I was hoping to get a nice start on my NFL Draft grades today, but the events of last night have completely altered my plans. I could NOT let what I witnessed slide any longer than I already had.

Prior to last night, it was a relatively debatable topic of what the greatest choke job in all of sports was. Some would point to the Tampa Bay Lightning going on a record-breaking season in 2019 only to be swept by the Columbus Blue Jackets. Some fans will talk about the Atlanta Falcons’ infamous 28-3 lead in Super Bowl 51, or the historic 2016 Golden State Warriors blowing a 3-1 lead to the Cleveland Cavaliers. You could even reasonably discuss older moments like Greg Norman’s disastrous final round at the 1996 Masters, or the Houston Oilers blowing a 35-3 lead to a Frank Reich-led Buffalo Bills team. All would have been good options to choose from.

After last night, however, that debate has ended.

Let’s put the Boston Bruins’ regular season in context. 65 wins and 135 points, both marks setting a new NHL record for most in a season. A legitimate MVP candidate in David Pastrnak, who would have won the Hart Trophy had Connor McDavid not blown everyone out of the water. A team that was deep in every aspect, with defense and goaltending being the best in the league. A Jack Adams Award-winning coach in Jim Montgomery. A pair of huge deadline acquisitions for an all-in push in Dmitry Orlov and Tyler Bertuzzi. Locking up their division, conference, and the league by early March and settling in for a quick and painless first round matchup.

All of this…only to blow a 3-1 series lead to a Florida Panthers team that was 43 points behind the Bruins in the standings. That’s another record, by the way; a final sordid cherry on top of an unmitigated disaster. When Jack Edwards, the most unabashedly biased commentator in all of sports, is struggling to comprehend the failure that he was forced to witness, there’s no defense that can be offered.

Even worse is the fact that this series shouldn’t have ended this way. There were multiple times in the last three games where the Bruins should have slammed the door shut on Florida. If Brad Marchand scores on the final breakaway in Game 5, the Bruins complete the gentleman’s sweep. The Bruins even came back from a 2-0 deficit in Game 7 to hold the lead until Florida tied the game in the final minute. Boston fans can give all the conspiracy theories they want about the TNT ticker spoiling Brandon Montour’s tying goal, but that doesn’t excuse the fact that the Panthers were the better team in the final three games.

A lot of the blame does need to fall at Montgomery’s feet, as he was soundly outcoached by Paul Maurice. For context, the Panthers elected to go for a retread instead of then-interim coach Andrew Brunette, who guided Florida past the controversy of Joel Quenneville’s disgraceful exit and to the Presidents’ Trophy last season. Why did it take until the Panthers scored the first goal in Game 5 to put Patrice Bergeron back on Brad Marchand’s line? Why scratch Matt Grzelcyk for no particular reason in Game 6 only to watch his replacement in Connor Clifton turn the puck over ad nauseum? Why keep Linus Ullmark in the net in a pivotal Game 6 when the basic eye test and statistics showed a goalie who was clearly nowhere close to 100%? Jeremy Swayman not only had playoff experience, but he was far and away the superior goalie for the Bruins last postseason. Given the state of Jack Adams Award-winning coaches in the recent past, there’s a debate to be had that the trophy has had its meaning diminished, but that’s a topic for another time.

The sad reality for the Bruins is this: this was it. This was the last great shot they’ve had with this current core. For starters, look at Bergeron embracing Marchand before the two left the ice for the final time. The captain wasn’t a sure thing to be back this season but, after the tragic news of his father’s cancer and the revelation that he played in the Florida series with a herniated disc in his back, it wouldn’t surprise me if that emotional moment was Bergeron’s way of saying goodbye. What about David Krejci, who returned from his native Czechia to fill the second-line center role that the Bruins never properly filled? Does he potentially join Bergeron in retirement, or does he return home to enjoy the twilight of his career? The odds of him returning to Boston aren’t particularly great. Even Marchand is a valid cause for concern at this stage. He’s been a good player for the Bruins for a long time, but he’s coming off a rough season. He scored the fewest goals of his career since 2012-13 (a season that was cut in half due to a lockout), and will be turning 35 next week. The last two years of his contract could very well be his last in the NHL as well, but it’s a question on if he can justify his $6.125 million cap hit.

