All the information is out there these days when it comes to NFL draft prospects. Seldom will you find a player that the legit experts, or even the Twitter experts, haven’t heard of. That said, there are players that will unjustly fall. That is the reality of the exercise. And there will be tremendous value to be had. Here are players that may not go first overall, but they look like safe bets to make an impact at the next level.
Deiondre’ Hall, CB, Northern Iowa
The knock on him is a combination of lacking speed and playing against poor competition. If you can overlook that, though, there’s a lot to like. First off, Hall is 6’2″, and in a league where receivers keep getting bigger and bigger, he’s got the height to compete with the best. More importantly, he’s got excellent ball skills. He had 6 interceptions in 2015.
Ryan Kelly, C, Alabama
A+ quality leader and teammate. Those type of players are really underrated when you’re trying to develop a culture of character. Kelly may not go in the first two rounds but he’s capable of starting and playing well as a rookie. He might not be the best athlete but he’s physical and plays very hard.
Kamalei Correa, DE, Boise State
Viewed as a “raw potential” guy which will hurt his stock. People are stuck on his 2015 season which saw a dip in production. The reason for that is the word was out on what a good player he was and the attention he saw because of it was tenfold. People are quick to forget he had 12 sacks in 2014 and 19 tackles for a loss.
Miles Killebrew, S, Southern Utah
Has the combination of speed and headhunting power to really appeal at strong safety. At 6’2″ he’s got nice size and he doesn’t have any big holes in his game.
James Cowser, DE, Southern Utah
Yes, another Southern Utah player. He had 42.5 sacks in his college career, including 13 last year. He know how to get to the quarterback in a league desperate for that skill.
Carl Nassib, DE, Penn State
You think Cowser’s numbers are impressive? Nassib had 15.5 sacks this past season. He’s projected as a 2nd rounder, though, due to lack of athleticism and undeveloped play. Someone will be getting a really good pass rusher after the first day.
Deion Jones, OLB, LSU
Still viewed by most as a 3rd round pick or lower. He runs a sub 4.4 40, just had an outstanding year at LSU, and would be a dream WLB for any team. The issue is his size, though he could always add weight and small WLBs are all the rage in the NFL these days. He’s a guy that can run, tackle, cover – really do it all. Don’t be surprised if he’s starting somewhere in 2016.
Daryl Worley, CB West Virginia
He had 6 interceptions last season and he’s 6’1″. On paper that should move him up to the top of the list of cover guys. Unfortunately he had an incident that made teams nervous, and some think he’ll fall to the 3rd day of the draft. Incredible value at that point.
Leonte Carroo, WR, Rutgers
The knock on Carroo is that he played in a pass happy system that inflated his numbers. That will drop his stock but someone will be lucky to get him. His 29 touchdowns and 19.5 yards per catch over the last 3 seasons shows what kind of potential he has. Terrific hands and decent size.
Jatavis Brown, OLB, Akron
An explosive pass rusher that’s all potential. You could get him later in day 3 of the draft but at that point it’s all about getting someone you can develop. He can run a sub 4.4 40 yard dash which shows you the kind of explosiveness he has. He can also drop back in coverage. Size is the concern, but his write up is similar to Deion Jones.
