There are some really good NFL prospects who seem to be flying under the radar so far. I know, I know, the regular season just ended, but since we are not in the playoffs, we should all be looking at the draft. I thought I'd take the time to start a thread where you could share a player who may not be very well known but looks to be a good prospect, preferably players who are seen as 5th round or later prospects but have a chance to rise. I'll start it off with... OLB Shaquil Barrett, Colorado State At 6'2" 250 lbs, Barrett has the prototypical size you look for in a 3-4 OLB. His athleticism will not wow you as he lacks great speed, but he makes up for any lack of athleticism with a high football IQ and a great motor. Barrett is very strong against the run and developing as a pass rusher tallying 12 sacks and 20.5 TFLs on the season. Many will point to his playing in the weak Mountain West Conference, but this shouldn't be a huge factor when drafting in the late rounds. Right now, I see him as a 6-7 Round prospect, but it wouldn't surprise me if he went as early as the 4th. Barrett had a good game against Washington State in the New Mexico Bowl earning Defensive MVP honors which could end up helping his draft stock.
Allen Hurns - WR University of Miami 6th round Hurns is 6`3" and about 2oo lbs. He had 60 catches for 1100 and 7 tds playing in a pro style offense. He runs good routes, has decent hands, posts a 4.55 40 time and is tough. The major knock on him is he seems to leap to catch the ball sometimes when it's not necessary. Also suffered a knee injury his senior year of hs. My guess is his stock will rise after the combine. I wouldn't mind him in the 5th. Has potential to be a solid nfl receiver and special teamer.
Jared Abbrederis WR This kid could be a steal with one of our 3rd round picks!!!! 6'2'' and runs a 4.41 coming out of Wisconsin. Reminds me of Victor Cruz in a lot of ways. Had over 1000 yards receiving with 7 TDs this year. Needs work on his route running but has speed, size and good hands.
TJ Jones out of Notre Dame. Not terribly big at 5'11" and average speed for a slot guy. He does however have great hands, runs great routes, and does just about everything right. 4 year starter. Reminds me a lot of Kerley. Not a game breaker, but will be a productive productive, reliable #3 or #4 WR. Would take in the 5th in a heartbeat.
I feel like this is something everyone says when talking about any WR prospect. I actually think Abbrederis is one of the better route runners in this class.
He also returns punts and may fill that need for NYJ, too. Assuming we do not bring back Cribbs. The drawback with him is that he is prone to fumbling. Nothing a little good coaching cannot improve
CB Phillip Gaines, Rice University Outside of Darqueze Dennard, Philip Gaines is my favorite CB prospect in this draft, not necessarily because he is overly talented (actually, there are a ton that are more talented) but because of where he will most likely be drafted. At 6'1" 185 lbs, Gaines is much stronger than his size may indicate. He has good but not great speed, but what really impressed me about him was his physicality which I didn't expect from a guy playing at such a low weight. Playing in Conference USA has certainly taken its toll on Gaines' draft value and I could see him going anywhere from the 5th round to not drafted at all. Targeted 40 times this season, Gaines only allowed 13 completions. He also picked off four passes and has been invited to the Shrine game where I think he has a chance to shine. I really think this guy can be a star at the next level. It will be all about opportunity for him.
Steve Hull, WR, Illinois Has good size and pretty good speed. Had to play defense his first few years at school because of depth at WR, but put up very good numbers this year when given a shot at WR. Would be a very nice pickup in the 5th-7th round, depending on how much attention he gets in the months leading up to the draft
I hope Idzik prioritizes finding a capable punt returner. Cribbs isn't the threat he used to be. I really miss Westhoff coaching our return game. Field position used to be a strength for us. Seems like we get squat now.
I like Abbrederis, but I don't see the comparison to Victor Cruz. Victor Cruz has exceptional lateral agility, which I don't see in Abbrederis. Abb's will be a solid WR at the next level, but I can't see him being as dynamic as Cruz.
Two players I like, one I think will rise after the combine & the other I think can be had mid to late. WR Martavis Bryant - Tall, Long, & the most athletic WR on Clemson (Including Sammy Watkins). In my opinion, his potential is among the highest in the class. However, his production has never lived up to his talent. He is a natural runner w/ exceptional agility & quickness. I think he's gonna be a riser after the combine like Stephen Hill was in 2012. WR Josh Huff - Former runningback w/ solid hand & good run after the catch ability. He's very physical & plays big for his size 5'11. Versatile player, can be used in the slot, rb, outwide, & as a kick returner.
ILB Andrew Jackson, Western Kentucky At 6'0" 260 lbs, Jackson has good size. Don't expect him to run a 4.5 40 or anything but he plays faster (great closing speed) than his straight line speed suggests. He's very strong and uses his strength well to shed blocks and be disruptive at the line of scrimmage. He reminds me a lot of a young Bart Scott in that he has a relentless motor and good leadership skills. He led a talented Western Kentucky defense with 122 tackles, 4 FF, and 17.5 TFLs (actually 2nd to pass rusher Quanterus Smith's 18.5). I can see him going anywhere in the fourth round or later. I actually expected his stock to rise significantly this year. He's an SEC talent playing in the Sun Belt and has played pretty well against any top competition he has played over the years, including Alabama this season. We could use a guy to replace David Harris in a year or so and Jackson is NFL-ready right now.
Not a sexy position, and Jets fans probably don't care with Mangold on the team, but Ohio State's center Corey Linsley is really good. San Jose State's WR Chandler Jones gets open and has good moves. Should be a productive 3rd or 4th receiver for an NFL team. At corner, I'm not sure why Ross Cockrell (Duke) and Andre Hal (Vandy) aren't being talked about as second-day guys. Same goes for Louisville's Preston Brown at ILB. I'm excited to see West Texas A&M DE Ethan Westbrooks play at the Shrine Game this weekend. Reigning DII DPOY. His production has fallen off since last year but he's got real NFL size. Edge rusher Larry Webster looked good last year when he somehow played in one of the All-Star games but came back for his senior year at Bloomsburg (when he put up monster numbers). His issue is he's built like Barkevious Mingo so I'm not quite sure where he'll play. He's also at the Shrine game this year. San Diego St. running back Adam Muema has good moves and vision. I think he can be a good complimentary back for some team. For QBs, Casey Pachall can throw the ball but was just getting killed behind that line at TCU. If his head is back on straight he can be a player in the league. Chase Rettig of BC has some real QB skills (accuracy, throwing on the run, arm strength) and I'm not sure why he's not rated higher. Beau Blankenship from Ohio I think can be an interesting player... especially as a FB in an offense that gives touches to that position. Everyone seems to have forgotten about RB Marcus Coker after his transfer, probably because he got injured. I wonder what kind of player he is now.
I like Bryant as a prospect. If he is drafted by the Jets, it might signal the end of the Stephen Hill error.
What do you guys think of Coastal Carolina WR Matt Hazel? According to practice reports from the East-West Shrine Game, he has been impressing scouts and has helped himself a lot this week. Seems to play hard and have good hands.
I've watched three games of his and he fumbled 4 times in those games. Definitely has a problem with fumbling. A lot of people seem to like him, so there must be something there, but I'm not a big fan. He's a big target and doesn't have a lot of moves, plus the fumbling issues. I'm not sure what his appeal is, but everybody sees something different.
