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It's three weeks from the start of the 2017 (April 27-29 in Philadelphia), and like with NFL teams, my board is starting to settle in. Pro days are winding down, which means most of the information has been gathered on the top prospects in the draft. I'll tweak this top 50 board one more time before the draft, but I don't suspect there will be a ton of movement. Here are my top 50 prospects in the 2017 draft, version 4.0: Last updated: April 5, 2017 Garrett has ideal size, length, and athleticism. In the pa sing game, he explodes out of his stance and can win with speed, power or hand moves. He can bend/wrap around the edge and he will also employ a nifty inside spin move. Against the run, he can stack and hold the point of attack but he's at his best slanting and penetrating. His production dipped this season because of an injury and constant double and triple teams. His motor can run a little hot and cold but he's forced to play a lot of snaps in the SEC. Overall, this is an elite talent with all-pro potential. Adams has ideal size, versatility, and explosivene s for the position. He lines up as both the high safety and in the box. Against the pa s, he is at his best roaming underneath or matching up in the slot. He can range and make plays from the deep middle, but he's more valuable closer to the line of scrimmage. He doesn't have a lot of ball production but he provides a physical presence and delivers huge hits on opposing pa s-catchers. He is at his best in run support. He is quick to key and explode to the alley. With outstanding range against the run, he makes a lot of plays from the opposite hash. He is a dynamic athlete, and I've been told his intangibles are off the charts. He will be a tone-setter for an NFL defense, and he's ready to play right away. Hooker is a tall, rangy safety prospect with incredible instincts. He usually lines up as the high safety and he has an uncanny ability to anticipate throws, drive on the ball, and finish. He is ultra-fluid in his change of Maurice Harkless Jersey direction and has the ability to match up with tight ends in man coverage. He has the best ball skills of any safety I've ever evaluated in college. He is also a threat to score every time he touches the ball. Against the run, he is quick to key, read and fill the alley. He does have some fly-by mi sed tackles, but overall he's reliable in this area. Hooker has the potential to be one of the league's best safeties very early in his NFL career. Fournette has an ideal combination of speed and power. As a runner, he is very aggre sive to pre s the line of scrimmage and is always thirsty for contact. With some runway, he is a load for any single tackler to get on the ground. He does need to improve his patience and he will mi s some backside opportunities on occasion. He is very effective in the open field because of his ability to lower himself and run over defenders or destroy them with a violent stiff arm. He rarely attempts to make anyone mi s, preferring to punish instead. In the pa sing game, he isn't a polished route runner but he catches the ball easy and he's really improved in pa s protection. He can locate blitzers, and is an effective shoulder thrower. Overall, evaluators will nitpick Fournette but he has a better overall skill set than Jamal Lewis did when he entered the NFL, and he can be a workhorse back immediately. Thomas has a very lean, muscular frame with the potential to add another 10-15 pounds. This is a fun player to study. He lines up inside and outside and he's extremely explosive. As a run defender, he can easily stack and hold the point of attack vs. single blocks but he will get washed down the line of scrimmage when double teamed. He is much better on the edge on run downs than he is playing inside. His lateral range is outstanding and his effort is tremendous. As a pa s rusher, he has an explosive first step, strong hands and the ability to bend/wrap around the edge. He generates a lot of pre sure but he does need to improve his ability to finish. He leaves some sacks on the field in almost every game viewed. Overall, Thomas could excel as a base end on run downs with the ability to kick inside and terrorize guards on pa sing downs. Allen has a thick, sturdy frame and the flexibility to play multiple positions along the defense front. He is a dominant run defender. He is quick to stack blockers before torqueing and to sing them to the ground. He finds the ball quickly and is an excellent tackler. He doesn't have elite lateral range but he makes a ton of plays inside the tackle box, and his effort is solid. As a pa s rusher, he has very strong, violent hands and he generates a lot of push with his bull rush. I don't think he will be a dominant pa s rusher at the next level but he can be disruptive and play on all three downs. Overall, this is a dominating run defender with the versatility to play inside and outside. Lattimore has average size but po se ses elite foot quickne s, agility, and awarene s. In pre s coverage, he is very patient and fluid to open up and mirror underneath. He can play a variety of techniques succe sfully. In off coverage, he is very aware and explosive to drive on balls in front of him. He does an excellent job of locating and playing the ball down the field. He is outstanding in run support. He fights through blocks and attacks the line of scrimmage. He is a very sure tackler in space. I love the way he competes. He has all of the tools to develop into a No. 1 cornerback at the next level. Howard has ideal size, speed and toughne s for the position. As a route runner, he is at his best on run-away routes. He uses his speed to create separation on seam routes, deep cro sers and flat routes. He isn't used much on option routes and he will need to develop a feel for working in zones and adjusting his route on the move. He has strong hands and a big catch radius. He uses his speed to run away from defenders after the catch and he's capable of taking underneath throws and turning them into big gains. I love the way he competes in the run game. He can set the edge on the front side and consistently reach and seal on the backside of the play. Overall, Howard is a complete player and he should be an integral part of an NFL offense very early in his career. Foster has slimmed down in the last year but still has ideal height and bulk for the position. This is one of the most explosive inside linebackers I've evaluated in the last five years. Against the run, he attacks the line of scrimmage. He uses his quickne s and hands to avoid traffic and get to the ball carrier. His lateral range is off the charts and he arrives with bad intentions. He can uncoil his hips on contact, and he delivered splatter-shot tackles in every game I viewed. In pa s coverage, he has the speed and agility to line up and mirror tight ends and running backs. He has average instincts in zone coverage. Overall, this is a difference-making linebacker capable of earning recognition very early in his career. Davis has ideal height-weight-play speed for the position. He lines up inside and outside, and he's a very polished and precise route runner. He powers through pre s coverage and does a nice job of changing speeds and creating separation down the field. He attacks the football in the air with very strong hands and he's nifty after the catch. He doesn't have elite speed but he's plenty fast. Overall, Davis is an excellent player with both a high floor and a high ceiling. With power-forward size and strength, Williams dominated on every tape I studied. He uses his upper-body strength to power through pre s coverage, and he effectively shields off opponents on slant and vertical routes. He isn't a refined route runner but he doesn't need to create much separation to make plays. He simply overpowers defensive backs when the ball is in the air. He does have some concentration drops but those are offset by incredible diving catches and acrobatic adjustments down the field. He is a load to bring down after the catch and he's shown the ability to drag defenders into the end zone (see South Carolina game). Overall, his combination of size, physicality, and nasty temperament is unique. He should be a true No. 1 receiver very early in his NFL career. Njoku has a long, muscular frame and outstanding athleticism for the position. He primarily lines up flexed in the slot or split out wide. He has outstanding speed to get down the seam and he does a lot of damage on quick-hit and tunnel screens. He's not a refined route runner, but instead gets by with pure agility and speed. He has strong hands to reach and pluck the ball away from his frame but he does allow some balls to get into his body and ricochet off him. After the catch, he has an explosive burst and he breaks a lot of tackles. In the run game, he's a work in progre s. He gets in the way to shield and wall off, but he needs to get stronger and more physical Dick Barnett Jersey |
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发表于 2026-8-5 17:18:21