Small School Stars

Every year small school college stars are overlooked or undervalued in the NFL Draft because of the level of their competition. Balancing a players on field performance with the quality of their competition is a tough call. But football talent is football talent no matter where it's found. Scouts and decision-makers just have to do the work. The good thing is that most NFL teams have learned that it's wrong to ignore some football players simply because of where they play. It's well worth the time to work a little harder, drive a little farther. NFL.com draft analyst Chad Reuter did some work on the small school football players and came up with this top-10 list for the 2016 NFL Draft.

10.  DeAndre Houston-Carson, DB, William & MAry
  9.  Dominique Robertson, OL, West Georgia
  8.  Joe Haeg, T, North Dakota State
  7.  Miles Killebrew, S, Southern Utah
  6.  Ryan Smith, CB, North Carolina Central
  5.  James Cowser, DE/OLB, Southern Utah
  4.  Matthew Judon, DE, Grand Valley State
  3.  Javon Hargrave, DT, South Carolina State
  2.  Noah Spence, DE/OLB, Eastern Kentucky
  1.  Carson Wentz, QB, North Dakota State

Carson Wentz has been at the front of draft talk long enough that his small school background no longer seems to be an issue. The fact that Noah Spence was a top player at Ohio State before he ended up at Eastern Kentucky erased many doubts that he could tangle with the big boys. NFL teams are probably more concerned about the drug issues that drove him to a smaller school than they are about the level of competition that he encountered once he got there.

Javon Hargrave and Matthew Judon are the players that intrigue me the most. In any other draft Hargrave might be picked in the second round. The incredible defensive tackle depth in this draft probably drops him more than the level of competition that he faced while playing at South Carolina State. He's a very intriguing football player. 16 and 13.5 sacks over the last two seasons from the defensive tackle position are impressive numbers no matter where he played. Speaking of sacks, Judon has been a sack machine. He had about a hundred last season. Actually it was 20. He also added 23.5 tackles for loss. He made so many plays in the opponents backfield that one must wonder if he actually lined up there.

Some, if not all, of the above players will make their names known at the NFL level. Other small school players will surely do the same.