*Walt taking 2014 and 2018 |
Charlie Campbell, Senior Draft Analyst |
Sources Identify Three Small-school Sleepers
Updated Aug. 21, 2017By Charlie Campbell. Follow Charlie on Twitter @draftcampbell.
The 2018 NFL Draft process is well underway around the NFL as scouts hit fall practices around the nation. Teams start out with watchlists, and WalterFootball.com has identified a lot of the top prospects with some small-school sleepers who made a favorable impression on team evaluators last spring while those watchlists were being put together. In speaking with team sources, they identified three more sleepers who have stood out to them from watching fall practice. Those players are Tulane defensive end Ade Aruna, Southern cornerback Danny Johnson and Southeast Louisiana linebacker Sione Teuhema.
The 6-foot-4, 265-pound Aruna is said to run the 40-yard dash in the 4.65-4.75-second range, which is very fast for a defensive end. Aruna is only in his fifth year of organized football and is considered to be supremely raw. However, sources say that he is a fast, explosive athlete who is still harnessing his talent and learning the game. In 2016 as a junior, he totaled 43 tackles with 10 for a loss, five sacks and one forced fumble for the Green Wave. Sources say that the senior has the frame to hold 280 pounds and could be a 4-3 open-edge defensive end.
Johnson is said to be a 5-foot-9, 185-pounder who runs the 40 in the 4.35-4.45-second range, which is an extremely fast time. He isn’t just a fast sprinter; he led the FCS in interceptions last year with seven. Johnson also missed three games, so he ended up recording an interception in all but one game he played in. Johnson also chipped in 57 tackles with nine passes broken up. Scouts have favorably compared Johnson to other small-school cornerbacks like the Falcons’ Robert Alford and Jets’ Buster Skrine. Sources say that Johnson is further along at this stage than both Alford and Skrine were. These sources think that Johnson is a tough defender and built to be an NFL nickelback.
The 6-foot-4, 245-pound Teuhema is the older brother of Maea Teuhema, who was a standout guard for LSU before leaving the program this year. Sources say that Sione Teuhema played last season with an ACL injury and still showed explosiveness and athleticism. They think he could be an effective rusher as a Sam (strongside) linebacker in the NFL. In eight games last year, he had four sacks. Scouts are excited to see how Teuhema plays with better health and more experience this season.