Speaking of cap hits, the Bruins have locked themselves into a tough cap situation this summer. The expected salary cap of the 2023-24 NHL season is expected to be $83.5 million, only going up by a million over last year’s. The Bruins, however, won’t be enjoying that extra wiggle room; due to Bergeron and Krejci hitting incentives in their contracts, the Boston has been hit with an astounding $4.5 million overage penalty. According to CapFriendly, this would leave the Bruins with a shade over $6 million once the penalty is taken into account. Locking up David Pastrnak this season was a good move, but that’s not nearly enough money for the Bruins to extend Swayman, keep at least one of Bertuzzi or Orlov, or even bring back Bergeron and/or Krejci if they choose to come back. In other words, the Bruins will be forced to cut off a decent piece or two from this unit, but who? Will Jake DeBrusk finally see his trade request saga come to a conclusion? Do the Bruins view Grzelcyk as expendable and ship his expiring contract out (reuniting with former Boston coach Bruce Cassidy in Vegas, perhaps?) Can the Bruins manage to convince someone with a larger salary like Taylor Hall to waive his no-move clause, or convince a team to take the remaining four years of Brandon Carlo’s deal? Boston is going to be in for an offseason of change, whether they want it or not.

Even worse for the Bruins is the fact that this has only been the worst choke in a recent history filled with far too many of them. Counting this season, the Bruins have won three Presidents’ Trophies in the last ten years, and have never gotten past the second round either time. Go back to 2009, when the Bruins were the top overall seed in the playoffs, only to lose to the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round by way of an overtime goal from Scott Walker (that goal is his only one in the playoffs, by the way). How about being reverse swept by the Philadelphia Flyers the following year, capping it off by blowing a 3-0 lead in Game 7? The Bruins missing out on their second Stanley Cup in three years by way of two goals in 17 seconds to the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 6 of the 2013 Final? The collapses in 2015 and 2016 that resulted in the Bruins missing the playoffs? Having a favorable road to the Finals in 2019 only to be bested by the St. Louis Blues? This has become far too much of a repeated occurrence than Boston fans would care to admit.

So who or what’s to blame for all of this? It’s hard to blame it on players due to how quickly a roster can change every few years. Coaching? Can’t say that, with Cassidy being fired in a power move this past offseason only to land on his feet in Vegas and be the voice the top seed in the West needed in the Golden Knights’ locker room. To correct a string of failures, the constants have to be looked at, and they point to a harsh but necessary conclusion.

If the Bruins want to fix this disaster, Don Sweeney and Cam Neely need to be the first sacrifices. End of story.

Neely is turning into the hockey version of Scott Frost; a face of the heyday of their organizations that have tainted their own legacies. Neely has overseen many of these failures, but his most damning moment came from this season. Remember Mitchell Miller? The scumbag who admitted to physically and psychologically abusing a black, disabled classmate at their Ohio school? A month into the record season, Neely and the Bruins organization decided it would be a good idea to sign Miller to a contract. Despite their being no substantiated evidence suggesting Miller felt apologetic about the incidents, the Bruins turned a blind eye to the whole ordeal. The contract was rescinded just a couple days later after massive public backlash, but the ugly truth of Neely, the Bruins organization, and hockey culture as a whole had already been brought to the light. Neely didn’t help his case with a cliched press conference about how they “should’ve done a better job” when the reality of Miller’s situation only needed a bare-minimum amount of digging. This recent failure can reasonably be considered karma for trying to give a second chance to someone who clearly didn’t deserve one, and a Neely ouster would be the final twist of the knife.

As for Sweeney, there were Boston fans who were angry for the team choosing to keep him over Cassidy. With some of the decisions he’s made during his time as general manager, it’s easy to see the reason for the frustration. For every Pastrnak deal, Sweeney has made terrible free agency decisions like David Backes and John Moore. Deadline moves like the one that brought Ondrej Kase to the team backfired tremendously. However, there’s one moment that Bruins fans have held over Sweeney throughout his entire tenure: the 2015 Draft. The Bruins had three first-round picks that year to help restock their farm system. The picks were used to select Jakub Zboril, Jake DeBrusk, and Zach Senyshyn. Out of these three players, DeBrusk is the only player who became a regular on the roster. Zboril is locked as an eighth defenseman, while Senyshyn was forced to sign a PTO with New Jersey this past offseason. The next three picks in the draft? Mathew Barzal, Kyle Connor, and Thomas Chabot: all three turning into prominent players for their teams. The Bruins could have also used one of the picks to select Brock Boeser or Travis Konecny, as well. Somehow, it gets worse; in exchange for a fifth-round pick the next year, the Minnesota Wild used Boston’s fifth-round pick that year to select a Russian forward by the name of Kirill Kaprizov. Wonder where that guy is now?

