Hidden Draft Gems
Christian Hackenberg
Hackenberg had a good
freshman year and his best year at Penn State under Bill O'Brien in 2013 when
he threw for nearly 3,000 yards, 20 touchdowns, and completed almost 60 percent
of his passes. He proved to be more than just hype as he was named Big Ten
Freshman of the Year and a Freshman All-American. The young gunslinger had a
good stable of backs, good offensive linemen, and a star receiver in Allen
Robinson. In 2014 and 2015, Hackenberg's numbers dipped across the board as he
made erratic throws and completed less of his passes. He did not have a
receiver near the caliber of Robinson and his running game did not make it
easier for him. As a result, he saw his stock drop from a potential first round
pick to, now, being a second or third round pick. Hackenberg is not even listed
in some of the draft experts’ top five for quarterbacks. He is certainly under
the radar and for teams that need a quarterback he could be a player worth
drafting because of his physical tools and on the field talent. The regression
of the Nittany Lion product could be due to different coaches and probably a
lack of talent to compete in the Big Ten conference. Head Coach James Franklin
ran a run oriented offense as opposed to O'Brien who preferred a balanced
approach. Hackenberg is 6'4 and throws the ball with good zip and has
toughness. He has had three years in the pro system so the transition should be
smooth. Restoring his confidence and cutting back on bad throws will be key to
making him a starter. With the lack of talent in college, Hackenberg could end
up being a better pro player.
CJ Prosise
Prosise is a one cut back
that was probably one of the more unheralded players on the Fighting Irish
offense. He made the game really easy for DeShone Kizer after Malik Zaire
sustained a season ending injury. Prosise eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark-rushing
total, had 500 receiving yards, and scored 12 total touchdowns last season for
Notre Dame. His season would have been better, but after the USC game he had
multiple injuries that shortened his year. Prosise has drawn comparisons to
Duce Staley and his background as a former receiver makes him an interesting
prospect in a not so deep running back class. He is an elusive runner and has
enough speed to score from distance. Prosise got better with every carry during
each game in which he went over 100 rushing yards. He had a good pro day and
his pass catching ability was surprising to some scouts. If he can develop as a
pass blocker and stay healthy, Prosise has the chance to be a good change of
pace back for the team that drafts him.
Pharoh Cooper
The South Carolina
receiver had a rough NFL Combine in which he dropped a plethora of passes and
did not run a 40-yard dash due to bad quadriceps. However, Cooper helped his
draft cause when he caught all of his passes, performed well in rapid punt
returns, and ran a 4.61 40 on his pro day. NFL scouts even noticed an
improvement in Cooper's routes, which they enjoyed. He is 5'11 and 207 pounds,
but Cooper was a gamer in college. He surprised the Gamecocks, as he became the
go to target at receiver in 2014 when he had 1,136 receiving yards and nine
touchdowns. His numbers dipped to 973 yards and eight touchdowns, but that was
due to bad quarterback play. Cooper brings a lot to the table as he can catch
passes, run the ball, return kicks and punts, and even throw the ball. His
quick cuts and burst out of his routes should help him out of the slot. He is
not a traditional receiver and does not have natural speed. On the contrary, he
has game speed and has the potential to be a game changer. Cooper is expected
to go on the second day of the draft.
Tyler Boyd
In the few games that I
watched Boyd, I noticed that this guy had great hands and the fearlessness to
go up for the catch in traffic. I mean his quarterback absolutely force-fed him
at wide out and he did not care who was guarding him. Boyd had an extremely
productive career at Pittsburgh where he totaled 254 catches, 3,361 receiving
yards, and 21 receiving touchdowns. As a freshman, he broke multiple records
owned by Larry Fitzgerald when he was a freshman. Boyd is most certainly the
most decorated receiver to come out of Pitt since Fitzgerald and he shares some
of his skills. Like Fitzgerald, he is not a speed demon, but he gets good
separation at the top of his routes. In addition, Boyd will go up and snatch
any pass in his vicinity. His numbers dipped each year as a Panther as the team
would be forced to run the ball more. Boyd helped in that regard as a runner and
he can return kicks. Like Cooper, Boyd is expected to be taken in the second or
third round.
Jonathan Bullard
Bullard is a good
defensive lineman who has the ability to play either defensive end or defensive
tackle. He is best suited for a 4-3 scheme where he can excel as a tackle and
cause havoc in the run game. He totaled 26 tackles for losses and nine sacks
over the past two seasons for a vaunted Florida defense. At 6'3, Bullard has
good size to bat passes down at the line of scrimmage with his long arms.
However, at 283 pounds he is on the light side of the spectrum in terms of the
prototype defensive tackle. Bullard has to rely on his ability to get off the
ball well to make offensive linemen work against him. He excels in stopping the
run and has enough speed to create problems in the passing game. Bullard has
the skills to be a good complimentary defensive lineman to the star along the
front. If he were bigger or faster, Bullard would be a first round selection.
He held his own in the Southeastern Conference so that bodes well for him.
Bullard should be taken in the second or third round.
