2017 NFL Draft: Highlighting the Biggest Playmakers
Players make plays.
It's the simplest cliche in sports, yet it rings true at every level. Certain individuals stand above the rest with a knack for making big plays.
In football, playmakers generally refer to the skill positions. The ability to create or stop touchdowns defines those who earn the designation, and the more a player can do increases his overall value.
The big boys up front do the dirty work, while the playmakers receive all of the credit.
Offense dominates today's game. The NFL is slanted toward that side of the ball with multiple rules trying to make the game more exciting. Meanwhile, college football posted its highest scoring average ever in 2016, per CBS Sports' Dennis Dodd.
The NFL draft serves as a confluence where these trends meet and define football's future.
An emphasis is now placed on prospects who create mismatches that allow offenses to become more diverse, generating scoring opportunities.
Bleacher Report focused on the draft's top 10 playmakers listed in descending order based on their perceived draft value.
10. CB Damontae Kazee, San Diego State
1 of 10
Ball skills matter. NFL secondary coaches don't want their defensive backs simply batting down passes. Extra possessions are vital. A cornerback with the ability to create turnovers holds a much higher overall value.
No cornerback was more successful creating turnovers during the past two seasons than San Diego State's Damontae Kazee.
Kazee snagged 15 interceptions on his way to being named a two-time Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year. As a three-year starter, the cornerback contributed 45 defended passes, too.
The 5'10", 184-pound defensive back also packs a punch. He forced six fumbles over his career, including four during his freshman campaign. His size will hold him back to a degree, though. The California native is primarily viewed as a nickel corner.
"I'm pretty sure I'm going to be playing nickel just because of my size and my weight," Kazee told Fox Sports San Diego's Austin Gayle. "And, I'm for it. I'm for whatever position they want to put me in."
Kazee isn't the biggest, fastest or toughest cornerback, yet his ability to break on the ball and create turnovers outweighs the fact he doesn't fit prototypical standards.
Projection: Day 2 selection
9. S Eddie Jackson, Alabama
2 of 10
Alabama safety Eddie Jackson became the forgotten man after he suffered a broken leg during an Oct. 22 contest against the Texas A&M Aggies. Before that point, Jackson was considered a premier free safety prospect with tremendous ball skills, and a top-flight returner.
A serious injury shouldn't be overlooked, and Jackson's medical evaluations will play a large part in where he's eventually drafted, but some NFL franchise is going to take a chance on his ability.
Prior to the injury, the defensive back already recorded a pick-six and added two punt-return touchdowns. Jackson averaged 23 yards per punt return.
A year earlier, the Florida native converted from cornerback to safety. He snagged six interceptions and obliterated the Crimson Tide's team record with 230 return yards, including a pair of touchdowns.
"I bring versatility, when the ball is in my hands I can do some crazy things," Jackson said during an interview with CBS Sport Radio's Damon Amendolara.
In Alabama's scheme, Jackson was allowed to roam and take advantage of his natural instincts and ball skills. Free safeties, who can erase mistakes along the back line, are more valuable than ever. A healthy Jackson is a potential first-round pick. Instead, he'll have to wait until other free safeties like Ohio State's Malik Hooker and Utah's Marcus Williams are off the board before a team calls his name.
Projection: Day 2 selection
8. WR Carlos Henderson, Louisiana Tech
3 of 10
The ability to create after a reception becomes more important with each passing year. NFL offensive coordinators are asking quarterbacks to get the ball out much quicker and allow their receivers to gain yards after the catch.
Louisiana Tech's Carlos Henderson is an elite target with his ability to gain yardage once the catch is made. Henderson experienced a breakout campaign in 2016 with 82 receptions for 1,535 yards and 19 touchdowns—which tied for the most at the FBS level.
Those are impressive numbers, yet another is more astounding. According to Pro Football Focus' Scott Barrett, Henderson blew away the competition in missed tackles per reception; he forced a missed tackle on 59 percent of his receptions. The next closest receiver, Clemson's Artavis Scott, only provided a missed tackle 26 percent of the time.
Henderson starred on special teams before he became a big part of the offense, yet he didn't shirk his return duties once he blossomed into a full-fledged star. Over the last three seasons, the 5'11", 199-pound receiver with 4.46-second 40-yard-dash speed returned 79 kickoffs for 2,094 yards and three touchdowns. He also carried the ball 14 times in 2016 and added two more rushing scores.
Put the ball in Henderson's hands, and he'll create. At worst, he's an instant special teams upgrade.
