2016 NFL Draft: Underclassmen Who Should Not Have Declared Early
The deadline for collegiate football players to declare for the 2016 NFL draft passed Monday. A total of 103 underclassmen have announced their intentions to forgo the rest of their eligibility to enter the NFL draft, and the official number will be reported by the NFL on Thursday. If the 103 total stands, it will break the previous record of 98 early entrants from 2014.
The high number of underclassmen entering the NFL early is alarming. Twenty-four of the 84 early entrants in 2015 went undrafted. Every situation is different in terms of why each player is leaving school early, but the risk of leaving school to be under-drafted or undrafted is high for many underclassmen.
There are 10 players who especially stand out as players who are making poor decisions by leaving school before their eligibility is out. Our list doesn't mean these players will be bad in the NFL but rather that they haven't maximized their draft stocks to this point in their careers. This list was also based purely on the football aspect of their decisions, as their family situations and academic standings are unknown to the general public.
Let’s take a look at 10 players who shouldn't have declared early. Be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments section below.
Jalin Marshall, WR, Ohio State
1 of 10
A 5'11", 205-pound speedster, Ohio State wide receiver Jalin Marshall declared for the NFL draft after his redshirt sophomore season with the Buckeyes. Marshall was a big-time high school recruit, ranking as the fourth-best receiver in the 2013 class. His on-field play for Ohio State featured many flashes of talent, but he never found consistency.
Marshall had 74 receptions, 976 yards and 11 touchdowns in two seasons. He was a solid punt returner, adding 662 yards and a touchdown on special teams. His speed and open-field talent made him especially dangerous.
Why Marshall is leaving school now is puzzling. With Ohio State losing Michael Thomas and Braxton Miller to the NFL, Marshall was in line to be the top target in 2016. He never established himself as a reliable offensive player, often struggling with drops. While he brings immense upside as a slot receiver and return man, he's projected as a sixth-round pick by CBS Sports.
He could have returned to Ohio State and shown Day 2 talent in 2016 with more consistency and a prominent role.
Thomas Duarte, WR, UCLA
2 of 10
A third-year junior, UCLA wide receiver Thomas Duarte will be entering the NFL. At 21 years old, Duarte is coming off a career-high 872 yards and 10 touchdowns and has excellent size. He’s 6'3" and 225 pounds.
Duarte was a four-star tight end recruit out of high school and never showed much until Josh Rosen took over at quarterback for UCLA. His size and reliability at the catch point were major positives of his game. His decision to forgo another season with Rosen is questionable, though.
Duarte would've benefited from the natural progression from Rosen, and the depth chart would have helped his targets increase. Fellow Bruins receiver Jordan Payton graduated this year, so Duarte would have been the undisputed No. 1 target.
He's projected as a fourth or fifth round option by CBS Sports. With his best NFL position up in the air and a deep receiver class forming, Duarte would have been best served to finish his UCLA scholarship.
Caleb Benenoch, OT, UCLA
3 of 10
Another early UCLA defector is Caleb Benenoch. The 6'5", 305-pound right tackle was named honorable mention for the Pac-12 in 2015. He’s leaving school as a third-year junior with one year of eligibility left.
Benenoch is a solid athlete who never mastered his craft in college. He struggles working in space because his technique is still raw at this point. He’s a long-term project at the position.
The former four-star recruit is currently ranked as an undrafted talent by CBS Sports. While that will likely change as he is evaluated more in-depth, I see his ceiling being Day 3. He’s unlikely to step in and produce until his third season. Going back to UCLA for one more year would give him time to add functional core strength and improve his technique.
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Ron Thompson, DE, Syracuse
4 of 10
A 6'3", 255-pound defensive end from Syracuse, Ron Thompson is forgoing his final year of eligibility after completing his fourth-year junior season. Thompson was a third-team All-ACC honoree in 2015. He tallied 35 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks in his junior season.
Thompson was the anchor for the Orange's defensive line. Without him, the team severely lacks talent along the unit. Although that shouldn't be a consideration for Thompson's decision, he didn't need to worry about being pushed out of a starting job.
If Thompson had returned, he could have boosted his current undrafted free-agent status from CBS Sports. When I watched Thompson, I didn't see an NFL-caliber rotation player but a hard worker who can be developed on the practice squad and maybe play special teams. His upside leaves room for improvement, but another year of experience would have been helpful.
Willie Henry, DT, Michigan
5 of 10
Michigan defensive lineman Willie Henry announced he is forgoing his fifth year of eligibility to enter the NFL draft. The 6'2" 310-pounder has the ability to fit a 3-4 front as an end or a 4-3 front as a tackle. He had his best season in 2015 under Jim Harbaugh's reign.
