San Francisco WR Ricky Pearsall Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images

7 2024 NFL Draft Picks in Ideal Scheme to Maximize Ceiling

Alex Ballentine

The right fit goes a long way in finding success in the NFL. That's never more apparent than in the NFL draft where teams have the ability to instantly elevate a prospect's ceiling by placing them in the best schematic role to succeed.

It's the biggest challenge when putting together a media big board like the one the B/R scouting department put together ahead of the draft. The team of scouts that compiled those grades is trying to give a general sense of how the talent stacks up.

NFL teams are building a team-specific board filled with the players that best fit their system. The ability to scout players to a system is a key role of front offices around the league.

Here, we'll take a look at prospects who stand out as particularly good fits for the scheme they were drafted into. Based on the role available, the current coaching staff and the players skills these players are set to maximize their potential in their landing spot.

QB Bo Nix, Denver Broncos

Bo Nix Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post

Taking Bo Nix with the No. 12 pick might have been a reach. He was ranked No. 61 overall on our big board so taking him at 12 is pretty rich, even if you consider that quarterback tax.

B/R's Brent Sobleski gave the pick a "D" when grading each of the first round selections.

There's still no denying that there wasn't a better place for him to land schematically than with Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos.

Nix's transformation in college football happened, in part, because of his decision to transfer from Auburn to Oregon. Nix never completed more than 61.0 percent of his passes in a season for the Tigers. In his final season with the Ducks he competed 77.4 percent of his passes with ruthless efficiency and a 45:3 touchdown to interception ratio.

Nix was placed in an offense that asked him to become more of a distributor of the football than a pure playmaker. His ability to get the ball out quickly and accelerate his decision-making with easier reads was a good match.

That's the kind of skill that should fit well into Payton's system.

Part of the reason the partnership between Payton and Russell Wilson didn't work was because of Wilson's penchant for holding onto the ball. Only Justin Fields and Nick Mullens had a longer average time to throw, per Next Gen Stats.

Nix can be the kind of accurate distributor that's going to carry out exactly what Payton wants him to do.

There might not be a sky-high ceiling in that, but the fit is good to get the most out of Nix.

Edge Dallas Turner, Minnesota Vikings

Dallas Turner Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

Dallas Turner was already one of the best defensive prospects heading into the draft. But the fact that he wound up on a Brian Flores defense with the Minnesota Vikings should be concerning for opposing offenses.

At 6'4", 247 pounds, Turner has an ideal build of a 3-4 outside linebacker. B/R's Matt Holder noted that his best schematic fit would be as a standup outside 'backer with a team that utilizes a lot of odd fronts.

Flores does employ a 3-4 base (even if they rarely actually use it) and his defense was the most blitz-happy team in the league last season by a wide margin.

Turner got some experience dropping into coverage within Alabama's scheme. He'll have the opportunity to do a little bit of that with the exotic looks that Flores likes to run.

The Vikings already went out and got a younger power-rusher in Jonathan Greenard in free agency. Now they have the ultra-athletic Turner who has the toolbox to not only win straight-up matches on the inside but be a nightmare when employed on stunts, loops and dropping into coverage in changeup blitz packages.

It's no wonder the Vikings were willing to part with three draft picks to move up and get him in the first round.

WR Ricky Pearsall, San Francisco 49ers

Ricky Pearsall Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images

Many have speculated that the 49ers decision to draft Ricky Pearsall with the 31st pick in the draft is an indication that Deebo Samuel or Brandon Aiyuk is on the way out.

That doesn't have to be the case, though.

The truth is that the Niners don't necessarily need to move on from either of them for Pearsall to fit right into the offense. Kyle Shanahan himself said that Pearsall's ability to separate and smart route-running are going to allow him to play off of the other receivers the Niners already have:

"He's very smart. You can tell he's very well developed. I guess (I would) call him a gym rat or something because you can tell he's worked on his routes. He's put in a lot of hours because you can see it on tape, and there is really nothing he can't do. He can fit into whatever role based off the other guys."

One of the biggest concerns with Pearsall is his slight frame and struggle to play through contact. Derrik Klassen noted in his scouting report that Florida oftentimes used him in motion to combat the issue.

Fortunately for Pearsall, if there's a coach who is going to be able to maximize his strengths, it's Shanahan. The 49ers used motion at the second-highest rate in the league and had the highest EPA on plays utilizing it.

