2017 NFL Draft: Draft Radar Heading into NFL Week 6
We are now six weeks into the college football season, and plenty of prospects continue to shine, ready to take that step to the next level. Meanwhile, plenty of NFL teams are separating themselves from the pack to fight for a top-10 draft pick—not by choice, of course.
A classic rivalry in the state of Florida was eye-opening to the world for a potential top quarterback. The Washington Huskies continued to shine, as they dismantled Oregon for that elusive victory the program needed. The SEC has a human wrecking ball pass-rusher who is clearly in the first-round conversation.
Although the Tennessee Titans pulled out a win over the Miami Dolphins, who exactly is Marcus Mariota throwing to? To cap it all off, we discuss five dream fits for prospects that every NFL fan should love to see (unless they land on a rival team).
Stock Up
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Oklahoma’s Offense
The Sooner offense exploded in Oklahoma's win over Texas on Saturday. Running back Samaje Perine capitalized off a big workload (35 carries) for 214 yards and two touchdowns. He has workhorse potential but is in a tandem with talented back Joe Mixon, so his touches vary by game. Perine is a top-10 back in this upcoming class.
Baker Mayfield lit up Texas with 390 passing yards, but the biggest star of the day was his top target, Dede Westbrook.
The Sooner receiver had 10 catches for 232 yards and three touchdowns, showing off his ability to create the big play. Westbrook has averaged over 22 yards per catch in his last two games, winning with incredible routes and burst in the vertical passing game.
Jamaal Williams, RB, BYU
Fifth-year senior captain Jamaal Williams has been one of the best workhorse backs in all of college football this season. He tore up Michigan State in what was a huge win for BYU, rumbling for 163 yards and two touchdowns. He has 618 rushing yards in his last three games, and it’s hard to imagine anyone slowing him down at this point.
It’s a matter of when, not if, he gets mentioned with the top running backs in this class.
Treston Decoud, CB, Oregon State
Treston Decoud, a 6'3", 208-pound cornerback, continued his impressive season against the Davis Webb-led Cal offense. He was targeted 14 times and only allowed five receptions for 28 yards. Decoud has now allowed less than 30 receiving yards in four of Oregon State’s five games this season. The arrow is pointing up for the long, potential shutdown cornerback.
Stock Down
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Brad Kaaya, QB, Miami
Miami looked poised to take over the state of Florida once again, but its loss to Florida State this weekend put a halt on its plans. Brad Kaaya generated plenty of first-round hype this summer and early this season, but it’s hard to see right now.
From a physical standpoint, he remains relatively unimpressive. At best, he displays an average arm and build (6'4", 215 lbs) with mediocre athleticism. When the heat was on Saturday, he often broke down, failing to work through the rush. Kaaya is a signal-caller who will have to thrive with his intelligence, and right now, that’s just not good enough for him to be considered a top quarterback prospect.
Mike McGlinchey, OT, Notre Dame
The 2017 offensive tackle class continues to trend downward, with Mike McGlinchey being the latest to struggle. Notre Dame played NC State in an absolute mess this weekend, and its offense could not get anything going. McGlinchey allowed his first sack of the year, getting torched by senior pass-rusher Bradley Chubb.
The Notre Dame starting left tackle still looks like one of the better offensive line prospects in this upcoming class—even if he claims he’s not declaring, per Laken Litman of the Indianapolis Star (h/t Bleacher Report's Matt Miller)—but he finally showed vulnerability in a strange game this weekend.
J.T. Barrett, QB, Ohio State
For Ohio State fans, J.T. Barrett is playing fine right now, using his legs and controlling the ball. As for NFL prospect standards, it’s hard to be excited about his future as a signal-caller. He was only 9-of-21 for 93 yards with one touchdown and one interception against Indiana on Saturday.
Barrett is the right guy to help the Buckeyes continue their winning ways, but the questions about his size and pocket-passing ability will be legitimate throughout the NFL draft process. He should return for his senior season, where he can continue to refine his game while competing for one more national title under head coach Urban Meyer.
Eye-Popping Prospect Numbers of the Week
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Washington senior outside linebacker Joe Mathis was a nightmare for Oregon to handle in the Huskies' blowout win this weekend. He compiled a sack, two more quarterback hits and 10 total pressures against the Ducks.
Is there anything Michigan’s Jabrill Peppers can’t do? He didn’t allow a catch against Rutgers, while on the other side of the ball, he scored two rushing touchdowns. Imagine if this punt return wasn’t called back?
Alabama’s edge duo of Tim Williams and Ryan Anderson continued their trend of haunting quarterbacks against Arkansas on Saturday. They combined for 14 total quarterback pressures (seven each), while each of them had a sack.
Underclassman Phenom of the Week: Washington QB Jake Browning
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Height: 6'2"
Weight: 209 lbs
Class: Sophomore
The Huskies have burst onto the scene as one of the best teams in college football this year. While their defense is a future NFL talent pool, sophomore quarterback Jake Browning has the offense scoring at an alarming rate.
In what might have been his best performance yet, Browning scored eight touchdowns (six passing, two rushing) against Oregon on Saturday in a 70-21 blowout victory. The biggest key to his success is his efficiency, only throwing two interceptions while completing over 72 percent of his passes this season.
