Mid-Round NFL Draft Prospects with Pro Bowl Potential
There’s no way to completely predict how the NFL draft will turn out—32 teams have 32 different takes on the prospects available.
All it takes is for one team to fall in love with a guy and draft him much earlier than anyone imagined. This is always a possibility with the prospects listed in this slideshow.
However, one thing that all the prospects mentioned in this article have in common is they’re generally considered mid-round draft picks by most experts. Another thing they have in common is I think extremely highly of their potential.
As you can imagine, anyone who makes it to this slideshow is obviously considered a talented and underrated prospect with a good chance to have Pro Bowl-type success one day.
Let’s get to it.
Hau’oli Kikaha, Edge, Washington
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It’s hard to say whether Hau’oli Kikaha will make it out of the first two rounds considering the type of production he had while at Washington. He finished his career as the school’s all-time career sack leader with 36 sacks, 32 of those coming in his last two seasons alone.
But not all is well in paradise.
Kikaha missed time during his collegiate career with two separate ACL injuries to his left knee. This injury history is no doubt concerning for any team looking to invest heavily in his future. According to Tony Pauline of Draft Insider, several teams have already pulled him off their board.
Dane Brugler of CBSSports.com quoted an NFL North scout showing similar concerns in an article back in August of 2014: “The medicals will be imperative for his full evaluation, but with a healthy 2014, that will be two full years removed from the ACL injuries so that's a good sign. He has a good understanding of how to get to the quarterback and is one of the better college pass-rushers on the West Coast.”
This injury history makes his draft stock a complete mystery, but from the tape I’ve watched, he is one of the most talented edge-rushers in this class.
Kikaha won’t wow you with incredible speed, explosion or athleticism. Those elements to his game might seem rather average. But it’s his mental game and effort that separate him from the crowd. Some people just have a natural instinct for the game.
He is one of those players. He is also well-trained in mixed martial arts, and it shows up on the field in a big way. His specialized training has given him the best hand technique of any defensive player in this draft class—so much so that it’s already better than that of most NFL veterans.
David Johnson, RB, Northern Iowa
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The 2015 running back class is loaded with talent. There’s a good chance a couple of running backs will go in the first round this April. The last time a team drafted a running back in the first round was way back in 2012. This should illustrate the type of players headed into the league.
David Johnson was a relative unknown for most of the 2014 season hidden within a small school few people cared about. However, his draft stock and name recognition began to rise during a solid outing during the Senior Bowl week. Johnson showed off his long strides and athleticism in front of several NFL scouts and execs on numerous occasions during his time in Mobile, Alabama.
Then his stock rose even higher after the 2015 NFL Scouting Combine, where he established himself as one of the best athletes in attendance.
The Northern Iowa product showed up in Indianapolis a chiseled 6'1" and 224 pounds yet managed to run a 4.5-second 40-yard dash, which was fourth-best among running backs. He also put up 25 reps on the bench.
Using my own system to analyze athleticism combined with size, Johnson ranked third overall at the combine, regardless of position.
The best news is that his remarkable athleticism shows up on a football field.
In four seasons at Northern Iowa, Johnson had 866 carries for 4,841 yards.
We’ve seen running backs drafted in the later rounds have a ton of success in the NFL—Johnson could be the next in line.
Ben Heeney, LB, Kansas
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I really can’t say enough about this linebacker out of Kansas. He's near the top of my list of biggest sleepers in this draft.
I pored over hours of film for days studying traditional linebackers from this draft class, and though some guys flashed potential and the occasional positive trait, nobody got me as excited as Ben Heeney.
Heeney is an incredible athlete who matches that impressive tool with an equal amount of aggression and ferocity that he is able to contain just enough to play effectively within the confines of a defensive system.
If you’re looking for a sideline-to-sideline player who is a solid tackler and instinctual player, Heeney might be one of the best in this class.
Unfortunately the available tape on this guy is somewhat limited, but what is available happens to be outstanding if you know what you’re looking for.
