Christmas Eve newsletter: Carson Beck has surgery, Ashton Jeanty gets a shoutout, some Jihaad Campbell love, and more!
Enjoy your Christmas Eve with a cup of coffee while reading this Tuesday edition of my NFL Draft newsletter
Merry Christmas Eve and welcome to this Tuesday edition of the NFL Draft newsletter! In this roundup of NFL Draft news, we get to hit on Georgia quarterback Carson Beck, Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty getting a shoutout from an NFL and college football legend, and more!
It was an oddly busy day in the NFL Draft world for the Monday before Christmas and after the completion of the first round of the College Football Playoffs, so there was a lot to bring to you today. Grab your coffee, finish wrapping your Christmas gifts, and dive in.
As always, your support of Daft on Draft is greatly appreciated and gives me yet another reason to be thankful this holiday season. The growth since launching the site full-time just under three months ago has been wild to see.
That’s enough sap, however. Let’s talk about some NFL Draft content.
Carson Beck undergoes elbow surgery
After injuring his elbow in the SEC championship game, Georgia quarterback Carson Beck officially ended his season, undergoing elbow surgery to repair his UCL. Gunner Stockton is set to start the rest of the way out for the Bulldogs, starting with their game against Notre Dame next.
Beck must consider whether he wants to go back to school or cut his losses and declare for the 2025 NFL Draft. He may now be selected wherever his draft stock may lie after a tumbling 2024 season. As a member of the 2020 recruiting class, he does have a year left of eligibility.
Another question Beck must answer: if he does go back to school, will Georgia take him back or will he need to enter the transfer portal for a fresh start?
Antonio Pierce doesn’t care about your 2025 NFL Draft positioning
The Las Vegas Raiders entered Week 16 holding the No. 1 overall pick and left it with possession of just the No. 6 overall pick. And for head coach Antonio Pierce, he does not care. He wants to win football games.
Animated with the media after getting questions about compromising his draft positioning and in need of a quarterback, here is what Pierce had to say:
"We don't do this to lose. We don't do this for anybody's fantasy football team. Don't do this for anybody's draft projections… None of that s--t matters to us. What matters is winning, and that's all we want to do."
This is a good reminder that tanking does not happen at the coaching or player level. They’ll always put their best foot forward no matter what the front office wants them to do for their future.
Barry Sanders gives a shoutout to Ashton Jeanty
Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty enters their playoff game against Penn State just 131 yards off of Barry Sanders’ single-season rushing record. And he has a fan in Sanders pushing him to break it.
Both players have hit their respective marks on 344 carries, but Sanders did it in a few less games than Jeanty gets to break the record. Can the Walter Camp Award winner and Heisman Trophy runner-up eclipse Sanders’ mark? If Boise State (10-point underdogs to Penn State) have any shot of winning, they need him to.
Alabama LB Jihaad Campbell is awesome
As I continue to build out my big board, more awesome players are added to it. Today, Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell gets the nod.
He oozes explosiveness, moves fluidly like a defensive back, has gobs of coverage ability and instincts from matching underneath to carrying vertically down the field, and even played over 100 snaps off the edge and racked up five sacks in 2024.
My only pet peeve with him is that I wish he was a bit stronger through contact and getting hands off of his frame when blockers attach to him. Despite this, he hardly misses tackles with just a 5% missed tackle rate this year.
He’s a potential first round pick and top-20 player in the class.
The latest episode of the Daft on Draft Podcast
In the latest episode of the Daft on Draft Podcast, Dalton and I discuss the happenings in the Round of 12 of the College Football Playoffs. Which 2025 NFL Draft prospects stood tall in the bright lights? We cover it all. You should listen.