Each week in college football there’s an opportunity to see plenty of future NFL talent. These players should be on the Detroit Lions radar for the 2017 NFL Draft.
It’s never too early to be looking ahead to next year’s NFL draft. In this weekly piece, I’ll examine players from a marquee game, who could be potential draft targets of the Detroit Lions.
This week’s feature game will be Washington at Oregon, Saturday October 8th at 7:30 on FOX. This game will feature several players that will be in the NFL one day. But these players have skills that would fill a need for the Detroit Lions in 2017.
Washington
Sidney Jones, CB
Junior
#26
Cornerback
6’0″, 182
Early Draft Projection = Top 50
Sidney Jones earned a starting role as a true freshman, and is exploding up draft boards in his junior season. His current draft grade is in the top 50, but with the fluidity of the cornerback position in college football, his stock could easily rise into the first round.
Biggest Strengths:
- Competitive
- Smooth back pedal
- Aggressive in press coverage
Biggest Weaknesses:
- Body mass
- Technique is rapidly improving, but still needs polish
- Strength
You can never have enough cornerbacks. But, I’ve never been a fan of selecting them in the first round because the transition to the NFL is so challenging for the position. That being said, if Jones is there in the second round, the Lions should try to replicate their Darius Slay-type steal of 2013 draft.
4.3 Speedsters
Safety Budda Baker (Junior, #32, 5’10”, 192) is the big name on one of the top defenses in the nation. Baker was a day one starter and has round-one type potential. Labeled as the next “Honey Badger”, Baker is an aggressive play-maker, with a nose for the ball.
While Baker lacks “ideal” NFL size, he has the elite speed to compensate. And with the recent success of smaller defenders like Tyrann Mathieu and Damarious Randall, teams may be willing overlook his size, because of his overall skill set.
Speedy wide receiver John Ross (#1, 5’11”, 190) missed 2015 while recovering from two separate knee injuries. Now a redshirt Junior, Ross has returned to form, and is once again a big-play waiting to happen. He has blazing speed and accelerates away from defenders both as a wide receiver and as a kick returner.
CBS sports ranks Ross as a top 50 player and Rob Rang elaborated:
"Ross is not as polished as some of the other top receivers in college football, and obviously NFL teams will want to do their own investigating of his health whenever Ross makes himself eligible. The first-round selections spent on fellow speedsters Phillip Dorsett (Indianapolis) and Will Fuller (Houston) in recent years, however, prove that teams are willing to gamble on dynamic playmakers, making Ross (and the Huskies, as a whole) one to watch this season."
Young Defensive Linemen
Vita Vea (#50, 6’4″, 322) absolutely destroyed Stanford’s offensive line in last week game. Showing a “combination of size, power, and agility”, Vea plugged rush lanes all night. While Vea is only a redshirt sophomore, he is already considered a day two prospect.
Redshirt junior Elijah Qualls (#11, 6’1″, 321), also a day two prospect, is a natural nose tackle in any defense. Qualls spent two years learning from Danny Shelton (first round pick of the Cleveland Browns) and has molded his game after him. While he isn’t on Shelton’s level yet, Qualls is a full effort, high-motor player. His quickness and leadership is a big part of why the Washington defense is so dominant.
Likely Day Three Prospects
Inside Linebacker Azeem Victor (#36, 6’2″, 239) is one of the best blitzing linebackers in the country. The redshirt junior is in his second season as a starter and has shown the ability to be a three-down player. A player described as a “good” version of Vontaze Burfict, Victor is still scratching the surface of his potential. If he continues to develop, he should hear his name called much earlier than his current day three projection.
Senior Kevin King (#20, 6’3″, 192) has experience playing both cornerback (current position) and safety. At 6’3″, King would be one of, if not the tallest corner in the upcoming draft. King is effective in using his length in coverage, but his overall technique needs polish. His length and experience will have some defensive back coaches begging for the chance to develop him.
Edge rusher Joe Mathis (#5, 6’2″, 255) could find a home as a 34 linebacker or as a 43 defensive end in the NFL. His stock took a real jump in last week’s match-up with Stanford, where Mathis made several key plays. Beginning the season with an undraftable grade, he has worked his way into the conversation with and impressive senior year.
