Matt Miller's Week 17 NFL Scouting Notebook

Matt MillerDec 30, 2016

All season we've been looking for that sleeper quarterback, this year's version of Carson Wentz or Dak Prescott. I've found one.

It isn't Brad Kaaya—who dominated West Virginia in what might have been his final college game—or any of the other big names mentioned here this season, but a redshirt sophomore at little ol' Wyoming. Josh Allen has the size (6'5", 220 lbs), massive arm, mobility and gunslinger wiring to take the NFL draft world by storm if he declares for the 2017 draft.

Last week, I wrote about Allen in the "5 Names to Know" section, and this week he leads the article. What will Allen do regarding the 2017 draft? A Wyoming source told me he hasn't yet submitted paperwork to the advisory committee but will meet with head coach Craig Bohls this week to talk about next season.

The Scout's Report

—So many quarterbacks have held "QB1" status this season, but if Allen declares, it will be a three-man race between him, Mitch Trubisky (North Carolina) and DeShone Kizer (Notre Dame).

—Two months ago, I reported what multiple people had told me—that Washington State quarterback Luke Falk was leaning toward declaring for the draft. This week, Washington State coach Mike Leach said he believes Falk will return to school for the 2017 season. My information was wrong, or something changed. That happens in this business, especially when dealing with players in their early 20s who may be juggling their own wishes against the thoughts of parents, agents, coaches and teammates. Ultimately, this was Falk's decision, and I see it as a good one for his draft stock.

—Looking ahead to next season, Falk will be in a rough competition. UCLA's Josh Rosen is the clear-cut QB1 for the 2018 draft if he's healthy. Others in consideration will be Sam Darnold (USC), Lamar Jackson (Louisville), Jake Browning (Washington), Mason Rudolph (Oklahoma State), Kyle Allen (Houston) and potentially Josh Allen from Wyoming. Breaking the top five of that class will require a much better season from Falk.

—Oklahoma State stars Mason Rudolph and James Washington announced together this week that they will return for their senior seasons. Rudolph carried a Round 4 grade on my quarterback board, with Washington ranking as a third-round receiver in a weak class at the position.

—Are the New England Patriots asking for a first-rounder for Jimmy Garoppolo? They might be asking for more, according to an interview ESPN's Adam Schefter gave to WEEI in Boston this week. Schefter stated the starting point in any trade talks would be first- and fourth-round compensation. That's what the Minnesota Vikings gave up to get Sam Bradford from the Philadelphia Eagles on a short-term rental.

—The 2017 tight end class is impressive and keeps gaining strength with more underclassmen entering the draft. Miami's David Njoku, a redshirt sophomore, told the Miami Herald's Susan Miller Degnan after the Hurricanes' bowl win that he'll enter the draft. Njoku is an impressive athlete with great size (6'4", 245 lbs) and will potentially receive a top-50 grade from me.

—When updating my rankings this week in preparation for Monday morning's seven-round mock draft, I noticed that Michigan safety Jabrill Peppers continues to fall down the board. I started him as a top-five player, then he fell to the top 10, then top 15, and now he sits around No. 20. Why the fall?

When watching Peppers play, I'm struck by how little he does on defense. He's a great return man and a fun Wildcat quarterback, but as a linebacker/safety, he has little impact on the game. Part of scouting is being able to look at his traits and project those to an NFL defense; while Peppers is fast, agile and explosive, his production and impact aren't that of a top-tier player.

—Good news for the East-West Shrine Game: NFL assistants will work the week of practices and coach the game. This will be great exposure for non-playoff assistants and a great chance for draft prospects to work with experts who can influence their draft stock and prepare them for pro-level coaching.

—Alabama edge-rusher Tim Williams is a top-10 talent on my board but too often is labeled as "only" a pass-rusher. That's just not true. Turn on the tape and he is routinely setting the edge in the run game when he's on the field. Yes, Alabama rotates the front seven often, but this idea that Williams can't affect the run game is silly. It's a case of what the team asks him to do versus what he can do. Williams can set the edge—he's just not asked to do it often.

