2016 NFL Draft Prospects: December 26, 2015 Bowl Games (Early Games)

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2016 NFL Draft Prospects: December 26, 2015 Bowl Games (Early Games)

by BigBlueInteractive.com Contributor Sy’56

CONNECTICUT

#22 S Andrew Adams – 6’0/198

Fifth year senior. 3 year starter. Leader of the defense and by far their best prospect. This will be only my second look at Adams, a guy that can play both safety spots. Some expect him to be a 4th or 5th rounder. Strong and reliable tackler that approaches the point of attack hard. Will finish off plays. He can make plays in coverage but he isn’t a range guy. I don’t think the athleticism is good enough to be considered a guy that will make a big difference in deep coverage. Need to see more though.

Other Notables:

#95 DE Kenton Adeyemi – 6’4/287
#90 DT Julian Campenni – 6’0/302

MARSHALL

#3 WR Davonte Allen

Fifth year senior. Stood out to me last year when I was scouting the Marshall QB. Has the body. Long and strong with big hands. Will swallow the ball on contact. Tough with the ball in his hands after the catch. He may run 4.4 and if he does I think he has a good shot of being drafted. He has some deep threat potential.

#47 RB Devon Johnson – 6’1/244

(Not playing due to back injury. He should be back for the East/West Shrine game)

#31 LB Evan McKelvey – 6’2/218

Fifth year senior. Started off at safety for the Herd. Made the move to LB in 2012. Tore left ACL in 2012. Tore right ACL in 2014. This guy is a player. Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year in 2015. Tackling machine that is all over the field. Leader of the team. Packs a punch in a frame that has room for growth. McKelvey will need to pass a lot of tests when it comes to the medicals but I’ll take him on my team any day. At the very least he can be a core special teamer. 5th or 6th round if the knees check out.

Other Notables:

#19 WR Deandre Reeves – 5’10/179

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MIAMI

#11 WR Rashawn Scott – 6’2/203

Fifth year senior. Sat out a good portion of 2013 because of a suspension and missed all of 2014 because of a shoulder injury. Had a nice but unspectacular year in 2015. Scott is tools-rich. The body type is there. He has some long stride speed once he gets going downfield. Usually has the length advantage over anyone that is covering him. Actually out-maneuvered FSU’s star CB Jalen Ramsey this past fall on more than a few occasions. More on Ramsey in a few days, though. Scott can be attractive to a lot of scouts and coaches but man he is really sloppy as a route runner and pass catcher. Lacks consistency all over. Upside will get him drafted late.

#2 S Deon Bush – 6’1/205

Started off on fire in 2012 and everyone thought he was going to be the next big thing at safety. He’s battled some minor injuries that forced him to miss time but nothing major. Bush doesn’t stand out to me on tape. He doesn’t get after it consistently as a tackler. He’ll make some highlight reel hits but those don’t impress me as much as a guy that is constantly in the mix and taking down ball carries in wide open space. He doesn’t get his hands on a ton of balls either. I don’t see top tier athletic ability nor do I see the essential instincts. Maybe a 4th or 5th round caliber guy that can backup in the NFL.

#3 CB Tracy Howard – 5’11/192

Has been in and out of the starting lineup the past four years. I think he got the short end of the stick as a result of the poor coaching staff and overall program. Howard can play. I’ve seen him matched up on an island against some of the top WRs in the ACC and he can hold his own. He moves well, reacts well, reads thrings before they happen. May not be overly physical, may not be a playmaker, but he can make a roster and stick as a backup. 5th or 6th round.

#17 LB Tyriq McCord – 6’3/241

Fourth year senior. Never panned out after being highly sought after out of high school, typical of a lot of Miami guys these days. Started off as a pass rusher only and moved his way back to the second level in 2014. This kid still shows flashes though. Even though he is off and on the field a lot, there is talent. He can explode from a standstill and obliterate a target. He has the speed and length. Sexy prospect but does he have any football player in him? He gets fooled real easily. Gets caught in traffic a lot. Maybe he can stick as a special teamer somewhere. Late rounder or priority UDFA.

Other Notables:

#6 WR Herb Waters – 6’2/199
#47 DT Ufomba Kamalu – 6’6/295
#93 DT Calvin Heurtelou – 6’3/315

WASHINGTON STATE

#80 WR Dom Williams – 6’2/200

Fifth year senior. Leaves school as one of the all time leading receivers in school history. Being a focal point within the Mike Leach scheme will do that to you. Williams is rail thin. There is some toughness to him but he gets altered by contact with defensive backs too easily. He isn’t a quick in and out guy, more of a long strider that can get behind a defense. Williams has the hands and coordination along with good tape and size to get himself drafted late.

