B1G/MAC Draft Prospects

I’ve had a contact with a couple of scouts whom I known for a while and they are assigned to the Midwest region.  This is their early watchlist for the 2017 draft. These are their thoughts on the prospects that they evaluated to see if they’ll progress for the 2017 season.

QB:

CJ Beathard Iowa

-          IMO, he’s the top senior QB in the draft. Beathard is a name that no one is talking about for the 2017 draft.  Beathard has experience in pro-style offense, shown good command of running it and has good arm with athleticism to buy time in the pocket.  Beathard is a much more aggressive passer than given credit for and was responsible for some of the close wins that Iowa has produced last season.  Occasionally, his accuracy can be spotty and is a bit of an injury prone. If he progress, I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets drafted at 2^nd round.

RB:

Kareem Hunt Toledo

De’Veon Smith Michigan

-          This is a bad year for them to be eligible for the draft because 2017 RB class is going to be LOADED with top tier prospects like Fournette, McCaffery, Cook, etc. That will push mid-tier RBs down in the draft board.  Kareem Hunt is the best of the B1G/MAC prospects. He is one of the main reason why Toledo has played well last season and should continue to shine as the man at RB.

De’Veon Smith was on and off last season, but there are things that they liked about him like his power and surprising quickness. However, they don’t like the fact that he’s been hurt last season and he has been on and off as a runner.  They questioned his vision which is important for a RB to succeed in the next level. They see him as a complimentary RB who can play in short yardage situation.

WR:

Corey Davis WMU

Jehu Chesson Michigan

-          Corey Davis would’ve been a 1^st/2^nd round pick, had he come out for the 2016 draft. He has the size and speed that would entice the GMs to take him high in the draft.  He has been productive despite the fact that he gets attention from the secondary.  The scouts believed that he is the best draft eligible WR (pending 2016 season). 

Jehu Chesson bursted into the scene and they liked what they’ve seen from Chesson.  They have him as one of the best Senior WR in the draft and they’re curious to see if he can take the next step as a WR. They liked his deep speed, but they want to see him improve his quickness in route running outside of 9 route. They noted of his tendency to body catch passes in which he must show improvement.

TE:

Jake Butt Michigan

Josiah Price MSU

-          Jake Butt is unquestionably the top TE in the Midwest.  They believe that he’ll be a successful move TE in the next level. They liked his size, hands and catch radius.  They are very interested to see how he’ll test out at the combine because they think he isn’t an explosive athlete (he’s more fluid than twitchy/explosive athlete which isn’t a bad thing).  Butt will have to compete in what it looks like to be a top heavy TE class.

Josiah Price stood out as an all-around TE. He has soft hands and can block at the LOS.  However, he isn’t a great athlete and is more of a #2 TE in the next level.

OL:

Dan Feeney Indiana

Pat Elfiein OSU

Dan Voltz Wisconsin

Mason Cole Michigan

-          This is a pretty strong year for draftable interior OL prospects in the B1G conference. Feeney and Elfiein are the best of the bunch and should get a look at day 2.  Voltz and Cole should push their way into day 2 convo with strong play for the 2016 season.  The scouts are interested to see how Cole perform at C because they feel that it’s his best position for the next level.

DE:

Dawuane Smoot Illini

Sam Hubbard OSU

Kemoko Turay Rutgers

-          The DE group has potential to be a 1^st round pick, but they have to prove themselves for different reasons.  As it stands, Smoot is the best of the bunch with burst and quick twitch athleticism to dominate as a pass rusher.  However, Smoot is unpolished as a pass rusher and needs to show improvement with pass rush techniques.  Hubbard has flashed as a reserve DE, but is still raw as a DE. He came into OSU as a S and bulked up which prompted him to move to DE.  Hubbard is a smooth athlete with good burst off the edge and is surprisingly adept against the run. The scouts would like to see him as a starting DE and if he shows improvement, they feel that he could be a 1^st round pick.  Finally, Kemoko Turay has been super productive in his first two seasons at Rutgers.  Last season was a huge disappointment because they expected more from him.  Turay has the size, length and athleticism to be an elite prospect. Turay showed inconsistent effort and Rutgers coaches unwillingness to play him despite the fact that he’s their best DL is baffling to the scouts. Turay is still raw as a DE since it’s his 4^th year playing football, but the upside is there.

DT:

Malik McDowell MSU

Darius Hamilton Rutgers

Maurice Hurst Michigan

Jaleel Johnson Iowa

Chris Wormley Michigan

-          This is easily the strongest position group of the region. Malik McDowell is the best of the bunch, but is miscasted at NT with his size and athleticism. They projected him as a 3T or 5T DL. Darius Hamilton has been one of the best DT in the conference until his injury has knocked him off the season. If he’s healthy and if he shows that he is back, they expect a big year from him.  Michigan DT duos, Hurst and Wormley has made their name from last season with strong play.  The scouts are hoping that Wormley can get back to early season form, not the one where he faded at the end of the season.  The OL figured out how to block Wormley in which he doesn’t have a counter move once his initial move gets blocked. Hurst flashes last season and the scouts would like to see more consistency from Hurst. Hurst has the athleticism to be a very good DT in the next level.

OLB:

Jabrill Peppers Michigan

Ed Davis MSU

-          Scouts are already salivating at the thought of Jabrill Peppers as a Money Linebacker (a position that is becoming more and more popular in the NFL thanks to Denone Buchannan). They really liked his athleticism and his willingness to stick his nose against the run.  They’re not sure if he’s a fit at SS or Money Linebacker because of the coverage issue against slot WRs. They believe he has the athleticism to do so, but the fact that he struggled against WRs is a concern.  As it stands, they see him as a potential 1^st rounder.

Ed Davis is a LB that they are interested in because obviously, he was out for the season with an injury. 

MLB:

RaeKwon McMillian OSU

Anthony Walker Northwestern

Hardy Nickerson Illini

-          RaeKwon McMillian is the clear top dog in this group.  Whether if he’s a 1^st round pick or not remains to be seen, but he has been impressive as a MIKE LB calling the shots for OSU defense.  Anthony Walker has been all over the field and they consider him a chess piece at LB whether if he’s a rush LB, MIKE LB or a true 4-3 OLB.  Hardy Nickerson is a guy to watch for and he’s a grad transfer from Cal to play for his dad who is a well-known NFL LB.

CB:

Desmond King Iowa

Jourdan Lewis Michigan

Gareon Conley OSU

-          It should be an interesting battle for the top spot as the top college CB because both are legit NFL prospects and both had a phenomenal year covering WRs last season.  It was a surprise that Desmond King decided to come back because he is likely a 2^nd round pick at worst for the 2016 draft.  Either way, both are almost a lock to be an All-American this coming season.  King is a better prospect at this point because of his size. There’s a bit of a concern about Lewis size and NFL aren’t generally a big fan of short and small CBs. Jourdan Lewis is 5’10” and 170 lbs which is small (granted 5’10” isn’t small since Hargraves got drafted at 1^st round). Measurement will be important for Lewis or NFL will view him as a slot CB which will hurt his draft value.

Gareon Conley is raw and it’s based on potential. They’re interested to see how he’ll perform as the #1 CB on the team.  I’ve heard that they viewed him as a FS because of his stiff hips but has the athleticism to be a good S in the next level.