National Football League

2017 NFL Draft: 5 Best Prospects in Pac-12 Championship Game

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 12:46 p.m. ET

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Jul 14, 2016; Hollywood, CA, USA; General view of the Pac-12 logo during Pac-12 media day at Hollywood & Highland. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Who are the best 2017 NFL Draft prospects in the Pac-12 Championship Game between the Washington Huskies and the Colorado Buffaloes?

The 2017 NFL Draft is right around the corner. With the college football season winding down, now is a great time to see how the upcoming draft class performs when the light shine the brightest.

This week, the Washington Huskies and Colorado Buffaloes for the Pac-12 Championship Game. This is an extremely interesting matchup in many ways. With a win, Washington will likely play in the College Football Playoff. Contrarily, Colorado looks to build on their incredible Cinderella story.

The College Football Playoff implications are great, but we here at NFL Spin Zone are much more interested in the future of these players. The Pac-12 Championship Game is full of draft prospects who could soon be making an impact on Sundays. There will be a ton of talent on the field on Friday night, including many top-notch 2017 NFL Draft prospects.

Who are the top players to watch? Here are the top five NFL draft prospects in the Pac-12 Championship Game.

Sep 17, 2016; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Colorado Buffaloes defensive back Chidobe Awuzie (4) rushes on Michigan Wolverines quarterback Wilton Speight (3) and causes a fumble in the first quarter at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

5. Chidobe Awuzie, CB — Colorado

Height: 6-0
Weight: 205 pounds
Class: Senior
2016 Statistics: 54 tackles (six for loss), eight passes defended, four sacks, two forced fumbles and one interception
Round Projection (according to NFL Draft Scout): 5th

A true jack-of-all-trades at the cornerback position, Colorado’s Chidobe Awuzie is certainly a guy to keep an eye on. He has good size and length for the position, which is always a major plus for the next level.

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NFL teams loves cornerbacks who can come up and play physical against opposing wide receivers and that is certainly something that Awuzie does well. He is extremely physical at the point of attack and his length and high-level athleticism allow him to play extremely aggressive.

Awuzie is strong in coverage, showing a great ability to play on both the outside and in the slot. He shows great natural ball skills and fantastic awareness on the field.

Coverage is obviously the most important part of a cornerback’s job on the field, but Awuzie also does everything else extremely well. He is great in run support, never being afraid to come up and get his nose dirty. Awuzie is also incredibly effective in the blitz game. Whether coming from the outside or out of the slot, Awuzie has a knack for getting home when he is asked to blitz. That is certainly a skill that will come in handy at the next level.

The Buffaloes star cornerback is not exactly a first-round prospect, but he is a talented player who certainly deserves mention here. Keep an eye on him on Friday night.

Sep 17, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Washington Huskies defensive lineman Vita Vea (50) pursues Portland State Vikings running back Nate Tago (25) during the second quarter at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports

4. Vita Vea, DT — Washington

Height: 6-5
Weight: 332 pounds
Class: R-Sophomore
2016 Statistics: 35 tackles (5.5 for loss), four sacks and one forced fumble
Round Projection: 2nd

Washington is absolutely loaded with elite-level talent on the defensive side of the ball, and it all starts up front with massive defensive tackle Vita Vea. Vea is a massive man in the middle of the Huskies defense. He is an absolute force against the run, consistently plugging up the middle of the line. Vea is an extremely strong and powerful man who consistently performs well against a double-team.

While power is the name of Vea’s game, he moves extremely well for a man of his size. He is not exactly blessed with incredible lateral speed, but Vea gets off of the snap extremely well. His quickness is incredibly impressive and effective when coupled with his size.

Vea is best used as a two-gapping nose tackle at the next level, but he certainly has the ability to make plays in the backfield as well. His combination of power and quickness up front gives Vea some nice versatility up front. A dominant run defender who has more interior pass rush upside than you would ever expect, Vea has a nice future at the next level.

