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Underclassmen Declarations 2018

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Figured I'd keep a list of all declared prospects for y'all to keep tabs on as we head towards draft season.

 

 

Mark Walton - RB - Miami

 

Considered a top 75 selection prior to an ankle injury that ended his junior season, Walton has fallen down boards a little bit as of late. The injury makes his declaration a surprise, but he's considered by most to be an early day three guy at the moment.

 

DeShon Elliott - S - Texas

 

Another surprise declaration, B/R's Matt Miller viewed him as a day two prospect for the 2019 draft. He will likely push for consideration in the third round, but could rise depending on combine.

 

Quadree Henderson - WR - Pittsburgh

 

Henderson doesn't have nearly the hype you'd expect for a wide receiver to come out of school early. That said, he is one of the better returners in the country and could be considered day three to fit that mold. Stock and positional should be considered to that of a guy like Isaiah McKenzie last year, but a little higher.

 

Holton Hill - CB - Texas

 

Suspended from the Texas program, Hill decided to not go back to school. There was a little early day two buzz that followed him around prior to the suspension, but he'll probably need to show maturity in the interviews to be more than a day three guy.

 

Isaiah Oliver - CB - Colorado

 

Oliver is one of the few guys who have declared so far that it makes a lot of sense to do so. He has been labeled as a consensus first round talent at cornerback, and his stock has exceeded that of ex-teammates Chidobe Awuzie and Ahkello Witherspoon. It would not be shocking to see him make a push for CB1 against guys like Denzel Ward and Jaire Alexander.

 

Connor Williams - OT - Texas

 

Williams came into the season viewed as the next Joe Thomas, but suffered torn knee ligaments in September. He was viewed as a day two guy prior to getting back on the field, but put on an impressive performance in his return from the injury report. He's generally viewed as a top 15 pick at this point, and could make an argument for going top 10.

 

Derwin James - S - Florida State

 

James was viewed as the top safety in this class prior to the season based on impressive 2016 tape, but that hype tapered off quite a bit. There are some concerns about his tackling that have dropped his stock a little bit, but he is still viewed as a mid-first round talent by most people. He may have lost his spot as the leader of the position for the class to Minkah Fitzpatrick, but it was a good move to declare.

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Antonio Callaway - WR - Florida

 

Callaway was considered by many to be the top wide receiver coming into the 2017 season, but was suspended due to his involvement in a credit card fraud scandal that wiped out a good majority of the Florida program. He's still seen as a supremely talented player, but his off-field should scare teams off from investing an early pick. He's likely a day three guy.

 

Hayden Hurst - TE - South Carolina

 

Hurst has flirted with declaring for the past month, but didn't officially announce it until just recently. He's seen by many as TE2 or TE3 in the class behind guys like Dallas Goedert and Mark Andrews. He's likely to be a day two selection based on current reports. I'd assume he received a second round grade from the college advisory committee.

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The one redeeming quality about Maryland football, DJ Moore, just declared. He will be good.

Edited by BJORN

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The one redeeming quality about Maryland football, DJ Moore, just declared. He will be good.

I haven't seen him yet, but everyone I talk to seems to love his game. Was told he looks like a RB before the catch. Nice to see some quality talent rolling out of Maryland. Last guy to get any real love was Diggs.

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I haven't seen him yet, but everyone I talk to seems to love his game. Was told he looks like a RB before the catch. Nice to see some quality talent rolling out of Maryland. Last guy to get any real love was Diggs.

Very similar to Diggs in the sense that we were devastated at QB in both of their last seasons at UMD. Diggs literally had a linebacker throwing him the ball. This year, DJ was working with our 4th string QB.

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Rosen and (a little bit surprisingly) Darnold have declared for the draft.

 

Cherruh! When are you going to update your positional rankings? I keep checking your website occasionally, and it seems like you haven't touched it lately. What gives? :shrug:

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I'm not doing my tape review in a position-by-position basis this year due to how much tape I need and how limited it is for various positions at this point. For instance, there are only like five guards with tape out at this point. I've been mostly working on seniors from different positions, but will throw everything in together once I complete various positions.

 

I am doing my work, though. :p I just passed 100 spreadsheets the other day and have begun the long winter march to completion. I've got 3-4 spreadsheets due each day now, but I'm just not posting them on the website yet. Let me know if there are any particular guys you want sheets on, though. I might just have them completed.

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Sam Darnold - QB - USC

 

I know a lot of people were shocked that Darnold decided to declare after going relatively silent on the draft throughout the season. However, it makes sense. He had a whole lot to lose and not a lot to gain by returning to USC for his RS Junior year. Darnold will have a chance to go #1 overall thanks to his decision-making skills and pocket control. He's a near lock for a top ten pick.

 

Josh Rosen - QB - UCLA

 

Rosen was much more of a guarantee to hop into this draft class compared to Darnold, although they are considered by many to be a 1A 1B in terms of rankings. Rosen is the most pro-ready guy coming out of this quarterback class with beautiful mechanics, a solid arm, and a good mental game. He's in play for the #1 pick, but shouldn't fall out of the top five barring completely shitting on his interviews at the combine and senior bowl.

