National Football League

College Football:NFL Draft Prospects Who Must Step Up Week 1

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Sep 12, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Southern California Trojans receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (9) celebrates with fans after scoring on a 41-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter against the Idaho Vandals at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The wait is over! College football is back in a big way this Labor Day weekend with a plethora of games with playoff implications. This also means prospects for the 2017 NFL Draft will finally have new game film to dissect.

The draft may be more than seven months away, but it’s never too early to start watching these future NFL players. Whether you’re anxiously awaiting Oklahoma at Houston, UCLA at Texas A&M, LSU versus Wisconsin at Lambeau Field or USC versus Alabama in Dallas, there are plenty of prospects to keep an eye on; and that’s just Saturday.

Texas hosts Notre Dame Sunday night, while Ole Miss and Florida State battle under the lights on Monday.

While one game won’t make or break a prospect’s hopes of being drafted, there are certainly games that carry more weight than others. Whether it’s a critical one-on-one matchup or a small-school prospect getting a chance to play on the big stage, these are the games scouts tend to base their reports off of. For these nine prospects, opening weekend is especially critical to their draft stock.

Dec 20, 2014; Boise, ID, USA; Western Michigan Broncos wide receiver Corey Davis (84) catches a touchdown pass during the first half of the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl verses the Air Force Falcons at Albertsons Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Losness-USA TODAY Sports

Corey Davis (WR – Western Michigan) vs. Northwestern

Corey Davis is one of the best receivers in college football and he’s finally starting to receive the recognition his skillset warrants. His 154-yard performance with 10 catches in last season’s opener against Michigan State put him on the map, and he’ll have the opportunity to boost his stock even higher against another Big Ten opponent.

Last season, Davis teamed up with Daniel Braverman to form one of the best one-two punches at WR in all of college football. While Braverman ended up being selected in the seventh round, the expectations are much higher for Davis. Barring injury, it’s extremely unlikely Davis is still on the board after the second day of the 2017 NFL Draft.

Without Braverman, Davis will see more targets than ever as Western Michigan looks to build upon last year’s 8-5 season. Zach Terrell is once again back at QB and he leads a Broncos offense which ranked 17th in the nation last season. After catching 90 passes for 1,436 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2015, don’t be surprised to see a 100-1,500-15 line from Davis in 2016.

Nov 1, 2014; Manhattan, KS, USA; Kansas State Wildcats defensive backs Dante Barnett (22) and Dylan Schellenberg (20) break up a pass during the Wildcats

Dante Barnett (SS – Kansas State) vs. Stanford

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After suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in last season’s opener, Dante Barnett is back for his fifth season with Kansas State. The leader of the defense will have his hands full early on as the Wildcats look to tame Christian McCaffrey and the Stanford offense.

While it seems like every year under Bill Snyder the senior leaders of Kansas State were at one time walk-ons, that’s not the case with Barnett. Although he was only a two-star recruit, he excelled as a true freshman in 2012, cracking the starting lineup. He’s been a force in the secondary ever since and was sorely missed last season.

The Kansas State secondary managed a grand total of one interception last season. Barnett has seven in his career and will look to add to that total in his final collegiate season. The injury has thrown up a red flag on his scouting report, but he can ease those concerns with a solid senior season. He could be a late-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft.

Oct 31, 2015; Madison, WI, USA; Wisconsin Badgers running back Corey Clement (6) rushes with the football during the third quarter against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Camp Randall Stadium. Wisconsin won 48-10. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Corey Clement (RB – Wisconsin) vs. LSU

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Another 2017 NFL Draft prospect coming off an injury-plagued season is Wisconsin running back Corey Clement. In what was supposed to be his breakout year, he only played in four games. After being groomed to be the next star RB at Wisconsin, Clement will finally have the opportunity to prove his worth to the NFL.

With Melvin Gordon leaving for the NFL, Clement was supposed to be “the man” in Madison last season. That didn’t happen due to injury and a late-season suspension, and it may never happen. Dare Ogunbowale shined in Clement’s absence and is the team’s returning leader in both rushing and receiving. While Clement is the starter, both Ogunbowale and sophomore Taiwan Deal will take away from his carries.

The opening matchup will be as tough as it gets for the Wisconsin running backs as LSU finished 2015 with the 17th best run defense in the nation and returns 10 starters. This includes all four defensive linemen and Kendell Beckwith at inside linebacker. In what is expected to be a very deep running back class, Clement must start strong or he’ll fall further and further down 2017 NFL Draft boards.

Jan 11, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back Marlon Humphrey (26) celebrates after recovering an onside kick during the fourth quarter against the Clemson Tigers in the 2016 CFP National Championship at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

JuJu Smith-Schuster (WR – USC) vs. Marlon Humphrey (CB – Alabama)

It’s not often fans and scouts get to see the number one prospect at two different positions go head-to-head; especially this early in the season. That’s the case this season as JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marlon Humphrey will faceoff Saturday night at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys.

Whether or not you believe Smith-Schuster and Humphrey are the top players at their respective positions, there’s no denying this is going to be a special matchup. Unfortunately Alabama likes to keep their cornerbacks on one side of the field, so the two won’t go head-to-head every play. In 2015, Humphrey was primarily the LCB while current New England Patriots CB Cyrus Jones manned the right side of the defense.

