Week 7 of the college football season had some great play as the draft eligible players showcased themselves for the NFL Draft. In this edition of Stock Up, Stock Down & Names to Watch, I will dig into the games I watched and prospects who made an impact or lagged behind. These are only taken from the games I watched for Draft Countdown, but we will discuss even more prospects on our Podcast. If you want to see where I think players are in terms of their overall stock, head over to my Rankings, and if you want more specifics, sent me a tweet @ShanePHallam
Stock up
Jarrett Patterson, C, Notre Dame
Patterson’s move to Guard this season has worked out wonderfully for the Irish and Patterson’s draft stock. He was the catalyst against Clemson’s stout defensive line in the Irish upset, dominating talents like Bryan Bresee at the point of attack. Toughness, strength, and a great base allows Patterson to work well in a power run scheme. Look for him to be a Top 50 pick as an immediate NFL starter.
Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas
Putting the undisputed top RB on this list feels like cheating, but my goodness, he showed why he will be a dominant NFL runner next year. With 209 yards on the ground and another 34 through the air, Robinson was bouncing off of Kansas State defenders throughout the game. His contact balance on low hits is exceptional, along with good feet and a powerful to body to give it to the defense. Robinson could be a Top 10 pick in the NFL Draft, and that New Orleans Saints pick held by the Philadelphia Eagles might be mighty tempting.
Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU
A few weeks ago on The Draft Countdown Podcast I joked that Daniels was off the NFL Draft radar. Since then, he has been hot the past few weeks with both his arm and his legs. The offense has finally been opened up, and he has risen to the challenge Going up against Alabama, Daniels had a shot to establish himself as more than just a runner at QB, and he came through with the upset. Not only did he utilize his legs for an Overtime rushing TD, but Daniels had an NFL passing TD to take the lead in the 4th quarter. An NFL team may be intrigued to bring him in to develop.
Kendre Miller, RB, TCU
As TCU continues their undefeated run, Miller is a huge reason why. His ability to utilize his feet to change direction quickly allows him to evade contact easily for big plays. 158 yards on the ground and a TD against Texas Tech was another statement game. Miller has slowly creeped into my Top 10 RBs for the draft with great size, athleticism and quickness. He can run inside or outside and has shown real NFL talent. The stock is moving up fast.
Tyree Wilson, EDGE, Texas Tech
One of the highlights for the Red Raiders was Wilson with 2.5 TFL and 0.5 sack in the game. He was abusing the edge of the TCU offensive line with a smooth first step that allows a dip and turn on the corner. Running outside to his side was fruitless for the Horned Frogs and they moved their focus to the other side. A potential first round pick, Wilson stands out almost every game.
Stock Down
Myles Murphy, EDGE, Clemson
Murphy is still a top NFL Draft prospect, but it wasn’t his best showing for the whole game. An early sack on Drew Pyne looked like a huge game for Murphy was coming, but he was awfully quiet after that. Often going against sophomore LT Joe Alt, Murphy was handled in the run game easily. Murphy’s size and athleticism just could not contend play to play as Alt got under his pads. It showed some of the issues in his game, but ultimately, Murphy is still a great pass rusher who has elite potential.
Eli Ricks, CB, Alabama
Ricks was on the bench for many of Alabama’s early games, but got the nod after Tennessee drubbed the secondary. The LSU transfer flashed his elite skillset for a few games and looked to have rehabbed his draft stock. With a game against his old team circled, it was an important match-up, and Ricks did not pass the test. WR Malik Nabers had numerous catches over the top that Ricks didn’t turn around for. On Daniels overtime TD run, Ricks had a shot to get him down and got rocked on a block. It is stock down for Ricks.
Names To Know
Jarrick Bernard-Converse, CB, LSU
A name that I had not really focused on, Bernard-Converse may have been LSU’s best CB against Alabama. He had sticky coverage all game and a key interception of Bryce Young in the game. Sticky coverage, had an interception off of Bryce Young. An Oklahoma State transfer, he has a ton of experience and is playing better as of late. A definite name to know.
Deslin Alexandre, EDGE, Pittsburgh
Pitt’s upset of Syracuse was in part thanks to its defensive front creating a ton of pressure. In every Panthers game, a different defensive player seems to step up and make an impact. Alexandre was in the backfield constantly racking up 2.5 sacks, batting down a ball, and more. He’s massive, strong and long. As a developmental player, the physical traits are there for upside down the line.
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