2014 NFL Draft Stock Watch: This Week's Risers and Fallers, Version 3.0

By Matt Johnson on Thursday, September 12th 2013
2014 NFL Draft Stock Watch: This Week's Risers and Fallers, Version 3.0

Another week of college football has come and gone and with it come more shakeups for the 2014 draft. Some remarkable performance by players across the country and some players who need to get things going before it becomes too late.

Risers                      

Aaron Murray Quarterback, Georgia Bulldogs                                     

It's amazing how much can change in a week and there is no better example than that of Murray. After struggling against Clemson to open up the season and resulting in another Top-25 loss. But the Bulldogs bounced back against a tough South Carolina defense and plenty of that credit goes to Murray.

After struggling in the first game with decision-making and pocket presence, Murray made a complete turnaround against the Gamecocks. Murray moved around in the pocket and progressed through his reads, before he delivered a strike to the open receiver. He looked sharp in the pocket and on his throws, completing 17 of 23 passes for 309 yards. What makes his performance even more impressive is that he had four touchdowns and just six completions on the day. Just a week ago we thought Murray was going to be a possible third-day selection, but if he can continue to build on this performance he will go no later than the third round.                                                                                          

Dominique Easley Defensive Tackle, Florida Gators                              

One player who may have boosted his stock the most this week did it in a losing effort, but it will all be worth it on draft day. Florida's defense held Miami to just 21 points and Easley deserves plenty of recognition for his performance.                                                                                

The Hurricanes' offensive line was no match for Easley, as he simply was too athletic for the interior offensive line. Miami constantly felt his presence in the backfield, where he blew up runs and brought pressure on Stephen Morris. What makes Easley's performance even more impressive was that he was battling the flu all week before the game and still managed to take the field and steamroll the Hurricanes offensive line. Before the year Easley was looking like a late first round pick, with the chance to move up with a strong season. We are only two weeks into the college football season and Easley is beginning to look like a top-10 pick. His versatility to play at multiple spots on the defensive line for any type of defense makes him a very special player who coaches will fall in love with                   

Kyle Van Noy Outside Linebacker, BYU Cougars                                   

Van Noy made a name for himself last season after ending the season with four and a half sacks and 13 tackles in the Cougars final two games of the year. The question facing Van Noy as he entered the 2013 season was if his success could carry over and he could develop even more as a player.                                                                                                      

The excellent play has continued for him early in the season, after picking up two and a half sacks against Virginia to open the season he continued to dominate against Texas. He has looked stronger this season and that has helped him become more physical at the line to become even more disruptive force. He finished the night with eight tackles and a sack, while really keeping David Ash on edge and never letting him settle in the pocket. It was a big game against a top program, and now gives Van Noy eight sacks in his past four games. His draft stock is skyrocketing and as long as he stays healthy, he will be a first round pick.

Fallers                                                                                                

Daniel McCullers Defensive Tackle, Tennessee Volunteers

On size alone you have to love what McCullers brings to the table, he stands at 6'8" 351 lbs. and when things are working he is an absolute nightmare to deal with. But despite dropping weight in the offseason, McCullers has struggled to begin the season. He is a prospect that many draft writers are high on, but he may start slipping down draft boards.   

The Volunteers have started the season against Austin Peay and Western Kentucky, two weak opponents that were both blown out by a rebuilding Tennessee program. Despite playing against weaker opponents, McCullers has been ineffective when he is on the field and that hasn't been often. He is a run-stuffer and it would be expected that he came off the field on third down, but still struggles with the limited snaps. McCullers looks slow at times and for someone of his size, hasn't dominated smaller opponents like many expected him to do. He lost more than 20 pounds with the plan to build up his durance and add a little athleticism, but that hasn't translated to the field yet. He will be in for a major test this week against the Ducks and their fast-paced offense, where scouts can see his endurance and ability to stay on the field. If he can have an impact and blow up some running plays, McCullers stock will go up again.          

David Fales Quarterback, San Jose State                                          

The 2013 quarterback class was weaker than in previous years, so naturally everyone looked toward names in the 2014 class to step up and emerge. Fales became a favorite for many before the 2013 season because of his pinpoint accuracy and effectiveness at San Jose State. But now two games into the season, the hype has vanished and doubt is starting to set in about Fales future.                                                       

After completing 72 percent of his passes last season, Fales has seen that number drop to 60 percent through two games this year.  While the Spartans walked away with a victory against Sacramento State to open up the season, he completed just half of his 32 passes. He showed improvement against a great Stanford defense completing 67 percent of his throws but he also threw an interception and finished with just 216 passing yards. While Fales is adjusting to a new offense, he hasn't showed any real patience in the pocket and his decision-making has taken a step back. There is still time left but Fales needs to start showing improvement if he wants his name to be discussed amongst the top senior quarterbacks.                                                                                               

Jackson Jeffcoat Defensive End, Texas Longhorns                    

Sometimes great talent doesn't always translate to success on the football field and in the case of Jeffcoat; we have seen an example of that so far. Jeffcoat was praised as one of the most gifted defensive prospects in the 2014 draft, but questions about his production and consistency surrounded him entering the season.                                                         

Through the first two games of the Longhorns season, there remains serious doubt about Jeffcoat and if his talent can translate to the NFL. He wasn't very effective against New Mexico State, but that performance didn't come close to what happened against BYU. Jeffcoat was part of the problem as the Longhorns' defense gave up 550 rushing yards in a 40-21 beat down by BYU. While the Cougars' passing game was quiet they didn't need it, as every time they put a running back on the field, he would find success against a pathetic Texas defense.

Two players rushed for over 180 yards and another running back added 87 rushing yards. Jeffcoat has never been praised as a big run-stopper but he was invisible against BYU and you just can't have that if you want to be a first round pick. Jeffcoat has the size and athleticism that scouts love, but right now he just hasn't shown that same ability on the field consistently. Maybe a new defensive coordinator can help, or maybe this is just a case of raw talent not translating to the field.

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