Scout's Eye, Week 4: CFB handbook for NFL fans
September 21, 2017
Concerned about that 0-2 NFL team? Here is your key to window shopping during some of this week's college football games.
Here are the NFL draft prospects to watch in the biggest games this weekend. This is a weekly feature in Draft Slant, distributed by NFLDraftScout.com.
The games, players to watch:
Mississippi State (3-0) at Georgia (3-0)
Saturday, 7 p.m. ET, (ESPN)
Sanford Stadium (Athens, Ga.)
These SEC programs haven't met since 2011, but the winner of this contest will be deservedly viewed as the No. 2 team in the conference, behind Alabama. Mississippi State is coming off a dominant win over LSU in Starkville, and a road win in Athens will help ignite the hype machine for Nov. 11 when MSU welcomes the Crimson Tide to Davis Wade Stadium. Mississippi State held LSU's Derrius Guice to 76 yards rushing and the front seven will need another impressive performance to limit Georgia's talented running back duo.
Five draft-eligible prospects to focus on:
--QB Nick Fitzgerald, Mississippi State, rJR. (6-4, 227, 4.68, #7)
With 12 touchdowns through three games, Fitzgerald, who grew up a Georgia fan, has been impressive through the first quarter of the regular season. His capabilities as a mobile quarterback due to his size/speed combination were expected, but Fitzgerald has steadily progressed as a passer since he became the starter and is currently completing 61.4 percent of his passes (43-for-70). While his ball placement and zip have stood out, Fitzgerald's decision-making and timing have been the difference, working through his progressions and reading the defense to understand where to throw the ball or tuck and run. Georgia ranks 16th in the FBS in total defense, allowing only 266.0 yards to opponents.
--RB Sony Michel, Georgia, SR. (5-11, 212, 4.56, #1)
Senior RB Nick Chubb (5-10, 228, 4.54, #27) is atop Georgia's running back depth chart, currently leading the team in rushing with 290 yards, 6.6 yards per carry average and four touchdowns. But Michel is just as important to the Bulldogs' offense because of the explosive skill-set he offers, challenging the defense in ways that Chubb doesn't. Michel, who is averaging 5.5 yards per carry and 80.0 yards per game, runs with excellent quickness in his cuts, quickly scanning and finishing with deceiving run strength. He doesn't have the build of Chubb, but Michel has been impressive in pass pro, using leverage and courage to take out blitzers. Michel missed last week (ankle), but is expected to play vs. MSU.
--LT Martinas Rankin, Mississippi State, rSR. (6-5, 304, 5.17, #55)
One of the keys to this game will be the battle between Georgia's front seven and the Mississippi State offensive line. UGA has a handful of future pros rushing the passer on every snap, but the Starkville Bulldogs have talent in the trenches, starting with Rankin at left tackle. He delivers pop at the point of attack and uses his strong hands to latch-and-control defenders in the run game. The biggest test will be in pass protection where he shows the necessary balance and alert instincts for the next level, but does he have the lateral range to cut off and mirror Georgia's edge speed? He held up well against LSU's pass rush last week and another strong week will have his draft arrow pointing north.
--DE/OLB Lorenzo Carter, Georgia, SR. (6-5, 242, 4.79, #7)
Similar to Georgia's rush attack on offense, the Bulldogs have a pair of talented rushers on defense with Carter and redshirt senior DE/OLB Davin Bellamy (6-4, 242, 4.79, #17). Two weeks ago, Notre Dame had few answers for Carter, who finished with seven tackles, one sack and two forced fumbles, recovering both. He has the flexible athleticism and edge speed that NFL teams covet in pass rusher prospects, also using his length to maintain leverage and stay free from blockers. Carter lacks ideal functional strength and doesn't get much push when nose-to-nose with blockers, but he shows various jab techniques to get blockers off balance, while also tracking the backfield action to follow the football.
--LB Roquan Smith, Georgia, JR. (6-0, 224, 4.64, #3)
Notre Dame's mobile quarterback Brandon Wimbush is averaging 6.4 yards per carry this season, but managed only 1 yard on 16 carries against Georgia -- and Smith was the main reason. The Bulldogs' leading tackler is a tick undersized, but he has sideline-to-sideline speed and closes in the blink of an eye. Smith is quick to key and diagnose, putting himself in position to attack and breaking down well on the move to wrap and finish in space. Mississippi State uses the run to set up the pass and Smith will be tasked with not only mirroring Fitzgerald, but also limit the big plays by junior RB Aeris Williams (6-0, 215, 4.59, #27), who is averaging 112.0 yards per game and 7.0 yards per rush through three games.
