With the 2016 NFL Draft nearly upon us, it's time to strip away some of the hype that's built up and highlight a few of the prospects whose buzz is out of whack with their ability. Below are four undervalued and four overvalued players in this draft class.
UNDERVALUED PROSPECTS
The 5-foot-11, 193-pound White does not have ideal size, but he's very quick and instinctive, and he plays the ball very well -- he's ready to play right away. Talking to people around the NFL, it seems to me he's viewed as a fourth-round player, due to his size deficiency and the lack of a certain dynamic quality, but I think he's worthy of a late second-round selection.
Lowry has outstanding size (6-6, 296 pounds), strength and explosiveness, but his lack of length (31-inch arms) is a concern for some teams. I think he's ideally suited to be a 3-4 defensive end, and is someone who can play right away. He's talked about as more of a fifth- or sixth-round player, in part because of the depth of this year's defensive end class, but I think Lowry is worthy of a third-round choice.
He's downgraded by others in part because where he'll play is a little bit of a question, but I think his 'tweener status can be an asset instead of a liability, as it gives you inside-outside flexibility. Bullard has great get-off. A lot of teams have him in the third-round range, but I think he's worthy of going early in the second round.
Because of a combination of injuries and inconsistent quarterback play, Mitchell doesn't have the production of a lot of the other receivers in this class, having posted just 174 catches and 2,350 receiving yards in four college seasons. But he's an outstanding route runner, very fluid and very tough, and he's one of the more ready-to-play receivers in this draft. I could see Mitchell being a real bargain in the third or fourth round.
OVERVALUED PROSPECTS
Green had an unbelievable workout at the NFL Scouting Combine, posting a 4.34-second 40-yard dash (the second-best time among safeties and corners) and a 10-9 broad jump (fifth best). He's a very athletic player, but it doesn't always translate on tape -- his instincts are a question mark. There's a lot of buzz about Green going late in the first round, but I don't have him in my top 50.
There have been some rumblings that a few teams believe Howard is the most gifted runner in the draft. I don't see it that way. He's got size (6-foot, 230 pounds) and power, but he's not elusive; he doesn't have that second gear. And I don't think he'll be much of a factor in the passing game (he had just 24 catches for 261 yards over three seasons at UAB and Indiana). I've heard Howard could go as high as the second round, but I see him as more of a fourth- or fifth-round option.
Clark is unbelievably long, with arms that measure 36 1/8 inches, and a lot of teams place a premium on arm length for tackles. However, he has some rough spots on tape -- he doesn't always use his length, and he struggles to redirect. I think Clark has all of the physical tools, but he's going to need some time to develop. He's been mentioned as a potential first-round pick, but I have him as more of a second-rounder.
Davis is another player who tested extremely well, but when you study him, you see that he gave up a lot of plays last season at corner, where he simply struggled from a technical standpoint. I do like him better at safety, where he'd played previously. Davis is being mentioned as a potential first-rounder, but I think he's someone who should go late in the second or early in the third round as a safety.
Follow Daniel Jeremiah on Twitter @MoveTheSticks.