2017 NFL Draft: Draft Radar Heading into NFL Week 14
Championship weekend is in the books and the draft spotlight continues to shine on prospects across the country. Wide receiver Corey Davis continued to tear up any defensive back in his way, while an under-the-radar tight end continued to help Penn State to a surprise Big Ten Championship.
Over in the SEC, there is an abundance of talent on every level of the defense from a star linebacker in Florida to a trio of high-end edge-rushers. Meanwhile, a hidden gem of a corner out of Clemson had one of the best performances we've seen all season from a defensive back.
We'll round out this week's draft radar with an updated mock draft, with the Browns finally selecting someone other than Texas A&M's Myles Garrett and three pass-rushers coming off the board in the top five.
Stock Up
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Mike Gesicki, TE, Penn State
It has been a fantastic stretch for Gesicki, who’s caught five of his seven targets for over 100 yards and two long touchdowns over his last two games. At 6’6", he’s a target that plays "above the rim," constantly bringing down contested end-zone throws. After struggles in the early portion of his college career, Gesicki has moved his name into the top-five tight end conversation if he declares for the NFL draft.
Jarrad Davis, LB, Florida
As expected, Florida did not put up a big fight against Alabama due to the inability to move the ball down the field on the offensive end. As for the defense, linebacker Jarrad Davis continued to shine, even in the loss.
His ability to read and react to plays, especially as he dissects them pre-snap, makes his closing speed a special trait. He’s a rock-solid run defender, but also shows the awareness to sniff out screens and cover in space. While the NFL has shown to value the inside linebacker position less each year, a team might get incredible value if Davis slides to the second round.
Damontae Kazee, CB, San Diego State
Kazee is considered a smaller corner at a listed size of 5’11", 190 pounds (shows how much bigger cornerbacks are in the modern NFL), but he continues to prove himself as NFL talent.
He had a special night in coverage against Wyoming, allowing one catch on six targets for 32 yards with two interceptions and another pass defended. If he can adjust to covering the slot at the next level, he could be a high-end third cornerback. His tenacity reminds me of the New York Jets' Buster Skrine, both aggressive tacklers who play bigger than their size indicates.
Stock Down
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Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming
Allen’s offensive line did not give him much help against San Diego State, where he was sacked four times and under pressure on 22 of his 40 dropbacks. With that being said, the redshirt sophomore quarterback tried to do just a bit too much at times, leading to costly turnovers while only completing 45.2 percent of his passes.
It would be a shock if Allen declared for the draft, but he’s a key player to keep an eye on next year with superb arm talent, size and above-average mobility. He’ll just need to clean up some of the mental mistakes he showed this past weekend.
Bucky Hodges, TE, Virginia Tech
The athletic tight end Hodges continues to flash high-end ability in small instances, but Virginia Tech has failed to make him a consistent weapon. He caught one of his six targets for 42 yards, while two of his targets were intercepted. While his ACC Championship performance was a tad disappointing, he might end up having a better NFL career where a high-octane passing offense can make him a scary weapon.
Chidobe Awuzie, CB, Colorado
Awuzie has been a stock up candidate on draft radar, but he finally showed vulnerability against Washington on Friday evening. He allowed five catches on 10 targets for 60 yards and a touchdown. Allowing a fluky touchdown to superstar wide out John Ross is nothing to be ashamed of, but it was interesting to see the extremely solid corner prospect finally have an average game.
Eye-Popping Prospect Numbers of the Week
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Even in the loss to Alabama, Florida cornerback Jalen Tabor continues to be a lockdown corner. He allowed all four of his targets to be caught but only surrendered a total of 18 yards. It’s extremely rare for him to surrender anything over five yards at this point.
Speaking of lockdown corners, that Washington Huskies duo continues to give up much of anything. Sidney Jones allowed one catch on three targets for 21 yards while his counterpart Kevin King did not surrender a catch on four targets. They both look like top-50 players for next spring.
This edition of eye-popping numbers belongs to the cornerbacks, which will be a special group in the 2017 NFL draft class. Clemson’s Cordrea Tankersley continues to slide under the radar, but he’s coming off of a big ACC championship performance where he allowed two of his nine targets to be caught for only 23 yards. He also intercepted two passes and batted down another one.
