2016 NFL Draft: College Football Game Recaps – Week 2

This section breaks down many college football games each week and highlights how 2016 NFL Draft Prospects have performed. Or look at the 2016 NFL Draft Stock page (link coming soon).

By Charlie Campbell.
Send Charlie an e-mail here: [email protected]
Follow Charlie on Twitter @draftcampbell for updates.

Michigan State 31, Oregon 28

Michigan State senior quarterback Connor Cook is in the running to be the top quarterback for the 2016 NFL Draft. Last year, he was impressive in a losing effort to Oregon. The story with Cook is he makes some brilliant throws, but will be inaccurate on routine passes. That was the case in 2014 and in Week 1 of this season. Against Oregon, Cook had stretches where was sharper and more accurate.

On his first pass of the game, Cook threw a 12-yard touchdown on a nice pass to lead his tight end Josiah Price to the corner of the end zone. Shortly later, Cook threw his second touchdown when he hit a receiver in stride on a slant.

Cook was sharp until late in the second quarter. He threw a ball up for grabs in the deep middle and was fortunate it wasn’t intercepted. The next play, Cook stared down a receiver and overthrew him to have the pass picked off by a safety.

In the third quarter, Cook bounced back to make a brilliant throw to a receiver along the sideline in a tight window. The gain came on fourth-and-6 and set up the Spartans for a short touchdown run on the next play. Cook completed 20-of-32 passes for 192 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.

Cook didn’t finish the game in very impressive fashion, but overall, this was a step in the right direction. He made some money throws and had the field vision to work through progressions. Cook has the skill set to be an NFL starter but he needs development and probably should be viewed as more of a game-manager than constant big-play generator as a pro.

There was the potential for a good draft matchup at the point of attack between Spartans left tackle Jack Conklin going against Oregon defensive end DeForest Buckner. They didn’t go against each other much, unfortunately. Early in the game, Buckner got cleared out of his gap to allow a big run when he was bump blocked by Conklin and a tight end. Conklin engaged Buckner high and the tight end cracked down on his hip to open the hole. Other than that play, Buckner was generally sound at holding his gap.

Buckner had some nice plays in the ground game throughout the evening. He had a tackle for a loss when he fired through the line to clean up a run play. He held his ground to stuff a run and also made some tackles in pursuit. In the pass rush, Buckner didn’t make his presence felt, but Oregon’s scheme has held back its edge rushers for years (see Dion Jordan, Arik Armstead). Buckner’s draft stock as a first- or second-rounder shouldn’t be impacted significantly by this tape.

Overall, this was a good tape from Conklin, as he protected his quarterback well and contributed to the ground game.

Another potential matchup of NFL players was Spartans defensive end Shilique Calhoun taking on Oregon tackle Tyler Johnstone. In the first quarter Calhoun beat the right tackle by swimming to the inside and getting to the quarterback on a coverage sack.

Throughout the game, Calhoun was playing a solid game in run defense and the pass rush. He had some run plays where Oregon was able to block him, but overall, Calhoun was doing well. The Spartans also had Calhoun playing containment with Vernon Adams being a mobile quarterback, so that hurt his pass-rush opportunities.

It was clear that Johnstone needs to add power for the NFL. He got away with multiple holds on bull rushes from the outside. Late in the fourth quarter, he got called for a hold that was unnecessary and that negated a touchdown run. Overall, Johnstone did well with blocks on the move, but he doesn’t pack a real punch for the NFL. His style of play is suited to be quick and athletic for the Ducks’ up-tempo offense. He is similar to former teammate Jake Fisher, a second-round pick of the Bengals. Johnstone is of the same mold, but I think he will grade out behind Fisher.

Oklahoma 31, Tennessee 24 (2OT)

There was the potential for a good draft matchup with Tennessee junior cornerback Cameron Sutton going against Oklahoma senior wide receiver Sterling Shepard. However, throughout the game, Oklahoma avoided Sutton and targeted other defensive backs.

