Every SEC Football Team's Top 2016 NFL Draft Prospect
With the 2015 NFL draft coming to an end Saturday, it's never too early to take a peek at the SEC football prospects who will fill next year's draft as the professional stars of the future.
From offensive skill-position players to trench-war fighters to two of the best young defensive backs in the country, next year's SEC class has it all.
Whether they're candidates to leave early such as Florida's Vernon Hargreaves III or out of eligibility like Auburn's Duke Williams, plenty of players will test the NFL waters a year from now. Each one of them will leave a major void for his teams to fill when he declares.
This list does not just include rising seniors. As a matter of fact, it has a healthy slate of potential early exits. If a player is eligible to depart following the 2015 season, he is fair game to outfit this list.
In choosing these players, consideration was given to a study of several early mock drafts, a player's body of work and his potential to break through in the upcoming year.
Some players are can't-miss high draft picks. Others could surge onto the board with big years.
Let's take a look at each SEC team's top prospect for the 2016 NFL draft.
Alabama: A'Shawn Robinson, Defensive Tackle
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As is the case every year, coach Nick Saban will have several players who will decorate next year's draft in crimson.
From junior running back Derrick Henry to senior linebacker Reggie Ragland, there were various candidates for the Crimson Tide's representative in this article.
But the nod goes to rising junior defensive lineman A'Shawn Robinson. The 6'4", 312-pound Texas native has shown plenty of versatility through his career. He's able to man the nose tackle position at times and also can slide to the 5-technique defensive end at others.
Robinson is the kind of defensive lineman whom NFL teams will covet, regardless of whether they run a 4-3 or a 3-4 base package.
He was a freshman All-American after choosing Bama over virtually all of the top programs in the nation. While he didn't quite live up to his billing as a preseason All-American last year, he still had a solid season. Robinson wound up with 49 tackles, including 6.5 for a loss.
The combination of strength and quickness for his size makes Robinson an impact lineman no matter where he plays. It's exactly the kind of trait that teams look for in seeking out first-rounders. He'll work out well too, and there's a strong possibility that he'll go on the first day of the draft.
Arkansas: Alex Collins, Running Back
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Running backs aren't normally drafted that high, but the Arkansas Razorbacks have a pair that could be taken quickly.
Depending on which analyst you listen to (or which fan, for that matter), everybody has their favorites between Alex Collins and Jonathan Williams.
The latter tested the NFL waters this year following a 1,190-yard, 12-touchdown junior year but elected to return for his final season. But Collins is going to get the nod here because he's the complete package.
The rising junior rushed for 1,100 yards a season ago, giving him back-to-back seasons eclipsing 1,000 yards since he came to Fayetteville.
It's difficult to choose between the two, so while Collins gets the nod for being such a good, natural runner, it's hard to ignore Williams' big-play ability. But Collins also excels at catching the ball out of the backfield, making him a near-clone to DeAngelo Williams.
It's a good running back class coming out with this duo (with Derrick Henry, Ezekiel Elliott, Thomas Tyner and others), but Collins has as much ability as anybody on the list. WalterFootball.com ranks him as the fourth-best running back who is eligible for next year's draft.
He looks destined to be a starting NFL running back someday, and while Razorbacks fans certainly hope he decides to return the way Williams did, that time could come as early as 2016.
Auburn, D'haquille "Duke" Williams, Wide Receiver
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There's no denying the dynamic ability of Auburn wide receiver D'haquille "Duke" Williams.
Once he decided to return to the Plains for his senior year following a breakout season where he caught 45 passes for 730 yards and five touchdowns and teamed with Sammie Coates to spark AU's offense, he shot up next year's early draft boards.
The decision was a surprise, as he was expected to forgo his final season. ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. now has Williams as the top receiver prospect in the 2016 draft.
"When you look at Duke Williams, he'll be the No. 1 guy," Kiper said, according to AL.com's Joel A. Erickson. "Next year, he'll go into the season right there at the top."
