This new section highlights which players have improved or worsened their 2014 NFL Draft stock as the draft approaches.
By Charlie Campbell.
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2014 NFL Draft Stock Up
Khalil Mack, OLB, Buffalo After a hot start to the season in a statement game against Ohio State, Mack has been steadfastly productive with splash plays on a weekly basis. Against Miami of Ohio, he exploded for three forced fumbles, three sacks and eight tackles. Mack has dominated a lower level of competition, but he showed in the season opener that he can make plays against anybody.
Mack is having a tremendous 2013 season with 82 tackles, 16.5 tackles for a loss, 10.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, six passes batted and three interceptions. The 6-foot-3, 248-pound senior has speed, power, instincts and explosion. In the NFL, he could fit as an outside linebacker in a 4-3 or 3-4 defense. Mack has shown that he is worth a top-20 selection in the 2014 NFL Draft.
Demarcus Lawrence, DE, Boise State In the second half of the season, Lawrence has gone on a tear. That continued with a huge game against San Diego State. He had two sacks, one forced fumble, one pass batted and six tackles. Boise State saw Lawrence get off to a slow start, but in the last six games, he has nine sacks.
Lawrence has 62 tackles, 18 tackles for a loss, 10.5 sacks and three forced fumbles this season. The 6-foot-3, 245-pounder is strong for his size, but he stand to get bigger for the NFL. Lawrence would probably fit best as a 3-4 outside linebacker. If the junior returns for 2014, fills out his frame and continues to produce, he could have a shot at the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft. If Lawrence enters the 2014 NFL Draft, he is probably a second-day pick.
Derek Carr, QB, Fresno State The prolific senior season from Carr had an exclamation point put on the season at Fresno State’s Senior Day when he threw for 527 yards and seven touchdowns on 27-of-37 completions. Carr got his day started by lofting in a beautiful 57-yard touchdown pass to Davante Adams. Carr repeatedly hit deep strikes down the field, including a 52-yard pass on the run and a 59-yard bomb to lead Adams into the end zone. Carr and Adams had a 39-yard touchdown on another deep post. Carr put on a passing clinic as it looked like he was playing against a high school team.
Carr has completed 68 percent of his passes this year for 3,948 yards with 39 touchdowns and four interceptions. There is no doubt that he has the arm, field vision and passing mechanics to be a starting quarterback in the NFL. Carr’s strong senior season has him moving up the quarterback rankings as a first-round pick.
Davante Adams, WR, Fresno State While Carr has received more attention, Adams deserves more acclaim for his monster season. On Saturday, New Mexico had no answer for Adams as he caught nine passes for 246 yards with four touchdowns. He used his speed to beat corners and safeties on deep posts. Adams also showed nice hands and concentration to make some over-the-shoulder catches with leaping defenders in his face.
The 6-foot-2, 212-pound Adams has a good combination of size and speed. He is extremely reliable for Carr and gets open via speed and route-running. In 2013, Adams has 100 receptions for 1,213 yards with 19 touchdowns. The redshirt sophomore could get first-round consideration if he enters the 2014 NFL Draft.
Carl Bradford, OLB, Arizona State Bradford continued his excellent season with a superb performance against UCLA. He helped open a lead for Arizona State with an instinctive play for a pick-six. Brett Hundley tried to throw a quick dump off to his back in the flat, but Bradford read the play and got his hands up to snatch the ball. He rumbled into the end zone from 19 yards out for that score. On the next possession, Bradford got to Hundley for a sack. Bradford had eight tackles with a sack and the pick six. He had a number of other pressures and was in on a few other sacks with teammates.
In 2013, Bradford has 44 tackles with 12 tackles for a loss, 6.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, four passes batted and an interception. The 6-foot-1, 241-pounder is a fast and physical player who could be a good fit as a 3-4 outside linebacker. If Bradford comes out early, he could be a second-day pick. However, Bradfprd may be better off returning for his senior year before going pro.
Ka’Deem Carey, RB, Arizona Thanks to a huge game from Carey, Arizona pulled off an upset over Oregon in a huge win for the Wildcats program. Carey ran for four touchdowns. His first score came when he powered his way into the end zone after breaking a tackle. Carey had a couple more short touchdown plunges and added a nine-yard score. He totaled 206 yards on 48 carries with his touchdowns.
