Sleeper 2018 NFL draft prospects shine in Week 1 wins

A handful of sleeper NFL prospects took full advantage of the big spotlight Saturday, turning in impressive performances on national broadcasts as the 2017 college football season officially began.

Though the majority of teams — like defending national champion Clemson, Alabama, Ohio State and USC — won’t kick off their season until the upcoming Labor Day weekend holiday, there were plenty of noteworthy performances in Week One, including a stellar start by the young back tasked with replacing Christian McCaffrey at Stanford, a Biletnikoff-worthy effort by a Colorado State receiver and disruptive speed off the edge shown by an FCS star hoping to capture the attention of all-star game scouts.

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Week One Standouts:

Bryce Love, RB, Stanford, 5-9, 181, 4.43 40-yard dash, Jr.

After averaging 7.05 yards per carry as McCaffrey’s primary backup and registering 168 all-purpose yards (including a 49-yard touchdown reception) in a Sun Bowl win over North Carolina, Stanford coaches were confident that Love would be the answer in 2017. The diminutive Love wasted no time in rewarding the faith of his coaches, jitter-bugging his way through the heart of the Rice defense for a gain of 62 yards on the first play from scrimmage. Despite leaving the game midway through the third quarter, Love set a new career high with 180 rushing yards (and a touchdown) on just 13 carries against the overmatched Owls.

Approximately two inches shorter and 20 pounds lighter than McCaffrey, Love is significantly smaller than his predecessor and checks in at 13th among junior running backs on NFLDraftScout.com’s board. Though he could be on the verge of a breakout season, Love projects more as a Day Three change-of-pace back at the next level rather than the featured weapon McCaffrey — the No. 8 overall pick and nation’s all-purpose yardage champion each of the past two seasons — should be for the Carolina Panthers.

What Love lacks in stature, he more than makes up for with burst, elusiveness and breakaway speed. A natural runner with excellent vision and the courage to cut back against the grain, Love proved a nightmare for Rice defenders, zipping to and through the second level consistently.

Michael Gallup, WR, Colorado State, 6-1, 195, 4.52, Sr.

Gallup and the Rams opened their new on-campus stadium in fine fashion Saturday, stampeding the visiting Oregon State Beavers 58-27. There were plenty of standouts for the victors, but no one shined brighter than Gallup, who caught a game-high 11 passes for 134 yards, the sixth consecutive game in which he eclipsed the 100-yard mark in receiving yards dating back to last season, his first with the Rams.

The Monroe, Ga., native was recruited by SEC schools out of high school, but wound up at Butler Community College for two years before choosing Colorado State over several other FBS offers. As the featured target in Colorado State’s pro-style attack, Gallup quickly emerged as the most prolific receiver in the Mountain West last season, hauling in 76 passes for 1,272 yards and 14 touchdowns, including at least one in his final eight consecutive games.

Gallup possesses an athletic frame with good overall weight distribution. He was featured on a variety of routes by the Rams, showing burst and aggression to attack the perimeter on quick screens and drag routes, extending his hands and plucking the ball away from his frame. Gallup’s most impressive reception of the game was also his longest, a 48-yard bomb deep down the middle that floated a bit, forcing him to adjust his route and track the ball first over his left shoulder, then directly overhead before corralling it finally over his right and hanging on securely while being ripped to the ground by a fast-closing OSU defensive back.

A reigning first-team All-MWC receiver expected to earn the number of targets that could capture the interest of Biletnikoff Award voters this fall, Gallup currently ranks sixth among 2018 receivers on NFLDraftScout.com’s board.

Darius Jackson, OLB, Jacksonville State, 6-2, 237, 4.77, Sr.

Regardless of the level of competition, the ability to affect the opposing quarterback is a trait certain to catch the attention of NFL scouts and no defender enjoyed a splashier 2017 debut than Jackson, a speed rusher whose quickness, body control and surprising hand strength helped the No. 5 Gamecocks topple the 12th-ranked University of Tennessee-Chattanooga Mocs 27-13 in the FCS Kickoff Classic.

Wreaking havoc off the edge is nothing new for Jackson, who was named the Ohio Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year last season after leading the league in sacks (10) and tackles for loss (15). He recorded four tackles against the Mocs, including one for a three-yard loss in the second quarter in which he hit UT-Chattanooga running back Richardre Bagley almost immediately after he received the handoff. Though he was held without a sack in the contest, Jackson was a constant threat, ultimately recording four official quarterback hurries and frequently forcing Mocs quarterback Nick Tiano to reset.

While certainly productive, Jackson faces plenty of questions in his projection to the next level and currently ranks as a late-round prospect and the 21st-rated outside linebacker on NFLDraftScout.com.

Jackson’s greatest asset is his initial quickness and agility to avoid blockers. He is quite slippery, twisting his frame to “get skinny” to squeeze through gaps and turning that speed into power to rip free from bigger, stronger opponents. Jackson possesses the body control to quickly change direction and pursue, stalking ball-carriers from behind.

Rob Rang is a senior analyst for NFLDraftScout.com, a collaboration between The Sports Xchange and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.