10 Best NFL Draft Prospects Playing in College Football Playoff Games
Alabama, Florida State, Ohio State and Oregon—college football's first Final Four—could not have made the playoff without a deep cast of draft-eligible talent.
All four teams have relied on underclassmen to get here too, and the contributions of Cam Robinson, Dalvin Cook, Joey Bosa and Royce Freeman should not go overlooked. But the heart of each team has been the third-, fourth- and sometimes fifth-year players.
So consider this list a primer for the NFL fans who haven't followed closely all season but plan on watching the Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl on New Year's Day. Which players from all four teams should they keep an eye on with regard to the 2015 draft?
Here is everything they need to know.
Honorable Mentions
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It takes more than just two, three or four NFL prospects to reach the College Football Playoff. Here are five guys from each team who just missed the top 10 but still have pro careers ahead of them.
Alabama
- LB Trey DePriest
- LB Xzavier Dickson
- OG Arie Kouandjio
- LB Reggie Ragland
- WR DeAndrew White
Florida State
- CB Ronald Darby
- DE Mario Edwards
- WR Rashad Greene
- OG Tre' Jackson
- OG Josue Matias
Ohio State
- OT Taylor Decker
- CB Doran Grant
- TE Jeff Heuerman
- LB Joshua Perry
- WR Devin Smith
Oregon
- DE DeForest Buckner
- OT Jake Fisher
- OC Hroniss Grasu
- S Erick Dargan
- LB Tony Washington
10. RB T.J. Yeldon, Alabama
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2014 Stats
184 carries, 932 yards, 10 TD; 15 receptions, 180 yards, 1 TD
Breakdown
T.J. Yeldon is a well respected yet somehow underrated running back whose numbers do not reflect his pro potential.
The presence of Derrick Henry puts a limit on his touches, which, combined with a deep class of junior running backs, has led many to overlook Yeldon as an early-round pick and future workhorse.
But don't let a cent of that fool you. Yeldon has a big frame (6'2", 221 lbs), solid speed and great agility. He makes defenders miss and is a capable receiver. His upright running style and all-around skill set remind of a young Matt Forte.
9. OC Cam Erving, Florida State
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Breakdown
Cam Erving was one of the best left tackles in college football last season but regressed at the start of 2014 and transitioned to center, where Florida State had a bigger area of need.
Since then, he has emerged as one of the best centers in the country and restored his draft stock. His past as a tackle will be lauded as "positional versatility," and NFL teams will line up to select him. It's hard to find a player who can line up at all five spots along the line.
Erving might be one of them.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
8. DE Arik Armstead, Oregon
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2014 Stats
33 tackles, 5.5 TFL, 2.5 sacks, 6 QB hurries, 1 forced fumble
Breakdown
Arik Armstead is what scouts refer to as a "developmental" or "high-upside" prospect, which is basically to say that he hasn't produced.
But it's not hard to see why they think he can.
Armstead has a massive frame (6'8", 290 lbs) and moves well enough that he played for the Oregon basketball team in 2012. When he flashes, he looks like an All-American (watch the tape from the Michigan State game), but his flashes are conspicuously rare.
"Can see [Armstead] go very, very high," an anonymous general manager told NFL.com. "Has everything you want out of a [defensive lineman]. Height, length, power, pass-rush ability. Needs to show more consistency, but raw potential is very intriguing."
7. CB P.J. Williams, Florida State
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2014 Stats
60 tackles, 6.0 TFL, 1.0 sack, 1 INT, 10 pass breakups, 1 QB hurry, 1 forced fumble
Breakdown
P.J. Williams is a lanky athlete with just enough size (6'0", 196 lbs) and speed to be a shutdown corner in man coverage.
Dane Brugler of CBSSports.com called him "one of a handful of underclassmen cornerbacks who flash first round potential for the 2015 class" after the Notre Dame game in October, lauding the junior for his "swivel hips and transitional quickness."
Williams has not been as consistent in 2014 as he was the year prior, and he still misses the occasional open-field tackle. But when he's on, he's as good as any college corner at blanketing one side of the field.
6. DT Michael Bennett, Ohio State
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2014 Stats
35 tackles, 12.5 TFL, 6.0 sacks, 3 pass breakups, 3 QB hurries, 3 fumbles forced
Breakdown
Michael Bennett didn't put up huge numbers this season, but he was still one of the best defensive tackles in the country.
