NFL Draft Prospects to Watch in College Football Week 5
NFL Draft

NFL Draft Prospects to Watch in College Football Week 5

Gene Clemons identifies four NFL Draft prospects to watch during College Football Week 5, including dynamic FCS running back prospect Eli Gillman.

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Week 5 is upon us, and we are continually getting more familiar with prospects as we go. As some teams dive deeper into conference play, players get the opportunity to show what they can do against competition that may know them better than they know themselves. This gives evaluators a great opportunity to see how prospects respond to teams who already have scouting reports on them. 

Let's check out a few NFL Draft prospects to keep your eyes on this week.

Week 5 NFL Draft Prospects to Watch in College Football

FCS Prospect Spotlight: Eli Gillman | RB | Montana

Gillman is the definition of production over potential. He is who he's going to be as a running back, and that should be exciting for teams that are looking for a plug-and-play running back out of college. At 6-foot, 215 pounds, he is a bruising bell-cow back who is the tone-setter for Montana. He is a special one-cut runner who understands how to press the front side and get second-level defenders to overcommit before he sticks his foot in the ground, gets north and south, or cuts back across the grain.

He has the ability to execute clean jump cuts through creases while keeping his pad level low and avoiding contact. When there is contact, he's able to absorb it well and stay on his feet. He even has proven receiving ability out of the backfield. Evaluators still want to see him flash the elite breakaway speed they coveted in backs coming out of college.

​Austin Simmons | QB | Missouri

Simmons is a quarterback who has a baseball background that allows him to whip the ball from multiple arm angles and shape it around defenders. His arm talent is by far the biggest attractor for scouts, and his production this year at Missouri has begun to match it. He has clean feet and an athletic background that allows him to move around in the pocket well. He also possesses an easy release that results in the ball zipping through the air and through tight windows.

As a left-handed thrower, he looks at the game differently than most right-handed quarterbacks. Even though he can place the ball everywhere, evaluators still want to see him operate under duress. He has done a great job of it so far through four games, throwing 11 touchdowns to no interceptions.

​Andrew Sprague | OT | Michigan

The intrigue of Sprague starts with his legitimate NFL-caliber offensive tackle frame. At 6-foot-7 and 310 pounds, he is exactly what teams are looking for. He has a ton of reach and has a quick lateral kick slide that allows him to get to edge rushers. He naturally mirrors rushers at the point of attack, using his length to keep the speed from bending the corner and to keep the power from overwhelming him and getting into his chest.

He is surprisingly physical for someone his size. He creates rushing lanes for backs in their downhill man and gap schemes. He also has great hand placement, which he utilizes on inside zone to generate movement at the point of attack. One thing he needs to continue to do is work on his pad level to be able to defend against low-leverage bull rushers. As a taller offensive lineman, it can cause him to lean back in protection and get knocked on his heels easily, but his technical ability mixed with his athleticism allows him to recover more often than not.

​A'Mauri Washington | DT | Oregon

Washington is an absolute load on the inside, a throwback to when nose guards had to be giants in order to keep their opposition's rush numbers quiet. He is a mountain of a man on the inside, forcing offenses to give their centers double-team help. His lower body power allows him to still make blocks when offensive linemen try to explode off the line of scrimmage. He uses long arms to lock out, keeping his body clean so that he can shed blocks and get to ball carriers on the interior.

His bull rush is obviously a stunner of a move, but evaluators still want to see if he has any counters off his bull rush to gauge what his pass-rushing package could possibly look like. He's already a major prospect as an early-down run stopper. But if he can show an ability to get pressure up the middle, it could skyrocket his draft stock.

​Faletau Satuala | S | BYU

The 6-foot-4, 215-pound safety has the prototypical size and the Swiss Army knife-like tool belt skill set that the NFL looks for. Defensive coordinators salivate over his type of versatility on the back third of the defense. 

The former high school wide receiver plays with incredible range, using his length and ball skills to challenge passing lanes across the third level of the defense. Whether in one-high safety or two-high safety looks, he patrols the back end extremely well. He is known for his ability to trigger down and fill the rushing alleys, and make tackles on outside runs or screen passes out on the perimeter.

Like most collegiate safeties who are still working on their technique, evaluators want to see him get better in his transition at the top of routes against the more twitchy slot receivers. The way he shows up in the box makes you feel as if he can be an extra linebacker. But his coverage abilities and natural instincts for the ball make him a weapon as a pass defender and as a coverage option against athletic tight ends or bigger slot receivers.

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