#56 LT Joe Dahl – 6’4/310

Fifth year senior that started off at Montana. Has played LG and LT for the Cougars, the last two at LT. Dahl has the feet but lacks the essential flexibility and hand power. His punches don’t re-direct anyone. There will be a lot of strength development needed here. Practice squad guy for a year at least. UDFA most likely.

Other Notables:

#63 LG Gunnar Eklund – 6’7/305
#40 LB Kache Palacio – 6’2/231
#3 LB Ivan McLennan – 6’4/233
#99 DE Darryl Paulo – 6’2/255

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WASHINGTON

#82 TE Joshua Perkins – 6’4/226

Fifth year senior. Among the all time TE receiving leaders at Washington. Perkins is a receiving threat-only kind of guy right now. He is too small for the traditional role in the NFL but as teams start to migrate away from that, he may be attractive to some scouts. I wouldn’t call him a top tier matchup problem though. He doesn’t have the explosion or agility to strike fear in to a defense and we aren’t talking about an overly physical guy. Maybe an upside based 7th rounder.

#1 WR Jaydon Mickens – 5’11/170

Second all time on Washington’s career receptions list. Small, quick, jittery slot type with good after the catch ability. I’ve only seen him twice. He had a n easy time getting open against man coverage and he didn’t have any drops. He’ll have to run really well if he wants to get drafted.

#42 LB Cory Littleton – 6’3/227

Three year starter. Washington has a couple pieces on defense with long term upside and Littleton is the best of the bunch. He needs weight room strength, however. Against quality blockers, he gets locked on to easiliy and doesn’t have the moves to get off them. There is a nice frame there to work with though. Late rounder at best.

Other Notables:

#65 C Siosifa Tufunga – 6’3/314
#41 OLB Travis Feeney – 6’4/226
#90 DT Taniela Tupou – 6’2/288

SOUTHERN MISS

#88 WR Mike Thomas – 6’1/200

Transferred to Southern Miss prior to the 2014 season. Showed flashes last year but he broke out big in 2015, setting single season records for the program. Thomas is a big play guy. He has the speed to get behind a defense and shows consistent ball skills in traffic. He really attacks the ball. Strong hands catcher. Somewhat of a sleeper here that could be had in the 5th or 6th round. High upside.

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INDIANA

#78 LT Jason Spriggs – 6’7/305

Best prospect in the game. Four year starter and quietly is one of the top OL in this class. Spriggs has the size and frame to go with the light and balanced feet. He doesn’t always play the power game very well but he has an aggressive style and will play through the whistle. Spriggs is very far along when it comes to technique and mechanical development. Could be a 1st round prospect, possibly even top 15 overall.

#7 QB Nate Sudfeld – 6’6/240

3 year starter that missed half of 2014 with a shoulder injury. Was a big time get for Indiana in 2012 recruiting, as he was a very sought after player. Sudfeld will leave as the all time leader in passing yards and TDs in school history, but his career was never what most were hoping for. Big and powerful arm. Brave and decisive in the pocket. Struggles to make accurate throws under pressure and will often have mechanical breakdowns. Sudfeld is a middle round QB that someone will be excited about. He has legit NFL arm power. To me, he looks the part but his tape is too inconsistent to warrant anything higher than that.

Other Notables

#56 DE Nick Mangleri – 6’5/270

DUKE

#87 WR Max McCaffrey – 6’2/200

Fourth year senior. Son of former WR Ed McCafrey. Brother to Stanford star RB Christian. Three year starter that has been a steady, yet unspectacular presence for the Blue Devils. He is a sure route runner that can consistently run himself open underneath. Could be a nice third down target for someone. He does exactly what you would think a son of a former blue collar WR would do. Catches the ball with strong hands. Competes hard. Overcomes any lack of physical disadvantage with savvy movement and awareness of the defense. I like guys like this more than most. Likely a late rounder.

#16 S Jeremy Cash – 6’2/210

Three time All American safety that has a legit shot at being drafted in the top 45. Started off at Ohio State, transferred right away and sat out 2012. Cash is a legit strong safety prospect, no doubt. Some think he is top tier based purely on his production but I think the scheme and role had a lot to do with that. He pretty much roamed all over the field and was able to freelance. Not a bad thing at all and he certainly performed well, but I didn’t see enough plays in coverage over the past couple of years He isn’t Kam Chancellor. Hay may not even be Rashad Jones. But in the right scheme in the right role, Cash will help a defense early in his career.

Other Notables:

#62 C Matt Skura – 6’2/305
#89 TE Braxton Deaver – 6’5/245
#80 TE David Reeves – 6’5/255
#40 LB Dwanye Norman – 6’1/216