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Draft Notes: Mixon, Tight Ends, Giants

February 4th, 2017 at 9:04am CST by Ben Levine

A pair of notable college players will not be showcasing their talents at the NFL scouting combine. ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan reports that Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon and Baylor wide receiver Ishmael Zamora were not invited to the event.

Both players have had their share of issues. Mixon was suspended for the entire 2014 season after having punched a woman, while Zamora was suspended three games this past season after videos emerged of him beating his dog. The ESPN report indicates that it’s uncertain whether these “off-the-field troubles were factors in their omission” from the combine.

The Sooners running back finished the 2016 campaign with 1,274 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns on only 187 carries. ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. believes Mixon is among the top-five most-talented running backs in this year’s class (behind Leonard Fournette, Dalvin Cook, D’Onta Foreman and Christian McCaffrey). Meanwhile, Zamora appeared in 10 games this past season, compiling 63 catches for 809 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Let’s take a look at some more draft notes…

A trio of University of Washington defensive backs are garnering plenty of interest from NFL teams. Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.com writes that Budda Baker, Sidney Jones and Kevin King have been intriguing front offices. Jones is generally regarded to be one of the top cornerbacks in the draft, while Baker is projected to be taken outside of the first round.
USC wideout Adoree Jackson is a “lock” to be a first-round pick, writes Pauline. His teammate, offensive tackle Zach Banner, is projected to be drafted in the fourth round.
While many scouts believe Alabama’s O.J. Howard is the best tight end in the class, Pauline writes that South Alabama’s Gerald Everett isn’t far behind. The talented playmaker impressed coaches at the Senior Bowl, and Pauline notes that he’s currently the top tight end on the Giants‘ draft board.
One prospect who didn’t look good during the Senior Bowl was Troy offensive tackle Antonio Garcia, with one scout comparing him to “a deer in headlights.” Pauline notes that the lineman looked unsure of himself during team practices.

Pauline’s Latest: Gators, Ramczyk, Garcia

December 28th, 2016 at 6:39pm CST by Sam Robinson

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.

Draft Notes: Mixon, Trubisky, Fournette

December 21st, 2016 at 3:04pm CST by Zachary Links

Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon was/is thinking about entering the 2017 draft, but since the video of him striking a woman has been released, GMs around the league have told people close to him that he won’t get drafted, Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.com writes. Beyond that, they say there’s even a chance he won’t be signed as a free agent and he may not even get a combine invite if he declares. At this point, Pauline says he should return to OU – if that’s even an option for him.

Just two weeks ago, Matt Miller of Bleacher Report heard that teams were “softening” on Mixon and the first round was still in reach for him. Apparently, teams are changing their tune after viewing the video.

Here’s a look at the latest draft news:

In a weak quarterback class, UNC’s Mitch Trubisky is the only first round lock, Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (video link) hears. That means other QBs like Clemson’s Deshaun Watson and Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer could slide to Day 2. Some scouts are saying that this is the worst crop of quarterbacks since the 2013 draft.
Running back Leonard Fournette announced (Twitter link) that he has signed on with Roc Nation for representation. The Jay-Z branded agency has been steadily gaining ground in the NFL and the LSU star is their latest big get. Fournette declared for the draft earlier this month and started a minor controversy when he announced that he will be skipping LSU’s bowl game in order to protect his injured ankle. Fournette is widely projected to be a top ten pick this year and two anonymous evaluators recently opined that he is a better talent than Todd Gurley.
Antonio Garcia of Troy and Martinas Rankin of Mississippi State are two offensive tackles to watch in this year’s draft, Pauline writes. Several teams grade Garcia as one of the top three tackles in this year’s class, with one team believing he’s the best tackle from the senior group. Rankin, meanwhile, still has a year of eligibility, but teams feel that he’ll be a Top 75 pick if he declares. So far this year, he has lined up against seven potential top 75 prospects and he allowed only 1.5 sacks.