These 2018 prospects have shown flashes of brilliance during their early college careers. However, it will take a consistently-brilliant senior campaign to keep their names at the tops of scouts' lists across the league.
Even if they do excel in their final college seasons, they'll need to keep their noses clean throughout the pre-draft process, as a couple of this year's top players found out the hard way.
An average of 15 seniors were selected in the first round of the draft from 2011 to 2015, including 14 on Thursday night. Another 19 seniors, on average, were picked in the second round since 2011.
Therefore, I've devised a list of 35 future pros (adding one to the combined five-year average) hoping to become first- or second-round picks next spring. I've ranked them, not by the place I expect them to land in next year's draft, but by the interest I have in watching their progress during the 2015 season.
2018 NFL DRAFT
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1. Connor Cook, QB, Michigan State
Over the past two seasons, Cook (6-foot-4, 220 pounds) has led the Spartans to 24 wins, thrown for nearly 6,000 yards, and tossed 46 touchdowns (versus just 14 intereceptions). He has the prerequisite size, athleticism, anticipation, toughness, and football intelligence to excel at the next level. He hasn't cracked the 60 percent completion barrier in his career as of yet (58.1 percent last year) and has a new receiving corps for his senior year. Cook is the most intriguing senior prospect this year. If he can lead an inexperienced passing game in his final collegiate season, he'll be in line for a very high draft slot.
2. Shawn Oakman, DE, Baylor
It doesn't take long to find Oakman (6-9, 280) on the field, as his tall frame and No. 2 jersey stand out even among the Bears' top competition. It was a bit of a surprise when the massive lineman decided to return to school, as he likely would have been a first-round pick after a 19.5-tackle-for-loss, 11-sack season as a junior. But the Penn State transfer wants to be picked at the very top of the draft, and apparently loves being a Baylor Bear. Lofty expectations are sometimes difficult to live up to, however; scouts will be looking for consistent explosiveness, leverage, and motor from Oakman, in addition to his bullish strength, before labeling him a "can't-miss" prospect worthy of a top-five pick.
3. D'haquille Williams, WR, Auburn
Halfway through the 2014 season, it looked as though "Duke" was going to be the second former junior college receiver climbing up NFL team draft boards, along with West Virginia's Kevin White. But a sprained MCL suffered late in the year and a suspension for breaking team rules pushed Williams (6-2, 224) to return to school to get his degree. One of eight children, Williams won't have a problem sticking out this year if the Tigers' offense can keep rolling after the graduation of quarterback Nick Marshall. His ability to put the passing game on his shoulders as a senior will be the difference between Williams being a top-10 pick and a second-rounder with question marks.
4. Taylor Decker, OT, Ohio State
Ohio State's undisputed leader on the offensive line decided to come back for another year in Columbus instead of locking up a mid-to-late first-round placement this year. Decker (6-8, 315) not only gets a chance to win back-to-back national titles by returning for his senior year, but also an opportunity to prove he has the natural bend and elite athleticism to be a top-five selection.
5. Spencer Drango, OT, Baylor
If any senior is going to challenge Decker for the top senior offensive tackle slot, it will be Drango (6-8, 315). A four-year starter, there's no questioning his intensity or strength at the line of scrimmage. But like Decker, Drango needs to consistently hit targets in space and look comfortable holding off any top pass rushers during his final year on campus before earning a top-10 draft slot.
6. Jordan Jenkins, OLB, Georgia
Talk about explosiveness ... Georgia's Most Improved Player for the 2014 season actually started six games as a true freshman. Jenkins (6-3, 253) came into his own as a junior, however, showing flashes of quick hands and deadly straight-line speed to the quarterback. Turning those flashes into long periods of brightness should put him squarely in the first-round conversation.
7. Dadi Lhomme Nicolas, DE/OLB, Virginia Tech
In a world where pass rushers are coveted more than umbrellas in New York during a rainstorm, Nicolas (6-4, 236) has the smooth acceleration off the line to become one of the best in the country as a senior. Scouts wonder if Nicolas could be the next great Haitian-born pass rusher, though he doesn't cut the physically-imposing presence that Jason Pierre-Paul did for South Florida (and still does for the Giants). The second-team All-ACC pick (18.5 tackles for loss, nine sacks) is misused as a base end in the Hokies' defense but is likely to transition to linebacker at the next level -- with many teams relying on 3-4 alignments as their base defense. He only started playing football his senior year of high school, so honing his skill off the edge combined with improving his bend and strength at the point of attack would make him a very highly-regarded prospect.
