Ohio State Head Coach Urban Meyer confirmed suspicions that 2013 will be Bradley Roby’s last season as a Buckeye (Photo: waitingfornextyear.com)
DraftBrowns.com Staff Writer: Justin Higdon
Underclassmen have until January 15, 2014 to declare for the upcoming NFL Draft, but Ohio State Head Coach Urban Meyer didn’t hesitate to admit that cornerback Bradley Roby will be leaving for the NFL after this season. Roby, like South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, had never hidden the fact that his junior season would be his last. Unlike Clowney, Roby could have entered the draft last season but opted not to. And by summer time, if not sooner, he may have been regretting his choice. Roby began the season suspended after an off-season altercation with a Bloomington, Indiana bouncer, and has followed with a number of uneven performances. Still, Roby has tremendous athleticism and speed; and is a physical, aggressive cornerback. His natural talent and potential will keep him in the first round, or at least the top 40 picks.
Last season 11 cornerbacks left school early – more than any other defensive position. Six of those players were selected during the first two days of the draft. The year before, five of the six corners who declared were drafted in the first three rounds. Only Cliff Harris, who had a multitude of off-field red flags, missed the cut and went undrafted. The 2014 class of corners doesn’t quite stack up to the last two. Beyond Roby, Oregon’s Ifo Ekpre-Olomu is a likely first rounder, but he has not committed to leaving at the moment. The Florida duo of Loucheiz Purifoy and Marcus Roberson appear to be headed out the door, but Purifoy is raw, and Roberson has been suspended and injured over the last couple of weeks. Other junior corners like Damian Swann and Tim Scott have struggled and seem likely to stay in school. Cornerback had been a hot position for underclassmen, but this year’s crop is poised to cool things off.
Players who can get after the quarterback are always in high demand, but last season Barkevious Mingo, Jarvis Jones, and Bjoern Werner were the only pass rushing underclassmen selected in the first round. In fact, they were the only three selected in the first two rounds. Clowney highlights this year’s class, and while his numbers may not reflect it, he’s still a highly regarded prospect expected to be off the board within the top three or four picks. Clemson’s Vic Beasley has slowed after a lightning-fast start, but still has the look of a top 15-20 draft pick. Missouri junior Kony Ealy is an intriguing player who excels at batting down passes and has improved as a pass rusher. At 6’5” and 275 pounds, Ealy’s length, speed and leaping ability could send him soaring up draft boards. Boise State’s Demarcus Lawrence has racked up 19 sacks and forced seven fumbles over the past two seasons. He’s likely to at least test the waters. Oregon State’s Scott Crichton and Arizona State’s Carl Bradford are other potential early entries. Michigan State redshirt sophomore Shilique Calhoun has been generating buzz since a stellar showing against Michigan, but would probably benefit from a return to school.
Pass rushing interior linemen are always popular draft prospects, and South Carolina’s Kelcy Quarles and his family seem acutely aware. Quarles will leave a year of eligibility on the table and enter the 2014 draft. He has built on his solid sophomore season with seven sacks this year. Quarles was fairly quiet last week against Florida, but will have a few more chances to impress. LSU junior Anthony Johnson has the potential to be a force up the middle against the pass, but he lacks consistency. Still, LSU has seen a number of players leave early in recent years, so an early departure wouldn’t be a shock. Florida State’s Timmy Jernigan is another interior pressure player likely to test the waters after the season.
Notre Dame’s Louis Nix III looked like a player who could get to the quarterback as a sophomore last season, but a forgettable junior year has been cut short by a knee injury. He is four years out of high school and is set to graduate in December. Doing so would leave the door open for a Senior Bowl invitation, but his knee will almost certainly keep him off the field. Nix’s linemate, Stephon Tuitt sounded like he was committing to Notre Dame for one more season, but apparently hasn’t made up his mind one way of the other.
Redshirt sophomore defensive end Shawn Oakman has been gaining momentum in recent weeks. The 6’8” 285 pound lineman from Baylor hasn’t put up gaudy numbers, but his combination of size and athleticism will win some people over. Oakman also has a basketball background, which always seems to pique the interest of talent evaluators. However, he’s also found trouble as a collegian. After originally enrolling at Penn State, he was dismissed following a shoplifting incident at a campus convenience store. In discussing the matter, Oakman projects an apologetic tone, and sounds like a young man who has learned from his mistakes, but he will certainly be questioned about the circumstances surrounding his departure from Penn State. Oakman would benefit from returning to Baylor for at least another season to continue his positive development on and off the field.
An average of five college linebackers have left early over the past three years. UConn’s Yawin Smallwood is rumored to be making the jump after this season. The junior ‘backer has attracted attention from scouts despite playing for one of the worst teams in FBS football. Smallwood hasn’t shone as brightly as he did as a sophomore in 2012, but he is still highly regarded in scouting circles. Ohio State’s Ryan Shazier is another linebacker who is expected to depart for the NFL after the season. Shazier has been banged up and inconsistent at times, especially in pass coverage, but he has tallied 4.5 sacks among 7.5 tackles for loss in his last three games alone. He is a three year starter with an excellent overall track record who will get first round consideration despite overblown concerns about his size.
Alabama has seen its share of underclassmen depart during the Nick Saban era, and this year linebackers Adrian Hubbard and Trey DePriest could join senior C.J. Mosley in the 2014 class. Both Hubbard and DePriest showed up well in the Tide’s win over LSU a couple of weeks ago, and if they carry that momentum forward, could come of the board on the second day of the draft.
Western Kentucky linebacker Andrew Jackson has been a tackling machine throughout his college career. He’s a stout inside run-stopper but he lacks speed and is a somewhat one-dimensional prospect. He was recently suspended indefinitely for violating team rules, but the sanctions lasted just one week. Jackson won’t be an early pick, but he is four years out of high school so he may opt for the draft. Other linebackers who could forgo their final seasons of eligibility include Tennessee’s A.J. Johnson, Florida’s Ronald Powell, Miami’s Denzel Perryman, and Stanford’s A.J. Tarpley. Of that foursome, Johnson and Perryman are the most likely to leave.
Recent safety classes have left a lot to be desired, and only five of the 12 safeties who have left school early over the past three seasons have been drafted, and only two of seven over the past two seasons. This year’s consensus top safety, Alabama’s Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, is a junior, and probable first round pick. Stanford’s Ed Reynolds is expected to leave as well. Reynolds has demonstrated the ability to play the ball in the air and assist in run support, though after tallying six interceptions as a sophomore he has just one this season. He missed the 2011 season with a knee injury and is four years out of high school, so moving on after the season would be a logical choice.
The hottest safety in the country may be Louisville’s Calvin Pryor. The junior has drawn comparisons to 2013 darling Jonathan Cyprien and may ride that wave into the NFL, especially if his Head Coach Charlie Strong moves on to greener pastures. Pryor has seven interceptions, 14 pass breakups, and has forced eight fumbles in his three seasons with the Cardinals. That type of game-changing disruption makes defensive coordinators salivate. If he declares, Pryor could become a “high riser” once the media catches up to him.
Overall, the 2014 draft class is a more dazzling collection than its most recent predecessor. Another record-breaking influx of underclassmen will only sweeten the pot. By mid-January the full slate of early entrants will be known, and the top of the draft will truly begin to come into focus.
In case you missed it: 2014 NFL Draft Underclassman Watch: Offense