by Dave Syvertsen, Ourlads’ Draft Analyst
ARMY
Other Notables:
#11 LB Andrew King – 6’0/246
NORTH TEXAS
Other Notables:
#11 WR Thaddeous Thompson – 6’2/202
TEMPLE
#66 OT Dion Dawkins – 6’5/318
Fourth year senior. Has had a windy road to where he is now including a couple of minor lower body injuries and an assault arrest. The red flags seem minimal, however and he is line to be a day two pick. Dawkins plays left tackle for Temple and was rewarded 1st Team All AAC in 2016, 2nd team in 2015. He is a very physical, mammoth kid that relishes the role of the enforcer. Technique wise he appears inconsistent and borderline lazy at times. But when he is lined up and mentally in it, Dawkins can beat anyone one on one. I need to see more to confirm my initial belief that he can be a starting caliber guard in year one.
#5 Jahad Thomas – 5’10/188
Fourth year senior. Led the team in rushing three straight years but his ability is limited. He is undersized and lacks ability to break tackles. Very good hands out of the backfield but without more presence as a blocker, he may have a hard time sticking at the next level. The gap between him and their sophomore RB Armstead is significant. Late rounder at best because of his pass catching ability.
#7 OLB Hasson Reddick – 6’1/230
Fifth year senior. Former walk on that has put himself among the school’s top all time defenders. Finished second in the nation with 21.5 tackles for loss. Will play at the Senior Bowl. Reddick plays a DE type role in their defensive scheme and will likely be sought after by 3-4 teams in the middle of the draft. Very hungry, aggressive player that can get under the pads of blockers and turn the edge. He lacks tools and won’t fit in to some schemes.
#50 DE Praise Martin-Oguike – 6’1/255
Started his career in 2011 and was not with the team in 2012 and 2013. Long story short, he was falsely accused of rape and had to deal with that before continuing his career. He led the team with 7.5 sacks in 2014, dealt with several injuries in 2015 but fought through them, just to come back in 2016 and seal the envelope with a solid season. If I had to choose between him and Reddick, it would be a coin flip as of right now. Martin-Oguike has the NFL body and short area reactions. Very strong kid that I think can be a fine 3-4 OLB rotational guy with the upside of being more. Every down player. He should be drafted late.
Other Notables:
#15 CB Nate Hairston – 6’0/193
WAKE FOREST
#8 LB Marquel Lee – 6’3/240
Fourth year senior, three year starter. 4th in the nation with 19 TFL in 2016, also led the team in tackles. I can see why someone could fall in love with Lee after watching him for a week or two. He is big and fast, very good at making initial reads. He can get in the action often, something you always want to see from a LB. I think the upside with him is big but I need to see more power presence before I can say I like him. He gets beat by blockers too often and he lacks violence as a tackler. Those are two red flags for me when I scout LBs. I think he will be a 5th-6th rounder that can be sought after by any defensive scheme.
*#53 DE Duke Ejiofor – 6’4/270
Fourth year junior that hasn’t declared yet. If I was advising him, I would say go back to school. Ejiofor broke out in a big way this season, finishing 4th in the ACC in sacks and 8th in TFL. I watched him plenty and while I do see the freakish upside, his skill set just isn’t there yet. If he goes back to school and improves that along with putting together another All ACC performance, we’re talking potential 1st rounder. He is very athletic (sub 4.6 40, 39 inch vertical, ran hurdles in high school) and it shows up from time to time on tape. The only thing that annoys me here is what the team does with him role-wise. He can be much more if they let him simply rush the edge but their DE role is a little too inside for me. Oh well. If he comes out he is a 5th/6th rounder right now unless a team falls in love with the athleticism.
#25 CB Brad Watson – 6’0/200
Fourth year senior and two year starter. He was on my list of guys to watch this season after an impressive 2015 campaign. He has the size and speed to match up with a variety of receivers. He is pretty good with his hands and will tackle ball carriers coming at him well. His struggles are maintaining his balance and speed when tracking the ball came up with each week I scouted him. He’ll need to be better there if he plans on sticking around. Still though, a solid cover man with his size and speed will likely get drafted. 5th-6th round.
Other Notables:
#26 LB Thomas Brown – 6’3/225
#40 DT Josh Banks – 6’4/290
MINNESOTA
#79 OT Jonah Pirsig – 6’9/325
Fifth year senior and three year starter. Fought an ankle injury this season and missed 3 games but when healthy, I think he may be one of the top 10-12 senior tackles in this class. He likely needs to be on the right side, as footwork and speed to the edge are weaknesses here. He really knows how to use his length though and when he locks those hands on, its over. Very strong kid who has the potential to be a starter at the next level. I’ll say as high as round 4 for him right now.
#7 QB Mitch Leidner – 6’4/230
Three year starter that has the tools to get you excited but his 2016 was very disappointing. After showing signs in 2015, hopes were high but he just couldn’t put it together. Leidner can really spin it, he is a very good athlete, and he’s tough. But he fails to read defenses and just too often ends up throwing the ball in to traffic. He was woefully inconsistent this year. Someone could fall in love with the tools though and draft him late.
