National Football League

2017 NFL Draft: Week 8 Prospect Stock Report

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 12:56 p.m. ET

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Oct 22, 2016; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers running back Leonard Fournette (7) before a game against the Mississippi Rebels at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

The eighth week of the college football season is in the books and we are now just a week away from the release of the first College Football Playoff poll. The release of the all-important poll also signifies there’s limited time for 2017 NFL Draft prospects to improve their stock.

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This past weekend saw the return of one of the most electrifying players in college football. LSU running back Leonard Fournette returned to the field for the first time in four weeks and immediately made his presence known. His 2017 NFL Draft stock is certainly on the rise.

Fournette worked his way onto the “stock up” list in week eight, as did several others who haven’t received nearly as much attention as the LSU standout. Here’s a look at those 2017 NFL Draft prospects, as well as those who hurt their stock in week eight of the college football season.

Oct 22, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bearcats quarterback Gunner Kiel (11) celebrates throwing a touchdown with offensive lineman Korey Cunningham (71) against the East Carolina Pirates in the second half at Nippert Stadium. The Bearcats won 31-19. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

Stock Up: Offense

Leonard Fournette (RB – LSU): After not seeing the field for four weeks, Leonard Fournette made sure to remind everyone who the top running back prospect is for the 2017 NFL Draft. If you’re still not convinced, just ask Ole Miss safety Deontay Anderson, who paid the price for trying to bring down the junior back.

For the game, Fournette touched the ball 19 times, for 309 total yards and three touchdowns as LSU improved to 3-0 under interim head coach Ed Orgeron.

Fournette and the Tigers now have two weeks to prepare for Alabama, a team Fournette has struggled mightily against. In two contests versus the Crimson Tide, Fournette has run the ball 40 times for only 110 yards. That’s an average of just 2.7 yards per carry. Against every other opponent he’s averaged 6.7 yards per carry.

His lackluster performance against Alabama cost him the Heisman Trophy last season. This season, he’ll look to carry over his momentum from this past weekend’s win over Ole Miss.

Gunner Kiel (QB – Cincinnati): Like Fournette, Gunner Kiel made his return to the starting lineup on Saturday. While Fournette was only out for four weeks, Kiel made his first start in 11 months. The former five-star recruit lived up to the hype in week eight, leading the Bearcats to a 31-19 win over East Carolina.

Kiel did have to shake off a little bit of rust early on, but quickly got into a groove. He finished the game with 348 yards through the air, four touchdowns and no interceptions. He displayed very good ball placement, most notably on this 18-yard touchdown pass to Kahlil Lewis.

Gunner Kiel showing off his ball placement skills. pic.twitter.com/CAZN8h42aj

— Shawn Spencer (@Spencer_NFL) October 23, 2016

Not starting until late October has hurt Kiel’s stock, however he does have five regular season games and possibly a bowl to get back on track. He won’t be a first-round pick, but a solid finish to his career will lead to him being selected much earlier than projected. For someone with his arm talent, a day two pick is not out of the question.

Bucky Hodges (TE – Virginia Tech): On Thursday night in Blacksburg, Virginia Tech’s Bucky Hodges was the best player on the field. The versatile tight end caught a game-high seven passes for 66 yards and two touchdowns in a win over Miami.

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Five of McKinley’s six tackles occurred in the backfield. He also recorded three sacks and forced two fumbles. McKinley did a very good job of generating production while playing disciplined football. The junior college transfer has been a slow-rising prospect throughout the season, but his performance against Utah will force NFL clubs to take a closer look.

Over the past two seasons at UCLA, McKinley has been overshadowed by more well-known players like Myles Jack. Even on the defensive line, Kenny Clark and Eddie Vanderdoes are considered better prospects. He’s likely to end up as a pass-rushing outside linebacker in the NFL, but regardless of his future position, McKinley’s 2017 NFL Draft stock is about to rise quickly.

Jaleel Johnson (DT – Iowa): The Iowa defense kept the game close against Wisconsin, but just didn’t have the firepower on offense to pull out the victory. The school’s top prospect, cornerback Desmond King, played well as usual, but it was the play of another defender who should have caught the attention of NFL scouts.

Oct 17, 2015; Evanston, IL, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes defensive lineman Jaleel Johnson (67) celebrates after a fumble recovery during the second half of the game at Ryan Field. Mandatory Credit: Caylor Arnold-USA TODAY Sports

Senior defensive tackle Jaleel Johnson was a force in the trenches, preventing Corey Clement and the Badgers running game to rush up the middle. It wasn’t just the run game in which Johnson made an impact either. He finished off the third quarter with back-to-back sacks to prevent Wisconsin from taking a two-score lead.

Johnson already has set career highs in sacks and tackles for a loss this season. He won’t be in the first-round discussion like King, however Johnson is the second best 2017 NFL Draft prospect on the Iowa roster.