Projection: Second Round
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7. CB Adoree' Jackson, USC
4 of 10
Years when individuals played both ways are long gone; USC's Adoree' Jackson could if an NFL team asked him to do so.
Jackson is arguably the best pure athlete available in this year's NFL draft. As a two-sport star, the Illinois native came up short of competing at the 2016 Summer Olympics in the long jump. He still captured a Pac-12 title in the event, though.
For the USC football team, Jackson developed into something more than just a raw athlete. In three seasons, he caught 39 passes for 628 yards and six touchdowns. Jackson served as the Trojans' primary returner with 2,719 total yards and eight combined touchdowns.
But this electric competitor is destined to be a cornerback at the next level. Jackson snatched five interceptions during his last season on campus.
"I didn't expect him to have the year he did in coverage," an AFC scout told NFL.com's Lance Zierlein. "I saw ball skills and coverage ability that I didn't see last year."
Jackson received a higher overall grade from Pro Football Focus than Alabama's Marlon Humphrey, Ohio State's Gareon Conley, Washington's Kevin King, UCLA's Fabian Moreau, Florida's Teez Tabor and Quincy Wilson and Colorado's Chidobe Awuzie and Ahkello Witherspoon, who are all highly regarded cornerback prospects with first- or second-round potential.
Projection: Second Round
6. RB Curtis Samuel, Ohio State
5 of 10
Percy Harvin took the NFL by storm as a rookie in 2009. Harvin personified the term "offensive weapon" without having a true position. Unfortunately, his career was cut short by multiple injuries. The NFL will find another individual in this year's draft class with a similar skill set.
Ohio State's Curtis Samuel has the potential to become what everyone wanted from a healthy Harvin. Samuel is slightly bigger at 196 pounds and faster with a 4.31-second 40-yard dash coming into the league.
What ties these two together is an ability to serve as explosive threats in both the air and ground games. As a junior, Samuel caught 74 passes for 865 yards and seven touchdowns. He also ran the ball 97 times for 771 yards and eight touchdowns.
Samuel is projected as an NFL wide receiver, but his ability to play both receiver and running back makes him an intriguing target for offensive-minded head coaches.
"As you see today [at Ohio State's pro day], I did inside receiver, outside receiver and ran some routes out of the backfield and did some running back drills at the end of the receiver stuff and caught some punts," Samuel said after his performance, per Eleven Warriors' Tim Shoemaker. "I did a whole bunch of stuff today and I'm just trying to expand my role wherever teams want me."
There are always concerns whether individuals with this skill set will develop into anything more than gadget players. Samuel, however, should be viewed as a weapon who can create scoring opportunities in multiple facets of the game.
Projection: Second Round
5. S Jabrill Peppers
6 of 10
The man without a position is also one of the NFL draft's top playmakers. Throughout the draft process, many questioned where Michigan's Jabrill Peppers will play at the next level. He started his career in Ann Arbor as a cornerback before moving to safety and ultimately ending up at linebacker.
As a junior playing along the second line of defense, Peppers finished first on the team with 16 tackles for loss. He used his overall quickness and instincts to blow up plays or track them down from behind.
Even with the uncertainty, the Michigan product knows his best position.
"What do I look like?" the 5'11", 213-pound Peppers said at the NFL combine, per the Detroit Free Press' Mark Snyder. "I'm a safety."
Despite his insistence, there are those who still see his potential as a multipurpose tool. Peppers gained 751 total yards and scored four touchdowns as a returner and running back. In fact, NFL Media's Gil Brandt floated the idea his best position is in the offensive backfield.
Peppers' workout at the NFL combine showed a fluid athlete easily and comfortably dropping into space despite other concerns regarding his ability to cover and create turnovers. Safeties are being used all over the field in many different manners. Due to Peppers' position flexibility, he can play multiple roles in a defensive scheme as well as contribute on special teams.
Projection: First Round
4. QB Patrick Mahomes
7 of 10
What if there was a quarterback prospect in this year's draft class who accumulated more total yards than last year's Heisman Trophy winner, with more passing yards, total touchdowns and fewer interceptions than the national championship-winning quarterback?
Texas Tech's Patrick Mahomes averaged 49.3 yards per game more than Louisville's Lamar Jackson. Mahomes also threw for 459 more yards and seven fewer interceptions than Clemson's Deshaun Watson despite playing three fewer contests.
When these numbers are discussed, they're often dismissed as a byproduct of Texas Tech's Air Raid scheme. While previous quarterbacks to come out of the system haven't succeeded, Mahomes is one of the most physically talented prospects ever produced from the scheme once hatched by the minds of Hal Mumme and Mike Leach.
