The NFL Draft won’t happen for another nine months, but with college football season right around the corner, the players who could litter the top of the draft board are preparing for the season which could either make them fabulously rich or force them to battle for a low-end roster spot for comparatively less money. Before a single game has been played in the 2016 college football season, here’s one early bird view of where the top five prospects stand.
Deshaun Watson
Clemson Tigers
There is probably some doubt about the other positions on this list, but the idea that Watson should be number one is going to meet with very little disagreement. Watson is a special player. He’s not just a Heisman Trophy frontrunner. He has already showed that he can come back from a bad injury (the one he suffered in 2014, which derailed that particular season). He has already showed that he can play well in big games. Clemson scored 37 in the College Football Playoff semifinals against Oklahoma and then 40 in a losing effort against Alabama in the national championship game. Watson has already showed that he can make big plays against a bad defense (North Carolina in the ACC Championship Game) and dominate. He has already showed that in the face of a strong defense (Florida State), he can avoid the big mistake and enable his defense to win the game. Watson can make just about every throw. He can run very swiftly and effectively. He’s a clutch player. There just isn’t much he does wrong. He’s a clear No. 1 pick.
Brad Kaaya
Miami Hurricanes
This feels like much more of a gamble, but keep in mind that Carson Wentz – not a high-profile player for a lot of college football fans who focus on Alabama and Clemson and the power conferences – went at No. 2 in this past spring’s draft. Kaaya could fill that role here. He does have the arm strength. The key is his decision making in the pocket. It’s realistic to keep him out of this top five, but the difference for Kaaya this year is going to be new head coach Mark Richt, an excellent teacher of quarterbacks. Having Richt is what will make Kaaya worthy of the No. 2 pick. He does have the natural talent; it’s just a matter of putting it together as a student of the game.
Myles Garrett
Texas A&M Aggies
The fierce Texas A&M pass rusher just doesn’t give up on plays. His skills and speed are overwhelming, but Garrett seems to have the attitude of a professional. He doesn’t get easily discouraged. He has a short memory and will follow a bad play with sustained effort and (eventually) a high-impact play for his team. Playing in the SEC, Garrett goes up against legitimately strong offensive tackles. He still wins those battles, and that should lead him to a very high place in the draft.
Leonard Fournette
LSU Tigers
Fournette might take a pounding, but he’s still going to be a bucking bronco of a running back for any defense who tries to tackle him. Fournette’s consistent ability to get yards after the first point of contact will earn him many vocal fans and advocates in the NFL. Although running backs had been a dropping commodity in recent NFL drafts, we saw what Todd Gurley did for the St. Louis Rams last year and we saw the Dallas Cowboys draft Ezekiel Elliott as a result. Fournette should too be a very sought-after prospect at the 2017 Draft. It is very hard to keep him out of the top five. He belongs here.
JuJu Smith-Schuster
USC Trojans
This is the wild card. Some cornerbacks and defensive linemen would easily make sense in this spot, but Smith-Schuster is the most impressive physical specimen among all the wide receivers in the 2017 draft class. Remember that USC is expected to be back on the map this year and they have an extremely challenging schedule. But if the Trojans can pass most of those tests and Smith-Schuster helps them in that process, shining against some of the best competition, he’s going to be a sure-fire top pick in the draft. Someone should find him too hard to pass up at No. 5.
