10 Standout NFL Draft Prospects from Smaller Programs

While NFL draft prospects from schools like Alabama and Ohio State are getting plenty of attention, there are a handful of guys from smaller programs starting to turn heads.

Draft season is now in full swing for almost every NFL franchise, and after months of scouting players from some elite programs, some scouting departments are starting to focus on some of the smaller schools to find some potential gems.

We’ve recently seen players from small schools like Khalil Mack out of Buffalo, T.Y. Hilton out of FIU and Carson Wentz out of North Dakota State starting to make big names for themselves out of smaller programs.

There are always a handful of players that start to generate buzz out of non-Power Five or FCS programs that wind up being solid contributors every year, so let’s take a look at some of the standouts in this year’s draft.

Switching positions from college to the NFL is never an easy task, but Temple’s Haason Reddick looked awfully number playing linebacker in the senior bowl last week after spending most of his time as a defensive end with the Owls.

Reddick was an extremely productive player for the Owls during his career, progressively becoming more and more involved on the defense. In 2016, Reddick was an unstoppable force, racking up 22.5 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks and three forced fumbles.

It was a smart move for Reddick switching to linebacker for the Senior Bowl, because he wasn’t likely going to find a home as a defensive end/edge rusher at just 6-foot-1 and 230 pounds. He’s got a really high motor and a nose for the ball, but what stood out the most for Reddick was how comfortable he looked dropping back into pass coverage.

Reddick isn’t going to be a first-round pick, and it’s going to take some time before he’s completely comfortable playing linebacker. However, the instincts and athleticism are there. If he can post some strong numbers at the NFL Scouting Combine, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him be a second or third-round selection.

This year’s class is absolutely stacked at the running back position thanks to players like Leonard Fournette, Dalvin Cook, Christian McCaffrey and countless others. A lot of guys at the top of my big board didn’t make the trip to Mobile, but Toledo’s Kareem Hunt made himself quite a bit of money at the Senior Bowl.

Hunt was named the North Most Outstanding Player at the Senior Bowl after running for 118 yards on only 15 carries. Those who followed Hunt’s career with the Rockets weren’t too surprised after he ran for 1,475 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2016.

The Toledo running back wasn’t phased going against tougher competition in the Senior Bowl. Some were surprised at his measurements at the Senior Bowl (just 5-foot-10 and 208 pounds), but Hunt definitely runs like an NFL running back.

The first thing that stands out when watching Hunt is his balance, shedding tacklers and staying upright through contact to pick up extra yards. He has average speed and isn’t particularly elusive, but Hunt is an aggressive downhill runner with a strong upper body to pick up yards after contact.

Hunt isn’t going to be a workhorse at the next level, but NFL teams looking for a rotational guy who can make plays all over the field could consider taking the Toledo prospect in the middle rounds.

It’s hard to stand out coming from an FCS program like Eastern Washington. However, Eagles wide receiver Cooper Kupp has been able to do exactly that, and scouts couldn’t get enough of him during the Senior Bowl.

Kupp came into Mobile after four straight seasons with at least 1,400 receiving yards, posting 428 receptions, 6,464 yards and 73 touchdowns over his college career. He showed off his soft hands and route-running ability during his time at the Senior Bowl, even making some of the defensive backs look silly with double moves like this one.

The Eastern Washington receiver comes in at 6-foot-2 and 198 pounds, which means that he’ll likely be a slot receiver in the NFL. That’s not the biggest problem, because he has terrific footwork and soft hands that will make him a productive receiver at the next level.

Not surprisingly, Kupp isn’t the best blocker, but scouts will love his toughness considering he played through the past season with a shoulder injury. Scouts are all over the place with Kupp, but keep an eye out for him being taken at any time in Round 2 or later.

In a potentially epic tight end class with guys like O.J. Howard, David Njoku, Jake Butt and Bucky Hodges, you wouldn’t expect a guy from South Alabama to be in that category of top-tier prospects. However, the Jaguars’ tight end has started to make plenty of noise as we approach late April.

Everett wasn’t the most productive tight end in college football this past season, catching 49 passes for 717 yards and four touchdowns. However, because of his athleticism and potential, some scouts like NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah think that Everett could be a first-round pick.

The upside is evident for Everett. He comes in at 6-foot-3 and 227 pounds while showcasing a nice combination of speed and acceleration. He doesn’t have the biggest hands, but Everett showed that he could make some tough catches during Senior Bowl practice.

Although scouts are high on Everett, he’s still a pretty raw prospect. He’s not the most technical player and his route running can be pretty sloppy. Personally, I think Everett is more of a third or fourth-round prospect, but I can definitely see why some think that he has Pro Bowl potential.

If Everett lands on the right team with an established quarterback, look for him to start making plays right away.

Villanova may be known predominantly for its basketball program, but the Wildcats have one of the most physically imposing draft prospects in this class this year. Just turn on any video of Tanoh Kpassagnon and you’ll immediately notice just how intimidating of an assignment he is for opposing offensive linemen.

Kpassagnon was a force to be reckoned with in the FCS this year. The defensive end was able to pick up 21.5 tackles for loss and 11 sacks in 12 games, consistently finding his way into the backfield.

At 6-foot-7 and 280 pounds, Kpassagnon has great size and length as a potential 4-3 defensive end or 3-4 edge rusher. His strong upper body and long arms allow him to manhandle would-be blockers, and he’s explosive enough that he’s more than capable of bending the edge.

The Villanova prospect was able to make some plays in the Senior Bowl, but he also showed that he’s still developing into a complete player. Despite his explosiveness, Kpassagnon struggles with outside containment and doesn’t always stick to his assignment.

