The first week of college football is all wrapped up and it was filled with exciting games, thrilling comebacks and incredible performances. While we are still months away from the 2014 NFL Draft every game means something, and this was just another example. Here are the players whose draft stock is on the rise and other players who are crashing down.

Risers

Khalil Mack Outside Linebacker, Buffalo Bulls

While many pay close attention to prospects at big-time programs, every year there seems to be at least one smaller-school prospect that stands out. While the focus has always been on offensive players, defense still wins championships. Mack plays linebacker for Buffalo and has quickly established himself as one of the best linebacker prospects in the country.
Mack had the chance to prove himself against the second ranked Buckeyes this past week, and he was the best player on the field. He seemed to find his way into the backfield on almost every play, blowing up running plays and getting after Braxton Miller. His greatest play came in the second quarter when he broke through the line on a screen pass and jumped the pass and returned it for a touchdown. Mack finished the day with nine tackle including 2.5 sacks in a dominating performance, but unfortunately it resulted in a losing effort.

Mack was a dominating force off the edge, but also showed the versatility to sit back in coverage or be a run-stopper. He showed that against elite competition he could dominate and be a difference-maker on defense. His stock is on the rise and he could emerge as a first-round pick, and a player who can play for any defensive scheme.

Tajh Boyd Quarterback, Clemson Tigers

Big players show up in big games and we saw that when Clemson battled Georgia on Saturday. In a battle of two great college quarterbacks battling for supremacy as the better quarterback prospect and of course the win, Boyd and the Tigers stood out this past week.

The senior quarterback was brilliant against the Georgia defense, both with his arm and his legs. Boyd was dangerous running the football; he carried it 13 times for 42 yards but found the end zone twice working inside the red zone. When Boyd wasn’t running for touchdowns he was sitting back in the pocket making big plays with wide receiver Sammy Watkins. Boyd spread the ball around to seven different receivers, and completed 18 of 30 passes for 270 yards and three touchdowns. Boyd also showed progress in going through his reads and not immediately going with the first option.

Boyd clearly outplayed Murray in the game and once again showed he has no problem beating great teams. He still has to show more improvements on the deep ball with his accuracy and awareness inside the pocket. He is considered by many to be the best senior quarterback in the 2014 class and will likely emerge as a first-round pick.

Bishop Sankey Running Back, Washington Huskies

While the NFL has become a passing league, teams are always looking for great running backs in the draft. If you look at last year’s Super Bowl, Frank Gore and Ray Rice played a major role in helping the 49ers and Ravens make it so far. With running backs like Trent Richardson, Doug Martin and Alfred Morris being drafted and having great success, teams want to find the next top back.

Sankey has drawn a lot of mixed reactions from the draft community. Some have him outside their top-10 running backs, while others have him as their second or even best back in the class. One thing is for sure though; his performance against Boise State certainly will give his draft stock a boost. Even without the Huskies’ star Austin Seferian-Jenkins sitting out, Sankey still dominated with the defense focused on stopping him. He finished the night with 26 carries for 161 yards and two rushing touchdowns, as his natural vision and ability as a runner was on display. He carried Washington’s offense to an upset victory over Boise State. He found holes and showed excellent burst and patience, while also playing a role in the passing game.

While opinions may vary on Sankey, performances like this will only help rise up the rankings to the point where he could become a consensus top-five running back in the 2014 class. He is likely looking like a second-round pick now, but could climb into the first if he has another strong season.

Fallers

Cyrus Kouandjio Left Tackle, Alabama Crimson Tide

Alabama has long been a powerhouse for offensive linemen and Kouandjio was set to become the next great player. This is the year Kouandjio would be the star of Alabama’s offensive line with the chance to prove he can be an early first round pick.

His first test of the year came against Virginia Tech, and while Alabama got the win it was a very bad game for their offensive line. It was Kouandjio’s first action without the support of Chance Warmack and Barrett Jones but the performance was still awful. Kouandjio looked undisciplined and was just getting beat; he was called for two holding penalties and got away with at least two others. He also got away with a very early false start that was blatantly obvious on college but missed by the officials. Even when he wasn’t called for a penalty, Kouandjio was getting beat inside with counter moves and allowing interior penetration into the backfield. He had some success when the rush tried to go outside of him, but struggled with his hand placement and punch. His hands were wild throughout the game and even when he could get them in between the shoulder pads, he lacked the punch to make an impact.

Kouandjio entered last week as one of the top offensive tackles in the draft, but his stock certainly took a hit after his first game of the 2013 season. There is still plenty of time to improve and the size is there, but he needs to step up in two weeks against Texas A&M.

Ka’Deem Carey Running Back, Arizona Wildcats

The 2013 NFL Draft was the first draft in 50 years to not see a running back selected in the first round, and that trend could continue into the 2014 class. One player who has hoped to emerge as a first-round pick is Carey, but he comes with questions marks including red flags off the field.

The red flags have now been raised even higher after Carey was suspended by the team for their first game against Northern Arizona for a violation of team rules. The violation stems from a recent arrest for domestic violence and being kicked out of an Arizona basketball game. While Rich Rodriguez can claim after the fact that Carey s a “good kid” and just made some mistakes, the NFL likely won’t see it that way. Teams will be extremely cautious after what happened with Aaron Hernandez and if Carey’s past doesn’t check out, they may take him off the board.

Carey already had to show scouts that he can run inside and improve his skills in pass-protection, now he has to stay clean or else see his stock plummeting further down the board. The ability is there to be a game-changer in the NFL but the suspension is just further proof of his problems off the field and will be a major concern for coaches and executives.

Malcolm Mitchell Wide Receiver, Georgia Bulldogs

Unfortunately, a player’s draft stock can fall not because of a terrible performance or for issues off the field, but because of a devastating injury. That is the case with Mitchell who tore his ACL against Clemson when celebrating teammate Todd
Gurley’s 75-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.

Mitchell is a former cornerback who made the switch to being a full-time receiver last season, already had emerged as the Bulldogs’ top receiver for the 2013 season. He had the best camp of any player this summer with Georgia and was emerging as Aaron Murray’s favorite target. A dangerous receiver in open space, this was supposed to be the year where Mitchell was the breakout player for the Bulldogs and emerge as a riser in the 2014 Draft class. Now he will miss the entire season recovering from the torn ACL, and even after there will be questions about his explosiveness after the surgery.

You hate to see any young player get hurt, but it’s even worse when it is a player who was poised for a breakout season and the chance to prove himself to NFL scouts. Mitchell will be eligible for a medical redshirt, but will have to build chemistry with a new quarterback next season