Henry is a solid tackler and showed the ability to finish plays in the backfield. He's not especially quick or powerful, but he cleaned up several sacks en route to a 6.5 sack total this year. He finished his career with 85 tackles, 18 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks.
The 2016 class is deep with defensive tackle prospects. Henry is projected as a sixth-rounder right now by CBS Sports, and I agree with that value for Henry. He is a backup-caliber player with limited potential.
Going back to Michigan could have caused a bit of a logjam at the position, but Henry likely would have started. With his NFL future murky at best, finishing his collegiate career looks like the much better option.
Darius Latham, DT, Indiana
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One of the more unknown players on the list of early entrants is Darius Latham of Indiana. The third-year junior had one year of eligibility left and could have returned to the Hoosiers to start as a senior. His decision to leave Indiana is questionable.
Latham lacked the type of production needed throughout his career as a 3-4 defensive end to justify leaving school early. He had just 7.5 sacks in three years, posting four of those in 2015. His 6'5", 300-pound frame is intriguing, but he doesn’t know how to maximize his size at this time.
He is not only a major on-field project, but he has off-field questions to boot. The former four-star recruit was suspended for three games over two suspensions in his career. He has undrafted free agent written all over his resume.
Beniquez Brown, LB, Mississippi State
7 of 10
At 6'1", 238 pounds, Beniquez Brown surprisingly announced he'd be leaving the Mississippi State Bulldogs after his junior season. 2015 was his fourth year on campus, but he had started only two seasons. Brown did have an impressive 99 tackles and 11 tackles for loss this year.
The Bulldogs lost their linebackers coach for the third time in Brown's career, as the two previous coaches left for promotions elsewhere. This could explain his willingness to depart the program. But his decision may not work out as far as his draft status.
Brown is projected to be a seventh-rounder or even an undrafted free agent by CBS Sports. He has average size for a weak-side linebacker, but athletically, he doesn’t play as agile or fast as the NFL will want. He's productive and was lauded for his intelligence, so a special teams and backup role is most likely.
Leaving college for a special teams and backup role shouldn’t be the goal of declaring early. Brown would have been better off entering a less deep linebacker class next year and getting more experience with the Bulldogs.
Scooby Wright, LB, Arizona
8 of 10
It may seem surprising to find the ultra-productive Scooby Wright on this list, but the Arizona Wildcat is not maximizing his draft stock by leaving school now. The 6'1", 246-pound linebacker is coming off an injury-riddled season and had one more year of eligibility remaining. Why he would declare after playing just three games is mind-boggling.
Wright had an incredible 164 tackles, 31 tackles for loss and 15 sacks in 2014. He was literally all over the field as a sophomore. He has solid speed and is aggressive to attack in the running game.
Where he fits in the NFL is a question, though. Wright is awkward in coverage and will be a liability in an expansive coverage role. He’s a good blitzer, which helps his outlook on passing downs. But his versatility in today’s NFL is a potential problem.
Wright is currently projected as a third-round pick by CBS Sports. If he had returned for his senior season, he might have been able to answer questions about his coverage talent and ability to finish tackles in space. He’s an ankle-grabber as a tackler, often shooting gaps as if he were a weak-side linebacker. His value was not maximized by leaving Arizona after 2015.
Cleveland Wallace III, CB, San Jose State
9 of 10
The most unknown name from the early entrants for the draft is Cleveland Wallace III from San Jose State. The former Washington Husky is a 5'11", 177-pound cornerback who spent the last two years in the Mountain West Conference. He had 79 tackles and five interceptions in three years.
Wallace doesn't look as tall as he's listed, but he has some positive traits. He's feisty and can play in the slot and special teams. He doesn't locate the ball well but is good enough in coverage to make the catch process difficult for receivers.
Wallace has had issues with academics, which may be why he decided to leave now. Nevertheless, he is not well-regarded as far as where he'll be drafted. I see a late-round talent, and CBS Sports doesn't have him ranked. He'll have to impress throughout the draft process to maximize where he'll go.
T.J. Green, SAF, Clemson
10 of 10
A first-year starter for Clemson, safety T.J. Green unexpectedly declared for the 2016 NFL draft. He has excellent size, standing 6'2" and 205 pounds. He also was productive in his first year, totaling 95 tackles in 2015.
In a deep safety class, Green will be at a disadvantage because of his situation. Not only does he have just one year of film, but he also played with a ton of talent at Clemson. His role was specialized, and it’s hard to see where his major impact came.
His best value right now is as a special teams gunner. He was a solid player there in 2013 and 2014. He had the chance to be a part of a special Clemson squad in 2016, though, and it would have helped him to return for another year. Right now, he is projected as a fifth-round pick by CBS Sports.
All stats used are from Sports-Reference.com. All recruiting rankings courtesy of 247Sports.
Ian Wharton is an NFL Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.
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