NFL Draft Stock Watch: Week 6 Risers and Fallers

After another weekend of great games and prospect matchups. I take a look at who was able to boost their draft stock this past weekend and whose performance may have lowered their stock.

Rising

Ahmad Dixon (S, Baylor): In a game featuring two spread offenses, defensive discipline in the open field was a necessity in order for both teams to succeed. Unfortunately for West Virginia, they could not accomplish that and to a certain point, Baylor could. Dixon, in particular, stood out among the rest of the Baylor defense. He was all over the place both as a tackler and showing up in coverage. A hybrid player at Baylor, Dixon needed to show his versatility and being able to make plays in coverage and against the run helped that.

Carlos Hyde (RB, Ohio State): After some legal transgressions during the offseason, Hyde was nowhere to be found on some draft boards. Luckily for him, he was able to show up big time when his team needed him against Northwestern. He was able to run with power and decisiveness, cutting through the Wildcat defense and leading his team to victory. While he may not be a top 10 back, he is certainly working his way upward.

Paul Richardson (WR, Colorado): Richardson had a tough matchup this week, facing one of the best corner tandems in the nation in Ifo Ekpre-Olomu and Terrance Mitchell, but Richardson showed up big time. While he is not a straight line athlete, he used his physicality , body control and great hands to make tough catches move Colorado down the field. While he was not able to burn anyone for a score, his ability to work against high level corners should put scouts on notice.

Falling

Jamea Thomas (DB, Georgia Tech): Thomas’ move from safety to corner has not been kind to him. His lack of fluidity and inability to read and run with the receiver is very worrying. While his prospect is not all from finished, he has failed so far to prove anything at corner and should look to switch back to safety at the next level.

Colt Lyerla (TE, formerly of Oregon): Lyerla, as of last year, was the best tight end in the nation. He was a matchup nightmare, a beast to bring down and a powerful blocker. However, some internal issues have caused him to leave the team. It is not known whether or not he intends to play football again, but someone actually giving up on their team will have a lot of questions to answer at the combine.

Tre Boston (S, UNC): Boston is a phenomenal athlete who showed a lot of promise last year as a coverage safety, this year however, he has taken a huge step back. His instincts have really let him down and he just does not look like someone who can start at the next level. He takes bad angles in coverage, cannot tackle consistently, and will often find himself out of position. He needs to make a big turnaround this year or his pro ceiling will be limited to a special teams player.