2017 NFL Draft: Week 5 Prospect Stock Report

Stock Down: Offense

Wes Lunt (QB – Illinois): After a season-opening win over Murray State of the FCS, Illinois has lost three games in-a-row. Not the start new head coach Lovie Smith was hoping for, and not the conclusion to a career Wes Lunt wanted.

Lunt led the Fighting Illini to a 13-10 lead over Nebraska, but struggled in the second half. On third down, the senior QB failed to complete a pass on five attempts after halftime. The Cornhuskers took advantage and would go on to win the game 31-16.

At 6-foot-4, 225 pounds, Lunt has the physical makeup to play in the NFL, however his skill set isn’t where it needs to be. He’s completed less than 60 percent of his passes over his career and has struggled in big games when Illinois has needed him the most. Lunt is a potential late-round pick, however he’ll need time to develop into an NFL-caliber QB.

Johnny Caspers (OG – Stanford): In a game dominated by the Washington Huskies, there was plenty of blame to go around on the Stanford sideline. Offensively and defensively, the Cardinal just didn’t get it done.

For right guard Johnny Caspers, the trouble started on the second offensive play of the game. From his right guard position, Caspers is knocked off-balance, leading to pressure and a sack.

Caspers had his hands full the entire game and consistently allowed pressure to get to quarterbacks Ryan Burns and Keller Chryst.

He’s ranked as one of the top guard prospects for the 2017 NFL Draft, but this is one game he’ll want to forget. With a matchup in two weeks against Notre Dame nose tackle Jarron Jones, Caspers will need turn things around quickly to avoid falling further down the draft board.

James Quick (WR – Louisville): While a prospect’s game tape and Scouting Combine workouts are meant to gather information on physical ability, the mental side of the game is just as important. Saturday night against Clemson, James Quick made a huge mental error.

With the clock winding down in the fourth quarter, Louisville was faced with a 4th-and-12 from the Clemson 14-yard line. Lamar Jackson threw the ball short of the sticks to Quick, who made his way toward the sideline. Rather than cut inside or fight for an extra yard, Quick was easily shoved out of bounds short of the first-down marker.

Situational awareness is critical in the game of football, especially for wide receivers who have to alter the depth of their routes based on the down and distance. One slip up may not cause his stock to take a serious hit, but NFL decision-makers will be watching closely to see if this is a consistent issue.

Cooper Rush (QB – Central Michigan): After playing well against power five schools Oklahoma State and Virginia, Cooper Rush picked an inopportune time to play his worst game of the year.

In Central Michigan’s conference opener against Western Michigan, Rush completed 17 of his 29 passes for 178 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He turned the ball over twice in the game, leading to two Western Michigan touchdowns.

The first turnover came on a fumble in his own territory, the second resulted in a pick-six. Rush’s ball placement was off the entire game and he failed to pull the trigger when he needed to. He was sacked eight times in the game, several of which were the result of Rush holding onto the ball too long.

Western Michigan has caused fits for Rush his entire career. In four games, he holds a record of 1-3 and has thrown eight interceptions against the Broncos. With conference play underway, Rush will need to get back on track immediately in order to keep the Chippewas in contention for a Mid-American Conference title.