NFL Draft Prospects to Watch in College Football Week 3
NFL Draft

NFL Draft Prospects to Watch in College Football Week 3

Gene Clemons identifies six NFL Draft prospects to watch during College Football Week 3, including a prototypical three-down linebacker and a pair of high-end running backs.

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The college football season is already three weeks deep, and before we know it, everyone will be turning their attention to who the stars of tomorrow in the NFL will be.

If you are a scout or talent evaluator of any kind, you've already begun to identify players you want to keep your eyes on throughout the season and into the offseason, where NFL Draft evaluations really pick up. As more games are played, more players are identified as talents you want to keep an eye on.

This four-pack has definitely proven that they are prolific performers in college, which lends itself to profiling as a prospect who can be a consistent performer at the next level. It's led by an FCS linebacker who has made plays since the day he was inserted into the game.

Let's take a look.

Week 3 NFL Draft Prospects to Watch in College Football 

Tye Niekamp | LB | Illinois State

The 6-foot-3, 240-pound Niekamp is a prototypical off-ball linebacker in the NFL. He put together a freshman All-American campaign in his first season on the field, and over the last two years, he has claimed back-to-back All-American honors. Over those two years, he has 294 tackles, which includes 25 tackles for loss.

There's nothing fancy or flashy about Niekamp's game; he just produces tackles, lots of tackles. And the kind that matters, not just the innocuous ones that happen five and six yards down the field, or 12 yards down the field if he is chasing a ball carrier down after a big play.

Not only does he perform the task better than almost anyone in college football, but he does it with a level of humility rarely seen from a player with his production. He plays the game from the neck up, but utilizes a broad-shouldered, wide-base physicality that is effective against the most aggressive of rush offenses. He diagnoses the play quickly and immediately triggers to get stops.

He understands how to weave through traffic to get to the ball carrier, and he attacks the A and B gap run fits quickly, which negates the offensive guard's ability to climb and get him covered up. In true three-down linebacker fashion, he has an ability to drop into coverage, diagnose open areas, and shut down passing lanes for the quarterback.

Mark Fletcher Jr. | RB | Miami

Fletcher is the aggressive heartbeat of the Hurricanes, but don't let that fool you into believing he is some Rudy-like character. At 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds, Fletcher possesses prototypical big back size in the NFL, and his elite explosiveness mixed with sneaky breakaway speed makes him an intriguing prospect for any NFL team looking for an ultra-productive downhill runner.

He is an intelligent runner who understands when to be patient and when to pop the clutch. He also knows how to set up his blocks and use his stop-start ability to put would-be tacklers in a bad position.

J'Koby Williams | RB | Texas Tech

Williams is a wild card in Texas Tech's offense. They use him as a running back, but also employ him in two-back sets, where they motion him out into the slot and get him matched up with linebackers so they can exploit his athleticism in space. 

That's why he leads the team, not only in rushing yards, but in total all-purpose production. The intrigue at the NFL level is simple: line him up as a running back in the backfield, or as a receiver in the slot, and he can exploit matchups. His elite explosiveness that gets him to the second and third levels immediately, mixed with his ability to cut on a dime, is rare and extremely valuable on the offensive side of the NFL.

​Zabien Brown | CB | Alabama

Brown is a very talented cornerback for the Tide. He holds down the boundary. He is highly effective in press coverage because he has the ability to be strong on the line of scrimmage and fight the receiver while instantly transitioning and pattern-matching vertical routes. He never seems to panic or be under duress while guarding receivers. 

He does a great job of staying connected and in phase with the pass catcher, while also maintaining his speed and leverage. Through the first three weeks of the season, he has been Alabama's lockdown cornerback, and as he continues to check off boxes against SEC talent, he will only get more looks from NFL personnel.

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