Other Mississippi State prospects to watch: WR Donald Gray, SR. (5-9, 193, 4.58, #6); TE Jordan Thomas, SR. (6-4, 281, 4.88, #83); MLB Dezmond Harris, rSR. (6-3, 239, 4.80, #11); LB Gerri Green, rJR. (6-3, 243, 4.70, #4); CB Tolando Cleveland, rSR. (5-10, 190, 4.56, #7); DS Brandon Bryant, rJR. (5-11, 205, 4.54, #1).
Other Georgia prospects to watch: DE Jonathan Ledbetter, JR. (6-3, 251, 4.76, #13); NT John Atkins, rSR. (6-3, 300, 5.29, #97); DL Trenton Thompson, JR. (6-3, 307, 5.02, #78); TE Jeb Blazevich, SR. (6-5, 248, 4.73, #83); WR Javon Wims, SR. (6-3, 218, 4.59, #6); WR Terry Godwin, JR. (5-11, 175, 4.42, #5)
OTHER KEY MATCHUPS
Virginia (2-1) at Boise State (2-1)
Friday, 8 p.m. ET at Albertsons Stadium (Boise, Idaho), ESPN2
Three draft-eligible prospects to focus on:
--LB Micah Kiser, Virginia, rSR. (6-1, 240, 4.76, #53): The team leader in tackles (36) and sacks (5.0), Kiser is a plus run defender, trusting his backfield vision and playing physical to the hole. He uses quick feet and aggressive hands to work off blocks, which also comes in handy as a blitzer, getting skinny to squeeze through gaps. Kiser is out-matched at times in coverage, but there is a lot for NFL teams to like vs. the run.
--WR Cedrick Wilson, Boise State, SR. (6-2, 183, 4.49, #1): Easily the top NFL prospect on Boise's offense, Wilson is an explosive weapon with the vertical skills to stretch a defense and the foot quickness to break off routes and separate. He isn't physically impressive, with minimal muscle definition and run power, but his tape shows soft hands with steady focus to make tough grabs, quickly becoming a ball-carrier to create.
--DL Andrew Brown, Virginia, SR. (6-4, 280, 4.93, #9): Lining up mostly as a three-technique over the B-gap, Brown has flashed improvement in key areas from last season, living up to the potential that made him a top recruit. He is a violent player with impressive blend of size, strength and athleticism, although his lack of discipline will get him in trouble -- like last week when he committed a targeting penalty and was ejected.
--Other Virginia prospects to watch: QB Kurt Benkert, rSR. (6-3, 225, 4.92, #6); SS Quin Blanding, SR. (5-11, 215, 4.58, #3); CB Juan Thornhill, JR. (6-0, 195, 4.53, #1); WR Doni Dowling, SR. (6-1, 215, 4.53, #5); LT Jack English, rSR. (6-5, 300, 5.12, #67); SLB Malcolm Cook, rSR. (6-1, 205, 4.64, #17).
Other Boise State prospects to watch: LT Archie Lewis, rSR. (6-3, 300, 5.32, #74); RB Ryan Wolpin, rSR. (5-7, 197, 4.63, #21); TE Jake Roh, rSR. (6-3, 237, 4.77, #88); OC Mason Hampton, rSR. (6-2, 296, 5.43, #59); LB Leighton Vander Esch, rJR. (6-3, 243, 4.80, #38)
UCLA (2-1) at Stanford (1-2)
Saturday, 10 p.m. ET at Stanford Stadium (Stanford, Calif.), ESPN
Three draft-eligible prospects to focus on:
--QB Josh Rosen, UCLA, JR. (6-3, 220, 4.97, #3): Rosen is an intelligent quarterback with immense arm talent and smooth mechanics, but he is also prone to several mistakes throughout the course of four quarters. Against Texas A&M, Rosen got away with some of those mistakes, but not against Memphis, including a costly interception late in the fourth quarter. Sam Darnold carved up Stanford's defense -- can Rosen do the same?
--RB Bryce Love, Stanford, JR. (5-9, 191, 4.43, #20): Stanford has struggled through the air so far in 2017, but there has been nothing wrong with the run game. Love enters the weekend No. 2 in the FBS with 174.7 rushing yards per game, using his foot quickness and elusive traits to create chunk plays (12.2 yards per carry). The UCLA defense ranks 122nd in the FBS defending the run, allowing 275.0 rush yards per game.
--DL Harrison Phillips, Stanford, rJR. (6-4, 290, 4.96, #66): The early departure of Solomon Thomas left a void on the Cardinal defensive line, but the early season productive of Phillips, who leads the team with 27 tackles, has been impressive. Phillips, who is a team captain and high class individual off the field, has a unique blend of power, athleticism and instincts, allowing him to two-gap and play multiple positions.
