NFL Draft Watch: Offensive underclassmen shine while defense slides
NFL Draft Watch is your weekly guide for which college players are worth keeping an eye on leading up to April's draft.
On The Rise
Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
Cooper is dominating in the early portion of the season. The 6-foot-1 wideout, who broke Julio Jones’s single-season records for catches and receiving yards at Alabama, has put up eye-popping numbers through the first three games, catching 33 passes for 454 yards and two touchdowns.
Many of the receivers projected to be first-round picks in 2015 are underclassmen, so it’s anyone's guess as to whether they'll declare for the draft. But if Cooper continues to put up big numbers, it wouldn't be surprising to see him become a top pick.
Bryce Petty, QB, Baylor
Petty's draft stock temporarily nosedived after exiting Baylor's first game against SMU with a back injury.
After the senior quarterback sat out the Bears' next game against Northwestern State, Petty lit up Buffalo in Week 3 for 416 yards and four touchdowns.
The injury-related red flag will almost certainly be on scouts' minds come draft day, but, if Petty can stay healthy and perform at a high level the rest of the way, he could end up going in the first round.
Stefon Diggs, WR, Maryland
After two unimpressive weeks that saw him catch 12 passes for 103 yards total, Diggs exploded for 127 yards on five catches, including a 77-yard score against West Virginia.
While the junior receiver was criticized on his route running and blocking abilities, Maryland head coach Randy Edsall told the Baltimore Sun that his junior receiver "hasn't even come close to scratching the surface of how good he can be."
Currently projected to go anywhere from the end of the first round to the third, the former five-star recruit can further increase his stock by putting together similar performances to the one we saw on Saturday.
On The Decline
Marcus Peters, CB, Washington
Marcus Peters entered the 2014 season with a lot of hype, as many experts predicted that the junior defensive back will be drafted in either the first or second round should he decide to declare for the NFL draft.
But after being benched in the third quarter against Eastern Washington in Week 2, Peters was suspended for the Huskies' Week 3 game against Illinois.
An aggressive corner, who put together a great 2013 season, Peters will now need to prove to scouts that he's mature enough to warrant a high pick.
Noah Spence, DE, Ohio State
A former five-star recruit, Spence was supposed to return to the Buckeyes' defense last week following a suspension stemming from a failed drug test, but was instead suspended indefinitely for committing a second violation of Big Ten rules.
With a standout season, the defensive lineman could have seen his draft stock rise to as high as the latter part of the first round. But with his immediate future uncertain, it's unlikely he'll garner as much attention if he declares for April's draft.
Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State
Winston's off-the-field issues already have scouts questioning the reigning Heisman Trophy winner's maturity.
It's still too early to predict how high Winston will be drafted if he decides to declare, but the fact that he received a suspension for something as childish as making obscene comments on campus, coupled with the plethora of negative attention he's already garnered, will concern scouts.
His athleticism and play-making abilities aside, Winston will need to convince NFL teams he's capable of leading by example.