NFL Draft 2015: Updated Prospect Radar, Post-Week 15

For the first time since August, there was a shortage of college football games this past Saturday, as only one game between Football Bowl Subdivision teams was played this past week. With that game being between Army and Navy, two service academies whose players must fulfill military commitments before pursuing careers in professional football, there weren’t many opportunities for NFL draft prospects to stand out.

That said, there were still a number of meaningful college football games played between Friday and Saturday, as the Football Championship Subdivision, Division II and Division III levels of NCAA football are each in the midst of their playoff tournaments. As a result, numerous small-school prospects will able to play in larger spotlights and show themselves to have legitimate pro potential.

For prospects from FBS schools, which make up the majority of selections in each NFL draft, the biggest opportunity to shine came on the stage. Some of the top players in the nation—including Oregon redshirt junior quarterback Marcus Mariota, the potential No. 1 overall pick if he declares for the draft—were honored with prestigious postseason awards this past week.

Per usual for the weekly draft-prospect radar, we take a look at some players whose chances of being selected in the 2015 draft improved or declined in the past seven days. However, due to the lack of large-school games with significant prospects this past week, the following slides also recap some other items of relevance heading into draft season, including award winners and prospect declarations.

Stock Up: Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon (Jr.)

USA TODAY Sports

This Week: Won the Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award and Davey O’Brien Award

Being a successful collegiate quarterback and winning major awards doesn’t always translate to NFL success, but the hardware-filled week that was for Marcus Mariota certainly won’t hurt his cause as a draft prospect.

Mariota scored a clean sweep of the three major awards that signify college football’s best player—the Heisman, Maxwell and Walter Camp. He is the first player to achieve that triple recognition since Auburn’s Cam Newton—who subsequently went No. 1 overall in the 2011 NFL draft—did so in 2010.

Additionally, Mariota also received the Davey O’Brien Award, for the nation’s best quarterback, and the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, for the nation’s best fourth-year quarterback.

Those awards, in themselves, might have zero effect on Mariota’s draft stock, but they do serve as confirmation that he is believed by a majority to be the best player and best quarterback in the FBS this year.

Also on display all week, and especially during his tearful acceptance speech after being announced as the Heisman winner, was Mariota’s high character.

Mariota consistently comes across as a humble, genuine person who values team success over any individual accomplishments. His image comes in stark contrast with that of the other projected top quarterback eligible for the 2015 draft, Florida State’s Jameis Winston, whose maturity and character will be evaluated microscopically during the predraft process because of his checkered off-field past.

The Oregon quarterback has not yet announced a decision on whether or not he will enter the 2015 draft, but it would come as a big surprise if he does not. He has emerged as the clear-cut favorite to be the first quarterback drafted, even over Winston, in a season that has been exceptional by all accounts.

Current Draft Projection: Top Five

Stock Down: Tyreek Hill, RB/WR, Oklahoma State (Jr.)

Uncredited/Associated Press

This Week: Dismissed from athletic program after being arrested for domestic violence

Tyreek Hill emerged as one of the most dynamic athletes in college football this past season—most recently in Oklahoma State’s Bedlam game against Oklahoma, in which he had a 92-yard punt return touchdown—but his chances of being drafted, should he enter the 2015 class, fell sharply Friday when he was dismissed from the OSU football and track teams.

Hill’s dismissal, announced Friday in a statement by the university, came following an arrest “late Thursday night with probable cause for domestic abuse by strangulation, a felony,” according to USA Today.

In a press release, the Stillwater Police Department wrote that a 20-year-old female stated that Hill “struck her in the face and stomach and choked her during the assault. The victim’s injuries were consistent with her statements.”

It’s likely that Hill will either declare himself eligible for the draft or transfer to a FCS school following his dismissal, but he could be hard-pressed to get picked or even signed by an NFL team unless he is exonerated from this charge.

The crime Hill is accused of committing is serious enough that it might have caused him to go undrafted even before this year, but after a year in which the NFL’s reputation was compromised by numerous high-profile domestic-violence cases, Hill faces a tough road to try to convince a team to take a chance on him.

Current Draft Projection: Undrafted

Stock Up: John Crockett, RB, North Dakota State

Bruce Crummy/Associated Press

This Week: 26 rushing attempts for 227 yards, two touchdowns

Opponent: Coastal Carolina

North Dakota State is in the hunt to potentially win its fourth consecutive FCS National Championship, and a big reason why is senior running back John Crockett, who played a massive role in the Bison’s 39-32 quarterfinal win over Coastal Carolina on Saturday.