#7 S Damarius Thomas – 6’2/215
Fifth year senior that sat out most of 2015 with a severe hamstring strain. Came back strong in 2016 and showed the kind of versatility you want to see in today’s safety. He is a very solid run defender, to the point where some say he can play weak side linebacker in the NFL, but also has more than enough movement ability to cover WRs in space. Thomas won’t be a household name but he can fill a lot of holes in the back seven of a defense. Guys like this are becoming more and more popular. 4th-5th rounder.
#5 CB Jalen Myrick – 5’10/205
Fourth year senior, two year starter. Adds some value as a return specialist. Has a stocky build for the position but also can run downfield with anyone. Very good speed. Has some potential nickel corner in him I think. Plays a physical game but has the movement to stick with speed. May lack the length most are looking for but he can find a spot on a team looking for a DB/return specialist combo. Late rounder.
Other Notables:
#82 WR Drew Wolitarsky – 6’3/220
WASHINGTON STATE
*#4 QB Luke Falk – 6’4/215
Junior that hasn’t declared yet. There is an outside chance he could creep in to the first round with the QB class being very up in the air without a no-doubt-top-guy. Falk is coming from the Air Raid scheme put together by Mike Leach, an offense that has not produced any quality NFL QBs. Falk is a different passer than those other guys, however. I think he has legit NFL ability and could be a starter down the road in this league. Very good and consistent throwing mechanics along with toughness under pressure and ability to adjust when his initial reads aren’t there. If he comes out, I don’t see a major gap between him and the likes of Watson/Kizer to be honest.
#9 WR Gabe Marks – 5’11/190
Fifth year senior. All time Pac 12 leader in career receptions. Has certainly benefitted from the Leach Air Raid system. Marks is a fun guy to watch because he lacks some of the god-given ability that some of these other WR prospects have, but he is out-playing almost everyone that tries to cover him and his consistency is noteworthy. Very clean and crisp route runner, very strong hands, and very tough in traffic. Marks can be an important slot receiver for someone early in his career. Limited upside? Sure. But I think he has a high floor. Mid rounder, maybe he sneaks in to the end of round 3 if he runs well.
Other Notables:
#21 WR River Cracraft – 6’0/200
#73 OG Eduardo Middleton – 6’5/318
#18 Shalom Luani – 6’0/205
BOISE STATE
*#13 RB Jeremy McNichols – 5’9/215
Undeclared junior. Doak Walker Award semifinalist. Has had a ton of touches and production over the past two seasons since taking over for Jay Ajayi. I think he will come out. This kid is yoked from head to toe. Very well put together that won’t go down on initial contact but also showed speed to run away from defensive backs in space. Good vision and anticipation. Might be one of the best blockers AND receivers among this RB group. He is an every down guy that can handle the NFL speed and power day one. I see a day 2 pick here.
#73 OG Travis Averill – 6’3/295
Fifth year senior and three year starter. 1st Team All Mountain west in 2016. Really athletic guard that can dominate on the move at the second level. Zone blocking schemes are going to really like this kid. Plays with a low center of gravity and good hand placement. He was consistently impressive, but not dominant, in every game I saw. 5th-6th rounder.
#82 WR Jordan Sperbeck – 6’0/180
Fourth year senior. Two time 1st Team All Mountain West Conference and Boise State’s all time leading receiver. Lines up in the slot and outside. Very savvy mover in and out of his breaks than can quickly react to what the defense is showing and find the windows. Averaged over 16 yards over his career. Makes difficult catches appear routine. He has sneaky speed and agility. Early day three guy.
Other Notables:
#66 OG Mario Yakoo – 6’4/326
#51 LB Ben Weaver – 6’1/224
#49 K Tyler Rousa – 5’9/189
BAYLOR
*#9 WR KD Cannon – 6’0/180
Third year junior that was a blue chip recruit out of high school. Had a very strong first two seasons but didn’t take the step up I thought he would once Coleman left. Cannon has elite speed, likely a sub 4.4 guy. He had 5 games of a 50+ yard catch thus year alone. Definitely a guy that grabs the attention of defensive backs. I he comes out he is a 5th rounder type but big time speed has a way of getting guys bumped up a round or two.
#55 C Kyle Fuller – 6’5/315
Fourth year senior. This will be Fuller’s 39th straight start, the anchor of the Baylor offensive line. He’s been responsible for all the line calls and directing traffic in the pass-happy offensive scheme. He doesn’t move particularly well against quicker pass rushers and struggles to adjust his weight when they force him to react. He’ll be sought after late in the draft for a team looking for an interior backup.
#28 S Orion Stewart – 6’2/205
Fifth year senior. One of the best safeties in the Big 12 over the past three years. Initially it’s easy to really like Stewart, a guy with size, speed, and a physical nature. He can run downfield with fast receivers and pop a ball carrier coming across the middle. The more you watch him though, the more you notice he has issues tracking the ball and even more issues tackling in space. He seems hesitant and lacking instincts. The tools and production will get him drafted late. He could be a factor on special teams early on.
Other Notables:
#7 WR Lynx Hawthorne – 6’0/195
#20 LB Aiavion Edwards – 6’1/220
#9 CB Ryan Reid – 5’11/190
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