The 5-foot-10, 196-pound Carey is a shifty back who has a real burst. Even though the junior is undersized, he can break tackles and pick up yards after contact. This is the second straight season that Carey has dominated the Pac-12. He has the running and receiving ability to be a three-down starter in the NFL. If Carey were bigger, he would be a definite first-round pick. Carey has some off-the-field concerns, but he could end up being an impact pick on the second day of the 2014 NFL Draft.
Timmy Jernigan, DT, Florida State Jernigan has steadily become more and more dominant throughout the 2013 season. Against Idaho on Saturday, he put up his best totals of six tackles with 4.5 tackles for a loss and 2.5 sacks. Jernigan has improved his pass-rushing skills this season and is getting steady pressure down the middle of the pocket. With the loss of Bjoern Werner and Tank Carradine, the Seminoles’ defensive line has been led by Jernigan.
Jernigan has 43 tackles with 10.5 tackles for a loss and 4.5 sacks this year. Scouts have told WalterFootball.com that Jernigan looks like a first-round pick in the back half. The 6-foot-2, 292-pounder is very quick off the snap and has the speed to close the pocket in a hurry. For the NFL, Jernigan would fit best as a three-technique defensive tackle in a 4-3 defense.
Morgan Moses, OT, Virginia Virginia has had a rough year, but Moses has finished his career in impressive fashion. On Saturday, he blocked well against Miami. Moses didn’t allow pass pressure and did his job in the ground game. In the fourth quarter, he did a nice job of passing off linemen to his guard to pick up a defensive back blitzing from the outside. It was an athletic and intelligent play by Moses. He was excellent in pass protection versus the Hurricanes and did well as a run-blocker.
The 6-foot-6, 325-pound Moses has a nice combination of size and athletic ability. For the NFL, he looks like a better fit at right tackle. Moses played right tackle prior to his senior year when Virginia had Oday Aboushi manning the blind side. Moses has had a strong enough season to warrant second-day or mid-round consideration.
Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa In 2013, Scherff has been one of the top tackles in the Big Ten. Iowa has produced a lot of good NFL prospects on the offensive line, and Scherff is the latest Hawkeye to be an early-round prospect. On Saturday, he had a strong showing against Michigan. To help put away the Wolverines, Scherff was an animal in the ground game. He rocked defensive linemen off the line of scrimmage and drove them downfield. Iowa went to a power running game to take the lead. Scherff followed that up with a nice block on a zone run to open up a cut-back lane. He wasn’t beaten for any sacks and won his assignments as a pass-protector.
Scherff could stand to improve his ability to sustain blocks and work on improving his feet for NFL speed-rushers. However, the 6-foot-5, 315-pounder could fit as a power-man or zone blocker. He is very good in the ground game. Scherff could have a better shot at being a first-round pick if he came back to school and improved as a senior. If Scherff enters the 2014 NFL Draft, he could be a second-day selection.
Honorable Mentions: Michigan left tackle Taylor Lewan, Iowa tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz, Arizona State defensive tackle Will Sutton and Kansas State wide receiver Tyler Locket.
2014 NFL Draft Stock Down
Deshazor Everett, CB, Texas A&M Everett had the opportunity to impress going against LSU’s passing attack, but instead the Tigers’ receivers took advantage of him. Throughout the game, LSU beat Everett with quick slant passes to Odell Beckham, Jr. From his own end zone, Mettenberger hit an out to Beckham to convert a third-and-16. That was a huge, clutch play for the contest. Beckham caught the ball a couple yards short and ran through a tackle by Everett to get the first down. Another quick slant to Beckham burned Everett for a 15-yard gain to convert another third down.
This performance will hurt Everett as he struggled to match up in coverage against Beckham and Landry. Everett did make a touchdown-saving tackle on a run of about 60 yards. He tracked down the back a couple yards short of the end zone. Still, Everett (6-0, 185) looks like a zone corner for the NFL, and he could probably use some senior-year refinement before going pro.
Dishonorable Mentions: Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel.
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