Stock Report: QB prospects heading opposite directions

Here is a look at NFL prospects who helped or hurt themselves this past weekend:

Who helped themselves?

–Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville, JR. (6-2, 212, 4.42, #8)

After inconsistent performances against Clemson and N.C. State, Jackson needed a strong game against a talented Florida State defense. And that’s exactly what he delivered, leading the Cardinals to the 31-28 victory. Jackson was outstanding with his legs, rushing for 178 yards and one touchdown and posting more yards on the ground than through the air for the first time this season. He finished with only 156 yards passing, but Jackson was very efficient, delivering an accurate throw on 15 of 20 passes (75 percent), including a 67-percent accuracy rate (4-for-6) on throws of 16-plus yards. Jackson’s highlight reel as a college player will contain numerous magical plays that show off his athleticism. But from a NFL evaluation standpoint, his next-level grade will depend on his development as a passer – and in the Florida State match-up, he looked like a quarterback with a certain NFL future.

–Dallas Goedert, TE, South Dakota State, rSR. (6-3, 255, 4.81, #86)

This year’s crop of tight end prospects won’t match last year’s deep and top-heavy class, but there are several seniors worthy of day two consideration, including Goedert. The top-rated FCS prospect in the 2018 group, he was dominant vs. Missouri State on Saturday with eight catches for 170 yards and one touchdown and has been a mismatch against most opponents this season. Stylistically, Goedert is in the Jason Witten mold — not the fastest, but he uses route quickness and reliable ball skills to be a dangerous target. He does a great job expanding his catch radius with soft hands to attack the ball away from his body, regardless if wide open or stuck in traffic. Goedert does have some wasted movement at the top of routes and needs to tighten his footwork, but his well-rounded skill-set is enough for him to compete with Penn State’s Mike Gesicki and Wisconsin’s Troy Fumagalli to be the top senior tight end drafted next April.

–Mason Cole, OC, Michigan, SR. (6-4, 305, 5.21, #52)

It was not a good night for Michigan’s offensive line on Saturday night in the loss to Penn State so it would be easy to overlook Cole, who was, as usual, reliable for most of the game. He did surrender a sack late in the fourth quarter, but he got the best of Penn State rushers, despite having a skill-set obviously better suited for the interior and not at left tackle. Cole flashes violence in his hands and squares his shoulders to leverage and control the point of attack. He is a stubborn run blocker who creates movement and often moves to right tackle for runs to the right side of the formation. Cole doesn’t have ideal arm length and needs to be more consistent when climbing to the second level, but the positives far outweigh the negatives. While he likely won’t be a left tackle in the NFL, Cole offers position flexibility and rarely misses a snap, which is why he is in the discussion to be the first senior interior lineman drafted next April.

–Holton Hill, CB, Texas, JR. (6-1, 195, 4.54, #5)

For the first time this season, Oklahoma State was shut out through the air with zero passing scores, and the Texas secondary deserves credit for that, notably Hill. The junior has terrific size and is one of the best tackling cornerbacks in the country, coming to balance in space and striking with pop to finish physical tackles. Hill is quick to recognize the run with the drive mechanics to click and close, throwing his body around to take out the legs of the ball-carrier. In coverage, he needs to clean up his body movements and footwork at the top of routes, but he has the quick feet to recover after a false step and make a play. Hill is always ball searching and flashes heightened awareness to know when the ball is arriving to disrupt the catch point. His draft arrow continues to trend north.

Who hurt themselves?

–Mason Rudolph, QB, Oklahoma State, SR. (6-4, 230, 4.83, #2)

For the first time this season, Rudolph didn’t have a multi-touchdown game — in fact, he didn’t score a touchdown at all, which is the first time that has happened since September 2016. He completed 65.8 percent of his passes (25-for-38) for 282 yards, but the Longhorns’ defense did a great job limiting the big plays, which the Oklahoma State offense relies on. They used a similar recipe that TCU used earlier in the season — force Rudolph to move his feet and his eyes, and then his success rate plummets. In this contest, the Cowboys senior quarterback was late with his trigger, leading to expiring passing windows and the pass rush getting home. Rudolph got himself in trouble staring lasers through his receivers, which led to two almost-interceptions that Texas defenders dropped. Overall, Oklahoma State has faced two decent defenses this season (TCU and Texas) and Rudolph and company have looked mediocre, giving credibility to NFL evaluator’s questions about Rudolph.

Other notes:

–Arkansas senior OC Frank Ragnow (6-4, 319, 5.33, #72) will miss the rest of the season with a high ankle sprain, which will require minor surgery. He is expected to be sidelined for 12 weeks, putting him on pace to be near full health by the Senior Bowl in late January. Along with Ohio State’s Billy Price and Michigan’s Mason Cole, Ragnow is a top-3 senior center prospect in the 2018 NFL Draft class, offering position versatility at guard as well.

–For those who liked DT Javon Hargrave as a NFL prospect in the 2016 draft class, like me, you will also appreciate Texas senior DT Poona Ford (5-11, 303, 5.09, #95). Built low to the ground, Ford uses his natural leverage, hand strength and quickness to clog up the middle of the line, similar to Hargrave, who was drafted 89th overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Time will tell if Ford is drafted as high, but he will likely be underrated for most of the pre-draft process — just like Hargrave.

–With 15 receiving touchdowns this season, West Virginia junior WR David Sills (6-4, 205, 4.59, #13) leads all of college football in the category — by a wide margin. Best known as being a seventh-grade quarterback who received a USC scholarship offer, Sills is proving to be a more-than-capable receiving threat, using his size and ball skills to separate himself as the No. 1 target for Mountaineers redshirt junior QB Will Grier (6-1, 200, 4.65, #7). Sills has recorded multiple receiving scores in six of seven games this year, including three scores each of the last two weeks.

–After his dominant performance against North Texas last week, UTSA senior DE Marcus Davenport (6-5, 252, 4.77, #93) was at it again against Rice. He finished with 11 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks and a fumble recovery that he returned 34 yards for a touchdown. The quality of competition is certainly a noteworthy variable, but Davenport has been playing at a high level and it isn’t going unnoticed by NFL scouts.

–Looking for a deep sleeper? Division-III Dubuque CB/S Michael Joseph (6-0, 184, 4.64, #21) is a name to keep on the radar. He does a great job smothering the receiver in both man and zone coverage to crowd the catch point. Joseph leads all of college football with eight interceptions in 2017, adding 43 tackles and 14 passes defended. An invitation to the Senior Bowl, East-West Shrine Game or NFLPA Collegiate Bowl will vastly help his chances of a NFL future.

Dane Brugler is a Sr. Analyst for NFLDraftScout.com, distributed by The Sports Xchange.