2017 NFL Draft: Week 1 Prospect Stock Report
Sep 3, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick (29) and linebacker Tim Williams (56) and defensive back Marlon Humphrey (26) react during the first half against the USC Trojans at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
After five exciting days and nights of college football, Week 1 is now in the books. There will surely be a lot of shuffling in the polls after two top-five teams, Oklahoma and LSU, lost. 2017 NFL Draft boards will also be adjusted after injuries and opening week performances gave scouts a better idea of what a prospect can or can’t do.
Not only were there teams that surprised and disappointed, there were prospects who did the same. For those prospects who just began their final seasons of college football, the clock is ticking and there aren’t many games left to improve their film score.
Although it’s just one week, the momentum from starting off the season strong can help elevate a prospect’s stock multiple rounds by the time the draft rolls around. The same can be said for those who struggled in the season opener. Those prospects will have to quickly turn the page and focus on the next opponent, or risk snowballing down the draft board.
Before looking ahead to Week 2, here’s a look at which 2017 NFL Draft prospects helped and hurt their stock in Week 1.
Sep 3, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs running back Nick Chubb (27) runs for a touchdown against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the fourth quarter of the 2016 Chick-Fil-A Kickoff game at Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Stock Up: Offense
Nick Chubb (RB – Georgia): Before suffering a season-ending knee injury last October, Georgia running back Nick Chubb had rushed for at least 100 yards in each of his last 13 games. While that streak came to an end against Tennessee when he was hurt on his first carry of the game, Chubb returned to form Saturday night against North Carolina.
There was no easing Chubb back into the game as new head coach Kirby Smart handed the ball to his star RB 32 times in the win. Chubb rewarded his coach and teammates by rushing for 222 yards and two scores in the tightly-contested game. His 32 carries were the most he’s had in a single game since the 2014 Belk Bowl.
While the junior looked to be back to full strength, NFL doctors will be sure to closely examine his knee at the Scouting Combine should Chubb declare for the 2017 NFL Draft. If all goes well, Chubb will likely be a second-round pick.
Mike Williams (WR – Clemson): Another prospect returning from a significant injury is Clemson wide receiver Mike Williams. The junior was lost for the year in 2015 after hitting the goalpost in the season opener and breaking his neck. He returned against Auburn and immediately went back to his role as Deshaun Watson’s favorite target. Williams finished the game with nine receptions for 174 yards.
Those 174 yards were a career high for Williams, eclipsing the 155 yards he accumulated against North Carolina State back in 2014. 105 of those yards came before halftime as it didn’t take long for Williams to get into the flow of the game.
Like Chubb, the medical check on Williams is going to be a significant factor in his final grade. He has first-round talent, but a broken neck could scare some teams away.
More from NFL Mocks
Tyler Jones (QB – Texas State): Not many college football fans, have had the opportunity to watch Texas State over the past few years. Defenders Craig Mager and David Mayo were selected in the 2015 draft, but no one from the offensive side of the ball has been drafted out of Texas State since 2000.
That offensive player was none other than quarterback Spergeon Wynn, the 183rd selection of the 2000 draft. His NFL career never panned out and he’s most known for being the sixth and final QB drafted ahead of Tom Brady in the 2000 draft. Tyler Jones has a chance to break that 16-year drought, and started off on the right foot against Ohio. Despite being more than a 20-point underdog, the dual-threat QB led his team to a 56-54 win in triple overtime.
Jones finished the game 40-of-55 passing (72 percent completion rate) for 418 yards and four touchdowns. He also ran for a score and caught a touchdown pass. If Jones has any shot to be drafted, he’s going to have to prove his worth over the next two games as the Bobcats will face Arkansas and Houston.
Cooper Kupp (WR – Eastern Washington): Washington State may not have the best pass defense in the country, but Eastern Washington’s Cooper Kupp showed once again why he’s the best 2017 NFL Draft prospect from the FCS.
The senior receiver caught 12 passes for 206 yards and three touchdowns against the Cougars. He’s now the all-time leader in FCS history with 59 receiving scores. In four career games versus Pac-12 opponents, Kupp has 40 receptions for 716 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Over the past four years, he’s proven that Vernon Adams and red turf aren’t the only things Eastern Washington football should be known for. He doesn’t have to face anymore FBS teams in his college career, but will face plenty of big-name cornerbacks in January when he’s inevitably invited to the Senior Bowl.
DeShone Kizer (QB – Notre Dame): 15 months ago, DeShone Kizer was buried on the Notre Dame depth chart behind Everett Golson and Malik Zaire. After it was apparent that Zaire would be the starter in 2015, Golson transferred to Florida State to finish his college career. Kizer became the primary backup and was only one play away from seeing the field.
That one play came against Virginia when Zaire broke his ankle. Kizer would come into the game and win it with a late fourth quarter touchdown pass. After playing well for the rest of the 2015 season, Kizer earned the starting role to begin the 2016 campaign.
Despite head coach Brian Kelly playing musical chairs with his quarterbacks, Kizer played extremely well against Texas. He completed 15 of his 24 passes for 215 yards and five touchdowns. He also added a score on the ground.
