Top 15 NFL Draft Prospects In National Championship Game
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The first ever College Football Playoff National Championship Game will feature the Oregon Ducks and Ohio State Buckeyes. Both teams recruit extremely well and are loaded with talent. How does that talent translate to the NFL? Here are the 15 players who could be selected in the 2015 NFL Draft.
15. Curtis Grant (ILB-Ohio State)
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15. Curtis Grant (ILB-Ohio State)
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Coming out of high school, only Jadeveon Clowney was ranked higher by Rivals.com. At No. 2, Grant was ranked ahead of first-round picks Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Sammy Watkins and Odell Beckham, Jr. After an injury-plagued start to his college career, Grant has been impressive the past two years. The senior has a career-high 63 tackles this season for the Buckeyes, fifth most on the team. His potential is what will intrigue teams late in the draft.
14. Derrick Malone, Jr. (OLB-Oregon)
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14. Derrick Malone, Jr. (OLB-Oregon)
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Despite being considered an offensive team, the Ducks have NFL talent on all three levels of the defense. There's so much talent that Malone, last year's leading tackler, has been coming off the bench. Even though he lost his starting role, Malone is still second on the team with 81 tackles this year. He can play inside or outside linebacker but is a better fit on the outside in the NFL. Malone is a potential Day 3 pick.
13. Chris Carter (DT-Ohio State)
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13. Chris Carter (DT-Ohio State)
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Chris Carter has been stuck behind Michael Bennett and Adolphus Washington on the depth chart his entire career. The 6-foot-4, 339-pound DT certainly has the size NFL teams are looking for. If he declares for the 2015 NFL Draft, he has a chance to be drafted. If he stays in school, Carter would likely become a starter and would have a chance to elevate his stock. He's in line for a breakout 2015 campaign.
12. Erick Dargan (SS-Oregon)
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12. Erick Dargan (SS-Oregon)
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With Ifo Ekpre-Olomu unable to play, someone in the Oregon secondary had to step up against Florida State. That someone was Erick Dargan. The strong safety finished with eight tackles, a forced fumble and he was on the other end of Jameis Winston's only interception. He leads the Ducks in tackles and interceptions this season. He currently has a Round 6 grade.
11. Tony Washington, Jr. (OLB-Oregon)
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11. Tony Washington, Jr. (OLB-Oregon)
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On a play that will live on forever thanks to the Internet, Tony Washington picked up a Jameis Winston fumble and ran it back 58 yards for a touchdown. Washington has been around the ball a lot this season, as he leads the Ducks in both forced fumbles and fumble recoveries. His ability to rush the passer or play in coverage will help boost his draft stock. At this time, Washington has a Round 5 grade.
10. Devin Smith (WR-Ohio State)
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10. Devin Smith (WR-Ohio State)
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A three-year starter, Devin Smith has emerged has one of the best big-play receivers in the country. His 27.7 yards per catch are 3.5 yards more than any other WR in college football. He also leads all Ohio State receivers in yards and touchdowns. He isn't a great route-runner, but his speed and ability to stretch a defense downfield make Smith a fourth or fifth-round prospect.
9. Jeff Heuerman (TE-Ohio State)
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9. Jeff Heuerman (TE-Ohio State)
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Even with Minnesota's Maxx Williams declaring for the draft, the TE position is extremely weak. After Williams, we may have to wait until late in the third round before another TE comes off the board. Heuerman is currently the No. 5 TE on my board as Ohio State has gone away from him this season. After gaining 466 yards through the air in 2013, Heuerman has less than half that amount (207) in 2014.
8. Doran Grant (CB-Ohio State)
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8. Doran Grant (CB-Ohio State)
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Doran Grant is one of those corners who will get beat a couple times per game, but he rises to the occasion when the game is on the line. He gave up an early touchdown to Amari Cooper in the Sugar Bowl and allowed DeAndrew White to get behind him for a big play, but Grant tightened up his coverage of Cooper late. He has five interceptions on the year and leads the team in pass breakups and passes defended. He should be an early Day 3 pick.
7. DeForest Buckner (DE-Oregon)
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7. DeForest Buckner (DE-Oregon)
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Although Buckner is expected to return to school, he has the option of declaring for the 2015 draft. He's been overshadowed by fellow DE Arik Armstead, but Buckner may be the better pro. Listed at 6-foot-7 and 290 pounds, Buckner could become one of the top prospects in the 2016 draft. If he does declare this year, he can expect to be a third or fourth-round pick.
6. Hroniss Grasu (C-Oregon)
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6. Hroniss Grasu (C-Oregon)
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Despite playing with a nagging leg injury sustained in November, Grasu had a great game against the vaunted Florida State defensive line. The interior defenders Derrick Mitchell, Jr. and Eddie Goldman combined for one tackle in the Rose Bowl. Grasu is the No. 3 center on my board behind Cameron Erving of Florida State and Reese Dismukes of Auburn.
5. Jake Fisher (OT-Oregon)
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5. Jake Fisher (OT-Oregon)
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Like Grasu, Jake Fisher is an Oregon offensive lineman who has been playing through injuries this season. After losing Tyler Johnstone to a season-ending injury, Fisher was moved to the blindside. After suffering an injury in the third game of the season, Fisher would miss two games. In those two games, which included Oregon's only loss, Marcus Mariota was sacked 12 times. When Fisher returned against UCLA, the Ducks allowed zero sacks.
4. Arik Armstead (DE-Oregon)
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4. Arik Armstead (DE-Oregon)
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Arik Armstead is likely to be a popular choice when discussing boom-or-bust prospects in this draft. He has all the measureables and traits teams look for in a defensive end, but he doesn't always play up to his potential. Part of the reason could be lingering injuries, but whatever the real reason is, Armstead needs to play with more consistency. His 2.5 sacks this year is disappointing, especially since the Pac-12 isn't loaded with OT talent.
3. Ifo Ekpre-Olomu (CB-Oregon)
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3. Ifo Ekpre-Olomu (CB-Oregon)
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Ekpre-Olomu began this season as the No. 1 draft-eligible CB and was a considered a possible top 10 pick in the draft. He struggled in conference play this season and growing concerns over his size saw his stock plummet into Round 2. Now, after reportedly tearing his ACL in preparations for the Rose Bowl, his stock becomes a huge question mark. As the draft nears, we'll have a better idea of where he is at in his rehab.
2. Michael Bennett (DT-Ohio State)
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2. Michael Bennett (DT-Ohio State)
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While defensive tackles Danny Shelton of Washington and Malcom Brown of Texas were in the midst of breakout seasons, Michael Bennett was slowly dropping down the board. Then, as the stage grew, so did Bennett's production. In the Big Ten title game and Sugar Bowl, he accumulated 5.5 tackles for a loss, three sacks and two forced fumbles. With his stock on the rise, he should be a first-round lock with a strong performance against Oregon.
1. Marcus Mariota (QB-Oregon)
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1. Marcus Mariota (QB-Oregon)
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Marcus Mariota will be the top NFL prospect on the field in Arlington. His completion percentage is much better than it was last season, however the deep ball accuracy is still a concern. Against Florida State, Mariota was 1-for-5 with an interception on passes thrown more than 15 yards downfield. On passes thrown past the line of scrimmage, he only completed 60 percent. While he does have flaws, Mariota will be a top 10 pick in April's draft.
Shawn Spencer is an NFL Draft writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Spencer_NFL, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
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