SEC players with high NFL upside
Big-name players like Laremy Tunsil, Laquon Treadwell, Vernon Hargreaves and Reggie Ragland are sure first-round picks in the upcoming NFL Draft, April 28-30. Standouts like Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry, and top talents the likes of Hunter Henry, A’Shawn Robinson, Leonard Floyd, Shon Coleman and Chris Jones are expected to go high in the draft as well.
Still other SEC standouts wait in anticipation to hear their names called. To help bolster their chances, 74 SEC players will show what they can do at the 2016 Scouting Combine this week in Indianapolis.
Among those, here are five to watch who probably won’t be called in the first round of the draft, but possess the ability and the potential to have exciting NFL careers.
1. WR Pharoh Cooper, South Carolina
Second in the SEC in receiving yards per game (81.1 yards) to Treadwell (88.7), Cooper was a bright spot in an otherwise dismal season for the Gamecocks. His athletic ability allowed for a multitude of roles.
Cooper totaled 1.139 all-purpose yards. It wasn’t his best year in Columbia, but consistent relative to South Carolina’s overall output of offense.
At 5-11, 207, Cooper isn’t the most imposing figure, but his takeoff speed is impressive and he makes plays. NFL.com projected him as a fourth-round pick and compared him to former Bills receiver Josh Reed out of LSU.
You can read his full scouting report here.
2. RB Alex Collins, Arkansas
Overshadowed in the SEC by Henry and LSU’s Leonard Fournette, Collins ranked third in the conference in rushing yards per game (121.31).
He churned out 1,577 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns and decided to enter the NFL draft after his junior season.
Collins is a strong and powerful runner who surpassed the 1,000-mark in each of his three seasons at Arkansas. At 5-11, 215 pounds, he hits the line of scrimmage with momentum and that’s what NFL scouts will notice at the Combine.
WalterFootball.com ranked Collins the No. 6 running back available.
3. LB Kentrell Brothers, Missouri
The nation’s leader in tackles (152), Brothers recorded 12 tackles for loss, including 2.5 sacks. He’s not the largest linebacker in the draft (6-0, 249), but quickness and better-than-average football instincts more than make up for it.
He has good hands (two interceptions) and is quick off the snap (three blocked kicks).
NFL.com projected him as a late third-rounder, noting Brothers’ size and speed keep him from going any higher, but he’s proven to have overcome any physical shortcomings with a competitiveness that NFL teams are looking for.
You can read NFL.com’s scouting report of Brothers here.
4. LB Jordan Jenkins, Georgia
Nagging injuries hampered his senior season, and that could be why the Bulldogs’ hard-hitting linebacker isn’t projected to be taken in the first two rounds.
NFLdraftscout.com projects him as a third-rounder, ranking him the No. 94 prospect overall.
But when healthy, Jenkins can be a difference-maker. He was a leader on the Bulldogs’ defense in 2014 with 9.5 tackles for loss. Despite groin and hip injuries in 2015, Jenkins still managed to pile up 10.5 tackles for loss.
At 6-3, 257, his power and quickness to shed blocks are his biggest assets.
5. P Drew Kaser, Texas A&M
Here’s the sleeper. Not projected to be drafted in the first four rounds, Kaser can’t miss as a punter.
He nearly set the all-time SEC record for punting average (46.2 yards per punt) in a career but settled for the school record for a single season when he averaged 47.47 yards per punt in 2015.
A big guy for a punter (6-3, 206) Kaser possesses a strong leg with a good touch. He can flip the field and pin opponents inside the 20 equally well.
Those qualities result in long and prosperous NFL careers.