5 Names to Know

5. S John Johnson, Boston College

A versatile defensive back with the tools to play cornerback and free safety, John Johnson has lined up at both spots for Boston College. The more I tune in to watch EDGE Harold Landry, the more I find my eyes shifting to No. 9 in the secondary. Johnson isn't a Day 1 or Day 2 player, but he could be a nice sub-package safety in Round 4.

4. WR Carlos Henderson, Louisiana Tech

Louisiana Tech wide receivers Trent Taylor and Carlos Henderson will both get talked up as we get closer to the draft, but for now Henderson is the one under the spotlight. A 5'11", 191-pound burner, he has declared for the 2017 draft already as a junior. Some scouts will no doubt question the scheme, but watching Henderson run past defenders and make plays with the ball in his hands, it's easy to see him rising to a late Day 3 selection.

3. DL Lowell Lotulelei, Utah

It feels like Lowell Lotulelei has been on my board for two years now. A talented, penetrating defensive tackle from an aggressive Utah scheme, he has the quick first step to shoot into backfields and the power to anchor in the run game. A junior, Lotulelei may return to school for the 2017 season, but right now he is a fringe first-rounder in an otherwise average defensive tackle class.

2. OT Garett Bolles, Utah

Garett Bolles is an interesting prospect with quite the backstory.

The 2016 season is his first at Utah after transferring from Snow College, where he was the No. 1-ranked junior college prospect in the nation, according to Scout.com. How does a stud high school defensive tackle end up at Snow College playing offensive tackle? An arrest will do that. Bolles was a 5-star recruit as a teenager before being arrested for vandalism and spending time in jail. He was even homeless at one point before finding a mentor who would turn his life around.

Bolles joined the Church of Latter-day Saints, did a two-year mission, got married and became a rare left tackle prospect in the last three years. Now, at 24 years old, there's a good chance he enters the 2017 draft as the top lineman in the nation.

1. OT Antonio Garcia, Troy

As much time as I've spent trying to find good quarterbacks in this class, I've spent equal time on finding quality offensive tackles in a weak group. Troy right tackle Antonio Garcia is an intriguing Day 2 option. He has the athleticism and length to move to the left side in time, and his play against Ohio pass-rusher Tarell Basham showed he can handle the job of creating separation from the rush and punching to win in a pass-blocking situation.

The Big Board

A seven-round mock draft drops Monday morning, and I don't want to spoil the fun, so here's another look at my updated Top 50 big board.

Rank	Player	School
1	DE Myles Garrett	Texas A&M
2	RB Leonard Fournette	LSU
3	DL Jonathan Allen	Alabama
4	S Jamal Adams	LSU
5	LB Reuben Foster	Alabama
6	EDGE Tim Williams	Alabama
7	WR Mike Williams	Clemson
8	RB Dalvin Cook	Florida State
9	QB Mitch Trubisky	North Carolina
10	TE O.J. Howard	Alabama
11	CB Quincy Wilson	Florida
12	WR Corey Davis	Western Michigan
13	T Ryan Ramczyk	Wisconsin
14	QB DeShone Kizer	Notre Dame
15	EDGE Derek Barnett	Tennessee
16	QB Josh Allen	Wyoming
17	CB Gareon Conley	Ohio State
18	EDGE Takkarist McKinley	UCLA
19	WR John Ross	Washington
20	S Jabrill Peppers	Michigan
21	DL Montravius Adams	Auburn
22	DL Caleb Brantley	Florida
23	CB Teez Tabor	Florida
24	LB Zach Cunningham	Vanderbilt
25	EDGE Taco Charlton	Michigan
26	EDGE Harold Landry	Boston College
27	RB Christian McCaffrey	Stanford
28	CB Marshon Lattimore	Ohio State
29	EDGE Charles Harris	Missouri
30	RB D'Onta Foreman	Texas
31	CB Sidney Jones	Washington
32	QB Deshaun Watson	Clemson
33	T Cam Robinson	Alabama
34	G Dan Feeney	Indiana
35	EDGE Ryan Anderson	Alabama
36	EDGE Carl Lawson	Auburn
37	EDGE DeMarcus Walker	Florida State
38	S Justin Evans	Texas A&M
39	LB Jarrad Davis	Florida
40	S Budda Baker	Washington
41	EDGE Joe Mathis	Washington
42	EDGE Solomon Thomas	Stanford
43	TE Jake Butt	Michigan
44	S Desmond King	Iowa
45	CB Cordrea Tankersley	Clemson
46	DL Lowell Lotulelei	Utah
47	DL Malik McDowell	Michigan State
48	G Forrest Lamp	Western Kentucky
49	EDGE Dawuane Smoot	Illinois
50	QB Brad Kaaya	Miami (Fla.)

