Top 50 NFL Prospects of the 2017 NCAA Season
Winning a Heisman Trophy is very prestigious. It is the highest honor any college football athlete can win because it honors his excellence in college football and labels him the greatest athlete in the country that season. He becomes a part of a very exclusive club of former college football athletes that is only 80 members (Archie Griffin won the award twice).
There are many other awards in college football too. Besides the Heisman Trophy, they also have the Maxwell Award, William V. Campbell Trophy, Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award, Broyles Award, and Walter Camp Award. On the offensive side of the ball, they have the Biletnikoff Award, John Mackey Award, Davey O’Brien Award, Outland Trophy, Dave Rimington Trophy, and Doak Walker Award. The National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA) has been around for 20 years and is responsible for protecting the integrity of these awards.
But even winning all of the trophies, and being named to all of the All-American teams, both conference and nationally, does not guarantee success in the NFL. Danny Wuerffel, Eric Crouch, Jason White, Matt Leinart, Ty Detmer, Ricky Williams, and Rashaan Salaam are just a few names from the past 30 years that come to mind. The difference between college football and the NFL is so tremendous that scouts look for talent, not stats. They look for the size and strengths of players rather than being awed by how many touchdowns they scored.
So with the season beginning, we wanted to take a look at the NCAA college football players who are going to be the biggest and the best NFL stars for the next several years instead of simply listing out a bunch of college football players that are going to dominate the 2017 season. Enjoy.
50) Davin Bellamy, OLB
- Class: Senior
- School: Georgia
- Height: 6’5″
- Weight: 240
- Projected Round: 3rd-4th
49) Baker Mayfield, QB
- Class: Senior
- School: Oklahoma
- Height: 6’1″
- Weight: 218
- Projected Round: 4th-5th
48) Quin Blanding, FS
- Class: Senior
- School: Virginia
- Height: 6’2″
- Weight: 215
- Projected Round: 3rd-4th
47) Marquis Haynes, OLB
- Class: Senior
- School: Ole Miss
- Height: 6’3″
- Weight: 225
- Projected Round: 3rd-4th
46) Equanimeous St. Brown, WR
- Class: Junior
- School: Notre Dame
- Height: 6’5″
- Weight: 204
- Projected Round: 3rd
45) Bo Scarbrough, RB
- Class: Junior
- School: Alabama
- Height: 6’2″
- Weight: 232
- Projected Round: 2nd-3rd
44) Trenton Thompson, DT
- Class: Junior
- School: Georgia
- Height: 6’4″
- Weight: 295
- Projected Round: 2nd-3rd
43) Antonio Callaway, WR
- Class: Junior
- School: Florida
- Height: 5’11”
- Weight: 197
- Projected Round: 2nd-3rd
42) Josh Sweat, DE
- Class: Junior
- School: Florida State
- Height: 6’5″
- Weight: 250
- Projected Round: 2nd
41) Kendall Joseph, ILB
- Class: Junior
- School: Clemson
- Height: 6’1″
- Weight: 230
- Projected Round: 3rd
40) Dre’Mont Jones, DT
- Class: Sophomore
- School: Ohio State
- Height: 6’3″
- Weight: 295
- Projected Round: 2nd-3rd
39) Derrick Nnadi, DT
- Class: Senior
- School: Florida State
- Height: 6’1″
- Weight: 312
- Projected Round: 1st-2nd
38) Orlando Brown, OT
- Class: Junior
- School: Oklahoma
- Height: 6’8″
- Weight: 360
- Projected Round: 2nd-3rd
37) Jarrett Stidham, QB
- Class: Sophomore
- School: Auburn
- Height: 6’2″
- Weight: 214
- Projected Round: 3rd-4th
36) Vita Vea, DT
- Class: Junior
- School: Washington
- Height: 6’5″
- Weight: 344
- Projected Round: 2nd-3rd
35) Deon Cain, WR
- Class: Junior
- School: Clemson
- Height: 6’1″
- Weight: 210
- Projected Round: 3rd
34) Martinas Rankin, OT
- Class: Senior
- School: Mississippi State
- Height: 6’5″
- Weight: 305
- Projected Round: 3rd
33) Maurice Hurst, DT
- Class: Senior
- School: Michigan
- Height: 6’2″
- Weight: 282
- Projected Round: 2nd-3rd
32) Jaire Alexander, CB
- Class: Junior
- School: Louisville
- Height: 5’11”
- Weight: 192
- Projected Round: 1st-2nd
31) Quenton Nelson, OG
- Class: Senior
- School: Notre Dame