The fact of the matter is that the Bruins can’t be complacent in the face of this failure. The records of this season are tainted, hollow, and meaningless. With the cap constraints caused by overages and the potential necessity to alter the core, the Bruins need to embrace tradition to make good on Pastrnak’s prime years. If that means a bloody regime change and sacrificing pieces to fill needs and restock the farm system with quality talent, so be it. The real failure of the season will be if Boston pretends that nothing is wrong here. It’s a shame that this era of Bruins hockey will be remembered as one that should have accomplished so much more.

While the early rounds of the NFL Draft are where teams can expect to find their next big superstars, the middle rounds have also boasted some impressive gems throughout history.

Round 3 only happens to boast one of the all-time great players in Joe Montana, who went to San Francisco in 1979 before turning the 49ers into the NFL’s next great dynasty. Other great players to come out of Round 3 range from all-time greats like Terrell Owens (1996), John Lynch (1993) and Jason Taylor (1997), to future Hall of Famers like Frank Gore (2005), Russell Wilson (2012) and Travis Kelce (2013). Meanwhile, the fourth round was the landing spot for all-time great receivers (John Stallworth (1974) and Steve Largent (1976)), quality pass rushers (Charles Haley (1986) and Jared Allen (2004)) and current starting quarterbacks (Kirk Cousins (2012) and Dak Prescott (2016)). All of these names should indicate that, even though players at this range don’t necessarily project such an outcome, there is still serious potential in the middle of the draft.

While the list of prospects worth taking here increase, choosing the right ones still makes a world of difference. There are plenty more options to sort through, but the players listed here would be the ones I would want to highlight. Whether they boast elite athletic traits or play a style that the modern NFL is trending towards, I would have no problem selecting these prospects in the middle of the draft. While there won’t be as much in-depth analysis in order to prevent turning this article into the blog’s version of The Odyssey, there will still be enough information to justify their placements.

Also, if you’re looking for a specific prospect and don’t see them here, check out my board in the early rounds to see who I would take at the beginning of the draft.

So who should your team be looking for to find the next great hidden gem? Let’s find out.

Kendre Miller (RB, TCU) and Israel Abanikanda (RB, Pittsburgh)

There are a lot of quality running backs that can be found in the middle of the draft. Auburn’s Tank Bigsby, Illinois’s Chase Brown, Texas’s Roschon Johnson, and even Northwestern’s Evan Hull would all be fine additions for any running back room. In this article, though, I want to highlight an early favorite and someone who grew on me throughout the pre-draft process.

While an injury prevented Miller from playing in the National Championship against Georgia and prevented him from showcasing at the Combine or TCU’s Pro Day, his game reminds me of one of my favorite runners from last year’s class in Kenneth Walker III. Outperforming a five-star recruit in Zach Evans at TCU, Miller is a decisive runner who is able to see the entire field, come up with a creative plan of attack, and burst through any holes with a combination of explosion and agility. While the versatility in his game isn’t yet there, he has the traits necessary to hold down a third-down back role, and the fact that he’ll only be 21 when the season starts means there will be plenty of time to build that part of his game.

Since torching Virginia Tech for 320 yards and six touchdowns, Abanikanda has seen his stock rise throughout the last several months. Abanikanda is the rare runner that not only has the speed and explosiveness to be a home run threat with each touch, but the patience to diagnose plays and creativity to make each carry efficient. Similar to Miller, there are some questions about versatility, but the tools are there to warrant a three-down role. He’ll also be only 20 when his rookie season begins, so there will be plenty of time for development.

Miller and Abanikanda both stand as bets on potential, but three-down workhorses are becoming a rare breed in the NFL. Securing one with a third-round pick would be tremendous value for a high-ceiling player with minimal tread on the tires.

Tyler Scott (WR, Cincinnati) and Jayden Reed (WR, Michigan State)

Next, let’s take a look at a couple of slot receivers with the potential to become big-play threats with every target.

Scott has been on my radar for the last few months now, and I’m glad to see pundits and NFL scouts coming around on him. While there will be inevitable questions about play strength due to his lean frame (five-foot-eleven, 185 pounds), Scott is more than capable enough to track the ball and make the tough catch against tight coverage. Combined with his natural speed and route running ability, Scott can easily maneuver his way past opposing defensive backs before accelerating downfield. With how much the modern NFL values speed, Scott should be able to fit into most offensive schemes and carve out a role for himself early.