Parting Shots

8. Looking back at the 2012 quarterback class now that four seasons have been played, it's interesting to see where players were drafted versus where they were ranked versus how well they've played.

Here are my rankings against where players were drafted, with their current status added in:

Player	# Drafted	# Ranked	Status
Andrew Luck	1	1, QB1	Starter, Colts
Robert Griffin III	2	2, QB2	Backup, Browns
Ryan Tannehill	8	46, QB4	Starter, Dolphins
Brandon Weeden	22	50, QB5	Backup, Texans
Brock Osweiler	57	68, QB6	Backup, Texans
Russell Wilson	75	102, QB7	Starter, Seahawks
Nick Foles	88	112, QB8	Backup, Chiefs
Kirk Cousins	102	44, QB3	Starter, Washington
Ryan Lindley	185	187, QB11	Out of League
B.J. Coleman	243	138, QB9	CFL
Chandler Harnish	253	244, QB12	Out of League

7. Three NFL head coaching jobs are open as of this writing. Oddly enough, the three general managers for the Rams, Bills and Jaguars remain employed. That's good news for Les Snead, Doug Whaley and Dave Caldwell but bad news for a good crop of prospective general managers like Chris Ballard and Nick Caserio.

Which of the likely head coaching candidates—no Jon Gruden or Jim Harbaugh, in other words—would I select for each team?

Buffalo: Current offensive coordinator and interim head coach Anthony Lynn should get an interview for the job and may be the right mix of innovator and organizer needed to be the CEO of the team. He's well regarded around the league, but is this rise too fast? It might be. Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin is a good possibility here too, but the chances of the Bills going with back-to-back defensive coaches are slim.

My pick would be Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub. The Bills need someone who can run the entire team and focus on the little things (like getting 11 men on the field or knowing when the team has been eliminated from the playoffs). Toub's run as a coordinator means he's used to running meetings and staying on task. His no-nonsense style would also be perfect in Buffalo.

Jacksonville: Josh McDaniels would be a good fit here, but would he be willing to bet his second time around on Blake Bortles? I can't see that one. The same goes for Kyle Shanahan, who will probably want more stability for his first head coaching job.

The Jaguars have a talented offensive roster and need someone who can take them over the top. Why not Scott Linehan, currently the offensive coordinator in Dallas and a man whose work with Dak Prescott should be praised? Linehan was last a head coach for the Rams (2006-2008) but has the offensive genius to get Bortles, Allen Robinson and the rest of the offense thriving.

Los Angeles: What's it going to cost to trade for Sean Payton? That's the first call I'm making. If Payton cannot be had for a combination of picks including a 2017 third-round compensatory pick and 2018 conditional selection, going after an offensive mind like McDaniels is the best option.

The Rams need a head coach with experience and understandably an offensive mind to work with Jared Goff and Todd Gurley. McDaniels flamed out in Denver during his run there, but what he's done in New England has earned him another shot at a head coaching gig.

6. What goes into the decision-making process for underclassman quarterbacks who are trying to decide whether to enter the draft?

