NFL Draft Prospects Who Could Land with Their Hometown Teams

There’s something special about a local hero from either high school or college playing in the same part of the country in the pros.

Most NFL prospects started their careers as heralded, highlight-reel high school prospects and have been famous for a long time in their area. The same goes for college stars from the same part of the country.

A great example of how this almost happened was back in 2006. The Houston Texans held the No. 1 overall pick and had multiple elite options. They ultimately went with defensive end Mario Williams.

However, there was the thought that adding quarterback Vince Young with that pick would be significant not only for the team but for the city. Young was a star at Madison High School in Houston. Young ended up flaming out in the league, so the Texans were wise to look elsewhere.

Nevertheless, when you have a need, and a local star fills it, the temptation will always be there to pull the trigger.

Here are five prospects who are perfect fits for their local teams. Some of these guys were high school stars, while others shined in college, but all of them would rally fans if their favorite NFL franchises could bring local heroes home.

Leonard Williams, DT, USC to the San Diego Chargers

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If there's ever a pick that would scream "synergy," it would be the San Diego Chargers' drafting USC defensive tackle Leonard Williams.

Williams traveled all the way across the country from Florida to become an immediate star with the Trojans. Staying in Southern California with the Chargers makes all the sense in the world.

How feasible is it? We can presume that Williams is going to come off the board very early in the first round. However, with so many teams clamoring for edge players, quarterbacks and wide receivers, it’s not out of the question that Williams will fall out of the top five.

If so, The Chargers would only need to slide up around 10 spots to snag a dominant 5-technique for their 3-4 defense.

Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama to the Miami Dolphins

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Next up on our list is Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper and his possible fit with the Miami Dolphins.

To get the connection between the former Alabama star and the Dolphins, you have to go back to high school. Cooper was a star at Miami's Northwestern High and parlayed a senior year where he caught 33 passes for 722 yards into an offer from Alabama. The rest as they say, is history.

In terms of need, Cooper is an ideal pick for the Dolphins. Even with adding wide receiver Kenny Stills and having young star Jarvis Landry, Miami needs that third option in the slot who can work multiple route concepts and be more than just a possession receiver. That is precisely the type of role Cooper in which could excel.

Randy Gregory, DE, Nebraska to the Indianapolis Colts

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The Indianapolis Colts are working hard to add a pass-rushing outside linebacker to spell and eventually replace either Trent Cole or Robert Mathis. Why not look to little Hamilton Southeastern High School in Fishers, Indiana? 

After all, it is just 20 miles up the road and, while Nebraska defensive end Randy Gregory was born in Jacksonville, Florida, Fishers was his high school home.

Getting Gregory would be much more than simply welcoming a local high school star back into the fold. Gregory would fill a significant need at outside linebacker as well as give the Colts a dominant edge-rusher in the 3-4.

There are some concerns about his game, but if there is one thing he can do it is harass opposing quarterbacks. Even going back to when he had 17 sacks as a junior in high school, Gregory has shown a propensity to punish QBs.

Marcus Peters, CB, Washington to the Seattle Seahawks

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Peters is a legitimate talent at cornerback, and in a perfect world he would be considered among the very elite prospects in this draft.

Unfortunately, his draft status at this point is a complete unknown. The rest of the cornerback class is very deep, and the top five or six guys are so close in terms of skills that the order they will go in is really anyone’s guess.

Should Peters start to tumble, it would make perfect sense if Seattle Seahawks traded up to get him. The Seahawks don’t have a first-round pick, but that wouldn’t preclude them from moving up in the second round they're targeting a cornerback. Adding a player like Peters to that secondary would make what is already a complete defense even better.

Yes, the cost would be high, but well worth it.

Carl Davis, DT, Iowa to the Detroit Lions

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Here's another marriage of need and local roots.

Iowa defensive tackle Carl Davis is a loyal Detroit native and a former star at the University of Iowa. MLive.com Lions reporter Justin Rogers put out this tweet indicating just how much Davis loves his city.

However, beyond the fact that Davis loves the city in which he was a high school star, Davis fills a significant need as a massive, penetrating defensive tackle.

The Lions chose not to re-sign Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley, both starting defensive tackles. Even with the addition of Haloti Ngata, there is still a need for another big body in the middle. Davis would be an excellent choice for Detroit in the second round, and his selection would allow a local hero to return home.