Oregon State Beavers vs. Stanford Cardinal NFL Draft Prospect Watch
October 6, 2012; Stanford, CA, USA; Stanford Cardinal free safety Ed Reynolds (29) and inside linebacker Shayne Skov (11) celebrate after outside linebacker Chase Thomas (44) intercepted a pass against the Arizona Wildcats in overtime at Stanford Stadium. The Cardinal defeated the Wildcats 54-48. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-US PRESSWIRE
In a very underrated Saturday matchup, the Stanford Cardinal are trying to keep their BCS hopes alive with a win over Oregon State, one of the surprise teams in college football this season.
Here at NFL Mocks, we’ve previewed both teams and their top NFL Draft prospects for 2013 and beyond, and this game is loaded with good players, specifically on the defensive side of the ball. Here are our previews for both teams:
Here is a preview of what we offer in the team previews:
"33 Stepfan Taylor, Running Back, Senior 5’11″ 215 poundsBig, quick running back who has been an underrated reason for the success of Stanford’s return to glory over the last couple of years. Taylor has been arguably the most consistent and durable tailbacks in the country since he was a sophomore in 2010, where he rushed for 1,137 yards and 15 touchdowns. Followed that up as a junior with 1,330 yards and 10 more scores, continuing to develop as a pass catcher as well. in 2012, he is the focal point of the Stanford offense and as a senior, he is doing a great job of cementing his draft stock as one of the top running backs in the country. He has a good combination of speed, quickness, and power, but his greatest asset could be his vision and ability to pick up yards after contact. I don’t see any reason why Taylor can’t be as good in the NFL as Doug Martin, one of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ top picks. He’s not as compactly built, but they have a very complete overall game. Does a very solid job in blitz pickup as well, and can really contribute on all three downs. If he’s not a top 64 pick, it will be a bit of a surprise"