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2017 Outback Bowl: 5 NFL Draft Prospects to Watch

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 12:47 p.m. ET

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Nov 19, 2016; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; Florida Gators defensive back Teez Tabor (31) celebrates the win over the LSU Tigers at Tiger Stadium. The Gators defeat the Tigers 16-10. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Looking at the five best 2017 NFL Draft prospects playing for Florida and Iowa in the 2017 Outback Bowl.

The bowls have been really hit and miss this year. This game features teams from two conferences who so far during bowl season haven’t lived up to their lofty rankings. SEC & Big 10 bowl issues aside, Monday’s Outback Bowl game promises a good game. Both squads bring a plethora of serious talent to the table, meaning however the game goes plenty of NFL scouts will be looking at some of these Outback Bowl draft prospects.

This year’s game features two teams trending in opposite directions. The Iowa Hawkeyes had a down season this year, coming off a season in which they finished the regular season undefeated before losing in the Rose Bowl, while the Florida Gators come into the bowl as a team building towards a bright future.

The defenses are going to be the focal point of this matchup, as both teams come in with elite talent on that side of the ball. For the Iowa Hawkeyes, much of the focus will be on cornerback Desmond King, who could have been a first-round selection last season had he decided to forego his senior season.

The Florida Gators feature two of the best cornerbacks in all of college football in Jalen Tabor and Quincy Wilson. The talent doesn’t end in the defensive backfield for an up-and-coming Gators squad. They have one of the nation’s best linebackers in Jarrad Davis, and a potential first-round defensive lineman in Caleb Brantley.

So who are the top 5 Outback Bowl draft prospects? Let’s break it down, starting with number five.

Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

5. Jaleel Johnson – DT, Iowa

Defensive tackle Jaleel Johnson has been an absolute beast for the Hawkeyes defense the past two seasons. In his junior season, his first as a starter, Johnson burst onto the scene with 45 tackles (5.5 for a loss) and 3.5 sacks, adding a fumble recovery for good measure.

His 2016 senior campaign has been even better, cementing Johnson as a legitimate NFL Draft prospect. With one game to go in the season, Johnson has put up 55 tackles (10 of them for a loss) and jumped his sack production up to 7.5 sacks. Few players in the Big 10 have been as much of a disruption on the defensive line as this Hawkeyes star.

Looking beyond the stat sheet, Johnson has a lot of the traits that you want from an NFL-caliber defensive tackle. He doesn’t have the elite athleticism of some recent first round picks like an Aaron Donald or Chris Jones. But at 6-5, 310 pounds, Johnson does have very good athleticism.

Johnson is a strong guy who frequently sheds blockers with ease. But far from being a one-trick pony, Johnson also shows the speed and athleticism to get around blockers and close in on the quarterback. The knock on Johnson is that he’s not consistent. All things considered, Johnson is a solid day 2 prospect, likely landing in the late second or early third range.

Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

4. Desmond King – CB, Iowa

The second of the Iowa prospects to watch is their star cornerback and return man, Desmond King. King burst onto the scene in his junior year of 2015, making a name for himself with his stellar production.

King tallied a ridiculous eight interceptions in 2015 and had 13 passes broken up. His ball skills were unquestioned. If that wasn’t enough to sell scouts on King being a big-time prospect, he added 72 tackles and a significant contribution as both a kick and punt returner. That kind of versatility, along with his skill set, should make him a very enticing prospect. King likely would have been a first round pick had he come out in the 2015 draft.

However, King decided to come back to Iowa City for his senior season, and his production fell off somewhat. King returned to Earth with only two interceptions and seven passes broken up. The drop in production isn’t necessarily bad, however. Teams obviously made a very concerted effort to avoid throwing King’s way. For good reason.

What may ultimately hurt King is his lack of size, coupled with a strong group of cornerbacks in this year’s draft. As we’ll see in a minute, there are two other, better, cornerback prospects in this game alone.