It should only help Williams that Jeremy Johnson, who is much more of a passing threat than Nick Marshall, is taking over at quarterback for the Tigers. With Coates gone, this could be a huge year for Duke downfield.
At 6'2", 216 pounds, he has the speed to breeze past defenders, the athleticism to leap up and catch jump balls and the physicality to go across the middle of the field.
That's why he was touted as a first-round pick this year. Instead, he came back to try to help AU rebound from a subpar 2014 season. The offense will probably revolve around him.
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Florida: Vernon Hargreaves III, Cornerback
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It seems that ever since before Vernon Hargreaves III arrived in Gainesville, he had been anointed the next great cornerback.
After the 2015 season, he'll likely get an opportunity to prove it on the next level.
A defensive back as talented and skilled as VHIII almost certainly will leave early. WalterFootball.com's Charlie Campbell has him going fourth overall to the Tennessee Titans, while another mock on the same site has him going seventh to Washington.
You hate to say any early exit is a sure thing, but it's just so hard to turn down top-five money. Don't expect Hargreaves to.
At 5'11", 192 pounds with elite ball skills and great athleticism, VHIII is the definition of a shutdown corner.
He also comes up big in key situations, as he proved with a game-sealing interception in the end zone in the bowl win against East Carolina. That capped off a season where he had 50 tackles, three interceptions and 13 pass breakups.
Quarterbacks always must know where VHIII is on the field, so they can throw away from him. He's an all-conference player, an All-America player and a bona fide star who will excel wherever he lands in the NFL.
He's a lock to be highly drafted if he's healthy and comes out early.
Georgia: Leonard Floyd, Linebacker
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Like several other Georgia Bulldogs, Leonard Floyd had the opportunity to go pro and assuredly would have been drafted this week. Instead, he elected to return for his junior season.
The Dawgs are happy that one of the league's best and most athletic pass-rushers came back to marinate for another year in the college game.
He likely needed the extra time, though it'll be difficult to duplicate the type of production Floyd had last year when he thrived under new coordinator Jeremy Pruitt. The 6'4", 231-pound Eastman, Georgia, native led UGA with six sacks and an incredible 17 quarterback hurries.
Even so, he wound up only as an AP Honorable Mention All-SEC performer despite being voted the team's defensive MVP.
According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Tanya Sichynsky, ESPN's Todd McShay listed Floyd as the 10th overall pick on his 2015 mock draft board.
Floyd has high expectations this season, and he'll team with Jordan Jenkins and Lorenzo Carter to give Pruitt and the Bulldogs several exciting options when it comes to defensive looks they can throw at opposing quarterbacks.
Floyd is long and lean and is the kind of freakish hybrid athlete who surges up draft boards. He's almost a lock to be a first-rounder. The WalterFootball.com mock draft has him going 12th to the St. Louis Rams.
Kentucky: Patrick Towles, Quarterback
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With the start Patrick Towles got off to in 2014, you would have thought he'd be a candidate to leave school after the season.
Things got a little rocky toward the end for the 6'5", 241-pound signal-caller, and he went into the offseason in a battle with other young Wildcats quarterbacks (notably Drew Barker) to win the starting job.
He wound up completing 57.3 percent of his passes for 2,718 yards, rushed for 303 yards and accounted for 20 total touchdowns. He averaged just 184.7 total yards throughout the season's final four games, though, and that was enough to spiral him back into a free-for-all competition.
Towles must improve his accuracy, but he has the height and the sneaky athleticism to be a guy who works out at the combine really well and surges up draft boards.
He has plenty of believers, despite the fact that he hasn't earned a starting job yet. JC Shurburtt of 247Sports wrote:
"If Towles has a big [redshirt junior] year, it's a foregone conclusion he will get drafted. Give him time to develop at the NFL level in a pro-style offense and he can be a starter in the league. He has the tools. He has some progress to make, but as we all know quarterback is constant development and if you have the tools you have a chance. As for this coming Kentucky season, Towles' performance could be the difference in Mark Stoops and staff guiding the 'Cats to a bowl game in their third year and the expectation is that Towles will be one of the top 3-4 quarterbacks in the SEC.
