Many fans follow the draft hoping for the best player and the best fit to fall to their teams. Talent, “sexiness” as a prospect, and what fans feel as team needs are what many NFL followers look for in their team’s draft pick.
But outside of rooting for your favorite team to grab Julio Jones or Da’Qaun Bowers, there are some prospects that have high character, underdog roles, or have overcome injuries that are feel good stories and guys that, if they succeed in the NFL, should be ideal role models for now and in the future for the NFL.
JJ Watt, Defensive End, Wisconsin
A former Central Michigan Chippewa, Watt decided that the best opportunity for him as a football player would be to leave Central Michigan and walk-on to a bigger football school, Wisconsin. It was a bold move going from scholarship athlete to not funded practice squad player, but Watt proved that he made the right decision. Watt went from borderline roster player to the teams top NFL Draft prospect in just two years, and has proved that work ethic can lead to success.
Sam Acho, Defensive End, Texas
An extremely bright, smart, well-educated, upstanding person, Sam Acho is clearly going to succeed in life regardless of whether it’s on the field, as a coach, someway related to football, or in any other venture he decides to embark on. Acho has 3-4 outside linebacker rusher ability in the NFL and I think he has the football IQ and quickness to play in the NFL as a starter, but I’ll be sure to follow Acho whether he sticks in the NFL or not.
Brandon Fusco, Center, Slippery Rock
It’s always fun for fans to latch on the “small school prospect” bandwagon because almost everyone loves to root for the little guy. However, some small school NFL Draft prospects end up at those little schools because of red flags for teams. While I can’t speak for other non-character concerning small school prospects, I have met the quick learning, humble center prospect out of small little Slippery Rock university in Brandon Fusco, who may not only be high in the small school ranking, but among the best three or four best at his position in this draft.
Greg Romeus, Defensive End, Pittsburgh
Romeus likely could have been a Top 20 pick had he declared for the draft last year, but returned to Pittsburgh to both finish his college education as well as further boost his draft stock for this years draft. But after two major injuries in the pre-season and shortly after his return, teams are now very concerned with his potential longevity as an NFL prospect. A prototypical 4-3 defensive end in body shape-wise, Romeus is still a hard working, humble prospect who deserves to get healthy and get his shot as an NFL prospect.
Bruce Carter, Outside Linebacker, North Carolina
With the North Carolina football program being in a state of turmoil this year with many suspensions thrown out, a player that got lost in the transition for many is outside linebacker Bruce Carter, who showed first round athletic ability in the past but suffered a major knee injury early in the season and was out for the whole year. So far, reports are that he should make a recovery and be ready for the early to middle part of his rookie year. Not a character issue at all unlike many of the suspended North Carolina Tar Heels, this humble talent could be worth the risk on draft day.
Graig Cooper, Running Back, Miami (FL)
One of the best prospects coming out of high school and hyped as the next great Miami running back. However, after a devastating knee injury that left significant damage and limited his potential as a runner for the future, Cooper’s NFL dreams were put on hold as he took over a year away from the game to recover. While he’s no longer a highly coveted prospect, his rehab has gone about as well as it could have, and despite having an injury that could have ended his football career, he still has a very good chance to get drafted.
Mark Herzlich, Outside Linebacker, Boston College
Surviving cancer treatment is something I and probably no one who has never gone through it can ever full grasp on its struggles and how it impacts the mind and body combined. However, it’s almost more inconceivable to not only recover from the cancer that Mark Herzlich had, but also return to play a spot at a very high level after only a little over a year. Herzlich steadily got better, more in shape, and back into the football groove over the course of the season, and though he still isn’t back to his pre-cancer treatment level, it’s hard to not root for your team to pick him in the middle or late in draft.
Danny Watkins, Offensive Guard, Baylor
Watkins slowly moved up draft boards this year, as he went from a raw, out of place left tackle to a quick footed, athletic guard or right tackle prospect that now is likely to be picked in the Top 40. A former firefighter, Watkins started football later than most NFL draft prospects and will be the oldest potential draft pick in this draft. Still a humble, well spoken, hard working talent, Watkins optimizes on and off the field, football and non-football prospect that teams and fans embrace once they succeed in the NFL.
Colin Kaepernick, Nevada and Greg McElroy, Alabama
I’ve put these two prospects together because they both have qualities that actually did impact my scouting report. Greg McElroy, a finalist for a Rhodes scholarship, has been football skills as well as football IQ than he got credit for, and when I spoke with him in Mobile, Alabama, he was always working with the fans, signing autographs, and still making time to talk to everyone who wanted a piece of him as well as NFL teams. He’s got media favorite all over him if he every becomes a starter in the NFL.
Colin Kaepernick is being looked at as a first round quarterback, but much of that isn’t because of his NFL readiness. I’ve gotten a chance to talk to every quarterback in my Top 10 except Ryan Mallett and Cam Newton (neither of which I’ve heard have top notch intangibles), and there isn’t another quarterback that has his type of contagious personality, leadership ability, humbleness yet confidence, and willingness to learn and be coachable as Kaepernick is. He’ll need a lot of work in the NFL and based on his on the field ability is probably a 2nd or 3rd round prospect, but if you believe in the “it” factor in quarterbacks, I’m pretty sure Colin Kaepernick has “it”.
Other Guys I’LL Be Rooting For
Some prospects I’ve gotten to know well and really respect their high character. Maybe my favorite part of working with the NFL Draft, here are a few guys that I can vouch for in character, and though they haven’t impacted my rankings what so ever, I’ll be excited to wish these guys congratulations on draft day. personally.
ZaVious Robbins, WR, Hardin-Simmons
Josh Portis, QB, California (PA)
Leonard Hankerson, WR, Miami (FL)
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