King is listed at 5-11 and around 200 pounds. If, as frequently happens with the position, he measures smaller than that at the 2016 NFL Combine, teams may begin to view King as a corner who can only contribute in nickel and dime packages. There have also been rumblings about King potentially sliding to safety at the next level, but he doesn’t have the size or range typically found at the position.

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3. Quincy Wilson – CB, Florida

I don’t think there’s any question that the best cornerback duo in the nation comes from the University of Florida. Both Quincy Wilson and Teez Tabor are likely first round selections. Wilson has one more year of eligibility left, so the only question will be if he’s a first round pick in this year’s draft or next. I think he’s likely to declare after this game, and should hear his name come off the board somewhere in the middle of the first round.

Wilson doesn’t have the production numbers that the other cornerbacks on this list have. He’s only notched 31 tackles this season, with three interceptions and six passes broken up. If Wilson does start to slide, this could be the reason.

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Think back to last year’s draft with Mackensie Alexander. Alexander was thought by most to be a first-round prospect, but slipped to Minnesota in the second thanks in part to zero career interceptions at Clemson.

Wilson, for my money, is just slightly behind Tabor in terms of his pro prospects. Wilson is the bigger, more physical of the two, coming in at 6-1, 213 pounds. His size gives him an advantage over the smaller, slot-type receivers. His speed and athleticism allows him to hang with those guys down the field.

Wilson’s length and size allows him to also match up with the bigger, more possession-type receivers and shut them down as well. Wilson has an excellent skill set and projects quite well to the next level.

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2. Jarrad Davis – LB, Florida

The best athlete on the field for Monday’s Outback Bowl may very well be Florida linebacker Jarrad Davis. In a game with stud athletes all over the field, Davis takes the cake. At 6-3, 230 pounds, Davis has the prototypical size and speed combination you want from a start linebacker. And he’s lived up to that potential in a big way.

An all-around linebacker, Davis gives you great production in both the running game and the passing game. Davis is an aggressive linebacker who quickly diagnosis plays and breaks on the ball with great speed. He fills the hole exceptionally, and is a very solid tackler when he doesn’t get overly aggressive.

Not only does Davis have great straight-line quickness, but he’s exhibited very good lateral quickness, too. Davis can move from sideline-to-sideline to chase down shifty backs, a quarterback breaking from the pocket, or a man escaping to the flat.

In the pass game, this is where Davis really shines. The straight-line quickness makes Davis a dangerous blitzer. When he’s not blitzing, Davis has shown good, but not great, coverage skills. He can hang with bigger receivers and tight ends in coverage. Davis has also shown some decent ball skills for a linebacker.

Davis will likely be either the second or third linebacker off the board, behind only Alabama’s Reuben Foster, and possibly Vanderbilt’s Zach Cunningham. I look for Davis to go towards the latter part of the first round, possibly early in round two.

Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

1. Jalen “Teez” Tabor – CB, Florida

“Teez” Tabor and USC’s Adoree’ Jackson are the two best cover cornerbacks likely to be in the 2017 NFL Draft. Right now I would give the slight edge to Jackson. However, Tabor is an all-around corner that any team picking in the top half of the first round will be thrilled to have.

Tabor can do everything you ask of him from the cornerback position. At 6-0 and 191 pounds, he has enough size to hold up against larger receivers. He also has the speed and quickness to shade the small, speedy guys. Whether he’s on the outside or moved inside to slot, Tabor will be an elite corner in this league for years to come.

He didn’t have his best season in 2016, amassing 32 tackles, four interceptions, and five passes broken up. Over the past two seasons, he’s shown he has the length, cover skills, and balance to play at an elite level.

If anything is going to give teams pause and move Tabor down their draft boards, it’s going to be his off-the-field issues. Tabor has had multiple run-ins with trouble. Most recently, he was suspended for the first game of this season after a fight with a teammate. This may be just enough separation for some squads to put not only Jackson, but teammate Quincy Wilson ahead of Tabor on their board. Even so, if Tabor is still available in the 20’s, I’ll be surprised.

Tabor is the head of the class in what should be a stacked lineup of Outback Bowl draft prospects. No matter what the final score winds up being, I’m looking for an entertaining game from both squads.