Small-school sleepers to watch at the NFL Combine
The players from Power Five conference colleges get most of the hype at the combine, but smaller-school prospects will also have an opportunity to make a splash. Here are 30 of them who are worth watching.
Ben Bartch, OG, St. John's (MN)
A 6-foot-5 interior lineman, the combine will be particularly important for Bartch as he shows that he can stand up against FBS talent. If all goes well, he could have a second-day draft ceiling.
Harrison Bryant, TE, Florida Atlantic
Bryant is on the draft radar after a huge senior season, with 65 catches for 1,004 yards and seven touchdowns. The 6-foot-5 tight end was more productive with each season and could be a late-round selection.
Raymond Calais, RB, Louisiana
Slightly undersized at 5-foot-9, the speedy Calais averaged 7.8 yards per carry during his college career while also handling kick return duties. He has limited tread on his tires with only 236 touches for his career, which could also make him more attractive to NFL teams in the middle rounds.
Jeremy Chinn, S, Southern Illinois
Chinn has already helped himself at the Senior Bowl and has ample size for a safety at 6-foot-2. He could be an early Day 3 pick if he has a strong combine.
Ezra Cleveland, OT, Boise State
Cleveland left Boise after his junior season and has hopes of being a Day 3 selection. At 6-foot-6, he has plenty of size and could certainly help himself in combine testing.
Gabriel Davis, WR, UCF
Davis is a solid and productive prospect in a 2020 class loaded with wideouts. At 6-foot-3, he had a huge junior season at UCF with 72 catches for 1,241 yards and 12 touchdowns. He has a possibility of going on Day 2 of the draft.
Akeem Davis-Gaither, OLB, Appalachian State
A highly productive player over the last two seasons at App State, Davis-Gaither had 96 tackles in 2018 and 101 tackles last season. He also showed versatility as both a coverage backer and pass rusher, but a lack of top physical ability will likely make him fall to Day 3 of the draft.
Kyle Dugger, S, Lenoir-Rhyne
Dugger has brought Lenoir-Rhyne some rare attention to its football program. He had some injury issues in college but impressed at both safety and as a returner. With elite physical ability, he's a realistic second- or third-round pick.
Tipa Galeai, LB, Utah State
Quarterback Jordan Love wasn't the only Utah State player garnering attention from NFL scouts last year. A TCU transfer, Galeai has interesting edge rusher ability with a total of 15 sacks over the last two seasons and plenty of size at 6-foot-5. He could be a Day 3 pick.
Antonio Gandy-Golden, WR, Liberty
Gandy-Golden has everything you could want from a small-school prospect, including plus physical ability at 6-foot-4 and the production to boot. He had 1,037 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2018 and was even better last season, with 1,396 yards and 10 more touchdowns. He could go as high as the second round despite the loaded wide receiver class.
Trevis Gipson, DE, Tulsa
Edge rushers are often drafted for their projectability, and Gipson has plenty. The 6-foot-4 defensive end has desirable NFL size and blossomed to record eight sacks in his senior season. He will be a work in progress who could be picked on Day 3.
Matt Hennessy, OC, Temple
Hennessy was one of the country's top centers last season and named a finalist for the Rimington Trophy. He started in three consecutive seasons and could be a safe early Day 3 pick in the draft.
Robert Hunt, OT, Louisiana
A versatile offensive lineman at Louisiana, Hunt has plenty of college experience. He missed time with a groin injury last season, but teams could find his versatility attractive enough to make him a Day 2 pick.
Keith Ismael, OG, San Diego State
Slightly undersized at 6-foot-3, Ismael can play either guard or center. He finished out his career at the latter position and could be an early Day 3 pick in the draft.
Josh Jones, OT, Houston
Jones has legitimate first-round pick upside after an accomplished college career as Houston's left tackle. He can solidify his status with a strong combine performance.
Jordan Love, QB, Utah State
Love regressed in his junior season at Utah State, but still opted to enter the NFL Draft. He has a slight chance to be a late first-round pick, with a strong arm and mobility that teams crave. He had 32/6 TD/INT as a sophomore but regressed to 20/17 TD/INT last season with less talent around him.
Darnell Mooney, WR, Tulane
Standing at 5-foot-11, Mooney could be knocked for his size as well as his statistical regression in his senior season. He still had a strong college career, including 993 yards receiving and eight scores in 2018 before declining to 713 yards and five scores last season. He has a chance to be a late-round pick in a deep wide receiver class.
James Morgan, QB, Florida International
A transfer from Bowling Green, Morgan started two seasons at Florida International with varying degrees of success. After completing more than 65 percent of his passes in 2018, Morgan completed only 58 percent last season but is still on the radar as a late-round selection.
Matt Peart, OT, UConn
Peart has experience at both tackle spots and has blossomed into a solid solid right tackle prospect. He could go as early as the third round of the draft with a strong combine.
James Pierre, CB, Florida Atlantic
Pierre left Florida Atlantic following his junior season and could get a look after a strong junior season with three picks in 13 games. He also has plenty of size at 6-foot-2.
James Proche, WR, SMU
Proche was extremely productive in the explosive SMU offense, with nearly 4,000 yards receiving and 39 touchdowns for his career. He might not have the speed to go before Day 3 of the draft, but his production should get him a look somewhere.
Amik Robertson, CB, Louisiana Tech
Undersized at 5-foot-9, Robertson was productive at Louisiana and has shown the skill set to handle work as a slot corner in the NFL. He had a whopping 14 interceptions in three seasons and could be a late-round steal for the right team.
Reggie Robinson II, CB, Tulsa
Robinson is hoping to hear his name called in the draft, and a strong combine will go a long way in reaching that goal. He saw playing time in all four seasons at Tulsa and capped off his career with four picks in 2019.
Charlie Taumoepeau, TE, Portland State
Undersized for a tight end at 6-foot-2, Taumoepeau had 36 catches for 474 yards and two touchdowns in his final season at Portland State. He has a chance to be a late-round pick or priority free agent signing.
Patrick Taylor, RB, Memphis
Taylor can draw comparisons to Derrick Henry due to his size and stature, but he's leaving Memphis at the wrong time after playing only six games last season due to injury. For his career, Taylor averaged a solid 5.4 yards per carry but struggled during his final season. A strong combine performance would go a long way in silencing the doubters.
Adam Trautman, TE, Dayton
Trautman was one of the top FCS players last season, with 70 catches for 916 yards and 14 touchdowns. He has plenty of size at 6-foot-5, and the pass-catching skills could vault him up draft boards a la Ashland alum Adam Shaheen in 2017, who is now a member of the NFL Bears.
Kindle Vildor, CB, Georgia Southern
Vildor had plenty of experience and production in college. There are questions about his size at 5-foot-10, but if he tests well, Vildor could be a solid third-day pick.
Curtis Weaver, DE, Boise State
A highly productive edge rusher at Boise State, Weaver had 34 sacks in three seasons, including 13.5 sacks last season. He has a remote shot to be a Day 1 pick with a strong combine but is more likely a Day 2 selection.
Logan Wilson, ILB, Wyoming
Wilson was a tackling machine in four seasons at Wyoming, accumulating at least 94 tackles in each season. He was also a playmaker with 10 interceptions and seven sacks for his career. He could be an early-career starter with a third-round draft ceiling.
David Woodward, LB, Utah State
Woodward had 134 tackles in 2018, but his final college season was cut short due to injury. He still managed 93 tackles in seven games and could be a late-round selection with a strong combine.
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