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Five former B1G players who should see their draft stocks rise in the coming months

Connor O'Gara

By Connor O'Gara

Published:

We’re still 3 months away from the NFL draft, which means there’s plenty of time for prospects’ stocks to rise and fall.

For today’s argument, let’s just focus on the former B1G players who could be on the rise in the next few months:

1. Kemoko Turay, Rutgers DE

I’m sorry if you heard me say this before, but I’m here for the Turay resurrection. From freshman kick-blocking sensation to invisible/banged up underclassman to promising senior to rising NFL draft prospect. I. Love. It.

In case you missed it, Turay had a huge week at the Senior Bowl. From the look of it, the former Rutgers edge rusher might’ve already made himself some money in Mobile:

https://twitter.com/LedyardNFLDraft/status/957347787322150913

Turay no longer looks like the guy who picked up football as a senior in high school. You can bet there were plenty of general managers who were actually upset to see how well Turay performed at the Senior Bowl because they were hoping that they could steal him in the sixth or seventh round.

That might’ve been a bit ambitious. Based on Turay’s senior season — his healthy senior season — he was a popular candidate to thrive in the pre-draft process. People might’ve been late to the party on Turay because, let’s be honest, Rutgers was Rutgers the last 3 years.

That shouldn’t matter anymore. Don’t be surprised if Turay works his way in the mid-round conversation.

2. D.J. Moore, Maryland WR

Like Turay, some might’ve overlooked Moore because he wasn’t part of much team success the last 3 years. They shouldn’t. At least not anymore.

Certain prospects rise in the pre-draft process because of how well they perform in shorts. Others rise because when scouts finally get around to watching their film in February and March, they jump off the screen. Moore is the latter.

The guy caught touchdown passes from like, 12 different quarterbacks, none of whom were exactly All-Americans. And I challenge non-Maryland fans to name another receiver who played for the Terps the last three years. Despite that, Moore had the second-highest reception share of all receivers in 2017 (he actually had the highest for receivers in non triple-option offenses).

As a Maryland guy, Moore is going to get a ton of Stefon Diggs comparisons. Moore actually outperformed Diggs in college and he was more versatile. All of those teams who passed on Diggs are kicking themselves, and if Moore somehow slips into the middle rounds, they’ll kick themselves again.

3. Simmie Cobbs, Indiana WR

Let’s stick with talented receivers from non-B1G East powers. Cobbs was one of my favorite receivers to watch when healthy. That last part is key because after missing basically all of 2016, Cobbs bounced back in a big way in 2017.

Despite inconsistent play at the quarterback position, he still finished with 72 receptions for 841 yards and eight touchdowns. How many other Power 5 receivers had at least 70 catches for 800 yards and 8 touchdowns in 2017? Eight. Cobbs’ production in his last two healthy seasons speaks for itself (132 catches, 1,876 yards, 12 touchdowns).

Some might just chalk that up to playing in Kevin Wilson’s system during that breakout 1,000-yard season in 2015. That’s why 2017 was so huge for Cobbs. Without the aid of Wilson’s offense, he put up solid numbers and showed he can still make highlight-reel catches.

I’m not sure there was anyone in the country who was better at catching balls on the sidelines than Cobbs. Remember when he lit up Ohio State for 11 catches and 149 yards in the season opener?

Cobbs will be an interesting evaluation because he has size at 6-4, but he might not blow people away with his speed or strength. Still, he’s another guy who should stand out when teams turn on the film. Once that happens, Cobbs should squash early projections that he’s a late-round guy.

4. Sam Hubbard, Ohio State DE

Hubbard is one of the more familiar names for NFL teams because he’s been playing big-time games for the Buckeyes the last three years. He’s already cracking the back end of the first round in some mock drafts. So what makes me think that he can rise?

Well, Hubbard played at a crowded position group, which might’ve trimmed his production a bit. And let’s be honest. The Bosas set a pretty high bar for defensive linemen at Ohio State. But Hubbard will rise and become a consensus first-round pick during the pre-draft process.

I expect Hubbard to build off that monster performance he had against USC in the Cotton Bowl. His athleticism is going to be on display throughout the pre-draft process. Keep in mind that Hubbard was a high school safety and a stud lacrosse player. He’s not your typical defensive end prospect.

He’s not Clay Matthews and he’s not “a poor man’s Joey Bosa.” Hubbard is, however, an extremely talented edge rusher who finished his college career looking like an All-American. We’ll get plenty of reminders of that when he comes off the board as a top-20 pick.

5. Saquon Barkley, Penn State RB

Wait…what? How could Barkley’s stock possibly rise higher than it already is? Isn’t he the best prospect in the entire draft? In my opinion, yes.

According to draft experts like NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein and ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr., the former Penn State star will somehow NOT get picked in the top 3.

But at least it’s not CBS Sports, which has Barkley GOING NO. 9 OVERALL. WHAT?!?!?

Then there’s this:

https://twitter.com/AllbrightNFL/status/957652070898814976

Goodness gracious, people. Have people forgotten how insane Barkley is? Here’s a reminder:

So couple that with the fact that before Barkley began the pre-draft process a year ago, he was already running blistering 40-yard dashes and tearing up the weight room. This guy is going to dominate the combine.

If you want to knock Barkley for always going for the home-run play, fine. You know who else did that? Adrian Peterson. And don’t forget that Barkley didn’t exactly play behind the world’s greatest offensive line during his three seasons in Happy Valley.

But still, with all that he has working in his favor, there’s no way that he should slip past Indianapolis at No. 3.

If the media really is higher on Barkley than the league, then there’s something wrong with the league.

Connor O'Gara

Connor O'Gara is the senior national columnist for Saturday Tradition. He's a member of the Football Writers Association of America. After spending his entire life living in B1G country, he moved to the South in 2015.