- Height: 6’5″
- Weight: 329
- Projected Round: 1st-2nd
30) Cameron Smith, ILB
- Class: Junior
- School: USC
- Height: 6’2″
- Weight: 245
- Projected Round: 2nd
29) Jerome Baker, OLB
- Class: Junior
- School: Ohio State
- Height: 6’1″
- Weight: 225
- Projected Round: 2nd-3rd
28) Bradley Chubb, DE
- Class: Senior
- School: NC State
- Height: 6’4″
- Weight: 275
- Projected Round: 3rd
27) Marcus Allen, FS
- Class: Senior
- School: Penn State
- Height: 6’2″
- Weight: 202
- Projected Round: 2nd
26) Da’Shawn Hand, DE
- Class: Senior
- School: Alabama
- Height: 6’4″
- Weight: 282
- Projected Round: 1st-2nd
25) James Washington, WR
- Class: Senior
- School: Oklahoma State
- Height: 6’1″
- Weight: 205
- Projected Round: 2nd
24) Lamar Jackson, QB
- Class: Junior
- School: Louisville
- Height: 6’3″
- Weight: 200
- Projected Round: 2nd
23) Chukwuma Okorafor, OT
- Class: Senior
- School: Western Michigan
- Height: 6’5″
- Weight: 330
- Projected Round: 3rd-4th
22) Courtland Sutton, WR
- Class: Junior
- School: SMU
- Height: 6’4″
- Weight: 218
- Projected Round: 2nd
21) Micah Kiser, ILB
- Class: Senior
- School: Virginia
- Height: 6’2″
- Weight: 240
- Projected Round: 1st
20) Sam Hubbard, DE
- Class: Junior
- School: Ohio State
- Height: 6’5″
- Weight: 265
- Projected Round: 1st
19) Mason Rudolph, QB
- Class: Senior
- School: Oklahoma State
- Height: 6’5″
- Weight: 230
- Projected Round: 2nd
18) Mitch Hyatt, OT
- Class: Junior
- School: Clemson
- Height: 6’5″
- Weight: 295
- Projected Round: 1st-2nd
17) Calvin Ridley, WR
- Class: Junior
- School: Alabama
- Height: 6’1″
- Weight: 190
- Projected Round: 1st
16) Christian Kirk, WR
- Class: Junior
- School: Texas A&M
- Height: 5’11”
- Weight: 200
- Projected Round: 1st
15) Harold Landry, OLB
- Class: Senior
- School: Boston College
- Height: 6’3″
- Weight: 250
- Projected Round: 1st
- Best Fit NFL Team:
14) Malik Jefferson, OLB
- Class: Junior
- School: Texas
- Height: 6’3″
- Weight: 240
- Projected Round: 1st
- Best Fit NFL Team:
13) Tyquan Lewis, DE
- Class: Senior
- School: Ohio State
- Height: 6’4″
- Weight: 265
- Projected Round: 1st
12) Derrius Guice, RB
- Class: Junior
- School: LSU
- Height: 5’11”
- Weight: 212
- Projected Round: 1st
11) Connor Williams, OT
- Class: Junior
- School: Texas
- Height: 6’6″
- Weight: 320
- Projected Round: 1st
10) Josh Allen, QB
- Class: Junior
- School: Wyoming
- Height: 6’5″
- Weight: 233
- Projected Round: 1st
- Best Fit NFL Team: San Francisco 49ers
9) Tarvarus McFadden, CB
- Class: Junior
- School: Florida State
- Height: 6’2″
- Weight: 198
- Projected Round: 1st
- Best Fit NFL Team: Los Angeles Rams, Arizona Cardinals, Tampa Bay Bucs
8) Mike McGlinchey, OT
- Class: Senior
- School: Notre Dame
- Height: 6’8″
- Weight: 312
- Projected Round: 1st
- Best Fit NFL Team: Philadelphia Eagles, Denver Broncos
7) Saquon Barkley, RB
- Class: Junior
- School: Penn State
- Height: 5’11”
- Weight: 223
- Projected Round: 1st
- Best Fit NFL Team: Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills
6) Minkah Fitzpatrick, FS
- Class: Junior
- School: Alabama
- Height: 6’1″
- Weight: 201
- Projected Round: 1st
- Best Fit NFL Team: Los Angeles Rams, Cleveland Browns
5) Josh Rosen, QB
- Class: Junior
- School: UCLA
- Height: 6’4″
- Weight: 220
- Projected Round: 1st-2nd
- Best Fit NFL Team: Pittsburgh Steelers
4) Christian Wilkins, DT
- Class: Junior
- School: Clemson
- Height: 6’4″
- Weight: 310
- Projected Round: 1st
- Best Fit NFL Team: Washington Redskins, Buffalo Bills
3) Arden Key, DE
- Class: Junior
- School: LSU
- Height: 6’6″
- Weight: 238
- Projected Round: 1st
- Best Fit NFL Team: New Orleans Saints , Indianapolis Colts
2) Derwin James, SS
- Class: Sophomore
- School: Florida State
- Height: 6’3″
- Weight: 211
- Projected Round: 1st
- Best Fit NFL Team: Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Indianapolis Colts
1) Sam Darnold, QB
- Class: Sophomore
- School: USC
- Height: 6’4″
- Weight: 225
- Projected Round: 1st
- Best Fit NFL Team: New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers