his prospects heading into the 2022 NFL Draft."
OT Kellen Diesch, Arizona State (Texas A&M)
My scouting report and thoughts on Diesch:
"About five years ago, I got a text from a former teammate from Brown and a good friend of mine. He told me to keep my eyes peeled for his nephew who was headed to Texas A&M. I asked who he was. Kellen Diesch, he said. Diesch was stuck behind a group of NFL linemen at A&M so he transferred to Arizona State and it was one of the best transfer decisions of anyone in the Harris 100. He started all four games in 2020 and returned to start all 12 games in 2021. He's got quick feet and uses excellent technique. Love his long arms and how he uses those stems to keep defenders off his person. I think he needs to gain upper body strength but the makings of a poor man's future Braden Smith is underway."
