6 Underclassmen Who Definitely Would Have Been Picked in the 2015 NFL Draft
This year, "only" 74 underclassmen declared for the NFL draft. While taking the chance to earn, at worst, a solid salary for a year is an understandable risk to make, plenty of others thought twice. Last year, 98 underclassmen declared for the draft. According to Natalie Pierre of AL.com, 36 of those underclassmen went undrafted.
There's no shame in coming back to school for another year, even if the risk of injury looms. Players can improve their game, and ultimately, it's their decision to make.
Still, several underclassmen could have declared for the draft and been taken. These are underclassmen who decided to stay for another year, as noted by NFL.com. In one case, there's a player who isn't eligible for the '15 draft but undoubtedly would have been selected.
Not taken into consideration are predictions for how each player will do in the NFL.
Michigan State Quarterback Connor Cook
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Beyond Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota, the 2015 quarterback draft class is shaking up to be so-so at best.
In the words of Bleacher Report draft guru Matt Miller, who is at the Senior Bowl this week, "If you need a quarterback and you can't get Winston or Mariota, I'm sorry."
In that sense, maybe this year would have been a good time for Michigan State quarterback Connor Cook to make a jump to the NFL. According to ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr., Cook had tremendous upside—a big plus for draft stock—but needed to work on the little things.
Mike Griffith of MLive.com wrote:
"As for Cook's stock, Kiper likes the upside but indicated the MSU quarterback needs to polish his skills.
"You saw Connor Cook, there's some throws that needed to be delivered accurately at times that weren't, (and) he's the kind of guy with his size and his arm he can make all the throws. He can beat you from the pocket, very effective, he'll work hard,'' Kiper said. "I think Cook could go into next year and be right there.'
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Cook may work himself into a higher pick in 2016, but given the overall quarterback class this time around, he would have been drafted.
Baylor Tackle Spencer Drango
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Lost somewhat in the chatter about Baylor quarterback Bryce Petty and the Bears' lethal group of receivers is tackle Spencer Drango. He's the unsung hero who makes Baylor's offense work.
How good is Drango? Dane Brugler of CBSSports.com wrote the following about Drango heading into the 2014 season:
"One of the top offensive linemen in college football, Drango has an impressive NFL skill-set as the game appears to come very easily to him, showing similarities to Dallas Cowboys' 2014 first rounder Zach Martin in some areas. The Bears starting left tackle the last two seasons, he has an easy kickslide with a wide base and the fluid lower body movements to properly protect the pocket from speed or power rushers.
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Would Drango have been the first lineman taken in the draft? There's no way to know, but Baylor head coach Art Briles said that Drango's return was "equally as important" as defensive end Shawn Oakman. Speaking of which...
Baylor Defensive End Shawn Oakman
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Shawn Oakman would have been drafted too if he hadn't decided to return to Baylor for another year.
Where he would have been drafted is now a moot point, but one scout told Chase Goodbread of NFL.com last September that Oakman projected as a first-round pick.
So much is made about his size at 6'9" and 280 pounds, but he is a rare athlete who led the team in sacks (11) and tackles for loss (19.5). He's a pass-rushing specialist in a game that is putting more emphasis on the position, but according to Bears defensive coordinator Phil Bennett, Oakman still has room to evolve.
"He's made progress. He's not where he's going to be, though. I'm honest with him. Another year is what he needs," Bennett said of Oakman, via The Associated Press. "He's still raw. He's worked hard. The thing about Shawn that's a joy, he knows he's got things to work on. And the best thing about him, though, the sky is the limit for him."
With another good season, Oakman could well be a first-round pick in 2016.
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Oregon Defensive Lineman DeForest Buckner
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Oregon may have lost its best player, quarterback Marcus Mariota, to the draft. However, the Ducks are getting a key piece of their defense back for 2015 in lineman DeForest Buckner.
Buckner was one of the most complete defenders for Oregon, picking up 81 tackles and leading the team with 13 tackles for loss. While most of the focus goes to fellow defensive lineman Arik Armstead, Buckner has a case to be the better overall player.
As one NFL executive told Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com, "DeForest Buckner doesn't get the same attention as (Arik) Armstead, but he's a much better player."
For what it's worth, B/R draft guru Matt Miller had Buckner ranked as his No. 8 defensive end earlier this month and a top-50 prospect overall.
Florida State Kicker Roberto Aguayo
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Oh, yes. We're going this route.
It's not often a kicker is drafted, let alone an underclassman kicker, but that shows you how solid Florida State's Roberto Aguayo is.
The former Lou Groza Award winner in 2013 set a national single-season record that year with 157 points. Stats don't always indicate how a player projects at the next level or where he'll be drafted, but they do for place-kickers. Aguayo went 25-of-27 (92.6 percent) on field goals in 2014 and was a perfect 3-of-3 from 50 yards or more.
According to ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr., Aguayo ranked as the top specialist in the draft and could have been a Day 2 selection.
Aguayo is as automatic as it gets. That's a big deal at the next level. Barring a disaster of a season, he will be drafted in 2016 and make a nice living for himself. He just could have done it this year. He's that good.
Bonus: Ohio State Running Back Ezekiel Elliott
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So much has been made about Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones and his three-game stretch into Buckeyes lore. Did Jones make the right decision by staying another year in college, or should he have gone pro?
Here's what would have been an interesting conversation: Shift those questions to running back Ezekiel Elliott. Though he won't be eligible for the draft until 2016, he was every bit as important to his team's national championship run as Jones was.
The true sophomore was overshadowed by other Big Ten running backs like Melvin Gordon (Wisconsin), Ameer Abdullah (Nebraska), Tevin Coleman (Indiana) and David Cobb (Minnesota). At the end of the season, though, Elliott was the last one playing. And he had a three-game stretch that rivaled any of the names above, as noted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg:
"The Year of the Big Ten Back was supposed to end with Gordon, but Elliott provided a surprise addendum. It started with 220 rush yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries in Ohio State's 59-0 stomping of Wisconsin in the Big Ten title game. Elliott then followed with 230 yards and two scores on 20 carries in the Playoff semifinal against Alabama at the Sugar Bowl, including a Crimson Tide-taming 85-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter.
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He ended with an even better performance -- 246 rush yards and four touchdowns -- as "ZEEEEEKE!" cheers reverberated throughout AT&T Stadium in Ohio State's national title win against Oregon.
Elliott has it all: size (6'0", 225 pounds), speed, patience, balance, pass catching and blocking abilities. Frankly, what took us all so long to catch on to him?
This year's running back class is deep, but Elliott caught fire at the right time. Since he doesn't have a lot of mileage as a back, he would have been an attractive pickup for NFL teams.
Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football.
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