2018 NFL Draft: Week 1 Prospect Stock Report

Stock Up: Offense

Deebo Samuel (WR/KR – South Carolina): Deebo Samuel made his presence felt immediately as the Gamecocks took on North Carolina State by returning the opening kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown. The 5-foot-11 junior wasn’t done there as he added five receptions for 83 yards and two more scores, one of which came on a one-handed grab in the endzone.

His two receiving touchdowns already surpasses his total from last season and it doesn’t look as if he’ll be slowing down any time soon. Samuel, who led the Gamecocks in receptions and receiving yards last season, appears to have great chemistry with quarterback Jake Bentley. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Samuel eclipse 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns through the air in 2017. His size is a concern and was evident on Bentley’s fourth quarter interception when Samuel lost a jump ball.

Josh Rosen (QB – UCLA): With Josh Rosen now being draft-eligible, there have been an increasing number of reports criticizing everything from his personality to his competitive toughness. An anonymous source even told Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller that the UCLA quarterback is “uncoachable” and “another version of Colin Kaepernick.” While he’ll have to answer to those personality concerns in team meetings, there’s no questioning his toughness and passion for the game after what he helped the Bruins accomplish against Texas A&M.

Much like Tom Brady did in the Super Bowl, Rosen put his team on his back late in the game. Down 44-10 late in the third quarter, UCLA scored 35 unanswered points to win 45-44. The junior quarterback threw for an astounding 292 yards and four touchdowns in the fourth quarter alone. He showcased elite competitive toughness as he wouldn’t quit, despite taking a pounding early on. His teammates rallied around him and pulled off the second largest comeback in FBS history.

Once he was given time to throw the ball, Rosen carved up the Aggies defense, especially over the middle of the field. With Josh Allen and Sam Darnold, two other quarterbacks in the running for the top pick in the 2018 NFL Draft struggling, opening week was an especially good one for Rosen.

Troy Fumagalli (TE – Wisconsin): Troy Fumagalli burst onto the scene last year, stepping up when Wisconsin needed him the most. His top performances in 2016 came against LSU, Ohio State and the Rose Bowl against Western Michigan. He picked up right where he left off in week one, leading the Badgers with five catches for 105 yards and a touchdown against Utah State.

The 6-foot-6 tight end has the size advantage on jump balls, but he also displays very good vision that allows him to find the hole in the defense and create separation. That’s exactly what happened on his 23-yard touchdown catch. Fumagalli beat his man off the line of scrimmage and found open space in the middle of the field to give his quarterback a large window in which to place the football. If he continues to develop as a receiving threat, Fumagalli will be one of the first tight ends off the board in the 2018 NFL Draft.

Ronald Jones II (RB – USC): With a struggling quarterback and receivers not doing much to help him out, USC needed someone to step up against Western Michigan. That someone wound up being running back Ronald Jones II. Jones, who has run for over 2,000 yards in two seasons despite splitting carries with Justin Davis, finally had the opportunity to be the featured back.

Jones took full advantage, running for 159 yards and three scores on just 18 carries. This wasn’t a case of USC dominating the line of scrimmage and opening large rushing lanes either. Jones created much of that yardage on his own, and per Pro Football Focus, forced eight missed tackles in the game.

Jones looks stronger this season and is up to 200 pounds according to the school’s official roster. The junior will face a much tougher run defense in week two against Stanford. If he can reel off a similar performance against the Cardinal, Jones will see his 2018 NFL Draft stock continue to rise.

Simmie Cobbs, Jr. (WR – Indiana): After a breakout season in 2015, big things were expected of Simmie Cobbs last year. Instead, the 6-foot-4 receiver was suspended for the season opener and suffered a season-ending ankle injury in his debut. However the wait is over and Cobbs is back to doing what he does best; catching every pass thrown in his direction.

Cobbs excelled against a highly-thought of, yet inexperienced Ohio State secondary, catching 11 passes for 149 yards and a touchdown. The junior showed off a very good catch radius and an ability to make acrobatic grabs. With fellow receiver Nick Westbrook out for the season with a torn ACL, Cobbs will play an even larger role in the Hoosiers offense this season. If he can stay healthy, he’ll be one of the more intriguing names to watch as underclassmen start declaring for the 2018 NFL Draft later this year.