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WalterFootball.com projects Towles to go in the second or third round, which would likely would make him the highest-drafted Wildcat.
He's gone from a high school star at Fort Thomas who participated in the Elite 11 camp to a college star early last season to a guy fighting for his job. To become an NFL draft pick may seem like a leap, but if you have the physical tools that Towles does, somebody will try to develop you.
LSU: Vadal Alexander, Offensive Guard/Tackle
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The LSU Tigers have several potential pro prospects on their 2015 roster, but most are underclassmen.
Of the guys who can come out, 6'6", 320-pound offensive lineman Vadal Alexander gets the slight nod over potential elite wide receiver Travin Dural, defensive back Jalen Mills and others.
Much like this year's LSU O-line draft representative, La'el Collins, Alexander has experience playing both guard and tackle. Last year, with Collins entrenched on the blind side, Alexander played left guard.
This year, Hawkins will swap sides to anchor the right tackle job, while Jerald Hawkins will vacate his right tackle position in favor of the left side. Alexander played right tackle as a freshman when he wound up a second-team freshman All-American.
"It's real natural to me," Alexander told The Times-Picayune's Jim Kleinpeter. "Playing a lot of football that I have, I've learned a lot of things in the SEC and this team. Right tackle is easier because I'm a lot more developed and experienced. I'm more comfortable, and I'm in way better shape than my freshman year, so I can really show my athleticism."
Despite moving over to play tackle this season, most think his NFL future is at guard. NFLDraftScout.com rates Alexander as the No. 1 guard in the 2016 draft.
He is big and powerful and looks to be the ideal road-grader for an interior lineman on the next level. Having the ability to play tackle will only make him more versatile, and that will boost a stock that already has him potentially being selected in the first round.
Mississippi: Laremy Tunsil, Offensive Tackle
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Franchise offensive tackles are difficult to find. There simply isn't one in this year's draft with Stanford's Andrus Peat being the closest example.
That won't be the case next year.
Ole Miss' Laremy Tunsil is the next elite offensive tackle who will make some NFL team happy for many years to come.
While the Rebels stand to lose a trio of early exits in Tunsil, defensive lineman Robert Nkemdiche and wide receiver Laquon Treadwell (all of which could go in the top 10 or even top five), Tunsil is the surest thing.
Despite a gruesome injury suffered in the Peach Bowl when Tunsil fractured his fibula, he's likely to be fully healthy by the time the season starts. He told HottyToddy.com's Austin Miller: "I think I'll be full-go by the fall. I think I'll get back to 100 percent, sooner or later."
If so, there's no reason why he won't be one of the top players—if not the top player—taken overall. The Sporting News' Ken Bradley lists Tunsil second behind Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg.
Others have him among the top five as well. If Tunsil gets back to 100 percent, he's simply too big (6'5", 305 lbs) and athletic to pass up. He's a prototypical NFL offensive tackle.
It's likely he makes the leap from 5-star prospect to top-five NFL pick in the span of three quick years.
Mississippi State: Chris Jones, Defensive Tackle
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Everybody around the SEC is talking about rising senior quarterback Dak Prescott, who was the Heisman Trophy front-runner for a portion of the 2014 season and returns again for one more season in Starkville.
But he isn't the top pro prospect on the Bulldogs roster.
That distinction goes to junior defensive lineman Chris Jones, who has yet to come close to realizing his full potential. The former elite recruit has been inconsistent in his two years so far, but he has superb skills and at times flashes NFL athleticism.
Scouts everywhere are enamored with his talent. It helps that at 6'5", 300 pounds, he has the size and versatility (much like Alabama's A'Shawn Robinson) to play either inside or out.
Opposing offensive lines showed him extra attention in 2014, which allowed for big seasons from Preston Smith and Kaleb Eulls. But '15 may be Jones' time to shine.
