Welcome to NFL Draft Watch, a weekly feature recapping NFL prospect performances, looking ahead to must-see prospect matchups and sharing buzz from inside the scouting community.
Week 1 of the college football season gives NFL scouts a healthy plate of ranked matchups, including Clemson vs. Georgia, two of the most talent-rich programs in the country. The neutral-site game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Saturday night in Charlotte.
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Not only are they both teams ranked in the top five with legitimate playoff aspirations, but these programs consistently produce NFL-level players (they combined for 14 draft picks in this year’s draft). Here are the top-five draft-eligible NFL prospects to watch Saturday night for both squads.
(Note: These rankings do not include players not expected to play on Saturday like Georgia wide receiver George Pickens and safety Tykee Smith. An asterisk represents draft-eligible underclassmen. )
Clemson
1. *CB Andrew Booth Jr. (6-0, 193)
With only four starts on his resume, Booth is still developing his consistency and will get a chance to prove himself this fall as he moves from rotational player to full-time starter. Over his first two seasons, he flashed big-time ball skills and savvy timing with the ball in the air, using his length to disrupt passing windows. Booth has first-round traits with his athleticism, length and ability to find the football and make plays.
2. *WR Justyn Ross (6-4, 209)
Ross is one of the true wild cards among the draft-eligible prospects. He didn’t play last season due to a congenital fusion in his spine, but he was medically cleared and should be one of the ACC’s top receiving threats. However, his NFL projection remains in limbo because while he has early first-round talent, the long-term medical prognosis by NFL teams at the combine will determine where he is drafted. Regardless, it will be great just to see him back on the field again.
3. *OG Will Putnam (6-4, 303)
Putnam became a starter at right guard last season as a sophom*ore and earned All-ACC honors. The Ohio State film was rough, but he displayed NFL starting traits on several other tapes (Virginia, Miami, Boston College). Putnam might not be exceptional in any one area, but he has good size with the athleticism and strength to get the job done. With improved consistency as a second-year starter, he will continue to move up the guard rankings.
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4. *DT Tyler Davis (6-2, 295)
Entering his third season as a starter, Davis has been a dependable player on Clemson’s front. He is quick off the ball with the lateral agility to maneuver his way through gaps along the line. While he has strong hands and plays with leverage, Davis doesn’t have ideal length and lacks the explosive power desired at the position. Nonetheless, he is a quality pro prospect looking to cement his name as a top 100 prospect.
5. WLB Baylon Spector (6-1, 244)
James Skalski is a good college player and the more well-known Clemson linebacker, but Spector is the better NFL prospect. I have yet to find an NFL scout who disagrees. He led the Tigers in tackles last season with his blend of diagnose skills, pursuit range and toughness while also providing some blitz skills (team-best 4.5 sacks in 2020). His lack of length shows on tape, but so does his nose for the ball and closing skills.
Next five: Edge Xavier Thomas (6-2, 279); CB Sheridan Jones (6-0, 185); WR Joseph Ngata (6-3, 220); MLB James Skalski (6-0, 246); TE Braden Galloway (6-4, 241)
Georgia
1. Edge Adam Anderson (6-4, 226)
Anderson is a strong candidate to be a breakout star. He has above average get-off speed, length and flexibility, which helps him capture the corner and flatten to the quarterback. Anderson has only been a part-time rotational player (averaged 10 defensive snaps per game last season), but his production should increase with his workload, which would vault him up draft boards.
2. *FS Lewis Cine (6-1, 200)
An underrated member of the Bulldogs’ defense last season, Cine has explosive range and covers a lot of green to make plays vs. both the run and the pass. He can clean up some of his open-field tackling, but he is physical over the middle and sees the field well. Cine is one of the better underclassmen safety prospects.
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3. *MLB Nakobe Dean (6-0, 225)
Although undersized by NFL standards, Dean’s athleticism, toughness and instincts help mask his lack of inches. He is quick to key, read and flow with excellent speed in pursuit and the redirection skills to make up for a false step. Dean can be a productive three-down starter in the NFL.
