The further we get into the season, the tougher it is for me to choose just three guys each week whose draft stock is rising. There were many more big risers this past weekend, but the following three guys stood out to me the most. We also have some surprise big name fallers this week, a small-school prospect whose name or college you probably haven’t heard of, and some very big games this upcoming weekend.
Draft Risers:
1. Dwayne Haskins, QB, Ohio State:
Haskins might be the bigger riser for the 2019 NFL Draft class out of anyone in college football this year. He has launched himself into talks among NFL circles about being a potential first-round pick due to his play this year and his abilities as a pro prospect. Haskins has a rocket for an arm, is very accurate, highly intelligent, and has that “it” factor. He has been calmly leading the Ohio State offense to an electric year that has seemed like touchdown after touchdown. Haskins’ numbers are almost as ridiculous as his rising draft stock, throwing for 1,194 yards, 76% completion percentage, 16 touchdowns, and just one interception. The more we see of Haskins, the more he will rise as scouts realize more and more what he can do on the field.
2. D’Andre Walker, DE, Georgia:
It was hard to watch the Georgia-Mizzou game on Saturday without seeing D’Andre Walker make big time plays. He was constantly blowing up blockers, getting into the backfield, and disrupting plays. Walker is gifted with a great build and length with long arms that he uses to keep blockers away from him and allows him to dip back inside. He can get around the edge with a good shoulder dip and takes advantage of offensive tackles. Walker needs to work on his hands and quickness off the snap to propel him even further. Georgia is loaded with NFL-level talent and Walker is at the top of that crop and will be one of probably many Georgia players selected in the 2019 draft.
3. Benny Snell, RB, Kentucky:
Snell has been money this year on a Kentucky team that has been showing the world they are not just a basketball school. He has rushed for 540 yards and 7 touchdowns on 87 carries through 4 games this season. Snell has good burst and is a tough runner who picks up a lot of yards after contact. He mixes his power with great vision to either find a gap or run through a defender for a few more yards. Kentucky has been rolling and Snell is a big part of it, causing him to make a high leap up draft boards.
Draft Fallers:
1. A.J. Brown, WR, Ole Miss:
A.J. Brown has been lighting it up on the stat sheet this year with 26 catches, 381 yards, and 3 touchdowns through 4 games. That sounds great, but if you dive deeper you’ll see he only had 4 catches for 34 yards against Alabama. But that’s just one game against a very good defense that is keying in on Brown as the Ole Miss number one receiver. So then we look back at the 2017 season. Against Alabama, he had one catch, 6 yards, zero touchdowns. Then against LSU, he had 4 catches, 39 yards, zero touchdowns. And against Texas A&M, 7 catches, 70 yards, one touchdown. Now we see a pattern against top defenses that does not look good.
Brown’s biggest strength is his ability to get yards after the catch, but we’re seeing his biggest weakness dropping him down: ability to separate. Besides hands, a receiver’s ability to separate from defenders to get open is the most crucial aspect, and Brown is failing to do that. Ole Miss is facing LSU this week and Brown will get a chance to prove he can separate against a very good defense.
2. Bryce Love, RB, Stanford:
Bryce Love decided to stay for his senior year rather than opting for the draft last year as a junior, hoping another season would get him more pro ready and boost his stock. Love is a speedy back with great burst, agility, and vision and is dangerous on the edges and in the open field. Some concerns scouts had with him last year were his ability to help in the passing game and his size and durability. He is small for an NFL running back. So far this season, Love’s concerns have overshadowed his abilities.
He hasn’t shown the toughness he will need at the next level due to his smaller size.Love just doesn’t translate very well to the NFL and would do best on a team with a power back to pair him with. He still might be able to get into an early round, but he hasn’t been what we thought he would be this season.
3. Kris Boyd, CB, Texas:
Boyd was hot and cold on Saturday against TCU, but for me, he was much more cold. Boyd does a tremendous job of recovering and getting his hands on balls to break them up. But that’s the problem, there were way too many plays where Boyd was beat on Saturday and was forced to catch up to the receiver. Too often he is caught flat-footed and his feet not moving, while he is too slow to flip his hips to stay with good route-runners. These bad traits will only translate worse once he arrives in the NFL, and I don’t believe his technique is good enough for NFL teams to take him early in the draft.
Small School Prospect Spotlight:
Donald Parham, TE, Stetson:
Parham is a hard man to miss on the field, standing at 6’8” and 240 pounds. His size alone makes him an intriguing prospect at the tight end position. So far this season in 3 games, Parham has 21 catches, 337 yards, and 4 touchdowns. Last season in 9 games, he accounted for 58 catches, 817 yards, and one touchdown. Parham is not the greatest athlete and he is very raw, but he is bursting with potential. He already looks much better this season than last, and I’m sure plenty of NFL teams will be itching to land a TE this big in the draft, most likely late on the third day.
Top Match-Ups This Weekend:
1. Ohio State vs Penn State:
Nick Bosa has been dealing with an injury so far this season, so he might not suit up for this game either. However, besides Bosa, there is still a lot of big time talent in this game led by Ohio State’s defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones and Penn State’s running back Miles Sanders and quarterback Trace McSorley. Ohio State also has cornerback Kendall Sheffield, offensive lineman Isaiah Prince, and wide receiver Parris Campbell to keep your eye on. Penn State also features wide receivers Juwan Johnson and DeAndre Thompkins, cornerback Amani Oruwariye, and defensive lineman Shareef Miller. Ohio State has been dominant this year but even if Penn State doesn’t offer much resistance, there will still be a lot of NFL-level talent on the field.
2. Ole Miss vs LSU:
This game will feature a very exciting positional match-up between Ole Miss receivers and LSU defensive backs. The big headliners here are LSU’s cornerback Greedy Williams and Ole Miss wide receivers A.J. Brown and D.K. Metcalf, along with LSU linebacker Devin White. These four guys stand a great shot at going early in the 2019 draft, and this game will help them prove they belong at the top of this draft class. Ole Miss also features offensive tackle Greg Little, while LSU also has defensive end Rashard Lawrence.
3. Stanford vs Notre Dame:
This should be a highly competitive game on the field and a fun one to watch at home. Stanford presents their 2019 draft prospect-filled roster with running back Bryce Love, wide receiver JJ Arcega-Whiteside, tight end Kaden Smith, and offensive tackle Nate Herbig. Notre Dame had two top-10 draft picks last year, but I don’t expect them to take much of a step back this year. The defense is loaded at every level, led by linebackers Te’von Coney and Drue Tranquill, defensive lineman Jerry Tillery, and cornerback Julian Love. A great offense against a great defense should equal a great game.