College Football's All-NFL Ready Team for 2016

The NFL draft has come and gone, meaning we can put aside—at least for a little bit—all of the projections about who from the college game will make it in the pros.

Yeah, not likely. The NFL just plucked away more than 250 of college's best players from the 2015 season, and already attention has shifted to the 2017 draft. Bleacher Report's Matt Miller is among many who have published way-too-early mock drafts for next year, and that's only part of the wave of projections related to the next crop of college stars who will soon be on their way to the pros.

Dislike it all you want, it's the reality of the relationship between college football and the NFL. We might as well embrace it however we can by putting together an All-NFL Ready team.

This list is comprised of current college football players who, based on their talents and measurables, would have been drafted quite early this past weekend if they were allowed to be picked.

We've picked one player from every major position, limiting the selections to those who were not eligible for the 2016 draft. That means no seniors or redshirt juniors, players who opted to return to school to improve their draft stock.

Being eligible for the 2017 draft isn't a requirement, though. If a freshman or sophomore is the best NFL-level talent at his position in college, then he'll be on this list over a junior.

Quarterback: Deshaun Watson, Clemson Tigers

Bob Leverone/Associated Press

Year: Junior

Height, weight: 6'2”, 210 lbs

UCLA Bruins quarterback Josh Rosen might turn out to be the better pro in the long run, but a lot can happen between now and the 2018 draft, when the sophomore becomes eligible for the NFL. Just ask former Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg.

Deshaun Watson is as close to a finished product at the quarterback position as there is in college football, though that doesn't mean he won't still need some fine-tuning over the next year. In listing him as the No. 1 pick for 2017, Bleacher Report's Matt Miller noted that Watson "does need to work on limiting interceptions on deep throws," which have been where the bulk of his 15 career picks have come from.

If that's all that is currently wrong with Watson though, then that's not too bad. Especially when you compare it to the overwhelming number of positives, most notably his speed and elusiveness. After a freshman year in which he was too willing to take contact—and which resulted in a hand injury and torn knee ligaments—he's become a smarter runner and one who does his best to keep himself out of harm's way.

Watson has completed at least 67.8 percent of his passes in both college seasons, and his accuracy improves later in the game. He was at 71 percent in the third and fourth quarters in 2015.

Running Back: Leonard Fournette, LSU Tigers

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Year: Junior

Height, weight: 6'1”, 230 lbs

Leonard Fournette has been billed as an NFL-ready running back since before he played a college game. That hype became reality over the course of his freshman year, and after a mammoth sophomore campaign during which he often looked unstoppable, Fournette has proven he's the real deal.

Assuming he doesn't suffer any sort of injury in 2016, it's hard not to imagine Fournette won't be the first rusher taken next spring. That might even result in him being the first running back taken overall since Ki-Jana Carter in 1995. It is about the only way Fournette and Carter will ever get compared.

NFL.com's Gil Brandt told Marc Tracy of the New York Times in the fall that Fournette would have been the first player picked in 2016 if he were eligible, noting that "he's ready to play." And that was only after a few games of his sophomore campaign, one that finished with a school-record 1,953 yards and 22 touchdowns and an FBS-best 162.75 yards per game.

Including receptions, Fournette scored on 7.2 percent of the times he touched the ball last year with more than 29 percent of his rushes or catches resulting in first downs.

Wide Receiver: JuJu Smith-Schuster, USC Trojans

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Year: Junior

Height, weight: 6'2”, 215 lbs

Say what you want about what they've done in the pros, but the NFL loves it some USC Trojans wide receivers. A Trojans pass-catcher went in the first two rounds of three straight drafts (2013-15) before getting shut out last weekend.

But that's only because JuJu Smith-Schuster wasn't eligible. If he were able to be taken, someone would have swooped in and grabbed the big-bodied target as soon as possible.

Smith-Schuster has caught 143 passes for 2,178 yards and 15 touchdowns in his USC career, with last year's numbers (89 catches, 1,454 yards, 10 TDs) almost more than any three other teammates compiled. SB Nation's Bill Connelly listed him as the most efficient and explosive receiver in college in 2016, when he was the target of 30.8 percent of USC's passes and hauled in 65.9 percent of those throws.

Those numbers came during a season in which he broke his hand, had surgery and not only played the next game, but had eight catches for 138 yards and a TD in a 38-30 win over the Arizona Wildcats.

Offensive Lineman: Cam Robinson, Alabama Crimson Tide

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Year: Junior

Height, weight: 6'6”, 327 lbs

The anticipation for Cam Robinson becoming draft-eligible has been building for quite some time ever since he locked down the ultra-important left tackle position at Alabama as a true freshman and never let go. Bleacher Report's Matt Miller saw this early on, noting in September 2014 that he "may be two years away from draft eligibility, but he's already one of the most impressive prospects on that loaded roster in Tuscaloosa."

Not much has changed in that time, since it's hard to go up any more than where Robinson has established himself over his two years with the Crimson Tide. His online bio lists him as responsible for only 5.5 sacks over his career, play that has helped turn longtime backup quarterbacks Blake Sims and Jake Coker into college stars.

Robinson is also enormous and knows how to use every inch and pound to his advantage. He's got the look and feel of a plug-and-play blocker, one who seems sure to go quite high in the 2017 draft.