While Scott will likely be gone early in Round 3, Reed could be a quality Plan B in Round 4. Another smaller receiver, Reed also plays bigger than his size suggests with his sure hands and ball tracking. He can also use his route running to achieve separation before running downfield to pick up several yards after the catch. What will attract teams to Reed more than that, however, is his ability to play special teams. Reed has served as Michigan State’s primary return man for the past two seasons, including averaging 21.6 yards per return and two touchdowns on punt returns. If a team wants a receiver who can function on both offense and in the return game, Reed will be a name worth circling on the board.

Zack Kuntz (TE, Old Dominion)

Past the top six or so tight ends in this class, there aren’t really many reliable options out there. If you’re waiting on a tight end in the middle rounds and hoping to hit on a dart throw, Kuntz stands out as a primary target.

While Kuntz is coming off on an injury-shortened 2022, he’s already showcased his dominance the previous year before lighting up the Combine. Between his size (six-foot-six, 255 pounds), speed (4.55 forty-yard dash time) and elite agility, Kuntz was the only tight end this year to earn a perfect 10 Relative Athletic Score. That and having a massive catch radius should be more than enough for a team to take a flier on him, possibly as early as the tail end of Round 3. He may stand out as more of an athletic small-school project, but giving him time to learn the nuances of the position will help Kuntz out dramatically.

Matthew Bergeron (OT, Syracuse)

Maybe calling Bergeron a mid-round sleeper isn’t doing him enough justice, but I wanted to highlight one of my favorite prospects throughout the pre-draft process.

Boasting elite physical traits as well as experience on both sides of the offensive line and facing quality competition, Bergeron already comes equipped with one of the highest floors out of all of the offensive tackles in the class. His explosiveness and fluidity should certainly come in handy in pass protection sets, while Bergeron also has the physicality needed to open up holes in the run game. Bergeron can reasonably play at either offensive tackle spot or even kick over to guard, and his skill set should make him scheme-versatile. While Bergeron will most likely be a solid decade-long starter in the NFL, he has the potential for more. If he slides into the early part of Round 3, the decision on who to draft should take all of ten seconds.

Chandler Zavala (G, NC State) and Anthony Bradford (G, LSU)

Neither Zavala or Bradford really stood out to me prior to the pre-draft process, but strong showings from both had me rethinking where each of their ceilings truly were.

Zavala was a prospect that no one heard about until this past season, but his big draft year breakout has people like myself now convinced he’s worth a Day 2 investment. While Zavala is more known as a run blocker, he improved dramatically in pass protection throughout the past year and, according to PFF, only allowed four pressures on 422 pass-blocking snaps. His amazing performance at NC State’s pro day only helped the Zavala hype train pick up speed, landing in at least the 90th percentile in many drills. That combination of athleticism and production is going to draw attention, and Zavala will possibly hear his name called at the end of Round 3 because of it.

Another athletic marvel that boosted his stock during his pro day is Bradford. While Zavala’s production is impressive, Bradford would have the edge in terms of versatility, having experience at both guard and tackle on both sides of the line. That could remind people of Jamaree Salyer, a sixth-round pick last year drafted at guard only to be the starting left tackle for the Chargers late into the season. Bradford’s mix of explosion, strength, and agility earned him a 9.81 RAS, indicating an elite athlete that can hold his own in the NFL. The expectation for Bradford should be a Round 4 selection, with any lower being an immense value pick.

Olusegun Oluwatimi (C, Michigan)

In an interior offensive line class that doesn’t really have a standout elite talent at the top, the middle rounds would be a place to look. You won’t do much better than the reigning Rimington Award winner Oluwatimi.

On a Wolverines line that was one of the best in the country, Oluwatimi emerged as a quality piece in his lone year at Ann Arbor. A natural center that also has the potential to play guard, Oluwatimi projects as a strong run blocker that can open up space and has adequate explosiveness to change assignments on the fly and reach the second level of the defense. He’s more than powerful enough to stand up to some NFL nose tackles, and can be at least serviceable in pass protection. Expect a team to start looking into him at Round 3 before deciding to take the plunge in Round 4.

Keeanu Benton (DT, Wisconsin) and Moro Ojomo (DT, Texas)

As mentioned in the early board, I’m not a fan of many of the defensive tackles found early in the draft. As such, a quality interior defensive linemen in the middle rounds may be worth reaching for.