Crockett ran for a career-high total of 227 yards, most of which was accumulated on three big plays.

On NDSU’s first drive of the game, Crockett used his vision and speed well to follow a number of blocks up the right sideline all the way to a 70-yard touchdown. Early in the third quarter, he hopped by a missed tackle and went for a 36-yard gain, which put the Bison in the red zone and set up another touchdown.

In the fourth quarter, he had what might have been the day’s most impressive run as he stiff-armed through multiple defenders before hitting the sideline to run away from the defense on a 45-yard touchdown that gave the Bison a lead, in a game they had been trailing by one, and ended up being the game-winning score.

Between the tackles, Crockett had some issues getting out of the backfield Saturday, showing he’s not the most explosive back out of the gate. What Saturday did show, however, is that Crockett consistently runs hard and can be a tough runner to stop once he gets a head of steam going in the open field.

While Saturday’s game was his best day on the ground statistically, it was a continuation of the success he has had all year. Crockett has set a school record this year, with 1,787 rushing yards on 320 carries, while he has scored 17 rushing touchdowns and also caught 27 passes for 317 yards and a score.

An invite to this year’s East-West Shrine Game, Crockett’s toughness and demonstrated running skill makes the 6’0”, 202-pound back a solid prospect who warrants consideration in the late rounds of the draft.

Current Draft Projection: Rounds 6-7

Stock Up: R.J. Harris, WR, New Hampshire

USA TODAY Sports

This Week: Seven receptions for 172 yards, two touchdowns; one rush for four yards; one kickoff return for 21 yards

Opponent: Chattanooga

Another small-school skill-position player who made big plays in leading his team to a FCS quarterfinal victory in a nationally televised game, New Hampshire senior wide receiver R.J. Harris made his case for NFL scouts to take notice of him in the Wildcats’ 35-30 win over Chattanooga.

Harris’ game got off to a rough start, as he had multiple drops early in the game, but he quickly made up for it when he made a spinning adjustment to catch a 38-yard deep ball between two defensive backs. While his catching consistency might come into question, his ability to make difficult catches is evident.

While that reception set up a touchdown for UNH, he had two touchdowns of his own as the game went on. In the second quarter, he burned a defensive back deep on a seam route over the middle of the field for a 49-yard score. In the fourth quarter, he showed his speed up the sideline as he turned a trick-play catch in the backfield into a 61-yard trip to the end zone.

Harris’ production Friday night was nothing new: For his senior season, Harris has 94 receptions for 1,483 yards—the most in the FCS—and 15 touchdowns, along with nine rushing attempts for 65 yards and two touchdowns.

His size is only adequate, at 6’0” and 201 pounds, and he’s no sure bet to be drafted, but the big-play ability should have scouts keeping an eye on him as a small-school sleeper who could be worth a shot as a late-round draft choice or undrafted free-agent signing.

Current Draft Projection: Round 7 or Undrafted Free-Agent Signing

Award Winners

John Raoux/Associated Press

Marcus Mariota won the most high-profile awards of the weekend, but each of the following draft-eligible players also took home significant hardware.

Doak Walker Award: Melvin Gordon III, RB, Wisconsin (Jr.)

Gordon, who told The Dan Patrick Show last week that he will enter the 2015 draft, leads the FBS with 2,336 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns this year and is a likely first-round pick.

Biletnikoff Award: Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama (Jr.)

Cooper, a Heisman finalist along with Mariota and Gordon, leads the FBS with 115 receptions and 1,656 receiving yards and is a projected top-10 overall pick if he declares for the 2015 draft.

Mackey Award: Nick O’Leary, TE, Florida State

More of an H-back/oversized slot receiver than a true in-line tight end, O’Leary is a dynamic athlete who caught 47 passes for 614 yards and six touchdowns this year, but he doesn’t consistently win at the catch point and is limited as a blocker.

Outland Trophy: Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa

A strong, athletic and technically sound blocker, Scherff has been an excellent left tackle at Iowa who should be a top-15 pick and could end up at either tackle or guard in the NFL.

Rimington Trophy: Reese Dismukes, C, Auburn

Dismukes, a technically efficient, four-year starter at Auburn, is a likely Day 2 draft pick who could end up being the first center drafted.

Ted Hendricks Award: Nate Orchard, DE, Utah

Second in the FBS this year with 17.5 sacks, Orchard is a skilled pass-rusher whose breakout senior season should make him a first- or second-round selection.

Butkus Award: Eric Kendricks, ILB, UCLA

A tackling machine for UCLA who is also very good in coverage, Kendricks could fall due to limited size (6’0”, 230 lbs) but should still at least be a second-round draft pick.

