Examining Possible NFL Draft Picks for MSU and OM

Aug 7, 2015; Canton, OH, USA; General view of 2015 NFL draft selection cards of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Jameis Winston), Tennessee Titans (Marcus Mariota) and Jacksonville Jaguars (Dante Fowler). Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

With the season less than two weeks away and not much else going on in the sports world, a debate on a Facebook smack page got me to thinking about the potential 2016 NFL draft picks on the Mississippi State and Ole Miss rosters this upcoming season.

This season could possibly bring both fan bases their most talented rosters ever in regards to to next level potential.

Ole Miss players with first through third round potential:

Defensive Tackle Robert Nkemdiche – 6’4 296

Robert has as much pro potential as any football player in the SEC. Will 2015 be the year that he puts it all together and become a top five or ten pick? There’s a very good chance of that happening.

Safety Tony Conner – 6’0 215

Tony is a very good football player with a very bright future but I’m assuming that’s not something that you didn’t already know.

In my opinion Tony is not a sure fire first rounder, but that has nothing to do with talent. Only one safety was drafted in the first round last year and with Jalen Ramsey, Nate Andrews, Jalen Mills and Karl Joseph more than likely entering the 2016 NFL draft, it’s going to be a tough chore.

Wide Receiver Laquon Treadwell – 6’2 210

Treadwell is still considered a sure fire first rounder according to most draft gurus and he very well may be, but I want to see how the young man comes back from a gruesome fibula injury before I make my mind up. Not that my opinion matters or anything, but even if he’s not completely back mentally in 2015, there’s no way a guy with this much talent goes past the second round.

To even be back on the practice field right now tells you how bad this kid wants it. If he’s back physically as well as mentally, Treadwell will more than likely be the first wide receiver taken in the 2016 NFL draft.

Left Tackle Laremy Tunsil – 6’5 305

Tunsil possesses everything you want in a Left Tackle. He is most definitely a top two or three tackle in the country when healthy. Even with health concerns from NFL scouts, there is no way that Laremy Tunsil goes outside the top twenty of the 2016 draft. He’s that talented. Tunsil will more than likely go in the top ten.

Tight End Evan Engram – 6’3 227

Engram is slightly undersized according to the NFL standards and that’s why I think he goes somewhere in the second or third round, but he’s a talented young man and I see no way possible he slides past the third round. If I were betting on it, I’d look for him to be a second round pick in 2016. Regardless, someone is getting a heck of a player.

Cornerback Tee Shepard – 6’1 195
Another player coming off a season ending injury for the Rebels, Tee is a tremendous athlete and with a great season he could opt for the NFL draft. With that said, it seems that no matter how talented a Junior College cornerback is, he seems to struggle catching on at first.

Tee could definitely be the exception to that rule, not only because he has already been on campus for a year, but also because he has a whole lot of potential.

Ole Miss players with potential to be drafted in the mid-to-late rounds:

Middle Linebacker CJ Johnson – 6’2 225

Safety Denzell Nkemdiche- 5’11 208

Safety Trae Elston – 5’11 190

Right Tackle Fahn Cooper – 6’5 306

Defensive End Isaac Gross – 6’1 240

Left Guard Aaron Morris – 6’5 313

I fully expect a team to take a chance on Johnson, Gross, Nkemdiche and Elston in the 2016 draft. Guys with very good talent, but major injury or size concerns. Gross could become a pass rushing specialist and owns one of the quickest first steps in all of college football, but at 6’1 and 240 pounds a lot of teams are going to pass him up. I think it will be a mistake. He’s definitely worth a late round pick.

Morris and Cooper are the wild cards. Both have potential to be drafted and some dog may just take their chances with them. In my opinion Morris was a sure fire NFL player before injuries started piling up.

Potential NFL free agent signings:

Defensive End Channing Ward – 6’4 279

Cornerback Mike Hilton – 5’9 184

Wide Reciever Cody Core – 6’3 205

Safety Chief Brown – 6’1 202

Underclassmen eligible for the 2016 draft with NFL talent that I see returning to school:

Cornerback Tony Bridges

Defensive End Fadol Brown

Wide Receiver Quincy Adeboyejo

Wide Receiver Damore’ea Stringfellow

Defensive Tackle DJ Jones

Mississippi State players with first through third round potential:

Defensive Tackle Chris Jones – 6’6 308

Monster. This is the best word to describe Chris Jones. I expect him to have a breakout season and become a top ten NFL draft pick. With his size/speed combination he could be a perennial Pro Bowler at the next level.

