This section highlights which players have improved or worsened their 2018 NFL Draft stock as the draft approaches.
By Charlie Campbell.
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2018 NFL Draft Stock Up
Derwin James, S, Florida State As I reported in the Hot Press last week, team sources from multiple teams have told me that James is their top-rated safety for the 2018 NFL Draft. They think that James offers a superior skill set to Alabama’s Minkah Fitzpatrick with more athletic upside for the NFL. Two teams picking high have James as their top-rated safety. Other teams picking lower have Fitzpatrick higher than James on their board, but they also like James and think he’s worthy of going high. In the 2018 NFL Draft, it is possible that James goes off the board higher than Fitzpatrick and ends up being the first safety selected.
Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma An old adage with the NFL Draft is that quarterbacks rise in the leadup to draft day, and that is the case with Mayfield. He’s had a steady rise throughout his senior year and into the postseason. Last week, Mayfield checked off another box in the pre-draft process with a quality showing at his pro day. Sources that were in attendance said that Mayfield looked good and that they liked the way the ball comes out his hand. In this draft, which isn’t all that talented, they said that Mayfield could be worthy of going in the top 10 picks. Right now, it looks like Mayfield has a real shot at being top-10 pick this April.
Dane Cruikshank, CB, Arizona At the combine, Cruikshank helped himself with a fast 40 time and was impressive in the field workouts. The 6-foot-1, 209-pounder had a solid week of practice at the East-West Shrine after recording 75 tackles with five passes broken up, one forced fumble and three interceptions as a senior. Given his combination of size, speed, and senior-year production, he could have put himself into consideration for the second day of the 2018 NFL Draft.
Parry Nickerson, CB, Tulane Nickerson has some speed, and he illustrated that at the combine with an electric 40 time. Nickerson looked fast and fluid in the field drills too. The 5-foot-10, 182-pounder fits as a slot cornerback competitor. As a senior, he totaled 55 tackles with eight breakups and six interceptions. Nickerson turned himself into a potential mid-round pick after his strong senior year and combine performance.
Dorance Armstrong, DE/OLB, Kansas Armstrong has gone under the radar throughout the pre-draft process. Playing on a terrible team can do that to a prospect, and Armstrong has fallen into that trap. However, teams have noticed him, and he illustrated that he is a smooth versatile athlete with his showing at the combine. Armstrong was fast, fluid, and natural in space at running the outside linebacker drills. In the NFL, Armstrong would be a great fit as a 3-4 outside linebacker, and he gave proof of that in Indianapolis. In the 2018 NFL Draft, Armstrong should be safe as a second-day pick.
D.J. Moore, WR, Maryland The 6-foot, 210-pound Moore had a strong combine workout and displayed an intriguing skill set with good speed and athleticism. He is a gritty receiver who is physical with cornerbacks and is a dangerous run-after-the-catch receiver. In the NFL, Moore could be a really good No. 2 receiver, and you can’t rule out that he will battle his way into being a team’s No. 1. In the 2018 NFL Draft, Moore looks like a second-day pick. Multiple teams tell me they are projecting Moore to the second round, and some think he could slip to the Round 3 but that he won’t last long if he gets there. Most likely, Moore ends up being a second-rounder.
R.J. McIntosh, DT, Nevada McIntosh is a bit of a love-hate prospect for the 2018 NFL Draft. Some teams are very high on him, while others are more lukewarm. McIntosh didn’t work out at the combine, but some teams feel he is one of the only natural three-techniques in the 2018 NFL Draft. As a result, he has been receiving second-day grades, according to multiple team sources. Some team sources that that McIntosh could end up going as a top-60 selection.
2018 NFL Draft Stock Down
Arden Key, OLB/DE, LSU In speaking with some team sources, it doesn’t sound like Key’s combine interviews were good enough to really help him. Key needed to interview really well given the serious off-the-field concerns that teams have about him. He also weighed in at less than 240 pounds, which is very light for an NFL edge defender. Team sources told me they would be very surprised if Key went in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. It sounds like Key will slide well into Day 2 and be this year’s Randy Gregory or Tim Williams.
J.C. Jackson, CB, Maryland Some teams that were very interested in Jackson have told me that they are down on him after the combine. Jackson ran well in the 40, but he checked in just below 5-foot-10. He was listed by Maryland as being 6-foot-1, and the lack of height changes the perception on what he could be in the NFL. On top of the skill-set concerns, Jackson has serious off-the-field issues, and it doesn’t sound like those were put to rest during his interviews.
Kameron Kelly, CB, San Diego State After a painful combine performance, there is more talk that Kelly should move to safety in the NFL. Some draft analysts had been projecting Kelly as a potential first-rounder, but speed questions surrounded Kelly, and they were given proof with a very slow 40 time of 4.66 seconds at the combine. Kelly’s time was slow for a safety and very bad for a corner. That could really hurt Kelly in the 2018 NFL Draft and cause some teams to downgrade him with a projected move to safety.
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