Now that the bye week is upon us and all the 'Power Five' conferences are in action around College Football, it's time to do some Saturday scouting for the 2021 NFL Draft.
Each week for the rest of the College Football season, the DallasCowboys.com Draft Show will highlight at least three games full of potential draft talent.
The list will focus on positions of need first before moving on to overall prospects that will be big names come next April. Here are the games and prospects to watch for the week of November 14.
TCU at West Virginia, 11:00am CT, FOX
Much like the Cowboys' draft focus in 2021 should be, let's focus in on some defensive prospects in this Big 12 battle in Morgantown. TCU has a pair of safeties in Moehrig and Washington that are extremely physical and patrol the middle of the field nicely in a heavy passing league. And while the bigger name prospects from the Mountaineers have mostly come on offense, it's been 'almost heaven' in West Virginia for defensive players lately. Karl Joseph in Cleveland, Kyzir White with the Chargers, and Nick Kwaitkoski are all starters in the league and have paved the way for West Virginia to be a destination for defensive prospects.
- Trevon Moehrig, TCU (Safety) - Quite possibly a top-5 safety in this year's class, Moehrig showcases incredible athleticism and frame for the safety position. His aggressiveness can sometimes get him in trouble but has the sideline-to-sideline ability that you want to see from a centerfield. Had his first interception of the season last week in the win over Texas Tech. Early Projection: Mid 2nd Round
- Ar'Darius Washington, TCU (Safety) – Just a redshirt sophomore, Washington has a lot of growth to go from a play recognition standpoint and is stalled way too often on play-action and misdirection to be classified as a 'quick trigger.' However, his instincts and production make me seriously doubt he'll return to Fort Worth next season despite taking a step back from an incredible 2019 season. He may be as fun of a safety to watch and a prospect that has an unbelievably high ceiling at the position. Early Projection: Late 3rd Round
- Darius Stills, WVU (Defensive Tackle) – The 2020 Preseason Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year has built a name for himself around the league by giving offensive coordinators fits with his mismatch of power. A really strong player with his hands and wide base that makes up for his lack of weight at 282-pounds. He had one his best games of the season last year against TCU in terms of win-rate, he'll have to replicate that again this week to keep up with Max Duggan. Early Projection: Early 3rd Round
- Tony Fields II, WVU (Linebacker) – West Virginia found a playmaker in the graduate transfer from Arizona. He's an athletic and agile defender that is quick to make a read and quicker to the ball. Over ten tackles in four of his seven games this season including 27 tackles in the last two games alone. One struggle of his game is getting off blocks from bigger lineman who get to the second level, a strong part of TCU's game. Early Projection: Early 4th Round
Arkansas at Florida, 6:00pm CT, ESPN
With most of the SEC either off or postponed this week, a lot of the eyes for the conference will be on two of the better coaching jobs in the country. What Sam Pittman has done with Arkansas in his first season and the way that Dan Mullens has returned Florida to power are each something to behold in this season of uncertainty. Florida has a handful of elite-caliber prospects like QB Kyle Trask and TE Kyle Pitts (who is questionable for Saturday), but there are also players in specific positions of need that could draw some interest from the Cowboys this offseason.
- Tedarrell Slanton, UF (Defensice Tackle) – An absolutely massive body on the interior of the defensive line for the Gators, Slaton stands at 6-foot-5 and 360-pounds. An avid run defender that is primarily been a two-down defender for much of his career but has evolved to be more effective on passing downs as well. His quick get-off and leverage at the point of attack help him win battles against even some of the best offensive lineman in the college game. He's quickly rising up draft boards and a big bart of the defensive success that Florida enjoys on defense. Early Projection: Late 4th Round
- Marco Wilson, UF (Corner) – Has been a starter ever since he stepped on campus back in 2017 and even looked like he would be the programs top corner over 2020 top ten pick C.J. Henderson. The problem for Wilson comes with his lack of progress and the awkward parts of his game like when contact is initiated at the line of scrimmage. Teams have picked on him previously on the outside, so the Gators have put him into the slot on occasion where he actually looks more natural. Overall, the athleticism and the range are all there, but the foundations are holding him back. Early Projection: Early 5th Round
- Rakeem Boyd, UA (Running Back) – Most will remember his name from his role on Netflix's 'Last Chance U' but Boyd has made a name for himself in Fayetteville. Since he stepped on campus in 2018, Boyd has been the primary tailback for the Chad Morris offense and has continued that role now into the Pittman era. A patient runner that does well waiting for holes to develop behind the line of scrimmage before running up field. Welcomes contact with the ball in his hands which could be a good thing at times but also cost him from some more explosive runs as well. Early Projection: Late 6th Round
- Myron Cunningham, UA (Offensive Tackle) – Blocking for Boyd and the much-improved Arkansas offense is the big 6-foot-6, 300-pound tackle Cunningham who has anchored the left side for two seasons now. With Coach Pittman coming from an offensive line background, he has been able to get the best out of Cunningham on multiple occasions this season which has helped the rest of the offensive line as well. As another junior college transfer, he was thrusted into playing time immediately as a junior where he tallied 705 total snaps, a mark he's on track to crush this season with the involvement in the offense. Early Projection: Mid 6th Round
Florida State at NC State, 6:30pm CT, ACCN
The ACC (or really east coast in general) looks to have a good showing for draft prospects this season. Florida State hasn't had the team success that we're used to seeing from the Seminoles but their ability to send quality players to the NFL is still very apparent. NC State on the other hand always finds a way to bring big, powerful prospects on campus and this season is no different.
- Marvin Wilson, FSU (Defensive Tackle) – Wilson, who some think is the most talented interior defender in this year's draft, will be a name that the Cowboys will hear all offseason long. The former 5-star high school recruit and cornerstone of the Seminoles defense accepted his Senior Bowl invite last week and will be on the radar for Dallas to potentially pair with Neville Gallimore and Trysten Hill. At 6-foot-5 and 311-pounds he is a devastating force in the middle of the line that can either eat up blocks or disrupt the entire line himself. Early Projection – Early 2nd Round
- Asante Samuel Jr., FSU (Corner) – An undersized corner that still sticks to the outside but could translate to the slot with his quickness. His football IQ looks a lot like his four-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl Champion father because he doesn't make a ton of mistakes. One of the big knocks against Samuel Jr. entering the year was the lack of ball-skills. Safe to say he's put those worries to bed this season with three of the team's four interceptions and a team-high six pass defenses. Early Projection: Late 2nd Round
- Alim McNeill, NCST (Defensive Tackle) – One of the fastest risers on draft boards already this college football season, without the crazy numbers is McNeill. His single sack and 16 tackle stat-line will never blow anyone away, but if you turn on the tape, he dictates what he, and the rest of his teammates can do at the line of scrimmage. Currently rated the fourth-highest interior defender according to Pro Football Focus, McNeill opens gaps for his teammates to be successful and uses his explosiveness to do so. Early Projection – Early 5th Round (But climbing)
- Cary Angeline, NCST (Tight End) – An under the radar tight end prospect on draft boards, but not on size charts. Standing at 6-foot-7 and 250-pounds, Angeline displays a massive wingspan and catch radius. The USC transfer does have trouble running routes efficiently and he blocks well but not as well as you'd think for a player of his stature. His matchup is a nightmare in the redzone as he has 16 receptions total with SIX going for touchdowns over just seven games. If the Wolfpack work their way inside the 10-yard line, expect to see Angeline get a target or two…or three. Early Projection: Mid 6th Round
