RELATED: Top five-stars selected | NFL Draft recap | Rivals rankings of first-rounders
The 2016 NFL Draft is in the books, but it’s never too early to look ahead to next year’s draft crop. Here’s a very early look at five former Rivals.com five-stars prospects, in order, who could end up being top picks in 2017.
The skinny: In a day of constant recruiting drama, Watson’s process had none as he committed to Clemson almost two years before National Signing Day. Watson showed great potential during his true freshman season in Death Valley, but injuries derailed his progress. He returned healthy in 2015 and dominated from start to finish, passing for 4,104 yards and 35 touchdowns while also rushing for 1,105 yards and 12 touchdowns. Watson won the Davey O'Brien Award, annually given to the nation’s top passer, and led the Tigers to the College Football Playoff.
Farrell’s take: We all assume a quarterback will be taken first in each draft as it happens much more often than not and Watson is the guy everyone has their eye on. A high character player and a dynamic talent, his passing accuracy has improved greatly since high school and he can do damage with his legs as always. He was always our No. 1 dual-threat quarterback in the 2014 class and it wasn’t very close.
The skinny: Garrett committed to Texas A&M during his senior season after trimming his list down to the Aggies and TCU. Over his two seasons at the collegiate level, Garrett has been one of the top defensive playmakers in the country. He jumped onto the national spotlight as a true freshman and continued to dominate in 2015 with 59 tackles, 11.5 sacks, one interception, an SEC-leading 19.5 tackles for a loss and five forced fumbles.
Farrell’s take: The end-of-the-year debate between Garrett and our eventual No. 1 overall, Da'Shawn Hand, was a heated one. Hand won out, but just barely. Obviously it looks like Garrett should have been the guy. He’s talented enough to push a quarterback out of the No. 1 spot if he continues to develop.
The skinny: Even though Fournette was always regarded as a heavy lean to LSU, he waited until the Under Armour All-American Game to publicly make his commitment to the Tigers over Alabama. Midway through this past season, Fournette was considered the heavy favorite for the Heisman Trophy. However, as LSU tumbled over the second half of the season, so did Fournette’s chances at the award. Despite this collapse, Fournette still finished his consensus All-American season with 1,953 yards rushing, 22 rushing touchdowns, plus 253 receiving yards and an additional score.
Farrell’s take: Fournette was clearly our No. 1 running back in 2014 and a top five talent. I always liked his size, ability to run over people and his footwork in space, but my only question was whether his speed would translate into a home run hitter at the next level. Obviously that has not been an issue. I never fell for the Adrian Peterson comparisons and the “best running back in ages” reactions from others, but maybe they were right. He’s an amazing talent and if Ezekiel Elliott is a top five draft pick, then Fournette should be able to land near there as well.
The skinny: As has happened more than a few times during the last decade, Robinson’s recruiting process came down to a battle between Alabama and LSU. With Nick Saban making Robinson an early priority, it was enough for the West Monroe product to commit to the Crimson Tide early during his senior season. Alabama has produced several first-round offensive line draft picks over the last decade and Robinson is destined to be the next. On the field, his athleticism and toughness has helped spearhead the Crimson Tide running attack over the last two seasons.
Farrell’s take: Our No. 1 tackle in the 2014 class and a top 20 player nationally, Robinson was clearly a massive talent who projected as a first-rounder down the line. However, I thought it would take him a year before he made an impact and never imagined he could be plugged in as a left tackle immediately. He gets criticized a lot for struggling at times with speed edge rushers or over-setting, but it’s all nit-picking. He would have been taken this year ahead of Ronnie Stanley who went No. 6, but the 2017 draft is much more talented at the top, so we will see where he lands.
The skinny: Despite some serious and intense late efforts by UCLA, JuJu Smith-Schuster committed to USC on National Signing Day. Smith-Schuster immediately stepped onto the field with the Trojans and impressed. His sophomore season showcased all of his abilities as he finished with 89 receptions for 1,454 yards, which led the Pac-12 and was fourth in the nation, and 10 touchdowns.
Farrell’s take: Could we be looking at Keenan Allen part two? The two don't compare physically, but both were highly-rated at safety and ended up being great wide receivers in college. Unlike Allen, we felt more comfortable that Smith-Schuster could be an offensive threat -- Allen surprised us, not sure why looking back -- and it’s no surprise to see him as the clear No. 1 wide receiver in the 2017 NFL Draft class.