Kizer has a strong arm and showed it off on multiple occasions. He displayed a very good ability to add velocity to his throws when required, and maintained solid ball placement when doing so. He’s only a redshirt sophomore, but don’t be surprised if Kizer enters the 2017 NFL Draft if he continues to play well. He’s a future first-round pick.
Stock Up: Defense
Adoree’ Jackson (CB – USC): Despite giving up 52 points, there was actually a USC defender who played well Saturday night in Dallas. He didn’t get a lot of help from his teammates, but Adoree’ Jackson improved his 2017 NFL Draft stock against Alabama.
Throughout the game, and especially in the second half, Jackson was the only Trojans player who looked like he belonged on the same field as the reigning national champions. The junior cornerback, who also contributes as a wide receiver and return man, chased down two long Alabama runs to prevent touchdowns. His non-stop motor also showed up on special teams as he showed off very good speed and elusiveness with the ball in his hands. Most importantly however, was his ability to shutdown WR Calvin Ridley.
The sophomore receiver was held to just two catches for nine yards; both career-lows. Jackson was giving up about three inches to Ridley, but his ability to mirror routes and close on the ball prevented any of the three Crimson Tide quarterbacks from testing him. Whether Jackson declares for the 2017 NFL Draft, or waits until 2018, he’s expected to be a first-round pick.
Crimson Tide Defenders (DEF – Alabama): After the way the Alabama defense played against USC, there’s no way to single out just one member of the defense. It didn’t matter which 11 players were on the field, the unit played extremely well as they prevented the Trojans from getting the ball into the end zone.
Whether it was Marlon Humphrey and Minkah Fitzpatrick (Fitzpatrick not eligible for the 2017 NFL Draft) shutting down the receivers, or Jonathan Allen, Tim Williams and Ryan Anderson creating havoc in the backfield, or Reuben Foster punishing anyone who got in his way, each and every prominent Alabama defender helped their 2017 NFL Draft stock.
Get the FanSided App
Myles Garrett (DE – Texas A&M): Widely believed at this point to be the first non-QB selected in the 2017 NFL Draft, Myles Garrett had a chance to help his stock as he went one-on-one with 6-foot-8 Conor McDermott of UCLA. The massive left tackle didn’t stand a chance as Garrett passed his first test of the season with flying colors.
Garrett was only credited with one sack and two hits in the game, but his constant pressure forced UCLA QB Josh Rosen to rush his decision-making, leading to poorly thrown balls. While Garrett being able to utilize his speed against McDermott was no surprise, his bull rush looked much improved from a year ago. There were multiple times throughout the game when he got his hands inside McDermott’s pads and lifted the left tackle out of his way. That’s one area Garrett needed to improve upon, and he’s already done so.
Where Garrett winds up being selected in the 2017 NFL Draft will basically come down to which teams hold the top spots. Similar to how the past two drafts have played out, quarterbacks could very well go first and second overall. If Garrett continues to play like he has over his entire career, his floor should be third overall.
Eddie Vanderdoes (DT – UCLA): Although overshadowed by Myles Garrett, Eddie Vanderdoes also played well in the UCLA versus Texas A&M game. After making 19 starts in his first two seasons, Vanderdoes was hurt in the 2015 opener and missed the remainder of the season. Saturday afternooon, he returned and made an immediate impact.
A year after tearing his ACL, Vanderdoes took the field once again for the Bruins. He made five tackles from his defensive tackle position, but his impact was much greater than a stat line can show.
He did a good job winning one-on-one battles in the middle as well as holding his ground against double teams. Texas A&M ran for over 200 yards on the ground, but that number could have been a lot higher if Vanderdoes hadn’t prevented offensive linemen from reaching the second level of the defense on a consistent basis. If he continues to play well throughout the season, Vanderdoes could be a second-day selection in the 2017 NFL Draft.
Sep 1, 2016; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Joshua Dobbs (11) looks to pass against the Appalachian State Mountaineers during the first quarter at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
Stock Down: Offense
Joshua Dobbs (QB – Tennessee): In what was almost the first big upset of the season, Joshua Dobbs and the Tennessee Volunteers needed overtime to knock off Appalachian State. Tennessee may have saved their season, but Dobbs will have a hard time salvaging his 2017 NFL Draft stock after a performance like this one.
The dual-threat quarterback was a non-factor on the ground, losing four yards on nine carries. It was the first time in 25 career games in which he failed to rush for positive yards. Unfortunately for Dobbs, his passing wasn’t much better. His ball placement was off all game and he only completed one of his five passes thrown more than 15 yards downfield.
Appalachian State has a solid defense, but Dobbs will face much tougher tests this season in SEC play. If he has any hopes of hearing his name called at the 2017 NFL Draft, he’s going to have to play much better, both as a passer and as a runner.
usc
Reign of Troy 2wUSC Tallies 21 Medals In Rio Olympics and More USC Football News
More headlines around FanSided:
2w - USC Depth Chart: 5 Takeaways From Post Fall Camp Two-Deep2w - Clay Helton Releases First USC Depth Chart of 20162w - USC Football Ranked No. 20 In Preseason AP Poll2w - James Lynch, 3-Star DT, Commits To USC Football2w - Max Browne Named USC Starting Quarterback, Social Media ReactsMore News at Reign of Troy
JuJu Smith-Schuster (WR – USC): To say the Alabama secondary held JuJu Smith-Schuster in check would be an understatement. The junior, who is in contention to be the first receiver selected in the 2017 NFL Draft, was limited to just one catch for nine yards in the loss.