 

Lamar Jackson - QB - Louisville

 

Jackson had almost nothing to gain by returning to Louisville for another season of carrying the team on his back. One of the greatest running quarterbacks of all time, Lamar has drawn Michael Vick comparisons throughout his college career. He's not developed mechanically and has some accuracy issues, but has every physical tool you want for the position. He is in play for the first round, but most media outlets project him as an early second round pick.

 

Josh Allen - QB - Wyoming

 

Josh Allen has been polarizing. He was deemed the golden boy of the class prior to the season by some analysts, and his upside makes him an appealing player. He has iffy mechanics and decision-making, and has had some horrendous showings this year against top competition. However, Allen has the best arm in years, and is more than ready to shrug off pass rushers who come into the pocket. His frame and style make you think Ben Roethlisberger with better legs. His choices make you think career backup. He'll be attending the Reese's Senior Bowl, having graduated already.

 

Tanner Lee - QB - Nebraska

 

The biggest surprise of the declared quarterbacks, Lee has had mediocre numbers and a generally inconsistent performance during his time at Nebraska. He transferred from Tulane, but looked unimpressive throughout his college career. He's very physically gifted, from what I've heard, but will need a lot of polish to clean up his game. A potential day three selection, there is a chance Lee goes undrafted.

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Saquon Barkley - RB - Penn State

 

Barkley is arguably the best prospect in the class, and was pretty much a sure bet to leave Penn State for the NFL. He has incredible athleticism that is going to make teams drool over him. If there is any back in this class who could continue the trend of top five running back selections, he is the guy.

 

Derrius Guice - RB - LSU

 

Guice is a combination of speed, vision, and power that is pretty rare for the position. He can win any way you want him to, and is considered the Robin to Barkley's Batman. His draft stock is valued as high as top ten, but he is generally viewed as a mid first rounder who could be selected between 15-25. He played up the declaration over the course of a few days, but was pretty much considered to be gone after TMZ leaked a report about him.

 

Ronald Jones II - RB - USC

 

Jones may be the heir to the throne of a Jamaal Charles type back who isn't particularly big, but will take the ankles of anyone he runs into. He's a phenomenal outside runner who has gained day two buzz throughout the draft community. There is an off chance he sneaks into the first round if teams get hungry for backs, but he's most likely a second rounder. With Darnold coming out, the odds of finding success on a depleted USC team wasn't too high.

 

Kerryon Johnson - RB - Auburn

 

Johnson came into the season as a backup to Kamryn Pettway, but quickly took over the starting job as he became one of the SEC's leading rushers. He isn't as big of a name as someone like Jones, and was considered a guy who could very well return to school, but he added to the depth of the class coming out. He's considered a day two guy, although it may be closer to the third round when he gets selected.

 

Josh Adams - RB - Notre Dame

 

Adams took off this year much like Johnson, and became a favorite to watch for a Notre Dame team that had some mild success. He's a physical runner who may not have the desired speed, but possesses the vision and strength to be successful between the tackles. He is considered in the same area as Johnson, where a third rounder would be good value for him.

 

John Kelly - RB - Tennessee

 

Kelly was receiving day two buzz early on in the season thanks to a string of impressive performances in the wake of Kamara and Hurd leaving. However, he was improperly used and Tennessee suffered some heartbreaking losses. His size is going to deter some teams, but he runs hard with balance through contact. Kelly was caught with marijuana during a traffic stop a few months ago, and that could push him to being a fourth rounder rather than a late day two selection.

 

Ryan Nall - RB - Oregon State

 

Nall has had a very successful career at Oregon State, but doesn't have the accolades of the rest of this group. He's a power back who relies on eating up 3-4 yards a carry to push the offense forward. He was a surprise declaration, and some people think he may need to make a move to fullback at the next level if he wants to succeed. He may be a day three selection, but it's going to require some success during the draft process.

 

Kamryn Pettway - RB - Auburn

 

Much like Nall, Pettway is a power back who relies on getting a few yards every touch to push the offense forward. He had a serious drop in production this year after losing the starting job to Kerryon Johnson. He was another surprise declaration, and many people thought he would return to school to be Auburn's main back. He's considered to be a late day three or UDFA type prospect, which matches his skillset.

 

Bo Scarbrough - RB - Alabama

 

Scarbrough was seen by many as a top five back heading into the season, and had first round hype. He hasn't seemed to fully recover from his broken leg that he suffered during last year's playoffs, though. This hindered his production and made him a much less effective runner in general. That, along with the growth of Damien Harris has led to many viewing Harris as the superior prospect. With Harris returning to Alabama, it clears out a path for Bo to get drafted slightly higher. However, he is a late day two prospect or early day three prospect at this point.

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With the 14th Selection in the 2018 NFL Draft... the Green Bay Packers select...

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I get to watch him Saturday afternoon. :smug:

 

Anyways, I got 20 WR underclassmen blurbs coming after I complete these next two spreadsheets & get through class. Probably be like 7 or so ET tonight.

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The draftmobile is getting gassed up. :yep:

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Payne, Minkah, Roquan or bust for the Raiders.

 

I'm getting my annual Raider to Bama with our first pick out of the way early.

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