He has the size (6'2", 288 lbs), strength and athleticism to play 3-technique at the next level, and he proved with a dominant game against Wisconsin in the Big Ten championship—five tackles, 4.0 TFL, 2.0 sacks, two forced fumbles—that he shows up on the big stage.
"He just finished his best three weeks as a Buckeye," head coach Urban Meyer said Dec. 23, per Patrick Maks of Eleven Warriors. But Meyer was talking about his leadership, maturity and coachability more than the way Bennett has played on the field.
For his draft stock, that is just as important.
5. DT Eddie Goldman, Florida State
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2014 Stats
35 tackles, 8.0 TFL, 4.0 sacks, 1 pass breakup, 1 QB hurry, 1 forced fumble
Breakdown
Eddie Goldman has been the breakout star of Florida State's defense, helping the Noles overcome the loss of Timmy Jernigan.
Goldman doesn't have the quickness or pass-rushing skills of Jernigan but does an even better job against the run, occupying double-teams and forcing opponents to account for him on each and every play.
He came up big when Florida State most needed him, too, with a crucial forced fumble in the September win over Clemson. He followed that up with an equally crucial sack of Deshaun Watson in overtime.
Look for Goldman to crack the first round if he declares.
4. S Landon Collins, Alabama
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2014 Stats
90 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 3 INT, 6 pass breakups, 1 QB hurry, 1 forced fumble
Breakdown
Landon Collins is the latest in a long line of great Alabama safeties and has a chance to be one of the top 10 draft picks in April.
He is not the greatest rover in the passing game—note how Sammie Coates abused the Crimson Tide in the deep third during the Iron Bowl—but his impact on Alabama's run defense is impossible to ignore. He can immediately step in and tackle at an NFL level.
Bleacher Report's Matt Miller had Collins going No. 5 overall in his most recent mock draft—not so much because Collins is the fifth-best player in the draft (he's not), but because Washington so desperately needs help in the secondary.
Still, that is pretty high praise.
3. QB Jameis Winston, Florida State
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2014 Stats
276-of-422, 3,559 yards, 24 TD, 17 INT; 49 carries, 80 yards, 3 TD
Breakdown
Jameis Winston is as divisive to NFL scouts as he is to college reporters.
But the consensus seems to be that he will go in the top 10 picks.
The 2013 Heisman Trophy winner has a huge frame (6'4", 230 lbs) with a huge arm to match. He has a strong base a la Ben Roethlisberger, and he's accurate attacking defenses down the field.
Decision-making morphed into an issue when Winston threw 17 interceptions this season, and scouts will find a way to nitpick his elongated throwing motion. But the fact remains that Jameis—at the time of this post—has never lost a game as a college quarterback.
And really…isn't that the only thing that matters?
2. WR Amari Cooper, Alabama
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2014 Stats
115 receptions, 1,656 yards, 14 TD
Breakdown
Amari Cooper is a fluid athlete with great speed and quickness.
More than that, though, he is an advanced route runner who knows how to work himself open. Alabama moves him around the formation, but he works just as well from the slot as he does from the outside. And he's comfortable making plays after the catch.
Kevin McGuire of College Football Talk said Cooper is the best college receiver since Larry Fitzgerald, who was drafted No. 3 overall in 2004.
Cooper is a different player but has a chance to go just as high.
1. QB Marcus Mariota, Oregon
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2014 Stats
254-of-372, 3,783 yards, 38 TD, 2 INT; 117 carries, 669 yards, 14 TD
Breakdown
Were you expecting someone else?
Marcus Mariota is the consummate dual-threat quarterback and the best college prospect since Andrew Luck. He has all the physical tools (6'4", strong arm, speed, etc.) to go with supreme mental faculties. He's thrown seven interceptions in his last 945 (!!!) passes.
The draft process will expose some of Mariota's "flaws" such as winning from the pocket. Those flaws will be micro-analyzed and overreacted to, because that's what the draft process is. You will read a story or two in the next three months about why Mariota isn't as great as we think he is and/or won't be the No. 1 overall pick.
Don't believe them.
He's exactly as great as we think he is. He will be the No. 1 overall pick.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