Jonathan Allen (DE – Alabama): Jonathan Allen would have been a first-round pick if he entered the draft last season and he’ll be a first-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. Just when you think he can’t improve his stock any further, he goes and does something like this.

This sack came on Texas A&M’s first offensive drive of the game and set the tone for the rest of the contest. Allen continued to create havoc in the Aggies backfield, as he landed three additional hits on quarterback Trevor Knight later in the game.

Allen does offer scheme versatility as he can play inside in a 4-3 defense or outside in a 3-4. He has more potential as a defensive tackle, but shouldn’t be taken off any team’s 2017 NFL Draft board. He’s a top-10 talent who could be taken higher depending on how the top of the draft shakes up.

Oct 17, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Oregon Ducks running back Royce Freeman (21) participates in pre game warmups against the Washington Huskies at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports

Stock Down: Offense

Royce Freeman (RB – Oregon): Vision and elusiveness are two aspects of Royce Freeman’s game that have stood out over the past two seasons. His ability to find the hole and force missed tackles are what earned him a second-round grade entering this season. Against California, those skills were nowhere to be found.

Freeman has not looked healthy since the week three game against Nebraska in which he suffered a leg injury. He would miss the following week’s contest against Colorado, but has played the past three games. Against the Golden Bears, Freeman gained just 10 yards on 15 carries.

In 13 games last season, Freeman failed to rush for 100 yards twice. In 2016, he’s already been held under the century mark in four of his six games. In what is a deep running back class, Freeman can’t afford to struggle down the stretch.

Josh Reynolds/Speedy Noil/Ricky Seals-Jones (WRs – Texas A&M): The Texas A&M wide receivers had a golden opportunity against the Alabama secondary to improve their 2017 NFL Draft stock. Josh Reynolds, Ricky Seals-Jones and Speedy Noil are all potential selections in the 2017 NFL Draft, yet they all failed to capitalize in the loss to Alabama.

The three prospects caught a total of three passes (Reynolds 2, Seals-Jones 1, Noil 0) for 52 yards as the Crimson Tide defense played lockdown defense for four quarters. The trio won’t face a secondary as tough as Alabama for the rest of the season, but the regular-season finale against LSU will provide a challenge.

All three are likely third-day picks if they declare for the 2017 NFL Draft (Reynolds is the only senior), but the two juniors may be better off returning to Texas A&M for another season.

Oct 22, 2016; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back Eddie Jackson (4) is carted off the field after being injured against Texas A&M Aggies at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports

Stock Down: Defense

Eddie Jackson (SS – Alabama) and William Likely (CB – Maryland): Eddie Jackson and William Likely wind up on this list for similar reasons this week. Both talented defensive backs double as return men for their respective schools and both suffered season-ending injuries. For Jackson and Likely, the next snap they play will be in the NFL.

Jackson suffered a broken leg returning a punt against Texas A&M this past weekend, while Likely’s ACL injury was sustained in Week 7, but the severity wasn’t known until last Friday.

As far as the 2017 NFL Draft goes, Jackson will be off the board by the end of round two at the latest. Likely on the other hand saw his stock take a more significant blow. A torn ACL means he will miss much of the offseason and possibly some game action next season. There were already durability concerns because of his size, this just exacerbates those concerns. If he’s drafted it won’t be until the late rounds.

Raekwon McMillan (ILB – Ohio State): Ohio State middle linebacker Raekwon McMillan has been discussed as a potential first-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, but that talk may come to an end after his less-than-stellar performance against Penn State.

McMillan didn’t look like himself in the loss to the Nittany Lions. Whether it was his inability to fight through traffic or being a step slow to the ball in coverage, McMillan was off his game. If this was the first occurrence, his stock wouldn’t take much of a hit. Unfortunately for the Buckeyes ILB, he’s slowly regressed since last season.

The junior was fighting with Alabama’s Reuben Foster to be the first ILB selected in the 2017 NFL Draft, however Foster has pulled away in that race. Zach Cunningham of Vanderbilt and Anthony Walker, Jr. of Northwestern could arguably be ranked ahead of McMillan as well.

Dawuane Smoot (DE – Illinois): This past weekend’s game against Michigan could have been Dawuane Smoot’s ticket to the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He had an opportunity to shine against one of the top teams and one of the better right tackles in the country. Instead, he fell flat and saw his stock tank after a poor performance.

Smoot is one of the top defensive ends in the Big Ten, but couldn’t get going against Michigan right tackle Erik Magnusson. Smoot finished the game with just one tackle as the Wolverines scored 41 points on the Illinois defense.

Smoot will have a chance to get back on track with five games left on the schedule, however none of those games will provide the challenge Michigan did. Wisconsin and Iowa boast solid offensive lines and will allow Smoot to somewhat redeem himself. In order for Smoot to be a first-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, he’s going to have to put on a show at the Scouting Combine.

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