Other UCLA prospects to watch: TE Caleb Wilson, rSO. (6-4, 241, 4.76, #81); OC Scott Quessenberry, rSR. (6-3, 315, 5.36, #52); MLB Kenny Young, SR. (6-1, 235, 4.78, #42); WR Darren Andrews, rSR. (5-10, 185, 4.49, #7); DL Jacob Tuioti-Mariner, SR. (6-2, 275, 4.88, #91); SS Adarius Pickett, rJR. (5-11, 190, 4.52, #6)
Other Stanford prospects to watch: WR Trenton Irwin, JR. (6-1, 202, 4.47, #2); LT David Bright, rSR. (6-5, 301, 5.23, #64); DE/OLB Peter Kalambayi, rSR. (6-2, 245, 4.78, #34); LB Kevin Palma, rSR. (6-2, 250, 4.89, #44); CB Quenton Meeks, JR. (6-1, 204, 4.64, #24); CB Alijah Holder, rJR. (6-1, 185, 4.56, #13)
N.C. State (2-1) at Florida State (1-0)
Saturday, noon ET at Doak S. Campbell Stadium (Tallahassee, Fla.), ABC
Three draft-eligible prospects to focus on:
--DE Bradley Chubb, N.C. State, SR. (6-2, 250, 4.76, #7): Ranked second in the ACC in tackles for loss (5.5) this season, Chubb has the physical characteristics of a NFL defensive end with long strides to run the arc and the length to attack blockers before they can counter. He comes off the ball high at times and ends up too far upfield, but Chubb, who is a two-year captain, won't give anything less than his full effort.
--FB/TE Jaylen Samuels, N.C. State, SR. (5-11, 223, 4.79, #28): A jack-off-all-trades offensive weapon, Samuels averages 4.8 yards per rush (8/38/3), leads the team in receiving (26/220/2) and does an admirable job as a lead blocker, lining up all over the formation. He offers a unique mix of balance, power and quickness and scouts are excited to see him match up with redshirt sophomore SS Derwin James (6-2, 211, 4.52, #3).
--LB Matthew Thomas, Florida State, rSR. (6-2, 227, 4.67, #6): The Seminoles' leading tackler against Alabama, Thomas is a fierce tackler and arrives with pop, using active hands to stay clean from blocks. Although he shows some stiffness when asked to change directions, Thomas has the straight-line speed to close in pursuit and play both sidelines. He received mostly mid-round grades from scouts over the summer.
Other N.C. State prospects to watch: DT Justin Jones, SR. (6-2, 300, 5.14, #27); DT B.J. Hill, SR. (6-3, 300, 4.94, #98); DL Kentavius Street, SR. (6-2, 290, 4.96, #35); RG Tony Adams, SR. (6-1, 315, 5.32, #50); QB Ryan Finley, rJR. (6-3, 205, 4.80, #15); WR Nyheim Hines, JR. (5-8, 197, 4.50, #7)
Other Florida State prospects to watch: CB Tarvarus McFadden, JR. (6-1, 198, 4.49, #4); WR Auden Tate, JR. (6-4, 228, 4.56, #18); DE/OLB Josh Sweat, JR. (6-4, 250, 4.76, #9); DT Derrick Nnadi, SR. (6-0, 312, 5.17, #91); TE Ryan Izzo, rJR. (6-4, 245, 4.88, #81); DT Demarcus Christmas, rJR. (6-3, 290, 5.08, #90)
Alabama (3-0) at Vanderbilt (3-0)
Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET at Vanderbilt Stadium (Nashville, Tenn.), CBS
Three draft-eligible prospects to focus on:
--RB Ralph Webb, Vanderbilt, rSR. (5-9, 202, 4.50, #7): Vandy is off to a 3-0 start despite Webb, the program's all-time leading rusher, struggling in the first three games with only 149 yards on 58 carries (2.6 average). Webb has never been a home run hitter, with only average speed and elusive traits, but he is built low to the ground and is fearless attacking the teeth of a defense -- an important trait vs. an Alabama front seven.
--DE/OLB Charles Wright, Vanderbilt, rJR. (6-2, 241, 4.69, #11): A first-year starter, Wright is the only player from a Power Five conference with at least six sacks on the young season, also leading the SEC with seven tackles for loss. He has recorded a sack in each of the Commodores' first three games but will have a tougher time going against Alabama's offensive line, which has only allowed three sacks in 2017.
--WR Calvin Ridley, Alabama, JR. (6-1, 190, 4.50, #3): With 15 catches for 219 yards and two touchdowns, Ridley is the clear No. 1 weapon for the Tide in the passing game and a quarterback's best friend as he always works to get open and can do damage at every level of the field. He shows loose body control at the catch point and finds his top speed quickly, sustaining that pace to run away from pursuit.
