The 2018-19 NFL season is officially over and the NFL combine begins Tuesday, which means it is finally draft season. Today I put together a list of the top 15 players I will have my eyes on during the week.
The Combine, which runs through March 3, will have live TV coverage on the NFL Network on March 1 and 2, with ABC also televising action on March 2.
1) QB Kyler Murray Oklahoma
This should come as no surprise that Kyler Murray is my No. 1 player to watch. He is an explosive, dynamic player who could change the way we view NFL starting QBs. The knock is his size, but his performance in Indianapolis can help alleviate those concerns. Up to this point, the biggest question about Murray was if he was fully committed to playing football fulltime instead of competing and playing professional baseball. He finally answered that question last week, and now it’s time for him to show that he is worth a 1st round pick.
2) Edge Rusher Josh Allen Kentucky
Allen is one of my favorite players in this year’s draft class. He has the ability to take over games. If you don’t believe me, go back to last season and find some video from the Wildcats’ game with Florida. Allen will use the combine to solidify his spot as a top-5 pick and will be a game changer at the next level.
3) WR Hakeem Butler Iowa State
I love Butler. He is an absolute playmaker, and he really showcased that last season at Iowa State. Butler has an unreal highlight tape, and has the ability to make amazing catches. And he is strong after the catch as well. He is a bigger receiver, so he won’t be a burner, but with his frame and production, he should be considered as one of the best in this year’s draft class.
4) DT Ed Oliver Houston
Yes Oliver is already a top-tier prospect, but with some off-the-field concerns, Oliver has been slipping on a few boards. Heading into the 2018 season, he was regarded as a can’t-miss player, but after a year of being double- and triple-teamed, an injury, and an incident with his head coach on the sidelines, some teams and draft analysts downgraded him. He needs to prove that he still is an elite player in this
year’s draft class.
5) WR DK Metcalf Ole Miss
If his neck injury checks, Metcalf might set records at the Combine for wide receivers, especially at the bench press. The guy is jacked, and if you add that to his speed and playmaking ability, he will be one heck of a player at the next level.
6) Safety Nassir Adderley Delaware
Another small school prospect, Adderley performed really well at the Senior Bowl, both in practice and in the game, after picking off Buffalo’s Tyree Jackson. The versatile Adderly is a guy who can be a ballhawk in the secondary, and can come down into the box and play a little nickel if needed. He could use a big week at the Combine to get on more teams’ radars.
7) QB Dwayne Haskins Ohio State
Like a lot of people, Haskins is my No. 1 QB prospect. If you are a big fan of the draft, you will have your eyes glued to the TV when he takes the field to throw the football. With Kyler Murray quietly creeping up,
Haskins will have to show NFL teams that he can be – and will be – a franchise player and is deserving of being the first QB selected in the draft.
8) WR Deebo Samuel South Carolina
Samuel was electric at the Senior Bowl. His footwork was off the chart, and his route running was far and away above any other receiver there. I’m interested to see what he can do for a little encore in Indianapolis, and if he is able to post some more good results, it will be really hard to keep
him outside the first round.
9) RB Josh Jacobs Alabama
Alabama had a few running backs last season that they used a lot, making sure no one had a huge workload. Last year Saquon Barkley was the clear cut No. 1 running back, but this year there isn’t any one standout. Jacobs performed really well down the stretch for Bama, as he ended the year with 11 touchdowns but only 640 yards. In three years at Alabama, Jacobs racked up just under 1,500 rushing yards and has limited tape, so I’m interested to see what he can put together at the Combine.
10) DT Khalen Saunders Western Illinois
One of the big story lines at the Senior Bowl was Khalen Saunders. Not only can he perform a complete back flip at 310 pounds, but he also had a kid while he was in Mobile. Saunders was good throughout the week of Senior Bowl practice, and then left a day before the game to go see his newborn. But he quickly came back to play in the game. He was a hit on social media, which put his name on NFL radars, and it made some scouts go back and watch some more of his tape. He could be selected early on Day 3.
11) RB Devin Singletary Florida Atlantic
After rushing for 4,287 yards in his three years at Florida Atlantic to go along with 66 touchdowns, it’s safe to say Singletary has had a very productive career. According to Pro Football Focus, he forced 96 missed tackles last season, proving he is one of the more elusive players in this entire draft class. He could use a good Combine to boost his draft stock, especially in a running back class that lacks
great depth.
12) OT Chuma Edoga USC
Edoga was a guy who came out of nowhere and performed surprisingly really well at the Senior Bowl. You could easily make a case for him being the best pass blocker or left tackle at the Senior Bowl. Edoga showed some inconsistencies at USC, and most scouts believed he would be a mid- to late-round draft pick, but again, after a good Senior Bowl week performance, there is talk that he could be an early Day 2 draft pick.
13) WR Keelan Doss UC Davis
Have to give some love to the small school prospects! Doss was very productive at UC Davis, finishing with 321 receptions, over 4,000 receiving yards and 28 touchdowns. Now it’s time for the big stage. He’ll have to prove he belongs there and he should be considered one of the top WR prospects in this draft class.
14) Edge Sutton Smith NIU
The former NIU Huskie has been one of the more productive and dominant pass rushers in the entire country over the past two seasons. Many believe Smith lacks the size and speed to play
defensive end at the next level, so he needs to have a really good Combine to prove them wrong.
15) QB Tyree Jackson Buffalo
Tyree Jackson is one of the more interesting players attending the Combine. We don’t see many QBs that stand at 6-foot-7 and 245 pounds. Jackson has a big time arm to go along with his huge frame. But whomever ends up selecting Jackson will have their work cut out for them because he does need time to sit, learn and develop before he can even be considered an NFL-caliber starter.
— Jordan Goethe, Sportsfan 1330