2016 NFL Draft: Week 1 risers and fallers

The first week of the college football season is in the books and several players have already seen movement in their 2016 NFL draft stock. It’s important to keep in mind that this is a small sample size of the season but it still holds value.

Faller:

Christian Hackenberg, Penn State

Hackenberg had by far the worst performance of any highly touted prospect. He showed little improvement from last season with his issues dealing with pressure still a major problem. Physical talent is only part of the equation for success with the mental part of the game equally important.

I recently wrote this article which closely looks at Hackenberg’s struggles against Temple. His draft stock is sliding fast and it could take awhile for it to recover. The key is for Hackenberg to start making quicker decisions in the face of pressure.

He’ll get his chance because opposing defensive coordinators absolutely took notice to his poor week 1 performance.

Risers:

William Fuller, Notre Dame

Notre Dame is loaded with talent at the wide receiver position with William Fuller and Corey Robinson both potential 1^st round picks. Fuller really stood out against Texas showing his combination of athleticism and savvy.

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He’s an accomplished route runner who can locate the open spots in the defense and adjust his routes to poorly thrown balls. Fuller is a natural pass catcher capable of plucking the ball away from his frame and making the tough catch in traffic.

Myles Jack, UCLA

Myles Jack is one of my favorite players in this draft class thanks to his explosiveness and play-making ability. However, there are question marks surrounding his game thanks to his lack of ideal size. He helped quite some of those concerns this past weekend against Virginia.

The thing that stood out the most was his new commitment to taking on blocks by using his hand and delivering a powerful jolt. This allowed him to plug the hole, disengage and make plays away from his frame. His ability to play with increased power will greatly increase his overall draft stock.

Braxton Miller, Ohio State

Making the move to wide receiver was a smart decision by Braxton Miller. His potential as an NFL quarterback was limited because of his questionable accuracy and reliance on running the ball. Miller made a strong statement against Virginia Tech which put him on the draft radar as a receiver.

He’ll need time to develop his route-running and feel for the position but there’s no denying his potential. This is an explosive athlete who is extremely dangerous with the ball in his hands.

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