2016 NFL Draft: Our Top “Prospects To Watch”
By Joe Wedra
It’s never too early to look ahead to the 2016 NFL Draft, no matter how crazy you might think we are. The 2016 class, on the surface, looks as though it’ll shape up to be a very profitable. So, why not take a jab at sending out a few notes on prospects to watch?
Joining me on this staff roundtable — our two editors at the helm of NFL Mocks — Sayre Bedinger and Erik Lambert. You can find their author pages at the hyperlinks below.
So, who are the prospects to watch during the upcoming college football season? Let’s dive into some quick notes.
Erik Lambert
"“I’ll tell you one that has caught my ear is Jared Goff out of California. Kind of that hidden quarterback among a collection of bigger names that has NFL talent in spades. Tall, good arm, no fear when throwing it but also showings discipline in his accuracy. Going to remind a ton of people of Aaron Rodgers.”"
Sayre Bedinger
"“All about the QBs next year. As Erik already mentioned, Goff from Cal is going to be fun to watch, but I’m also really interested in seeing what happens with Christian Hackenburg (Penn State), Cardale Jones (Ohio State), Connor Cook (Michigan State) and Gunner Kiel (Cincinnati). It’s been a while since we’ve had this many QBs coming out in the same year to evaluate as possible top prospects, so it should be really fun.“"
I’ll be the first to admit that I need a few months off from watching NFL Draft prospects, so I can’t weigh in here too much. But, I will contribute a few notes from guys I watched on a limited basis last year:
- OT Ronnie Stanley from Notre Dame would’ve graded out to a first round grade on many NFL boards this year. If all goes swimmingly, he should be the top tackle prospect in the country.
- I really like Shawn Oakman. The Baylor kid can flat-out play. One more good campaign, and he has top pick potential.
- Connor Cook is very questionable on my early notes. I watched him in preparation for him coming out this year and let’s just say I think it’s a good thing he didn’t. One of the most polarizing prospects to look at.
Stick with NFL Mocks for many more notes heading into the college football and NFL season. We’ll have more than enough coverage to keep you glued to your laptops here. Enjoy!