4. NT Jordan Davis (6-6, 360)
A mountain of a man, Davis’s size and strength creates 10-car pile-ups in the middle of the line of scrimmage. He doesn’t offer much pass rush value and he can be better seeing through blocks to properly two-gap, but Davis has better movements than expected with the upper body strength to stack and toss blockers.
5. CB Derion Kendrick (6-0, 190)
A year ago at this time, Kendrick was entering his junior season at Clemson as a projected first-round pick. His season did not go as planned, culminating with his dismissal from the program due to off-field issues. Kendrick landed at Georgia where he is still the same player with twitchy athleticism and first-round talent, but he needs a strong senior year to be drafted as early as his talent suggests. The Bulldogs have to replace their top-four cornerbacks from a year ago and will be looking for Kendrick to be their cover man, starting with this match-up against his former friends and teammates.
Next five: QB JT Daniels (6-3, 210); RB Zamir White (6-0, 215); Edge Travon Walker (6-5, 275); DL Devonte Wyatt (6-3, 313); OT/G Jamaree Salyer (6-3, 340)
Three must-see NFL prospects this weekend
1. Daniel Faalele, OT, Minnesota (vs. Ohio State, 8 p.m. on Thursday)
Faalele is one of the more polarizing NFL prospects in this year’s senior class. The 380-pound tackle has received some big grades from scouts around the league. But other NFL evaluators don’t think he has the necessary athleticism for the next level, giving him Day 3 grades. Regardless, there is no questioning his uniqueness as an Australian native with only a few seasons of experience. At 6-foot-8, 380 pounds with 35-inch arms and 11 1/8-inch hands, Faalele moves with rare coordination for his exceptional size. How he fares vs. Ohio State’s deep bench of pass rushers, led by junior edge rusher Zach Harrison (6-6, 264) and senior edge rusher Tyreke Smith (6-4, 255), could move the needle of his draft projection.
2. Bubba Bolden, FS, Miami (vs. Alabama, 3:30 p.m. on Saturday)
A USC transfer, Bolden is a lithe athlete with range and an aggressive appetite. But his 2020 film was a collection of feast-or-famine plays that often resulted in points for the Hurricanes’ opponent when he made a mistake. Alabama returns only three starters on offense, including a first-year starter at quarterback, and has a new play-caller, leaving the Miami defense at a disadvantage in their preparations. It will be tough for Miami to pull the upset, but Bolden’s performance vs. the Crimson Tide will be put under a scouting microscope, specifically his in-game adjustments. He enters the season as a mid-round prospect trying to get into the top 100 conversation.
3. Ali Gaye, Edge, LSU (at UCLA, 8:30 p.m. on Saturday)
The LSU defense was uncharacteristically disjointed last season with a number of new names adjusting to a new scheme. The Tigers welcome a new defensive coordinator (Daronte Jones) again this season, but will stick with a 4-3 base specifically because of Gaye and the defensive ends returning to Baton Rouge. A native of Gambia, Gaye moved to the United States at the age of 12 and spent two seasons at the junior college level. He transferred to LSU last season and led the team with 9.5 tackles for loss, which put his name on the NFL map. Long, lean and explosive, Gaye has a terrific first step and when he is lined up against UCLA LT Sean Rhyan (6-5, 320), who ranked No. 25 on my top 50 preseason draft board, it will be appointment viewing for NFL scouts.
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Stat of the Week
UCLA junior RB Zach Charbonnet (6-1, 220) had a memorable debut with the Bruins on Saturday against Hawaii with 106 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns on only six carries. Along with his 17.7 yards per rush attempt, he added a 14-yard reception for 120 yards of total offense on seven touches. After 12 starts over two seasons at Michigan, Charbonnet, a native of southern California, sought out a fresh start on the west coast and transferred to UCLA this offseason. With an experienced senior at quarterback in Dorian Thompson Robinson, the Bruins have a talented passer who can create through the air. But coach Chip Kelly’s spread run design and the UCLA offensive line were humming vs. Hawaii, which could mean a big year for Charbonnet on the ground. Saturday’s contest against LSU will obviously be a much bigger test for the Bruins’ offense.