Cornerback Will Redmond – 6’0 186

I expect Redmond to have a great year and continue to move up draft boards as he turns lots of heads at the 2016 NFL combine. I have Redmond as a future first rounder and the second best Cornerback in his class behind Vernon Hargreaves. Like Wilson, I see no way that he slips past the second round barring injury.

Wide Receiver De’Runnya Wilson – 6’5 225

Wilson is still a raw prospect but he just keeps improving year after year. That was expected being he only played one year of High School football. He’s yet to reach his full potential and some NFL team is soon to benefit greatly from this young mans skill set. I can see Wilson easily sneaking into the first round with a monster year. I see no way he falls outside of the second round. You have to credit Mullen and Company for being one of the best in the business at recognizing raw talent.

Quarterback Dak Prescott – 6’2 230

Of course you already know that Dak is higher on my list than most, but I think you’ll start seeing the NFL mock experts changing their minds soon. You can tell that Dak put in a lot of work with his mechanics this offseason and it showed in the spring.

Maybe my bias towards him is telling me that Dak has an even better season in 2015 and becomes a first rounder in 2016, but I can’t see him making it past the third round if not taken in the first two rounds.

Wide Receiver Fred Ross – 6’2 207

Fred is an interesting prospect. With his size and speed I can easily see him becoming Dak’s favorite target out of the slot. His problem has never been talent and he played very well towards the end of 2014. Right now I see Fred as a third round type prospect and he’s another guy that could make a name for himself at the NFL combines.

Cornerback Taveze Calhoun – 6’1 180

A few people consider Taveze the best Cornerback prospect on the team, most believe that to be Redmond, as do I, but he’s going to get drafted and become a solid NFL player for a long time. This young man has played a lot of big time football at Mississippi State and I expect that to continue in the NFL. I see Taveze as a late second to mid third rounder.

Middle Linebacker Richie Brown – 6’2 245

With Gerri Green and Leo Lewis pushing him and nothing else to prove after the 2015 season, I believe Richie Brown declares for the draft and becomes a potential third round pick. He’s surprisingly fast and has good size and his smarts at Middle Linebacker are second to none. This guy is going to make someone a good NFL linebacker for years to come.

Defensive End Ryan Brown – 6’6 270

Can Ryan become Preston Smith 2.0? I certainly believe he can and his upside may be even better than Preston’s, but the season Preston had in 2014 would be very hard to match for anyone. I see Ryan as a fourth round type prospect right now with the potential to move into the second or third round.

Mississippi State players with potential to be drafted in the middle-to-late rounds:

Running Back Ashton Shumpert – 6’2 220

Left Guard Justin Malone – 6’7 320

Offensive Tackle Rufus Warren – 6’7 300

Defensive Tackle Nick James – 6’5 325

I included Ashton because I believe there’s a great chance that he declares and like Josh Robinson’s decision to declare last year, sharing carries with three young talented backs in 2016 would not be ideal for his draft stock. Look for Ashton to become a very good SEC running back in 2015 and become a fourth or fifth round back. Junior running backs that have very good seasons have nothin else left to prove.

James’ and Warren will be interesting prospects to many teams, but which team is going to bite first and when? In James case it’s definitely not a talent issue, but past attitude and effort problems will be a concern. This is a kid with first or second round talent, but I don’t see a team taking that kind of chance.

Warrens problem isn’t talent either, it’s experience at the left tackle position. This will be his second year and like many former tight ends that make the change to left tackle, his athleticism is through the roof for a guy his size. This is a kid somebody is going to take a chance on in the later rounds and don’t be surprised if he’s a starting tackle for an NFL team someday.

Malone has all the tools to play in the NFL, but he’s another player with injury concerns. With his size and talent, he’s going to get his chance whether it be as a late round pick or undrafted free agent. Maybe he can become more durable and have a long NFL career.

Potential NFL free agent signings:

Wide Receiver Joe Morrow – 6’4 204

Linebacker Zack Jackson – 6’2 215

Underclassmen eligible for the 2016 draft with NFL talent that I see returning to school:

Safety Kivon Coman
Linebacker Beniquez Brown
Defensive End AJ Jefferson
Offensive Tackle Martinas Rankin
Offensive Tackle Justin Senior
Center Jamaal Clayborn
Defensive End Will Coleman
Defensive End Jonathan Calvin
Defensive End/Tackle Nelson Adams

There’s one thing for sure with Bulldog and Rebel fans alike, this is one highly talented list of future NFL potential players and it begs the question, are these our most talented teams ever according to NFL potential at the same time?