A former wrestler, Benton enjoyed a breakout 2022 for the Badgers. His blend of burst and power allows him to dominate one on one matchups against offensive linemen, and Benton was able to showcase his talent both on the field this season and at the Senior Bowl. While he best fits in a 4-3 defensive front instead of being on the nose, Benton should be a force in clogging run lanes and shooting the gap to get into the backfield. A locked-in Day 2 selection, Benton projects as a mid-Round 3 selection that can easily rise up the board.

Another 2022 breakout, Ojomo is an interesting project player. Despite being a fifth-year senior, Ojomo will only be 21 on draft night, so there’s plenty of opportunity for development. Ojomo already stands out as an NFL-ready run defender, and he has the athleticism required for a decent foundation as a pass rusher. The first year or two of his professional career will likely be dedicated to rounding out his game, but a team that unlocks Ojomo’s potential will be rewarded immensely. Well worth a selection in Round 3 or 4.

Isaiah McGuire (EDGE, Missouri)

With as deep an edge rusher class as this year has, prospects need something to help them stand out from the crowd. Throughout this past season and the pre-draft process, McGuire was able to accomplish exactly that.

A toolsy prospect, McGuire has the combination of power and explosiveness that NFL teams covet in their pass rushers. It also helps that McGuire is one of the most refined edge rushers you’ll find in this portion of the draft, coming with an array of pass-rushing moves and the discipline necessary to stop runners from reaching the edge. The Senior Bowl was also a great opportunity for McGuire to stand out, and he could be rewarded with a Round 3 selection because of his efforts. He has some of the best upside in the middle rounds, so keep an eye out for where he lands.

Ivan Pace Jr. (LB, Cincinnati) and Dorian Williams (LB, Tulane)

With linebackers already being good values, it’s time to discuss two of my favorite Group of Five prospects at the position.

If Witherspoon from the first list comes off as a smaller Sauce Gardner, Pace comes off to me as a smaller Micah Parsons. While Pace’s size might put some teams off of him, he has some of the best playmaking instincts of any linebacker in the class. He’s functional enough in coverage, but Pace is at his best when he’s allowed to fly around the field and hunt down the ball carrier. He’ll be a dream for blitz-heavy teams as a run stopper and secondary pass rusher, and his playmaking prowess could net him a spot on special teams units early on. The size could knock him to the fourth round, but that would be a steal for someone who can get to the ball like Pace can.

If you’re looking for a more athletic and versatile prospect, however, Williams will be a better target. The Cotton Bowl Defensive MVP, Williams played a central part in Tulane’s rise as this year’s best Group of Five team. Williams is one of the surest tacklers in the draft, and he also has the prerequisite athleticism to cover running backs and tight ends in the passing game. The consistent progress Williams has shown in the past few seasons indicates plenty of room for growth still, and he should be a quality depth piece with starting potential as a rookie. Much like Pace, the fourth round will be his likely, albeit far too low, landing spot.

DJ Turner II (CB, Michigan) and Riley Moss (CB, Iowa)

While a lot of hype in Ann Arbor in the secondary belongs to future first-round selection Will Johnson, Turner has made some eye-popping displays before. What stands out most about Turner is his 4.26 40-yard dash time, which gives him excellent makeup speed. Turner’s more than just testing numbers, however; he has also shown the potential to be scheme-versatile and efficient in a variety of coverages. His small size will likely mean he’s never going to be a factor in run support, but Turner’s ability in coverage is more than enough to warrant a high selection. Expect to hear his name called early in Round 3.

While Moss has some areas for improvement, there’s also plenty of positives to his game that can offset that. Moss has the versatility to be effective on the outside, in the slot, or even at safety if the team that drafts him sees him as a better fit there. Moss stands out as an effective zone corner with his football IQ and field vision, and that will also help with special teams as he rounds out his game. He’s a comfortable fourth-round prospect.

Anthony Johnson Jr. (S, Iowa State)

It’s rare that a player who picks up a position during their draft year takes to it swimmingly. However, that turned out to be the case with Johnson.

A four-year starter at cornerback for the Cyclones, Johnson transitioned to safety and did so near-seamlessly. While his technique in coverage is a work in progress, the move to safety has allowed Johnson to better embrace his physicality, which shows in his ability to come down from up high and make a big hit on the ball carrier. Johnson’s versatility is also impressive, as he can be used as a deep safety, in the slot, or in the box as a blitzer. Very few safeties can make such a claim, but a sure tackler like Johnson can make his living as a third safety early on while he improves in coverage. Expect him to be a fourth-round selection, but the weakness of the safety class could push him up to the third.