Miami head coach Mark Richt was asked this in his Russell Athletic Bowl press conference, and courtesy of the Palm Beach Post, he gave a really insightful answer:

"
My goal is always to give them as much NFL information as possible, either through the committee that does the evaluating, or I’ve made a lot of contacts over the years in the NFL. There’s a lot of guys I’ve coached who are scouts. There’s a lot of guys that I’ve maybe coached with who are part of the scouting or GMs and all that kind of thing. You meet head coaches over the years, they come and try out your players. After a while you get to know a lot of those guys. You can ask them to give you a good feel for what they think of these guys.
That’s the information I want them to have. I don’t want them to make a decision based on emotion, based on what somebody in the media said they were going to be selected as, an agent who says, ‘If you come with me, I can do this for you,’ or even coming from me, saying, ‘Here’s some of the benefits of staying.’ My goal is to educate them the best I can and allow them to think it through, pray it through and do what’s in their best interest.
"

Richt is an old pro at this and has a track record of getting his guys into the draft when they've reached their peaks as players. Will Kaaya declare? I have a feeling he will, and if he does enter this class, it will be after Richt and his people have given him as much information as could be expected.

5. Another round of players accepted invitations to the Senior Bowl this week. Here's a look at the updated rosters—which are, of course, subject to change:

QB C.J. Beathard, Iowa	QB Josh Dobbs, Tennessee	QB Chad Kelly, Ole Miss
QB Sefo Liufau, Colorado	QB Nathan Peterman, Pitt	QB Antonio Pipkin, Tiffin
QB Seth Russell, Baylor	QB Davis Webb, Cal	RB Corey Clement, Wisconsin
RB Matt Dayes, NC State	RB Kareem Hunt, Toledo	RB Donnel Pumphrey, SDSU
RB Jamaal Williams, BYU	FB Sam Rogers, Virginia Tech	FB Freddie Stevenson, FSU
WR Amara Darboh, Michigan	WR Travin Dural, LSU	WR Amba Etta-Tawo, Syracuse
WR Isaiah Jones, East Carolina	WR Cooper Kupp, Eastern Wash.	WR Josh Reynolds, Texas A&M
WR Fred Ross, Miss. State	WR Jamari Staples, Louisville	WR Ryan Switzer, North Carolina
WR Trent Taylor, La. Tech	WR Taywan Taylor, Western KY	WR Dede Westbrook, Oklahoma
TE Evan Engram, Ole Miss	TE Gerald Everett, South Alabama	TE Cole Hikutini, Louisville
TE Jeremy Sprinkle, Arkansas	OT Zach Banner, USC	OT Adam Bisnowaty, Pitt
OT Julien Davenport, Bucknell	OT Dion Dawkins, Temple	OT Antonio Garcia, Troy
OT Conor McDermott, UCLA	OG Jessamen Dunker, Tenn. State	OG Dan Feeney, Indiana
OG Danny Isidora, Miami	OG Dorian Johnson, Pitt	OG Forrest Lamp, Western KY
OG Jordan Morgan, Kutztown	OG Taylor Moton, Western Michigan	OG Nico Siragusa, SDSU
OC Isaac Asiata, Utah	OC Kyle Fuller, Baylor	OC Tyler Orlosky, West Virginia
OC Ethan Pocic, LSU	OC Jon Toth, Kentucky	DE Tarell Basham, Ohio
DE Keionta Davis, Chattanooga	DE Daeshon Hall, Texas A&M	DE Tanoh Kpassagnon, Villanova
DE Carroll Phillips, Illinois	DE Dawuane Smoot, Illinois	DE Jordan Willis, Kansas State
DT Montravius Adams, Auburn	DL Ryan Glasgow, Michigan	DL Jaleel Johnson, Iowa
DL Larry Ogunjobi, Charlotte	DL Tanzel Smart, Tulane	DL Dalvin Tomlinson, Alabama
OLB Ryan Anderson, Alabama	OLB Vince Biegel, Wisconsin	OLB Jarrad Davis, Florida
OLB Takkarist McKinley, UCLA	OLB Haason Reddick, Temple	ILB Duke Riley, LSU
CB Chidobe Awuzie, Colorado	CB Rasul Douglas, West Virginia	CB Corn Elder, Miami
CB Damontae Kazee, SDSU	CB Desmond King, Iowa	CB Brendan Langley, Lamar
CB Ezra Robinson, Tennessee St.	CB Cameron Sutton, Tennessee	CB Marquez White, FSU
S Justin Evans, Texas A&M	S Johnathan Ford, Auburn	S Nate Gerry, Nebraska
S Josh Harvey-Clemons, Louisville	S Rayshawn Jenkins, Miami	S John Johnson, Boston College
S Marcus Maye, Florida	S Obi Melifonwu, UConn	P Toby Baker, Arkansas
P Justin Vogel, Miami	K Jake Elliott, Memphis	K Zane Gonzalez, Arizona State

