It’s hard to believe we are already so far into the season. I’m dreading the Saturday morning we all have to wake up to no football games on TV. The silver lining, however, is that the draft picture is starting to get a little bit clear. Some guys at the top of the draft continue their dominance, while others across the board continue to rise and fall. Take a look at who we’ve highlighted this week.
Draft Risers:
1. Bryce Hall, CB, Virginia:
Hall has been on a roll the last couple of weeks as UVA has been up against some very good teams. He’s had 2 interceptions and 14 pass breakups over the past 6 weeks. Hall is a bigger corner with length that he complements with good speed and athleticism. He gets out of turns really easily and breaks on the ball. Hall has great ball skills, clearly proven by the stats he’s been putting up. He is a play-maker with a very high upside and he’s been shooting up draft boards.
2. Brian Burns, DE, Florida State:
If Bryce Hall’s stats impress you, take a look at Brian Burn’s. He has been dominating offensive lines all season, racking up 9 sacks already this year. He’s a leaner player at 6’5” and 235 pounds, but he’s still physical and gets to the quarterback with ease. Burns is yet another player that is shooting up boards and it will be interesting to see where he lands come April.
3. Zach Moss, RB, Utah:
Zach Moss is a name most people didn’t even know before the season, and honestly a lot of people probably still don’t really know him. But Moss is climbing draft boards for the work he has been putting in this year. The first thing that stands out about Moss is that he absolutely loves contact. He is not afraid to go up against any defender and lower his shoulder. This may seem like a bit of a drawback to a running back, but Moss also has good burst and elusiveness and can bounce outside and around defenders if necessary. I can’t wait to see how he finishes this year.
Draft Fallers:
1. Ryan Finley, QB, NC State:
We’ve seen Finley’s name here before, and it might be the last time on the fallers list. Before the season began, some people had Finley pinned as a top 5 quarterback and almost a first round lock. More than halfway through the season, all that talk has died out. Finley is looking more like a day three prospect as the weeks go by, and it doesn’t look like he’ll play his way back up. Scouts have seen enough from Finley this year to where it doesn’t matter what type of stats he puts up the rest of the season, his traits just aren’t good enough to warrant using a high pick on him.
2. Darrell Taylor, DE, Tennessee:
Taylor was slowly rising up draft boards as the season started, but that stopped on Saturday against Alabama. Taylor was absolutely shut down by Alabama’s tackles Jonah Williams and Jedrick Willis. Taylor didn’t record a single tackle and he didn’t make an impact at all. He didn’t even come close to the quarterback and his lack of true edge rush skills were very apparent. He was exposed on Saturday and that’s a gam that scouts won’t be able to overlook.
3. Johnathan Abrams, S, Mississippi State:
Abrams has grown on me since the start of the season as I’ve watched a lot more of his play live. I’ve been impressed, but I’ve also been let down at times. The problem is that Abrams is aggressive, really aggressive. His aggression leads to recklessness and that leads to missed tackles and bad plays in coverage. Teams will most likely still like Abrams though, and don’t get me wrong, I do too, but he needs to hold back a little to avoid those mistakes.
Small School Prospect Spotlight:
Nasir Adderley, S, Delaware
This isn’t about the amazing kickoff return Adderley had on Saturday, but that certainly didn’t hurt (you need to check out the play if you haven’t yet). Adderley isn’t going to impress against the run, but he’s a great athlete with good coverage skills. He’s slightly undersized, but he’s athletic enough to match up with most receivers. Adderley is an interesting FCS prospect as he also excels on special teams as a returner and that will surely help him on draft day.
Big Match-Ups This Weekend:
1. Georgia vs. Florida:
This is going to be a huge test for Florida as they face a greatly talented Gerogia team. Florida has been widely overlooked this season until the past few weeks, so it will be interesting to see how they look. We all know the talent on Georgia, led by cornerback Deandre Baker, defensive linemen D’Andre Walker, Jonathan Ledbetter, and Tyler Clark, and safety J.R. Reed. Florida has defensive end Jachai Polite, offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor, linebacker CeCe Jefferson, and running back Jordan Scarlett.
2. Penn State vs. Iowa:
Big Ten match-ups always seem to be competitive, with the better team not really having much of an edge. I expect this game to be a good one and there are some draft prospects that will make it interesting. Penn State features running back Miles Sanders, wide receivers Juwan Johnson and DeAndre Thompkins, quarterback Trace McSorley, cornerback Amani Oruwariye, and defensive lineman Shareef Miller. Iowa has two good tight ends leading them in Noah Fant and T.J. Hockenson, followed by defensive end Anthony Nelson and quarterback Nate Stanley.
3. Mississippi State vs. Texas A&M:
Both of these defenses are bursting with top-end talent and this game will be fun to watch if you love defense. Mississippi State has two dominate defensive linemen in Jeffery Simmons and Montez Sweat, safety Johnathan Abrams, and cornerback Jamal Peters. Texas A&M features defensive tackle Kingsley Keke, safety Donovan Wilson, defensive end Landis Durham, and also running back Trayveon Williams on the other side of the ball.