With the NFL Draft Combine just days away, some players are riding a wave of momentum going into the event. Here are five players whose stock is rising and could continue to soar with great performances in Indianapolis.
QB Geno Smith (West Virginia)– As noted last week, Smith, the #1 pick in the Breitbart Sports NFL Mock Draft, is rising without doing anything. A solid player, the Moutaineer benefits from a draft where a number of teams need a quarterback and very few prospects will receive a first round grade at the position.
OT Eric Fisher (Central Michigan)– While Luke Joeckel of Texas A&M remains the draft’s top offensive tackle, Fisher isn’t far behind and is unlikely to fall past #11 to the Chargers and could rise higher. He had a great season and an outstanding week at the Senior Bowl.
CB Desmond Trufant (Washington)– Another prospect who greatly improved his stock at the Senior Bowl, Trufant has ideal size but a perceived lack of top end speed has him currently pegged as a Round 2 selection. If he can run well at the Combine, that performance, coupled with the Senior Bowl week performance could land the prospect in the first round.
OT Lane Johnson (Oklahoma)– His pass protection skills earned rave reviews in Mobile, and premier tackles are always hot commodities in the first round. Following Fisher, Johnson is easily the next best tackle in the draft and has certainly moved into the second half of the first round.
DE/LB Ezekiel Ansah (BYU)– “Ziggy” is a prospect that hardly anyone seems able to agree upon. He had a poor week in the Senior Bowl but had a dominating performance in the game. With some scouts raving about Ansah and others not sure what to think, he is perhaps the toughest player in the draft to project. However, he is expected to do well at the combine, and his value could continue to go up.
Follow Cole Muzio on Twitter @ColeMuzio
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