WalterFootball.com's Charlie Campbell has Jones going in the first round, 28th to the Detroit Lions. The Sporting News' Ken Bradley lists him among his top players as well:
"A true lane-clogger, Jones had 32 tackles, tied for the team lead with seven tackles for loss, had three sacks and led the team with 10 QB hurries. His three sacks came against LSU, Alabama and rival Ole Miss. NFL teams will be salivating over him after two more seasons. At 6-5, 305 pounds, he has room to grow and room to climb on draft boards as well.
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Much like fellow Mississippi defensive lineman Robert Nkemdiche, NFL teams may not have to wait two seasons for Jones. With a big year, he could come out early and go in the first round.
Missouri: Josh Augusta, Defensive Tackle
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Another year, another Missouri defensive lineman.
In 2016, however, it won't end. Instead, the Tigers' vaunted defensive line coach Craig Kuligowski will churn out his first marquee defensive tackle since Sheldon Richardson in junior Josh Augusta.
At 6'4", 335 pounds, he is a space-clogging monster who is strong against the rush and has the athleticism to pressure the quarterback once he gets past the point of attack.
Though the Peoria, Illinois, product will only be a junior, he has every element NFL teams want in a defensive tackle and could be in line for a first-round payday. He also has the kind of back story you pull for.
When you have a tackle as athletic as Augusta—who insisted to The Kansas City Star's Tod Palmer that he can do everything on the basketball court—NFL general managers take notice.
"A lot of people don't believe it, but he did play wide receiver in high school," Kuligowski told Palmer. "He's a very talented individual. We knew that when we recruited him…"
Without Shane Ray and Markus Golden on the edges, it's going to be a little more difficult for Augusta to have the same freedom as he had a season ago. He'll be the one getting all the extra attention.
Since he's the full package and the perfect combination of size and speed, that won't matter that much to scouts. WalterFootball.com ranks Augusta as the No. 2 defensive tackle on its current board.
But if he has a monster year, he has the ability to surge to the top of the first round.
Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/sports/college/sec/university-of-missouri/article2121231.html#storylink=cpy
South Carolina: Pharoh Cooper, Wide Receiver
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South Carolina isn't expected to have a lot of star talent coming out for next year's draft, but a few could break out and flash onto NFL teams' radars.
From Darius English to Brandon Wilds, the Gamecocks have several players who aren't on many early mock drafts but could be soon enough.
Perhaps nobody's absence is more puzzling than rising junior playmaker Pharoh Cooper.
In 2013, he had just three catches. Then, he broke out for a 69-catch, 1,136-yard 2014 season where he scored nine touchdowns and torched teams such as Auburn, Tennessee and Miami.
At 5'11", 201 pounds, he certainly isn't the prototype. NFLDraftScout.com currently has Cooper as the eighth-best receiver in the 2017 draft, which would mean that he stays in Columbia two more years.
In an interview with South Carolina's 247Sports site, Cooper's mom, Tanya, told Brandi Mills:
"I see college students that leave early then they end up either on a practice squad or they don’t get picked up at all. So I remind him, they can take all your belongings but they can not take your mind. I know it’s ultimately his decision, but we try to instill the right things in Pharoh and then he can run with it. He really takes his mom and dad’s advice seriously. And his brother's as well. Football doesn’t last forever. We tell Pharoh 'get your education.'
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Though sticking around for two more years seems like a likely path forward, Cooper is a beast who will be coveted by NFL teams. He is dynamic with the ball in his hands and can do everything as a receiver.
It may be difficult for Cooper to repeat the same numbers he did from a season ago with a whole new stable of fellow receivers and a new quarterback.
If he proves he can thrive despite a safety being shaded in his direction, he may begin to receive extra attention from the NFL.
Tennessee: Cameron Sutton, Cornerback
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Cameron Sutton may not be a household name around the country because he's spent his entire career in the shadow of one of the best college corners of the past decade in Vernon Hargreaves III.
But Sutton can play.
Though he was inexplicably shut out of any all-conference teams in 2014, the Jonesboro, Georgia, native wound up with 37 tackles and three interceptions, and he was one of the best lockdown corners in the conference.
