NFL Draft Prospects Who Must Step Up in Week 2

Nov 28, 2015; Charlottesville, VA, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies wide receiver Isaiah Ford (1) at Scott Stadium. Virginia Tech won 23-20. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-USA TODAY Sports

After an exciting, long weekend of college football to kick off the season, the second week of the season may be a bit of a disappointment for some. This weekend lacks marquee games, as there isn’t a single game featuring two ranked teams. Rather than take the day off and wait for the NFL on Sunday, you can turn your attention to the NFL Draft prospects playing on Saturday.

Get the FanSided App

There are several intriguing prospect matchups this weekend, including a big battle outside the hashes. While several schools may be using the second week of the season to fix issues that arose in the opener and beat up on group of five and FCS opponents, prospects can’t take the game off. At least not for the limited snaps many high-profile prospects will play.

Big boards across the country have been adjusted after opening weekend and another slight adjustment will take place after this week’s slate of games. So which prospects need to be paid close attention to on Saturday? Here are the six 2017 NFL Draft prospects to watch.

Nov 14, 2015; Fort Worth, TX, USA; TCU Horned Frogs defensive end Josh Carraway (94) during the game against the Kansas Jayhawks at Amon G. Carter Stadium. The Horned Frogs defeats the Jayhawks 23-17. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Josh Carraway (DE – TCU) vs. Arkansas

Arkansas is known for their larger-than-life offensive linemen and productive rushing attack. TCU has the opposite approach on offense as Gary Patterson’s team likes to strike quickly and score a lot of points. In order for that to happen, the Horned Frogs defense will need to prevent the Razorbacks from moving the chains and eating up the clock.

The top NFL Draft prospect on the TCU roster is defensive end Josh Carraway. Whether he’s standing up in more of an edge rusher role or in a three-point stance, Carraway will lineup across from the right tackle. This means he won’t faceoff against talented left tackle Dan Skipper. Instead, Carraway will see a lot of freshman right tackle Colton Jackson.

Jackson is 6-foot-6, 300 pounds, but will be playing in just his second career game at the college level. Carraway has a big advantage in this matchup and will likely require a double team throughout the game. After giving up 41 points to South Dakota State last week, the TCU defense needs to show improvement before conference play begins. Carraway has a great opportunity to step up and be the playmaker on defense that TCU desperately needs.

Sep 1, 2016; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers defensive back Cameron Sutton (23) motions to the crowd during the second half against the Appalachian State Mountaineers at Neyland Stadium. Tennessee won in overtime 20-13. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

Isaiah Ford (WR – Virginia Tech) vs. Cameron Sutton (CB – Tennessee)

tennessee

All for Tennessee 2wFour Tennessee Vols Take Home Five Medals, Three Gold in 2016 Rio Olympics

More headlines around FanSided:

2w - Tennessee Football: Vols May Have a Serious Problem at Linebacker 2w - Today on Rocky Top: AP Ranking, Battle at Bristol Uniforms, Depth Chart 2w - Tennessee Vols Ranked No. 9 in Preseason AP Poll 2w - Rio Olympics: Former Vol Tamika Catchings Wins Fourth Gold Medal 2w - Preseason AP Top 25: 5 important takeawaysMore News at All for Tennessee

The best one-on-one matchup of the week will take place at Bristol Motor Speedway where Virginia Tech will take on Tennessee. When the Hokies have the ball, scouts will be watching closely when wide receiver Isaiah Ford lines up across from cornerback Cameron Sutton.

This won’t happen on every play, as Sutton typically plays on the right side of the defense, while Ford will move around the formation. Even against top receivers such as Calvin Ridley of Alabama, the Volunteers have been reluctant to move Sutton from his RCB role.

Both players are draft eligible and could be future first-round picks. Virginia Tech’s up-tempo offense should help Ford get the ball quickly, which could pose problems for Sutton, who tends to miss a high percentage of tackles.

Ford is a skilled deep threat, however it could be the quick completions that end up generating the biggest plays when these two 2017 NFL Draft prospects go head-to-head.

Dec 21, 2015; Miami, FL, USA;South Florida Bulls linebacker Nigel Harris (57) is tackled by Western Kentucky Hilltoppers offensive lineman Forrest Lamp (76) after Harris intercepted a pass during the first half in the 2015 Miami Beach Bowl at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Forrest Lamp (OT – Western Kentucky) vs. Alabama

After the USC offensive line failed to slow down the pass rush of Alabama, it seems unfair to expect Western Kentucky to perform any better. While the Hilltoppers line as a whole may struggle, Forrest Lamp has the talent to take on the Alabama edge rushers from his left tackle spot.

Alabama recorded just three sacks in the win over USC last weekend, however Max Browne was pressured and hit seemingly every time he dropped back to pass. Western Kentucky on the other hand, kept QB Mike White upright. White wasn’t sacked at all against Rice and threw for an FBS-high 517 yards.

Lamp will be making his 38th consecutive start at left tackle this weekend, and 41st consecutive start overall. While the 6-foot-3, 300-pound lineman has held his ground on the blindside, this will be by far the toughest test of his career. In terms of the NFL Draft, if he plays well against Alabama, he should cement his status as a late-round pick.

Nov 21, 2015; Stanford, CA, USA; California Golden Bears linebacker Hardy Nickerson (47) tackles Stanford Cardinal running back Christian McCaffrey (5) during the first quarter at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Hardy Nickerson (ILB – Illinois) vs. North Carolina

illinois

Writing Illini 2wIllinois Basketball: Mayan Kiir Could Be the Next Piece to the Puzzle

More headlines around FanSided:

2w - Illinois Basketball: Illini add point guard Trent Frazier to already stout recruiting class 2w - Illinois Basketball: 3 Areas Trent Frazier Will Improve the Illini 2w - Illinois Sports: Trent Frazier Commits to Illinois Fighting Illini 2w - Illinois Basketball: Trent Frazier Creates Stability with Commitment 2w - Illinois Basketball: Ranking the Illini Recruiting Classes for the Last DecadeMore News at Writing Illini

Hardy Nickerson, a graduate transfer from California, will spend the final season of his college career playing for his father, defensive coordinator and 16-year NFL veteran, Hardy Nickerson. While this may be his final season playing college football, Nickerson is currently projected to be a mid-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft.

Nickerson led the Golden Bears in tackles as a junior last season, and is on his way to leading the Fighting Illini this season. The inside linebacker recorded a team-high 11 stops in the season opener versus Murray State. Playing Brian Urlacher’s role in Lovie Smith’s Tampa-2 defense, Nickerson will be asked to cover a lot of ground against North Carolina this weekend.

The Tar Heels have a strong passing game, but it’s Elijah Hood and the ground game that forces defenses to be honest. That wasn’t the case in the opener versus Georgia, as Hood inexplicably carried the ball just 10 times in the loss. Expect him to surpass that total in the first half of this game. It will be up to Nickerson and defensive end Dawuane Smoot, another player who should be selected in the 2017 NFL Draft, to slow down the North Carolina offense.

Nov 14, 2014; Orlando, FL, USA; Tulsa Golden Hurricane wide receiver Keevan Lucas (2) runs a reverse against the UCF Knights at Bright House Networks Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Manning-USA TODAY Sports

Keevan Lucas (WR – Tulsa) vs. Ohio State

With the departure of Keyarris Garrett, the Tulsa passing game has become reliant on the hands and playmaking ability of Keevan Lucas. Although this is only the second game since the Golden Hurricane have been without Garrett, getting Lucas going early has never been more important.