As more is learned about college football's spread systems, NFL scouts concentrate on traits displayed by the quarterbacks. For example, Mahomes displayed tremendous natural arm talent. His ball placement and accuracy, particularly when working within the structure of the offense, is outstanding. Plus, Mahomes works off-platform better than any QB in this class. He's at his best when making chicken salad out of chicken scat.
This is what separates the Texas Tech product as a true playmaker compared to his contemporaries. Others have been more successful overall, yet Mahomes' ability to complete throws and create plays others can't makes him unique.
Projection: First Round
3. WR John Ross, Washington
8 of 10
Every conversation regarding Washington's John Ross will start with his speed. No matter what he does during his pro career, he'll be long remembered as the young man who posted a blistering 4.22-second 40-yard dash at the NFL combine in Indianapolis.
Speed is a big part of Ross' game, but it's not the only thing that separates him as a top wide receiver prospect.
His speed makes defenses accountable; they must know where he's lined up at all times. It then falls on the receiver to create and make plays. Ross is an exceptional target.
"Dangerous after the catch" is how one scout described him to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel's Bob McGinn. Even at 5'11" and 188 pounds, Ross is one of the better red-zone targets in this year's class. His 40 time is often highlighted, but he also has a 37-inch vertical jump.
During his Washington career, the wide receiver started at cornerback when injuries beset the Huskies secondary. He also served as the team's kickoff returner with at least one touchdown in each of his healthy campaigns—the wide receiver didn't play in 2015 due to a knee injury. In 2016, he led Washington with 81 receptions for 1,150 yards and 17 touchdowns.
Ross is more than just a speed demon, he's a tremendous football player.
Projection: Top 20
2. RB Christian McCaffrey, Stanford
9 of 10
Stanford's Christian McCaffrey isn't a running back; he's a living weapon in an offense that allows him to be a multipurpose threat.
McCaffrey doesn't fit in a traditional role, and that's OK. Whichever team selects the runner and harnesses his multitude of skills will come away with a dynamic presence in its offense and special teams. The Colorado native served as a lead back, wide receiver, kick returner and punt returner during his time in Palo Alto, California.
"It's something I pride myself on, being extremely versatile and I feel like I can do that stuff," McCaffrey said after Stanford's pro day, per the Denver Post's Nicki Jhabvala. "To show coaches I can play running back, I can play receiver, I can do all the return game stuff—that's important to me."
Over the last two seasons, McCaffrey amassed 6,191 all-purpose yards and 31 touchdowns. He's been a 2,000-yard rusher and led his team in receptions.
The Paul Hornung Award winner as the nation's most versatile, high-level performer can't be used the same way in the NFL as he was by Stanford, though. He's not a workhorse. He'll need to serve in multiple roles to maximize his potential.
As an outstanding athlete, who finished among the top five running backs at the NFL combine in the 40-yard dash, vertical jump, three-cone drill, short shuttle and 60-yard shuttle, the two-time first-team All-Pac-12 performer excels when working space. He's patient, yet displays the burst necessary to run away from defenders. Simply put, McCaffrey is the best all-around performer in this year's draft class.
Projection: Top 20
1. S Malik Hooker, Ohio State
10 of 10
Certain players are so talented in one particular area that teams are willing to overlook concerning aspects within their games. No one cared that Deion Sanders shied away from contact, because he could cover anyone, anywhere at any time.
Ohio State's Malik Hooker isn't Deion Sanders, but his ridiculous range at free safety makes him one of the elite prospects in this draft despite the fact his affinity for contact falls somewhere on the Sanders scale.
A recent comparison surfaced between Hooker and future Hall of Famer safety Ed Reed, courtesy of NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah.
"It's definitely an honor," Hooker said, per NFL.com's Conor Orr. "It's a great thing for me personally to be named in the same sentence as a great like Ed Reed. It's a humbling thing. It tells me I gotta keep working until people say that I'm a great. It's just shocking, man, a great thing for me."
These correlations are unfair for any young man who hasn't played a down of NFL football. What they do is set expectations based on an individual's talent level and overall potential.
Hooker is a lanky (6'1" and 206 pounds) safety with a basketball background. He's a baby at the position after only playing two years of high school football as a cornerback and starting one season at Ohio State before declaring for the draft. Yet he finished second in major college football last season with seven interceptions.
His ability as a true sideline-to-sideline free safety with legitimate balls skills makes Hooker a truly rare draft commodity and a top playmaker.
Projection: Top 10
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