NFL Draft: Week 4 Prospect Stock Report
Sep 26, 2015; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. (3) runs the ball past Utah Utes defensive end Kylie Fitts (11) at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports
Offense: Draft Stock Down
Vernon Adams (QB – Oregon)
As if we needed any more proof, Vernon Adams is not Marcus Mariota. The former Oregon quarterback’s statistics may have been slightly inflated because of the system, but Mariota was far from a system QB. Adams on the other hand, is proving to be quite the opposite.
Prior to this season, Adams played at Eastern Washington. For those of you not familiar with the program, Eastern Washington is the Oregon of the FCS. Spread offense, mobile QB and a gimmick to entice recruits (Oregon has the uniform combinations, Eastern Washington has red turf). Unfortunately for the Ducks, being a system QB at the FCS level doesn’t translate well to the FBS. After returning from injury, Adams completed just two of his seven pass attempts before being benched.
Adams was never going to be a first-round pick like Mariota, but there was hope he would play well enough to warrant a late-round flyer. Instead, it appears as though he’ll join the likes of Darron Thomas, Jeremiah Masoli and Justin Roper as undrafted Oregon quarterbacks.
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D’haquille Williams (WR – Auburn)
D’haquille Williams may very well be the most disappointing draft prospect on the most disappointing team one month into the season. QB Jeremy Johnson comes close, but his hype was all based on potential. We had already seen how good Williams was.
Against Mississippi State, with Sean White at QB, Williams once again struggled. Sure, he led the Tigers with four catches for 49 yards, but he left several plays on the field. Similar to how he has played throughout the season, Williams failed to show up until the game was already decided. Three of his four receptions occurred in the fourth quarter when the Bulldogs loosened their coverage.
After being benched before the season even started, Williams has done nothing to alleviate concerns. He’s gone from potential first-round pick to risky second-day pick, and is trending in the wrong direction.
Connor Cook (QB – Michigan State)
Despite winning the game, Connor Cook was very underwhelming against Central Michigan. As he faces stiff competition from Cal’s Jared Goff and possibly even Christian Hackenberg of Penn State to be the first QB selected in the 2016 NFL Draft, he can’t afford many lackluster performances.
Cook isn’t in a situation where he needs to throw for 300 yards and three touchdowns every week to win a game. However, 143 yards against a non-power five school will raise some red flags, especially since 62 of those yards came in the fourth quarter when the game was already decided. This wasn’t a case of the Spartans simply relying on the run game either. Despite not turning the ball over, Cook made poor decisions with the football. On passes thrown beyond the line of scrimmage, Cook was just 7-of-15. When asked to throw the ball on third down, he converted just one out of four.
With the Big Ten schedule beginning this week, NFL teams will be watching closely to see if this game was just an aberration or if Cook isn’t ready for the spotlight just yet.
Next: Defense: Draft Stock Down