There were only three plays of consequence thrown at Sutton. The first saw Sutton beaten on a slant to convert a third down in the first half. On a third down in the third quarter, Sutton batted a pass away to force a punt. He could have been called for a pass interference, but it would have been ticky-tack. In overtime, he had tight coverage on a slant in the end zone to help force an incompletion. Thus, this game shouldn’t have a serious impact on Sutton’s draft stock.

Shepard was quiet for a lot of this game as well, but he came up huge in crunch time. Late in the fourth quarter, Shepard made a great hands catch to give Oklahoma a critical third down. To finish the drive on third-and-goal, Shepard made a tremendous catch falling to his back on a fade pass. It was a great play with only 40 seconds remaining to force overtimes. Shepard then caught a cross and darted ahead for a gain of almost 20 yards to the six-yard line. That set up a touchdown.

In the second overtime, Shepard had his cornerback fall down and he got wide open along the sideline. He leapt over a tackler at the five, kept his feet in bounds while getting hit, and then dived into the end zone with an 18-yard score. Shepard totaled 74 yards on seven receptions with two huge touchdowns. This game showed how Shepard is a weapon as a slot receiver for the NFL, and it definitely will send his draft stock up.

Oklahoma junior cornerback Zack Sanchez had a game similar to Sutton until overtime. Sanchez missed a tackle on a wide receiver screen; he had a pressure on a blitz to cause an incompletion, and had close coverage overall. In the second overtime, Sanchez undercut a lofted pass and picked it off to clinch the comeback win for Oklahoma. It was a nice play from Sanchez and turned his night into a net positive for his draft grade.

Oklahoma outside linebacker Eric Striker had talked some trash about Tennessee and the SEC leading up to the game, but his play didn’t match his talk. Striker was virtually a non-factor. He had some missed tackles and struggled to get off blocks in the run and pass game. He did have a tackle for a loss on Josh Dobbs on an option run. Late in the third quarter, Striker rushed to the inside, and when the right tackle peeled off for a blitzer, Striker closed on the quarterback to get a sack. It was more of mistake by the blocker than a good play by Striker.

Overall, Striker looks like a tweener for a 3-4 or 4-3 defense. He has the size for outside linebacker in the latter, but his style of play is better suited for rush linebacker in the former. However he’s undersized for a 3-4. Right now, I think Striker will end up being a mid-rounder.

Tennessee linebacker/edge rusher Curt Maggitt is a potential early-round pick, but he didn’t get much of an opportunity to show what he can do against Oklahoma. He had a tackle for a loss before going into the locker room in the second quarter after suffering some kind of injury while on special teams. He did not return to the game.

Notre Dame 34, Virginia 27

One of the top inside linebackers in the nation and a potential first-round pick is Irish captain Jaylon Smith. Smith had a strong performance that illustrated why he’s held in such high regard. It may not have started well though, as Smith held a tight end and was late peeling off to cover another tight end in the front of the end zone for a short touchdown pass. However, it may not have been Smith’s assignment, so it is hard to knock him for that play.

It got better in the second half; Smith destroyed a screen pass for a loss on a critical third down play. It helped set up Notre Dame with good field position. He did it again, snuffing out a swing pass behind the line of scrimmage.

There is no doubt that Smith is a starting NFL linebacker. He is sound enough in coverage to play in zone and moves well in space. He is very good on getting to perimeter runs with impressive closing speed. His serious burst makes him very good in pursuit. He also hits hard and has some physicality to him. Smith could stand to improve at holding his ground and shedding blocks that come straight at him, but that is normal for college players heading to the NFL. This tape shows that Smith looks worthy of a first-round pick.

Another early-round talent on the Notre Dame defense is defensive lineman Sheldon Day. The end/tackle started the year strong against Texas in Week 1 and continued that by being very active against Virginia. Day was consistently causing disruption at the point of attack. In the third quarter, Day showed some ridiculous explosion as he blew by the right tackle to rock the back for a loss of three. Day seemed to get slowed down late, but Notre Dame also curiously dropped him in coverage on a number of plays. Overall, this tape will help Day’s draft grade.