Prospect trending up…
Saturday night was a “money” game for Southern Utah redshirt senior LT Braxton Jones (6-5, 303) – how would the FCS prospect hold up vs. San Jose State’s talented rush attack led by Cade Hall and Viliami Fehoko? Not only did Jones hold his own, but he was one of the best players on the field. Neither Hall or Fehoko had much success when lined up against the left tackle, who showed off his impressive combination of foot quickness and length. It wasn’t all perfect as Jones found himself in trouble when his upright posture and lack of knee bend left him out-leveraged, but his efficient movement patterns and hand timing kept rushers from the pocket. He will be tested again on Thursday as Southern Utah heads to Tempe to face Arizona State. Several around the NFL think Jones could land in the top four rounds next April and his play on Saturday supports that projection.
On Saturday, #SouthernUtah LT Braxton Jones (#77) played like a prospect who wants to be drafted in the first 4 rounds in April.
Jones played really clean vs. SJST. Efficient movement patterns, used his length (34 7/8” arms). Another big test Thursday at Arizona State. pic.twitter.com/DnMACM43IK
— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) August 30, 2021
Prospect trending down…
Another former Wolverine, Illinois redshirt senior QB Brandon Peters (6-4, 230) needed to have a strong season to be considered a draftable prospect. Unfortunately for him, he was knocked out of the season opener in the first quarter with a left shoulder injury. It doesn’t appear to be a long-term issue, but the Illini offense appeared to take off when backup Artur Sitkowski entered the game. Peters tendency to hold the ball too long and his injury history are question marks that he wasn’t able to answer in the opener.
Scouting Lingo
“Reactive Athleticism”
Few would disagree that athleticism is almost always a non-negotiable requirement for the next level, but there are different types and varying degrees of athleticism when scouting a player. A term frequently used within NFL scouting reports is “reactive athleticism,” which describes a player’s reflexes and ability to mirror an opponent. This is used most frequently with defensive backs in man coverage or blockers at the line of scrimmage. Lower body quickness, hip flexibility and muscle twitch are important traits that contribute to a player’s reactive athleticism, but the mental side is just as important to anticipate and stay ahead of plays. With his click-and-close ability and football instincts, Green Bay Packers Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander displays outstanding reactive athleticism.
Rookie Revisited
Most assumed Cam Newton would open the season as the Patriots’ starting quarterback with first-round rookie QB Mac Jones (6-3, 217) getting his shot at some point. But with Newton’s release this week, Jones’ path to the field has been accelerated as he is now the unquestioned starter for Week 1 when New England hosts Miami. The former Alabama passer had an impressive preseason and showed enough for Bill Belichick to give him the keys a little earlier than expected.
Here is the summary from his scouting report in the 2021 NFL Draft Guide:
A one-year starter at Alabama, Jones was a prolific passer in former offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian’s spread scheme. After backing up Tua Tagovailoa in 2019, Jones won the starting job in 2020 and led Alabama to the national championship. He set a new NCAA single-season record for completion percentage (77.4 percent) and became the first player in school history to reach 4,500 passing yards in a season. Jones is an especially challenging evaluation because he played in a near-perfect situation in Tuscaloosa with an elite offensive line, running game, pass-catchers and play-calling, which makes it tough to evaluate him independent of his surroundings. However, he still had to make the reads and the throws and he displayed advanced-level poise and anticipation. Overall, Jones doesn’t have elite level mobility or arm strength, but he is good-enough in those areas and he is poised, hyper competitive and doesn’t make mistakes. He projects as a high-floor NFL starter.
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Quotable
“Best player you left off your top 50? (Henry) To’o To’o at Alabama. Awesome talent. Awesome leader. He’ll be in your top 50 by October.”
— NFL national scout on the Crimson Tide junior linebacker who transferred to Tuscaloosa from Tennessee in the offseason.
(Photo of Adam Anderson: David Rosenblum / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
