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2017 NFL Draft: Week 8 Prospect Stock Report

By Shawn Spencer

Oct 22, 2016; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers running back Leonard Fournette (7) before a game against the Mississippi Rebels at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 22, 2016; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers running back Leonard Fournette (7) before a game against the Mississippi Rebels at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /
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2017 NFL Draft Eddie Jackson
Oct 22, 2016; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back Eddie Jackson (4) is carted off the field after being injured against Texas A&M Aggies at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports /

Stock Down: Defense

Eddie Jackson (SS – Alabama) and William Likely (CB – Maryland): Eddie Jackson and William Likely wind up on this list for similar reasons this week. Both talented defensive backs double as return men for their respective schools and both suffered season-ending injuries. For Jackson and Likely, the next snap they play will be in the NFL.

Jackson suffered a broken leg returning a punt against Texas A&M this past weekend, while Likely’s ACL injury was sustained in Week 7, but the severity wasn’t known until last Friday.

As far as the 2017 NFL Draft goes, Jackson will be off the board by the end of round two at the latest. Likely on the other hand saw his stock take a more significant blow. A torn ACL means he will miss much of the offseason and possibly some game action next season. There were already durability concerns because of his size, this just exacerbates those concerns. If he’s drafted it won’t be until the late rounds.

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    • Raekwon McMillan (ILB – Ohio State): Ohio State middle linebacker Raekwon McMillan has been discussed as a potential first-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, but that talk may come to an end after his less-than-stellar performance against Penn State.

    McMillan didn’t look like himself in the loss to the Nittany Lions. Whether it was his inability to fight through traffic or being a step slow to the ball in coverage, McMillan was off his game. If this was the first occurrence, his stock wouldn’t take much of a hit. Unfortunately for the Buckeyes ILB, he’s slowly regressed since last season.

    The junior was fighting with Alabama’s Reuben Foster to be the first ILB selected in the 2017 NFL Draft, however Foster has pulled away in that race. Zach Cunningham of Vanderbilt and Anthony Walker, Jr. of Northwestern could arguably be ranked ahead of McMillan as well.

    Dawuane Smoot (DE – Illinois): This past weekend’s game against Michigan could have been Dawuane Smoot’s ticket to the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He had an opportunity to shine against one of the top teams and one of the better right tackles in the country. Instead, he fell flat and saw his stock tank after a poor performance.

    Smoot is one of the top defensive ends in the Big Ten, but couldn’t get going against Michigan right tackle Erik Magnusson. Smoot finished the game with just one tackle as the Wolverines scored 41 points on the Illinois defense.

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    Smoot will have a chance to get back on track with five games left on the schedule, however none of those games will provide the challenge Michigan did. Wisconsin and Iowa boast solid offensive lines and will allow Smoot to somewhat redeem himself. In order for Smoot to be a first-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, he’s going to have to put on a show at the Scouting Combine.

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