Notre Dame cornerback KeiVarae Russell had a mixed outing. In the second quarter, Virginia set up in the Wildcat, after flipping it to a receiver on an end around, he pitched the ball back to the quarterback who threw a great pass for a 42-yard touchdown. Russell got caught looking at the run and the receiver ran right by him to get wide open for the score.

After halftime, Russell missed a tackle coming over in zone on a receiver and that allowed him to get a few more yards to covert a third down. Russell was then thrown at, but he had blanket coverage and it flew incomplete. On the next drive, he allowed a deep cross for a gain of about 20 yards. Russell then came back to make a blind-side strip-sack that was recovered by Notre Dame for a huge turnover in a five-point game, but shortly later, Russell was beaten for another chunk completion.

Overall, this tape will hurt Russell’s draft grade. He looked more like a second-day corner with a nice skill set and some coverage flaws rather than a first-rounder.

Notre Dame has two senior offensive linemen for the NFL. Left tackle Ronnie Stanley is a potential high first-rounder and center Zack Martin could be a second-day prospect. Martin and Stanley were steady in pass protection, but they weren’t exactly blowing guys off the ball in the ground game. Martin got pushed around on some plays, and he could use more strength for the NFL.

It wouldn’t hurt Stanley to add some functional strength for the NFL. That being said, he has the quick feet, length and agility to be a starting blind-side protector in the NFL. That was evident against Virginia.

Penn State 27, Buffalo 14

A week ago, Penn State junior quarterback Christian Hackenberg played like garbage in an upset by Temple. To help Hackenberg get righted against Buffalo, James Franklin called a lot of run plays and moved the pocket to lessen the pass rush. The game was also played under a steady rain, and the wet ball caused some hiccups for Hackenberg and his receivers.

In the first half, Hackenberg didn’t get into a groove. He converted a third-and-6 while taking a hit from blitzers and making an accurate throw. However, in the third quarter, Hackenberg made a beautiful touch pass down the sideline that led his tight end Mike Gesicki perfectly, but he dropped the pass. Hackenberg came back to make another completion along the sideline to extend the drive. A few plays later, Gesicki dropped another easy catch and potential touchdown on the goal line. Penn State had to settle for a field goal.

Hackenberg later had a short touchdown pass on a bubble screen. He threw a perfect deep ball that bounced off his receiver’s chest. The wideout was trying to make a one-handed catch because the cornerback held his other arm. Finally, Hackenberg was rewarded when he lofted a well-thrown pass downfield. His receiver Chris Godwin was blanketed, but he stretched out to make a 38-yard reception inside the 10.

Overall, Hackenberg’s performance was significantly improved from a week ago. He threw some duds, but also made some beautiful touch passes downfield. Hackenberg still has a ways to go to improve his accuracy and precision on some throws, but if his receivers didn’t drop so many balls, his numbers would look better. Hackenberg completed 14-of-27 passes for 128 yards with a score and no interceptions. This was a step in the right direction for Hackenberg.

Two draft prospects who really stood out were Penn State defensive tackle Anthony Zettel and defensive end Carl Nassib. Zettel caused a lot of disruption at the point of attack and was consistently bull rushing his blockers into the backfield.

In the second quarter, Zettel charged into the backfield on a screen pass and deflected the pass in the air. Nassib came down with the ball for an interception.

This was a career game for Nassib, as he was utterly unstoppable. Nassib was getting a ton of pressure on the quarterback all game. He had one sack early on, and in the final minute of the game he had a strip-sack when he drilled quarterback Joe Licata. On the next play, Nassib burned the right tackle again to slap the ball out of Licata’s hands and log strip-sacks on back-to-back plays.

The 6-foot-7, 272-pound Nassib had a phenomenal game to send a jolt into his draft stock. Nassib could be a base end in a 4-3 defense or a five-technique defensive end in a 3-4 set. This was an incredible game for him and really helps his draft grade.

