2017 NFL Draft: Week 10 Prospect Stock Report
Stock Up: Defense
Jamal Adams (SS – LSU): In what was once again a low-scoring game between two of the top defenses in college football, Alabama came away with the 10-0 victory. Despite the Crimson Tide win, it was an LSU defender who improved his 2017 NFL Draft stock the most.
Jamal Adams may not always be around the ball like Kendall Beckwith or an elite athlete like Arden Key, but he was the best player on the field when the Tigers were on defense in week 10. The strong safety made several key plays against both the run and the pass against Alabama. Whether it was shutting down Bo Scarbrough in the backfield or reading the quarterback in zone coverage to intercept a pass, Adams was all over the field.
The biggest reason why his stock is on the rise had to do with his man coverage ability. Matched up for much of the game against tight end O.J. Howard, Adams played lockdown defense and held Howard, who is expected to be the first TE selected in the 2017 NFL Draft, to just one catch for a loss of three yards.
Safeties aren’t typically valued early in the draft, but that could change this year with both Adams and Jabrill Peppers of Michigan playing like top-10 picks. Peppers should be off the board within the first few picks, leaving teams in the top 15 to fight for Adams. Adams is a better safety prospect than Karl Joseph, who was selected 14th overall by the Oakland Raiders in the 2016 NFL Draft.
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Dawuane Smoot (DE – Illinois): Against Michigan State, there wasn’t a player on either side with a better motor than Dawuane Smoot. The senior defensive end finished the game with four tackles and a sack, but it was his consistent pressure in the backfield that helped lead Illinois to the win.
Smoot was credited with 11 pressures against the Spartans. His previous high this season was six. He did get off to a slow start this year, but Smoot is starting to work his way up the 2017 NFL Draft board. His 43 tackles this season are already a career high.
It won’t get any easier for Smoot as his next two games will come against Wisconsin and Iowa, two schools known for stellar offensive line play. If he can continue to raise his level of play over that stretch, Smoot will be in the conversation for a first-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft.
Sidney Jones (CB – Washington): Wide receiver John Ross helped his stock on the offensive side of the ball for the Huskies, and it was Sidney Jones improving his position on the big board on defense. The Washington cornerback picked off two Davis Webb passes and helped slow down one of the most prolific passing attacks in the country.
Jones was burned once in the game by Cal WR Chad Hansen, but more than made up for it with his play throughout the contest. His two interceptions give him nine for his career, but it’s his ability to force opposing quarterbacks to throw into tight windows that will appeal to next-level decision makers. When Webb looked to throw the ball towards Jones, the window was too small or non-existent.
This year’s cornerback class is extremely deep, so Jones could wait until the 2018 draft to declare, but he’ll still have an opportunity to be an early-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. In what may be the deepest position in the draft, Jones should hear his name called by the end of round two.
Charles Harris (DE – Missouri): Last season, Charles Harris played like he was going to be the next great pass-rusher to come out of Missouri. This season, he’s struggled to duplicate his 2015 performance. In week 10 against South Carolina, he finally returned to his 2015 form.
Harris picked up two sacks in the game, one on a critical third down and the other coming on the last play of the first half. What made this an above average performance for Harris was his endurance and effort against the run.
In the fourth quarter alone, Harris was in on five tackles, including a big third-and-one in which he stuffed the run and forced the Gamecocks to kick a field goal. His stock has taken a significant hit this season, so Harris needs to carry the momentum over from this game into the final few weeks of the season.