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Stock market crash: 5 players who should have stayed in college

Matt Kartozian / Reuters

Stock is a funny thing. Sometimes it goes up, sometimes it goes down, and other times it flat out crashes.

With the 2016 NFL Draft now over, here are five players who misplayed their draft stock, and should have returned to college for an extra season:

1. Scooby Wright, OLB, Arizona

Nobody played his cards worse than Scooby Wright. The once-feared Arizona pass-rusher elected to forego his senior year with the belief that his 14 sacks from a year ago would be enough to get him drafted in a favorable position. Yeah, about that... Wright was selected three spots ahead of Mr. Irrelevant, the same title that currently describes the state of his career.

2. Jayron Kearse, S, Clemson

A selection to the All-ACC Second-Team had Jayron Kearse thinking he would be a mid-round selection, but Round 7 is nowhere near the middle. Kearse could have returned to Clemson for another year and focused on his lacking coverage skills, but will instead spend the upcoming summer and fall working to survive Minnesota Vikings training camp cuts.

3. Paul Perkins, RB, UCLA

Maybe he thought his production would wow scouts. Spoiler alert: it didn't. Paul Perkins, a former redshirt sophomore, would have had plenty of time to boost his draft stock had he remained at UCLA, but the ex-Bruin passed it up for an opportunity to be drafted in the fifth round. Perkins' greatest weakness - physical strength - could have been addressed from the friendly confines of the UCLA weight room, giving the 21-year-old little reason to leave school early.

4. Andrew Billings, DT, Baylor

Andrew Billings wasn't the only one to get Punk'd. Many experts believed the former Baylor defensive tackle would be a second-round pick, and some even gave him a shot at sneaking into the first round. Well, neither scenario came to fruition, as Billings plummeted to the fourth round. Perhaps a senior campaign in Waco and improved pass-rushing skills would have made the 311-pounder a more coveted prospect next year.

5. Tyvis Powell, S, Ohio State

Following the Ohio State draft declaration exodus in January, Urban Meyer suggested that not all those leaving were ready for the NFL. Safe to say Tyvis Powell was one of them, as the junior safety was passed over by all 32 teams, seven times over.

God might not make mistakes, but Powell does. He'll have his work cut out just trying to make an NFL roster this year.

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