Florida State 34, South Florida 14

Sources said that in the preseason, Florida State junior defensive back Jalen Ramsey looked better as a safety in 2014 than he did in training camp practices as a cornerback. South Florida’s wide receivers didn’t give Ramsey a difficult test, and he still made his presence felt for the Seminoles.

It didn’t start well, as Ramsey received a penalty for an illegal block in the back on a punt return. However, Ramsey was then challenged on a go route in the second quarter, but he ran stride-for-stride with the receiver. Ramsey dived and broke up the pass while almost snatching it for an interception. After halftime, Ramsey had a nice kick return past midfield to set up the anemic Florida State offense.

In the fourth quarter, Ramsey got lax in his coverage and was almost beaten for a deep completion, but the receiver dropped the pass. Overall, this game was a solid performance by Ramsey, but it doesn’t show that he is as good at corner as he is at safety.

Prior to the game, I reached out to sources for suggestions on South Florida draft prospects to watch. There were a few names they provided, and the one who stood out against the Seminoles was South Florida defensive end Eric Lee. He made a number of good plays in the ground game and was one of the few Bulls defenders who held his own against the rushing attack led by sophomore Dalvin Cook.

Lee had a number of nice plays, including one where he shed a block by a tight end to tackle Cook for no gain. On the next play, Lee held up against the initial push from left tackle, fought back to the line, and stuffed a quarterback draw. He made a few other tackles and had some decent pass rushes. Lee looks like a draftable day-three prospect.

Florida State quarterback Everett Golson was awful in the first half and looked like he belonged on the bench. He played better in the second half, but Golson clearly looks like a late-round or undrafted free agent-caliber prospect.

Western Kentucky 41, Louisiana Tech 38

Louisiana Tech has produced some NFL prospects in recent years, and they have another one in running back Kenneth Dixon. As a junior, he ran for 1,299 yards and 22 touchdowns with 30 receptions for 385 yards and six touchdowns. For most of the first half, Western Kentucky was successful at bottling up Dixon, but he was able to get going in the middle of the second quarter. He finally had a good hole on a draw and burst into the secondary. Dixon weaved his way through the defenders and showed nice elusiveness in the open field on a 27-yard scamper. On the next snap, Dixon came through the hole and was hit at the 5-yard line. He kept his legs churning and pushed way to the goal line to fall into the end zone.

By halftime, Dixon had 47 yards on nine carries with four receptions for 37 yards. He also had a nice block in blitz protection to bail out his right tackle, who was beat on the play.

Early in the third quarter, Dixon was hit hard by a safety, and the ball flew out. Western Kentucky recovered the fumble. Dixon, however, bounced back with a 49-yard run where he once again was elusive in the open field. He also used vision and patience to set up blocks. A few plays later, Dixon plunged into the end zone from the 1-yard line. Dixon totaled 149 yards on 22 carries with two touchdowns and a fumble. As a receiver, he hauled in five passes for 41 yards.

For the NFL, Dixon (5-10, 213) looks best as a change-of-pace back. His listed numbers could be inflated. He doesn’t look like he has real power to break a lot of tackles against NFL defensive linemen and linebackers. He runs tough, but he won’t be running over defenders left and right. Dixon is a shifty back with quickness. He looks like a mid-round caliber player that would be best as a third-down back. Dixon has nice hands and blocking potential to handle duties in the passing game.

Florida transfer Jeff Driskel looked better quarterbacking Louisiana Tech than he did the Gators, but the drop in competition played a big part. Driskel had solid numbers versus Western Kentucky, but he still had issues with accuracy, decision-making, and ball security.

No joke, a color analyst in this game said that Driskel was as good as any college quarterback in the nation. Aside from that ridiculous statement, Driskel has a pro skill set with size, arm and athleticism, but he looks like an undrafted free agent because he doesn’t play up to his potential.