CB Renardo Green, San Francisco 49ers

Renardo Green M. Anthony Nesmith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The fact that the 49ers are on this list twice is a good explanation as to why they consistently have one of the best rosters in the league. They know who they are and what they are looking for.

While Ricky Pearsall is perfecty suited to fill a void in the Niners offense, Renardo Green is going to bring a skillset they are lacking on defense.

B/R scout Cory Giddings praised Green for his physicality in press coverage while acknowledging that he'll likely need to start his career in the slot.

"Overall, Green is an explosive athlete with positional versatility, but will look to make his impact in the NFL as a nickel to start. In the early years of his career, he likely will have to show value on special teams before being a full-time nickel cornerback."

As it happens, the Niners have shown a proclivity for physical corners like Charvarius Ward but also have a need for someone who can play in the slot so that Deommodore Lenoir can play on the outside.

Green has the potential to come in and compete for that job right away.

WR Malachi Corley, New York Jets

Malachi Corley Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Everything the Jets have done is about maximizing Aaron Rodgers stint in New York. That includes drafting Western Kentucky receiver Malachi Corley with the 65th pick in the draft.

By bringing in Nathaniel Hackett as offensive coordinator, they are effectively making Rodgers the leader of the offense.

The 40-year-old is an aggressive downfield passer. A look at almost any of his heat maps throughout his career reveal a thrower that either wants to attack the deep thirds of the defense or dump things off to the sideline. There aren't a lot of intermediate throws or even throws to the middle of the field.

That plays right into Corley's skill set. As Derrik Klassen noted in his scouting report, Corley is quite limited as a route runner.

"Corley's usage is extremely limited at this stage. He was only really used on screens, shallow crossers, flat routes and end-arounds in college.

Corley has a role as an underneath outlet in the NFL. His bulky frame, reliable hands and hard-nosed yards-after-the-catch ability give him clear use cases, even if limited," Klassen noted.

There's room in an Aaron Rodgers offense for a receiver like Corley whose primary use will be a release when Garrett Wilson and Mike Williams aren't open on deeper routes.

LB Junior Colson, Los Angeles Chargers

Junior Colson Ryan Kang/Getty Images

This one is admittedly low-hanging fruit, but it still bears noting. Junior Colson will thrive in Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter's system.

We know this because we've seen it. Minter will make the jump to the Chargers from Michigan along with Colson and head coach Jim Harbaugh. Colson was a star for Michigan's national championship team racking up nearly 200 tackles and 8.5 sacks over the last two years for the Wolverines.

B/R scout Matt Holder was high on Colson winding up with a team that runs a lot of even fronts and could deploy him as a "Sam" linebacker. He should have opportunity to do that playing alongside Denzel Perryman in a defense that will look similar to the one he played in at Ann Arbor.

Playing alongside Perryman should accentuate his strengths too. Perryman is a classic downhill thumper of a linebacker who will be the primary run-stopper in the second level.

As Holder noted in his scouting report, Colson's best plays often come in coverage where he has the speed and athleticism to run with tight ends and running backs coming out of the backfield.

He also has some utility as a blitzer with some pass rush production. Minter already knows all of this and will help him reach his NFL ceiling.

WR Jermaine Burton, Cincinnati Bengals

Jermaine Burton Ken Murray/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Given Tee Higgins contract situation, it wouldn't have been surprising to see the Bengals go after his replacement in the first round.

Instead, they waited around and still found a potential replacement with the 80th overall selection in Jermaine Burton.

Here's B/R scout Derrik Klassen on what Burton brings to the table as a prospect:

"In the NFL, Burton should be a field-stretching No. 2 receiver. The offense should not run through him, but his ability to win vertically, find the ball in the air and run a full route tree will make him a valuable piece for any offense."

If the Bengals had a job posting for Higgins replacement it would sound a lot like that description.

Joe Burrow has learned to embrace the checkdown but he wants to throw the ball deep. Some of the Bengals pass protection issues fall on the offensive line but Burrow has always been willing to extend the play and look for his downfield wide receivers.

Burton has a great chance to become the kind of receiver that Burrow loves to throw the ball to. He has the route-running to play in the slot and take over Tyler Boyd's role in Year 1 with the deep threat potential to be in Higgins' role in Year 2.

   

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