Oregon
Royce Freeman, RB,
Junior
#21
Running Back
5’11”, 230
Early Draft Projection = Round 2
Now in his third years as a starter, Royce Freeman has been highly productive in Oregon’s high scoring offense. As a freshman, Freeman rushed for 1,365 yards and followed it up with 1,836 yards on the ground as a sophomore.
Biggest Strengths:
- Vision
- Balance
- Shifty in tight spaces
- Excels in passing game with soft hands and pass blocking skills
Biggest Weaknesses:
- Average explosion
- One-speed athlete
- Will take time to adjust from Oregon’s spread scheme
Freeman has a similar running style to another former Oregon Duck: Jonathan Stewart. While not the power back Lions fans covet, Freeman would be an excellent complement back in Detroit. Because this is such a deep running back class, and the Lions have other pressing priorities, Bob Quinn may not want invest a high draft pick at the position. But if he does, Royce Freeman should be in the conversation as one of the top five backs in the draft.
The Comeback Story
Tight end Pharaoh Brown (#85, 6’5″, 250) suffered one of the most gruesome college football injuries. In a routine goal-line blocking assignment, Brown stepped on a teammates foot and hyper-extended his leg, tearing ligaments in his knee. In addition to his knee, he also injured an artery, which cut off circulation to his lower right leg and he almost had to have it amputated.
Fortunately, after three surgeries, doctors were able to correct the situation and save his leg, but it was unclear how he would recover. For a year and a half, Brown rehabbed his leg and in the spring of 2016 he returned to practice at Oregon.
"From where he came from in that injury, from his initial process of going from life-threatening to walking to playing football to, ‘Can he actually get back to as good as he was?’” offensive coordinator Matt Lubick said. “To see all those things come to fruition, it’s a miracle."
Brown is still working his way back into football, and has suffered some minor injuries (ankle) over the first five weeks. He has accounted for nine receptions for 103 yards, and flashed some of his skills that made him such an intriguing prospect.
A terrific athlete, Brown can be a match-up problem for defenses. Quick and aggressive, Brown has shown that he still deserves a shot in the NFL. If he can stay healthy this season, he seems like a lock for the combine, where teams will want to get a closer look at his leg. If things check out, he will make a team very happy on day three.
More Duck Skill Players
Redshirt junior wide receiver, Darren Carrington II (#7, 6’1″, 195) is a big play athlete who is succeeding in Oregon’s spread offense. With great body control, Carrington has shown the ability to track and target the deep pass.
Carrington has had some off the field issues. A suspension (failed drug test) at the end of his freshman season cost him a chance to play in the 2014 national championship game. The suspension carried over into the next season, and then was extended further after an open container violation.
Carrington’s evaluation will be an interesting one to follow. He applied to the NFL draft committee after his sophomore year and considered leaving for the NFL. And while he has a top 100 skill set, he needs to prove he can stay out of trouble if he hopes to be drafted that high.
Injured Juniors to watch in 2017
Olympic hurdler and current Oregon wide receiver, Devon Allen (#13, 5’11”, 185) tore his ACL in early September and won’t return to play in 2016. This is his second season ending injury in the last three years. He’ll likely return for his redshirt senior year, hoping to return to form.
Tyrell Crosby (#73, 6’4 1/2″, 310) made the switch from right to left tackle in his second year as a starter. Unfortunately, a left foot injury will cut his season short as he is not expected to return to action. Once Crosby returns to full health, he’ll have a chance to pick up a promising career that had him on the top 100 bubble.
Next: Top 2017 NFL Draft Prospects From Michigan
Bob Quinn has proved that when it comes to the draft process, he is extremely thorough. He spent last offseason installing his approach to the draft and has set his expectations high. Because this is such a high-profile game, you can bet he will be assigning scouts to watch these players closely.
Previous Watchlists:
Alabama vs USC
Tennessee vs Virginia Tech
Ohio State vs Oklahoma
Georgia vs Ole Miss
Western Michigan vs Central Michigan