It’s usually pretty rare that a Division II or Division III prospect gets a legitimate shot at an NFL roster and only a handful get a shot.
However, this season, we could have at least five prospects drafted from below the Division I (both FBS and FCS) level. The feature position this year, as is customary, is wide receiver, where three have a chance to be taken in the first five rounds. Also, the offensive line is a key position to watch, as a few athletic left tackles moving to guard have a chance to get drafted and stick in the NFL.
| Division II Prospects | ||||||||
| Name | Pos | College | Proj. Round | |||||
| 1 | . | Brandon Fusco | – | C | – | Slippery Rock | – | 3rd-5th |
| 2 | . | Cedric Thornton | – | DT | Southern Arkansas | – | 3rd-5th | |
| 3 | . | Edmund Gates | – | WR | – | Abilene Christian | – | 4th-6th |
| 4 | . | David Mims | – | OT | – | Virginia Union | – | 6th-Undrafted |
| 5 | . | Ricardo Lockette | – | WR | – | Fort Valley State | – | 6th-Undrafted |
| 6 | . | Ryan Jones | – | CB | – | NW Missouri State | – | 6th-Undrafted |
| 7 | . | Cameron Bradfield | – | OT | – | Grand Valley State | – | 6th-Undrafted |
| 8 | . | Josh Portis | – | QB | – | California (PA) | – | 7th-Undrafted |
| 9 | . | OJ Murdock | – | WR | – | Fort Hays State | – | 7th-Undrafted |
| 10 | . | Stephen Burton | – | WR | – | West Texas A&M | – | 6th-Undrafted |
| Division III Prospects | ||||||||
| Name | Pos | College | Proj. Round | |||||
| 1 | . | Cecil Shorts | – | WR | – | Mount Union | – | 5th-7th |
| 2 | . | ZaVious Robbins | – | WR | – | Harden-Simmonds | – | 6th-Undrafted |
| 3 | . | Eric Hedin | – | DE | – | Linefield | – | 7th-Undrafted |
| 4 | . | Harry Melendez | – | CB | – | Trinity (CT) | – | 7th-Undrafted |
| 5 | . | Chris Coney | – | RB | – | Union | – | 7th-Undrafted |
Division II, Division III Notes:
-Edmund Gates and Cecil Shorts are as high as a Top 10 receiver on some boards, showing how much some scouts like him. While I don’t seem them as that type of prospect, I plan on reviewing those guys to see how impressive they are. But, both are mid to late round picks in the draft as of now.
-Cedric Thornton is a beast at times, but struggles this season could worry some teams from drafting him. Either way, he could end up being a productive rotational guy in the NFL, maybe even a starter in some systems.
-ZaVious Robins is one of the most productive receivers in the country this year, and probably could have played Division 1 out of high school. A high character, hard-working, very intelligent receiver, he could get a shot in the NFL.
-Two sleepers I like a lot are Cameron Bradfield from Grand Valley State and Eric Hedin from Linfield. Hedin was a productive defensive end but the level he played at may have had a lot to do with that. Bradfield is still raw, but could develop into a RT in the NFL.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
