My favorite three-day span of the year starts tonight, and as always there is constant debate over the 256 players who will hear their name called at the NFL Draft.
Every year there are several players who turn into “pet cats” of mine, whom I believe will either shine from day one or far outperform their draft status. This year there are five of them, some you might know and others you may not.
D.J. Moore, WR, Maryland: Moore has the highest pedigree of anyone on this list as a consensus first-rounder, but he’s widely regarded as the No. 2 receiver in this class behind Alabama’s Calvin Ridley. Whichever team that takes Ridley with Moore still on the board will be making a big mistake.
Turn on Maryland’s film and after you get over the Terrapins crazy helmets, you’re going to see Moore making play after play. Maryland started four different quarterbacks in 2017, but the lack of consistency at the most important position had no effect on the 6-foot, 210-pound speedster who managed to catch 80 passes for 1,033 yards and eight touchdowns. Moore is excellent after the catch with a bigger catch radius than his size would suggest. I see a taller Steve Smith when I watch him play, and Smith is likely heading to Canton.
Tarvarius Moore, FS, Southern Miss: Many in the draft community are late to the party on Moore after the former Golden Eagle blew up at his pro day, but many people here in South Mississippi grew accustomed to watching No. 18 make plays in 2017. He entered the draft process as a late-round or priority free agent prospect, but his killer pro day (4.32 40-yard dash, 38.5-inch vertical and 11-foot-1 broad jump) forced scouts to check out his tape.
Moore’s gameplay shows a long and rangy safety capable of playing man in the slot, deep center field and in the box while possessing elite ball skills (3 INT, 10 passes defended in 2017). Some mock drafts have him as high as the second or third round, and I think he could very well become one of those elite hybrid safeties in the mold of Micah Hyde and Tyrann Mathieu.
Josey Jewell, LB, Iowa: Watch Jewell play and it’s easy to see why he’s a fan favorite. Don’t get me wrong, I fall victim to falling in love with measurables as well, but there’s something to just being a heck of a football player.
Jewell is an old-school linebacker whose timed speed (4.82 40-yard dash) worries many. But this guy knows how to diagnose plays and is always in the right spot to make a play. He may never be an All-Pro, but he’s a defensive coordinator’s dream at mike linebacker and will consistently rack up more than 100 tackles year after year.
Rashaan Gaulden, FS/NB, Tennessee: Gaulden is another hybrid defensive back that I’ve seen play a ton of football. As a Tennessee fan I’ve watched Gaulden make plays since he was a freshman, and he’s a joy to watch. He’s not the same type of elite athlete as Tarvarius Moore, but Gaulden is as physical as any defensive back in this draft.
Gaulden spent most of his time in the slot for the Vols, but he’s at his best on the move and making plays in the backfield. His film may look like he was sent on blitz after blitz, but he just has a knack for diagnosing plays and has tremendous closing ability to get to the ball. He’s physical at the point of contact and will throw his body around to force turnovers. He’s a bit of a projection to free safety after spending his Tennessee career in the slot, but he has the physicality, ball skills and football IQ you look for in an NFL safety.
Jaylen Samuels, H-back, NC State: Samuels is a tough projection to the NFL because teams may not know how to best utilize his skills. He lined up all over the field for the Wolf Pack — at running back, tight end and slot receiver — and was highly productive as a senior, rushing for 403 yards and 12 touchdowns and catching 76 passes for 597 yards and four touchdowns.
It’s going to take a creative play caller to get the most out of Samuels, and it would be a shame if he ends up somewhere that doesn’t know how to use him. I think his best role in the NFL would be as a third-down receiving back and slot receiver in spread packages —he torched linebackers and safeties alike in one-on-one drills during Senior Bowl practices. The problem is he’s not athletic enough to be a full-time running back or slot receiver and doesn’t block well enough to play fullback or tight end. But a creative play caller could take advantage of his superb route running, hands and thick frame and make him a true one-of-a-kind playmaker at the next level.