--Other Alabama prospects to watch: CB/FS Minkah Fitzpatrick, JR. (6-0, 201, 4.52, #29); NG Da'Ron Payne, JR. (6-2, 308, 5.38, #94); LB Rashaan Evans, SR. (6-2, 234, 4.73, #32); LB Shaun Dion Hamilton, SR. (6-0, 233, 4.79, #20); CB Anthony Averett, rSR. (6-0, 185, 4.49, #28); RB Damien Harris, JR. (5-10, 216, 4.55, #34).
Other Vanderbilt prospects to watch: QB Kyle Shurmur, JR. (6-3, 223, 4.79, #14); DT Nifae Lealao, SR. (6-5, 317, 5.17, #77); CB Oren Burks, rSR. (6-2, 225, 4.64, #20); CB Tre Herndon, SR. (6-0, 188, 4.49, #31); TE Jared Pinkney, rSO. (6-4, 250, 4.78, #80); WR Trent Sherfield, SR. (6-1, 199, 4.54, #10)
TCU (3-0) at Oklahoma State (3-0)
Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET at Boone Pickens Stadium (Stillwater, Okla.), ESPN
Three draft-eligible prospects to focus on:
--QB Mason Rudolph, Oklahoma State, SR. (6-4, 230, 4.83, #2): The numbers look silly for Rudolph with 72.3 percent completions (68-for-94) for 1,135 yards, 11 touchdowns and only one interception, but TCU will provide the toughest test he'll face so far in 2017. As a prospect, he has improved in some key areas, but the Cowboys' quarterback-friendly offense helps hide some of his issues, which is why he isn't considered a first-rounder.
--WR James Washington, Oklahoma State, SR. (6-0, 205, 4.50, #28): Rudolph has several weapons at his disposal (four OSU receivers had 100-plus yards receiving last week at Pitt), but Washington is clearly the lead singer in the band. He has only average size, but is one of the best finishers at the catch point in any level of football. Washington also flashes his physicality after the catch, using body strength to run through tackles.
--LT Joseph Notebloom, TCU, rSR. (6-5, 318, 4.98, #68): For several scouts, Noteboom was the highest-rated senior prospect for the Horned Frogs over the summer and that has held true through three games. He stays wide in his stance to keep rushers in front of him, using his strong, persistent upper body to control defenders. While he should stay at tackle in the NFL, some think he is better suited inside at guard.
Penn State (3-0) at Iowa (3-0)
Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET at Kinnick Stadium (Iowa City, Iowa), ABC
Three draft-eligible prospects to focus on:
--RB Saquon Barkley, Penn State, JR. (5-11, 223, 4.49, #26): The top back for the 2018 NFL Draft, Barkley is also making a strong run at the Heisman Trophy with his early season play, averaging 8.1 yards per carry. Barkley has also been a playmaker as a receiver, leading the Nittany Lions with 241 receiving yards and 21.9 yards per reception. Iowa redshirt senior MLB Josey Jewell (6-1, 236, 4.78, #43) will have his hands full.
--CB Joshua Jackson, Iowa, rJR. (6-0, 193, 4.48, #15): Despite being a first-year starter, Jackson quickly introduced himself to NFL scouts with impressive play over the first three games, ranking No. 1 in FBS with eight passes defended. He does a great job staying in phase with receivers and shows the coverage awareness to find the football and put himself in position to make a play at the catch point.
--WR/TE Mike Gesicki, Penn State, SR. (6-5, 252, 4.85, #88): Although he lacks a prototypical build for the position with lean limbs, Gesicki is a new breed tight end, creating mismatches with his height/length, athleticism and ball skills. With his large catch radius, it is near impossible to truly cover him. OC Joe Moorehead relies on various run-pass option plays with Barkley and Gesicki -- the two foundations of the offense.
Other Penn State prospects to watch: QB Trace McSorley, rJR. (6-0, 201, 4.64, #9); WR DaeSean Hamilton, rSR. (6-1, 211, 4.58, #5); MLB Jason Cabinda, SR. (6-1, 232, 4.87, #40); FS Marcus Allen, SR. (6-1, 202, 4.55, #2); CB Grant Haley, SR. (5-9, 185, 4.50, #15); WR Saeed Blacknall, SR. (6-2, 212, 4.62, #5)
Other Iowa prospects to watch: RB Akrum Wadley, rSR. (5-10, 191, 4.54, #25); RT/RG Sean Welsh, rSR. (6-3, 290, 5.10, #79); OC James Daniels, JR. (6-4, 295, 5.24, #78); LB Ben Niemann, SR. (6-2, 230, 4.74, #44); DS Miles Taylor, SR. (6-0, 205, 4.59, #19); DT Nathan Bazata, rSR. (6-2, 285, 4.93, #99)
