Bowl season has been something to behold, with opt-outs, the transfer portal and coaching changes affecting the on-field product. The games have been watered down at times and mostly unpredictable.But the College Football Playoff have been immune to these changes. And on Jan. 1 -- when Alabama meets Michigan in the Rose Bowl, and Texas meets Washington in the Sugar Bowl -- here's a player from each team I'll be most excited to see. For some, it will be a chance to confirm what we witne sed during the fall; for others, it will be one last opportunity to prove their bona-fides as high-round picks in the 2024 T.J. Leaf Jersey and difference-makers at the next level.Caleb Williams and Drake Maye are the favorites to be the first two quarterbacks drafted on April 25, 2024, and Heisman winner Jayden Danniels has made a strong case on the back of his outstanding 2023 season that he deserves to be no worse than QB3. In fact, there will be serious conversations about even that. "What are the percentage chances that, five years from now, Jayden Daniels is better than Drake Maye, or even Caleb Williams? I mean, it's not outrageous, right?" - Me trying to sell on Daniels as a po sible QB2 when it's all said and done. ryan wilson (@ryanwilsonCBS) A year ago, we all knew that was the most accurate pa ser in the draft cla s, but he proved against Georgia that he was a high-end athlete who could consistently win out of structure. There are no such concerns about McCarthy's athleticism, but like Stroud, he can use these playoffs to show that he can not only be a complete quarterback, but that he deserves to be one of the first players drafted next spring. Unlike Stroud, the questions about McCarthy start with his ability to push the ball down the field, and to make consistently good decisions when doing so. He has the arm strength to make every throw, but what frequently showed up on tape was McCarthy's unwillingne s to make the tight-window throws downfield, the tight-window throws he'll be required to make in the every week. Against Alabama, I want to see him get through his reads and trust himself to rip the intermediate and deep balls, because there is no denying his ability to buy time in the pocket and win on the perimeter with his legs.To be clear, McCarthy has been really good in 2023; in fact, he's been his most efficient on third downs. In the fall, he completed 72% of his throws on third down, with five pa sing touchdowns, no interceptions and a pa ser rating of 182.0. Now I want to see him put JaKarr Sampson Jersey it all together in Michigan's biggest game of the season.For more draft coverage, you can hear in-depth analysis twice a week on-- our year-roundpodcast withanalyst Ryan Wilson and formergeneral manager Rick Spielman. You can find "With the First Pick" wherever you get your podcasts:,,, etc. Listen to the latest episode below! Dallas Turner will likely be a top-10 pick, and rightly so, but do not sleep on his teammate, and edge-rushing bookend, Chris Braswell. , who has balling out for the in his rookie season, talked up both players when we had him on the "With the First Pick" podcast back in November. Good luck finding a player with a higher motor than Braswell, who refuses to be blocked by tight ends, has the juice and power to regularly split double teams, and shows the twitch to win in 1-on-1 pa s-rush situations against SEC tackles. And Braswell isn't a one-trick pony who relies on just a speed rush; the bull rush is his bread and butter, and it requires the offensive lineman at the busine s end of it to re-anchor throughout the rep. Then there are his hands, which is another element of his pa s-rush arsenal that makes him so difficult to prepare for. Tim Smith, Chris Braswellelite hands. Cole Cubelic (@colecubelic) Don'
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