2016 NFL Draft: Two-stars to watch
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Rashard Higgins
Higgins was not ranked at his position or in Texas in the Class of 2013. With
questions lingering about his speed, recruiting never picked up for Higgins, who
committed to the Rams over ULM. At Colorado State, teaming up with
quarterback Garrett Grayson, Higgins had a marvelous sophomore season in
Fort Collins. Finishing with 96 receptions for 1,750 yards and 17 touchdowns, Higgins
earned several All-American honors. But now with Grayson in the NFL, will
Higgins' productivity on the field suffer? The likely answer is that he will
undoubtedly see a drop in his gaudy stats from last fall, but even if that does
happen he has already proven himself to NFL scouts as a player to keep a very
close eye one.
Farrell's Take: A big wide receiver, Higgins was thought to be a step too slow
and possibly a flex tight end down the road, but he has turned into a star at
Colorado State where many are flourishing thanks to Jim McElwain's stint there.
Is he a product of McElwain's system and having Grayson throw to him or will he
continue to pile up the numbers?
3. DT
Kew H.S., Australia, 2012
Adam Gotsis
Coming from Australia, all the credit has to be given to the Georgia Tech
coaching staff for doing their research with Gotsis. Few people had even heard
of him before he signed with the Yellow Jackets back in the Class of 2012, but
because of his size and athleticism, he was a gamble worth taking for Georgia
Tech. While he has surprised people at how quickly he has developed his game,
the reality is that he is still learning as he goes. With that said, the ceiling
has the potential to be very high for Gotsis. He has shown flashes of brilliance
and that is more than enough to keep NFL scouts interested.
Farrell's Take: Our scouting in Australia has been down lately so we will have
to step it up. That's a joke if it doesn't come across clearly enough. Great job
by the Tech staff here to find this kid, see his upside and make him into a
great player.
4. DE
Homestead, Fla., 2011
Theiren Cockran
Cockran was not ranked at his position or in Florida in the Class of 2011. At
the high school level, Cockran was always athletic, but also very raw and a
skinny 6-foot-6, 210-pounds. Now playing in the Big Ten, Cockran has been
overshadowed by some of the big name pass rushers in the league, but he has
developed into a legitimate NFL caliber end. At 6-foot-6 and 265-pounds, Cockran
has shown impressive quickness and athleticism. If he can show more consistency
this fall, there is no reason to believe that Cockran won't be an early round
pick next spring.
Farrell's Take: The Gophers staff is another one that should get credit in
finding players as evidenced by Cockran and Murray (below). This was a super
skinny end who had an outside move who has turned into a 265-pound beast.
5. CB
Milwaukee (Wisc.) Riverside
University, 2012
Eric Murray
Murray was not ranked nationally at his position, but he was ranked the No. 4
recruit in Wisconsin in the Class of 2012. The Gophers have done a very
good job identifying under-the-radar talent in recent years, and Murray is just
another example of this. Statistically, Murray's 2014 season was less productive
than his 2013 when he was credited with 10 pass break ups, but that can be
partially attributed to quarterbacks throwing away from him. He has proven
himself as a productive man-to-man corner, a very able tackler and also strong
on special teams during his time with the Gophers. Scouts are already well aware
of his potential, but they would like to see more playmaking ability considering
he only has one interception in his last two seasons.
Farrell's Take: What is it about Wisconsin cornerbacks we are missing? First
Trae Waynes in 2011 and now Murray in 2012. The Gophers staff once again seeing
something others didn't here. Can he push up draft boards into the first round
like Waynes?
6. TE
New Castle (Del.) William Penn, 2011
Kyle Carter
Carter was not ranked nationally at his position, but he was ranked the No. 3
recruit in Delaware in the Class of 2011. After a surprisingly productive 2012
season, the last two years have been somewhat disappointing for Carter. Now, with
Jesse James moving on to the NFL and Adam Breneman returning from a knee injury,
the opportunity should be available for Carter to make more of an impact in the
Penn State offense. He has proven to be very versatile with the Nittany Lions,
lining up on the line, in the slot and even in the backfield, but now he has to
prove that he can be a consistent pass catching threat.
Farrell's Take: This one stunned me because we scouted Carter often and he was
always a step too slow and not dominant even against average competition. Then
he heads off to Penn State (and we were scratching our head at the offer) and
turns into an NFL prospect. Time will tell if he gets passed by again, this time
by Breneman, as this is a huge year for him.
7. TE
Dumas, Ark., 2011
Darion Griswold
Griswold was actually classified as a pro-style quarterback in the Class of
2011. He was not ranked at his position or in Arkansas. After making the move to
tight end from quarterback at Arkansas State, Griswold has steadily improved his
game and draft stock. While his 2014 stats aren't jaw dropping (18 receptions
for 221 yards and four touchdowns) he has transformed his body while maintaining
his athleticism. Now at 6-foot-5 and 265 pounds, Griswold is still learning the
nuances of the position, but his potential is evident. He has already become an
impressive blocker, now he needs to improve his receiving game to really turn
heads in the NFL.
Farrell's Take: Position switches are one of the key factors in an average high
school player becoming an NFL talent and this is the case with Griswold. He was
a huge, average high school quarterback that Arkansas State saw as a tight end
and now he's on the radar. He was also a standout hoops player and could have
gone that direction, which also factored into his low ranking.
8. S
Waco (Texas) Midway, 2012
Orion Stewart
Stewart was not ranked at his position or in Texas in the Class of 2012. Stewart
slid into the deep safety spot at Baylor last season and responded nicely,
finishing with 68 tackles and four interceptions. He was seen as one of the only
bright spots in a Baylor secondary that was regularly torched last season, so
while he had a productive season, there is also room for improvement. At
6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, Stewart already has the size and athleticism, now he
just needs to bring some consistency and leadership to the troubled Baylor
secondary.
Farrell's Take: Stewart was a late take for Baylor over some non-BCS
programs as a tall, lanky cornerback and he grew into a big
safety with cover skills. He was not scouted enough clearly but that can happen,
especially when kids come on the radar so late.
9. DE
Newark (N.J.) Barringer, 2013
Kemoko Turay
Turay was not ranked at his position or in New Jersey in the Class of 2013. Not
much was known about Turay coming out of high school, as he only started playing
football during his junior season and never attended any prospect camps. Rutgers
offered him after seeing his natural athleticism during a summer camp, and after
a redshirt season and gaining 30-pounds, Turay made an unexpected impact in the
Big Ten last fall. Turay is the definition of a freak athlete, but he is still
learning the game. How quickly he fully grasps the game will determine if he may
leave after the 2015 season or stick around for another year in Piscataway.
Farrell's Take: Rutgers took a flyer on Turay because he was a freak athlete and
it has paid off. He wasn't a very good football player coming out of high
school and is still raw in many aspects but he could test off the charts and
rise on draft boards.
10. S
Lithonia (Ga.) Martin Luther King,
2011
Kevin Byard
Byard was classified as an athlete coming out of high school. He was not ranked
at his position or in Georgia in the Class of 2011. Byard has started the last
37 games for the Blue Raiders over the last three seasons and has been
productive since day one. He finished the 2014 season with 66 tackles and six
interceptions, giving him 15 for his college career. Known as a
sideline-to-sideline three-down safety in Conference USA, Byard may not be a
household name for most college football fans, but is a name that NFL scouts are
already aware of.
Farrell's Take: Byard actually had some interest from BCS programs because he
was such a good athlete and this is a great example of a kid who flourished at a
smaller school and could have been swallowed up at one of the bigger choices he
had.
Mike Farrell
National Recruiting Director
Follow @rivalsmike