2017 NFL Draft: Week 14 Prospect Stock Report

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December 2, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Washington Huskies wide receiver John Ross (1) runs against Colorado Buffaloes defensive back Chidobe Awuzie (4) during the third quarter in the Pac-12 championship at Levi /

Stock Down: Offense

John Ross (WR – Washington): John Ross led Washington with four receptions for 51 yards and a touchdown in the Pac-12 title game, however it was the passes he didn’t haul in that were the most concerning.

Ross dropped multiple passes in the game. His 13 targets were by far the most on the team, yet he caught just four of those targets. While not every pass was catchable, there were multiple plays which Ross has proven in the past he can make.

Colorado has a very good secondary, but the test will be even tougher in Washington’s next game. Going up against Alabama’s defense in the playoffs means Ross will have to focus on underneath routes and screens to get the ball, rather than just run nine routes downfield. How he performs against the Crimson Tide could be the determining factor as to whether or not he’ll be a first-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. Right now, he’s on the outside looking in.

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Mason Rudolph (QB – Oklahoma State): DeShone Kizer and Mitch Trubisky played their worst games of the season in wet conditions earlier this season. The rain hurt the stock of another quarterback this past weekend, this time in a conference championship game.

Mason Rudolph completed just 44 percent of his passes in a loss to Oklahoma in what was a de facto Big 12 title game. The weather not only impacted his handle on the ball, but his receivers ability to catch his throws. This was also just the second game this season in which he failed to throw a touchdown pass.

Although the majority of NFL games are not played in poor conditions, the ability to throw a wet football is important. Cleveland Browns coach Hue Jackson for example, poured water on footballs while he was working them out prior to last year’s draft. Cleveland wound up trading out of the number two overall selection rather than selecting Carson Wentz. Wentz of course would be selected by the Eagles, while the Browns selected Cody Kessler later in the draft. For teams in the north, like the Browns, this is a much bigger deal than for teams playing home games in a dome.

Ryan Ramczyk (OT – Wisconsin): Wisconsin left tackle Ryan Ramczyk burst onto the scene this season after redshirting last year. After spending his first two seasons at Division III Wisconsin-Stevens Point, he’s quickly proving that he belongs at the FBS level.

Ramczyk played well for much of the Big Ten title game against Penn State, but also showed why he’s still raw and better off spending another season with the Badgers.

In the play below, Ramczyk is unsure of who to block. The confusion starts with the strong safety (number 6) coming on the blitz. Rather than blocking the linebacker (number 7) who is further inside and much more of a threat, Ramczyk just backtracks and turns his head back and forth between the two defenders. Linebacker Koa Farmer is able to easily blow by on the inside for the sack.

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