Browning is not the biggest quarterback at 6'2", 209 pounds, but he has plenty of time to fill out his frame. In terms of a pro outlook, his best quality may be his passing under pressure. He’s completed 22 of 37 pass attempts when under pressure for 355 yards, five touchdowns and one interception.
Even better has been his ability to pick up the blitz, where he is completing an absurd 77.8 percent (35 of 45) of his passes for six touchdowns and zero interceptions.
The 2018 class might be one of the more polarizing quarterback groups of the past decade, potentially featuring Browning, Louisville’s Lamar Jackson and UCLA’s Josh Rosen.
Meet the Human Wrecking Ball: Auburn Pass-Rusher Carl Lawson
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Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller said it best a few weeks ago: Carl Lawson is wreaking havoc in the college football landscape.
When healthy, Lawson has always been a disruptive threat off the edge in Auburn’s front seven. Recently, that disruption is translating to box-score production. He had two sacks, three quarterback hits and seven total pressures against Mississippi State on Saturday.
At 6'2" and 253 pounds, Lawson is not a player with all-world length like Myles Garrett or Malik McDowell. He displays superb strength with his hands, fighting off and through offensive linemen. On 157 pass-rush attempts through six games in 2016, he’s been disruptive on nearly 18 percent of those attempts (factoring in sacks, hits and hurries).
Leading up to the draft, much of the talk will understandably surround Garrett, who is a star at Texas A&M. With that being said, do not sleep on Lawson, who looks deserving of a top-20 selection for next spring.
Making the Case For: Getting Marcus Mariota Playmakers
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It's not a secret Mariota has struggled in his second NFL season. The blame has been pointed everywhere from his coaching staff to the talent around him to the lack of his overall personal development. Those are all fair aspects to knock.
Now the Titans need to get their franchise quarterback help. The tandem of DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry is a start, along with investing plenty of recent draft assets into the offensive line. That's not where this ends, though, especially when the receivers eating up the offensive snaps are fifth-round rookie Tajae Sharpe, Rishard Matthews and 35-year-old Andre Johnson.
Sharpe and Matthews haven't been "bad" players, but they are complementary receivers to one or two star-type talents. In an upcoming class that isn't exactly a wide receiver gold mine, where should the Titans look?
Keep in mind they have the Los Angeles Rams' first-round pick as well, which only boosts their ability to revamp their offense. Clemson's Mike Williams (6'3") and Virginia Tech's Isaiah Ford (6'2") are both taller targets who can win in the vertical game. Mariota's ability to extend plays would pair perfectly with a receiver who can get over the top of the defense.
Oklahoma's Westbrook doesn't have great size (6'0", 176 lbs), but he can absolutely fly in the open field. The Dorial Green-Beckham experiment quickly failed, but the Titans can replace his red-zone size (6'5", 237 lbs) with one of the top tight ends in Michigan's Jake Butt (6'6", 250 lbs) or Alabama's O.J. Howard (6'6", 242 lbs).
It is way too early to panic on Mariota (although it is fair to question the offensive staff around him). The Titans need to capitalize on all of the draft assets they've recently acquired by setting up their franchise quarterback with high-level playmakers.
Five Dream Fits the NFL Deserves
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Arizona Cardinals: DeShone Kizer, QB, Notre Dame
The Carson Palmer era might be coming to an end, as he immensely struggled before getting injured this season. Bruce Arians could do wonders with DeShone Kizer, who has a top-tier skill set.
Palmer is under team control the next two seasons, which would buy the Cardinals the appropriate time to develop Kizer (most likely one year). There are plenty of great weapons in place in Arizona for him to work with, not to mention one of the best coaching minds in football.
Seattle Seahawks: Sidney Jones, CB, Washington
Richard Sherman is rarely targeted, and for good reason: He’s a flat-out dominant, physical corner quarterbacks know to avoid. If Seattle can find another impressive defensive back to put across from him, the Seahawks defense could become even more of a turnover machine.
Sidney Jones is the Huskies' version of Sherman—quarterbacks have completely stopped looking his way. He’s been targeted nine times in six games this season and has allowed a total of 20 receiving yards on the four catches he’s surrendered.
New York Jets: Tim Williams, EDGE, Alabama
The Jets have built a great defensive line, but it’s one-dimensional with interior talent. They do not have a player on the roster who is explosive off the snap with bend off the edge to get after the quarterback.
Williams is one of the more efficient disruptors in this class, constantly making the most of his pass-rush snaps. The knock on him is his ability to transition to a three-down NFL defender, but he’d have enough help around him to not be a liability there.
New Orleans Saints: Christian McCaffrey, RB, Stanford
Drew Brees isn’t getting any younger, but Christian McCaffrey would thrive with him in Sean Payton’s offense. The Saints have done a nice job of adding younger skill players with Brandin Cooks, Michael Thomas and Willie Snead. Getting a running back who is an all-around threat and a top-tier returner could help the Saints regain form as the most explosive offense in football.
New England Patriots: Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida State
LeGarrette Blount has been solid for the Patriots, and the return of Dion Lewis later this season will help, but adding a dynamic runner like Dalvin Cook could take Bill Belichick’s offense to another level.
Cook does it all. He's not only a lethal threat as a runner, but also as a pass-catcher coming out of the backfield. With Martellus Bennett and Rob Gronkowski forming the best tight end tandem in the NFL, adding a premium talent in the backfield is the last piece Tom Brady needs.
Advanced stats courtesy Pro Football Focus.
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