Six Top 25 teams lost in Week 4 of the college football season. Some of their players draft stocks took a big hit as well. Here are the NFL Draft’s winners and losers from this week.
Entering Week 4 of the college football season, it was clear that things were going to start heating up. Teams were entering their conference play and the cupcake games were almost over. That set the stage for a wild and eventful week of college football. With the games behind us, here is a dive into how NFL draft prospects fared in their bouts, whether good or bad.
5. Marquise Brown, WR, Oklahoma – Stock down
Sometimes there are circumstances beyond a player’s control that limit his production. That seemed to be the case for Oklahoma’s Marquise Brown this week. Oklahoma squeaked out a win against a frisky Army team Saturday. In the near loss, Brown failed to record a catch even with overtime. Most will point to the fact that the Sooners only had 15 minutes of total possession with Army controlling the clock. That’s still unacceptable for someone who has looked like the best wide receiver in the nation at times this year.
4. D.K. Metcalf, WR, Ole Miss – Stock up
I was prepared to throw D.K. Metcalf into this article a week ago after his first play touchdown against Alabama. It was a week too mature seeing as that was the only play the Ole Miss offense did much of anything that game. This week was a different story. Teammate A.J. Brown had a more impressive resume entering this season but Metcalf is the one who will have NFL scouts drooling. At 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds, he has the athletic ability and size to be a true number one receiver in the NFL. Metcalf impressed in Ole Miss’ win with five catches for 102 yards and a touchdown. The Rebels’ offense features a loaded receiver group with Metcalf leading the way.
3. The battle for QB1
This weekend was a big test for a few of the names battling for the spot of 2019’s top quarterback.
It started Saturday with Missouri’s Drew Lock playing the fierce Georgia Bulldogs. Kirby Smart’s defense made Lock struggle but he looked good on film. Lock’s stats do not tell the whole story either. He was efficient, looked like he had command of the offense but struggled under pressure. The throws he was making show off an NFL-caliber arm. His poise, like many in this class, is going to determine his success at the next level.
Every year there is a quarterback who the scouts just have not seen enough and then explodes into the draft scene. This year that goes to Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins. After sitting behind J.T. Barrett, Haskins is proving why Urban Meyer said he’s the best quarterback he’s ever had. Haskins threw more touchdowns (five) than incompletions in a route. With the Big Ten schedule looming, all eyes are on Columbus for what could be the top quarterback to enter the NFL.
Before the season, West Virginia’s Will Grier was a common name to hear atop prospect rankings. After another big game, he’s showing why. Grier is a Heisman candidate and putting up eye-popping numbers every week. Grier’s biggest knock will be his lack of defensive competition but that can be said for almost all these quarterbacks. Grier threw five more touchdowns Saturday against a tough Kansas State. It will not be until the final quarter of the season until we see Grier truly tested by a defense.
The day ended with Oregon’s Justin Herbert and the Ducks blowing a lead against Stanford. Even with the loss and one touchdown, Herbert looked like a first round quarterback. His arsenal of throws was impressive. Herbert has touch on every level of the field but does not lack arm strength when it counts. His biggest test comes in two weeks against Washington, but for now, Herbert’s stock is on the rise.
2. Trevon Hill, EDGE, Virginia Tech – Stock down
There had to be some way for me to talk about the Virginia Tech loss this weekend. This team was praised after it’s Week 1 showing against Florida State. Now they rightfully deserve to be dragged after an embarrassing loss to previously winless Old Dominion. To make matters worse the team’s best pass rusher Travon Hill was dismissed from the team. He looked like a rising prospect after the Florida State game so his dismissal comes as a shock. Here is a great breakdown of his game from TheDraftNetwork’s Trevor Sikkema. His loss will show on the Hokies defense and could handcuff what was looking like a promising season before this weekend.
1. Benny Snell, RB, Kentucky – Stock up
Talk that talk and walk that walk Mr. Snell. Benny Snell has Kentucky as one of the feel-good stories of 2018 after a big win against Mississippi State on Saturday. The 225-pound bruising back continues to shine for the Wildcats. This time it was 165 yards and four touchdowns on 26 carries in the rout of MSU. Snell already showed how impressive of a runner he can be in Kentucky’s big win against Florida only a few weeks ago. This time he did it against one of the nation’s best defensive lineman that features a potential top-50 defensive tackle. Snell’s success is giving juice to an underwhelming running back class for the 2019 NFL draft.