8. Landon Turner, OG, North Carolina
An absolute road-grader, Turner (6-4, 325) will turn the heads of NFL general managers with his ability to move the line of scrimmage. He's not too heavy-footed to protect the quarterback, either ... and when he gets beat, he'll work hard to finish the block. Will he crack the top half of the first round, or go late in the stanza like Laken Tomlinson this year? It's too early to tell, but I'll have fun watching him try to climb the rungs of the draft ladder.
9. Vadal Alexander, OG/OT, LSU
After starting for two years next to La'el Collins at left guard, Alexander (6-6, 320) moves back to right tackle for his senior year. He started the last seven games of his freshman campaign at right tackle, earning Freshman All-American honors. Alexander has shed at least 30 pounds since arriving on campus, giving him a shot to stay at tackle when he arrives in the NFL. It is possible Alexander has done enough to land a first-round slot as a guard with his length, strength, and footwork. Success at his new/old position is crucial, however, for Alexander to earn the respect of general managers across the league as a pass protector on the outside.
10. DeForest Buckner, DE, Oregon
Unfortunately, Buckner (6-7, 290) will be compared to former Duck defensive lineman Dion Jordan, who was picked third overall by the Dolphins in 2013 and struggled to earn that status before being suspended for the 2015 season for a third violation of the league's substance-abuse policy. He's not a similar player to Jordan because his thicker frame portends a NFL career with his hand on the ground; nonetheless, the comparisons will be drawn. Buckner's path towards the 2018 draft is also interesting because, while he flashes the skills of a top prospect, better offensive linemen can dominate him, using his tall frame to keep him from getting leverage. If he can improve his stack-and-shed ability and his motor, and consistently win the edge, scouts will forget about Jordan and grade Buckner well based on his own merits.
11. Jarran Reed, DT, Alabama
The East Mississippi Community College transfer doesn't light up the stat sheet (6.5 tackles for loss, one sack in 2014) for the Tide, but is utterly disruptive in the middle. Reed (6-4, 313) commands double teams and eats them like a 313-pounder should -- and doesn't have the sloppy body and inconsistent motor that prevented former JC/Alabama stud NT Terrence "Mount" Cody from earning a first-round draft spot. If Reed continues to push forward on early downs and keeps his nose clean this year (he had a DUI in the summer of 2014), he'll he the first nose tackle off the board next spring.
12. Jeremy Cash, S, Duke
The Blue Devils are looking for their first back-to-back drafts with a first-round pick in school history. Seeing Green Bay pick Damarious Randall from Arizona State as a cornerback made me believe teams will like Cash's cover skills enough to pick him on Draft Thursday. Cash (6-2, 205) might not line up outside on Sundays, but proving himself as a slot cover man during the 2015 season should help him join teammate Laken Tomlinson as an initial-round selection.
13. Reggie Ragland, ILB, Alabama
The question isn't whether Ragland (6-2, 252) will be a starting 3-4 inside linebacker in the NFL -- it's whether he is athletic enough to be a three-down linebacker in any system. While taken off the field by Nick Saban on third downs at times during his first year as a starter as a junior, Ragland is not slow-footed by any means. In his second year running Saban's pro-style defense in 2015, the former five-star recruit can now let his natural ability shine.
14. Adolphus Washington, DT/DE, Ohio State
Apparently Washington (6-4, 290) is ready to go for his senior season -- he had four sacks in Ohio State's Scarlet-Gray Game. He has quickness off the ball for his size, and although he will likely face a lot of double teams in 2015, his future might be as a difference-making 3-4 end at the next level. Shedding one-on-one blocks and exploding into the backfield throughout the Big Ten season will show scouts he's ready to take the next step no matter where they want him to line up.
15. Devontae Booker, RB, Utah
Booker (5-11, 212), a former Washington State signee and junior college star, only ran a total of 31 times in his first three games with the Utes in 2014 -- then he ran for 130 yards a game through the rest of the season. His combination of power, quickness, elusiveness in the hole, and receiving ability give him an excitement factor lacking from most collegiate backs. The devaluation of his position might prevent him from being a first-round pick, but another ultra-productive season and top-notch Combine workout could push him in that direction.