4. The Senior Bowl is the premier predraft all-star showcase, but the East-West Shrine Game is also important. As those rosters start to take shape, I'll update them here as well:

QB Wes Lunt, Illinois	QB Gunner Kiel, Cincinnati	QB Nick Mullens, Southern Miss
QB Nathan Peterman, Pitt	QB Cooper Rush, Central Michigan	QB Zach Terrell, Western Michigan
QB Alek Torgersen, Penn	RB Marcus Cox, App State	RB Justin Davis, USC
RB I'Tavius Mathers, Middle Tenn.	RB Elijah McGuire, La.-Lafayette	RB Dare Ogunbowale, Wisconsin
RB Joe Williams, Utah	WR Rodney Adams, South Florida	WR Quincy Adeboyejo, Ole Miss
WR Billy Brown, Shepherd	WR Austin Carr, Northwestern	WR Stacy Coley, Miami
WR Kenny Golladay, Northern Illinois	WR Trey Griffey, Arizona	WR Keevan Lucas, Tulsa
WR Gabe Marks, Washington St.	WR Jalen Robinette, Air Force	WR Tony Stevens, Auburn
WR Jordan Westerkamp, Nebraska	WR Kermit Whitfield, FSU	WR DeAngelo Yancey, Purdue
TE Blake Jarwin, OK State	TE Colin Jeter, LSU	TE Taylor McNamara, USC
TE Eric Saubert, Drake	OT Gavin Andrews, Oregon State	OT Antonio Garcia, Troy
OT Avery Gennesy, Texas A&M	OT Evan Goodman, Arizona State	OT Sean Harlow, Oregon State
OT Dieugot Joseph, FIU	OT Erik Magnuson, Michigan	OT Jonathan McLaughlin, Virginia Tech
OT Storm Norton, Toledo	OT Victor Salako, OK State	OT Justin Senior, Miss. State
OT Dan Skipper, Arkansas	OT Sam Tevi, Utah	OG Abdul-Kareem Are, FSU
OG Geoff Gray, Manitoba	OG Danny Isidora, Miami	OG Zach Johnson, NDSU
OG Kyle Kalis, Michigan	OG Adam Pankey, West Virginia	OC Anthony Auclair, Laval
OC Tobijah Hughley, Louisville	OC Chase Roullier, Wyoming	OC Joey Scelfo, NC State
OC Cameron Tom, Southern Miss	DE Bryan Cox, Florida	DE Trey Hendrickson, FAU
DE Jerimiah Ledbetter, Arkansas	DE Avery Moss, Youngstown	DE Ejuan Price, Pitt
DE Derek Rivers, Youngstown	DE Karter Schult, Northern Iowa	DE Deatrich Wise, Arkansas
DT Josh Augusta, Missouri	DT DeAngelo Brown, Louisville	DT Jason Carr, West Gorgia
DT Chunky Clements, Illinois	DT Matthew Godin, Michigan	DT Joey Ivie, Florida
DT B.J. Singleton, Houston	DT Stevie T'ikolovatu, USC	OLB Tyus Bowser, Houston
OLB Jayon Brown, UCLA	OLB Harvey Langi, BYU	OLB Calvin Munson, SDSU
OLB James Onwualu, Notre Dame	OLB Carroll Phillips, Illinois	OLB Steven Taylor, Houston
CB Jeremy Cutrer, Middle Tenn.	CB Treston Decoud, Oregon State	CB Tyquwan Glass, Fresno State
CB Nate Hairston, Temple	CB Ashton Lampkin, OK State	CB Fabian Moreau, UCLA
CB Aarion Penton, Missouri	CB Channing Stribling, Michigan	CB Jack Tocho, NC State
CB Brad Watson, Wake Forest	CB Ahkello Witherspoon, Colorado	S Jamal Carter, Miami
S Randall Goforth, UCLA	S Delano Hill, Michigan	S Leon McQuay, USC
S Jalen Myrick, Minnesota	S Anthony Smithson, Kansas	S Jordan Sterns, OK State
S Orion Stewart, Baylor	S Weston Steelhammer, Air Force	S Dymonte Thomas, Michigan
S Tedric Thompson, Colorado	S Damarius Travis, Minnesota