In addition to his game film, Heeney also established himself as the fastest prospect per pound at the combine when averaging out his 40-yard dash (4.59), short-shuttle (4.00) and three-cone (6.68) times while factoring in his 231 pounds.
This guy can run you over, force turnovers through the air or on the ground, cover downfield—and chase down some of the fastest guys in the nation. He plays with a rare fire and athleticism that I believe could land him in the Pro Bowl one day.
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Gabe Wright, DL, Auburn
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Sometimes extremely talented players can struggle with effort and motivation on a football field. Gabe Wright’s career at Auburn can be summed up with one word: inconsistent.
The 6’3”, 300-pound defensive tackle is an explosive athlete with the potential to dominate games for periods of time before disappearing for long stretches. We’ve seen players like this fail numerous times. The most recent example is Ra’Shede Hageman, who was drafted last year out of Minnesota by the Atlanta Falcons.
But unlike Hageman, Wright is a better athlete whom I believe will find a way to keep his foot on the gas pedal in the NFL. Wright has one of the best get-offs of any interior defensive lineman in this draft class, and I’m not convinced that his periods of lull are the product of effort or lack thereof.
Wright plays the game with passion but has a tendency to get too focused on the blocker in front of him, and he doesn’t know when to disengage and pursue the ball-carrier. It was almost as if he was being coached to occupy the blockers to free up the linebackers behind him. I can't say for sure if this was a coaching thing, but effort certainly seemed present throughout his tape.
I've been a Wright fan for about three years now largely because he always popped out when watching Auburn play. If the issues mentioned can be properly identified and corrected, which I think they can, he could become a dominating force inside.
Bobby McCain, CB, Memphis
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Last week I wrote an article titled "NFL Prospects Who Killed It at the Combine but Flew Under the Radar." In the piece I highlighted 10 prospects who put up dominant measurables but nobody seemed to be talking about them. Bobby McCain made it on that list.
McCain graded out as having the third-best measurables of any cornerback at the combine despite measuring in at just 5’9” and 195 pounds. He dominated in the three-cone drill (6.8 seconds), short shuttle (3.82 seconds) and vertical jump (36 inches).
But having such impressive athletic numbers doesn’t always mean you’re going to be a good football player—especially at the NFL level.
However, McCain is far more than just another workout warrior. He is a genuine football player. I put on his tape after calculating his combine numbers and was surprised to see a guy who was so aggressive for a cornerback.
He showed toughness, solid tackling ability and impressive ball-hawking talents. In his last two seasons at Memphis he racked up 11 interceptions and three defensive touchdowns.
There’s no doubt McCain has the speed, quickness and explosiveness to thrive in the NFL, but his biggest obstacle will be his limited height.
Donovan Smith, OT, Penn State
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I’ve watched tape of more than a dozen offensive tackles so far this year and have about a dozen more to go before I’m finished. So far, the most impressive and dominant tape I’ve watched came from Penn State’s Donovan Smith.
According to most publications I’ve seen so far, Smith is projected to be drafted in the third or fourth round this year. However, I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if he was taken much higher than that.
Smith impressed numerous scouts and NFL personnel during his week at the Senior Bowl, including myself. He constantly looked like one of the best blockers during one-on-one pass-protection drills. He has the polish of 31 career starts despite leaving school early for the draft.
Senior Bowl executive director Phil Savage named him a "starting five" member of the offensive line.
"He came in at 341 pounds, but he flashed the foot agility to play left tackle in the NFL," Savage said in a video at SeniorBowl.com. "I think he has future starter written all over him, and he definitely elevated his draft stock here in Mobile during the week."
If you watch the way Smith completely destroyed Nebraska’s Randy Gregory, you might understand why I think he has future star written all over him. It’s rare to find a skilled blocker who actually puts in the effort to finish his blocks and play snap to whistle. Smith is one of those rare guys.
Ryan Riddle is a former NFL player who writes for Bleacher Report.
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