2017 NFL Draft: 5 Prospects who Jumped Out on Opening Weekend

Saturday Blitz takes a look at a handful of NFL draft prospects who jumped out on film in the first weekend of college football games.

College football is finally back, which means that NFL scouts from around the country are already breaking down film on some of the biggest names from the biggest programs.

Week 1 has featured a number of surprising upsets and dominant performances, from Mississippi State’s missed field goal to No. 1 Alabama’s beatdown on the USC Trojans. While the results are important for fans of the respective teams, scouts are much more concerned with individual performances.

There were a number of prospects who helped their draft stock in Week 1, but let’s take a look at a handful of guys who just jumped out in their season debuts.

J.T. Barrett

QB, Ohio State

Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett has been waiting for his chance to be the sole No. 1 guy under center. After one game, it looks like Barrett is going to be just fine as the Buckeyes’ go-to quarterback.

Things got a little tense in Columbus when Barrett started Saturday’s game against Bowling Green by throwing an interception for a touchdown. However, like an elite quarterback is supposed to, Barrett quickly shook off the interception and went right back out there.

Barrett didn’t look back, going 21-for-31 with 349 yards yards while tying his own school record with six touchdowns through the air. As a cherry on top, Barrett also added another 30 yards and a score on the ground.

Scouts will continue to knock Barrett for his wiry 6’2”, 222-pound frame. However, with the arm talent and athleticism that the Ohio State quarterback displays, games like this could help him move ahead of guys like Iowa’s C.J. Beathard and Ole Miss’ Chad Kelly on NFL teams’ draft boards.

Jabrill Peppers

DB/LB, Michigan

Heading into the season, Michigan defensive playmaker Jabrill Peppers was already one of the most highly-touted prospects in the country. Games like he had on Saturday against Hawaii are going to help him solidify himself as a potential top-10 pick.

The Wolverines defense completely shut down the Rainbow Warriors, giving up just three points and 232 total yards of offense. Peppers was in on all kinds of plays, racking up eight tackles and a sack. He even displayed his unreal athleticism on a punt return, hurdling over a would-be tackler while going out of bounds.

“The whole defense — they play great team defense,” coach Jim Harbaugh said according to Ted Janes from the Detroit Free Press. “Not even a stance of misalignment. And to see (Peppers) add on with his athleticism and make tackles in the backfield, we cut off the opportunity for teams to get on the edge. He was very effective for us.”

What makes Peppers so valuable is his ability to play anywhere in the secondary or even at linebacker. These kinds of hybrid defenders are becoming increasingly valuable in today’s NFL, so no one will be surprised if the Michigan phenom becomes a star in the league.

Mike Williams

WR, Clemson

Like Peppers, Clemson wide receiver Mike Williams is considered one of the top prospects at his respective position. Still, it was hard not to be impressed with Williams during Saturday’s game against Auburn.

The Clemson Tigers survived a scare against Auburn, winning 19-13. The offense wasn’t as explosive as expected, especially with Heisman favorite Deshaun Watson. Still, Williams had a solid outing with nine receptions for 174 yards, including some absurd snags like these.

At 6’3” and 225 pounds, Williams is an intimidating force physically. If he can continue to play like this, then he could join the likes of DeAndre Hopkins and Sammy Watkins as the next great receiver out of Clemson.

Marlon Humphrey

CB, Alabama

There are a handful of defensive backs trying to separate themselves at the top of the 2017 draft class, but Alabama’s Marlon Humphrey was able to get a nice head start on the rest of the competition.

Humphrey stood out from the opening drive against the USC Trojans on Saturday, laying this monster hit.

Along with that hit, Humphrey was also able to return an interception for a touchdown while holding USC’s star receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster to just one reception for nine yards, completely shutting him down.

Humphrey will have to bring that level of intensity game in and game out, but the fact that he could show off his tackling and coverage skills in the same game speaks volumes about what he could bring to an NFL team next year.

Nick Chubb

RB, Georgia

The 2017 NFL Draft is stacked with running backs like Leonard Fournette and Dalvin Cook. However, it was Georgia Bulldogs running back Nick Chubb who made the strongest impression this weekend.

Many scouts were worried about how Chubb would return from a devastating leg injury that ended his season in 2015. However, Chubb looked like his old self against the No. 22 North Carolina Tar Heels on Saturday.

Chubb had no problem handling a big workload, carrying the ball 32 times. He made the most of each carry too, rushing for 222 yards and two touchdowns.

Fournette is still the projected No. 1 running back in next year’s class, but games like this could have scouts considering Chubb in the first round come draft day.

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