Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson (Junior)
Watson is far and away the best quarterback prospect in the class. As a true sophomore, Watson took Clemson to a national title game and nearly beat the most menacing team in the country. He made incredible plays throughout the year on the way to the championship game, proving he had poise, nuance and incredible natural arm talent. Watson is a sweet blend of play making ability and level-headed facilitating that allows him to be the dominant quarterback that he is.
Cam Robinson, OT, Alabama (Junior)
Despite how talented of a prospect Laremy Tunsil was, Robinson has the ability to be the best offensive tackle prospect in some time. He was banged up a bit last season, but when he was fully healthy, he was a force in all aspects of the game. As a pass blocker, he stonewalled rushers and pushed them out of the pocket. Though, it was much more entertaining to see him punish defenders in the run game, sometimes two or three defenders in a given play. Robinson is very athletic for his size and has a big season ahead of him now that he will be healthy.
Carl Lawson, EDGE, Auburn (Redshirt Junior)
Very few edge rushers were able to do anything against Tunsil last season. Lawson was one of those few. His jump off the line gives him an immediate advantage over his competition, but it is his violent hands and ability to bend that really separates him as one of the best, if not the best, pass rusher in the class. Lawson is now two years removed from his ACL injury and will be primed to terrorize SEC quarterbacks.
Myles Garrett, EDGE, Texas A&M (Junior)
Garrett is a freak of nature. Standing tall at about 6’5″, 260 pounds, Garrett flies off of the line of scrimmage. His lower body explosion is stunning, especially for a player with his size and strength. His size and power allows him to be a force in the run game, too, on top of being an asset as a pass rusher. Garrett has a bit of work to do, but he has all the athleticism in the world to be a great player.
Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU (Junior)
Fournette plays like a runaway train. He has a reckless downhill running style that coaxes many defenders into making the business decision to stay out of his way. He possesses a lot of power in both his lower body and upper body, allowing him to bounce of tackles in a handful of ways. He has surprisingly impressive balance for his size, too. Fournette’s linear running style may push some people away, but he should not be overthought.
Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida State (Junior)
Running backs with Cook’s nuance and athleticism are once-in-a-generation type players. Ezekiel Elliot was well nuanced and fairly athletic too, but Cook’s speed and agility separates him from Elliot. Cook has the vision, quickness, acceleration and speed to turn any given play into a touchdown. Florida State’s offense relied almost solely on his shoulders last season and likely will again in 2016.
Jamal Adams, S, LSU (Junior)
Ever since Deone Buchanan’s emergence as a dominant safety-turn-linebacker, teams and analysts everywhere have been looking for the next version of him. If anyone can be that guy, it is Adams. Adams tends to play down in the box at LSU and makes countless plays from there. His instincts and decisiveness keep him one step ahead of the offense, while his explosive athletic ability enables him to finish plays, often behind or at the line of scrimmage. Those were were fans of Keanu Neal last draft cycle will be enamored by Adams.
Caleb Brantley, DT, Florida (Redshirt Junior)
Florida continues to churn out disruptive defensive tackles. Brantley has the burst and power off the line of scrimmage to derail plays immediately. Whether Brantley is blowing up plays by himself or creating a huge lane for a linebacker to fly through, he is always creating big plays for his defense. With Jon Bullard out of the mix, Brantley will become the main man on Florida’s defensive front.
JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, USC (Junior)
JuJu is another interesting athletic specimen. On top if his already impressive ability to separate and create space, he is a major threat after the catch. His combination of speed and relative power make him tough to corral. He is the type of receiver that has the talent to make a big play on any down. Feed him the ball and good things will follow.
Jalen Tabor, CB, Florida (Junior)
In terms of pure coverage ability, Tabor may be better than his former counterpart Vernon Hargreaves. He does not yet have the ball skills that VH3 has, but Tabor can wipe receivers out of the play entirely. He is an energetic, chippy cornerback with the athletic ability to stick to any receiver. If Tabor can take that next step with his ball skills, he will get plenty of warranted attention as the best cornerback in the class.
O.J. Howard, TE, Alabama (Senior)
Howard’s career at Alabama has been odd, to say the least. He is a wonderful athlete with scary potential after the catch, but he has been largely underutilized while at Alabama. That said, his performance in the national championship game was a testament to what he is capable of when given opportunities. He is perfect for an NFL that is further prioritizing athleticism out of their tight ends.
Christian McCaffrey, RB, Stanford (Junior)
“Young Brian Westbrook” is one of the most entertaining players in the class. McCaffrey has the short area quickness and leg drive to grind for yards between the tackles, but can also be a threat on the perimeter with his speed and understanding of how to set up blocks. McCaffrey is the type of runner that never leaves yards on the field, not to mention he can stay in for third down situations and be a receiving threat. After nearly winning the Heisman last season, McCaffrey has a chance to take it home this year.
Desmond King, CB, Iowa (Senior)
After talks of possibly declaring for the 2016 NFL Draft, King returned to school for his senior season. King returns as one of the top cornerbacks in the country, displaying the footwork and ball skills to be a quarterback’s nightmare at the next level. He may not have impressive long speed, but his foot quickness and ability to diagnose plays quickly will allow him to keep passing windows tight. With a lot of fresh quarterbacks taking over in the B1G, King could have a very productive year.
Reuben Foster, ILB, Alabama (Senior)
Foster was overshadowed a bit by Reggie Ragland last year, but this is Foster’s defensive front now. He is stronger and faster than Ragland, giving him the luxury of taking more chances and, in turn, making more disruptive plays. Foster is a tone-setter at linebacker. He is going to hit blockers and ball carriers violently, quickly and quite often. With him being the heart of the defense, expect his stock to climb throughout the year.
Pat Elfein, OG, Ohio State (Redshirt Senior)
The 2016 class was rather scarce in terms of guard talent, but Elfein gives the 2017 class a great lead man at the position. Elfein has the movement skills and understanding of angles to be great in a zone scheme, but he also has the pure strength and immediate quickness to be a force in a man block scheme. He is a reliable pass blocker, too, which is especially valuable at his left guard spot. Elfein has the skill set to fit with any team and would be an immediate upgrade almost anywhere he lands a year from now.
