The NFL Draft Mailbag is back again this week and more great questions have come out. We are now two weeks into the college football season and as players start to settle in, the 2014 NFL Draft conversation continues. From player comparisons, to small-school prospects and everything in between, the mailbag is here to answer your questions and give another great source for draft discussion.

@3SNdot: Who’s a small-school player right now that could end up being a top-10 draft pick in April?

He became pretty well known after his strong performance against Ohio State but Buffalo outside linebacker Khalil Mack is a favorite of mine.

Mack dominated against the Buckeyes in the opener; compiling nine tackles including two and a half sacks and a 45-yard interception return for a touchdown. He showed his skills as a pass-rusher who can just come off the edge and blow up plays in the backfield. His speed and aggressiveness was on display, but he isn’t just a pass rusher. What makes Mack special is his versatility to play in multiple defensive schemes. You can line him up on the outside or inside and you will get a great player. He also has the ability to drop back into coverage and stay with the tight end. He can do it all as a linebacker, so coaches won’t have to take him off the field in certain situations. Right now Mack is looking like a late-first round pick right now but the senior linebacker could emerge as a top-ten pick in April.

@DmoneyMusgrave: Who is your favorite prospect(s) in the 2014 NFL Draft class?

This is something I’ve gone back and forth on for the past several months. While we all have a group of players we like, every draft writer has that one player they love.

For me there are really two players, one on each side of the ball. My favorite offensive player from the 2014 class has to be Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. I started watching him a year ago and fell in love with how advanced he was for his age. It wasn’t his arm strength or athleticism, but his smooth throwing motion, patience in the pocket and toughness. The big knock on him is that he plays in the weak American Athletic Conference, but all you have to do is watch the natural abilities he has to know that he is a great prospect. There is debate about if Bridgewater should go first overall over Jadeveon Clowney; I would take Bridgewater in a heartbeat. You just can’t pass up on potential elite quarterback prospects.

On defense, the one player I love this year is Tennessee defensive tackle Daniel McCullers. He is simply a monster, at 6’ 8” and 351 lbs. it’s hard to find another player as big as McCullers. He has taken steps to become a great prospect this year, including dropping weight in the offseason. He is more athletic than you would expect for a player who weighs over 350 lbs. and has the motor to chase after running backs down field. McCullers showed flashes last season of greatness, and maybe the greatest example of that was against Alabama.

Matched up against Barrett Jones and Chance Warmack, McCullers showed his incredible strength by fighting through double-teams of two NFL starters. When everything is right, he simply can outmuscle his opponent and create pressure on the inside. The biggest thing standing in the way of McCullers is his technique and really just being so undeveloped. He needs to develop his rush moves and he needs to use his hands better and set himself up in a better position to bring great push more consistently. I just love the size that McCullers brings to the table and once he develops and can master the fine details of the position, he will be a dominant nose tackle in the NFL.

@ledontrae32: Who do you think is the better wide receiver prospect; Donte Moncrief or Brandon Coleman?

An excellent question as while I believe both receivers have excellent potential and can emerge as first-round talents with great seasons in 2013. There is plenty of debate about who is the best receiver of the two, but the decision is clear for me.

Each receiver is a bit of a project, with Moncrief needing to become a more consistent, clean route-runner and Coleman really needing to show improvement with his hands and technique. Moncrief has great hands as he showed time and time again last season, making leaping grabs and taking passes away from the defender.  He has a nice catch radius and at 6’3” he has the size to go up and get balls in the air. But what gives Coleman the edge for me is potential to be great and when you see the things he does at 6’6” it’s almost unbelievable.

When Coleman steps onto the field the only players who may be as tall as him are the linemen. He is thin for his size at 220 lbs. but he more than makes up for it with his 4.4 speed and leaping ability. Coleman has struggled with consistency at Rutgers, but that also goes back to poor quarterback play and not looking downfield to Coleman. He has shown the ability to run clean routes and catch the ball on short, quick throws. 

The biggest questions facing Coleman this season will be his consistency and his hands. Coleman had a big opener against Fresno State with nine receptions for 94 yards and two touchdowns, but followed that up with a two-catch performance against Norfolk State. The biggest thing Coleman will have to work on is his hands, as he suffered from too many drops last season with the ball. He is a work in progress but if developed correctly, the size and speed combination will make him a great receiver in the NFL.

Coleman and Moncrief both should finish the 2013 with outstanding numbers and top-50 draft picks. But between the two, I am taking Coleman to become my top receiver for my NFL team and wouldn’t be surprised to see his name called in the first round.