Sep 24, 2016; Tucson, AZ, USA; Washington Huskies defensive back Budda Baker (32) celebrates after a Arizona Wildcats fumble during the fourth quarter at Arizona Stadium. Washington won 35-28 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports

3. Budda Baker, S — Washington

Height: 5-10
Weight: 192 pounds
Class: Junior
2016 Statistics: 60 tackles (2.5 for loss), two interceptions, two sacks, two passes defended and one forced fumble
Round Projection: 2nd

From a massive run stuffer up front to a vertically challenged playmaking safety in the back-end, this Washington defense has NFL talent that comes in all shapes and sizes. Up next, we have free safety Budda Baker.

Baker has become an extremely productive player for the Huskies in the back-end, consistently proving to be a strong last line of defense. He shows fantastic range and natural coverage skills from the safety position that makes him an elite option in the center field role. There are few defensive prospects who posses the raw speed and athleticism of a guy like Baker. He is a top-notch athlete who has incredible upside at the next level.

The biggest knock on Baker is always going to be his size. Will he have trouble holding up at the extremely physical NFL level? With the passing game becoming more and more important, teams are putting speed and athleticism at a higher level than ever before. It is a wide-open game and that bodes well for Baker’s skill set.

While he is on the small side, Baker is a tough and willing tackler. He will come up and make plays in run support whenever necessary, and he packs a pretty strong punch in his hits. A complete coverage safety who has massive upside, Baker is going to make an impact at the next level.

Oct 22, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Washington Huskies defensive back Sidney Jones (26) in action against the Oregon State Beavers during the first quarter at Husky Stadium. Washington won 41-17. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports

2. Sidney Jones, CB — Washington

Height: 6-0
Weight: 181 pounds
Class: Junior
2016 Statistics: 34 tackles (2.5 for loss), two interceptions, six passes defended and one forced fumble
Round Projection: 1st

Baker is an incredible coverage safety in the back-end, but he is not even the best player in his own defensive backfield. That would be cornerback Sidney Jones who figures to be a major part of the incredible cornerback class in the 2017 NFL Draft.

Jones is an extremely quick and elusive cornerback on the outside, but it is not his physical tools that set him apart. Jones is extremely competitive in coverage, consistently giving it his all against great talents at the wide receiver position. Even more impressive is Jones’ obvious awareness on the field. He has fantastic natural instincts, always seeming to put him self in the best possible position to make a play.

He is an explosive athlete who is impressive in every way. He can play in press, off-man and in zone coverage, showing great instincts in each one. Perhaps most impressively, Jones has top-notch ball skills. He times his jumps extremely well, always attacking the ball at its highest point in the air. Jones has the best ball skills out of any cornerback in the 2017 NFL Draft class.

The Huskies have an incredible defensive unit that can shut down even the most explosive offensive attacks. Jones shutting down one half of the field is an extremely important part of their immense success.

Nov 5, 2016; Berkeley, CA, USA; Washington Huskies wide receiver John Ross (1) scores a touchdown against the California Golden Bears during the first quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

1. John Ross, WR, Washington

Height: 5-11
Weight: 190 pounds
Class: Junior
2016 Statistics: 72 receptions for 1071 yards and 18 total touchdowns.
Round Projection: 1st

Arguably the most explosive offensive player in college football, Washington’s John Ross is a treat to watch on a football field. He has next level speed and quickness that makes him a threat to score from anywhere on the field.

Ross is far from a traditional outside receiver. He does not have the ideal size that scouts look for at the wide receiver position. That being said, Ross has an innate ability to simply make plays with the ball in his hands. Whether it is taking a short pass and making defenders miss or beating an opposing secondary deep, Ross always seems to find a way to make a play. There is certainly an argument to be made for Ross being the best offensive skill position player in the 2017 NFL Draft class.

Today’s NFL is built primarily on speed and Ross has that in bunches. His straight-line speed is incredible, accelerating to top speed in a blink of an eye. Moreover, his change of direction ability is top-notch.

Ross has already proved to be an incredible play-maker at the college level, and there is no way that it will not translate to the next level. Speed kills and Ross will immediately become one of the fastest athletes in the NFL.

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