Sutton may be overlooked by his own conference, but he won't be by the NFL, and he isn't by scouts, either. WalterFootball's Charlie Campbell has Sutton leaving early and getting taken ninth by the Washington Redskins.
"He is a very physical defender who plays with a chip on his shoulder," Campbell writes.
It's always been that way, too.
Sutton started from the moment he walked onto campus in Knoxville, and he has developed his skills to where he was baiting quarterbacks into throwing his way last year and taking advantage of it. He had 13 pass breakups as well.
Vols fans obviously would love to have "Sunday" Sutton for two more seasons, but the 6'1", 189-pound rising star has the size and speed that NFL scouts covet for corners. He's intelligent, and with a loaded UT defensive backfield, he could be primed for a big season.
GoVols247 reporter Wes Rucker said of Sutton, "[He] was a darn good player the second he stepped on campus and has done nothing but improve and turn himself into an All-America-caliber performer."
Texas A&M: Germain Ifedi, Offensive Tackle
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Surprisingly, Texas A&M doesn't have a lot of prospects expected to be taken in the 2016 NFL draft. But several could wind up as hot names.
Star receiver Josh Reynolds has the size-and-speed combination that he could become a combine freak who shoots onto many draft boards. Tra Carson also could get some looks as a running back.
But the Aggies always seem to have offensive linemen ready for the NFL, and '16 will be no different. Center Mike Matthews will be among the top centers taken, and then there's Germain Ifedi, who seems poised to walk in the footsteps of Cedric Ogbuehi, Jake Matthews and Luke Joeckel.
Ifedi may not be the same type of prospect as the others, but the right tackle elected to return for his redshirt junior season, and he could play his way into the first round. The second or third round is more likely, though.
Ifedi explored the option of heading to the league to fulfill his dream last year but ultimately decided to come back. He will anchor an Aggies front this year that could be exceptional despite losing Ogbuehi, Jarvis Harrison, Garrett Gramling and Ben Compton.
The Dallas Morning News' Brandon Wheeland noted, "Keeping a talent such as Germain Ifedi away from the NFL is a plus, and he will certainly be a leader for the Aggies this upcoming season."
WalterFootball.com has Ifedi as its 10th-rated tackle, which projects him in the second or third round. That seems like a general area for any of the A&M eligible players to go, but some of them could play their way up.
Ifedi has the size, athleticism and pedigree to do so.
Vanderbilt: Caleb Azubike, Defensive End/Linebacker
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One of the main reasons Derek Mason struggled in his first season as the Vanderbilt head coach is that he didn't have any NFL talent on the roster.
It's going to be much the same story in 2016.
Very few mock draft boards feature any Commodores, and there aren't a lot of candidates, either.
Tight end Steven Scheu, offensive lineman Jake Bernstein and defensive lineman Adam Butler could have pro futures, but the player with the biggest upside is outside linebacker/defensive end Caleb Azubike.
The 6'4", 270-pound rising senior had his share of struggles moving from end to standing up as the outside linebacker in Mason's 3-4 scheme in 2014. He wound up starting six games at end, going back to his regular position.
That was disappointing, considering he was expected to have a big season. NFL.com's Chase Goodbread listed Azubike among the 10 players he thought were primed to have breakout '14 seasons:
"An NFL-caliber athlete who hasn't quite lived up to his potential to date, Azubike found the perfect home as the Jack linebacker in the Commodores' new 3-4 defensive scheme under new coach Derek Mason. He'll be a stand-up, pass-rushing linebacker on pretty much a full-time basis, opening more opportunities for big plays than he's ever had before.
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Azubike finished with just 39 tackles, though he did have four sacks. Nagging injuries cost him most of the season's final three games. But now he's back on the line.
If he thrives there, he'll have to come out of virtually nowhere when it comes to NFL scouts. NFLDraftScout.com has him as the No. 51 outside linebacker currently.
All recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports composite rankings unless otherwise noted. All statistics gathered from CFBStats.com unless otherwise noted. Quotes and observations gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted.
Brad Shepard covers SEC football for Bleacher Report. Follow Brad on Twitter @Brad_Shepard.
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