3. The January 16 deadline for players to declare for the 2017 NFL draft seems far away, but some are already announcing their intentions. The following players have confirmed they'll enter the draft:

QB DeShone Kizer, Notre Dame
QB Deshaun Watson, Clemson
RB James Conner, Pitt
RB Brian Hill, Wyoming
RB D'Onta Foreman, Texas
RB Leonard Fournette, LSU
RB Wayne Gallman, Clemson
RB Christian McCaffrey, Stanford
RB Jeremy McNichols, Boise State
RB Joseph Yearby, Miami (Fla.)
WR KD Cannon, Baylor
WR Carlos Henderson, Louisiana Tech
WR Jerome Lane, Akron
WR Artavis Scott, Clemson
WR Damore'ea Stringfellow, Ole Miss
WR Mike Williams, Clemson
TE David Njoku, Miami (Fla.)
DL Nazair Jones, North Carolina
DL Malik McDowell, Michigan State
DL Eddie Vanderdoes, UCLA
DL Charles Walker, Oklahoma
EDGE Charles Harris, Missouri
LB Jermaine Grace, Miami (Fla.)
S Josh Jones, North Carolina State

2. The first round of the College Football Playoff starts this weekend with a ton of NFL draft talent on the field. Here's who I'll be watching in each matchup:

Alabama	Washington
DL Jonathan Allen	WR John Ross
LB Reuben Foster	CB Sidney Jones
EDGE Tim Williams	S Budda Baker
TE O.J. Howard	EDGE Joe Mathis
OT Cam Robinson	DL Vita Vea
EDGE Ryan Anderson	DL Elijah Qualls
CB Marlon Humphrey	CB Kevin King
S Eddie Jackson	TE Darrell Daniels
DL Dalvin Tomlinson	EDGE Psalm Wooching
DL Da'Shawn Hand (2018)	LB Azeem Victor (2018)
WR Calvin Ridley (2018)	QB Jake Browning (2018)
WR ArDarius Stewart (2018)
CB Anthony Averett (2018)

Clemson	Ohio State
QB Deshaun Watson	RB Curtis Samuel
RB Wayne Gallman	WR Corey Smith
WR Mike Williams	C Pat Elflein
WR Artavis Scott	LB Raekwon McMillan
TE Jordan Leggett	CB Gareon Conley
G Tyrone Crowder	CB Marshon Lattimore
DT Carlos Watkins	WR Noah Brown (2018)
LB Ben Boulware	DE Sam Hubbard (2018)
CB Cordrea Tankersley	DE Tyquan Lewis (2018)
SS Jadar Johnson	S Malik Hooker (2018)

1. This will be my final article of 2016, and I wanted to take some time here at the end to thank you all for making all of this possible.

When I started at Bleacher Report in October 2010, I never imagined it would become my full-time job. I definitely never thought I'd move from covering the NFL and NFL draft to a full-time draft role, but that happened this year largely because of the folks reading this article right now.

Covering the draft as a 365-day sport has always been my dream, and that became a reality in 2016. As we prepare to kick off a new year, I'm excited to see where this weekly column goes and where we take our draft coverage. And I'm forever grateful to the loyal readers, viewers and Twitter followers who have all helped make this possible.

Have a safe and happy New Year!

Matt Miller covers the NFL and NFL draft for Bleacher Report.