That catch came on a screen pass with five minutes left in the third quarter. It was statistically his worst performance since the first Pac-12 game of his career, in which he caught one pass for a loss of two yards against Stanford.
The biggest concern for Smith-Schuster is his overall speed and ability to separate from top cornerbacks. That concern was exacerbated during the Alabama game as he struggled to get open against either of the Crimson Tide corners. With Clemson’s Mike Williams returning to the field and Western Michigan’s Corey Davis continuing to play well, Smith-Schuster could see his stock slip as we get closer to the 2017 NFL Draft.
Zach Banner (OT – USC): Zach Banner has the size and pedigree to make it in the NFL. The 6-foot-9 right tackle is the son of former NFL player Lincoln Kennedy. However, when matched against the speed rushers of Alabama, Banner was overmatched.
Banner has struggled in pass protection his entire college career, but Alabama’s speed and flexibility around the edge exposed him on nearly every passing play. Tim Williams, Ryan Anderson and even the near 300-pound Jonathan Allen had no problem beating Banner and the rest of the USC offensive line around the edge on their way to the quarterback.
The Pac-12 doesn’t have elite pass rushers this season, so this is the game that NFL scouts will want to grade heavily. For Banner, that’s not good news as he struggled in pass protection and was flagged for a false start in the third quarter when the game was still relatively close.
Mitch Trubisky (QB – North Carolina): After patiently waiting his turn behind Marquise Williams, Mitch Trubisky finally made his long-awaited first start for the Tar Heels. Despite all of the hype, his performance was less than stellar.
While it wasn’t an awful debut as the starter, Trubisky missed an opportunity to generate more positive buzz by playing well against an SEC defense. Instead, he struggled to generate any momentum on offense, averaging less than four yards per pass attempt. This after he averaged nearly 12 yards per attempt last season as a backup.
While this wasn’t an ideal start to his junior season, Trubisky will have plenty of time to make up for this performance. North Carolina will face Illinois and James Madison before beginning ACC play.
Sep 3, 2016; Green Bay, WI, USA; Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver Jazz Peavy (11) is tackled by LSU Tigers safety Jamal Adams (33) after catching a pass during the second quarter at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Stock Down: Defense
Jamal Adams (SS – LSU): Head coach Les Miles and quarterback Brandon Harris will take the heat for Saturday’s loss to Wisconsin, and Leonard Fournette’s draft stock will be questioned if his ankle injury is worse than initially reported, but it was strong safety Jamal Adams who saw his draft stock take the biggest hit.
Adams recorded five tackles in the loss, but it’s what he failed to do that will cause him to slip on 2017 NFL Draft boards. He played well in coverage for much of the game, but allowed a completion of over 20 yards after he slipped in coverage. He also dropped an interception.
For one of the best safeties in college football, Adams was expected to have a much bigger impact on this game, especially against the Wisconsin rushing attack. While his coverage skills will certainly help his stock, he needs to get back to being the well-rounded, versatile defender he was for much of last year if he’s going to warrant a first-round pick.
Jordan Thomas (CB – Oklahoma): Like Adams, Thomas overall played a decent game. However, he did have some miscues late which helped doom Oklahoma against Houston.
Thomas shutdown wide receiver Chance Allen for much of the game. Houston wasn’t even looking his way, instead picking on Dakota Austin and Parrish Cobb on the opposite side of the field. Late in the game, Oklahoma moved Thomas over to the right side of the defense as he attempted to cover Houston wideout Steven Dunbar.
Dunbar finished the game with seven catches for 125 yards and was clearly the go-to WR all game long. Like Austin and Cobb, Thomas was unable to slow the 6-foot-3 Dunbar, especially on back shoulder throws. Thomas is a projected mid-round pick and will have plenty of opportunities to show off his skills against pass-happy Big 12 opponents.
Cole Luke (CB – Notre Dame): The Notre Dame secondary entered this game with little depth in the secondary due to off-field issues, but Cole Luke was at least supposed to hold his own on one side of the field. Instead, Texas quarterback Shane Buechele picked on Luke all night.
The first career touchdown pass for the highly-recruited freshman was on a 19-yard fade to Armanti Foreman. Foreman blew by Luke on his way to making a highlight-reel catch in the end zone. Luke also struggled reading the run and was caught out of position on the Longhorns final touchdown of regulation, a 19-yard score by D’Onta Foreman.
Luke entered this season as a mid-round prospect, but his stock is trending in the wrong direction after the loss to Texas. With talented receivers Isaiah Ford of Virginia Tech and JuJu Smith-Schuster of USC still on the schedule, Luke needs to play significantly better if he’s going to maintain his mid-round status.