Still, Kpassagnon is one of those prospects with ridiculous upside in the right defensive scheme, which will probably be a 4-3 defense. I don’t expect him to make an immediate impact, but he’s someone who could continue to develop in his first few years in the league.

Although Hunt was named the Most Outstanding Player at the Senior Bowl, perhaps no one helped their draft stock more during the game itself on Saturday than East Carolina wide receiver Zay Jones.

Jones finished the game with six catches for 68 yards and a touchdown, but he also had two really impressive catches in the end zone that were called back. This play was ruled incomplete, but replay showed that Jones was somehow able to get both feet in on a bad pass.

The Pirates receiver has been overlooked for years because of his size, but he came in at a respectable 6-foot-2 and 202 pounds. However, Jones plays like he’s an even bigger possession receiver thanks to his soft hands and ability to reel in 50-50 balls over defensive backs.

Jones isn’t fast or elusive, but he’s more than capable of creating separation thanks to some great footwork. Scouts will love his aggressiveness in run blocking, and his reliability when quarterbacks throw his way.

He won’t be in the same category as guys like Mike Williams and Corey Davis, but Jones has a real chance to be an early Day 2 prospect.

I’ve watched tape on a lot of players this season, but I only recently got to dive into the film on Youngstown State edge rusher Derek Rivers. He may be coming from an FCS program, but this guy is the real deal.

Rivers was an offensive tackle’s worst nightmare throughout his college career, coming away with 37.5 career sacks, including 14 in 2016. I spent Sunday night watching some tape on Rivers, and there were plenty of plays that stood out, including the one below (click on the tweet to see the entire thread of plays from Rivers).

The Youngstown State prospect is built like an NFL edge rusher at 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds. He has an explosive first step and does a great job of staying low to bend the edge. He has a powerful upper body and violent hands to bull rush or disengage, making him a difficult edge rusher to plan against.

While Rivers is relatively untested against elite competition and unproven in aspects like pass coverage, his tape really stands out. A solid Senior Bowl definitely helped his draft stock, and some impressive numbers at the Combine could be enough to push him into the fringe-Round 1 category.

Offensive linemen usually aren’t the most exciting prospects to watch, but guy who was getting a lot of attention heading into the Super Bowl was Western Kentucky’s Forrest Lamp. Unfortunately, an ankle injury at the first practice in Mobile kept him out for the rest of the week.

Scouts were excited to see Lamp going up against some legitimate future NFL talent, but we only got a brief glimpse at what the Hilltoppers prospect can bring at the next level. Lamp played tackle all four years at Western Kentucky, but scouts think that he could be an even better player at the next level he moves inside at guard.

Lamp has a solid frame at 6-foot-4 and 300 pounds, but the reason scouts think he should move inside is because of his shorter than ideal arm length. That doesn’t mean he’s not a competent offensive tackle. He’s got great footwork and balance to stay in front of pass rushers and has a nasty mentality in the trenches to open up rushing lanes.

It’s unfortunate that we didn’t get to see more of Lamp last week, but he’s still one of the few offensive linemen who has a chance at being selected in the first round. He’ll be competing with guys like Indiana’s Dan Feeney at offensive guard, but expectations are still high for the Hilltoppers prospect.

This year’s safety class has been highlighted by some big names like LSU’s Jamal Adams, Ohio State’s Malik Hooker and Michigan’s Jabrill Peppers. However, one player who is quickly working himself into the conversation with those other prospects is Connecticut’s Obi Melifonwu.

Melifonwu was all over the field as the Huskies’ defensive star this season. In 12 games, he was able to rack up 118 total tackles while adding four interceptions and three passes broken up.

At 6-foot-4 and 219 pounds, Melifonwu is significantly taller than most safety prospects, but he still moves surprisingly well in space. He’s a versatile safety who can play at the line of scrimmage or back deep in coverage. He does a great job of breaking downhill to make a play on the ball carrier and is a reliable tackler.

In all fairness, I haven’t watched enough of Melifonwu in coverage to know whether or not he can avoid getting beat deep. The biggest knock I’ve noticed is that although he makes plenty of tackles, he can struggle to shed blockers when engaged with them.

After a strong showing in the Senior Bowl, Melifonwu’s draft stock continues to soar. I currently have a Round 2 grade on him, but if he shines at the Scouting Combine, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him taken in the first round come late April.

When I spoke with BYU star Jamaal Williams back in November, I called him the nation’s most overlooked running back. A couple of months later, Williams is now generating enough buzz as one of the top players at his position in the draft.

Despite missing a handful of games this season, Williams was able to rush for 1,375 yards and 12 touchdowns while averaging 5.9 yards per carry. His time at BYU was a tumultuous one that involved injuries and a temporary dismissal from the team, but Williams finished strong and looked like a future NFL star.

Williams didn’t make any huge plays during the Senior Bowl itself, but he was awarded with the Practice Player of the Week award. He has nice size for a running back at 6-foot-0 and 211 pounds, and he should have plenty of time to keep adding muscle to his frame.

The BYU star is the perfect example of a power back. His vision is relatively inconsistent, but he’s an excellent north-south runner who has the ability to break off some huge plays.

Next: 2017 NFL Mock Draft

However, Williams’ best asset is that he keeps his feet moving and picks up plenty of yards after contact. As long as he can keep doing that at the next level, he’ll be a more than productive back wherever he goes.

Williams is currently my No. 3-ranked back behind Fournette and Cook, and I expect that ranking to stay put throughout the next few months.