Carl Nassib
Nassib led the nation in
sacks at 15.5 for the Nittany Lions stout defensive line. He showed that he is
not a one trick pony as he garnered 19.5 tackles for losses and six forced
fumbles. He is a towering prospect off the edge as he is 6'6 and weighs in at
277 pounds. Nassib came to Penn State as a freshman weighing 50 to 60 pounds
lighter according to former head coach Bill O'Brien. It is likely he will continue
to bulk up in the NFL. In addition to O'Brien, James Franklin raved about his
practice effort and work ethic. As a former walk-on, it is evident that the
same characteristics Nassib used to earn him a scholarship still persist.
History has shown, recently, that former walk-ons progress well once they make
it to the NFL. Players like JJ Watt, Antonio Brown, and Clay Matthews worked
their way to stardom. Nassib has good closing speed and strength off the edge.
His long arms allow him to keep offensive tackles at bay. The only knock on
Nassib is the fact that he was a one-year wonder like fellow teammate Austin
Johnson. He could go as early as round three.
Yannick Ngakoue
Ngakoue was extremely
productive for the Terrapins of Maryland in the last two seasons off the edge.
He totaled 28.5 tackles for a loss and 19.5 sacks as a starter. Ngakoue is not
physically imposing as a pass rusher as he stands at 6'2. His 275-pound frame
could help him because he has a lower center of gravity with raw strength. He dominated
every tackle he played against including players like Brandon Scherff, Jack
Conklin, and Taylor Decker. In fact, he had Scherff off balance quite a bit
when Maryland played Iowa in 2014. Ngakoue has long arms and uses speed and
strength to beat his opponent. The thing that stands out most on film is his
ability to convert his speed to strength with tremendous force. He will have to
develop his passing rushing moves to beat more established tackles in the NFL.
Ngakoue is rated in the top 50 of draft prospects and could be a passing
rushing specialist as a rookie.
Kyler Fackrell
Fackrell is the new
generation linebacker who has great size and the ability to defend the run and
pass. Standing at 6'4, he can ruin throwing windows with quarterbacks because
they have to throw over him. His size comes in handy as he blitzed the
quarterback in college where he totaled 12 sacks. Fackrell defends the run at
an exceptional rate with taking good angles and dissecting the play quickly
with 36 tackles for a loss in his career. He averaged at least 80 tackles each
season to round out his productivity. Fackrell's physical tools and
productivity are most comparable to KJ Wright and Kiko Alonso. He is probably
best suited to play in a 4-3 scheme as an outside linebacker, but he could play
in a 3-4 at middle. Fackrell's size, instincts, productivity, and quickness
have helped him jump up draft boards as a potential second rounder. Fackrell's
sub par combine performance could cause him to be a third round selection.
William Jackson
Jackson possesses a 6 foot
189 pound frame, which makes him bigger than the average corner. He will fill
out his body mass in the league, but he has long arms to compete on the
outside. Over his first two seasons as a Cougar, Jackson had three picks and 17
passes defended. Most corners do not make that many plays in their career, but
wait there is more. To follow up his stellar play, Jackson defended 23 passes
and intercepted five passes. He is not a great run defender, but he will fill
the gap on the outside when runners run toward the edge. The production of this
corner is unreal and the most overlooked in this draft. If his on the field
production was not enough, Jackson had a phenomenal combine to follow up a
decorated career at the University of Houston. He ran a 4.37 40 and impressed
scouts in the defensive back drills. Jackson reminds me of Eric Rowe last year
when he came out of college. His speed, long arms, and desire to compete could
make him a steal in a deep class of cornerbacks in this upcoming draft.
Zak Sanchez
Sanchez is one of a few
Oklahoma players that are flying under the radar in this year's draft class. He
is a very intriguing prospect with high risk or high reward not only in his
style of play, but also in his potential as a corner. Sanchez was thrown into
the fire as a freshman and was picked on a lot by quarterbacks when they needed
a big play. The experience he got helped him become a better play in 2014 as he
was one of the most improved players across the country. Sanchez made a name
for himself living on the edge at corner as he loves to jump routes and
intercept passes. He had a game sealing interception against Oklahoma that kept
the Sooners playoff hopes alive. He totaled 13 interceptions in his career as a
Sooner. He is a smaller corner at 5'10 and will likely compete for a spot as a
nickel corner as a rookie. Sanchez will need to become more disciplined in his
technique and hit the weight room to help out in he run game. Taking risks will
always be in his DNA that could help or hurt his team.
Miles Killebrew
Killebrew can be a Shaq
Thompson or a Deone Bucanon type of player in the NFL with his supreme run game
instincts and decent coverage skills to help in the pass. He will not
necessarily be a safety, as he will be considered a hybrid linebacker. This is
a position many teams will implement when they have a player of Killebrew's
talent that they want to get on the field. Killebrew had a good combine and
showed good skills in the ball drills. He has good form as a tackler with
malicious intent with every hit. Killebrew will deliver bone-chilling hits into
a ball carrier when he is within earshot of his opponent. He has a bad habit of
waiting as a play develops and needs to get better in coverage. Bucanon took
time to develop, but he saw extensive time last year for the Cardinals defense
in his role. Killebrew is not nearly as adept as Bucanon is in coverage so it
will take time. He could see time as a rookie as a special teams ace and
possibly a defender in goal line situations.
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