Five NFL Draft Prospects to watch out for come April
By Chris Brent
Dec 31, 2014; Glendale, AZ, USA; Boise State Broncos running back Jay Ajayi (27) against the Arizona Wildcats in the 2014 Fiesta Bowl at Phoenix Stadium. The Broncos defeated the Wildcats 38-30. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
I’m excited to begin my deep dive into the 2015 NFL Draft. All of these NFL draft prospects are extremely talented, and some may be names that you have either never heard of or have forgotten about. Of course, everything I say in this article is somewhat reliant on which team these prospects get drafted to. Here are the five prospects that you should keep your eyes on for the upcoming NFL draft this April.
#1: Jay Ajayi, RB, Boise State
Jay Ajayi is a complete back, and should continue that trend once he reaches the NFL. In college, Ajayi had a very successful career, which he topped off with a record-breaking junior season. This season, as a junior, Ajayi become the first player in FBS history to rush for 1800-plus yards and to rack up 500-plus receiving yards in the same season. Ajayi’s 50 catches this years tells us that he is going to see the field early and often in the NFL.
Jan 3, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; Missouri Tigers wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham (15) during the game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the 2014 Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium. Missouri won 41-31. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
#2: Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Missouri/ Oklahoma
Green-Beckham was the number one wide receiver coming out of high school, and rightfully so. Green-Beckham is an elite talent on the field, but has yet to get his act together off of the field. As a sophomore at Missouri, he managed to catch 59 passes for 883 yards and 12 touchdowns. Green-Beckham has a huge 6-foot-6 frame, which will allow him to have the ability to become a future top-5 wide receiver in this league. However, all of that is going to rely on him being able to stay out of trouble off the field. With all of the off-field issues haunting prominent NFL players, this could make his draft stock drop.
Oct 11, 2014; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Michigan Wolverines wide receiver Devin Funchess (1) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the first quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
#3: Devin Funchess, WR, Michigan
His 6-foot-5-inch 230 pound frame will have NFL teams drooling over him on Draft day. If you just look at the numbers, you are likely going to be unimpressed. But that isn’t because Funchess is a bad receiver, it is because he’s been dealing with terrible quarterbacks. Funchess has good leaping ability, which will allow him to go up and get the jump balls in the NFL. Funchess also has long arms and big hands, which allows him to create a large catch radius. Funchess has had experience at tight end and at receiver, and I have learned that his speed makes him a nightmare for linebackers and his size makes it difficult for smaller corners to cover him.
Jan 1, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Michigan State Spartans running back Jeremy Langford (33) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the first quarter against the Baylor Bears in the 2015 Cotton Bowl Classic at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
#4: Jeremy Langford, RB, Michigan State
I like Langford, but he’s ranked really low on draft boards. I’m not sure why. He’s a hard-nosed runner, and is tougher to bring down when the game is moving along. Langford posses a likable game that will get him moved up draft boards. Something I have noticed from watching Langford is his reliability in pass protection, which most young backs don’t understand. Langford is miles ahead of other incoming rookie running backs in that category, and that is why he is going to be a round three selection come draft day. Langford’s weaknesses are short, and I think there is little risk in this pick. Based on where he is expected to go in the draft, he’s quickly becoming my favorite running back in this class.
Nov 1, 2014; Nashville, TN, USA; Old Dominion Monarchs quarterback Taylor Heinicke (14) rolls out for a pass during the first half against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Vanderbilt Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
#5 Taylor Heinicke, QB, Old Dominion
Outside of Marcus Mariota, Jameis Winston and Brett Hundley, I don’t actually like the quarterback class. However, I will say that as a late round flyer, I am coming around to Tyler Heinicke. I wanted to feature a quarterback that not a lot of people knew, and he would be the one if I had to choose. Heinicke has to dominate his pre-draft workouts if he is even going to be drafted. Once drafted, as a 6th or 7th rounder, he is going to have to fight for a roster spot and is likely going to be sitting for years. An NFL agent told NFL.com that this “might be the worst group of throwers I’ve seen in my 15 years of watching these practices.” However in passing, did mention that the lone exception was Heinicke.