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The Battle for WR1: Championship Weekend Edition
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It appears three wide receivers are fighting to come off the board first right now and all three had spectacular championship weekends. Let’s break down their performances:
Corey Davis, Western Michigan:
Davis put on a show and continues to prove he’s not just a small-school talent dominating low-level competition. He hauled in eight of his 12 targets for 144 yards and a 70-yard touchdown. He’ll be at the Senior Bowl where he is expected to continue his projected Round 1 momentum.
Mike Williams, Clemson:
It’s safe to say Williams is officially back at full strength since his 2015 season-ending neck injury. He grabbed five of his eight targets for 57 yards. Williams’ long arms allow him to pluck the ball out of the air with a great catch radius, and there should be few questions about his absurd strength.
John Ross, Washington:
One of the speed demons of this year’s class, Ross never seems to have a quiet week. In Washington’s blowout win over Colorado, he hauled in four of his 13 targets (many of the incompletions were not his fault) for 51 yards and a touchdown.
Making the Case For: The New York Jets Trading Up for Mitch Trubisky
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It’s no secret the Jets have few answers for the future of their quarterback position right now. Ryan Fitzpatrick’s return has failed miserably and he will be elsewhere next season. Bryce Petty was a lotto ticket (at best) fourth-round selection that has showed minor-at-best progress, which his ceiling being a long-term backup. Christian Hackenberg is most likely a full year away from seeing the field and far from a sure thing.
So where do the New York Jets go from here? The simple answer is they need to continue to draft quarterbacks until they hit on one. This year, I see UNC Tar Heel Mitch Trubisky as the best quarterback in the 2017 class if he declares. Here are the pros and cons of the Jets moving to get him:
Pros: The Jets would finally have a foundation in place to build around. Trubisky would be throwing to proven skill players such as Brandon Marshall and most likely Eric Decker. He would also have ascending players such as Quincy Enunwa and Robby Anderson to work with. The Todd Bowles era would finally gain an identity, rather than floating from journeyman to journeyman while hopelessly waiting for a project player to grasp the starting quarterback spot.
Cons: Simply, the cost. Will the Jets lose enough games this year to be in prime position to select the top quarterback? Even if the Browns look elsewhere than their expected first-round pick, teams like the 49ers, Jaguars and Bears will all be searching for signal-callers. The Jets might have to move, but that requires serious future draft capital.
Mocking the Top Five Heading into Week 14
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1) Cleveland Browns: Mitch Trubisky, QB, UNC
While the Browns could explore a trade option for Patriots' Jimmy Garoppolo, their fall-back option could be taking the highest quarterback on the board with the first pick. Trubisky happens to be from Ohio and with his arm talent and mobility, he would flourish under Hue Jackson.
2) San Francisco 49ers: Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson
It's quite clear the Colin Kaepernick era is coming to an end in San Francisco. The 49ers can't go into the 2017 season with Blaine Gabbert as the projected starter again. Watson has had an up-and-down season, but he has the traits to develop into a productive middle-of-the pack starter. If Chip Kelly remains as the head coach, it would be a surprise to see him wait any longer on selecting a top quarterback.
3) Jacksonville Jaguars: Myles Garrett, EDGE, Texas A&M
In a strange turn of events, the Jaguars end up with the projected top overall player in this draft. Dante Fowler has not been the instant pass-rush threat they expected, and landing Garrett would significantly upgrade that front seven. Whether Gus Bradley returns or not (looking doubtful), Jacksonville would not be able to pass on a talent like Garrett.
4) Chicago Bears: Derek Barnett, EDGE, Tennessee
The Bears are another quarterback-needy team, but taking one here would be a gigantic reach. Barnett has rounded out his game while having great size, athleticism and strength to excel on the edge. Yes, Chicago selected Leonard Floyd in the first round last year to improve the pass-rush and he's been very good in recent weeks. With that being said, why not form a dynamic duo of edge-rushers that can get after NFC North quarterbacks for the next decade?
5) New York Jets: Carl Lawson, EDGE, Auburn
The Jets have failed to land an edge-rusher since John Abraham was traded over a decade ago. With a run on edge-rushers expected to come early, they can't waste any time here. Lawson has blue-chip ability and if he can stay healthy, he can end up the best pass-rusher to come out of this class.
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