Arizona Cardinals

Evaluating the last five FCS draft classes: 2016

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 8:18 p.m. ET

(STATS) - NFL teams have become more comfortable selecting FCS prospects earlier in the draft.

When the Philadelphia Eagles used the second overall pick on quarterback Carson Wentz in last year's draft, it took that concept to a new level for all future prospects.

John McMullen, a national NFL columnist for FanRag Sports, says the recent success of Wentz and other former FCS players like David Johnson and Josh Norman have opened up the mind of NFL evaluators.

"Most NFL decision makers now understand if a kid reaches the base skill set you need to play in this league, it doesn't matter if you are from Alabama or North Dakota State," McMullen said. "Talent is talent."

The fifth and final part of a five-year look at the draft, the following is McMullen's assessment of the best, most underrated and most disappointing FCS picks in 2016.

This year's draft will be held April 27-29 in Philadelphia.

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2016 NFL DRAFT (20 FCS SELECTIONS)=

Philadelphia Eagles (1st, 2) - Carson Wentz, QB, North Dakota State

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2nd, 39) - Noah Spence, DE/OLB, Eastern Kentucky

Carolina Panthers (2nd, 62) - James Bradberry, CB, Samford

Pittsburgh Steelers (3rd, 89) - Javon Hargrave, DT, South Carolina State

Tampa Buccaneers (4th, 108) - Ryan Smith, CB, North Carolina Central

Detroit Lions (4th, 111) - Miles Killebrew, SS, Southern Utah

Chicago Bears (4th, 127) - Deiondre Hall, DB, Northern Iowa

Cleveland Browns (4th, 138) - Seth DeValve, TE, Princeton

Indianapolis Colts (5th, 155) - Joe Haeg, OT, North Dakota State

Tennessee Titans (5th, 158) - LeShaun Sims, CB, Southern Utah

Seattle Seahawks (5th, 170) - Cole Toner, OT, Harvard

Los Angeles Rams (6th, 177) - Temarrick Hemingway, TE, South Carolina State

Jacksonville Jaguars (6th, 181) - Tyrone Holmes, OLB, Montana

Chicago Bears (6th, 185) - DeAndre Houston-Carson, FS, William & Mary

Arizona Cardinals (6th, 205) - Harlan Miller, CB, Southeastern Louisiana

New England Patriots (6th, 208) - Kamu Grugier-Hall, OLB, Eastern Illinois

Jacksonville Jaguars (7th, 226) - Jonathan Woodard, DE, Central Arkansas

New York Jets (7th, 235) - Lachlan Edwards, P, Sam Houston State

Indianapolis Colts (7th, 239) - Trevor Bates, LB, Maine

Carolina Panthers (7th, 252) - Beau Sandland, TE, Montana State

Best Player: Carson Wentz (Philadelphia) - It's still early, but the Eagles certainly believe they have found their franchise quarterback in Wentz, who started all 16 games as a rookie and seemed to be ahead of the curve when it comes to things like autonomy at the line of scrimmage. The mechanics, particularly the footwork, need improvement, but Wentz is light years ahead of the one player picked in front of him, former Cal quarterback Jared Goff.

Most Underrated: James Bradberry (Carolina) - In a lot of ways, it was a baptism by fire for Bradberry, who was looked at as the replacement for Josh Norman. That's unfair, of course, but Bradberry battled and held up well as a rookie, especially in coverage. Like a lot of young corners, Bradberry has to figure it out when it comes to supporting the run moving forward.

Most Disappointing: Ryan Smith (Tampa Bay) - It's unfair to label anyone a disappointment after just one year, but Smith barely got on the field during his rookie season as Tampa Bay envisioned him moving to free safety. The fact that the Bucs have publicly stated he will be moving back to corner tells you how that experiment went.