NFL Draft Prospects Who Must Step Up In Week 4

As the first month of the college football season comes to a close this weekend, time is quickly running out for NFL Draft prospects to impress next-level decision makers. Although it’s important for every college football player to perform well, it’s especially critical for these five prospects to step up this week.

D’haquille Williams (WR – Auburn) vs. Mississippi State

When Sammie Coates moved on to the NFL, D’haquille Williams was expected to pick up the slack. It made a lot of sense since Williams caught 45 passes a year ago and was expected to be a larger part of the game plan in his second season with the Tigers. Unfortunately for Auburn, that hasn’t been the case.

Former starting quarterback Jeremy Johnson did not play well in any of Auburn’s first three games. He isn’t the only player who deserves blame however, as his receivers struggled to create even a little separation. That’s especially true for Williams, who has just seven receptions for 81 yards through three games as his route-running has looked extremely lackadaisical. That will need to change this weekend against Mississippi State if freshman Sean White is going to perform any better than Johnson.

It won’t be easy for Williams either. Mississippi State has one of the best cornerback duos in the nation with Taveze Calhoun and Will Redmond on the outside. As Auburn’s secondary target, Williams caught 6 passes for 108 yards and two touchdowns against the Bulldogs in 2014. He’ll need similar production this time around if Auburn is going to avoid back-to-back losses in SEC play.

Next: Kenny Clark