2019 NFL Draft: 10 players who could fall out of the first round

Jaylon Ferguson finished his Louisiana Tech career as the NCAA’s all-time sack champion thanks to a big performance in the Hawaii Bowl that lifted him to a career 45 sacks during his time in Ruston.

The knock on Ferguson is that he didn’t play against elite competition in the weak Conference-USA, although that would be ignoring that he always seemed to shine when his Bulldogs were up against power-five opponents.

There’s also some concern over whether he’s a bit too boom-or-bust. Does Ferguson have the ability to contribute even when he’s unable to affect the quarterback? Can he set the edge effectively to be a three-down player, or will he be relegated to a specialist role as a pass-rusher in obvious passing situations?

Some also wonder if his ceiling is high enough to warrant a first round selection. Ferguson is likely to be able to contribute right away as a rookie, but he might already be a finished product without a lot of room to grow into a more effective player.

His boom-or-bust ability was on display during Saturday’s Senior Bowl. Ferguson didn’t seem to make much of an impact until he got loose for a sack during the second half. That sack was due to great coverage down the field though as Ferguson didn’t blow past a tackle and into the backfield to pull the quarterback down.

A team looking for an immediate contributor at the next level might roll the dice on the Louisiana Tech product in the first round, while other teams might want to look more toward long-term potential over immediate value.