Defensive End: Myles Garrett, Texas A&M Aggies

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Year: Junior

Height, weight: 6'5”, 262 lbs

Remember how much NFL scouts raved about Jadeveon Clowney after his sophomore year at South Carolina? It got to the point that writers such as Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio suggested he should sit out his junior season and use that time to prepare for the pros. Myles Garrett broke Clowney's freshman sack record in 2014 and his numbers the first two seasons at Texas A&M compare favorably with the player who went first overall in the 2014 draft.

Garrett had 11.5 sacks as a freshman, 3.5 more than Clowney did in 2011, then added 12.5 more last season along with 19.5 tackles for loss and five forced fumbles. He's a chiseled edge-rushing specimen who could end up either on the defensive line or at outside linebacker, depending on his pro team's alignment. Regardless of his destination, he's going to be highly coveted.

"Garrett is a special talent, who could push for No. 1 overall consideration if no quarterbacks emerge," CBS Sports' Rob Rang wrote.

All Garrett might have to concern himself with between now and next spring is regression, either through injury or because of team issues. Clowney only managed three sacks his junior year when he missed two games, and while Garrett has remained healthy, he's on an A&M team that has gotten off to hot starts in both 2014 and 2015 only to fizzle in the second half.

Defensive Tackle: Malik McDowell, Michigan State Spartans

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Year: Junior

Height, weight: 6'6”, 280 lbs

Malik McDowell's college career began with some unwanted family drama, the result of his parents essentially holding his national letter of intent hostage in 2014 while they argued over his school choice. His time with the Michigan State Spartans might end with him being a high first-round draft pick.

He is an interior defender who can line up pretty much anywhere up front thanks to amazing body control and agility that belies his size. He's started the last 15 games for Michigan State at nose tackle, yet coach Mike Dantonio told Sporting News' Bill Bender that "he is scratching the surface of who he really is," and we'll get to see the best of him in 2016.

McDowell's numbers to this point don't jump off the page, but that was mostly due to him being the young man on a veteran line his first two years. Shilique Calhoun and others have moved on, which will make him the most-experienced player up front and thus puts the onus on him to surpass last year's 4.5 sacks and 13 tackles for a loss.

"I think I'm the best D-lineman in the country, I can't lie," McDowell told Mike Griffith of MLive.com. "So if you want it and you ask for it, you've got to be willing to take on the pressure."

McDowell may be in line to be a top-10 pick as long as he continues to progress. 

Linebacker: Raekwon McMillan, Ohio State Buckeyes

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Year: Junior

Height, weight: 6'2”, 240 lbs

The Ohio State Buckeyes just had 12 players taken in this last NFL draft, including a record 10 taken in the first three rounds. That number would no doubt have been one higher if Raekwon McMillan had been able to be picked. Instead, he'll just have to suffice as likely the top Buckeye drafted in 2017 (assuming he turns pro).

NFL scouts are well aware of McMillan's talents, having inadvertently watched them while scanning film of draft-eligible OSU teammates this winter.

"While teams were watching film and forming their opinions on Darron Lee, Joshua Perry and Joey Bosa, they were also watching McMillan," Cleveland.com's Bill Landis wrote.

McMillan had only 1.5 sacks and four tackles for loss in 2015 but recorded a team-high 119 tackles.

Cornerback: Jabrill Peppers, Michigan Wolverines

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Year: Redshirt sophomore

Height, weight: 6'1”, 208 lbs

Yes, we know that new Michigan Wolverines defensive coordinator Don Brown moved Jabrill Peppers to linebacker this spring in order to maximize his impact on the field. It's much like what USC did with Su'a Cravens as a sophomore and junior, a tactical decision that was meant to benefit the entire defense of his college team.

But when it comes time to evaluating Peppers for the NFL, he's much more likely to get looked at for a spot in the secondary. That's where he began his college career and where he's destined to return when he gets to the pros, and it could be at either corner or safety.

"Get ready for the comparisons between Jabrill Peppers and Jalen Ramsey," Bleacher Report's Matt Miller wrote of Peppers, referring to his blend of skills that are similar to what ex-Florida State Seminoles defensive back Ramsey made at both corner and safety.

Any contributions Peppers makes this season on offense or special teams for Michigan will only add to his resume in terms of assessing his athleticism. He may never appear in those areas at the pro level, but knowing he can perform in so many ways makes him even more NFL-ready.

Safety: Derwin James, Florida State Seminoles

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Year: Sophomore

Height, weight: 6'3”, 213 lbs

No offense to LSU junior Jamal Adams, who will probably be the first safety taken in 2017, but the most pro-ready player at that position in college football is still a year away from being officially on draft boards. Derwin James has played just one year at Florida State, but that's been more than enough to see he's going to be a star in the NFL as long as he continues progressing.

“NFL teams would trample each other to get a 19-year-old Derwin James if (they) could,” Bud Elliott of Tomahawk Nation tweeted.

James was Florida State's second-leading tackler and had the most solo tackles (52) while logging 4.5 sacks and 9.5 tackles for a loss. Pro Football Focus' Steve Palazzolo, in writing for ESPN, called James the “best true freshman in the nation” in 2015 when he was rated as the second-best safety regardless of class.

“Perhaps most impressive from James is his ability to line up as a deep safety on one play and a true edge rusher on the next play,” Palazzolo wrote.

Statistics courtesy of CFBStats.com or Sports-Reference.com, unless otherwise noted. Recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports, unless otherwise noted.

Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.