Jim Thorpe Award: Gerod Holliman, FS, Louisville (Jr.)

Holliman, who told Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller that he intends to declare for the 2015 draft, tied the FBS record this year with 14 interceptions and will likely be a first- or second-round pick as a result.

Paul Hornung Award: Shaq Thompson, LB/SS/RB, Washington (Jr.)

Appropriately given the award for being college football’s most versatile player, Thompson is a tremendous athlete who will likely be a linebacker or safety in the NFL and could be a top-15 pick for his all-around playmaking ability.

Campbell Trophy: David Helton, LB, Duke

Being chosen as college football’s top scholar-athlete might not be enough to get Helton drafted, but it certainly could help convince an NFL team that the Duke linebacker’s work ethic makes him worthy of a shot to make the roster.

Declarations

John Raoux/Associated Press

The following players, in addition to Gordon and Holliman, are among the underclassmen who have already declared who are potential early-round draft selections.

Dante Fowler, DE, Florida

One of the first players who declared his intent to enter the draft back in November, Fowler is an explosive and versatile edge defender who could potentially be a top-10 draft choice.

Devin Funchess, WR, Michigan

A big pass-catcher who moved to wide receiver from tight end as a junior, Funchess’ size and athleticism give him big mismatch-creating potential and could make him a late first-round choice.

Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia

Gurley was on track to be the 2015 draft’s top running back before suffering a torn ACL in November. A rare talent at the position, Gurley’s injury will likely push him into the second round.

Brett Hundley, QB, UCLA

Perhaps the draft’s most polarizing prospect, Hundley has the physical tools of a first-round pick but could fall due to concerns about his accuracy and pocket awareness.

Eli Harold, DE, Virginia

Somewhat under-the-radar because he played for a team with a losing record this year, Harold is a gifted rusher off the edge with the talent to end up as a top-50 pick.

Lorenzo Doss, CB, Tulane

Doss is not as well-known as the other players on this list, but he has impressive ball skills and has increasingly generated buzz among draft analysts.

Injury Notes

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

Considering the lack of games this past week, there weren’t any known significant injuries suffered by top draft prospects, but there are a couple of potential draft entrants who have been confirmed as healthy in recent days.

Oklahoma quarterback Trevor Knight should certainly plan to return to school for at least one if not two more years, but the draft-eligible redshirt sophomore will have an opportunity to showcase his talent in the Russell Athletic Bowl, against Clemson on Dec. 29, as he has been cleared to play after missing three games with a spinal injury.

Another potential draft entrant from Oklahoma, junior wide receiver Sterling Shepard, will also be good to go in the game despite a groin injury, Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said, according to CBSSports.com’s Jerry Hinnen.

Maryland’s Stefon Diggs, a dynamic wide receiver and returner, will be back to play in the Foster Farms Bowl against Stanford on Dec. 30 after missing three games with a lacerated kidney, according to Tom FitzGerald of SFGate.com.

Diggs, like Knight, had a disappointing season even before suffering an injury and should plan to return to school, as the junior has one remaining year of eligibility. That said, Diggs is an intriguing athlete who has enough playmaking potential to possibly be a top-100 pick if he declares.

What Experts Are Saying

Nick Wass/Associated Press

Among many notes made in a conference call with reporters last week, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. got the most attention for saying "there is really no franchise quarterback in this draft," according to Dom Cosentino of NJ Advance Media.

Kiper does not believe that Mariota or Jameis Winston is “in that elite-of-elite category.” That said, Kiper currently ranks Mariota at No. 1 overall and Winston at No. 6 overall in his most recent “Big Board” (subscription required).

ESPN’s other highly prominent draft analyst, Todd McShay, also released his most recent Big Board last week. He ranks Mariota at No. 2 overall, behind USC defensive lineman Leonard Williams, while he also places Winston in the sixth spot on his board.

Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller provided some quotes from NFL talent evaluators on a number of players in his most recent "Scouting Notebook," published Friday. Among the most interesting: Michigan State’s Connor Cook was cited as a “a top-15 pick if he enters [the draft]” by one of the evaluators, while another described Cook as “the best pocket passer in the class.”

More quotes from interviews with six NFL personnel executives recently came from Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. McGinn’s story is full of notes on top draft prospects at every position; among them, McGinn wrote that Amari Cooper “was a unanimous choice as the top wideout,” while Leonard Williams was defined as a “top-five pick.”

Dan Hope is an NFL/NFL Draft Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.

Follow @Dan_Hope