Smith-Schuster will have to adjust to a new quarterback this season as Max Browne takes over for Cody Kessler. How quickly those two connect could determine the outcome of this game. When Alabama has the ball, keep an eye on the Calvin Ridley versus Iman Marshall matchup on the outside. Those are two prospects who could be selected very early in the 2018 NFL Draft.

Sep 25, 2014; Tempe, AZ, USA; UCLA Bruins offensive lineman Conor McDermott (68) against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Sun Devil Stadium. UCLA defeated Arizona State 62-27. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Conor McDermott (OT – UCLA) vs. Texas A&M

UCLA offensive linemen Alex Redmond and Caleb Benenoch both bolted early for the NFL after last season, but left tackle Conor McDermott decided to come back for his senior season. While QB Josh Rosen may be the star of the UCLA football team, McDermott will have the most important job of all Saturday afternoon.

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He’ll try to prevent Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett from sacking Rosen on the road at what should be a raucous Kyle Field.

That is much easier said than done as Garrett will likely be the first non-QB selected in the 2017 NFL Draft. Rosen, who will be turning his back to Garrett on most plays, is a potential number one overall selection in 2018. In between the two is McDermott, a 6-foot-8 left tackle who took over as a starter halfway through his redshirt sophomore season.

The Pac-12 is lacking star pass-rushers off the edge this season, so this game will be by far the toughest and most critical one-on-one matchup for McDermott all season. He’s still a little raw from a technique standpoint, but could be in the mix for a late first-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft if he can help keep Rosen upright.

Jan 2, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers quarterback Skyler Howard (3) passes against the Arizona State Sun Devils during the second half of the 2016 Cactus Bowl at Chase Field. The Mountaineers won 43-42. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Skyler Howard (QB – West Virginia) vs. Missouri

In reality, it’s going to be tough for Skyler Howard to work his way into the 2017 NFL Draft. For starters, despite being listed at six-feet tall by the school, Howard is likely much closer to 5-foot-11.

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While the difference may not seem like a lot, quarterbacks under 6-feet, tend to be dropped on the draft board.

Also going against Howard is the offense. The Big 12 is known for high-scoring, pass-happy offenses, and West Virginia is no different. The Mountaineers may have a more balanced attack than many of the teams in the conference, but Dana Holgorsen is still a pass-first coach.

Completing passes should be a big focus for Howard this season, as he struggled to throw a consistent ball. Over the final 10 games of the 2015 season, he completed less than 55 percent of his passes in eight.

With a talented receiving corps back for 2016, Howard must take multiple steps forward in his development. The West Virginia athletic department didn’t make it easy on him, as the Mountaineers will host Missouri to open the season. The Tigers have a stellar pass rush led by DE Charles Harris. They also finished the 2015 season ranked number five overall against the pass.

Dec 5, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Cougars linebacker Steven Taylor (41) reacts after making a defensive play during the first half against the Temple Owls in the Mid-American Conference football championship game at TDECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Steven Taylor (OLB – Houston) vs. Oklahoma

With Elandon Roberts and William Jackson III now in the NFL, Steven Taylor is the undisputed leader of the Houston defense. After a 13-1 season in 2015, can Taylor lead the Cougars back to a New Year’s Six bowl game?

Houston will look to carry the momentum from the win against Florida State in the Peach Bowl over to this season. The road doesn’t get any tougher than the season opener against Oklahoma. Taylor, who among returning defenders led the team in tackles, sacks and interceptions, will have his hands full. Baker Mayfield and Samaje Perine lead the rushing attack, while Dede Westbrook and Mark Andrews are dangerous receivers.

Even if Houston can’t pull off the upset, expect Taylor to be all over the field and amass a ton of tackles. It’s unlikely he’ll be a first-round pick like Jackson, or even a day two selection, but Taylor will look to make a name for himself and earn a spot in the 2017 NFL Draft.

Sep 6, 2014; Seattle, WA, USA; Eastern Washington Eagles wide receiver Cooper Kupp (10) catches a pass for a touchdown over Washington Huskies defensive back Budda Baker (32) during the first half at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

Cooper Kupp (WR – Eastern Washington) vs. Washington State

Eastern Washington’s football program may be best known as of late for Vernon Adams and red turf, but that’s about to change. Wide receiver Cooper Kupp is not only one of the best wideouts in the FCS, he’s one of the best receivers in all of college football.

Last season, Kupp won the Walter Payton Award as the most outstanding player in the FCS. He became the first WR to win the award since Brian Finneran in 1997. Prior to Kupp winning, the award had been presented to a QB 11 years in-a-row. He already holds seven FCS records and will look to add his name even more in 2016.

The quest begins against Washington State in what should be a very high-scoring game. Eastern Washington fell to Oregon last season 61-42 and it wouldn’t be a surprise if this game surpassed the 103 points scored in last season’s opener.

This will be the fourth and final game Kupp plays against the Pac-12. In the three previous games, he has 28 receptions for 510 yards and eight touchdowns. That includes a 246-yard performance against the Ducks last season, one of three 200-yard games for Kupp a year ago. Another strong season should cement Kupp’s status as a day two pick in the 2017 NFL Draft.

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