A year after seeing Vernon Hargreaves III warrant early selection in the first round, Florida could see two of its corners go off the draft board during the Thursday-night portion of this year’s broadcast. But the corner most have going first isn’t necessarily the one NFL scouts have with the highest ceiling, DraftAnalyst.com’s Tony Pauline reports.
Jalen Tabor is projected to go in the first round, but Quincy Wilson is drawing praise for his blend of size and ball skills, per Pauline, who adds that many in scouting community believe Wilson is the most underrated cornerback in the country. Those scouts believe he could be the second Gator corner selected in the first round next year.
The 6-foot-1 junior intercepted three passes this season and now has six in his career. Like the 6-foot Tabor (three INTs, eight in his three-year Gators run), Wilson is expected to forego his senior season and declare for the 2017 draft.
Here’s more from the draft expert as bowl season heats up.
- Projected as a first-round pick, junior Wisconsin tackle Ryan Ramczyk has seen an injury affect his potential NFL path. The former Division III transfer will meet with doctors after the season to discuss options for a hip labrum issue with which he’s dealing. Pauline reports the talented edge blocker — whom ESPN.com’s Todd McShay ranks as his No. 21 overall prospect for this draft — will give strong consideration to entering the draft if it’s determined he will heal by the minicamp portion of the NFL offseason.
- Boston College pass-rusher Harold Landry put together a monster season with 16.5 sacks — 13 more than his two previous years combined — and teammates expect the junior to declare for the draft, Pauline notes. He has Landry graded as a Day 2 selection.
- Troy has not seen one of its players drafted since 2012, when the Falcons took defensive back Jonathan Massaquoi in the sixth round. But Pauline expects Trojans tackle Antonio Garcia to halt that drought at five years and be a surefire second-day draft choice. His Dollar General Bowl performance gave scouts the impression the 6-foot-7 senior could rise as high as Round 1 with a solid Senior Bowl showing. Troy has not seen a player go in the first round since Leodis McKelvin in 2008.
- BYU moved Harvey Langi from defensive end to middle linebacker in advance of the Cougars’ bowl game, and the senior racked up a game-high 16 tackles in the team’s 24-21 win over Wyoming in the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl. Pauline notes the position change could trigger a late invite to the Senior Bowl, and Langi could rise to a middle-round selection with quality pre-draft workouts. He finished his final season in Provo, Utah, with just two sacks as an edge defender.